Alistair Theirin

He became King of Ferelden, ruling with Anora as his queen, he was hardened.

## Background

Alistair was born in 9:10 Dragon, possibly in Redcliffe Village or nearby. Alistair was raised by Arl Eamon Guerrin of Redcliffe, brought up to believe that his mother was a serving maid who died in childbirth. As a child Alistair worked as a stableboy. The arl's wife, Arlessa Isolde, suspected the reason her husband took an interest in the welfare of a servant's child was that Alistair was Eamon's son. Though her suspicions were unfounded, Eamon acquiesced when she demanded that Alistair be sent away to the Chantry. In 9:20 Dragon Alistair was sent to the monastery at Bournshire.
Despite the Arlessa's speculation on Alistair's parentage, he was in fact the illegitimate child of King Maric and the elven mage Fiona. In order to protect the honor of his sister, Queen Rowan, Arl Eamon had agreed to Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir's suggestion that Alistair should be sheltered in Redcliffe.
Alistair was trained to become a templar for many years by the Chantry, this being how he learned most of his martial skills. He was found to be ill-suited to a life of religious devotion, however. When Duncan, Commander of the Grey in Ferelden and a friend to King Maric and Fiona, found him in 9:29 Dragon, Alistair had not yet taken his vows and was desperately unhappy at the monastery. Alistair competed in a tourney held to honor the Grey Warden, being bested by acclaimed templars such as Ser Eryhn, a woman who wielded a sword and shield with unequaled grace, Ser Talrew, leader of many victories against the Chasind, and Ser Kalvin, one of the finest blades in Ferelden. Despite this, Duncan sensed that Alistair had a good and loyal heart, and so recruited Alistair into the Wardens. Alistair's recruitment was met with considerable resistance from the Grand Cleric, though she was forced to relent when Duncan invoked the Right of Conscription compelling the Chantry to hand Alistair over before he took the sacramental vows.
According to Alistair, Duncan saw he was unhappy and figured his templar abilities could be useful for fighting not only mages, but also darkspawn. Alistair always resented that people dictated the direction of his life and Alistair became grateful to Duncan when Duncan saved him from the Chantry; since it was the first time Alistair found someone that cared about what he wanted. It's debatable whether Duncan pitied Alistair and wanted to rescue him or if he simply thought Alistair would be useful.
Alistair grew fond of the Fereldan Grey Wardens and the Grey Wardens in turn grew fond of him. Alistair saw in the Grey Wardens kindred spirits—as all the Grey Wardens were once unwanted people welcomed nowhere until the Grey Warden cause brought them together. Alistair saw in the Grey Wardens a fellowship that encouraged his development as a Grey Warden and didn't care about his background. Coupled by Duncan's belief in his worthiness, Alistair grew to embrace the Grey Warden cause and flourished in their order.
In 9:31 Dragon a royal inquest was held to determine Alistair's true parentage, but it proved inconclusive.
In the months that followed his coronation, Alistair surprised many by studying the art of governance and doing his best to rule the kingdom with a fair and even hand. He proved quite popular with the people, his humor and easy grace winning them over as much as his willingness to sneak out of the castle and mingle in the lower-class taverns on occasion.

## Involvement

As an infant, Alistair is presented to King Maric by his mother, the elven mage Fiona. As an elf, a mage and a Grey Warden, Fiona is unable to raise Alistair and asks Maric to see Alistair raised away from court and ignorant of his elf-blooded heritage. Duncan vows to watch over Alistair and to bring news to Maric of Alistair's life.

Maric's promise to Fiona is fulfilled and Alistair is raised in Redcliffe by Arl Eamon, believing himself to be the bastard son of King Maric and a human serving maid, and half-brother to Goldanna.

### *Dragon Age: Origins*

As the most recent recruit of Ferelden's Grey Wardens, Alistair helps the Warden prepare for their Joining at the fortress of Ostagar. He accompanies the Warden into the Korcari Wilds as part of their pre-Joining trials, encountering the apostate, Morrigan there along with her mother, Flemeth, both of whom Alistair distrusts.

Following the latter's successful Joining, Alistair and the Warden are given the task of lighting the beacon atop the Tower of Ishal. The tower is crawling with darkspawn by the time the pair reach it, and though they successfully fight their way to the top and light the beacon, Loghain Mac Tir, teyrn of Gwaren and leader of King Cailan's armies, abandons his king and retreats. Alistair and the Warden are overwhelmed by darkspawn and would have perished, but are saved by the intervention of Flemeth.

Alistair is nursed back to health by Flemeth and Morrigan and is utterly devastated to hear of the defeat at Ostagar and Duncan's death, laying the seeds for a passionate hatred of Teyrn Loghain. Following their recovery, Alistair and the Warden set out to rebuild the army lost at Ostagar and defeat the Blight. Upon their approach to Redcliffe, Alistair reveals the truth concerning his parentage. With the downfall of King Cailan at Ostagar, Alistair's bloodline means that he is the last of the Theirin bloodline, and a claimant to the throne.

Alistair longs to be reunited with Goldanna, the woman he believes to be his half-sister. With the aid of the Warden, Alistair eventually tracks Goldanna down, discovering that she is living as an impoverished washerwoman in the capital. Alistair's familial affection for his half-sister is not mutual, with Goldanna harboring a deep resentment toward what she perceives as Alistair's privileged upbringing and her belief that he had killed their mother.

*If Alistair remains unhardened:*

Alistair's hopes of a joyous meeting with Goldanna are quashed, leading him to put thoughts of his family aside and continue in his quest. Alistair's experience with his half-sister does not dramatically affect his personality, however, remaining relatively idealistic and passive.

*If Alistair is hardened:*

Following his disastrous encounter with Goldanna, Alistair is chastised by the Warden for being too passive in his interactions with others. This leads Alistair to become much more assertive, taking a considerably more pragmatic approach to problems, in contrast with his formerly idealistic outlook. After finally reaching the Landsmeet, Alistair participates in laying the cause against Teyrn Loghain before the nobility of Ferelden. Loghain is finally defeated by force of arms and is about to be executed, but the execution is halted by the intervention of the senior Grey Warden Riordan, who suggests that instead of wasting his life, Loghain should undergo the Joining ritual and join the ranks of the Wardens. If Alistair was chosen to duel Loghain, Loghain is content that there is still some of Maric in him after being defeated. Alistair dismissed Maric's relevance to him and performed Loghain's execution to avenge Duncan without hesitation.

*If Alistair is executed:*

Riordan's compromise is accepted by the Warden, Queen Anora and Loghain himself, though Alistair refuses to countenance it. After being declared queen by the Landsmeet, Anora orders Alistair's execution.

*If Alistair becomes a drunk:*

Loghain's admission to the Wardens' ranks is agreed to, though Alistair becomes enraged at this suggestion. He issues an ultimatum, threatening to leave the Wardens if Loghain is not executed. Though Queen Anora demands Alistair's life, he is allowed to leave the Landsmeet alive. He abandons the Grey Wardens and becomes a roving drunk, wandering from tavern to tavern and eventually travelling across the Waking Sea to Kirkwall.

*If Alistair marries Anora and Loghain lives:*

Alistair is infuriated that Loghain has been permitted to join the Wardens, prompting him to leave their ranks. He nevertheless fulfills his birthright and accepts the crown, marrying and ruling jointly with Queen Anora (who Alistair was convinced to marry for the sake of unifying Ferelden).

Alistair uses his betrothal to Anora and status as co-ruler of Ferelden to leave the Grey Wardens and the Warden's party. While Alistair sulks, Anora appoints the Warden as the commander of the Fereldan Coalition forces. Anora eventually rallies the Fereldan forces during the Battle of Denerim.

Should Loghain perish by striking the killing blow to Urthemiel, Alistair will claim he is no longer angry when speaking to him at the post-coronation ceremony. Alistair admits that Loghain dying from the archdemon has a certain amount of justice to it and since everything worked out, he is content with the outcome. Alistair is still surprised by his new life as king and since Anora has big plans for the Warden, he expects they'll be seeing a lot of each other.

Alternatively, if both Loghain and the Warden survive slaying the the Archdemon by participating in Morrigan's Ritual, Alistair will mention that the Grey Wardens seem to be curious as to how the Warden survived killing the Archdemon. He is grateful to the Warden, but does not think that they have much to say to one another.

*If Alistair marries Anora and Loghain dies:*

Alistair's wish is fulfilled as Loghain's execution is carried out in the Landsmeet. Alistair and Anora had reluctantly agree to marry, and so are declared co-monarchs of Ferelden by the Landsmeet.

*If Alistair marries the Warden:*

Loghain is beheaded for his crimes, though the issue of Ferelden's vacant throne remains unresolved. The Warden takes up the role of kingmaker, crowning Alistair king and unexpectedly announcing that the Warden will rule beside him as his wife and queen. Alistair is surprised at this conclusion but does not object.

*If Alistair is made sole king:*

Following the execution of Teyrn Loghain, The Warden resolves the issue of the vacant throne of Ferelden by declaring Alistair to be king, his Theirin blood giving him the strongest claim. On the advice of Arl Eamon, Alistair imprisons Anora after she refuses to swear an oath of fealty to him. His first act as king is to appoint The Warden as leader of the Fereldan Coalition but he will continue to serve the Grey Wardens until the Fifth Blight is defeated.

King Alistair eventually rallies the Fereldan forces during the Battle of Denerim.

*If Alistair remains a Grey Warden:*

Loghain is executed during the Landsmeet though the crown passes over Alistair as Anora is declared queen. Alistair is content to remain a Warden and not be burdened by royal duties. Alistair participates in the relief of Redcliffe, which has been attacked by a host of darkspawn. He later makes preparations with the Warden, Arl Eamon, Bann Teagan and others to march on Denerim and vanquish the Blight at last.

*If Alistair makes the ultimate sacrifice:*

Atop Fort Drakon, Alistair plunges his blade into Urthemiel, giving his own life to end the Blight. He is remembered as a hero by the people of Ferelden.

If Alistair became the sole King of Ferelden he will still offer to make the ultimate sacrifice calling it "His first and last act as King". If King Alistair dies, Anora will become the new Queen and in her speech will mention that the Theirin bloodline died with Alistair.

*If Alistair completes the Dark Ritual:*

Following the revelation that the sacrifice of a Warden's life is necessary to slay the Archdemon, Morrigan offers an alternative: by participating in a mysterious ritual, a Warden could father a child with Morrigan and thus kill the Archdemon without making the ultimate sacrifice. Despite the animosity between him and Morrigan, Alistair is persuaded to participate in this ritual so long as Morrigan promises that the child won't be used to plague Ferelden. This saved both his and The Warden's life, and they defeat the Archdemon and are hailed as heroes.

