Dragon Age: Origins/Tear Jerker

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • DA:O might have several, depending on your route, but one that remains constant is the Revenants of the Black Vials quest. Each of them was bound, with a little note accompaning them describing the demon's crimes. The hard part of those is who had to bind them:

First: Cale Viazagat, revenant and perversion of an only son.
Second: Nethamas Bigal, revenant and perversion of a fine daughter.
Third: Argruth Massaad, revenant and perversion of a treasured mother.
Fourth: Quametha Kagat, revenant and perversion of an honored father.
Fifth: Shamas Goodson, revenant and perversion of a rare friendship.
Sixth: Anton Wither, revenant and perversion of a friend not met.

    • Their own friends and families had to stand up their (in each case it seems, mass-murdering) demon-possessed corpse, defeat it and bind it. The fifth is marked with only five thumbprints instead of six, implying that the revenant was himself one of the former hunters. The last one was even signed in blood by a child.
  • The darkspawn attack at camp + Dalish Elf (especially a female one) = Augh. Just augh. It hits so suddenly (for those who can stay away from spoilers, anyhow) and hard - and it doesn't help that ghouls in appearance and details are Nightmare Fuel, and that's the Warden's old Heterosexual Life Partner going through it - that this troper excused herself for ten minutes afterwards. So much for the Gauntlet spirit, and too bad the party don't seem all that interested in reversing roles whenever the Warden's past comes up.
    • When that happened to me it was right after the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest where you are outright told that Tamlen is dead. I kept my cool but damn if I wasn't channeling grief into my character as my female Dalish Elf just stood there for like five minutes over Tamlen's corpse then destroyed the pendant she received from lying fake Tamlen and thus banished any respect or questioning doubts she had concerning Andrasteism.
      • It's been mentioned that the "spirits" in the gauntlet aren't those of your loved and are more reflections of what the Warden feels inside. And besides, it's the Warden (aka you) who assumed Tamlen was dead (or at least as good as dead) after Duncan said he was beyond help. Hence the gauntlet gives you the best advice it give from what it can gather from your subconsciousness. I agree that it would have been nice to have the shriek attack happened way before the gauntlet but it isn't exactly fair to take it out on the spirits of the Gauntlet for trying to help you out. Regardless though, the scene is still a tearjerker even if it could have been avoided
      • It's complemented rather nicely by completing Ruck's mother's quest in Orzammar, either before or after. Just try thinking about the whole situation in character, especially if you killed Ruck, and her reaction will make you want to either apologize, comfort her, and tell her it was your only option, or slap her senseless.
  • A small one in the City Elf origin, but Shianni's tearful plea to save her after she's been raped by Vaughan is like a knife in the gut. "Please … I want to get out of here. Please take me home."
    • God! This troper has friends who are rape survivors, and as soon as that cutscene ended I had to pause the game and take a few minutes just to calm down, as the scene really hits you with the feeling that you've utterly failed to protect someone you love. My anger just made it all the more satisfying when my rogue took Vaughan's head off.
  • The death of Niall in the Fade. What choked this troper was his regret at not being able to save the Circle and his hope that his mother could be proud of him. You can either tell him he was a hero or ruthlessly mock him ... but it would take a pretty heartless bastard to choose the latter.
  • If you convince Zathrien to end the curse in the Nature Of The Beast quest, the subsequent cutscene is heartbreaking. It shows Zathrien surrounded by the werewolves he cursed, facing the Lady of the Forest, and the two sharing a long, emotional look. He slowly raises his staff, strikes it on the floor, and gets this peaceful, contented look on his face as he lets go of all his old hatred and rage, before collapsing in death. The werewolves then crowd around their beloved Lady, reaching out to touch her one last time before the curse is lifted and she vanishes, and you can tell that they truly did love her and are deeply saddened to see her leave them, even if it means they are free. Beautifully heartbreaking, and it's all conveyed by gesture and facial expressions.
  • Hespith's final speech before vanishing into the darkness: maybe it's because her Creepy Monotone starts to crack very slightly here, maybe it's because it's not established what she does afterwards (she has a choice between suicide and A Fate Worse Than Death), but it really is depressing:

But the true abomination... is not that it occurred, but that it was allowed. Branka... my love... The Stone has punished me, dream friend. I am dying of something worse than death... Betrayal.

