Anders

"The people fear what we can do, but to use that fear to bludgeon us into submission is wrong! And they do it with our blessing!"

Anders is an apostate mage determined to escape the Circle of Magi and the templars, with whom he has developed a rather antagonistic relationship. Nothing they have done to him has dampened his desire for personal freedom. He has a deep affinity for the downtrodden and underprivileged, and for cats. He is a potential companion in both Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and Dragon Age II, in which he is a romance option for Hawke.

Background
Anders is a spirit healer. His real name is unknown, and his nickname refers to the fact that his family is from Anderfels. When he started to exhibit magical abilities and set a barn on fire, his father grew afraid of him. At the age of twelve he was handcuffed and taken by the templars to the Ferelden Circle Tower. The only personal possession he was allowed to keep was a pillow embroidered by his mother. Anders despised the Circle and compared it to a prison. He made at least seven and at most dozens attempts to escape the tower, each time being returned and punished by the templars. First Enchanter Irving believed that Anders, however reckless, posed no true threat. Anders' next-to-last escape earned him a year of solitary confinement, in which the only company he had most days was the tower's mouser named Mr. Wiggums. The last time he managed to run away was prior to Uldred's uprising.

Dragon Age II
{{SpoilerDA2|

Act 1


Despite the various epilogues of Awakening, Anders has left the Wardens to live in Kirkwall, where he uses his healing abilities to aid Ferelden refugees. Anders can be found in Anders's Clinic in Darktown and is one of the first party members that can be recruited.

Hawke is lead to Anders by Varric and Lirene in the search for an entrance into the Deep Roads. Anders offers to trade his Grey Warden maps showing such entrances for Hawke's assistance to his friend Karl who seeks to escape the Kirkwall Circle. Upon arriving at the Chantry at night they discover that Karl has been made Tranquil and has lured Anders into a trap set by templars. Enraged, Anders reveals himself to be possessed by Justice from Awakening and kills the templars with Hawke's aid. Karl abruptly regains all his emotions, saying that Anders "brought a piece of the Fade into this word". He describes being Tranquil as a horrific experience and begs Anders to kill him before the effect wears off, which Anders does shortly after Karl becomes Tranquil again.

Later Anders tells Hawke in his clinic that he agreed to be Justice's host, believing that together they could bring justice to every mage ever forced into the Circle. However, Anders' anger warped Justice into a force of Vengeance and Anders must now struggle to maintain control.

In a short story about Anders, his transformation is revealed. Rolan, a former Templar and a Grey Warden had been sent to keep a close watch on Anders. After Justice had fused with Anders Rolan stated that "the Wardens agreed [they] can't harbor an abomination". Vengeance lashed out and killed Rolan and the other Grey Wardens. Presumably this is when Anders fled for Kirkwall.

Anders gives Hawke the maps and joins Hawke as a companion.

Next time Hawke comes to talk to Anders, he apologizes for putting his problems on Hawke. If diplomatic or humorous replies are chosen, Anders flirts with Hawke. Aggressive or sarcastic replies lead to Vengeance showing up again.

When Hawke first meets Anders, he mentions Ser Pounce-a-lot. He says that the Wardens forced him to give the cat to a friend in Amaranthine, claiming it "made him too soft." Anders also recalls the cat while talking to the Dog in the Gamlen's House.

If Hawke takes both Bethany/Carver and Anders into the Deep Roads, Anders can prevent the tainted sibling from dying. Anders reveals that he stole the maps from a Grey Warden that had come to Kirkwall as Anders wanted to know if the Warden was looking for him. He wasn't. Instead the Wardens were planning their own expedition and Anders knows their location. Should Hawke choose to find the Wardens, their leader Stroud is reluctant to help. In the end Anders persuades him to allow the sibling undertake the Joining.

Act 2


After the death of Karl Anders has joined the mage underground and is helping mages escape the Kirkwall Circle. Hawke keeps finding Anders' manifestos all over the High Town estate: stuffed between book pages and journal sheets, half-burnt - in the fireplace. Anders is still healing the refugees, but is getting few cases. When Hawke comes to the clinic to visit Anders, he admits that he is loosing control over Justice/Vengeance.