*See Epilogue for the full details of Alistair's potential fates.*
#### *Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening*

*If Alistair is king:*

Alistair arrives at Vigil's Keep with a regiment of troops and the templar, Rylock, to inspect the newly established Warden stronghold in Amaranthine. He wishes the Warden-Commander luck, charging them with the rebuilding of Vigil's Keep and the restoration and administration of Amaranthine. He also approves the conscription of the apostate, Anders, into the Wardens' ranks, despite Rylock's protestations.
*If Alistair remains a Grey Warden:*While the Warden is appointed as the new Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Alistair is assigned to the Warden parties that are in charge of cleaning up the Blight's aftermath across Ferelden.

#### *The Darkspawn Chronicles*

*See The Darkspawn Chronicles for the full details of Alistair's journey.*Alistair gathers allies independently and enters into a romantic relationship with Leliana. He was declared king at the Landsmeet and battles the Archdemon alongside Morrigan, Leliana and Dog. He is cut down by the Hurlock Vanguard and the Blight subsequently consumes Ferelden.
### *Dragon Age II*

The three fates of Alistair: King, Drunkard, and Grey Warden.

*If Alistair is king:*

Due to the immense volume of Fereldan refugees who settled in Kirkwall, King Alistair makes a visit to the city, accompanied by Bann Teagan. He invites Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall to an audience in the Viscount's Keep, but is in the midst of a dispute with Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard regarding the freedoms afforded to mages. Following the Knight-Commander's exit, King Alistair discusses the Champion's thoughts on returning to Ferelden and also mentions that many Orlesian nobles are hoping to seize upon Ferelden's weakened state in the wake of the Blight to reconquer lost territory.

*If Alistair is a Grey Warden:*

Alistair is on a mission for the Grey Wardens which takes him through Kirkwall just as the Second Qunari Invasion of Kirkwall occurs. He encounters Hawke while battling Qunari and gifts them with the Sacred Heart. Eager to avoid involving the Wardens in the Qunari-Kirkwall conflict, he leaves the city shortly afterwards.
*If Alistair is a drunk:*After abandoning the Grey Wardens, Alistair washes up as a pitiable drunk in the Hanged Man, lamenting his lost birthright. After remaining in Kirkwall for a few years, Bann Teagan retrieves Alistair and takes him back to Ferelden.

### *Dragon Age: The Silent Grove*

***The plot follows BioWare's own canon**, meaning that Alistair is king of Ferelden in the comic's story.*

Alistair arrives in Antiva City where he enters the headquarters of the Antivan Crows along with the pirate Isabela and Varric Tethras. They are ambushed by Prince Claudio Valisti, though Claudio realises who Alistair is. The pair exchange a hushed conversation, where Alistair is asked whether he "is convinced". They also speak briefly of an escape from Velabanchel, a prison run by the Antivan Crows before parting ways.

He later makes his way into Velabanchel, where he encounters a wizened prisoner within a cell, who, when Alistair utters, "King Maric?", tells him that he is "too late".

Alistair escapes Velabanchel with his companions and the prisoner they found. The old man tells him that Yavana, a Witch of the Wilds, rescued Maric. Alistair goes to the Tellari swamps and is attacked by a high dragon. Yavana then appears and calms the beast.

Alistair discusses his father with Claudio in the Crows' camp. Claudio prepares to reveal who his patron is - the one who ordered Alistair's kidnap - though Isabela and Varric attack the camp before he continues. As Isabela prepares to kill Claudio, Alistair orders her to stop, but she does so anyway. He then explains that Claudio had information about Maric that is now lost.

However Yavana mentions that Claudio's spirit is still lingering in the Fade, so she casts a spell which brings his spirit back to his body. Claudio's spirit mentions that his master is Aurelian Titus before Yavana destroys Claudio's lifeless body. She then invites Alistair to follow her under the Silent Grove. Alistair follows her into a large breeding lair of dragons. Yavana reveals to him that her quest was to preserve the existence of dragons from those who couldn't understand and were just killing them. Despite her efforts, she never managed to awaken a great one.
However Alistair's father, King Maric, was able to because the blood of Calenhad the Great was running in his veins; but before he could awaken all the great ones and fulfill his oath, Aurelian Titus took him from her. Yavana then asks Alistair to help her fulfill his father's oath in exchange for her help in finding him. However, Alistair refuses while he drives his sword through Yavana's stomach. Alistair resents the Witches of the Wilds for their manipulation and blames them for King Maric's disappearance. Alistair believes that if Maric never had to fulfill his oath to them, then many of the tragedies that befell his family, Ferelden, and its people may never have had to happen. The High Dragon approaches Yavana's dead body but doesn't attack Alistair. Afterwards, Alistair returns to the surface and informs Isabela and Varric of what happened. Alistair says that he will find this Aurelian Titus, kill him, then find his father and return to Ferelden to be king.

### *Dragon Age: Those Who Speak*

***The plot follows BioWare's own canon**, meaning that Alistair is king of Ferelden in the comic's story.*

Alistair continues his quest by going to Qarinus in order to find Claudio's master, magister Aurelian Titus. They attend a ball that the magister is also expected to attend. There, they also meet a friend of Varric; the magister Maevaris Tilani and also Lord Devon who seems to know Isabela from the past.

When Titus finally arrives at the ball, Alistair asks him if he knows who he is, to which Titus says no. When Alistair reveals to him who he really is, he demands to know where his father is. Titus then tries to use blood magic in order to control him but Alistair uses his templar skills in order to resist. As soon as Titus realizes that Alistair is a templar, he orders his minions to seize him while he escapes.

When the brawl finally ends, Isabela captures one of Titus' men alive whom they bring back to her ship. Varric interrogates him and tricks him into revealing the location of the Magister's stronghold in Seheron. However, before they reach Seheron, two Qunari dreadnoughts attack Isabela's pirate ship and after a brief fight, Alistair and his companions along with Isabela's crew are captured by the Qunari and are kept as prisoners in a Qunari war camp named Akhaaz.

After three weeks, a Qunari guard enters the locked room of Alistair and Varric and tells them that the Arishok is waiting for them and orders them to follow him. Alistair quickly realizes that the new Arishok is in fact Sten who addresses Alistair as kadan, showing unprecedented respect for him, not apparent from their past conversations. Sten informs him that Titus seeks him because of his blood and he says that it is foolish to follow him into his lair and for that reason he will be held prisoner until Sten deals with that threat. When Alistair demands more answers from Sten, the latter responds aggressively and tells him not to seek him again.

In the meantime, Isabela manages to escape while the Qunari were trying to convert her to the Qun. She reaches the cell of Alistair and Varric, releases them and tells them to get away from the prison while she goes to free her crew as well. Alistair and Varric fight their way out of the prison but in the end the Arishok was waiting for them. Alistair tries to stop the upcoming fight but Sten attacks immediately. Since Varric is unable to assist effectively without his Bianca, the fight becomes a duel.
In the end Alistair manages to defeat Sten but he refuses to give the final blow and instead he invites Sten again to help him against their mutual enemy: Titus. Sten agrees to it so Isabela takes back her crew and ship. Along with Alistair, Varric and Sten, they all start sailing again to Titus' lair while accompanied by two Qunari dreadnoughts. In the final scenes, Sten reveals to Alistair that Titus seeks him because the blood of dragons runs in his veins. Isabela reaffirms her determination to complete Alistair's quest.

### *Dragon Age: Until We Sleep*

***The plot follows BioWare's own canon**, meaning that Alistair is king of Ferelden in the comic's story.*

Qunari dreadnoughts attack Aurelian Titus' fortress and Varric infiltrates the building while Isabela and Alistair assault the fortress directly with the Qunari. Prior to this, Sten—now the Arishok—tells Alistair and Isabela the Qunari version of the myth of King Calenhad, and how he made a deal with a mysterious witch to drink dragon blood, become a Reaver and create Ferelden.

Varric's attempt to free King Maric from the Magrallen causes everyone to be pulled into the Fade. Varric, Isabela, and Maevaris were able to reunite and tracked Alistair and King Maric in a fantasy where Alistair was Maric's acknowledged son, and Cailan still lived and was the heir apparent to the throne of Ferelden. Varric reminds Alistair of his mission to kill Titus, find Maric, and then become a proper king in order to convince Alistair to not live a lie. Varric asks King Maric if he agrees, to which he concurs with Varric that Alistair must face the reality of the situation and turn away from this fantasy. Alistair then concedes and is briefed of their predicament: Titus was pulled into the Fade with them and is hunting them with demons. Alistair desires to take the fight to him. Alistair and his band tracks Titus to his own dream fantasy in the Fade and launches an ambush on him. Eventually Titus is slain in the ensuing battle by King Maric and his schemes to take over Thedas for Tevinter was foiled.
In spite of their victory, Maric elects to remain in the Fade, commenting that everyone dear to him has seemingly passed on now. Alistair however persuades Maric that he should return with them. Upon returning to their physical bodies, the party finds Maric still connected to the Magrallen in the Ath Velanis laboratory. Unfortunately, King Maric's health has deteriorated and it is speculated that the Magrallen is all that's keeping him alive. Realizing that there is no other way to end his father's suffering after all, Alistair destroys the Magrallen, finally ending Maric's life. With their adventure over, Alistair returns to Ferelden to be a good and proper king.

### *Dragon Age: Inquisition*

*If Alistair is king and the Inquisition recruits the rebel mages:*

Alistair allows the rebel mages to take refuge in Redcliffe Castle. However after the rebel mages are aggressively taken over by the Tevinter Magister Gereon Alexius, Alexius begins to have rebel mages displace the people of Redcliffe. Having enough of the mages' abuse, Alistair (alongside Queen Anora if they rule jointly), arrives in Redcliffe with a contingent of soldiers shortly after the Inquisition's ousting of Alexius to inform the rebel mages that they have outstayed their welcome and recommends that they take whatever deal that the Inquisitor offers, informing them that he has no intention of offering a better deal.

Later Alistair will request the Inquisition's aid with foiling a Venatori plot against his (and Anora's if she reigns with him) life. Alistair also asks the Inquisition to serve as mediators in the peace talks with the ruler of Orlais, following the resolution of the War of the Lions.

*If Alistair remained a Grey Warden:*

Hawke contacts Alistair to help them investigate Red Lyrium. Alistair however is concerned about corruption in the Grey Warden ranks and goes into hiding. Hawke and the Inquisitor rendezvous with Alistair in a smuggler's cave in Crestwood to see what his investigation uncovered.

