The Problematic Companions: Annoying or Challenging?
Spoiler warning for Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard! If you’re still playing through Sera and Taash’s arcs, come back later.
One of the most rewarding parts of experiencing a story, whether as a writer, viewer, or player, is meeting the characters who stand beside the hero. These supporting companions can be funny, frustrating, inspiring, or downright chaotic, and part of the fun is discovering who you click with and who you… absolutely do not. But what happens when a companion isn’t just unpopular, but sparks genuine division within a fandom?
The Dragon Age games have a reputation for delivering richly layered, unforgettable characters that players return to again and again, whether to make different choices or romance the same character for the fifth consecutive playthrough (looking at you, Alistair). Over the years, it’s been wonderful to watch both longtime fans and newcomers fall in love with this cast.
But every so often, a companion appears who doesn’t quite land with the fandom at large. Two immediately come to mind: Sera from Dragon Age: Inquisition and Taash from Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Both are bold personalities with unique perspectives and both tend to clash with players depending on certain choices. So what makes these particular characters lightning rods for criticism within a fandom that is overall incredibly supportive?
Before diving deeper, it’s important to acknowledge something up front:
Taash is a non-binary character, and part of the backlash they received was tied to that aspect of their identity. I want to approach that topic with the care and respect it deserves. My focus here is strictly on character writing, narrative function, and player experience—not on invalidating their gender identity. In fact, representation like Taash is welcome and necessary. My aim is simply to discuss why some players found their portrayal challenging within the story.
With that said, I think there are a few key reasons Sera and Taash often come across as “problematic companions.”
The Young Ones: The Impact of Age on Player Perception
A companion’s age can significantly shape how players interpret their personality. While players are free to roleplay their Inquisitor or Rook as any age, I do think the games generally frame Rook as being on the younger end (likely in their twenties).
Sera and Taash, however, are unmistakably the youngest members of their respective teams and they act it. Most companions across both games appear to fall somewhere in the late-twenties-to-fifties range, making Sera and Taash’s approximate 18–22 energy stand out even more.
When I first played Inquisition, Sera was not on my “bring everywhere” list. Honestly, she didn’t even make the second-tier list. Her giggling, casual slang, and chaotic humor often clashed with the tone of the Inquisitor I was roleplaying. And that’s okay. Your party doesn’t need to be your friend group. Companions can rub you the wrong way and still be valuable additions to the story.
With Taash, however, the age difference feels even more deliberate. There’s literally a scene where their mother tells us Taash will be joining the mission, which immediately gave me babysitter vibes. It didn’t help matters that Taash’s behavior sometimes leans into the sullen, impulsive, or overbearing teen role, which doesn’t exactly endear them to players wanting focus on saving the world from impending doom.
Backgrounds That Shape Behavior
Both Sera and Taash have unique backstories within the Dragon Age universe. Their stories are shaped by displacement, cultural tension, and a feeling of not fully belonging anywhere.
Sera, a city elf raised by a human noble, rejects most elven traditions and holds a deep mistrust of elven culture as a whole. She’s sharp, reactive, and guarded in ways that many players find compelling, but others find abrasive or confusing.
Taash, short for Evataash, comes from a very different kind of split identity. Born with the rare ability to breathe fire—a sign of an Adaari—Taash’s mere existence could have placed them on a rigid, predetermined path under the Qun. Fearing the consequences, their mother fled to Rivain, raising Taash between two clashing worlds: the highly structured Qunari traditions she still clung to, and the freer, adventure-spirited Rivaini culture. Taash grew up straddling this divide, shaped by both but fully belonging to neither. This sense of cultural dissonance absolutely informs who they are: blunt, volatile, emotionally intense, and deeply shaped by feeling out of place. For some players, that creates empathy. For others, friction.
What Motivates Them
Sera Fights for a Cause
This is where Sera first started to grow on me. On my second playthrough of Inquisition, I made a point to actually understand her rather than write her off as immature chaos with a bow. You meet Sera through a mysterious message delivered… well, Robin Hood style.
The letter:
People say you're special. I want to help, and I can bring everyone.
There's a baddie in Val Royeaux. I hear he wants to hurt you. Have a search for the red things in the market, the docks, and ’round the café, and maybe you'll meet him first. Bring swords.
Friends of Red Jenny
A poor drawing of the locations in the market is attached.
When you reach the final location, you’re ambushed, and Sera swoops in with a joke, announcing that the next wave will be easier because she stole their breeches. Yes. She stole their pants.
But breeches aside, you learn Sera is devoted to the Friends of Red Jenny, a secret group focused on helping the the overlooked, the powerless, the ones crushed by nobles or systems too large to fight alone. She’s not there for glory. She’s there because someone has to stick it to the people on top. This perspective makes her an invaluable addition to the Inquisition. She brings unique missions, strong convictions, and most importantly — a jar of bees. In a tight pinch? Bees. Facing a dragon? Also bees.