    • Listen closely and you can hear the sound of something falling to the ground after she leaves the frame.
  • This troper nearly broke down while talking to Alistair about his time with the Grey Wardens. Alistair tells you that he really misses Duncan and wishes that he could have something to remember him by. He sounds like he's on the verge of tears as he says it.
    • What happens if you are romancing Alistair and don't take Morrigan's third option. "You say that like I'm giving you a choice." That is the first and only time this troper has EVER cried during a game.
      • What makes that quote especially touching is that it ends a game that is built around the player making pretty much all the important choices and saves the player character's life by having Alistair simply refuse her biggest choice in the story and sacrificing himself instead.
      • Try taking the Heroic Sacrifice after romancing Zevran, for that matter. If his epilogue doesn't do it for you, factor in his background as well... You Bastard.
        • Any of the Heroic Sacrifice player's heroic sacrifices can be this. Seeing a character you've built the entire game sacrifice him/herself is pretty sad. Here's hoping my Shepard won't have to make the same choice. This troper wouldn't be able to take seeing her have to make it.
  • Going for the Urn of Scared Ashes as a dwarf Noble. If you've made it clear that you regret killing Trian, then his ghost appears midway through. He then forgives you and tells you that the past is the past, and you should move on. I seriously had to stop playing for a few minutes.
    • It's not just the dwarven noble who can get a particularly poignant moment in the Gauntlet. Any of the Wardens can tell the Guardian that they regret the fate of someone in their past and share a similar moment with them. The touching aspect of it can give way to Fridge Depression, however, when you realize it's not really that person's spirit, otherwise Shianni and still not re-encountered Jowan or Tamlen wouldn't be able to appear, and the spirit admits as much itself. You may be gaining absolution from whatever forces are in charge of the Gauntlet, but it encourages you to move on when the one who'd most need to hear your apology and have the most right to forgive you didn't do either.
  • If you take Sten through the Gauntlet, the Guardian will ask Sten if he feels he has failed his people by killing the family who saved him:

Sten: "I have never denied that I failed."

  • Oghren's response to The Guardian is even more tear inducing. Keep in mind that at this point Oghren has gone through the loss of his house, his caste, and even possibly killing his own wife. Despite all that he doesn't voice to the party anything beyond mild discontent. When The Guardian questions him however, Oghren solidifies his Woobie status.

The Guardian: "Ah, the dwarf. You left your home and came to the surface, knowing that-"
Oghren: "Why don't I save you some time. Yes, I wish I could have saved my family from Branka. I wish I could have been a better mate: maybe she would have stayed home with a belly full of baby Oghren and never gone for the Anvil. Maybe I failed her. And yes, I came to the surface because I'm barely a dwarf anymore. My family is dead, my honor as a warrior long gone. I've lost my caste and my house, and I have nothing else to lose!"

  • Loghain talking with Dog about his own Mabari who was killed during the Orlesian occupation.

Loghain: "It was six months before we saw her again. The Orlesian returned her--and when I say "returned," I mean "pushed her out of his wagon." She was skin and bone, and still carried the scars from where their pronged collars bit into her neck. She never quite recovered. She passed away after a week. It was as though she held on long enough to come home to us. I held her head in my lap, and I believe she died happy."

  • The death of Connor if you choose to end the Arl of Redcliffe quest by killing him. You learn that Connor struck a deal with the demon to save his father, not knowing what would happen. It especially gets heart-wrenching if you've managed to defeat him but allow Isolde to convince you not to deliver the death blow. Connor will re-awaken and the demon will threaten to kill Arl Eamon; it is that point that Isolde will realize that he cannot be saved. In the end, she will tearfully ask you to leave the room while she kills Connor, still cradling her young boy in her arms.
    • To make matters worse, the ending afterward indicates that Isolde died in childbirth bearing a daughter, who also turned out to be a mage and got shipped off to the tower; you can't save Isolde or help Eamon carry on his family name if you take that option..
  • This troper nearly fell apart upon hearing Loghain's 'Daughters never grow up' speech just before you or Alistair execute him at the Landsmeet. No matter how much you hate him during the rest of the game, it's this moment that really shows his humanity and that, despite the huge evidence to the contrary, he genuinely cares for Anora.
  • For some reason, this troper felt a bit sad during the first portion of the Gauntlet after answering the riddle posed by the spirit of Maferath, Andraste's mortal husband. It's the regret in his voice, particularly in the last sentence.

