Character Analysis: Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age Inquisition)
Bright, like the fish that kill you if you eat them. Can’t hate you for hiding if you burn so brilliantly. – Cole
Everywhere I go, I see that Dorian is nearly universally beloved and each time it amazes me that he is. Dorian isn’t a character one should love unconditionally. He’s snobistic, condescending, sarcastic, vain and childish. He’s an emotionally stumped alcoholic who loves provoking fights for the sake of drama. He’s an intellectually gifted and magically talented elitist who also happens to be incredibly handsome. He shamelessly flaunts all three to anyone who just happens to be near and then, delicately swans over the collective meltdowns his perceived superiority has sparked. He may be a grim young man, but he loves the drama.
Needless to say, I fucking love Dorian Pavus.
So, this post doesn’t aim to sing praises to Dorian’s endless supply of eloquent wit. I’d be preaching to the choir.
Cassandra: You’re smiling a lot these days, Dorian. Dorian: Why Cassandra, I always smile! People like my smile, and they should. I have excellent teeth. 😁
My argument however is that Dorian is the best character in the game. “but what about-” No. Not even entertaining that, get out. Dorian is an explosion of debonair flair around a smoldering core of self-destructive, fatalistic, guilt-ridden impulses. He is so real I sometimes forget that he isn’t.
But I am getting ahead of myself - Dorian is, first and foremost, a pure serve of personality. It’s really hard to pin down his greatness in mere print. Listing the great many examples of his endless witty interjections would require writing a small paperback novella (honestly, that should just be a separate post). He is just so delightfully Dorian. Each aspect of his personality (Intelligence, Humour, Bravery, Passion) burns and crackles like a firework and the game is made brighter by his presence.
So, I am what - something pretty you stick in a window sill? All flash and no heat? … that is actually pretty clever. 🤔
Of course, there’s the homosexuality and with it, the homophobia.
“It’s a pity Dorian is all about his being gay”
🥱
It’s so trying to go through even one of those stupid, misguided conjectures but we must. Yes, tell me, a gay man, what a “Walking Stereotype” Dorian Pavus is. How I should not feel represented by him in any way. Nice try not saying “walking gay stereotype” btw, as if you meant to say “Ugh, Dorian is too much of a Taurus” or “I really wish Dorian behaved less like an only child”. Yes, Dorian is gay and it’s a plot point.
So fucking what?
Firstly, Dragon Age Inquisition has multiple LGBT characters and each of them deals with it differently. Sera is an out and proud lesbian, Iron Bull’s bisexuality is intertwined by his Qun upbringing and Josephine is romantically frigid about what she wants until the Inquisitor publicly declares their affection. Cullen’s bisexuality was removed from the game and Krem can’t even be romanced. So why can’t sexuality play a role in one of these LGBT characters’s storylines? Especially when it’s framed in an intelligent manner like Dorian’s?
Secondly, do we hate a character for being a stereotype when his storyline is about establishing that he is, in fact, *not* a stereotype? I don’t love Dorian’s storyline because it’s about his homosexuality. I love it because it actually isn’t.
He tried to melt a snowflake because he likes waterfalls. Swallowing bile and pride as he hears his son scream.
I would almost argue that ‘The Last Resort of Good’ Men isn’t even about the betrayal itself. I mean, it is. Obviously. Dorian admired his father and it pains him. The thing is: Dorian blames himself for everything that went wrong (”Selfish, I suppose, not to want to spend my entire life screaming on the inside” = a confession of guilt). I will just post his entire banter train with Cole because this explains it better than my words ever could:
“You keep it hurting because you believe hurting is who you are”. – Cole summarizing Dorian’s entire personality in ONE swift sentence.
This is devastating for us, players. Not only is Dorian is a god-tier sidekick, he’s your best friend. The only mage in Dragon Age lore who dares to take pride in his skill. A man who has a witty retort for everything and who is seemingly impervious to criticism. A man who has all the inherent qualities of a natural born leader. The realization that he out of all companions is the one with the deepest emotional pains hits like a sledgehammer to the chest.
