Cut content

Cut content details plot elements that were cut from the final version of a game in the Dragon Age series. They were not included and are thus considered non-canon.
== Dragon Age: Origins ==
* The developers planned to create a larger number of origins but ultimately reduced the number to six. There were two substantial cuts: "Human Commoner" and "Human Barbarian".
** The Human Commoner origin was envisioned in a similar vein to Luke Skywalker's story. The player character was a farmer. They would find a mutilated corpse of a cow, foreshadowing the coming darkspawn threat. Their farmhouse would soon come under siege by darkspawn. The player character would lead the defense, and during a desperate moment of the fight, Duncan would come to the rescue and then recruit the PC for the Grey Wardens. The Commoner origin was cut due to the story not fitting the tone of the game, as well as technical difficulties with presenting the farmhouse siege adequately. The Human Commoner was from a farm in Redcliffe Village and some dialogue for this origin can still be found in the game files. Dwyn was intended to be the villain in the Human Commoner Origin. He is described in the toolset as a loan shark; a "generally nasty guy", "slick and mean with a greedy streak a mile wide. Lecherous." The Human Commoner's parents were to have taken out a loan from Dwyn.
** The Human Barbarian origin focused on the Avvar tribes living in the Frostback Mountains. The story revolved around a gathering of Avvar clans that the player character would attend to prove their strength. They would realize that another chieftain is scheming to gain power, and their own clan would be wiped out. The player character would be saved by Duncan. The location of the origin would be revisited later in the game, tying into The Urn of Sacred Ashes questline, which at that point of development was envisioned to exist within the Avvar territory. The player character would have a chance to deal with the enemy chieftain. The so-called "Human Barbarian" origin went through several rewrites but was ultimately cut from the game because of insufficient art resources for creating a unique Avvar look.
* Jowan was planned to be another full party companion. The Warden would have used the Right of Conscription to recruit him after Arl Eamon was healed. However, this was cut very early in the game's development.
* David Gaider revealed that the original plot for Origins included a visit by Celene I to Denerim. There it would have been learned that Cailan had planned to divorce Anora in order to wed the Empress, and that Teyrn Loghain had discovered this scheme.
* During the development process of Dragon Age: Origins, companions were to develop the darkspawn taint, and eventually would have been put through the Joining after the Landsmeet.
* Originally Sten, along with all other Qunari characters, was intended to have horns like the race design of Dragon Age II. This was cut due to graphical issues, and hornless Qunari were added to the lore so Sten's different appearance would make sense to fans.
* A quest was cut involving a propagandist named Renold defaming The Warden on Loghain's behalf. If Loghain was recruited he could be brought to confront the propagandist and state that he did not sanction this regardless and insist the propagandist cease. The quest was titled Slander on Demand and took place in Denerim.
* A quest was cut involving several orphans stealing as a result of being exploited by an unknown third party.
* Another quest tree similar to Favors for Certain Interested Parties would have been included.
* Shale was originally to be recovered in Redcliffe Village.
* It would have been possible for Wynne to recognize that the Warden had become a Blood Mage and she would have alerted Greagoir and the Templars at the conclusion of the Broken Circle quest. The cut quest also contains reference to there being "only one mage warden at a time" which is inaccurate and was thus cut during the later development phase.
* It would have been possible to attempt to hand Morrigan over to Greagoir and the Templars for being an Apostate. Morrigan would have used her shapeshifting abilities and escaped before she could be captured, though.
* At one point, you would have been able to meet a deserter from the battle of Ostagar, likely connected to an early version of the Return to Ostagar quest. In his dialogue, he mentions the king's sword multiple times, most likely the old pre-DLC King Maric's Blade. He was cut along with the original blade when Bioware decided to adapt that idea into the Return to Ostagar DLC.
=== Cut content videos ===
Dragon Age Cailan's death (cut content)|Loghain & Alistair discuss Cailan. Note: Not cut content. The writer for Return to Ostagar did not know that both characters can't be in the party at the same time. 
DAO Renold the Propagandist - Loghain in party.flv|Restored version of the 'Slander on Demand' Quest
Dragon Age Cut content|Miscellaneous Cut Side quests. Note: The quest involving Jowan is not cut but due to a bug can only be completed by PC players using the Console
Dragon Age Reaction to blood magic (cut content)|Wynne reveals the Warden is a Blood Mage to Knight-Commander Greagoir
Dragon Age Morrigan & Templars (cut content)|The Warden reveals that Morrigan is an apostate to Greagoir
== Dragon Age II ==
* The writers weren't sure Anders would be the Awakening character coming over to Dragon Age II and merging with Justice — for a while it was going to be Velanna.
* Ser Pounce-a-lot was intended to be featured in Anders's Clinic in Dragon Age II; however, the developers did not have enough time to make a new model. It was later suggested that Anders have a cat skull on his staff, but David Gaider said that it was "cruel".
