Vampire Husbands

*Throws confetti in the air as I continue to dig my own grave in this fandom*

I’ve tried to talk about Cullen’s “redemption” a number of times, and why it isn’t really a proper redemption arc… with mixed success. I continue to get asks about it from time to time, and this has motivated me to attempt a much more lengthy post on the subject. 

Contents:

What Makes a Good Redemption Arc?

In Comparison: Redemption Done Well vs. Cullen

Does Cullen Deserve Redemption? (My answer to a popular question)

So, What Could Have Happened?

In Conclusion

Hope you enjoy. 🙂

The thing about Cullen’s “redemption” is that we as an audience really don’t SEE it. We see Cullen stand with the Champion against Meredith, but we don’t see any of the consequences of that action, either politically or mentally. We don’t see Cullen deal with any of the people in the Gallows afterwards – mages or Templars – or any of his own now very conflicted feelings. All we are given is a codex entry of his letter of resignation, showing his determination to try and keep order, which was, after all, his original reason for his Templar fanaticism, albeit twisted by his ordeals in Kinloch and manipulated by Meredith’s madness. But did Cullen ever face any consequences for his actions? Did he have to face the people he had harmed in Kirkwall? We don’t really know. It’s entirely possible he hasn’t. It’s also entirely possible he has. But we don’t get to see either way. 

But saying that he never has to confront himself? Come on. Cullen loathes himself. He loathes the man he was. He does everything he can to distance himself from his past because he can’t bear to think about it. That’s why he changes the topic if a mage Trevelyan asks if she would prefer him in the Circle: because once upon a time, the answer would have been yes. As for not being confronted by others in the Inquisition: aside from Varric, Hawke, and potentially Cassandra, chances are no one there knows about his past. There might be a surviving mage from Kinloch in Haven or Skyhold, but we don’t really know. Or maybe no one confronts him (at least in public) because he is now Commander of the Inquisition’s army. 

What we are shown is Cullen breaking up a fight in front of Haven’s Chantry, saying that “we are no longer mages and Templars.” What we are shown is Cullen forcing himself through withdrawal symptoms in order to distance himself from the Order. What we are shown is Cullen repeatedly beating himself up, telling the Inquisitor that she shouldn’t be trusting, shouldn’t be accepting, that he wasn’t worthy of either. Especially if he is in a romance with a mage Inquisitor: he hates the very idea of what he would have thought of her a few years earlier.

And I’m not sure why you said he still has anti-mage sentiments. I see no evidence of that. He is still pro-Templar, but he’s pro-individual Templar, not pro-Templar order. He still cares for and respects his brothers-in-arms, the men who dedicate their lives to order and the protection of the common man, who are taken advantage of by an Order and Chantry that leash them with an addictive substance and potentially pervert the desire to protect into an anti-Other fervour. 

It’s not like he’s hiding it. 

Regarding him breaking up the fight at the Chantry: Yeah, he stops a templar from drawing his sword against a mage, then proceeds to scold both parties. Not a very good example. 

Regarding his lyrium withdrawals: I fail to see how him battling his addiction has any correlation to his wrongdoings against mages. 

Regarding the time he says he’s not worthy, and “You should be questioning what I’ve done”: Well I would, if the game gave me the option to. But the one time this happens, it’s a great example of the woobifying. The player can either be sympathetic, or tell him he has bad timing for his breakdown, which is completely irrelevant and unwarranted rudeness. 

If you didn't download the old version due to conflicts with other swap mods, you don't need to worry about that anymore. Just download whichever version you prefer and install like any regular mod!

i'll never shut up about him <3333 my soulmate

Lucanis Week Day 3 - Crow / Snake