Later, Anders asks Hawke to help him investigate the plot of the templar Ser Alrik. Anders believes that he is working on a deliberate plan to turn all mages in the Free Marches Tranquil. If Hawke refuses, the quest is canceled. Otherwise Hawke follows Anders as he descends into the tunnels leading to the Gallows that were built by lyrium smugglers. There, they encounter Ser Alrik with a group of other templars threatening to make an escaped mage girl Ella Tranquil. Justice takes control of Anders' body and attacks the templars. Once they are dead, Ella calls Justice "a demon".

If the amount of friendship/rivalry with Anders is not high enough, Hawke is helpless to act and Vengeance kills the girl. Alternatively, a special dialogue option becomes available and Hawke can persuade Anders not to harm her. As Anders regains control, he flees terrified. Searching the bodies of dead templars, Hawke gets evidence that Ser Alrik's plan existed, but was rejected by both Meredith and the Divine.

Hawke finds Anders in his clinic trashing things. He is deeply upset and convinced that he and Justice have turned into a monster. If Hawke confronts Anders and tells him to go away, he permanently leaves the party. He still shows up in the end of Act 3. If Hawke comforts him or confronts him but asks him to stay, he wonders whether the "Tranquil Solution" was another of his delusions. Presented with Ser Alrik's papers, he is relieved and willing to speak to the Grand Cleric who might be more reasonable than he thought.

If Hawke completes the quest Wayward Son in Act 1, Anders can enter the Fade with you in the Act 2 quest Night Terrors. There, Justice takes control of Anders again. If Hawke accepts the offers of the sloth demon to take over Feynriel for a peace agreement, Hawke will be forced to kill Anders and Justice. However, since Anders' "death" occurs in the Fade, it is not permanent, and despite being a Mage he is not made tranquil (although Keeper Marethari says a death in the fade will make a Mage tranquil). One can avoid rivalry points by later telling Anders that it was a ruse. This actually results in a good amount of friendship points.

Act 3: Before the Last Straw
If in Act 3, Hawke ventures into the Deep Roads to search for Nathaniel Howe with Anders present, he and Nathaniel will have a brief exchange. If Anders 'died' at the end of Awakening, Nathaniel will be surprised to see him. Anders responds with the explanation that the body that was found and presumed to be him was another mage who had been badly burned. It is implied that Anders used the body as a decoy to escape Vigil's Keep and the Grey Wardens.

Act 3: The Last Straw
In Act 3, whether or not the companion quest Justice is accepted and concluded, Anders blows up the Chantry before the final battle, effectively igniting the ongoing tension between the templars and the mages into a full scale war. The leader of the faction Hawke sided with leaves Anders for the Champion to deal with.

If Anders is Hawke's rival, he says that Vengeance took him over and expresses deep regret for his actions. He does not trust himself to control Vengeance any longer and begs Hawke to kill him "before there is nothing left of [him]". Hawke has the option to tell Anders that they forgive him if the amount of rivalry is high enough.

If Anders is Hawke's friend, he insists that the decision was his own as he and Justice are one now. He tells that he wanted to make Thedas see the injustice of the Circles and thus to force change. Anders still wishes to be killed, seeing it as bringing justice to those who were sacrificed for his cause. Hawke has the option to tell Anders that they might have understood if he only told them if the amount of friendship is high enough.

Whoever the Champion has chosen to support, Hawke can kill Anders by stabbing him in the back while he sits petrified. If Anders is spared, whether told to go away or allowed to join Hawke in the fight, Sebastian leaves the party, vowing to return to Starkhaven and build an army to attack Kirkwall and avenge Grand Cleric Elthina.

If Hawke who sided with the templars allows Anders to walk away, he later confronts Hawke inside the Gallows and all dialogue options lead to Hawke having to kill him in combat.

Anders maintains a firm conviction of his cause and refuses to turn on the mages, unless Hawke is his 100% rival and has completed all his personal quests. If Hawke persuades him to help the templars, he says that "it hurts even to imagine turning against [his] people". He hints at wishing to take his own life after the final battle, if he is not killed in the fight or executed first.