Alistair explains that he was investigating if Corypheus could have survived fatal wounds just like an Archdemon can. Yet in the middle of his investigation, every Grey Warden in Orlais began to hear the Calling which Alistair believes is being elicited by Corypheus. Believing that their end is near, Warden-Commander Clarel plans on using a blood magic ritual that supposedly will end all Blights before they all perish. Alistair is branded a traitor for protesting Clarel's plan and goes into hiding.

If Here Lies the Abyss is begun but not moved beyond Alistair’s recruitment, he will be accessible in Skyhold for conversation. If Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts is completed while he is still in Skyhold, and he performed the Dark Ritual with Morrigan in Origins, Alistair will be given a chance to meet his son. He can be seen being introduced to Kieran by Morrigan in the garden. When he asks what she told Kieran about his father, she will tell him she told him his father “was a good man,” because she felt Alistair deserved at least that much, and the two former companions seem to be on increasingly positive terms with each other.

In the Western Approach, Alistair, Hawke, and the Inquisitor scout the ancient Tevinter ritual tower to investigate a Grey Warden congregation. At the tower, the party witnesses Grey Warden mages sacrificing their fellow Wardens to summon demons. They are being led by Lord Livius Erimond, a Venatori Magister who convinced Clarel to use their blood magic techniques to raise a demon army to invade the Deep Roads and kill the Old Gods before they wake. The demon binding rituals Erimond taught the Grey Warden mages however has the side effect of enslaving them to Corypheus, who will use them to conquer Thedas. Erimond escapes to Adamant Fortress while the Inquisitor's party confronts the enslaved Wardens of the tower.

Hawke and Alistair join the Inquisition as they lay siege to Adamant Fortress. They confront Erimond and Clarel about the truth of the demon binding ritual and attempt to sway the Wardens against Erimond. When Erimond summons Corypheus' dragon to deal with the Inquisition, Clarel has a change of heart and betrays Erimond. The dragon attacked and a massive battle ensue. After which, the Inquisition pursues Clarel. Clarel inflicts her wrath on Erimond but is killed by the dragon he summons. Clarel's last act is casting a spell that subdues the dragon but its crash causes the ground beneath them to crumble, resulting in the party to fall off the ramparts. The Inquisitor uses their mark to open a rift to transport the party to the Fade.

The Inquisitor finds some kind of spirit that poses as Divine Justinia V who briefs the Inquisitor that they are in the realm of a Nightmare demon and that the Inquisitor must recover the memories it took from them. As the Inquisitor recovers these memories, they remember how the mortal Divine was bound by Grey Warden mages and sacrificed to power an orb--an orb which the Inquisitor picked up and gave them the mark, and how the spirit in the Divine's form was the one who led the Inquisitor out of the Fade after the creation of the Breach. Once Hawke realizes that the Grey Wardens had a hand in sacrificing the Divine to further Corypheus' schemes, Hawke becomes incensed and accuses the Grey Wardens of being out of control and need to be checked. Alistair is defensive about the accusation, and argues that the Wardens were most likely mind controlled by Corypheus and that Hawke themselves have caused much chaos by causing the mage rebellion.

The spirit leads the Inquisitor's party to a rift but the Nightmare is preventing their escape. The spirit sacrifices itself to weaken the Nightmare and the Inquisitor's party defeats the Aspect of the Nightmare blocking their escape. The party reaches the rift but either Hawke or Alistair must stay behind to distract the Nightmare for the party to leave. Hawke can sacrifice themselves to atone for freeing Corypheus or Alistair can sacrifice himself to atone for all the harm the Grey Wardens have done.
If Alistair survives he will take command of the surviving Grey Wardens. After deferring judgement of what the Grey Wardens should do next to the Inquisitor, he will travel to Weisshaupt to brief the Grey Wardens of what had transpired.

## Personality

The Warden can increase Alistair's approval rating through gifts (covered below), dialogue, and plot decisions. Alistair responds well when you ask him to speak about himself. Typically, Alistair will try to deflect your question with a joke, which you can move past either by joking (often leading to humorous conversation) or calling Alistair's bluff. Neither approach will affect his approval. Alistair is, in a sense, shy and speaks often of Duncan and the Grey Wardens. In many ways, Alistair views Duncan as a surrogate father. Always affirm his emotional responses, and his approval rating will increase.
When speaking of one's post-Joining experiences, Alistair approves of responses that reflect his own. Admit to nightmares, increased appetite, etc. to slightly bump his approval. When the hero speaks to Alistair about other personal things (such as sex), Alistair admires answers which suggest both strength and experience. Do not mock him for his own softness and relative inexperience, however, as these will negate any approval benefits the hero receives through insisting on his own prowess.

Despite being raised by the Chantry to be a templar, Alistair has a deep interest in the arcane and occult, as evidenced by his preference for gifts of **statues** and **rune stones**.

A Consul (ESFJ) is a person with the Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Judging personality traits. They are attentive and people-focused, and they enjoy taking part in their social community. Their achievements are guided by decisive values, and they willingly offer guidance to others.

> Encourage, lift, and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.
> DEBORAH DAY
>
>

For Consuls, life is sweetest when it’s shared with others. People with this personality type form the bedrock of many communities, opening their homes – and their hearts – to friends, loved ones, and neighbors.

This doesn’t mean that Consuls like everyone, or that they’re saints. But Consuls do believe in the power of hospitality and good manners, and they tend to feel a sense of duty to those around them. Generous and reliable, people with this personality type often take it upon themselves – in ways both large and small – to hold their families and their communities together.

Consuls have a talent for making the people in their lives feel supported, cared for, and secure.

## The Beauty of a Responsible Life

Consuls are altruists. They take seriously their responsibilities to give back, serve others, and do the right thing.

And Consuls believe that there *is* a clear right thing to do in nearly every situation. While some personality types adopt a more lenient, live-and-let-live attitude, Consuls may find it difficult not to judge when someone takes a path that strikes them as misguided. As a result, Consuls often struggle to accept it when someone – particularly someone they care about – disagrees with them.

Consuls have a clear moral compass – and it can be nothing short of baffling to them when other people’s actions don’t align with it.

With their definite views on right and wrong, Consuls tend to be on the opinionated side. But these opinions aren’t arbitrary – they’re often based on a deep respect for tradition. Consuls know that everything they do affects someone else, and they trust that established laws, protocols, and social norms will help them navigate their everyday lives in a way that is considerate and responsible toward others.

## Building Relationships That Last

Supportive and outgoing, Consuls can always be spotted at a party – they’re the ones fluttering around making sure that everyone else is having a good time! But make no mistake: Consuls don’t just breeze through other people’s lives. Loyal to the core, they build lasting relationships, and they can be counted on to show up whenever a helping hand – or a listening ear – is needed.

Consuls rarely miss a birthday or holiday. Devoted to their relationships, they commit even the smallest details of their friends’ and loved ones’ lives to memory.

With their love of order and structure, Consuls prefer planned events to open-ended activities or spontaneous get-togethers – and they’re happy to host in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly. People with this personality type put a great deal of energy into making other people feel special and celebrated, and they may take it personally when someone doesn’t seem to appreciate their efforts.

For many people with the Consul personality type, one of life’s greatest challenges is accepting that they can’t control anyone else’s thoughts or behavior – not even those who are nearest and dearest to them. Fortunately, Consuls can find peace and fulfillment by focusing on what they do best: setting an example of care, consideration, and responsibility – and bringing people together in the process.

Strong Practical Skills – Consuls are excellent managers of day-to-day tasks and routine maintenance, enjoying making sure that those who are close to them are well cared for.
Strong Sense of Duty – People with the Consul personality type have a strong sense of responsibility and strive to meet their obligations, though this may sometimes be more from a sense of social expectations than intrinsic drive.
Very Loyal – Valuing stability and security very highly, Consuls are eager to preserve the status quo, which makes them extremely loyal and trustworthy partners and employees. Consuls are true pillars of any groups they belong to – whether it is their family or a community club, people with this personality type can always be relied upon.
Sensitive and Warm – Helping to ensure that stability, Consul personalities seek harmony and care deeply about other people’s feelings, being careful not to offend or hurt anybody. Consuls are strong team players, and win-win situations are the stuff smiles are made of.
Good at Connecting with Others – These qualities come together to make Consuls social, comfortable and well-liked. Consul personalities have a strong need to “belong”, and have no problem with small talk or following social cues in order to help them take an active role in their communities.
Consul Weaknesses

Worried about Their Social Status – These Strengths are related to a chief Weakness: Consuls’ preoccupation with social status and influence, which affects many decisions they make, potentially limiting their creativity and open-mindedness.
Inflexible – Consuls place a lot of importance on what is socially acceptable, and can be very cautious, even critical of anything unconventional or outside the mainstream. People with this personality type may also sometimes push their own beliefs too hard in an effort to establish them as mainstream.
Reluctant to Innovate or Improvise – Just as they can be critical of others’ “unusual” behavior, Consuls may also be unwilling to step out of their own comfort zones, usually for fear of being (or just appearing) different.
Vulnerable to Criticism – It can be especially challenging to change these tendencies because Consuls are so conflict-averse. Consul personalities can become very defensive and hurt if someone, especially a person close to them, criticizes their habits, beliefs or traditions.
Often Too Needy – Consuls need to hear and see a great deal of appreciation. If their efforts go unnoticed, people with the Consul personality type may start fishing for compliments, in an attempt to get reassurance of how much they are valued.
Too Selfless – The other side of this is that Consuls sometimes try to establish their value with doting attention, something that can quickly overwhelm those who don’t need it, making it ultimately unwelcome. Furthermore, Consuls often neglect their own needs in the process.

As parents, Consuls have an excellent opportunity to display their warmth, affection and dedication in ways that have a real and positive impact. Sensitive yet firm, Consul parents are able to establish rules and authority without being entirely overbearing, using their compassion and support to smooth over the occasional miscommunication or difference of opinion.
Having children is often the culmination of Consuls’ life goals, and they cherish every moment of it.
From the start, Consuls try to ensure that their children feel safe and happy. People with the Consul personality type enjoy the support they are able to give their infants, who are utterly dependent on their care. Family being as important as it is to Consuls, this is an incredibly rewarding start to the relationship.