Of course, Sera’s tunnel vision can cause friction. Her loyalty to her cause sometimes clashes with the Inquisitor's broader goals, occasionally to the point of threatening her place in the party. But the more you talk with her, the more her motivations click into focus. Even her pranks and silliness have an intent: she wants people to breathe, laugh, and stay human when everything is falling apart.
Nothing could describe Sera better than this song…
In Contrast: Taash’s Cause Is… Taash
This is where I think Taash struggles by comparison. Sera is driven by a clear mission: protect the little people. With Taash, their motivations feel more contained to personal matters, without a strong connection to the larger narrative.
A fierce warrior, Taash’s central conflict is deeply internal with navigating their identity as non-binary, reconciling their Qunari heritage with the Rivaini culture that raised them, and dealing with their mother’s expectations. These are meaningful themes, and I appreciate seeing a character explore this journey. But when the world is on the verge of being consumed by blight, demons, or ancient elven gods, it can be frustrating when Taash remains laser-focused on personal struggles that feel disconnected from the larger stakes.
There could be an argument that Taash fights for the broader cause of acceptance, but even that feels thin. They are often critical of other companions’ choices, such as being unnecessarily rude to Emmrich for being a necromancer. It comes off less like advocating for acceptance and more like projecting unresolved frustration.
Their main antagonist, the Dragon King, had immense potential for examining Taash’s motivation. A Qunari warlord rebelling against the Qun should have been a perfect opportunity to explore Taash’s internal culture conflict. Instead, he’s portrayed as a faceless evil bent on blighting dragons and weaponizing Taash’s fire-breathing gift. The nuance is missing.
This leads me to a small rant.
Taash’s story is centered on claiming their identity, yet one of their recurring lines is:
“Dragon King, what a stupid name. Dragons don’t have kings. They have queens.”
It’s repeated multiple times, and maybe this shows my own ignorance, but it feels odd for a character navigating their own relationship with labels and roles to be so dismissive of someone else’s chosen title. Even if the Dragon King is a villain, and even if dragons are considered matriarchal, the writing choice didn’t quite land with me.
Another contradiction: when you first meet Taash, they insist, “You don’t get to tell me who I am!”
Yet the game forces the player into that exact role. No matter what, the player must choose whether Taash embraces their Qunari or Rivaini heritage. Yes, either or. Never a blend of both, even though that would make the most narrative sense. It felt very shortsighted for a character whose entire journey was about self-discovery.
The Romance Factor
Romance isn’t essential, but in Dragon Age, it matters. Bioware is known for its compelling relationships, and players often get attached, for good reason.
Sera was divisive as the only exclusively-lesbian option (aside from Josephine, who is bi). Some players didn’t want to romance someone they found immature or irritating. I did eventually do a Sera romance playthrough, and she has genuinely sweet moments, though being called “Inky” was not my personal favorite. Yet in most of my playthroughs, she felt more like a chaotic younger sister than a potential romantic partner.
With Taash, I was excited at first. After years of wanting more Qunari romance options (I’m still mourning my inability to romance Sten or the Arishok), Taash seemed promising. But the age dynamic made me uncomfortable, and as I mentioned before, my Rook felt like Taash’s babysitter or older sibling.
But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t try again. A few months later, I started another playthrough with the intent of roleplaying a younger Rook, specifically imagining a Mourn Watch recruit for extra narrative tension (I couldn’t resist), and I went in with the sole purpose of romancing Taash. Even then, the romance still didn’t quite work for me. Taash comes on strong, and while they do have tender moments, it wasn’t my favorite romance option.
Their Type: A Cute Aside
This one makes me laugh every time. Both Sera and Taash have a canon “type.” If you don’t romance them:
Sera ends up with Dagna, the Inquisition’s arcanist (see Trespasser DLC).
Taash ends up with Lace Harding, another Veilguard companion and former Inquisition scout.
Apparently dwarven women are irresistible. Honestly? Valid. But some players aren’t always a fan when companions can form romantic entanglements on their own. Especially when it’s someone like Harding with whom the player may also romance as Rook and flirt with as the Inquisitor.
Overall, both Sera and Taash bring something distinctive to their games through strengths, flaws, chaotic decisions, and everything in-between. Sera brings humor and a voice for those often overlooked. Taash brings a tenacious spirit and a chance for reflection on identity. Both characters shine when they have a chance to express their vulnerability. There have been playthroughs where I avoided them entirely, and others where they never left my party. The beauty of stories like this is that there is something for everyone to connect to. And sometimes there is merit in not loving someone wholeheartedly because it allows us to examine our own point of view from a new perspective.
All in-game images, footage, and characters are the property of their respective developers and publishers. Screenshots and clips from Baldur’s Gate 3 © Larian Studios and Dragon Age: The Veilguard © BioWare/Electronic Arts, used under fair use for commentary and critique.