Yes, jealousy drove me to betrayal. I was the greatest general of the Alammari ... but beside her, I was nothing. Thousands fell before her on bended knee. They loved her, as did the Maker. I loved her too, but what man can compare to a god?

  • Playing as a Dwarf Noble, Endrin's letter to you certainly got to me...

Perhaps you will burn this letter unread. For that, I would not blame you. But I would not return to the Stone without saying this to you: I have seen what Bhelen is. And when I saw it, I knew I had been a fool. For only a fool would cut out his own heart and burn it for the sake of appearences. I never believed in your guilt. I allowed you to be exiled because I feared an inquiry into Trian's murder would taint our house with scandal in the eyes of the deshyrs and cost our family the throne. But I have saved nothing by this sacrifice: I sent my only child into an uncertain exile. Know that whatever you do now, you bear all the honor and pride of House Aeducan.

  • If Morrigan is in love with you at the end, her face will contort with pain when she's telling you she's leaving you forever. When pressed about love, she becomes even more pained. "Caring for you as I have come to... that was not part of the plan." It makes her final words before having sex that much more sad and glorious: "Come, my love. Put the thoughts of the ritual aside and make this last night one to remember."
  • Zevran's last mission before going after the Grey Wardens, along with his reasons for making the bid for the task of slaying the Wardens.
  • If you're a Mage and stay loyal to your old friend Jowan, it makes his being led away to his final fate at the Circle Tower all the worse.

Jowan: goodbye...Friend.

  • Alistair leaving you if you decide to give Loghain another chance. Your friendship has been dealt a severe blow, and neither of you are sure it will recover. I did my best to give everyone a happy ending and it rang hallow because he wasn't with me to meet it.
    • What really sucks about the way I played the game is that my uncertainty about where Alistair would wind up led to my pursuit of Leliana instead. It speaks to my affection for him that the exceptionally lovely Leliana was "reduced" to a second option love interest. What really, really sucks about his departure is that he doesn't seem to realize that you're doing it for his sake; to him, it's just another betrayal... If you want a trope for this situation, it could well be Being Good Sucks.
  • If the Warden is a non-human-noble romancing Alistair and makes him king without convincing him not to break up with her, pretty much every conversation after the Landsmeet (and some leading up to it) are massive Tear Jerkers. Alistair questions what good being king is if he can't have the one thing he truly loves, admits that he had wondered if the Warden still loved him despite the breakup, and - if asked whether he's okay - replies that no, not really, but he can't think about it because it's "too painful... and too tempting." If the Warden doesn't Take a Third Option, Alistair will try to sacrifice himself and, when asked if he doesn't have a duty to his future wife, he replies "I was an idiot, of course. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
  • In The Calling, Alistair will never know that Fiona was his mother, and not the mother of that crazy bitch "sister" of his in Denerim.
    • This troper is holding out hope that Bioware is saving that revelation for Dragon Age 3.
  • Playing as a mage who didn't betray Jowan, when his spirit said this in the Gauntlet, I broke down crying:

"You have wondered, many times, if what happened to me was your doing...But it is too easy to obsess over "what if" and "what could have been." These thoughts will eat away at you, if you let them. Forgive yourself, just as I have forgiven you."