* Shale was to appear in the cut plot "Finding Shale" for Dragon Age II. The plot was replaced with Finding Nathaniel.
* Merin was intended to join the Grey Wardens if he survived the Fool's Gold quest.
* Orsino was never intended as a boss if siding with the mages, but was included as BioWare felt that the game needed another boss.
* Connor was intended to appear at some point with his uncle Teagan Guerrin as a circle mage, if he had survived the events of Origins unpossessed.
* The DLC Exiled Prince was originally intended to focus around Nathaniel Howe instead of Sebastian Vael, but the concept was changed due to the possibility of Nathaniel's execution.
* Originally, there was a plot about the templars pursuing Hawke or Bethany. This pursuit would have been part of the impetus to go into the Deep Roads; they needed to leave town to escape.
* There was a plot that involved going into the Fade that dealt with Hawke being a mage. The plot was cut because it was complicated and wasn't working well.
* In Legacy DLC, shrieks were supposed to appear, but they were cut in the end for unknown reasons.
* Originally each Act would have ended with a dramatized and exaggerated version of the act's final opponent, similar to Varric's exaggerated version of the prologue.
* Character trailers for Hawke and each of the companions in Dragon Age 2 were recorded but never released. They were to be narrated by Varric, espousing his stylized opinions of them.
* Hawke would have encountered Cassandra at one point personally. Grand Cleric Elthina would have been involved in this.
* There was a corresponding quest with Merrill which involved her comforting Hawke over Carver joining the Grey Wardens to correspond to the quest where Carver joins the Templar Order.
* Originally the final quest for The Bone Pit involved saving the miners as well as Jansen. Hubert was also partially complicit as he had awareness of the High dragon presence and the miners would seek reparations from Hubert.
* If the Warden-Commander completed the quest Worked to the Bone and forged Vigilance, the sword would have been obtainable by Hawke in Dragon Age 2.
* In Legacy DLC, there supposed to be a quest searching for Gorathan Sharok or "The Hero of Kal-Sharok" treasure beneath the deep roads, but they were cut in the end for unknown reasons.
=== Cut content videos ===
Dragon Age 2 Varric's Tale (Missing lines)|Restored Character Trailers for DA2 Companions. *Contains Spoilers*
Dragon Age 2 Varric about Hawke|Audio of Varric discussing Hawke: class specific.
Dragon Age 2 Missing lines (Varric & Cassandra, Teagan & Connor)|Audio for Hawke encountering Cassandra personally, Teagan & Connor visiting Kirkwall
Dragon Age 2 Hawke met Cassandra?|Grand Cleric Elthina remarking on Hawke's meeting with Cassandra
Dragon Age 2 The Bone Pit cut content|Recorded Audio for alternate Final Bone Pit Quest
Dragon Age 2 Merin becomes a Grey Warden cut content|Restored Scene of Merin after joining the Grey Wardens
Dragon Age 2 Crazy Meredith|Restored Varric's "exaggerated" version of Hawke's confrontation with Meredith. *Contains Spoilers*
Dragon Age 2 All scenes with Merrill (cut content)|Restored version of Merrill consoling Hawke after Carver joins the Grey Wardens 
== Dragon Age: Inquisition ==
* In early development there was a third option during Cole's personal quest that allowed the player to let Cole kill the templar.
* If the player did not finish Cole's personal quest but had Cole in their party during the final fight, Corypheus would have taken control of Cole and forcibly turned him against the Inquisitor. This was cut out of the game because it proved too difficult to accomplish correctly.
* Some time during the development, it was going to be possible for the Inquisitor to become Divine. It would be harder for a male Inquisitor than it would've been for a female, and even harder if the Inquisitor was a Qunari. It was however abandoned because it was against the lore.
* Anders was planned to be included in Inquisition before the idea was scrapped. He would appear Mad Hermit-like.
* While Cullen and Solas are female exclusive romance options, it appears that they were intended to be a romance option for a male Inquisitor as well, according to cut dialogue. In Solas' case, it was decided to make him straight in order to avoid the "depraved bisexual" trope.
* Iron Bull was originally designed as one-handed instead of one-eyed. His left hand was missing and he'd use prosthetics in its place in battle. One of the prosthetics would be a cannon, but it proved to difficult to implement in the game engine, and it wouldn't be time-effective to create a unique fighting style just for him. 
* During development, Fiona was on the shortlist of potential companions.
Anders in Inquisition concept art.jpg|Anders as imagined for Inquisition
Inquisitor As Divine Concept Art.jpg|Qunari male Inquisitor as a Divine, with Leliana's and Cassandra's reactions
Iron Bull cannon hand.jpg|Iron Bull with his cannon prosthetic arm
Iron_Bull blade hand.jpg|Iron Bull with a blade prosthetic on his arm
== See also ==
* Dragon Age: Origins unobtainable items
* Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening unobtainable items
* Dragon Age II unobtainable items‎‎
== References ==