If Hawke who supported the mages tells Anders to leave, he is later encountered again in the Gallows prison, wanting to be part of the battle. His aid may be accepted, so that he becomes part of the party again, or rejected, in which case he wishes Hawke victory and leaves permanently.

If Hawke asks Anders to help them defend the mages, he is eager to fight the templars, but admits that it is worse than he thought it would be. If he is in romance with Hawke, he offers Hawke to come on the run with him as a fugitive should they survive the final battle.

DLCs
Anders may join the party during the DLC Legacy, and he has several notable cut-scenes. Throughout the area Anders will mention how the voice is getting louder and how he can't control it. This is a result of Anders being a Grey Warden and being able to hear Corypheus through the taint. Later, he continues to struggle at which point, Justice takes control of Anders, and summons two Sloth Demons. The player must defeat Justice and kill the demons, after which Anders will apologize and mention that he'll work harder on controlling himself against the voice and Justice.

During the dialogue with Corypheus just before Hawke fight him, Corypheus will mention that he was one of the first magisters to enter the Golden City. Anders will say that it's rubbish, and that the story of the magisters breaking into the Golden City was made up by the Chantry to scare people about magic, and put mages under control. He also claims that he believes that darkspawn are a result of some failed creation of the Old Gods. After the battle with Corypheus, when Hawke checks his remains, an ancient Tevinter amulet belonging to a Dumat-worshiping cult will be found. Anders shows that he is baffled by this and admits with certainty that Corypheus really was one of the original magisters, and that maybe the Chantry knows more than he thought about the first darkspawn. Anders' comments about the Golden City and the Magisters contradict his comments in the Act II quest Tevinter Chantry Amulet. }}

Romance
Anders is a romance option for both genders. If Hawke is male, he will mention that Karl was his "first." If Hawke is female, he does not mention Karl romantically. Hawke can announce interest in Anders after his personal quest, much to his surprise. Anders will say he should "check a looking glass more often." If Hawke chooses the 'good' dialogue options over the romantic ones, Anders will flirt with Hawke, and then apologise and berate himself.

Friendship and rivalry
Friendship with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the mages, by being agreeable to him in a conversation and by directly confronting demons and blood mages.

Rivalry with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the templars, by sending mages to the Circle and by refusing to champion the oppressed or enslaved.

Dragon Age II
Act 1

Act 2

(gift)

Act 3

Mark of the Assassin

Dragon Age II

 * The Tevinter Chantry Amulet can be found during the quest A Bitter Pill

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Class: Mage

Specialization: Spirit Healer

Skills: Herbalism, Runecrafting, Improved Combat Tactics, Clarity

Starting Talents:

Mage: Arcane Bolt, Arcane Shield

Spirit Healer: Group Heal, Revival, Lifeward

Primal: Winter's Grasp, Frost Weapons, Cone of Cold

Creation: Heal, Heroic Offense

Spirit: Walking Bomb, Mind Blast

Entropy: Weakness, Paralyze, Drain Life

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Initial gear

Anders specific gear

Dragon Age II
Anders' armor upgrades can be found at the following locations:


 * Act 2: Armor Struts, purchased at Lirene's Fereldan Imports in Lowtown. Increases armor.
 * Act 2: Lyrium Weave, purchased at Mage Goods in the Gallows Courtyard. Increases attack.
 * Act 2: Spirit Essence, found during the Dissent quest. After killing Ser Alrik, search the nearby dead end chambers just west of the exit before leaving the area. +10% magic resistance.
 * Act 3: Sigil of the Mage Underground, found during the Best Served Cold quest. Extra rune slot.

After completing his companion quest Questioning Beliefs during Act 3, he will change into a black version of his Renegade's coat. Entering into a romance with him ultimately has no factor in this.

Anders specific gear , requires Mage Item Pack 1 DLC. , requires Legacy DLC. , requires Mage Item Pack 2 DLC. , requires Mark of the Assassin DLC.

