[DRAGON AGE]: What was The Iron Bull’s life like before the Inquisition?

[PATRICK WEEKES]: The Iron Bull was a Ben-Hassrath internal agent on an island controlled by his people, the Qunari, but threatened by rebels and agitators. Imagine the Dragon Age equivalent of a federal anti-terrorism unit, and you’ve got the basic idea. When things got hot, he was the one the Qunari sent to handle the situation.

[DA]: Sounds like demanding work. Although, judging by his character design, he seems up for the task.

[PW]: True, but nobody can handle a job like that forever. When The Iron Bull burned out, his superiors moved him to what most people outside the Qunari think of when they imagine the Ben-Hassrath: spy work in other countries. He was told to set up a mercenary company, take jobs from nobles, and pass information back to the Qunari.

[DA]: How does he end up with the Inquisition?

[PW]: The official reason The Iron Bull joins the Inquisition is that his Qunari superiors want to know what the Inquisition is doing. Qunari have a pretty dim view of uncontrolled magic, and a giant hole in the sky is about as uncontrolled as you can get.

[DA]: And unofficially?

[PW]: Unofficially, The Iron Bull sees demons attacking innocent people, and he wants to help. He knows the Inquisition’s agents would uncover his ties to the Ben-Hassrath, so he’s opted to save time and be completely up-front about his work. If the player can handle The Iron Bull sending reports, the Qunari agent can get the Inquisition valuable information in return from his spy network. 

[DA]: How would you describe The Iron Bull’s character?

[PW]: The Iron Bull is casual, friendly, and confident. There are very few things in the world that he can’t kill if he needs to, which puts him at ease most of the time. He’s got no need to compete with anyone or prove himself, and he doesn’t need his ego stroked. What he does need are people he can trust to watch his back and friends he can laugh with. After surviving years of ugly, nasty fighting, The Iron Bull has learned not to take anything too seriously. Unless it involves demons.

[DA]: Why demons?

[PW]: The Iron Bull has a thing about demons.

[DA]: What sets The Iron Bull apart from the other followers in Inquisition?

[PW]: The Iron Bull really loves life outside the demands of the Qun, now that he’s gotten used to it, and he does everything big. He overeats, drinks himself sick, and will hop into bed with anyone he’s reasonably sure he won’t break. He’s been close to death enough times to appreciate life whenever he has the chance.

[DA]: How does he get along with his fellow companions?

[PW]: The Iron Bull is a relaxed, friendly guy who gets along with just about everyone. He loves talking shop with Cassandra after battles, for example, although he’s a lot more enthusiastic about chopping people in half than Cassandra is. He also gets along surprisingly well with Vivienne, who keeps him in line when he gets too boisterous.

[DA]: You said “just about everyone.” Are there people that he doesn’t get along with?

[PW]: The only folks The Iron Bull has trouble with are those who go looking for fights about the Qunari. He isn’t trying to convert anybody, but he’s not going to apologize for his way of life, and people like Varric, who saw the Qunari at their worst in Kirkwall, might take that the wrong way.