Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Endings And Finale Guide
Your journey in Dragon Age: The Veilguard will eventually come to a climactic conclusion. However, along the way, you'll have to make tough choices. Not everyone is guaranteed to make it out alive, so we've got a few tips to help you prepare. Here's our guide that discusses the finale and endings in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Since we're talking about the last portion of the game, there will be major spoilers ahead.
Finale and endings in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Our Dragon Age: The Veilguard endings guide is organized sequentially. Bear in mind that the game's "point of no return" is a quest called When Plans Align. Past that point, the only things you can do are tasks related to the finale.
During the finale sequence, it's possible for several companions and faction NPCs to die. As such, it's imperative that you consider a few important factors:
- Complete all companion personal quests so they reach Hero of the Veilguard status.
- Increase faction strength to max level or three stars (i.e. 3,000 points or higher).
- When choosing to help Minrathous or Treviso, you must pick Minrathous.
- When presented with a choice during the last few missions, pick the companions that are best suited for each task.
Aside from these, there are also a few optional tasks that lead to more ideal outcomes:
- The Regrets of the Dread Wolf quest is directly tied to Solas' fate.
- The Heart of Corruption quest nets you a pretty cool reward that can be used against the final boss.
- There are three Mysterious Circles that unlock a post-credits scene.
- You may even redeem Solas in spite of all his transgressions.
How can companions become Heroes of the Veilguard?
As mentioned above, all companions can get the Hero of the Veilguard status once you've completed their personal quests. This isn't necessarily tied to the companion romance system either.
A companion that's a Hero of the Veilguard becomes more effective in the task that you assign them during the finale. But this won't always guarantee their survival.
How to get maximum faction strength?
To get maximum faction strength (three stars or 3,000 points), you should complete all faction/region quests. If you're a few points short of the goal, you can sell some valuables to their quartermaster NPCs. Bear in mind that factions have preferred goods, too. These usually grant +15 faction strength instead of only +3.
Here are some examples:
- The Grey Wardens like Darkspawn junk and anything related to griffons.
- The Veil Jumpers like elven-related items and even those that depict nugs.
- Mourn Watch prefers odd, occult stuff, like Compendium of the Dead and Ocularum Pedestal.
Furthermore, there's a quest called On Blighted Wings/On Deadly Wings, where you're asked if you wish to help Minrathous or Treviso. You must save Minrathous when prompted. There are a couple of reasons for this:
- The respective factions of each city--Shadow Dragons for Minrathous and Antivan Crows for Treviso--lose their quartermaster vendor NPCs. Without a quartermaster, you won't be able to sell valuables to increase that faction's strength.
- Aiding Minrathous gives the Antivan Crows a -100 faction strength penalty only, whereas choosing Treviso leads to a -250 penalty for the Shadow Dragons.
- Since you can't sell your goods to the Shadow Dragons, the faction might not reach 3,000+ strength in time for the finale.
Who should lead the distraction team: Harding or Davrin?
When you're ready, proceed further and do the When Plans Align quest. This eventually leads to Isle of the Gods, the first part of the finale section. Right from the start, you need to make an important choice on which companion will lead the distraction team: Harding or Davrin?
Here's the kicker: Whoever you choose here is guaranteed to die during the Ghillan'nain boss fight. This is regardless of that character being a Hero of the Veilguard or being your main squeeze/romance.
Who should disable the wards: Neve or Bellara?
Upon reaching Elgar'nan's fortress, the team will stumble upon a barrier that needs to be destroyed. Both Neve or Bellara will volunteer for this task.
Here's the kicker: This person will get ensnared by Elgar'nan. They won't die (yet), and you'll be able to rescue them later on. However, they'll be prevented from being a party member for the rest of the finale.
Ghillan'nain boss fight
The Ghillan'nain boss fight is fairly easy, since the elven goddess mostly floats in the center while throwing fireballs at your character. You do start this battle on your own, and you need to destroy the blight pods to free your teammates. All the while, you'll be chased by dozens of Darkspawn, though you shouldn't have a problem avoiding them.
Once your fourth teammate (Lucanis) has been freed, a cutscene will trigger. The companion that led the second team (Harding or Davrin) will get killed by Ghillan'nain, but this gives Lucanis an opening to strike her down.
Companion love scene
The Dragon Age: The Veilguard finale also happens to have the all-important love scene for the companion that you romanced throughout the campaign. This occurs after defeating Ghillan'nain and returning to the Lighthouse. Once you enter your room, your lovey-dovey will join you for some end-of-the-world sexy time.
Note: If you romanced Neve, Bellara, Harding, or Davrin, don't select them for the previously mentioned tasks that would've gotten them killed or kidnapped.
The Last Gambit: Companion and faction NPC survival or death
This chapter is highly pivotal when it comes to the Dragon Age: The Veilguard ending. That's because your faction allies join your raid on Elgar'nan's lair. You also need to choose specific companions that will aid them. Here are some additional tidbits:
- The survival of faction NPCs may be improved if their faction's strength is at maximum rank.
