Dragon Age 4 is on the way, whisking fans of the fantasy franchise north to the mage-run Tevinter Imperium for the first time. The game has the potential to reveal some of the biggest mysteries in the entire series, with Inquisition hinting that its sequel could reveal the origins of the Darkspawn, the Qunari, and much more.

For this reason it is going to be vital that Dragon Age 4's speculated Grey Warden companion, Davrin, is far more like Alistair from Origins than Blackwall from Inquisition. Though player opinions about these characters vary, there are some strong reasons Davrin's story should be more aligned with Alistair's if he's going to provide a vital window into the Wardens during what is shaping up to be a critical chapter in their history.

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Dragon Age: Inquisition's Blackwall was not a poorly written character, though some fans found him less inspiring than Dragon Age's best companions. Paired with the presence of Cassandra and Iron Bull in the Inquisitor's roster, and many fans found themselves bringing Blackwall along for only a few missions in the campaign.

Blackwall was introduced as a Grey Warden, but it is later revealed that this is a ruse. He is in fact a man named Thom Rainier who, while working as an Orlesian captain, allowed a family to be massacred. While on the run he was recruited to the Grey Wardens by the real Warden-Constable Blackwall. However, while journeying into the Deep Roads to collect Darkspawn blood for Rainier's Joining ritual, the pair were attacked.

The real Blackwall sacrificed his life to save the new recruit. However, knowing that he had not completed the Joining yet and fearing that his reputation would lead to the assumption that he had killed the Grey Warden, Thomas Rainier took Blackwall's badge and name, assuming his identity.

Blackwall's backstory is an interesting twist, though he is never really made sympathetic enough for most players to feel comfortable forgiving him for allowing the murder of an innocent woman and her children. More to the point, the reveal that Blackwall was never a Grey Warden meant that players had very little personal access to the Wardens in Inquisition. The potential return of Alistair or a recruited Loghain Mac Tir helps somewhat, but ultimately the role of the Grey Wardens feels reduced in Inquisition.

Dragon Age 4 has the potential to reveal huge amounts about the Grey Wardens, and it will be vital that players have a companion who can offer an insider perspective on the organization. Solas is planning to bring down the Veil between the Fade and Thedas, a barrier which the Dread Wolf himself put up eons before the main series takes place.

The Darkspawn were originally created when the Magisters Sidereal of the Tevinter Imperium — including Inquisition's Corypheus and the Architect from Awakening — broke through the Veil using blood magic. They entered the Fade and the Maker's Golden City. According to the Chantry in Orlais, this act of hubris corrupted the Golden City, turning it black.

This account is contested by the Imperial Chantry, and Corypheus himself claims that when the Magisters entered the Fade they found the Maker's throne empty. Nonetheless, Solas' plan to bring down the Veil makes it seem extremely likely that Dragon Age 4 will deal with the true origins of the Darkspawn. With the Maker's very existence still hotly debated, it's even possible that the Elven "god" mages Solas trapped in the Fade long ago were somehow behind the Darkspawn.

Whatever ends up happening, Solas' plan to bring down the Veil could unleash whatever force is behind the Blights. Even the Archdemons themselves aren't the true source; these Old Gods are corrupted by the Darkspawn Taint, not the other way around. Grey Wardens also have the Taint in them after the Joining, hearing the calls of the Darkspawn and the Archdemon during a Blight, and eventually succumbing to the Calling and wandering into the Deep Roads to die.

Bringing down the Veil could see all of Thedas' Grey Wardens suddenly feel the urge of the Calling at once. It could see them freed of the Taint and the Calling entirely. All fans know for sure is that the Grey Wardens are inherently connected to the Darkspawn, and that whatever created the Darkspawn appeared to originate beyond the Veil.

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Very little has been revealed about Davrin, but Dragon Age 4's Gamescom behind-the-scenes video showed actor Ike Amadi credited as the character and shouting the line "for the Wardens!" Hopefully this means that, unlike Inquisition's Blackwall, Davrin will be a Grey Warden companion who has gone through the Joining. This could make his arc fascinating as the effects of Solas' plan begin to be felt by those who have undergone the Joining.

Alistair played a similar role in Dragon Age: Origins even though the player character themself was a Grey Warden as well. The fan-favorite companion explained the Joining, the Blights, the Archdemons and the way they talk to the Wardens in their dreams. Alistair even revealed that Wardens all succumb to the calling within a few decades of their Joining. As a Warden insider, Alistair set up some of the biggest mysteries about the organization that Dragon Age 4 could finally resolve.

To get true insight into how the next game's plot will affect the Wardens, Davrin needs to be a true Warden insider. Just as Alistair was a window into the Wardens in Origins, Davrin needs to be a window into the great change that the Wardens could potentially go through in Dragon Age 4.

If nothing else, Davrin could provide unique insight into the Warden's history in Tevinter, particularly in areas like the Silent Plains with relevance to both Solas and the Wardens as a place where the Veil is thin, and where the Wardens defeated the First Blight. Blackwall may have had an interesting past, but Davrin is an opportunity to explore the Grey Wardens' future.

Dragon Age 4 is in development.

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