Every ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard’ romance, ranked
Whatever your taste in romance stories, Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers a little of everything. All seven companions are romance options for Rook, the player character, and each presents a unique experience.
With over 100 hours of gameplay under my belt and a lot of feelings about certain companions and returning characters, ranking every Dragon Age: The Veilguard romance is a hard task, but not an impossible one. The Lighthouse may only have two beds (no, seriously), but that hasn’t stopped these characters from figuring it out and falling in love. Here are the highs and lows of each Veilguard romance.
7. Lucanis Dellamorte
Lucanis, the First Talon of the Antivan Crows, shares his body with the demon Spite and does his best not to sleep so Spite has as little control as possible. He’s a talented assassin and a coffee snob who shows his love for people by caring for them; for the adventuring party at the Lighthouse, he grocery shops and cooks special meals and desserts according to people’s needs and preferences. He’s also a bit tortured, which makes him reluctant to get close to Rook.
That reluctance is well-written, but it’s hard to swallow compared to how easily Lucanis flirts with Neve Gallus whenever the pair take on missions together. Rather than increase the tension between him and Rook, his fear of falling in love actually deflates the potential build-up, making their final scenes together feel romantic but flat.
6. Taash
Although Taash has one of the most impactful storylines in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, their romance is unfortunately not as strong as I had hoped it would be. The sexual tension between Taash and Rook is incredible and it’s there from the jump: It’s very obvious that these two want to kiss and likely do more than kiss, except a lot is getting in their way. The vulnerable exploration of Taash’s identity is especially high-stakes as they start a new romantic relationship, and Rook plays a key part in that exploration (especially if Rook is non-binary and/or trans).
However, beyond giving into the clear sexual tension between Taash and Rook, this romance isn’t vastly different from Taash’s non-romance storyline. Had the romance been given more space to breathe, it could have been truly incredible, but as it stands, it’s largely a missed opportunity.
5. Bellara Lutare
Bellara the Veil Jumper is a guileless and immensely talented arcanist whose ability to restore ancient Elven artifacts is seemingly unparalleled. She carries heavy grief and deep guilt from the loss of her brother and struggles to reconcile what she was once taught about her gods and how they’re now hellbent on blighting the world. She craves a happy ending, but she’s dedicated to the fight whatever happens. Bellara is terrible at flirting but endlessly sweet.
Her romance is somewhat unevenly paced at first, though it smooths out as her companion quests pick up speed.
4. Emmrich Volkarin
Professor Emmrich Volkarin of the Mournwatch is an incredibly talented necromancer with deep affection for the dead, though he fears death itself. In his quest to embrace death and potentially fulfill his longtime goal of becoming a lich, he creates and essentially begins to parent his skeleton ward, Manfred, with whom Rook develops a special relationship as well.
Whether Rook helps Emmrich embrace death through Lichdom or embrace mortality, this romance is beautifully written. Unfortunately, because Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn’t allow players to customize Rook’s age, it’s impossible to escape uncomfortable dialogue about Emmrich being significantly older if they develop a romance. This is, of course, why headcanons and fanfiction exist, but it would be better if this part of the story could be skipped altogether.
3. Lace Harding
Scout Lace Harding is the first fully romanceable dwarf in the Dragon Age series. Returning from Inquisition, in which the player can have a casual romance with her, Harding’s scouting skills are put to the test when she touches Solas’s pure lyrium dagger and is immediately, intensely reconnected with the stolen magic of the Titans. Suddenly she can dream and hear the Song of the Stone. When she learns the truth about the blight and how Solas stole the dreams of the Titans, she becomes so filled with rage she nearly forgets who she is.
As Rook helps Lace navigate this new and frightening era, their bond slowly increases and their friendship intensifies. Brought together by Varric and left to save the world without him, if the player chooses this romance, the writing makes it feel almost inevitable. The Lace Harding romance is high-stakes and well-paced, with plenty of moments to linger on and love. It also allows space for awkwardness in the transition from friends to more, which feels realistic and sweet.
2. Davrin
Davrin, the Grey Warden turned accidental griffon guardian, is on a mission to take down the Gloom Howler that killed his peers and kidnapped 12 of the 13 remaining baby griffons in Thedas. He’s a powerful monster hunter with incredible focus and he firmly believes that because he signed on to be a Grey Warden, his life has an expiration date. He’s accepted death. He doesn’t cope well with failure. When the party tries to take down Ghilan’nain and her Archdemon, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Grey Wardens, he struggles to navigate survivor’s guilt.
Throughout his single-minded, intense journey to save the griffons and either keep them with the Grey Wardens or give them a gentler life as guardians of Arlathan Forest, Davrin consistently surprises himself, Rook, and Assan, his griffon companion. Although he claims to be a hardened monster hunter who follows the laws of his order completely, working with Rook and raising Assan exposes a softer side and gives him a chance to be vulnerable without suffering consequences for opening up.
This romance is one of the best in Dragon Age: The Veilguard not because Davrin has one of the only real beds at the Lighthouse, but because of how it carefully dismantles toxic masculinity and maintains the sexual tension between Davrin and Rook.
1. Neve Gallus
Neve Gallus, a detective based in Minrathous who loves her city and would do anything to protect it, has several contacts within the Shadow Dragons and other organizations. She signs on to help Rook, Varric, and Lace defeat Solas, then gets sucked into the larger fight for the future of Thedas—something she sometimes regrets. At turns laconic and wry, with Rook, Neve opens up bit by bit and reveals her softer side, despite her better instincts.
This romance is easily the best in Veilguard because of how carefully it builds the sexual tension between Neve and Rook, then has them give into it at what seems like the most inopportune moment—heightening the stakes of their romance and their mission. These two have incredible chemistry and their banter is top-tier, making their emotional conversations resonate even more in the rare moments Neve truly lets Rook in.
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