Protective or Over-Protective?
As their children grow and begin to explore more, Consuls’ love and care grows with them, but often becomes overprotective. Consuls may not just keep their children safe physically, but also socially, by arranging play dates, camps and other activities so much that their children aren’t free to make the blunders that lead to emotional growth and social independence.
Consuls value harmony and stability highly, and it’s often the case that they try to use indirect pressure to try to teach life’s lessons. When they are forced into a confrontation by their children’s blatant wrong-doing though, Consul parents step in firmly, and expect their words to be respected. Believers in traditional roles, Consul parents view the parent-child relationship in black and white terms, with their authority as final.
The Gift of Independence
As their children grow into adolescence and begin to push away from their parents, Consuls can take this transition personally. Feeling like they are losing their children, Consul personalities sometimes try to prolong their dependence as long as possible. It’s important to remember that when grown children leave the home, it’s because their parents were successful in preparing them for the next phase of their lives, an accomplishment Consuls can be proud of.
Consuls’ children will always appreciate the sensitivity and warmth that they were raised with, and as time goes on and they have their own children, they will cherish the fact that those children have the benefit of grandparents who love and care for them unconditionally.

Because Consuls’ traits are so strongly expressed, leading with practical sense and social vigor, the careers they find most satisfying usually revolve around making the best use of these qualities. Consuls are well-organized, enjoying bringing order and structure to their workplaces, and often work best in environments with clear, predictable hierarchies and tasks. Monotony and routine work are not a challenge for the Consul personality type, as they are happy to do what needs to be done.
Altruistic Motivations
Careers as administrators are a natural fit, allowing Consuls to organize not just an environment, but the people in it. Their practical skills combine well with their dependability, making Consul personalities surprisingly good accountants – though they often prefer to be personal accountants, helping people and interacting with them directly, instead of corporate accountants crunching numbers in some back room.

Purely analytical careers are often too dull for Consuls though – they need human interaction and emotional feedback to be truly satisfied in their line of work. Good listeners and enthusiastic team members, people with the Consul personality type are excellent providers of medical care and social work. Teaching is another great option, as Consuls are comfortable with authority, but are supportive and friendly enough to keep that authority from feeling overbearing.
Consuls’ best careers all have the additional benefit of providing them with perhaps their most important requirement: to feel appreciated and know they’ve helped someone.
Being as altruistic as they are, Consuls find it hard to be satisfied unless they know they’ve done something valuable for another person. This is often the driving force behind Consuls’ careers and career advancement, and makes religious work and counseling particularly rewarding.
Whatever they choose to do, Consul personalities’ comfort with busy social situations and practical knowledge and skills come together to create people who are not just able to be productive and helpful, but people who genuinely enjoy it.

When it comes to the workplace, Consuls have clear tendencies that show through regardless of their position. People with the Consul personality type thrive on social order and harmony, and use their warmth and social intelligence to make sure that each person knows their responsibilities and is able to get done what needs to get done. Consuls are comfortable, even dependent on clear hierarchies and roles, and whether subordinates, colleagues or managers, Consul personalities expect authority to be respected and backed up by rules and standards.

Consul Subordinates
With clearly defined responsibilities and a sense of purpose, Consuls are patient, efficient, hard-working people who respect the authority of their managers. While Consuls may struggle with too much freedom and improvisation, they thrive in workplaces with structure, safety and guidelines. Routine tasks are not a problem for Consuls, and their dedication and loyalty earn them the respect of their managers.
Consul Colleagues
Teamwork is a concept that Consuls have no trouble putting into practice. Often seeking friends at work, people with this personality type are almost always willing to lend a hand when and where it’s needed. Excellent networkers, Consuls always seem to “know just the guy” to bring a project together on time. On the other hand, Consuls often need to work on a team – being stuck alone chipping away at paperwork for days on end just leaves them tired and unfulfilled.
Consuls take pride in these qualities, which has the side effect of making them particularly sensitive when they come under criticism. When their suggestions and help are turned down, Consul personalities can take it personally. Already somewhat vulnerable to stress, rejections like these can be pretty demoralizing, and Consuls may need their coworkers to make an effort to express their appreciation from time to time.
Consul Managers
Consuls enjoy the responsibility that comes with organizing social situations, and the enjoyment they feel in managing other people translates well into management positions. As team leaders, Consuls find ways to make everyone feel involved, uniting people and smoothing relations in order to get things done.
At the same time, Consuls have a strong respect for traditional power structures, and if after all their efforts convincing their subordinates to work together someone ends up challenging their authority, they can stress out, lose their temper, and just generally react badly. People with the Consul personality type are sensitive about their status and dislike conflict, and prefer situations where everyone knows their role. So long as expectations are clearly outlined, Consuls are effective and enjoyable managers.

## Relationships

Consuls are a very social personality type, seeking large circles of friends and proving themselves more than willing to spend the time and energy necessary to maintain these relationships. Loyal and warm, Consuls are known for standing by their friends no matter what, and providing a constant source of emotional support and encouragement.

Consul personalities are also sensitive to the traditions of friendship, seeing the support they offer as much as a responsibility as a pleasure.
Doing everything they can to make sure their friends are happy, and being so comfortable with introductions and small talk, Consuls are naturally very popular in pretty much any environment. This is a dynamic that Consuls genuinely enjoy, but they also expect their efforts and support to be reciprocated. There’s nothing quite as hurtful to people with the Consul personality type as finding out that a trusted friend is critical of their beliefs or habits, except maybe being told so in a direct confrontation.
Consuls have a tendency to believe that their friends can do no wrong, always stepping up to defend them regardless of circumstances, and they expect the same benefit of the doubt in return. Consuls can greatly expand their circle of friends if they learn to be more receptive to other perspectives, rather than making snap judgments and conclusions. It’s important for Consuls, as with anyone, to avoid being insulated from other viewpoints and opinions, to relate to and understand ever more people.
We’re All in This Together
On the other hand, Consuls are great at using their sensitivity to stay in tune with what motivates and drives their friends. While in their weaker moments, Consul personalities can sometimes use these observations to manipulate others, they are far more interested in maintaining strong relationships, and this is a great tool for doing so. Altruists that they are, Consuls almost always use their powers for good, encouraging and inspiring others.
By and large, the Consul personality type is a pleasant and sincere one. Their energy and social intelligence win them many acquaintances and friends, and their support and dedication keep those friendships close and strong. With so much zest for life and company, dull moments are sure to be few and far between.

Alistair is romantically interested in women. He doesn't take relationships lightly. There are various ways to begin a romance with him during his dialogue. Compliment him; tell him you like him, essentially anything but openly mocking him will put you in his good graces. If propositioned before an appropriate approval rating he may turn you down due to his own inexperience, saying that he wasn't raised to take that sort of thing lightly; continued propositioning after this point will lead to disapproval. If continued approval is built, he will eventually join you in your tent. He likes to feel wanted and needed, and will even respond to a little bit of bossiness. However, he doesn't like being mocked about intimacy.

Alistair will take the lead and invite you to bed if your approval rating is high enough after completing his personal quest (and you haven't already gotten him to go back to your tent). The conversation will be initiated the next time you go to camp.

When Alistair becomes interested in the female Warden, he will offer a gift of a rose. You may choose to accept it or not. If you have high approval with Alistair and high approval with Zevran or Leliana (adore or love levels), when you next speak to Alistair, he will force you to choose one of them.

If Alistair becomes king and the Warden is anything **but** a human noble, or **is** a human noble but **is not** going to marry Alistair, their relationship can only continue if Alistair has been hardened. If he has not, the relationship will end. Even if he has been hardened the relationship can still end if the correct dialogue options are not chosen when he speaks to the Warden after the Landsmeet. Be sure to choose "Nobody can force the king to do anything he doesn't want to" in order to convince Alistair to continue the relationship.

***Note:** A human noble must pass a Persuasion check in order to marry Alistair when choosing between him and Anora at the Landsmeet, though it is not necessary to be in a relationship with him or even to have high approval. With a hardened Alistair, this option only becomes available if you did not accept Riordan's proposal to make Loghain a Grey Warden; if you accepted the idea then the hardened Alistair takes the throne directly and executes Loghain, thus avoiding the whole dialog where you could choose between Alistair and Anora and would have had the option to rule beside him.*

If the Warden has already slept with Alistair and "hardened" him during his personal quest, and his approval is ~high enough~, she can have a threesome with him and Isabela on her ship.

Leliana's Codex entry in *The Darkspawn Chronicles* DLC states that she is rumored to be Alistair's lover. This is not directly addressed in *Origins*, however, even if the Warden does not romance either character.

If Alistair's approval rating reaches a high enough point, Wynne will engage in conversation on this topic, saying that she disapproves of the relationship and that she does not wish for Alistair to be hurt. However, if his approval rating reaches Adore/Love, the Warden can speak to her about the subject a second time and she will apologize for her earlier comments.

After Alistair's approval reaches Adore/Love, if the Warden talks to Leliana she enquires about his 'performance'. If this takes place outside camp with Alistair in the party, he'll interrupt, asking why Leliana is giggling. The Warden may respond:

- *"You. And your performance."* Alistair will be confused at first, then Leliana will say that you are discussing how he 'treats her in bed'. Alistair will finally cotton on and say "Maker... What is wrong with you women?"

- *"Uh.. Darkspawn."* Skeptical, Alistair will respond, "Right. Yes, you're giggling about darkspawn. So funny, them darkspawns!"

- *"Nothing, just girl talk."* Alistair will decide not to enquire further.

