The Veilguard bucks a problematic fantasy villain trend

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A fantasy story is nothing without a good villain and Dragon Age: The Veilguard is not an exception. The game is full of baddies, from the elven gods Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain to the antagonists of each companion's personal story, and of course the Dire Wolf himself, Fen'Harel aka Solas. Dragon Age: The Veilguard's the villains are creepy, compelling, and effective—and best of all, bucks the frustratingly common fantasy trend of having minimal female villains who are only there to provide fanservice.




While the games are not without their iconic villains – such as Lady Dimitrescu from resident evil village, Latest from final fantasy 8 – they are few and far between. And with a few key exceptions such as portal GLaDOS or from Metroid Mother Brain, these antagonistic ladies are mostly focused on sex-appeal. Dragon Age: The Veilguard bucks the trend by having tons of female villains, only a few of whom are conventionally attractive “fanservice” types.

This article contains spoilers for
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
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Every Dragon Age Cameo: The Veilguard Explained

Dragon Age: The Veilguard includes a number of characters that have appeared in previous stories, some with some unexpected consequences.

The Wicked Women of Dragon Age: The Veilguard


There are a number of female villains in the Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including one of the game's key bosses fought in the main story and several antagonists that appear in the personal questlines of various companions. They are:

  • Ghilan'nain, the escaped elven goddess
  • Johanna Hezenkoss, a rogue necromancer who opposes Emmrich
  • Zara Renata, the magistrate in charge of Lucanis' prison
  • Aelia, a high-ranking Venatori that Neve is after
  • The Dark Howler, an emaciated creature that was once a female Gray Warden named Isseya

Additionally, while most of the High Dragons in the game cannot be considered outright “evil” as they are simply aggressive and predatory creatures following their nature, one, Kataranda the Storm Rider, is explicitly female, and Taash calls some of the others “her” as well. Also, while not necessarily a “villain”, the elven goddess Mythal can become angry with the player and serve as a difficult boss fight in her draconic form.


Instead of having a single “significant” villain, Dragon Age: The Veilguard's The female antagonists match or maybe even outnumber the bad guys. Ghilan'nain, in particular, is one of the game's most common antagonists, with her male counterpart, Elgar'nan, preferring to stay out of the fray until near the end of the game. Similarly, the “Dragon King” encountered in Taash's companion story is a coward who prefers to make his pet dragon fight for him.

Veilguard's Badass women are so much more than their looks


There's nothing wrong with a badass woman being gorgeous—Lady Dimitrescu has captivated the Internet for good reason—but it's refreshing to see some badass ladies who aren't just pretty to look at. While Aelia is good-looking and Zara Renata is attractive, if one can get past the whole “bathing in blood” thing, Hezenkoss is short and old, Isseya is hopelessly lost, and Ghilan'nain is a twisted, tentacled creature , which would not do. don't be out of place in an HP Lovecraft story.

These vile women are also some of them From the Veilguard the best characters. Johanna Hezenkoss is a half-lich whose pursuit of immortality and chivalrous attitude toward death contrasts elegantly with Emmrich's fear of mortality and respect for the deceased. Isseya is a tragic figure who truly wanted what was best for the gryffindors at one point in her life, but has become so afflicted with death that she no longer thinks clearly. And Ghilan'nain – well, Ghilan'nain is terrifying, and players get an intimately detailed look at how he transformed from the kind figure Solas remembers to the terrifying antagonist they face.


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