Zevran
| Zevran Arainai | |
|---|---|
| Dragon Age character | |
First appearance | Dragon Age: Origins (2009) |
| Created by | David Gaider |
| Voiced by | Jon Curry |
Zevran Arainai, usually known simply as Zevran, is a character in BioWare's Dragon Age series. He first appears in the 2009 video game Dragon Age: Origins as a companion character and an elf assassin trained by the Antivan Crows, a guild of assassins operating from the nation of Antiva in Northern Thedas, the setting of Dragon Age. After failing an attempt to assassinate the player-controlled protagonist, Zevran can join their party. He is one of the game's romance options and can pursue a relationship with protagonists regardless of gender. His characterisation and romance storyline have been discussed in academic and critical writing concerning queer representation, sexuality and player agency in role-playing games.
Zevran is characterised as a charismatic and pragmatic assassin whose confidence and humour contrast with his experiences as a contract killer. Official supplementary material presents Zevran as a product of the Antivan Crow tradition, describing his training in assassination and the skills of deception and survival that shaped his later life. His background as an elf, assassin and outsider has contributed to discussions of identity and marginality within Dragon Age. Later retrospective criticism has continued to discuss Zevran as part of the broader significance and limitations of Dragon Age: Origins' approach to queer romance.
Concept and creation
[edit]Zevran was created by BioWare writer David Gaider for Dragon Age: Origins.[1] Gaider has discussed Zevran's creation in the context of BioWare's approach to romance and sexuality in role-playing games. He stated that Zevran was initially conceived as a gay character during development before being changed into a bisexual romance option. Gaider explained that this change allowed the character's romance storyline to be available to players regardless of the gender of their protagonist.[2] Gaider has also discussed Zevran's flirtatious personality as being connected to his background and experiences rather than existing only as a gameplay feature.[2]
Additional background material in The World of Thedas Volume 2 describes Zevran's early life in Antiva and his recruitment and training by the Antivan Crows. The book expands on his history with Crow assassins including Taliesen and Rinna, and provides further context for the assassination attempt against the Hero of Ferelden.[3] The World of Thedas Volume 2 also discusses Zevran's later activities and his relationship with other characters, including his connection with Isabela during his time in Antiva.[3]
Appearances
[edit]Dragon Age: Origins
[edit]Zevran is introduced as a member of the Antivan Crows, an organisation of professional assassins based in Antiva. He is contracted to kill the Grey Warden during the events surrounding the Fifth Blight, but survives the encounter and can subsequently become a companion.[1] Through companion conversations, Zevran reveals details about his upbringing, training and experiences as an assassin. His personal storyline explores his relationship with the Antivan Crows and his changing loyalty towards the Grey Warden.[1]
Zevran is one of four romance options available in Dragon Age: Origins. His romance route is available to protagonists of either sex, with his bisexuality represented through his dialogue and character history.[1][4]
Dragon Age II
[edit]Zevran appears in Dragon Age II as a returning character. His appearance references his continued activities after the Fifth Blight and his association with the Antivan Crows.[5]
Reception and analysis
[edit]Zevran has been the subject of academic and critical discussion primarily concerning sexuality, romance systems and representation in role-playing games. These discussions have examined both the importance of including bisexual romance options in a major role-playing game and the tensions created by some aspects of the game's representation through its interactive systems.[6]
A significant part of the discussion surrounding Zevran concerns the way Dragon Age: Origins represents sexuality through gameplay systems. Holmes examines Zevran as part of BioWare's changing approach to queer representation, arguing that the character represents a move towards incorporating bisexual relationships directly into companion narratives rather than treating them as separate from the main experience of the game.[4] Greer uses Dragon Age: Origins as an example in his discussion of queer affordances in video games, examining how romance systems allow players to encounter sexuality through gameplay interaction and choice. Zevran's romance is discussed as an example of how queer possibilities can be incorporated into game mechanics rather than existing only as background character information.[7] Süngü similarly discusses Zevran as an example of interactive representation of bisexuality, arguing that the character's sexuality is experienced through dialogue and relationship choices rather than simply stated as part of his background.[8]
Academic discussion has also considered the limitations of Zevran's portrayal. Reynolds examines the character's flirtatious personality and sexual openness in relation to fantasy conventions surrounding sexuality, arguing that the romance combines positive representation with elements that reflect broader stereotypes. She also notes that the completed romance storyline develops beyond its initial presentation by focusing on trust and emotional commitment.[9]Schallegger offers a more critical interpretation, arguing that aspects of Zevran's portrayal reproduce stereotypes associated with representations of gay male characters in video games.[10]
Zevran's role as a rogue character has also been examined in relation to fantasy archetypes. David Matencio Durán connects Zevran's identity as an assassin and social outsider with the literary tradition of the rogue, arguing that video games adapt the picaresque rogue archetype through characters associated with criminality, non-conformity and marginal identities.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 BioWare. Dragon Age: Origins. Electronic Arts.
- 1 2 Bankhurst, Adam (17 November 2023). "Dragon Age creator wasn't a fan of writing romance at first: "God, I hated it so much"". GamesRadar+.
- 1 2 The World of Thedas Volume 2. Dark Horse Books. 2013. pp. 96–97.
- 1 2 Holmes, Steven (2016). "Playing past the 'straight male gamer': from modding Edwin(a) to bisexual Zevran in BioWare games". In Roberts, Jude; MacCallum-Stewart, Esther (eds.). Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Popular Fantasy: Beyond Boy Wizards and Kick-Ass Chicks. Routledge. pp. 117–132. doi:10.4324/9781315583938-9.
- ↑ BioWare. Dragon Age II. Electronic Arts.
- ↑ Orland, Kyle (31 October 2024). "The messy queer representation of Dragon Age: Origins was commendable for 2009, and I even miss some of its thorns". PC Gamer.
- ↑ Greer, Stephen (2013). "Playing queer: Affordances for sexuality in Fable and Dragon Age". Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds. 5 (1): 3–21. doi:10.1386/jgvw.5.1.3_1.
- ↑ Süngü, Ertuğrul (2020). "Gender Representation and Diversity in Contemporary Video Games". Game User Experience and Player-Centered Design. Springer. pp. 379–393. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-37643-7.
- ↑ Reynolds, Kate (2013). "Conventions of Fantasy: Sex and Relationships in Dragon Age: Origins". In Wiatrowski, Myc; Barker, Cory (eds.). Popular Culture in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 58–72.
- ↑ Schallegger, René Reinhold (2016). "Game Changers: Representations of Queerness in Canadian Videogame Design". Zeitschrift für Kanada-Studien: 43–63.
- ↑ Matencio Durán, David (2024). "The Rogue as a Queer Agent in Video Games: The Picaresque Novel Legacy". Unbound Queer Time in Literature, Cinema, and Video Games. Routledge. pp. 176–189.
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