  • The most heartbreaking ending for me is as a Male Human Noble romancing Zevran and choosing the Ultimate Sacrifice, and not bringing Zevran with you to fight the archdemon (Telling him you love him - "Cruel to the end"). The ending is pure heartbreak, especially when recalling Liliana's singing of the song taught to her. Zevran's reaction during the funeral and his "Where Are They Now" epilogue make it worse.
  • The Revelation comic. It takes place immediately after Riordan tells the protagonists that a Heroic Sacrifice will be necessary to kill the archdemon. To give the comic some context, it is set in a playthrough where a female warden is in love with Alistair and close friends with Morrigan. Not only do we get to see Alistair's reaction to the knowledge that either he, or the woman he loves, is probably going to die in battle, but we also see the conflict Morrigan feels at the prospect of sleeping with the man her only true friend loves in order to save her life. Seeing the usually collected Morrigan break down in tears at the prospect hit this troper like a punch to the gut, considering I was playing the exact same playthrough at the time. Not to mention the scene was written by Dragon Age's head writer, David Gaider, and is actually a scene cut out of the final game, which pretty much makes it canon. You can read the comic here.
    • And watch it here. Tearjerker indeed.
  • The final scene of the Human Noble Origin. That last shot of your mother cradling your dying father, knowing that Howe's men are fast approaching, was absolutely heartbreaking. It made this troper regret that there was no opportunity to return to Highever. Killing Howe came close, but returning to Highever and seeing where it all began would have really made that origin complete.
    • This troper lost it at Bryce and Eleanor Cousland's last words to their son/daughter:

Bryce: "Then, go, Pup... warn your brother... and know that we love you both. You'll do us proud.
Eleanor: "Goodbye, darling..."