However, it is an important nuance to remember that this is not an insecurity or a trauma. Dorian is thirty years old. Whatever defensive coping mechanisms he has developed over the years have become so intertwined with his personality that they are now fully part of who he is. Additionally, Dorian has turned his biggest weaknesses into armour, magnifying his strengths. He is not brought down by remorse (Solas), self-loathing (Blackwall), bitterness (Sera) or inferiority complexes (Cassandra). Cole prying inside Dorian’s head hurts Dorian because for all his self-awareness on who he is, how he behaves and what his behaviour does to others, he has surpressed why he acts the way he does. Dorian isn’t used to this sort of confrontation (let alone one where he isn’t in control) and is rattled.
Pictured: one of many examples of Dorian turning his inner angst into humour.
Realize this: Dorian was never forced to be a social outcast - he has made himself into one by choice. Drinks himself into a stupor every other evening to make himself forget what a miserable failure he is. Inflates his biggest strengths to hide his greatest vulnerabilities. Laughs at his own flaws to deny others the chance of taking his self-empowerment away from him. Is a staunch patriot, but runs away from his homeland because all he believes he can do is harm.
This psychological undercurrent of “I Will Be Responsible When It Goes Wrong” is subtly present in each of Dorian’s relationships. Due to his social status and past, Dorian has accepted that most of the friendships he builds will be fleeting - so, no harm poking and provoking his way around, to keep himself entertained. This is why he playfully taunts the Inquisitor, Cassandra and Vivienne. This is also why he apologizes profusely to everyone for his behaviour, regardless of whether he’s actually at fault or not - if Solas behaves frosty to me, surely it must be because of me and not because Solas is a snarky fanatic who only sees people not as individuals but as the institution they represent?
Likewise, it plays into Dorian’s fear for temptation. “Temptation” goes both ways. Dorian has seen what temptation does to the people he holds most dear - His mother has turned to alcoholism after an unhappy marriage, his father was tempted into attempting blood magic out of desperation and the Venatori successfully lured his mentor into their surpremacist cult with false promises to save his son’s life. Dorian is fully aware that these dangers forever lurk around the corner and worries he may succumb to them.
Just as important however, is Dorian’s fear to become someone else’s temptation and dragging them down when his behaviour spirals out of control. Yes, I’m talking about the sexual attraction here. Isn’t it odd that someone as promiscuous and flirty as Dorian has never actually tried to seduce Felix Alexius, a good-looking man he very clearly admires? Isn’t it equally odd that Dorian engages in open hostility with Blackwall, only to congratulate the Femquisitor on roping in such a ‘Big-And-Burly’ Man? The flirtmance between Dorian and the Iron Bull speaks for himself - Dorian is obviously attracted to Bull from second one and attempts to provoke Bull into pushing him away (after all, a thrist between a Tevinter altus and a Qunari agent has no legs to stand on). Bull, being Ben-Hassrath, not only correctly spots Dorian’s true feelings, but trolls him by engaging in open flirting, skillfully dodging the traps Dorian sets.
It is however his romance with the Inquisitor that really messes wih Dorian’s pretty head.
It should come as no surprise, but I absolutely love the Dorian romance. His is my default romance in fact. Bet your jaw dropped all the way down to Orzammar at that shocking revelation. (Though there are times when I romance Cass instead - I make sure I set up Doribull just so Dorian doesn’t end up alone :sob:)
Romancing Dorian only magnified the delicate intricacies of his personality, naturally. A healthy dose of sarcasm, overprotectiveness, emotional blackmail, childish temper tantrums, sexually-tinged double entendres presented as comedic punchlines-
WHOOPS there goes my tumblr license. Lmfao forever @ “I like your quarters” though. DAI is one of the funniest RPGs ever.
it’s almost like a real relationship! with the realest member of the DAI cast!
Personally though, I am the most fond of the gradual and *palpable* change in Dorian’s feelings for the Inquisitor. Most characters are like “oh. you flirt with me? okay.” until they give in at the scripted point. Not Dorian. Flirting is more a game than anything to him. He’s a little provocateur who loves testing how far he can go, see with just how much debaucherous drama he can get away with, put in a few double entendres for laughs, fish for a few compliments, maybe grab some Inquisi*butt* along the way. It’s fun and nothing more.