## Tropes

* Abusive Parents: Well, foster parents. He was raised by Eamon, who made him sleep in the stables or kennels to keep him out of the way. When Eamon married Isolde, she made Alistair's life miserable until she finally convinced Eamon to ship him off to the Chantry to (again) get him out of the way. His Chantry upbringing is also implied to have been pretty strict. As a result, Alistair is very awkward, insecure, desperate for any kind of family (part of why he latches onto Duncan and the Grey Wardens), and has serious self-confidence and self-worth issues. The fact that he was raised to be submissive and dependent as a Spare to the Throne doesn't help.
* Accidental Pornomancer: Alistair is, at the game's outset, a virgin. In fact, he's practically frightened by the prospect of sex. However, let's look at the number of potential bedmates he can have in a *single* playthrough: Isabela, Anora, Morrigan, and the Warden (if the Warden is female). He can bed all four women in one game, but it's actually *the player* who has to do the work for him.
* Adaptation Dye-Job: Becomes increasingly red-haired in the next two games, and red-haired and blue-eyed in the comics.
* All of the Other Reindeer: When Alistair was training as a Templar, the initiates from noble families ignored him for being a bastard, while the initiates from poor families resented his noble lineage, leaving him with few, if any, friends during that time.
* Always Save the Girl: If romanced, he makes it clear he values the Warden's life over his own. If he is brought along to the final battle without completing Morrigan's ritual, he refuses to allow the female PC to deliver the finishing blow to the Archdemon. Unless hardened, he's under the impression that he'd make a worse king than Anora. This way, he can go out a glorious king and save the woman he loves all at the same time. It can be avoided by leaving him to defend the gate, but he knows exactly what you're doing.
* Arranged Marriage: The Warden can organise one between him and Anora, putting both a Theirin and a competent, experienced ruler in charge of Ferelden. Or two, if he's hardened. If she's the Human Female Noble, the Warden can also potentially arrange one between him and *herself*. If a romance between the Warden and him flourishes, it becomes quite ideal for both.
* Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: His description of what's wrong with Orlais at the moment if he's king in II. Alistair: Oh the usual: attempted assassinations, uprisings, fancy parties with stinky cheeses...
* Battle Couple: If romanced, he's this with the female Warden. This can be combined with Royals Who Actually Do Something if he becomes King and marries a Female Human Noble.
* Berserk Button: Loghain becomes this to him after his betrayal of Cailan leads to the death of all the other Grey Wardens, and Duncan in particular. While he will (reluctantly) go along with a lot of awful stuff the Warden can do, spare Loghain and he will walk out the door, end of story.
* Betty and Veronica: Very much Betty to Zevran's Veronica. Possibly also serves as the Betty for Leliana's Veronica, too.
* Big Eater: It's a Grey Warden thing, apparently.
* Breakout Character: He has appeared more *Dragon Age* media than any other character. Thus far he's been in all three games, a trilogy of comic miniseries, and the novel *The Calling,* where he appears as a newborn.
* Break the Cutie: The massacre of Ostagar and the death of Duncan really took a toll on him. While most of the personal quests end with the companion in higher spirits, Alistair's has an outright Downer Ending. And depending on your choices, he will dramatically change for the rest of the game.
* Broken Pedestal: Like most, he holds Loghain in high regard before the Battle of Ostagar, privately admitting that while Cailan is the King, it's Loghain to whom they have to look for victory. Then Loghain retreats from the battle, leaving the King, the Grey Wardens, and Duncan to an ignoble death, and then blames the Wardens for regicide. From then on, Alistair has an undying hatred for the man and it becomes *very* personal.
* Buffy Speak: Tends to lapse into this at times. Alistair: You stole them, didn't you? You're some sort of... sneaky... witch-thief!
* Butt-Monkey:
	+ *Everyone* gets a turn to mock him. *Even the dog*. (The player alone has the option not to do so.)
	+ Meta-example of a Cosmic Plaything as well, in that *the player* ultimately decide his fate. He can either become King, remain in the Grey Wardens, die, or end up a drunk loser — all as a direct result of the player's actions.
* Child of Forbidden Love: King Maric's bastard. His personal quest has him looking up his mother's family. He was actually lied to about his mother; his real mother, Fiona, hoped he'd have a better life if nobody knew his mother was an elf mage.
* Contemplate Our Navels: Morrigan accuses him of doing this while traveling to Lothering, in so many words.
* Corrupt the Cutie: If the player chooses to "harden" him, he loses many of his squeaky-clean morals, but the loss of naive idealism makes him more understanding of his subjects should he be anointed King.
* Covert Pervert: In addition to the Girl on Girl Is Hot moments mentioned below, he also apparently spends a fair deal of his time ogling a romanced Warden's ass. Wynne teases him about it.
* The Creon: Alistair intentionally avoids mentioning the fact that he is actually the senior Grey Warden — because he doesn't *want* to lead. In fact, he even refuses to take *the throne of Ferelden* for exactly the same reason.
* Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite the fact that he's... well, *Alistair*, he is very much capable of holding his own in a fight, being able to take on numerically superior opponents and even dragons. Should the player choose him to duel Loghain at the Landsmeet, Alistair wins and wastes no time in delivering the fatal blow.
* Dare to Be Badass: The Warden can often invoke this if they convince Alistair to take the throne.
* Deconstructed Character Archetype: Alistair can potentially be one for a Knight in Shining Armor.
	+ Alistair sticks to his ideals to a fault, in a setting where the characters around him are making political moves and have no problem dirting their hands for the sake of the greater good. In particular, Alistair holds a romantic and somewhat childish view of what it means to be a Grey Warden, when in reality the order is willing to take *anyone* as long as they can pass the Joining. This comes to a head if the Warden decides to spare Loghain and induct him into the Grey Wardens, where an unhardened Alistair ends up quitting on the spot.
	+ This also applies to his chivalrous views of love that were popular in many High Fantasy and Chivalric Romance. If a female non-Human Noble Warden who Romances him makes him King and hopes to Marry for Love and become Queen, Alistair counters that the Landsmeet already barely accepts him as King, so there's *no way* they'd accept a mage or non-human as their Queen. Alistair's squeaky clean morals then shine through at the *exact wrong time* and his refusal to "degrade" her by making her The Mistress causes him to dump her. (The female Warden had to "harden" Alistair much earlier in the game just to be able to convince him to make her The Mistress, and by then many players don't want to do it since he keeps rubbing in how shameful and tawdry their love would be.) Word of Gaider is that this was meant to demonstrate that Alistair puts his own warped sense of duty and honor before *her* feelings too.
* Deadpan Snarker: Like father, like son: Maric snarked just as much as him.
* Deuteragonist: The secondary storyline (Ferelden's Succession Crisis) pretty much revolves around him.
* Disappeared Dad: Although he understands why King Maric couldn't acknowledge him as his illegitimate son.
* Distressed Dude: Should he be in the party by the time you run into Cauthrien's boss fight and lose or surrender, he gets captured along with the Warden.
* Dork Knight: While Alistair is heroic, noble, and brave, he also lacks confidence and fumbles when talking to women.
* Drowning My Sorrows: Should the player spare Loghain, Alistair will leave the party. Unless he was already persuaded to marry Anora and keeps that promise, he ends up as a drunkard rambling about how he used to be a prince and a Grey Warden. He can be found at the Hanged Man in *II*; thankfully, Bann Teagan shows up and persuades him to come home and make a fresh start.
* Ensign Newbie:
	+ During the Korcari Wilds mission, he's this; as the most junior Warden (he's only been in the ranks for about six months), it's traditional for him to lead the newest recruits on their blood-fetching quest. However, as the plot unfolds, he soon makes his clear that he'd rather have the Warden take this role. Morrigan even lampshades it.
	+ The *Darkspawn Chronicles* DLC shows what would have happened if he hadn't been able to pass the buck. He manages to make it all the way to the Archdemon. But then it ends badly.
* Entendre Failure: He'd happily hop borders with Zevran given the chance — after all, he's never even been close to leaving Ferelden.
* Evil Laugh: He has a very impressive one that he breaks out on a couple of occasions, such as when revealing his nefarious plan to make the other party members mutiny and have him take over as group leader. In a subversion, he once breaks into a cough mid-evil laugh.
* The Fettered: As much as or (depending on player choices) even more than the PC, especially if he becomes king.
* Final Boss: He is the final antagonist fought in *The Darkspawn Chronicles*.
* First Girl Wins: The female PC is the first woman his own age he encounters in the story, having been sent to the Chantry at age ten to be a Templar and then being a part of the Wardens (who, in Ferelden, have no women currently in the order until the Warden come along). Unless you count that one time in Denerim... but those women were not like the Warden.
* Foil: To Zevran, especially as a romance. Two orphaned boys who were raised communally (Alistair in a castle, Zevran in a whorehouse) who were shipped off to an organization at an early age (Alistair to the Templars, Zevran to the Crows) without their consent, which largely defined who they became as adults (Alistair a duty-bound warrior, Zevran a loose and easy assassin). They both even have prolific (often deadpan) senses of humor. However, while Alistair is a dorky virgin who hides his pain behind a shield of duty, honor, and lame jokes, Zevran is The Casanova who Really Gets Around and hides his pain behind a charming smile and a devil-may-care attitude. They are even foils when it comes to sleeping with someone, Zevran is good at convincing others to sleep with him but is implied to be nothing special while Alistair is a virgin when he first appears but everyone compliments him to the point where Isabela gives him the biggest praise out of all the characters she can sleep with.
* Generation Xerox:
	+ Potentially to both of his parents. He's a Grey Warden like Fiona and can become King of Ferelden like Maric.
	+ Even more so to Maric if he falls for an Elven Warden, particularly a rogue city elf or mage elf. Maric had a thing for elves too; fell in love with the elven bard Katriel (although that ended badly), and later conceived Alistair with the elven mage Fiona.
	+ For a complete Xerox, romance him as a city or mage elf, have him enter an Arranged Marriage with Anora (a human noblewoman he doesn't love) after making him King, and then have him conceive a royal bastard out of wedlock with Morrigan.
* Girl on Girl Is Hot: His reaction to a female Warden propositioning Isabela. If he's hardened and the player invites him along, he'll eventually succumb with a sudden "What can I say? I am a weak, weak man." Even if he's not hardened (and therefore willing to give it a go), he'll note, "And here I am, awake and everything..." Also, if he confronts the Warden about choosing between him and Leliana, and the player chooses him, he'll ask, what about her? "I get it, sure — *hot*. But-" and so on.
