Anders

Anders is a human mage determined to escape the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order. Nothing they have done to him has dampened his desire for personal freedom. Although initially only concerned with his own freedom, he develops a passion for helping the downtrodden and underprivileged. He also has an affinity for cats.
He is a potential companion in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and a companion in Dragon Age II. In the latter, he is also a romance option for either male or female Hawke.
== Background ==
Anders was born and raised in a small village in Ferelden. His father was originally from the Anderfels, but had come to Ferelden as a boy. Anders was well-liked in his village, and could often be seen surrounded by a gaggle of children. When he was twelve years old, he accidentally set a barn on fire with magic. While his mother still loved him and wanted to protect him, his father grew afraid of him and called the templars. He was handcuffed and taken by the templars to the Fereldan Circle Tower.Anders's short story The only personal possession he was allowed to keep was a pillow hand-embroidered by his mother. 
Upon arriving at the Circle, Anders refused to speak, not even to tell the other apprentices his name. They began calling him "the Ander" because of his heritage, and Anders eventually became the only name he'd use. Anders despised the Circle and saw it as a prison. He first attempted escape six months after his arrival. Before his recapture, he saved the life of Bann Ferrenly, for which he received a pendant as reward. When asked why he'd escaped, he tearfully replied that he simply wanted to go home. Despite his repeated escape attempts, First Enchanter Irving believed that Anders, however reckless, posed no true threat and counselled that he be treated with greater kindness.
When Anders was still an apprentice, he met and befriended an older boy, Karl Thekla. The two were inseparable for many years and eventually became more than friends. Anders made no escape attempts in the years when the two were together. Shortly after their Harrowing, Karl was transferred to Kirkwall's Gallows, a move which Anders did not take well. He escaped shortly after, only to be recaptured on the docks of West Hill, attempting to buy passage to Kirkwall.
Anders once managed to escape the Circle Tower by swimming across Lake Calenhad during a weekly training exercise for apprentices. He was caught again one week later.According to Finn during the Witch Hunt DLC. His sixth escape attempt earned him a year of solitary confinement. His only company was the tower's mouser, Mr. Wiggums. According to Anders, the cat later became possessed by a rage demon and took out three templars. His seventh and final escape from Kinloch Hold occurred just prior to Uldred's coup.
During at least one of his escape attempts, Anders ended up spending time at the Pearl brothel in Denerim, where he met Isabela.According to banter between Anders and Isabela.
== Involvement ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
=== Dragon Age II ===
=== Dragon Age: Inquisition ===
== Quests ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
:
=== Dragon Age II ===
Act 1
:
:
Act 2
:
:
:
:
: (gift)
Act 3
:
:
:
:
Mark of the Assassin
:
== Friendship and rivalry ==
Friendship with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the mages, by confronting demons and blood mages, and by being agreeable in conversations with him.
Rivalry with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the templars and blood mages, by striking deals with demons, or by being disagreeable (i.e. referring to Anders as an abomination).
== Romance ==
== Gifts ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
Anders takes great pride in his appearance and enjoys fine things.
:
=== Dragon Age II ===
: - found during the quest A Bitter Pill.
== Statistics ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
==== Initial specialization ====
:
==== Initial skills ====
:       
==== Initial spells ====
:
Arcane 	 
Spirit Healer	   
Primal 	   
Creation 	 
Spirit 	 
Entropy 	   
==== Initial equipment ====
:
Weapons 	
Clothing 	
Armor 	 
Accessories	   
==== Restricted accessories ====
:
==== Plot skills ====
:
=== Dragon Age II ===
==== Initial talents ====
:
Available spell trees	Initially selected spells
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
(specialization) 	
==== Initial equipment ====
:
Weapons	
Armor 	Renegade's Coat
==== Armor upgrades ====
Upgrades to Anders's armor, Renegade's Coat, can be found at the following locations: 
: (Act 2) – available at Lirene's Fereldan Imports in Lowtown. Increases armor.
: (Act 2) – available at Mage Goods in the Gallows Courtyard. Increases attack.
: (Act 2) – 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) – found during the Best Served Cold quest. Extra rune slot.
If Hawke helps Anders during the quest Justice in Act 3 and subsequently talks to him either as a part of this quest or during the follow-up quest Questioning Beliefs, Anders will wear a black version of his armor.
==== Restricted accessories ====
: – requires Mage Item Pack DLC
: – requires Legacy DLC
: – requires Mage Item Pack II DLC
: – requires Mark of the Assassin DLC
== 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 (near the repair anvil).
