Saving the world is a tough job, especially in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with powerful elven gods unleashing chaos on Thedas. Luckily, Rook doesn't have to go it alone as a team of seven new companions them, each offering different skills and perspectives from across the continent. From Grey Wardens and noir-esque detectives to brooding assassins and charming necromancers, Rook will never be short of company as they set out on their adventures.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.]

Companions have always played a huge role in Dragon Age since the very beginning in Origins with the Warden's motley crew. The Veilguard's companions all have personal quests to complete and, just like previous installments in the series, are available for romance. With such a broad cross-section of Thedosian society all working together, there are a lot of different personalities, which means not every companion is going to appeal to everyone, while others will quickly become somebody’s favorite.

7 Taash - Qunari Warrior

Faction: Lords Of Fortune - Voiced By Jin Maley

Taash is the Qunari dragon expert who s Rook’s team after the dragon attacks on Minrathous and Treviso. Representing the Lords of Fortune, Taash is a brash young person torn between two cultures, which causes friction with their mother. Taash can be both wonderfully naive about certain aspects of life, as seen in their banter with Lucanis about the Crows, and also extremely professional when it comes to their area of expertise. However, given their abrupt manner, Taash can take some getting used to and can be more than a little hot-headed as they navigate their questline.

In combat, Taash works well as a duel-wielding warrior and is best used in dragon fights, which thematically is perfect for them. As Taash’s abilities are geared towards dealing damage over time, in particular Dragonfire Strike and Fire Breath, they are best suited for larger boss fights. Unfortunately, Taash’s tanking ability isn’t as good as Davrin's or those available to a warrior Rook, making them a poor choice for squishier parties. Taash pairs very well with Bellara, especially for longer fights against dragons, as their abilities complement each other for potent combos.

6 Neve Gallus - Human Mage

Faction: Shadow Dragons - Voiced By Jessica Clark

Neve is one of the first of Rook’s team and is met during the game’s opening sequence along with Harding and Varric. Coming across at first as a cynical, hard-boiled detective-type character, Neve does soften somewhat if Minrathous is saved. However, at times, Neve can feel a little too muddled, with her character not quite knowing whether to be a sardonic investigator resigned to how Tevinter operates or a hopeful symbol of what it could be. That said, Neve’s romance is very sweet and touching, showcasing a different side to her than the average playthrough.

Neve’s combat skills will change depending on whether she is Hardened, which will happen if Rook chooses to help Treviso.

In combat, Neve is a powerful damage-dealing mage who specializes in ice magic. Unfortunately, this can make her a little situational, but she has the amazing Blizzard AOE, which is brilliant for crowd control. Neve's abilities are fantastic against barriers, and when up against the right enemies, Neve is unstoppable, but not quite as versatile as other companions. Neve pairs well with both Lucanis and Davrin, but is best paired with Harding to make the most out of the strengths and abilities of each, especially if Neve has been Hardened and lacks any healing.

5 Lucanis Dellamorte - Human Rogue

Faction: Antivan Crows - Voiced By Zach Mendez

Another early-game companion is Lucanis Dellamorte, a famed mage-killing assassin and member of the Antivan Crows. Complex and brooding, Lucanis is slower than some other companions to open up to Rook, especially if Hardened, and his relationship with Spite is never satisfactorily explored. Despite being a pragmatic and efficient assassin, Lucanis also has a softer and more humorous side which is wonderfully shown by his banters with various companions. Lucanis’s romance is the slowest to develop of all the companions; however, this feels fitting given his background as the heir to an Antivan Crow house.

Lucanis is the best melee DPS companion at Rook’s disposal and can zip around the battlefield quickly dispatching enemies. Almost all of Lucanis’ abilities are single-target skills, however, making him less effective with larger groups. When Hardened, Lucanis’s impressive damage is increased, although this comes at the cost of any romance with him. Lucanis pairs well with Emmrich, with both of them dealing necrotic damage and setting up combos for devastating damage. However, the best reason to pair them up is the three-way banter between Lucanis, Spite, and Emmrich, which contains some of the funniest lines in The Veilguard.