* The Good King: A hardened Alistair turns out to be an excellent monarch, having a common touch which makes the people of Ferelden love him, and quickly learns the finer points of administration. If combined with a Female Human Noble as queen, Ferelden ends up with one hell of a Ruling Couple.
* Grew a Spine: If he is hardened, he develops a backbone that causes him to be more pragmatic and mature about certain decisions while still being a decent person.
* Half-Human Hybrid: *The Calling* implies that Alistair's mother could be Fiona, an elven Grey Warden and lover of King Maric. Alistair was confirmed as elf-blooded by the devs here. However, the children of elves and humans are always human, so he doesn't look elven. In *Inquisition*, Fiona herself vaguely hints at her relationship with Alistair, but never outright says it.
* Happily Married: Provided the Warden is a Human Noble *and* are persuasive enough to convince the entire Landsmeet (as well as Alistair privately) that the infertility issue is not a problem. Otherwise, get ready to be dumped like a sack of potatoes (true love or not), unless he's been hardened or the player makes Anora the sole ruler instead.
* Henpecked Husband:
	+ In *Dragon Age II*, if he's King and married to the Female Human Noble, it's clear who wears the trousers in the relationship. It's treated very lightheartedly, however, and when Alistair calls her "the old ball and chain", it's said with obvious affection. Alistair: Just because she killed an *Archdemon*, she doesn't scare me! Teagan: You just keep telling yourself that, Your Majesty.
	+ If married to Anora and left unhardened, Alistair ends up leaving the actual ruling to the Kingdom to her, effectively becoming a King in name only.
* Heroic Bastard: And a *royal* bastard at that. He notes he should use that line more often.
* Heroic Sacrifice: If the player refuses Morrigan's ritual and allow him to finish the Archdemon (he'll insist on it no matter what if him and the Warden are in a romance).
* Hidden Backup Prince: He's a bastard, and in line to the throne! His claim is apparently roughly equal to that of his half-brother the king's widow.
* Hidden Depths: If the player makes him king, he turns out to be better suited to the job than he expects to be. In *Dragon Age II*, he demonstrates a willingness to allow fleeing mages to enter Ferelden so long as they follow the laws of the land. Meredith is annoyed that the new king does not immediately comply with her demands. In *Inquisition*, his codex entry notes that the people love him.
* Honor Before Reason: Arguably, his Fatal Flaw. Despite being snarky and not very religious, Alistair is very hard-up on duty and honor and will put his squeaky clean morals before his desires. The Warden can help him grow out of it by "hardening" him. If they don't, this comes to a head in the romance as if a non-Human Noble Warden makes him King, Alistair puts his perceived duty to marry a Bannorn-approved human noblewoman and sire royal heirs with her to avoid another Succession Crisis before his own desires, and refuses to degrade his future wife or the Warden by making the latter his mistress, and dumps the Warden. Even if the female Warden makes it clear she doesn't mind being a mistress, Alistair doesn't have to get married (if she didn't arrange him with Anora), and/or marriages of conveniences involve extramarital affairs all the time, Alistair isn't willing to tarnish her honor, and dumps her.
* Hunk: Quite manly. Quite handsome.
* Hurting Hero: He rarely says it outright, but the massacre of Duncan and the other Wardens scars him pretty deeply, to the point that he harbors an intense and bitter hatred for Loghain. The Warden can get a lot of approval for just being there and listening to him without judgment.
* Hypocrite: If you decide to kill Connor instead of going to the Circle for help, he'll denounce you for it the moment you're back in camp... even though he can be the one who suggests doing it in the first place if you bring him along and ask what the options are. Alistair: I wouldn't normally suggest slaying a child, but... he's an abomination. I'm not sure there's any choice.
* Idiot Hero: Morrigan and Anora both accuse him of being one. Although he has his moments, they're never at critical junctions. He even calls himself an idiot hero at times. Alistair: Look, I can't be king. Some days I have trouble figuring out which boot goes on which foot.
* In the Blood: Despite being raised a Templar, Alistair is fascinated by strange runestones and figural studies of arcane creatures, to the point that gift items of that type earn lots of approval. Alistair's mother was a mage, implying his fascination with magical items is somewhat inborn. A number of characters also believe he'd make a good king due to being Maric's son.
* In Touch with His Feminine Side: Alistair is very open about his feelings, particularly his grief over the Grey Wardens (often sounding on the verge of *tears* when discussing them) and invites you to talk about your grief as well (at least regarding the loss of the other Grey Wardens). This annoys some of the more stoic party members (particularly Morrigan and Sten) who think Real Men Don't Cry, though it doesn't deter him any. Alistair is also pretty unashamed about his less-than-manly moments, like joke with the Warden that Alistair should wear a dress to distract the darkspawn, and mentioning a girly scream he once emitted when he first joined the Wardens.
	+ This is also a point in his favor with the romance, since Alistair gives a female Warden he's crushing on a rose he had sentimentally picked earlier for unrelated reasons but which now reminds him of her, asks to wait to have sex since he wants it to be special, and is very open about his budding romantic feelings toward her (even if he's not always the most eloquent about it).
* Intergenerational Friendship: With Wynne, who becomes something of a surrogate mother to him if they're kept in the party together often enough.
* Irony: Alistair is a Human Templar Grey Warden. His (real) mother is an Elven Mage Grey Warden.
* It's Personal: Towards Loghain for causing the deaths of the Grey Wardens and Duncan in particular. Best shown during the Landsmeet if Alistair is the one chosen to duel Loghain. Loghain: So there is some of Maric in you after all. Good! Alistair: Forget Maric! This is for *Duncan!*
* Knight in Sour Armor: Although he's aware that Grey Wardens often must do pretty bad things for the greater good, and lives in a world that has rarely shown him any kindness, he still feels as if it's still worth being a decent person and protector. If he's hardened and King, he becomes one if Loghain is spared.
* Knight Templar: He was training to be one, though only in job description; he flat out states that a life devoted to single-mindedly hunting down apostate mages was not for him, and it wasn't his choice to pursue that future.
* Lady and Knight: It's more accurately Knight and Knight, but if the PC romances him, he definitely behaves like a White Knight to a Bright Lady. This is perhaps especially fitting if the female is the human or dwarf noble, and perhaps especially touching for a female city elf who's been treated like dirt by human soldiers and nobles her whole life.
* The Lancer: Alistair is the only humanoid member of the Warden's party whom the player can neither fail to recruit nor ask to leave. He's also the only other Grey Warden in Ferelden, and the main character apart from the PC — to the point where he's nearly a deuteragonist. He fits this trope completely if the Warden is on the darker end of Grey-and-Gray Morality.
* Lethal Chef:
	+ When Morrigan joins the party, one of the first things he asks is "Can you cook?" Then he explains that if *he* has to cook, they're all as good as dead.
	+ A party banter between him and Leliana can be triggered where Leliana asks him what was in the dish he made for the party's supper the previous night. When he tells her it was a lamb and pea stew, she comments that it had a texture she doesn't normally associate with lamb. He explains this by telling her that this is the way all Fereldans cook. Alistair: We take our ingredients, throw them into the largest pot we can find, and cook them for as long as possible until everything is a uniform grey color. As soon as it looks completely bland and unappetizing, that's when I know it's done.
* Let's Wait Awhile: If the female Warden who romances him asks him about sex first, Alistair asks to wait, since he doesn't know if they'll even survive the Blight, and he'd rather not rush into anything. If she insists, Alistair is clearly pretty unhappy about it (especially since you can respond to that refusal with insults), whereas once his feelings for her reach "love" he approaches her of his own volition. He can also get to a point where he will happily accept if you ask him before he can ask you.
* Loved I Not Honor More: If romanced, he loves the female Warden greatly, but if she makes him king and doesn't harden him, he puts his perceived duty to sire royal heirs (either with Anora or a future Bannorn-approved noblewoman) to avoid another Succession Crisis above his own desires, and further doesn't wish to degrade his future wife or the Warden by making the latter his mistress, so he dumps the Warden.
* Love Interest: For a female Grey Warden.
* Manchild:
	+ At times, his decisions are more reminiscent of a temperamental teenager than a defender of the whole land. These are often potential Jerkass moments. He gets called a lad/boy several times. This is slightly justified as he's only 20 years old and from a very sheltered background.
	+ To drive the point home, his Feastday gift is a *Grey Warden toy set*.
* The Mistress: One outcome of his romance — the non-human noble Warden can become this for him if he's hardened and king. The human noble can, too, but she also has a chance to marry him and become queen.
* Modest Royalty: Should he become King of Feraldan, he's shown in *II* to still be getting the hang of things. He introduces himself to Hawke just as Alistair in a casual and informal way before awkwardly remembering to add that he's also King and Teagan is his uncle...sort of.
* More Senior Subordinate: After Warden-Commander Duncan and the rest of the Grey Wardens fall in the Battle of Ostagar, Alistair remains technically the most senior Warden in Ferelden, but passes effective command on to the freshly-recruited Player Character instead, explaining that he is not much of a leader. This proves to be a prudent decision, as the *Darkspawn Chronicles* DLC shows that had the Warden died and Alistair remained in charge, the latter would not have managed to defeat the Blight, despite coming tantalizingly close.
* Mr. Fanservice: He's handsome, and a hopeless romantic. The voice doesn't hurt either.
* Mutually Exclusive Party Members: No matter what you say to him, he will *not* fight alongside Loghain under any circumstances.
* Nature Abhors a Virgin: While Alistair himself is pretty okay with the idea (aside from teasing), the *plot* is most definitely against him. For him to have the happiest ending with a female Warden, he *must* sleep with Morrigan — other options mean that either he or the Warden must make a Heroic Sacrifice, leaving him either dead or in mourning, or that he becomes a wandering drunk if Loghain is around to do the deed. Marrying him to Anora can allow the player to skip the cheating, but he doesn't seem particularly happy with her, either. Apparently, a man can be a virgin, but can't remain one for long and can't have just *one* woman in his lifetime for things to work out to his benefit.
* Odd Friendship:
