Dragon Age fans have had a lot to be excited about this week with the announcement that the next addition to the BioWare series would be entitled Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but little did we know that the best news was yet to come. In a surprise announcement at the end of Netflix's Geeked Week, the streamer and BioWare unveiled the first trailer for the animated series Dragon Age: Absolution. After years of waiting and hoping that a studio would seize upon the storytelling potential of the world of Thedas, Netflix answered the call.
Debuting this December, Dragon Age: Absolution will introduce fans to a new party of characters to fall in love with inspired by the lore of Dragon Age and set in the world of Tevinter. Audiences can expect to meet new elves, mages, knights, Qunari, Red Templars, demons, and maybe even encounter a few surprises along the way.
Based on the trailer, it feels like we are about to enter a new era of Dragon Age that bridges the gap between gameplay and the supplemental novels that have been released over the years. While we don't know when Absolution is set, the gorgeous animation matches the aesthetic that gamers have come to know and love from the games, while delivering something fresh and new that will undoubtedly introduce the world of Thedas to a whole new audience.
There were rumors in early 2021 that suggested the now-titled Dragon Age: Dreadwolf would be set in Tevinter, so it is intriguing to see that this newly announced animated series is also set in the nation. In the games, the Tevinter Imperium is one of the oldest nations in Thedas, though it is nowhere near the levels of unrivaled power that it held during the ancient days of the land. Despite this, modern Tevinter remains notoriously decadent under the rule of a magocracy, which not only allows for the slavery of elves, but officially sanctions and encourages it among their people. This is something that is explored to some extent by prominent characters throughout the Dragon Age games, in addition to other unsavory aspects of Tevinter culture. It will be interesting to see if Dragon Age: Absolution explores this aspect of Tevinter's history, considering there were a number of uprisings and attempts to force political hands to abolish slavery.
This technically isn't the first time that Dragon Age has been adapted into a series. Back in 2011, Felicia Day and Adam Rayner starred in the six-part webseries Dragon Age: Redemption, which told the story of Tallis, an elven Qunari assassin, who crosses paths with the templar Cairn. The series was unique because it was a tie-in with the Dragon Age II DLC "Mark Of The Assassin" which was released that same year.
The voice cast has not yet been announced for Dragon Age: Absolution, nor has an exact date been set for its premiere. Check out the new poster and watch the trailer for Dragon Age: Absolution below:
