Bioware’sDragon Agefranchise is a franchise beloved for its rich worldbuilding and storytelling, strong focus on fully realized characters and their interactions, and its delightful use of fantastical magic to enhance the setting and add depth to the lore.
Mages in the world of Thedas are feared for the truly vast array of magics that are potentially theirs to command, with many examples of mages turning to forbidden or dangerous magic throughout the history of the world. Some of the most feared mages in theDragon Agefranchise are shapeshifters. Here the most powerful shapeshifters known in the world of Thedas and in theDragon Agesetting.
8Frenic
Blood Mage Cultist
Encountered duringDragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, Frenic is a blood mage, cultist, and shapeshifter involved in a conspiracy.
A powerful mage, Frenic is shown transforming into a raven and, later, into a pride demon. Frenic is ultimately defeated by Cassandra Pentaghast, protagonist ofDragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, andlater companionto the Inquisitor inDragon Age: Inquisition.
7Yavana
The Witch of the Weyrs
One of the mysterious daughters of Flemeth, Yavana is a witch who resides in the Silent Grove as a tender of dragons. A powerful magic user, Yavana was trained by her mother in the arts of magic and more specifically shapeshifting.
Encountered in the comicDragon Age: Silent Grove, Yavana is a conservationist who wants to preserve dragons from overhunting by humans.
A possible player character inDragon Age: Origins - Awakening,the expansion forDragon Age: Origins,The Warden Commander is an Orlesian Grey Warden who may be of any sex or race. Appointed the Arl of Amaranthine with the task of rebuilding the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, The Warden Commander can be of any character class.
If the player so chooses, the Warden Commander can be a mage with the shapeshifter specialization. The Warden Commander is a powerful character with a string of accolades to their name, making them one of the more powerful shapeshifters in the Dragon Age setting.
5The Grey Warden
The Hero of Ferelden
Theplayer character ofDragon Age: Origins, the Grey Warden makes for a very powerful mage with access to a wide variety of different spells and class specializations. The Grey Warden is a powerful figure in Thedas, overcoming much adversity throughout the events ofDragon Age: Originsto stop the Blight afflicting Ferelden - all the while becoming embroiled in political schemes and chaos.
A mage Grey Warden can learn the shapeshifter specialization which, paired with powers available to the player, makes them a force to be reckoned with and one of Thedas’s most powerful shapeshifters.
4Morrigan
The Other Witch of the Wilds
One of many daughters of Flemeth, the ancient Witch of the Wilds, Morrigan is a player companion first encountered duringDragon Age: Originsand who has a major role in the lore of the series moving forward. Prickly and abrasive,Morrigan is more complexthan many first assume, and has a troubled relationship with her mother.
But Morrigan is a highly skilled and talented mage, called a witch by the Circle of Magi, and has access to magic unknown to many of the more ‘civilized’ mages. She is one of the most powerful shapeshifters in Thedas, and has knowledge of deeper and more arcane magical arts than many will ever encounter.
3The Evanuris
The Elven Gods
Great and powerful elven heroes and generals from a time long, long before the rise of humanity, the Evanuris are worshiped as gods by the modern Dalish elves. In their own time, they were said to be the most powerful of all the elves, revered and eventually treated as gods, coming to command the entire society of elves in the days of Elvhenan.
In those days, the Veil separating Thedas from the Fade didn’t exist, so the ancient elves had a very different relationship with magic and the physical world. The Evanuris were grandmasters in the use of magic and had associations with animals in the modern day of Thedas. Mythal, one of the most well-known of the Evanuris, is a known shapeshifter, suggesting this was a common skill among them.
2Flemeth
The Witch of the Wilds
Flemeth is an extremely powerful and ancient witch, a kind of mage trained outside of the formal Circles of Magi. Known by many names over the centuries, the player first encounters Flemeth in the form of an old woman duringDragon Age: Origins. Although somewhat rude, Flemeth is shown to be knowledgeable and possessed of information vital to the player’s journey, and she even commands her daughter Morrigan to accompany the player.
It’s later revealed that Flemeth is far more than she first seemed, making appearances in bothDragon Age 2andDragon Age: Inquisition, as the host of the Elven Goddess Mythal. Flemeth is also one of the most powerful shapeshifters to feature in the Dragon Age franchise, with access to an extremely powerful dragon shape.
First encountered duringDragon Age: Inquisition, Solas is an often prickly elven mage who assists the Inquisition and its head, the player character, in their attempts to fix the problems plaguing Thedas over the course of the game. In this, Solas is quite effective and can become a key part of the player’s team - even able tobe romanced bya female Dalish Inquisitor.
In the game, Solas doesn’t change his shape, but it’s revealed that Solas is none other than the Elven God, Fen’Harel. During the time of Elvhenan it was said that elves and spirits could freely change shapes, and Fen’Harel is strongly associated with wolf iconography, suggesting that Solas is - or was once - able to change his shape.
