Cullen Rutherford

Cullen Rutherford is a fictional character in the Dragon Age franchise. He has appeared in every game in the series, with his largest role being in Dragon Age: Inquisition, in which he is an advisor and possible love interest for female human and elf player characters.
==Fandom==
===Pairings===
Character 	Ship
Anders 	Anders/Cullen
The Inquisitor 	Cullen/Inquisitor
Cassandra Pentaghast	Cullen/Cassandra
Dorian Pavus 	Dorian/Cullen
Raleigh Samson 	Cullen/Samson
The Warden 	Cullen/Warden
===Common Tropes in Fanworks===
*Cinnamon Roll: Cullen is often characterized as shy, sweet, and awkward.
*Dark!Cullen: Dark or morally ambiguous characterizations of Cullen are not uncommon. Such fanworks often focus on Cullen's years as a Templar, portraying him as cruel, tyrannical, and even sadistic toward the Circle mages under his charge. Frequent objects of Dark!Cullen's cruelty include The Warden and The Inquisitor. Some fanworks also explore AU scenarios in which Cullen became a Red Templar.
*Redemption: Cullen's desire to atone for the errors of his past features in many fanworks. Fics set during the events of DA:I often focus on his dedication to the Inquisition. Cullen/Mage!Inquisitor fics often have him reckon with his participation in mage persecution through his relationship. Some post-canon works focus on his plan to set up a rehab facility for ex-Templars (something he does in some epilogues of the Trespasser DLC).
*Substance Abuse/Recovery: Cullen-centric fanworks often focus on Cullen's addiction to lyrium or the difficulties of withdrawal after he decides to stop using it.
*Unrequited Love: Cullen was in love with The Warden during his time at Kinloch Hold. He never acted on his feelings, however, as he felt it would be inappropriate. Some fics focus on this aspect of Cullen's history. This may involve him grieving for her if the author is writing a world state in which the Warden sacrificed her life to end the Fifth Blight.
*Whump: Cullen has had a number of terrible experiences throughout his life. He was the sole survivor of the fall of the Circle of Magic in Ferelden, during which he was magically imprisoned and mind-raped by a demon. This caused him to be afflicted with nightmares afterward. Many fanworks focus on the lasting trauma of these experiences, or on the physical and psychological toll of lyrium withdrawal. It's also common for Cullen to be injured in fics, generally during the course of serving the Inquisition.
==Fanworks==
===Fan Art===
*elderflower and oakmoss by alternatiivi
*moar sketchin by anvil
*Cullen by antaarf
*XI. The Justice by artofalassa
*Cullen Portrait by GerryArthur
*Commander's Night Out by GerryArthur
*The Commander who styled his hair... by GerryArthur
*also lions cry by cynkroo
*Cullen Rutherford / Dragon Age by diss-mid
*Cullen Rutherford <3 by fuckyeahmargaw
*Cullen Rutherford - Dragon Age inquisition by GENZOMAN
*Commander Cullen by gravity-zero
*Cullen Rutherford by gravity-zero
*Cullen Rutherford by heathwind
*Cullen Rutherford by iluviia
*The Lion by Jhann
*The Commander Is Chilly by kauriart
*I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the beyond... by kingcholera
*Cullen by lagal
*Cullen Rutherford 1 by LilyRutherford
*Cullen Rutherford 2 by LilyRutherford
*Cullen in the Trespasser DLC trailer by LilyRutherford
*DA:I Cullen in DA:O armour by LilyRutherford
*The Lion of Ferelden by LilyRutherford
*Guess what I’ve recently picked up. 👀 by lizzart-zardonicz
*It’s Orlesian Party time! by lizzart-zardonicz
*Some more casual Cullen in these trying times. 🙃 by lizzart-zardonicz