  • Convincing Branka to destroy the Anvil of the Void, despite her being a Complete Monster. Here is a woman who has sold her entire house to the darkspawn and sacrificed any remaining sanity in a mad quest to obtain it, yet when prompted will finally realize how much of a mistake she's made and how far she's fallen from the Paragon. The look of utter freedom on her face after she destroys the Anvil is the crowner.
  • Wynne's reaction to the Human Noble when they reveal how they became a Grey Warden. She's so shocked she even stutters a little when she realises "You... you are the Last of the Couslands?" Its an insanely powerful moment as until that point Wynne has potentially been travelling you for a while and shown that she understands more than any of the others, save Alistair, what was lost as Ostagar. However that conversation shows that until then, she's only seen the Human Noble as just "The Warden". Its a tearjerker moment when she finally realises who you are and despite everything you've lost, you are still standing and continuing to fight.
    • That entire conversation was one massive Tearjerker /CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming for Wynne when you consider this is probably the first time the Warden has talked seriously to ANYONE about losing their family. When my female noble told Wynne that she had always taken her family for granted, I could very easily imagine my Warden's voice breaking when she said it. (Ok, not really, the Warden is a Heroic Mime, but you get what I mean.) The warmth and sympathy that Wynne offers is a nice change from your teammates' usual lack of concern about your background or feelings, and it gave me new respect for her character.
    • Particularly when the Warden admits to wanting to give it all up if they could just see their family again. I too imagined the Warden's voice (so to speak) saying that very quietly and sadly, which really makes Wynne's responses and reassurances so much more heartwarming. Until now the only person who's known about your family have been Duncan, who you never much got to speak with him, and Alistair, who's too preoccupied with mourning Duncan to remember your tragedy half the time. Wynne is the first person to see that the Warden sometimes needs to "talk" themselves, instead of being everyone's Warrior Therapist. What makes me adore Wynne as a character is that she actually asks the Warden questions about themselves.
  • You only have limited interaction with him, but Nelaros, the husband-to-be of the Female City Elf gives a great tearjerker. He valiantly organises a rescue to save the women and his bride taken, gets into the castle and tells Soris to get her out of the cell while he keeps watch in the corridor. You yourself proceed to fight through the castle, until you eventually find him, where he is immediately cut down by guards as you enter the room. Whats even sadder, is that when you examine his body, one of the few things you find is a wedding ring.
    • For being an extremely minor character, Nelaros gets a surprising amount of characterization. He's one of the few people to try and stand up to Vaughn when the women are abducted from the wedding. (It didn't work, but must have taken some serious balls). He also tears the other alienage elves a new one when they suggest passively hoping for the best rather than trying to rescue the PC and her friends. He then breaks into the Arl of Denerim's estate with only Soris for backup, armed only with some swords and a crossbow on loan from Duncan. Why does he do this? To protect the dignity of a woman he's only known for an afternoon and has exchanged maybe five minutes of dialogue with. Of course, all this just makes his brutal death an even bigger Tear Jerker. Rest easy, man, you earned that Badass Normal title.
    • Even moreso if you decided to choose all the snarky/bitchy dialogue options towards him. That's devotion.
  • When the Human Noble encounters the spectre of Teyrn Cousland during the Gauntlet. This whole segment was particularly poignant becaues the Warden finally has to start to come to terms with the brutal murder of his parents in their Origin story. The Warden until this point can be assumed to have put this to one side because they must be focused on stopping the Blight, but this part of the story is where it actually stops and delves into the mind of the Warden for a brief moment, over what they feel over this tragedy and their lingeriing survivors guilt. "Teyrn Cousland" gently reassures the Human Noble that there was nothing they could have done and they shouldn't blame themselves, and that it was their mother's own choice to stay behind to die with her husband. He then tells the Human Noble that they must learn to let go of their guilt over what happened, and also that its time to let go of their parents as well.
    • More so that its implied the Warden knows that this apparation isn't really their father, but still begs it to stay at the end. Given that the amulet recieved after this is "Reflection", this Test and the advice given could be interpreted as the Warden's subconcious telling themself all of these things to overcome their guilt, from the one person who's words that the "Pup" would always listen too.
  • Am I the only one who found Leske's betrayal quite depressing? Maybe it was because it totally caught me off guard but the fact you kill your old best friend, the one who gave you the amulet in the Urn of Sacred Ashes mission after telling you to be happy with your new life and he'll be okay, is incredibly sad. It's worse knowing that he did it because he wasn't lucky and got picked up by Duncan like you, and it was either team up or be killed. What's probably worse is that none of your party members really comment on it and your sister has only a line. *sigh* No venting for Dwarf Commoner...
    • Not the only one, although I did the Urn quest after I'd killed Leske. The lack of, well, any reaction at all to his death is what got me.
    • Definitely not alone. It was so refreshing to see Leske in The Gauntlet, that when he betrayed me I was heartbroken. And, if you try to tell him you wouldn't have done the same, it really can get you thinking about it. While I played my dwarf as a giant goody-goody... in that situation, in that hellhole, she might have done the same.
  • Almost anything to do with Anders or Justice in Awakenings after playing Dragon Age 2. Knowing that no matter what you do, Anders and Justice will merge and leave the Grey Wardens for Kirkwall, even if your epilogue has Anders finding a home with the Wardens. Seeing Vengeance!Anders slowly lose it throughout DA2 is painful, and Justice has been corrupted into Vengeance. Even if your Warden does their best to make all their companions happy and Hawke sides with the mages, Anders will still blow up the Chantry and let you kill him without a fight. The possibility that it is no longer Anders or Justice but Vengeance who controls their actions is unsettling.
  • When the darkspawn assault Amaranthine in Awakening, an old man tells you that his family is still in the city and begs you to save them. If you defend the city and defeat the darkspawn generals, the next scene pans over the cheering crowds ... and the corpse of the old man lying in the street while an older woman kneels beside him. It's a reminder that victory has come, but not without cost.
  • For me, revisiting the elven ruin from the Dalish Elf Origin as a Dalish Elf is heartbreaking. Ariane even refers to it as the place of your greatest sorrow and asks if, given the chance, you'd change anything. You can answer that no, everything happens for a reason or you can say yes, you would change everything if it meant having a family again.
  • How has no one mentioned Return to Ostagar? Not only are you going back to the scene of the beginning battle where almost every last member of your order was slaughtered, hunted down or dragged off and eaten/turned into broodmothers (which is bad enough), but when you walk up and see poor Cailan's poor, crucified body and bittersweet flashes of the last days at Ostagar? All while the eery theme song mourns what's lost in the background??? This troper has a heart of stone, but tears were running down my face and dripping off my chin onto the controller. Having Alistair, Wynne or Loghain reliving it through party banter just made me more depressed.
    • Having Wynne and Loghain in the party is difficult, since Wynne's anger fully vents at Loghain.
  • For Me, it was the crushing depression I felt from "betraying" Alistair and sparing Loghain. His anger alone was enough to depress me but what really brought it home was finding Duncan's shield and knowing exactly who this gift was for, and how much it would have mean't to him.
  • Bann Sighard's reaction to the full extent of what Arl Howe did to his son while torturing him, particularly the line he gives if you bring it up at the Landsmeet. His delivery of the second sentence makes him sound as though he's about to break down in tears.

Bann Sighard: "Howe took my only son! The things done to him... some are beyond any healer's skill!"

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