Love him or hate him, Solas is smart. His behavior throughout Inquisition was so air-tight that no companion could crack into him, even if they had moments of suspicion.RELATED: Dragon Age: Most Powerful Mages, RankedInquisition is worth playing more than once, just to experience Solas from a new perspective. The way he carries himself through the story without anyone realizing who he really is and what he is trying to do can put even the Solas haters in awe. Everything he says suddenly has new meaning.However, there are some moments when Solas nearly cracks and blows his cover. Nearly.Updated on August 26, 2021 by Jamie Pellikaan: With Dragon Age 4 seemingly so close yet so far away, many players are re-experiencing the wonders and magic that is Dragon Age: Inquisition. By now, Solas’ betrayal and ultimate reveal as the elven god Fen’harel is much less of a shock than it is the result of excellent foreshadowing done by the writers. Solas either intentionally, or by accident, almost shatters his carefully constructed mask of a lonely hermit mage. Whether through out-of-context comments or his strange behavior throughout the main questline, we've added even more times we all should have seen what Solas was truly up to.
14 When He Killed Mages Out of Grief And Anger
During his personal quest, All New Faded For Her, Solas shows an angry side of himself that players do not see often. In fact, unless stopped by the Inquisitor, he kills mages that summoned a spirit and turned her into a demon. The mages were not exactly bad people; they were just ignorant of what they were really doing.
Despite that, Solas was ready to end their lives for what they did. In a sense, this is a huge clue to Solas's hidden nature. Ignorance is not a valid excuse for those who took away what he loved. In that sense, he showed he is not afraid to kill (mostly) innocent people.
13 Accurately Predicts Every Move The Villain Makes
It takes a villain to know a villain. If spoken to every step of the way through the plot, Solas predicts what Corypheus will do next with shocking precision. For example, right before the last encounter with Corypheus, Solas says "You have waylaid all his other plans. Now, as a petulant child, he will destroy the game board rather than admit defeat. Be ready for anything. He still believes himself a god, and gods do not fall gracefully."
RELATED: Behind-The-Scenes Details From The Making Of Dragon Age Inquisition
In that quote, Solas also lays down a hint of his knowledge of the fall of gods. After all, players later learn that he himself took down the Evanuris. Also, this quote from Solas is exactly what happens. Corypheus recklessly throws everything at the Inquisition in one final stand.
12 His Overt And Casual Racism
Players who played as qunari knew about this side of Solas more than others. He sees qunari as brutes, savages, and myopic authoritarians. If he becomes friends with a qunari Inquisitor, instead of changing his mind about qunari, he thinks the Inquisitor is just "special" and "different". As many players noted, this echoes the real-world sentiment behind the "model minority".
This is a close-minded view -- one that can make Solas easily demonize others just because they are different from him and what he knows. It is a dangerous and cruel way to think, but it is what leads the Dread Wolf to relentlessly pursue his goals.
11 Breaking Up With Lavellan
It was Lavellan players who almost cracked completely through Solas. Unfortunately, Solas saw this coming and broke up with them before they could. During the break-up, he avoids giving a valid reason and the break-up is also sudden. He did not seem to plan on it, making it one of the few instances Solas makes a reckless decision.
RELATED: The Witcher Vs. Dragon Age, Which is the Better Fantasy RPG?
Fans have picked this cutscene apart in order to understand Solas. It appears that a sad Lavellan hurts him all the more while an angry one makes the breakup a little easier. Solas feels like he deserves her hatred, but is not prepared to see someone who still loves him.
Even more, telling is a banter Cole can have later -- one in which he says this before Solas stops him: "He (Solas) hurts, an old pain from before when everything sang the same. You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't. They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them...." This isn't exactly justice for Lavellan players, but it's a start.
10 His Enjoyment Of Political Intrigue
Solas may have had one too many drinks during the Winter Palace quest. If he is brought, he will mention that he enjoys political intrigue. In fact, he actually says he misses it. Immediately the Inquisitor asks when and where he experienced it before and he avoids the question.
At first glance, no one would expect Solas to be a natural in the Winter Palace; however, he is. He even has sound advice for the Inquisitor on how to approach the situation. He tells them to mingle with the servants as they will know what is really going on. Now if only he could explain his questionable choice in hats.
9 How He Dances Around Certain Questions
Asking him questions often gets the Inquisitor approval from Solas, but only if they are questions that don't put him in a hot spot. This happens both with the Inquisitor, as well as companions. For example, Blackwall once asks Solas if he ever fought in a war before due to him mentioning seeing death and destruction. In fact, he specifically asks if it was an Elvhen skirmish. Solas says, "In a manner of speaking, yes," and leaves it at just that.