However, the Inquisitor eventually becomes friendly with Dorian. Genuinely friendly, liking him for who he is. Starts to compliment him on his bravery, defends him in public, etc. This confuses and upsets Dorian. Remember, Dorian sees himself as the reason why his friendships with Alexius and his father plummeted - he’s made himself into a social outcast. This plus the Imperial standards towards homosexuality have made Dorian shun anything resembling sentimentality and attachment.
So of course he melts in a codependent puddle of pure sugary sentiment - without losing his Dorianness obviously. We see it in larval form during the confrontation with Dorian’s father. If the Inquisitor admits he’s slept with men before and Halward lets out an exasperated “I should have known that is what this was about.🙄”, Dorian’s instictive impulse is to defend the Inquisitor.
but it is during Dorian’s romance quest that things really start to go haywire. We of course remember this exchange:
I love this scene. Dorian’s romance is peppered with similar moments of misdirection, as is wont to happen with a character as viciously sarcastic and moody as he is. We are made to believe that Dorian has a lack of commitment, starts having cold feet, and feels like the Inquisitor is choking him by being too kind to him. Dorian publicly berates the Inquisitor for helping him. However, Dorian later says this in private:
Which sheds a completely different light on his comment. He meant “Fuck you, I KNOW that you think I’m abusing the Inquisitor for my own ends. I am *NOT*. I love him.” and stops himself right before he publicly declares his love for the Inquisitor. It’s probably the most Dorian scene in the game - excellent comedic timing, misdirection and surprise woven together to confuse the hell out of you.
The post-Adamant library tantrum is another great example of this btw - “why are you angry about books” “BECAUSE YOU MADE ME BELIEVE YOU DIED IN THE DREAMWORLD YOU PRICK” no perspective whatsoever <3
I love how this romance brings all of Dorian’s fatalistic impulses to the forefront - Dorian has never been in a commited relationship before and isn’t used to talking about his emotions, so he resorts to
Childish Outbursts!
BUT IF I WANTED TWENTY VOLUMES ON WHETHER DIVINE GALATEA TOOK A SHIT ON SUNDAY, THIS IS CLEARLY THE PLACE TO FIND IT.
Casual Death Threats!
Festis bei umo canaverum. I swear if you don’t come through this, I’ll kill you.
Dismissing your feelings!
“You’re very sentimental for someone who has killed as many people as you have. Next you’ll be making calf-eyes at puppies.”
and yet, although he never uses the clause “I love you”, his unconditional adoration permeates through every sentence he speaks, every facial expression he makes, ever action he undertakes.
Throughout their relationship, Dorian continuously considers himself disposable, and continues to be baffled when the Inquisitor doesn’t cast him aside. This is why Dorian rendered speechless by genuine compliments about his personality (the things you say!) or the Inquisitor’s own resolve to keep them together (”Naive but adorable”). He understands that their bond is real, and that he has to change his outlook on himself to keep it that way.
Whether you become his friend or amatus, Dorian eventually comes to admire the Inquisitor and finally, finally comes to terms with who he is and becomes the person he was meant to be - a leader. The change is subtle, but it’s there. In Trespasser, Dorian no longer bristles at the idea of becoming a magister, openly talks about how much his father’s death shakes him, even refers to the Inquisitor as “the man he loves” / “the only friend he’s ever had” in public.
This is why I like Dorian is the best. You get a sense of accomlishment by witnessing him grow, underneath what is already the most entertaining member of DAI’s star-studded cast. He enters the Inquisition posturing as the man he wishes he was and fearing the man he can turn into, not realizing they are one and the same. He leaves having become that man, ready to finally take up his seat in the Magisterium.
Not bad for a character who often says the reverse of what he actually means.
So, no. I don’t love Dorian because he’s gay.
I love Dorian because the people who wrote him understand what it’s like to be a person.
