Dragon Age II Cassandra first appeared in
Dragon Age II, in 2011, as part of the game's
frame narrative. The game opens with her interrogation of
Varric Tethras, a party member in the game, who then recounts the story of Hawke, the refugee-turned-"Champion of Kirkwall" and
player character. As the story plays out, Cassandra occasionally interrupts to either call Varric out on lying at certain parts or to offer commentary on the events. At the end of the game, it is revealed that the
Circle of Magi and the Templar Order, a Chantry group dedicated to watching over or "imprisoning" mages, have both gone rogue and are warring in the streets, and Cassandra seeks Hawke to help resolve the conflict, no longer blaming them for starting it. Laidlaw commented that, in his view, Cassandra has in some ways the "biggest transformative arc" of all the characters in the game. The blood mages have discovered a girl who has the ability to control dragons and attempts to use her to usher in a new era of magic domination. It falls to Cassandra, one of the last dragon hunters, to stop the blood mages.
Inquisition Cassandra is one of two returning characters from
Dragon Age II in 2014's
Inquisition, the third main game in the series, along with Varric. Cassandra is a party member and a possible love interest if the player chooses to play a male
Inquisitor. The character is of the
Warrior class, designed around close-range combat, and by default uses a sword and shield combination though this can be changed if the player wishes. Unlike other party members, she has access to the "Templar"
skill tree, which is based around nullifying magical effects and fighting demons, one type of enemy found in the game, as well as providing support and
buffs for other party members. The character is introduced interrogating the Inquisitor at the start of the game, who is the sole survivor of a large explosion that has ripped open the sky, causing demons to fall out, and killed the Divine, many mages, and many templars during their peace talks. She immediately joins the party and, after the Inquisitor temporarily seals the "Breach" in the sky, protests the player's innocence and forms the Inquisition, breaking away from the Chantry. Depending on the player's choices throughout the game, she may at its end be crowned Divine. If so, she ushers in an age of reform. Her personal quest, which each party member has, concerns her discovery that the other Seekers are all going missing. If the player chooses to complete it, they discover that Lord-Seeker Lucius has been luring the Seekers away to be killed, intending to wipe out the order due to their duplicity, attributing the ongoing mage/templar war to them. Lucis hands Cassandra a book full of Seeker secrets, and after Lucius is defeated and the Inquisitor and Cassandra return to base, Cassandra reads it and discovers the Seekers had knowledge vital to stopping the war. The player may choose to encourage her to rebuild the Seekers reformed, leave them, or let her make her own decision. ==Reception== Cassandra's
depiction in Dawn of the Seeker was met with mixed reviews. Prior to the release of
Inquisition, Kimberly Wallace of
Game Informer considered the potential of her return to the series, and thought she could be interesting due to the mystery surrounding her, what she could bring to the group, and how she could develop. After
Inquisitions release, Cassandra received a positive reception. Ray Ivey of
Just Adventure noted how, while she seemed "cold and unappealing at first", she grew on him. Joe Juba, also from
Game Informer, called the character his new "
Garrus", a popular party member in the
Mass Effect series. He appreciated her "detailed and believable character", as well as how she took a more measured approach instead of dealing in extremities. Wallace also included the character in their list of "the 10 best sidekicks" in 2014, commenting "she battles with you, but she's also an amazing adviser."
Inquisition got attention for its female characters. Danielle Riendeau, writing for
Polygon, praised the female characters, stating that they all were "written with care, attention to detail, and enormous respect". Susan Arendt noted how the majority of the Inquisition's leaders were female, and how this was not made a point in
Inquisition. Arendt commented that had Cassandra been a man, little would change, "but that's exactly why it's so encouraging for her to be a woman".
GamesRadars Ashley Reed and Andy Hartup listed her as one of the "most inspirational female characters in games", writing "Cassandra's an unstoppable storm, but one with a calm and quiet eye, too." ==References==