* Vigil's Keep - Throne Room: By clicking on Anders.
== Quotes ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening ===
* "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools."
* "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?"
* "The problem is that mages are tolerated. Barely. It's like you need permission to be alive."
* "The only thing I ever missed about the Circle was that cat, to be honest."
* (When deselected in the party selection screen) "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."
* "The oppression of mages stems from the fears of men. Not the will of the Maker."
* "It is the Maker who creates mages. The Chantry was built by men, and it can be brought down by them."
* (During The Last Straw) "I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals, while those who would lead us bow to their templar jailors!"
== Codex entries ==
:
:
:
:
== Notes ==
* Though Anders uses a fire spell when you first meet him in Awakening, he does not have the spell when he joins the party.
== Trivia ==
* David Gaider wrote Anders in Awakening, while Jennifer Hepler took over the role for Dragon Age II. However, the role that Anders plays in the sequel was set by Gaider prior to anyone writing him. The writers weren't sure if Anders would be the Awakening character migrating over to Dragon Age II and merging with Justice — for a while it was going to be Velanna.
* In the cancelled expansion for Dragon Age II, the plan was to present Anders as a "redeemed Warden."BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development, p. 228
* Anders is referenced several times during the Witch Hunt DLC; one of the books in the Circle library contains the notes of a young mage who drew templars being eaten by a tiger named Ser Pounce-a-lot in the margins.
* In the cookbook, the narrator Devon references Anders and his ingenuity in the recipe for Treviso energy balls, drawing a comparison between this famine food that was created under the hardship of occupation and the work Anders carried out in his Darktown clinic.Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas, p. 123
* In Mass Effect 2, Ronald Taylor mentions an officer in his crew named Anders who had an accident which led to tension between the crew and officers. In Mass Effect: Andromeda, Ryder receives an email that reads: "Let's blow the roof off the place! –Anders"
* If Anders specializes in Blood Magic, the player can have another additional line of dialogue with Anders when speaking about Anders's 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. If you make Anders a blood mage He is the only character to acknowledge the blood mage specialization. However, Anders is opposed to blood magic in Dragon Age II even if you make him a blood mage in Awakening.
* A Wanted List with Anders' name is found on a templar's corpse during a random encounter.
* During the events of Dragon Age II, while in the Fade, when Justice takes complete control, the passive spell Vengeance is active whether or not you have assigned it to Anders. It will remain unlocked after the quest is completed.
* If Hawke invited Anders to move in and proposed that Orana 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".
* Anders uses the line "There can be no peace" in Act 3, as does Flemeth in the beginning of the game.
* Like Wynne, Anders is a spirit healer possessed by a Fade spirit. However, her possession is much more peaceful than his merging with Justice.
* Anders is the second character encountered who is both tainted and possessed after Sophia Dryden.
* 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 he killed receive justice as well.
* David Gaider confirmed that if Hawke killed Anders, he is ultimately dead. Justice, however, may be another story.
* 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 due to the possibility of Anders appearing in future games.
* Anders is the only love interest in Dragon Age II whose birth name remains unknown.
* In the Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Anders was a member of the Libertarian Fraternity at Kinloch Hold, though his contributions were limited to escaping alone, and the occasional manifesto or diatribe.Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Faces of Thedas, p. 4 If Anders lives to flee Kirkwall, rumour places him in the Anderfels, the Free Marches, Seheron, Minrathous, and the Brecilian Forest—sometimes simultaneously.Dragon Age (tabletop RPG), Faces of Thedas, p. 6
== Bugs ==
* If Hawke is in a 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.
== Gallery ==
Anders-05.jpg|
Anders-01.jpg|
Gxa anders.png|Anders Awakening epilogue slide
Screenshot20110315031724271.jpg|Anders's second outfit, unlocked after completion of Justice
Anders-fresco.jpg|Dragon Age II loading screen style fresco of Anders
Anders EM.png|Concept art of Anders for the cancelled expansion for Dragon Age II, Exalted March.
AndersHoDA.png|Tier progression of Anders in Heroes of Dragon Age
Keep Anders Romance.png|Anders' romance tile in Dragon Age Keep
== References ==
== External links ==
* Anders's short story by Jennifer Hepler
* Dragon Age: Awakening - Anders Companion Trailer
Category:Characters
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Category:Dragon Age II characters
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Category:Anders
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Category:Apostates
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Category:Dragon Age II companions
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