	+ Despite being a former Templar, he quickly strikes up a friendship with Wynne and seems closer to her than any of the other companions. This is rather understandable, as he freely admits he was *terrible* at being a Templar and never wanted to be one in the first place.
	+ Similarly, aside from some initial awkwardness upon their first meeting, he has no problem with Mage Wardens.
* One-Drop Rule: *The Calling* implies and Word of God confirms that Alistair's real mother is an elven mage named Fiona, but due to Ferelden's Fantastic Racism against elves, mages, Grey Wardens, and Orlesians, public discovery would disqualify him from being a Spare to the Throne, so Eamon covered up Alistair's real parentage by forging documents that made it seem like his real mother was a human serving girl who died in childbirth.
* Orphan's Plot Trinket: Averted — he had an amulet from his mother, but threw it at a wall and smashed it. The player can find it after his foster father Arl Eamon painstakingly glued it back together and give it back as a gift, but it has no further relevance to the story.
* Parental Abandonment: Repeatedly.
	+ Both his mother and father weren't present in his upbringing, primarily due to reasons of death (or so he was told) and not being able to recognise him due to his illegitimacy.
	+ After Arl Eamon married an Orlesian, who took an immediate dislike to him, Alistair was sent to a monastery.
	+ And then Duncan, who was the closest thing he ever had to a real father, dies in the battle of Ostagar. If Alistair has abandonment issues, they're not hard to understand.
* The Pig-Pen: According to Wynne, he smells just as bad as the dog (she asks the Warden to make them sleep on the same side of camp, opposite everyone else, to try to contain the stink). When he mentions being raised by flying dogs, telling him "That would explain the smell" will *not* hurt his approval of the Warden rating at all, and will actually open up a line of banter that *increases* it. This whole line of banter takes a turn for the tragic once the player learns that Arl Eamon used to make Alistair sleep in the kennels in order to keep him out of the way; to a small extent, he actually *was* raised by dogs.
* Properly Paranoid: To the point where some of his dialogue may well be Foreshadowing.
	+ His suspicions that Flemeth has ulterior motives for sending Morrigan with the party are completely correct.
	+ If Alistair is king and meets with Hawke in *DAII*, he'll urge Hawke to continue protecting Kirkwall; Hawke may respond by asking him, "Protect Kirkwall from what, exactly?" Alistair expresses the opinion that Knight-Commander Meredith is probably the biggest threat to Kirkwall — and he's absolutely right.
* Race Fetish: A very mild and benign version. While he greatly loves a Warden of any race, if a Dwarf or Elven Warden asks if he loves her even though she's not human, he half-laughs that it's *especially* because of that. Like father, like son.
* Raised by Wolves: He jokes about this to the Warden if they get pushy before he's ready. He was raised by dogs. With wings. Who were devout Andrastians. And hated cheese. The Warden eventually learns that Arl Eamon had him sleep with the hounds as a child, so this actually isn't far from the truth.
* Really Gets Around: Potentially. He can sleep with a female Warden, have a threesome with her and Isabela, sleep with Morrigan, and marry Anora (which implies getting some nookie as well) — all in the same playthrough. Not bad for a guy who started the game as a virgin.
* Reluctant Ruler: Though he's the senior Grey Warden, he's not *at all* interested in being party leader. Despite, or perhaps because of, his lineage, Alistair is very clear that he does *not* want to be a leader. Nevertheless, if given the crown, he proves to be good at the job.
* Required Party Member: Unlike the other humanoid companions, he cannot be made to leave the party if his approval drops to rock-bottom; and unlike Dog in most origins, his recruitment can't be skipped entirely. The only way to lose him is to recruit Loghain.
* Revenge Before Reason: A heroic example. No matter how the player chooses to present the argument for needing more Wardens, Alistair never stays in the party if Loghain is recruited. And if the player wants to even have the option to *consider* recruiting Loghain, don't make Alistair the Warden's champion in the Landsmeet duel, because Alistair kills him.
* Rousing Speech: Gives a damn good one to the Warden's army before the assault on Denerim, if the player makes him king (otherwise Anora gives one).
* Royal Bastard: He is the illegitimate son of King Maric of Fereldan, which makes him the heir to the throne after his half-brother Cailan dies in battle.
* Royals Who Actually Do Something: If Alistair becomes King at the Landsmeet, he makes it perfectly clear that he'll be on the front lines and leading the charge during the *Battle of Denerim* and the assault to take down the Archdemon.
* Sad Clown: The game doesn't expect the player to be fooled, however; the Warden can outright say, "Is this the part where you deflect questions with humor?" and he responds, "I'd use my shield, but I think you'd actually see me hiding behind it." None of the other party members are fooled either, and his humor is often irritating to other people; Shale says as much outright.
* Sex God: Despite being a virgin, some of the female Warden dialogue choices can make him look like one. After his first night with a female Warden, Alistair comments that the Chantry sisters had him half-expecting to be struck by lightning for doing what they just did, his beloved can reassure him: "Not for *that* performance." She can also have "girl talk" with Leliana and Morrigan, where she can assure them (out of his hearing range) that he is *very* good in bed. Even Isabela practically wants to keep him all to herself if she sleeps with both him and the Warden.
* "Shaggy Dog" Story: His personal quest in *Origins* consists in him introducing himself to his half-sister Goldanna, the only remaining family he knows about. When you visit her, it turns out she already knew she had a royal bastard half-brother (though she thought he died at birth). She wants *nothing* to do with Alistair and that's how Alistair's family investigation stops, though the quest's conclusion consists in a dialog between Alistair and the Warden, which can result in Character Development for the former.
* Shout-Out:
	+ Seeing as the series was heavily inspired by it, Alistair is one for Jon Snow from *A Song of Ice and Fire*. Each one is a bastard from a respected royal family who doesn't know who his mother is and who suffered mistreatment and neglect at the hands of their stepmother figure. Each one is offered the throne, and is part of a elite group that slowly is dying out but are vital to the survival of the world in the face of the reawakening ancient evil they were created to fight.
	+ Also, with *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* serving as additional inspiration, it's possible that Alistair's jokey mannerisms and Butt-Monkey status were based on that of Xander Harris.
* Shutting Up Now: Most obviously when the female Warden rejects his confession of love and when she's the one to suggest sex first. Each for different reasons.
* Sibling Yin-Yang: Unlike Cailan, who merely thought himself the Warrior Prince, Alistair proves to actually *be* one.
* Sickeningly Sweethearts: His romance with the Warden comes close to this, if Wynne and Morrigan are to be believed. Wynne doesn't seem to mind; Morrigan is another story.
* Single Woman Seeks Good Man: With this trope in mind, his romance is certainly one of the best-written ones for a female PC.
* Snark-to-Snark Combat: When he acts silly, engaging him and being silly back is one surefire way to raise his approval.
* Spare to the Throne: Unfortunately, he's a bastard, so he wasn't raised to the task. Needless to say, he's not happy about the idea of becoming king after being trained for something completely different and being quite forcefully assured that his illegitimate status would prevent the question.
* Speed Sex: If romanced, it's implied to happen at least once in party banter with Zevran, who remarks at things just seemed to get going when all got quiet, and offers Alistair some herbs to help him last longer in bed. (A female Warden can also potentially tell Leliana during "girl talk" that Alistair tends to get too excited too quickly in bed.)
* Survivor's Guilt: Much of Alistair's grief stems from guilt for have surviving Ostagar while all his fellow Grey Wardens died, especially Duncan. He often feels like he should have been there to protect them with his shield, or at least died fighting beside them. (The fact that he was singled out as a Spare to the Throne doesn't help.)
* The Talk: Wynne starts giving him one when he begins an intimate relationship with the female PC. Once he realizes what she's going on about, he interrupts with a highly embarrassed "Andraste's flaming sword, *I know where babies come from!*" She delights in the fact that she gets him to blush. He grumbles that she's a bad person and he hates her, but it's obviously not true.
* They Killed Kenny Again: While it isn't exactly *difficult* to keep Alistair alive, he's still the one character who has multiple opportunities to die for good in the series.
	+ If you don't kill Loghain but also don't make him king, there's the possibility of him being executed.
	+ If you don't undergo Morrigan's ritual, he can be the one to take one for the team (and Thedas) by killing the Archdemon.
	+ And finally, if he stayed a Grey Warden, you have to decide between him dying or Hawke.
* Trademark Favorite Food: Jokingly admits to having "an unholy obsession with very fine cheeses." The fandom has kind of run away with this one.
* Turn Out Like His Father: Oh yeah.
* Undying Loyalty: Unlike all of the other companions besides Dog, Alistair will not leave the party even if his approval drops to the lowest possible value. The Warden can be the biggest jerkass in Ferelden and Alistair will be right by their side. He states at -100 approval that he feels he has no choice — he considered the Grey Wardens to be his family, and *the Warden is all he has left*. It's actually because Alistair is required for the Landsmeet, where he finally leaves if the Warden spares Loghain.
* Unexpected Virgin: As a result of growing up in the Chantry and then being recruited directly from there into Ferelden's Grey Wardens (which currently have no female ranks before, potentially, the female Warden). Alistair is reluctant to talk about it (for understandable reasons), so this is treated as a minor revelation during his Romance Sidequest.
* Uptown Girl: Unless the Warden is a Human Noble, this can present a problem for characters romancing him. If the player makes him King, the best non-Couslands can do is become his secret mistress, and that's only possible if the player has hardened him.
* Warrior Prince: Unlike Cailan, he actually fits the warrior part as well as the prince.
* What the Hell, Hero?:
	+ He lets the Warden have it if they resort to killing either Connor or Isolde to resolve the situation at Redcliffe instead of taking the third option, although he calms down and apologizes if the Warden figures out what Alistair is truly angry about and/or convinces him that they did the best they could.
	+ He will also be outraged and immediately quit if the Warden chooses to spare Loghain, even though they are condemning him to death one way or the other by forcing him to do the Joining.
* What's Up, King Dude?: If he is made king, the epilogue can potentially state that he frequents taverns, endearing him to the common folk.
* The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: He sees himself as this.
* Younger than They Look: He looks and sounds to be in his mid-twenties to early thirties, but he's actually 20 at the start of the game. See Manchild above.

