Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals Early Plans for Solas

Summary

• Early concept sketches reveal a different, more vengeful side of Solas, hinting at a darker persona.
• Nick Thornborrow's visual novel-style game was instrumental in conveying story ideas for The Veilguard's development.
• The transition from concept art to the final game suggests a shift in Solas's portrayal and hidden agenda.

A former BioWare artist, Nick Thornborrow, has shared early concept sketches for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, providing additional insights into the evolution of Solas, a character who has been both a friend and an enemy to the series' protagonists. Solas, who plays a pivotal role in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is depicted differently in these sketches compared to what players might be familiar with.

Solas first appeared as a playable companion in Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, offering magical support as the sole Rift Mage companion. Despite his helpful nature throughout the game, the ending and the Trespasser DLC unveiled his true intentions as the mastermind behind the rift and his plan to dismantle the Veil, which sets the stage for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Although Thornborrow left BioWare in April 2022, before The Veilguard's release, his contributions to the game's development are evident on his official website. He created a visual novel-style game with branching choices to help convey story ideas to the development team. Recently, he shared over 100 sketches from this visual novel, which include various characters and scenes that made it into the final game. However, some scenes involving Solas have undergone significant changes from the concept art to the final product. In The Veilguard, Solas primarily serves as an advisor, appearing to Rook through dreams, but the early artistic concepts portrayed his hidden agenda in a more overt and sinister manner.

Artist Shares Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Solas Sketches

The early sketches, primarily in black and white with strategic splashes of color highlighting key elements like The Veilguard's lyrium dagger, depict Solas shedding his sympathetic advisor persona to reveal a more vengeful god-like figure. While some scenes, such as his attempt to tear apart the Veil at the game's start, remain consistent with the final product, others present Solas as an imposing, shadowy figure. It's unclear whether these scenes occur in Rook's dreams or if Fen'Harel is unleashing his powers in the real world, given the changes made during the game's development.

With nearly a decade between Dragon Age entries and significant production changes, including the game's name change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to The Veilguard just months before its release, it's evident that the story underwent substantial revisions. Thornborrow's shared sketches offer fans a glimpse into the game's development process, helping to bridge the gap between the initial concepts and the final product.