With some other details are already known. Dragon Age is well-known for having complexly written characters that can become rivals, friends, and even lovers to the player’s character. As the games have gone on with each new installment, these characters have become better animated and more diverse, but Dragon Age: Origins began it all.
Overall, there aren’t as many interesting companions from this first installment compared to the later ones. However, there is a core group of five or so that fans still think about and love to this day, and it’s easy to pick the best from the worst.
Shale
Shale is a character that many fans might not recognize as he’s only available through "The Stone Prisoner" DLC. Shale is a war golem who was created to defend dwarven thaigs from darkspawn.
This makes him over a thousand years old. While this does make for some interesting dialogue and a more in-depth backstory of Ferelden, Shale isn’t very well-known or even that memorable compared to the original game companions.
Sten
While the Qunari have been featured more in later installments, Sten was the first real introduction to this race of beings. However, it’s clear that this early version is vastly different in appearance and personality to other Qunari.
Sten is stoic and all about his code of ethics. While having him as a companion does provide some glimpses of this interesting part of Dragon Age worldbuilding, he comes across as a bit boring and one-dimensional, which doesn’t lead to all that many stand-out encounters.
Oghren
Ogrhen is the only dwarf that players can choose as a companion in Origins, but he often feels more like a stereotype than anything else. He is a disgraced dwarven noble with a bit of a tragic backstory, but he’s mostly just reduced to his love of alcohol and having a bit of a crude personality in the game.
Because of this, most fans don’t even him that well. He’s much less interesting and well-developed than the fan-favorite character Varric who shows up in Dragon Age 2, and it’s hard not to compare these two as they are the main dwarven companions.
Wynne
Wynne sits overall in the middle of the list of companions because there’s just not much negative or positive to be said of her. Overall, this mage fades into the background, and she’s mostly useful to have within a party for her healing capabilities.
Her character never quite felt fully formed, and she was way less interesting as a mage than Morrigan. Her backstory is also devoid of much tragedy or intrigue, making conversations with her rather dull.
Dog
People get attached to their pets in video games just like they do in the real world, and the mabari hound in Dragon Age is no different. It’s hard to dislike having a faithful dog as a companion, and he comes equipped with warrior skills and can be customized over time.
Most fans enjoyed having a dog on their team, but the interactions with the animal were much less in-depth than they could be with an actual person. However, there’s nothing to really dislike about the pup.
Leliana
Generally, the most beloved Dragon Age companions across all of the games are those that can be romanced or those that fans wish they could romance, such as Varric. Leliana was a romanceable option for both male and female Grey Wardens, so fans appreciated this. However, she had the least memorable scenes and personality compared to the other romanceable companions.
Despite being an Orlesian bard, she devoted her life to religion as a Sister of the Chantry. Her story is also less crucial to the overall plot than Allistair’s or Morrigan, although some fans did enjoy getting to complete the love story either.
Alistair
Alistair is one of the most recognizable companions from the game, and as a fellow Grey Warden, he plays a big role in the story. Whether the player becomes friends or lovers with him, he’s integral to the narrative.
Fans loved Allistair for his endearing and earnest personality, although at times he could feel a bit one-dimensional and surrounded by tropes of a male warrior who becomes a king. However, he was one of the most engaging companions by far, and romancing him could lead to a fulfilling ending or a rather tragic one.
Morrigan
Morrigan might just be one of the most iconic characters from the entire franchise with her witch of wild design and her strange mother, Flemeth, who plays a key part in the game. Morrigan is a shapeshifter and powerful apostate mage making her great to have in a party, and she also has some of the most interesting dialogue choices as her personality can be antagonistic.
She’s harder to get to know, but the challenge makes earning her trust fun. However, if the player does romance her, it doesn’t end with a fairytale, which can be a plus or minus depending on the type of story ythey enjoy.
Zevran
Zevran might not be as important to the story as Morrigan or Alistair, but he charmed many fans as one of the most likable characters in the franchise, with his flirty dialogue and assassin skills. Surprisingly, Zevran’s romantic ending is rather satisfying and relatively happy compared to the others, and fans enjoyed getting to know about his storied backstory in Antiva.
While, at times, Zevran could feel like a stereotypical lothario, he turns out to be rather loyal if you get to know him. He might not be as well-developed as companions in later games, but he’s overall fun and engaging to have around.