One of the many characters players meet in Dragon Age: Inquisition is Leliana: the Inquisition's spymaster, former Left Hand of the Divine, and a recurring character from Dragon Age Origins. Hardened by the events of the previous games, Leliana pursues her duties ruthlessly and willingly sacrifices lives for the greater good. However, players can optionally Soften Leliana, which will have lasting consequences at the end of the game.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: Inquisition.]Regardless of player choices in Dragon Age: Origins, Leliana will automatically be Hardened in Dragon Age: Inquisition. As a potential future Divine, a Hardened Leliana can lead the Chantry through coercion and force. However, players can directly influence her temperament throughout the game during cutscenes and her personal quest. If players make certain choices, they can soften Leliana so she can lead by urging unity and reconciliation.

How To Soften Leliana In Dragon Age: Inquisition

Players must make four dialogue decisions to Soften Leliana, and keeping track of each is essential. Players need to choose specific options the second time they speak with Leliana in Haven; otherwise, Leliana will remain Hardened for the rest of the game.

Haven

When speaking to Leliana, the Herald will overhear her discussion about executing a traitor. Choose "Do you have to kill him?" and convince Leliana not to execute him. If successful, Leliana will order her agents to bring the traitor in alive. This is the most important choice: failing to do this will mean she cannot be Softened.

Skyhold

After recruiting either the Mages or Templars and completing In Your Heart Shall Burn, the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold. After arriving, the Herald can see a cutscene where Cullen gives Leliana the names of the fallen from Haven. Do not blame Leliana for what happened; choose "Our men are not disposable" on the third dialogue wheel.

The Left Hand of the Divine

After completing Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts and Here Lies the Abyss, Leliana will receive a letter and ask the Inquisitor to accompany her to the Chantry in Valence. To Soften Leliana, players need to make specific choices:

• When Leliana expresses that she wants to kill Sister Natalie, choose "let her go." If the player has chosen all the previous dialogue options, Leliana will let her go. If not, she will kill Sister Natalie.
• When Leliana opens the box and finds it empty, choose "stop torturing yourself" in the second dialogue wheel.

After the quest, the Inquisitor can speak to Leliana. If Softened, she will express that she feels changed and commits herself to being more than the Divine's most ruthless agent. If she remains Hardened, she will believe that ruthlessness gets the job done and that she is needed as the Divine made her.

Players looking for more information can watch the video from YouTube creator FluffyNinjaLlama, showing Leliana's personal quest.

Should You Soften Leliana In Dragon Age: Inquisition?

The choice of whether to Soften Leliana affects her conduct if she is elected Divine. A Hardened Leliana will forcefully respond to dissent against her rule, maintaining unity in the Chantry through bloodshed. The epilogue of Dragon Age Inquisition: Treser also reveals that she uses her spycraft to defeat a growing rebellion against her. In contrast, a Softened Leliana maintains unity in the Chantry through diplomacy.

It's worth noting that Softening or Hardening Leliana may have further consequences in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. However, the choice currently doesn't have much impact outside the epilogues for Dragon Age: Inquisition players.

Source: FluffyNinjaLlama/YouTube