Cut content

Cut content details plot elements that were cut from the final version of a game in the Dragon Age series.

Dragon Age: Origins

 * Originally, the human race had three origins; Noble, Mage, and Commoner. However, the Commoner origin was cut due to the story not fitting the tone of the game, as well as time constraints. The Human Commoner was from a farm in Redcliffe Village and some dialogue for this origin can still be found in the game files. At one time, there was also a barbarian origin.
 * Dwyn was intended to be the villain in the Human Commoner Origin, which was cut from the game very early on. He is described in the toolset as a loan shark; a "generally nasty guy", "slick and mean with a greedy streak a mile wide. Lecherous." The human commoner's parents were to have taken out a loan from Dwyn.


 * Jowan was planned to be another full party companion. The Warden would have used the Right of Conscription to recruit him after Arl Eamon was healed. However, this was cut very early in the game's development.
 * David Gaider revealed that the original plot for Origins included a visit by Celene I to Denerim. There it would have been learned that Cailan had planned to divorce Anora in order to wed the Empress, and that Teyrn Loghain had discovered this scheme.
 * During the development process of Dragon Age: Origins, companions were to develop the darkspawn taint, and eventually would have been put through the Joining after the Landsmeet.

Dragon Age II

 * The writers weren't sure Anders would be the Awakening character coming over to Dragon Age II and merging with Justice — for a while it was going to be Velanna.
 * Ser Pounce-a-lot was intended to be featured in Anders's Clinic in Dragon Age II; however, the developers did not have enough time to make a new model. It was later suggested that Anders have a cat skull on his staff, but David Gaider said that it was "cruel".
 * Shale was to appear in the cut plot "Finding Shale" for Dragon Age II. The plot was replaced with Finding Nathaniel.
 * Merin was intended to join the Grey Wardens if he survived the Fool's Gold quest.
 * Orsino was never intended as a boss if siding with the mages, but was included as BioWare felt that the game needed another boss.
 * The DLC Exiled Prince was originally intended to focus around Sebastian Vael and Nathaniel Howe, but the concept was changed due to the possibility of Nathaniel's execution.
 * Originally, there was a plot about the templars pursuing Hawke or Bethany. This pursuit would have been part of the impetus to go into the Deep Roads; they needed to leave town to escape.
 * There was a plot that involved going into the Fade that dealt with Hawke being a mage. The plot was cut because it was complicated and wasn't working well.
 * In Legacy DLC, shrieks were supposed to appear, but they were cut in the end for unknown reasons.