*The Lion of Ferelden by Mabiruna
*Cullen by mojavia
*Cullen by noralei-shrine (mild NSFW)
*Cullen by 0o0ooo0oo
*Commander of my heart. Cullen Rutherford. <3 by pyradragon
*Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath by renarin
*Rainy Day by shalizeh
*Cullen Rutherford by StarshipSorceress
*Cullen by stella-minerva
*my no. 1 Ferelden son by stonelions
*Burden by relssaH
*Cullen profile by TheRealMcGee
*Happy birthday eternalshiva! by TheRealMcGee
*I can endure it by TheRealMcGee
*Cullen by ukropstales
*Cullen by Warallin
*Cullen R by ynorka (mild NSFW)
*Cullen Rutherford by ynorka (mild NSFW)
===Fanfiction===
===Meta===
*Demons and Archangels: The Journey of Cullen Rutherford by Angela D. Mitchell
*Cullen: A fan girl's cautious defence by Defira
===Cosplay===
*Cullen cosplay – Cait Cosplay as Cullen, photo by Nebulaluben
*Cullen Rutherford - Dragon Age: Inquisition – Leandro Botelho as Cullen, photo by santoscosphoto
*Commander Cullen by NiCosplay
*for the Inquisition! by NiCosplay
*DAI | No. this is ridiculous. – suspencecosplay as Cullen, photo by amaleighcp
*Cullen Rutherford by twinfools
*Cullen - Ages by twinfools
*Cullen - Dragon Age by twinfools
*Cullen Rutherford - Strategist by twinfools
*Cullen - Templar by twinfools
*Dragon Age - Cullen Cosplay by zahnpasta
*Dragon Age Inquisition - Cullen Cosplay by zahnpasta
*Dragon Age Inquisition - Cullen Cosplay by zahnpasta
*Cullen Rutherford by Zynicus
==Gallery==
===Fanart===
File:Cullen by Daniela Barisone.jpg|Cullen by Daniela Barisone
File:Cullen Portrait by Amber Brantley.jpg|Cullen Portrait by Amber Brantley
File:Dragon Age Tarot - Cullen by Taylor Cobb.jpg|Strength by Taylor Cobb – Tarot card with an out-of-frame Inquisitor touching Cullen's face.
File:Cullen by Eamikkir.jpg|Tarot card by Eamikkir with an out-of-frame Inquisitor embracing Cullen.
File:Cullen Rutherford by ellieshep.jpg|Cullen Rutherford by ellieshep
File:Lionheart by Emorenji.jpg|Lionheart by Emorenji
File:Cullen Rutherford by g-ivanov.jpg|Cullen Rutherford by g-ivanov
File:Sad lion by hellenys.png|Sad lion by hellenys
File:Cullen by hyena-smile.jpg|Cullen by hyena-smile
File:Cullen by Liedeke.jpg|Cullen by Liedeke
File:Knight Commander by KuraNova.jpg|Knight Commander by KuraNova – Dark AU art envisioning Cullen as a Red Templar.
File:Aftermath by Nazgullow.jpg|Aftermath by Nazgullow
File:Cullen by Nifriel.jpg|Cullen by Nifriel
File:Cullen Stanton Rutherford by Nifriel.png|Cullen Stanton Rutherford by Nifriel
File:Cullen Rutherford by Noweria.jpg|Cullen Rutherford by Noweria
File:Cullen Approaching by oblivionscribe.jpg|Cullen Approaching by oblivionscribe
File:Dawn by ReelLifeJaneway2.jpg|Dawn by ReelLifeJaneway2
File:Vigilance by ReelLifeJaneway2.jpg|Vigilance by ReelLifeJaneway2
File:Cullen by YoungGirlBlues.jpg|Cullen by YoungGirlBlues
File:The Dawn Will Come by Goldkit.jpg|"The Dawn Will Come", Cullen and a female Lavellan Inquisitor by Goldkit (2020)
===Cosplay===
File:Cullen (genderbender) cosplay by EiliseRose.jpg|A genderbent Cullen cosplay by EiliseRose
File:Cullen (genderbender) cosplay by EiliseRose 2.jpg|Female!Cullen by EiliseRose
File:Cullen (genderbender) cosplay by EiliseRose 3.jpg|Female!Cullen by EiliseRose
File:Cullen (genderbender) cosplay by EiliseRose 4.jpg|Female!Cullen by EiliseRose
File:Cullen (genderbender) cosplay by EiliseRose 5.jpg|Female!Cullen by EiliseRose
File:The Commander by VUNoxcraft.jpg|VUNoxcraft (costume), the.only.vu (model)
==Archives and Links== 
*Cullen Rutherford tag at Archive of Our Own
*Cullen Rutherford at FanFiction.net
*Cullen Rutherford tag on Tumblr
Category: Dragon Age Characters‎