Plot skills
As the player befriends Anders and gains his approval, he will gain additional skills in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening:

Dialogue points
Below are the spots where the player can initiate dialogue with Anders in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening:
 * Vigil's Keep: The statue of Andraste in the middle of the courtyard.
 * City of Amaranthine: A pine tree on the left side of the path just before the first gate.
 * Kal'Hirol - Trade Quarter: A basket of lyrium at the far end of the forge area (where the repair anvil is)

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

 * "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools."
 * "Maker's breath, kitty. What have you been eating?"
 * "After my seventh escape attempt, you think they'd have given me credit for trying."
 * "Magic isn't for your amusement! Why don't I just do a little dance? Anders' Spicy Shimmy?"
 * (Upon being removed from party) "Andraste's knicker-weasels!"

Dragon Age II

 * (To Hawke and party upon first meeting) "I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation! Why do you threaten it?"
 * "Since when is Justice happy? Justice is righteous. Justice is hard."
 * "Ten years, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you, and there will be no templars to tear them apart."
 * (To Bartrand, after he inquires about the Deep Roads maps) "A wizard did it."
 * (Entering the Blooming Rose brothel) If someone here tries to hire me again I'm leaving.
 * (Shouted in battle) "Suck on a fireball!"
 * (Shouted in battle) "I'll show you why mages are feared!"
 * (Reviving after a fight) "Even my bruises have bruises."
 * (To Hawke's dog) "Be a real pet! Ignore me until you want something and then sit on my head."
 * (Upon arriving at the Dalish camp) "In my experience, all Dalish women are crazy."
 * "Andraste's flaming knickers!"
 * (During The Last Straw) "I removed the chance of compromise, because there is no compromise."
 * (During The Last Straw) "The people fear what we can do, but to use that fear to bludgeon us into submission is wrong! And they do it with our blessing!"

Trivia

 * David Gaider wrote Anders in Awakening, while Jennifer Hepler took over the role for Dragon Age II.
 * "Anders" is a common name in Scandinavia, equivalent to the English name Andrew, and derived from the Ancient Greek word andros, meaning "human" or "man." In modern Dutch and modern German, anders means "different," but this is purely by chance, since both words come from a completely different origin.
 * Though Anders uses a fire spell when you first meet him in Awakening, he does not have the spell when he joins the party.
 * If Anders specializes in Blood Magic, the player can have another additional line of dialogue with Anders when speaking about Anders' past with the templars. When Anders remarks there really isn't much of a reason to arrest him, the Warden can point out that Anders is an actual blood mage now, to which Anders laughs.
 * In the library in the Circle of Magi during the Witch Hunt DLC one can find some old notes left in a book in which a young mage made sketches in the margins of templars being eaten by a tiger named "Ser Pounce-a-lot". (Since that mage is Anders, he subsequently names the kitten given to him in Awakening Ser Pounce-a-lot.)
 * The mage Finn reveals through dialogue that Anders once escaped the Circle of Magi by swimming across Lake Calenhad during a weekly training exercise for the apprentices. He was caught again one week later.
 * In the Fade (Dragon Age II), when Justice takes complete control, the passive spell Vengeance is active whether or not you have assigned it to Anders.
 * If Hawke invited Anders to move in and proposed Orana to work for Hawke, you can click on the lute in Hawke's bedroom to learn that "Anders may have talents, but playing the lute isn't one of them".
 * Jennifer Hepler describes the choice of keeping Anders alive as "poetic justice", as he would have to face and suffer the knowledge of the lives he took. She also states her belief that he wishes death so that the people whom he killed receive justice as well.
 * David Gaider stated that Anders being merged with Justice may have one of the two effects on his Calling: "One is that the spirit within Anders can affect the level of his corruption, so it may delay or remove the necessity for his Calling altogether. Either that or at some point the corruption within Anders is going to corrupt the spirit." He refused to tell which one the writers prefer.

Bugs

 * If Hawke sleeps with Isabela or Merrill, breaks up the relationship and then starts romancing Anders, the final scene and the achievement are still accessible. However, in the epilogue Varric mistakenly says "… all except Isabela/Merrill" (or both "Isabella/Merrill" and "Anders" simultaneously).
 * If Hawke is in romance with Anders but kills him in the end, or spares him but breaks up with him before the last battle, in the epilogue Varric mistakenly says that all the companions parted ways except for Anders unless the latest patch is installed.