4 Bellara Lutare - Elven Mage

Faction: Veil Jumpers - Voiced By Jee Young Han

Bellara is an elven artifact expert recruited at first to fix the eluvian in the Lighthouse and acts as an introduction to how Solas’s ritual has disrupted magic in the region. Cheerful and upbeat, Bellara could easily be dismissed as the simple quirky scientist cliché, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Bellara is a fantastically complex character with each interaction with her peeling back more layers of this sweet and enthusiastic mage. Bellara can feel a little too exaggeratedly adorable at times, which can initially make her difficult to warm up to before her personal quest gets started.

In combat, Bellara is fantastic, using an odd mixture of mage and rogue abilities by firing her magic out of a bow. Bellara pairs well with multiple companions as her Galvanized Tear ability pulls all enemies into one tight group, leaving them open to other attacks to quickly finish them off. Bellara also has the best healing ability in The Veilguard, as her Replenish skill can be upgraded to trigger automatically at low health and increase the healing done by 50%.

3 Davrin - Elven Warrior

Faction: Grey Wardens - Voiced By Ike Amadi

Davrin s Rook's team at a crucial point in The Veilguard, giving the group its first warrior companion and, in some cases, a much-needed tank. Davrin's appeal is a mixture of his no-nonsense approach and wry sense of humor and his feathered griffon buddy Assan. The elven Grey Warden oozes confidence and leaves no one in any doubt about his monster-hunting abilities without ever veering into arrogant territory. Davrin's romance is one of the more organic-feeling ones, as the flirting can start early, helping to sell the idea that Rook is romantically linked to him.

Davrin's quest involves rescuing the baby griffons from a monster called the Gloom Howler, a being who can be traced back to the novel Dragon Age: Last Flight.

Davrin is a great tank, taunting enemies and keeping them engaged while other companions and Rook pick them off. His ability, Battle Cry, can also be upgraded to trigger automatically when Rook is at low health, with an option for taunted enemies to take extra damage too. This makes Davrin a great choice for most Rook builds, able to take impressive amounts of damage while also dealing damage to armored enemies. Davrin pairs well with Bellara and Neve, with each of the mages having attacks to prime Davrin's Death From Above, which will see Assan swoop down onto unsuspecting enemies.

2 Lace Harding - Dwarven Rogue

Faction: Inquisition - Voiced By Ali Hillis

Returning to Dragon Age from Inquisition, Harding is a fan favorite, and it's not hard to see why. With a cheerful demeanor and excellent skills, Harding feels like the heart of the team as it slowly builds. Through Solas's dagger, Harding gains strange new magic, which is explored with some fantastic dwarven lore drops but at times also feels ignored by the plot. Harding is the only companion not to belong to one of The Veilguard's factions, but she makes up for it by providing a link to the Inquisitor and some of the Inquisition’s resources.

In combat, Harding is a great middle-of-the-road team member, dealing physical damage to make her a safe choice for most situations. Her healing ability, while not as good as Emmrich or Bellara, is still solid, making her a good option for mage-heavy teams where she can switch between damage or as needed. Harding pairs well with Neve, which is perfect for early on when there are limited companion combos to choose from. However, later she also works excellently with Emmrich or Taash, the latter of which Harding will flirt with and romance if neither is romanced by Rook.

1 Emmrich Volkarin - Human Mage

Faction: Mourn Watch - Voiced By Nick Boraine

Finally, Professor Emmrich Volkarin is a charming and brilliant necromancer who s the team at the same time as Taash. As a Nevarran and Fade expert, Emmrich has a wonderfully different approach and attitude to magic and spirits, sprinkling just the right amount of gothic weirdness into the game, which is perfectly embodied by his skeletal manservant Manfred. Being more mature, Emmrich's kind and thoughtful personality feels more grounded despite his conversations about death, while his romance is beautifully reminiscent of classical romance with romantic dinners and strolls through the Grand Necropolis’ gardens.

In combat, Emmrich is one of the most versatile companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and can provide or damage to complement Rook's build. As expected, Emmrich deals necrotic damage with his best ability being The Bell Tolls, as it deals extra damage by applying Quietus for more necrotic damage over time. Emmrich pairs well with Lucanis for double necrotic damage and potent combos, but also works well with both party tanks Taash and Davrin. Taash and Emmrich especially have some fantastic and funny banter, particularly if encouraged by Rook to learn more about each other’s special interests.