RELATED: Why Dragon Age Inquisition Is The Best One
Another example is when Solas gives Sera advice about her organization and speaks to her like a great organization/revolution strategist out of nowhere. Sera quickly asks him how he learned all this and he says he learned from the Fade. In fact, the Fade is his go-to excuse for a lot of questions that could have unveiled his identity.
8 His Dislike Of Grey Wardens
Solas does not like it if the Inquisition lets the Grey Wardens join. In fact, he seems to dislike the Wardens a great deal. When asked why, he tends to avoid the question or redirect to another subject. Fans can also catch his distaste for the group in Crestwood with the potentially tragic character of Jana.
Fans have debated about this factor of Solas for a while. A popular theory is that the Grey Wardens can be a powerful organization that he himself could have to defeat in the future. He would rather see them weakened now than face them later in his plot. Other theories involve who exactly the Old Gods stem from; could they be corrupted Evanuris?
Other characters have commented on the oddity of Solas but never got deep enough to unveil his plans or identity. For example, Vivienne can say "I don't know what to make of Solas. So much knowledge and so little personal history...I find that...peculiar, don't you?" Sera can say, "His head's crammed up a thousand years ago," which is actually closer to the truth than any companion could realize.
The Iron Bull, who is especially clever and works as a spy, also notices that Solas is odd. He says in one banter, "You've got an odd style, Solas. Your spells are a bit different from the Circle mages or the Vints. I've seen self-taught warriors. Even the good ones have something awkward in their style, something that clunks. I don't get that from you." But no one can pin down the Dread Wolf.
6 That Chess Game With The Iron Bull
The most insane foreshadowing came in the form of a chess game between Solas and Iron Bull. Solas challenges Iron Bull to the game and, since both of them are so smart in tactics, their chess game is fascinating for those who know a lot about chess.
Solas wins the game in the end and he does so by sacrificing a lot of his pieces...no matter how important they are. In fact, he sacrifices the Queen in order to win. Many fans think that can be symbolic of how he later kills Mythal.
5 The Artifact Reveal
Before the quest In Your Heart Shall Burn, and before you even know what destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Solas drops a hint at what did and offers no further explanation. It’s a very subtle side conversation you have after the initial cutscene with him in Haven.
He mentions that “any artifact of such power is dangerous” in reference to the explosion. It could be a side comment that would otherwise be forgotten, but its timing is what makes it stand out. His suggestion that an artifact is to blame is a little more specific than what the average person would know at the time and suggests that Solas had more to do with the temple than we know about.
4 His Specialization Of Rift Mage
It only makes sense that Solas would be a Rift Mage. The whole reason Cassandra didn’t kill him on sight was that he knew how the mark and the rifts were connected, and no one is more skilled with Fade lore and knowledge.
But, if you play as a mage, then you’ll be aware that Rift Mages are a relatively new phenomenon and the person that teaches you, Your Trainer, is the only person who knows how to wield the power without killing themselves. So, Solas being a Rift Mage suggests he has a much deeper connection and older connection to magic than other mages.
3 Cole And Solas’ Conversations
Walking around Thedas with Cole and Solas in your party is like hearing two great minds talk in complete gibberish. Most of their conversations revolve around Cole’s role as a spirit of compassion, but some hint at Solas’ past and his identity as the Dread Wolf.
Related: Dragon Age Inquisition: A Guide To Every Possible Romance
During one conversation Cole tells Solas he could “let them go,” and since Solas is Fen’Harel, the “them” is clearly referring to the other elven gods that he supposedly trapped, according to Dalish lore.
Depending on player choices during the main quest What Pride Had Wrought, you may end up in a place where, having allied yourself with Abelas, you now arrive at the well and must determine who should drink from it.
Abelas remarks that, with the well gone, he will need to find a new purpose. If you have Solas in your party, you get an interesting comment where Solas mentions there may be a new purpose waiting for Abelas and that there could be “others” — meaning other ancient elves like Abelas. Whether Solas is referring to himself or other elven sentinels is unclear, but he clearly has ideas to involve Abelas in his plans.
1 If The Inquisitor Drinks From The Well
Solas made his opinion about the Inquisitor drinking from the well very apparent and if you decide to do it any way he has some choice words for you. His concerns with what you will do with this newfound power, however, have even more weight once his backstory as the Dread Wolf is revealed.
Solas asks a very poignant question: What if you wake up to find the future you shaped is worse than what was? This question is a clear implication of how he feels after waking up to the world after he created the fade. The fact that no matter what dialogue option you pick in response does nothing, his approval is evidence that he has already made up his mind to fix the world he created.
NEXT: Dragon Age: Things You Didn't Know About Dragons