   Tropes In *Dragon Age: Inquisition*

*"Yes, that was me. War, betrayal, darkspawn: all lots of fun and made for excellent stories, I'm sure."*

If he was crowned King or remained a Grey Warden in *Origins* and survived, Alistair will return in *Inquisition*. As King, Alistair reappears only in the Mage plot and exiles Grand Enchanter Fiona from Ferelden; he also appears during a few war table missions. If still a Grey Warden, Alistair assists the Inquisitor as Hawke's informant on the Wardens.

* Assassin Outclassin': The war table mission "Shadows Over Denerim" ends with him and Inquisition agents battling Venatori agents dressed as the Royal Palace's kitchen staff.
* The Cameo: His appearance as king in the quest "In Hushed Whispers" is more or less this, since he doesn't appear again except through certain missions in the War Room.
* Deadpan Snarker: He's grown even *more* snarky since the first game. It's a lot more evident if he remained with the Wardens. If asked what it's like being a Warden, his description is gold. Alistair: Oh, it's wonderful! You get fresh peaches delivered every morning, first choice of the village girls, and bunnies too!
* Disappeared Dad: If he was chosen as the one to participate in Morrigan's Dark Ritual, he's this to his son, Kieran. Morrigan, having become kinder in the intervening years, has at least let her son know that his father is "a good man", feeling Alistair deserves that much. (She only mentions this, however, if Alistair is still a Grey Warden and they interact at Skyhold; otherwise, she merely tells the Inquisitor that Kieran's father will not be joining them.)
* Dramatic Irony: He doesn't know that Grand Enchanter Fiona is his real mother, and when they part ways after the Redcliffe questline, it's on a decidedly negative note.
* Early-Bird Cameo: In the game trailer where Hawke is first seen, she's accompanied by a Grey Warden. Absolutely *no one* in the fandom realized that this was meant to be Alistair, until his character design was revealed later.
* Good Is Not Soft: As King, he's willing to let the members of the mage rebellion take shelter in Redcliffe. Once they usurp his "sort-of uncle" under the direction of Alexius, however, he shows up in person to retake the village and kick them out of Ferelden for abusing his generosity.
* The Good King: He offers the rebel mages shelter in Ferelden, out of a genuine desire to help them. It's only when they ally with the Venatori and kick out Arl Teagan that he puts his foot down and exiles them. He also is on board with the Inquisition far more readily than Empress Celene, requiring no direct intervention from the Inquisitor themselves due to a lack of obstinacy in dealing with Venatori infiltrators in his palace (his infiltration problem is dealt with in a War Table operation instead of in a big involved mission).
* Happily Married: With a female Human Noble Warden if she married him in *Origins*. Could also possibly apply to Anora if Alistair married her instead; their union appears amicable at the very least, and they're clearly in agreement about things when they show up for their cameo in the mage questline.
* Heroic Sacrifice: If chosen, Warden Alistair stays behind to fight and hold off the Nightmare so the Inquisitor, their party, and Hawke can escape during the trip to the Fade.
* Hunk: Played straight, like in the first game.
* I Will Wait for You: If romanced in *Origins*, he remains deeply in love with the Hero of Ferelden ten years later, and is impatient for her to return to his side. If he's king and she's his queen, a codex entry in the game notes that although he continues to be a good ruler and the people love him, they're also kind of worried about him (due to noticing how much he misses her).
* Is That the Best You Can Do?: After the Nightmare hits him with a "The Reason You Suck" Speech, this is his reaction. Alistair: Is that all it's got? I've heard worse than that from Morrigan!
* Like Father, Like Son: If the player had Alistair perform the Dark Ritual with Morrigan in *Origins*, then he has an estranged son just like Maric and Fiona had him. For bonus points, if Alistair is a Warden and the Inquisitor completes "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" before "Here Lies The Abyss", then Fiona, Alistair, Morrigan, and Kieran can all be at Skyhold at the same time, and Fiona opts not to make herself known to Alistair the same way Alistair opts not to make himself known to Kieran.
* The Lost Lenore: If Alistair was romanced in *Origins* and didn't become King, he can be this to the Warden if the player chooses to save Hawke in "Here Lies the Abyss".
* Missed Him by That Much: Depending on the world state and order of main quest completion, it's possible for Warden Alistair, his mother Fiona, Morrigan, and his son Kieran to all be in Skyhold at the same time. Alistair doesn't know Fiona is his mother, Kieran doesn't know Alistair is his father, Fiona most likely doesn't know Kieran is her grandson and vice-versa, and neither parent approaches their estranged child despite having the opportunity.
* No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: If he's still a Grey Warden, he'll object to Warden-Commander Clarel's plan to end all Blights by using Blood Magic and Human Sacrifice to summon a demon army. Unfortunately, this means he's labelled a traitor and hunted by his fellows.
* Reluctant Ruler: Just like before, Alistair still prefers letting others lead if he remained a Grey Warden. The Nightmare mocks him for his tendency to pass the buck to other people and then asks him who he'll hide behind this time. If he survives the trip to the Fade, he's forced to lead the Orlesian Grey Wardens despite this.
	+ Averted if he's king. He's an excellent ruler and beloved by his people, taking his duty seriously while still being the glib goofball we remember.
* Remember When You Blew Up a Sun?: If he's a Warden, he's slightly annoyed when people bring up his involvement in the Fifth Blight. The Inquisitor: You were there, weren't you? You helped fight the Archdemon? Alistair: Oh, *Maker*, I'm going to be answering that question for the rest of my life. Yes, I was there. The Archdemon was big. The Hero of Ferelden was brave...
* Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: While Warden Alistair and Hawke get along fine at first, Hawke's frustration at the Grey Wardens, the order's use of blood magic to summon demons, and the revelation that Corypheus used several Wardens to help sacrifice the Divine and open the Breach ultimately lead Hawke to lash out at Alistair. While Hawke also chews out Stroud and Loghain, Alistair takes it a lot more personally — the Wardens are like his family.
* Uncertain Doom: If chosen to hold off the Nightmare in the Fade to give the others time to escape, he's never seen actually dying. Adding to the uncertainty, the in-game text for making the decision even says whoever holds off the Nightmare will "probably" die.
* What the Hell, Hero?:
	+ If the mages are recruited and he is king, he gives one to Fiona (still not knowing what she actually is to him). Outraged that she took advantage of his hospitality to bring a Tevinter cult into the country, he immediately banishes the rebel mages from Ferelden. In a later petition for aid in disposing of a Venatori infiltration in his palace, he prefaces with an apology for how things went in Redcliffe Castle, regretting not letting Fiona at least say her piece.
	+ If he is still a Warden, Alistair calls Hawke out during the trip to the Fade for what happened in Kirkwall.
* You Are in Command Now: If he makes it out of the Fade, he'll be the most senior Warden present and will take command of the Orlesian Grey Wardens. This is quite a big step for someone who pointedly didn't even want to lead the party as the most senior Warden in *Origins*.

## Relationships

### Natia Brosca

Prizing social validation and a sense of belonging so highly, romantic relationships hold a special level of importance for Consuls. No other kind of relationship provides people with the Consul personality type with the same level of support and devotion, and the feelings of security and stability that come with strong romantic relationships are extremely warming.
Consuls don’t do casual flings – they need to know that their partners will always be by their sides offering unwavering support, and marriage and family are the ultimate goal.
With such a goal in mind, Consul personalities take each stage, from dating to everything thereafter, very seriously. Everything about Consuls’ relationships is based on satisfying mutual needs, from creating understanding early on to building mutual respect and support for each other’s opinions and goals. Knowing that they are loved and appreciated has a huge effect on Consuls’ mood and self-esteem.

A Tender Heart
If they feel like this support isn’t there, such as when their partners deliver criticism, Consuls can feel extremely hurt. People with the Consul personality type dislike conflict and criticism, which can make it challenging to address any problems that come up. Nothing is more hurtful or depressing to Consuls than to realize that their partners don’t respect their dreams or opinions. Consuls can be surprisingly tough and tireless in the face of hardship, but they need to know without a doubt that their partners are behind them 100%.
Unfortunately, less mature Consuls may lack the inner strength and wisdom to attract this in healthy ways. They can be very needy, compromising their own principles and values in exchange for their partners’ approval. This is a terrible trap – not only is it unattractive, it can too easily lead to emotionally abusive relationships, which reduce Consuls’ self-esteem further. Another snare is their fixation on social status and approval – it’s not uncommon for Consuls’ social circles and relatives to play a bigger part in their choice of dating partners than even their own values.
Cultivating Trust
Consuls are warm, loyal people who want to feel trusted and valued. They are great with practical matters like money management and administrative tasks, and are happy to take on such responsibilities in the name of taking care of the people they care about, a wonderful quality. Consuls just need to make sure they take the time to ensure that they build relationships that allow them to satisfy their own needs and dreams, with partners who appreciate their care and generosity fully, and who reciprocate as well.
Consuls are often very organized in how their relationships develop, following established dating rules and traditions (don’t call first, third date, etc.). As their relationships enter more sexual stages, Consuls’ emphasis on process and tradition continue with established gender roles and socially acceptable activities.
However, since Consuls are so centered on the physical world and are quite emotional, they tend to be very affectionate and sensual, and overall great sexual partners. People with this personality type love to find ways to make their partners happy, and this sort of intimacy is a great way to do so. As the two partners become more comfortable with each other, Consuls are often open to experimenting and trying new things, so long as their partners are willing to reciprocate.
Consuls have specific needs for their relationships, and certain personality types are best able to meet those needs. In general, partners should share Consuls’ Observant (S) trait, but it can also be useful to develop a sense of introspection that Introverted (I) partners can provide, with maybe one more opposing trait to help Consuls focus on logical decisions when appropriate, or to be more open-minded in new situations.

She compliments him and adores him. She takes sex very lightly. She bosses him around a bit and hardens him. She makes him feel wanted and needed. She becomes his mistress and is granted the Teyrna of Gwaren, though she feels attached to her people and new house. He gives her a rose and she keeps it forever. She takes him seriously, listens well, and does not mock him, but laughs at his joke, but not letting him deflect. They are very cute and sweet together.

### Duran Aeducan

Duran mocks him, so they have a strained relationship. They have very different morals.

### Elissa Cousland

She pressures him to fulfill his duty as a leader. She hardens him and gives advice on being a noble, and he makes her Chancellor. She is forgiving, patient, and tolerant with him, like an older sister.

### Lyna Mahariel

She wants him to take things seriously. She distrusts humans but finds him harmless and disarming. She is curious about humans, and thinks he has had it easy and so is weak.

### Kallian Tabris

She gets uncomfortable when realizing he is royalty.

### Solona Amell

She finds him attractive as he reminds her of Cullen in looks and shy innocent inexperience. She wants to soften him and put love over duty.

### Alim Surana

Alim thinks he is foolish and has no patience for his games, and wants him to stop antagonizing Morrigan as she is always right. He mocks him with Morrigan as he doesn't take him seriously. Alim is not super friendly or open with him and doesn't really care about or pay attention to him. He defends Morrigan.

### Daylen Amell

They engage in friendly teasing, they have the same sense of sarcastic humour.

### Magnus Amell

Alistair is curious about him but also unnerved.

### Julia

They bond over Duncan and are like siblings. She has a sweet spot for him, and their relationship is like Maric and Duncan's. They both whine and complain. He admires her having life experiences but not thinking herself above him. They share stories about Duncan and joined the Wardens at similar times. Duncan told her about him and vice versa so they are curious about each other.

## Trivia

* Alistair is the only known templar who does not need to be actively taking lyrium in order to use their abilities.
	+ Dialogue in *Dragon Age: Origins* implies Alistair never took lyrium, as he denies being addicted to lyrium, citing how templars only begin taking it after taking their vows.
	+ David Gaider later stated in an interview that templars can use their abilities for a "long time" after stopping taking lyrium, citing Alistair as an example, which implied that Alistair had taken lyrium at some point prior to the events of *Dragon Age: Origins*.
	+ Gaider also cited this as partially due to requirements of gameplay, and acknowledged that it does not match fully with the story.
	+ Alistair still has use of his templar abilities during the events of *Dragon Age: Those Who Speak*, which takes place at least five years after he left the templar monastery.
	+ There is never any in-universe mention of Alistair taking lyrium, or suffering from the effects of lyrium withdrawal.
* In *Dragon Age: Inquisition*, if Alistair appears as a Grey Warden, during the quest Here Lies the Abyss he will mention seeing his father in the Fade. This canonizes the events of *Dragon Age: Until We Sleep* for all iterations of Alistair, whether King or not.

* Based on party banter between Wynne and Oghren, Alistair possesses a pike and often playfully swings it about, earning him the nickname "little pike-twirler" from Oghren. Alistair is never able to use a pike in combat. During his duel with the Arishok in *Dragon Age: Those Who Speak*, however, Alistair demonstrably knows how to fight using polearms.

In writing Alistair, David Gaider was inspired by Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly.