Hawke

Lore & Background

Hawke is the eldest child of the renegade Ferelden mage Malcolm Hawke and the Free Marcher noblewoman Leandra Amell. During character creation in Dragon Age II, the player decides Hawke's gender, character class, and given name. If played as a warrior or rogue, Hawke would have been part of the Ferelden army at Ostagar alongside their brother Carver. If played as a mage, Hawke is an apostate mage who, like their sister Bethany, has managed to evade the Chantry religious institution and its Templars while growing up in the Ferelden village of Lothering.

Hawke's choice of class determines whether Bethany (for warriors and rogues) or Carver (for mages) survive the journey from Ferelden to Kirkwall. Hawke's physical appearance is fully customizable. Later in the game, the player's choices also determine Hawke's overall personality, combat specialization, and political affiliation. Over the course of Dragon Age II, Hawke can exhibit one of three personality types, achieved through cumulative dialogue choices favored by the player.

The tone of Hawke's voice will be decided by their personality type whenever the character is not directly controlled by the player. Each of the three established personality types unlocks additional dialogue options for the player when dealing with non-player characters. For example, a sarcastic Hawke has access to a big range of humorous dialogue options.

Reader's Guide

Hawke is defined by their adaptability and the weight of player agency. Whether a mage, warrior, or rogue, they serve as the lens through which the tragedy of Kirkwall is viewed. Their arc spans ten years, moving from a family seeking safety to a leader commanding armies and making life-or-death decisions for the city. Their skills are versatile, ranging from heavy combat and spellcasting to social manipulation and theft, depending on their chosen class and specialization.

Key moments include the rescue of their siblings in the Deep Roads, the confrontation with the Qunari invasion force, and the final showdown against a corrupted apostate who threatens to destroy the city. Ultimately, Hawke's story is one of consequence. Every decision made regarding the Templars, the Mages, or the Qunari shapes the ending, determining whether Kirkwall remains free, falls under siege, or burns to the ground.

Did You Know?

• Hawke was originally developed early in the production of Dragon Age II as a magician type character the development team dubbed 'Biker Mage'.
• British actors Nicholas Boulton and Jo Wyatt voiced the male and female Hawke respectively.
• A version of the character who is male and a mage was featured prominently in marketing and promotional material for Dragon Age II.
• Lead writer David Gaider described Dragon Age II's approach towards storytelling to be novelistic, with an unreliable narrator who picks and chooses what aspects of Hawke's life story he wants to tell.
• A major unused storyline involved a mage version of Hawke's struggle to withstand demonic possession while being trapped in his or her own mind, which Gaider deeply regretted being cut from the final game.