- You're given hints as to which companions are best suited for a task.
- If faction strength is low, companions are not Heroes of the Veilguard, and/or you pick the wrong people for the task, you could see numerous casualties during this stage.
Choose one companion who will support the Veil Jumpers
- Companions who have experience dealing with magical wards: Neve or Bellara.
- Companions who have experience protecting others in battle: Davrin or Taash.
- Our recommendation: Taash or Neve
Choose one companion who will support the Antivan Crows and Lords of Fortune
- Companions who have experience fighting mages: Neve or Emmrich.
- Companions who have experience attacking by surprise: Lucanis.
- Our recommendation: Lucanis
Choose one companion who will support the Grey Wardens and Mourn Watch
- Companions who have experience fighting massive enemies or constructs: Harding or Taash.
- Our recommendation: Either one works.
One Last Breath: Final preparations and a few surprises
Eventually, you'll reach a manor that your companions and allied forces have turned into a makeshift base of operations. There are several notable events here:
- You can honor the fallen, which shows the characters that perished in the initial assault.
- Isabela sells wares from other faction vendors, including the ones that you missed out on due to the events of On Blighted Wings/On Deadly Wings. The Caretaker is also here so you can upgrade and enchant your gear one last time.
- Your teammates give you options on what to do with Solas: Fight him for the Lyrium Dagger or use a fake one that they created.
- If the Inquisitor still has feelings for Solas, she'll chime in about finding another way.
- If you obtained Mythal's Essence from the Regrets of the Dread Wolf quest, Rook will talk about it.
- Also, if you did all the tasks in the Crossroads, including Heart of Corruption, Morrigan will give you Felassan's Rune. It has the following quirks:
- Passive: +75% detonation damage.
- Active: Gain quickened, enhanced damage, resistant, deflect, flaming weapons, immovable, and invulnerable.
- This rune can only be used during the Elgar'nan boss fight.
- If your romanced companion managed to survive, you can chat with them. Rook and their partner will profess their love for each other.
Elgar'nan boss fight
You're closer than ever to the Dragon Age: The Veilguard ending. Now, you have to defeat Elgar'nan in battle. This boss fight has three phases:
- Phase 1: Elgar'nan summons phantoms that shoot electric beams, and he also casts electric-type spells.
- Phase 2: This is more of a transition phase. The screen will darken and companions won't be able to assist you. All the while, Elgar'nan's phantoms will attack you.
- Phase 3: Elgar'nan uses the fire element this time. Although he'll also cast spells, he'll focus primarily on melee combos.
Choosing the Dragon Age: The Veilguard ending when talking to Solas
Once you've defeated Elgar'nan, it's time to choose your ending in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Here are the options:
- Fight Solas - This can lead to two distinct outcomes depending on the companions that have the Hero of the Veilguard status:
- If your squadmates are Heroes of the Veilguard, they'll deflect Solas' spells. Rook will punch Solas in the face and cut him with the Lyrium Dagger, before binding him to the Veil.
- If your squadmates are not Heroes of the Veilguard, Solas will petrify them when they attempt to attack him. Rook then makes a last-ditch attempt, which causes them and Solas to get pulled into the Veil to be trapped forever.
- Trick Solas - As far as we can tell, this doesn't cause companions to engage Solas (i.e. perhaps no potential deaths). Instead, Rook just gives Solas a fake dagger, which causes him to get stunned momentarily. This allows Rook to bind Solas to the Veil.
There's also a third secret option, which involves the completion of the Regrets of the Dread Wolf quest and a few other tasks. You can learn more about these in our how to save/redeem Solas guide. This leads to the true/best ending in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, since Solas will bind himself to the Veil willingly.
Ending slides and outcomes
After the cutscene, several ending slides will be shown. These pertain to the fates of companions and factions, with some differences depending on choices you made during the campaign. Here are some examples:
- Did you pick Maevaris or Dorian to become the archon of Minrathous?
- Did you send the griffons to the Veil Jumpers or back to the Grey Wardens?
- Was Emmrich able to revive Mannfred or did her ascend to full lichdom?
- Of course, characters that died will have a bleaker or somber narration.
Is there a post-credits scene?
Yes, there's another cutscene right after the credits and ending in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You can only unlock it if you've obtained all three Mysterious Circles during your adventures. A sinister voice talks about events that have transpired in Veilguard and in previous games, warning that they will be coming. Perhaps this concerns a shadowy group known as the Executors.
That does it for our Dragon Age: The Veilguard finale and endings guide. We hope you're able to keep your companions and allies alive. Lastly, don't forget to check the requirements if you want to redeem/save Solas.
The lands of Thedas are under threat from formidable foes, including some menacing elven gods, and it's up to Rook and their allies to save the day. For more tips and tactics, you can visit our Dragon Age: The Veilguard guides hub.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Guides Hub
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Companion Hero Of The Veilguard Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Taash Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Emmrich Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Davrin Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Harding Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Bellara Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Neve Romance Guide
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Transmog And Cosmetics Guide
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