Dragon Age: The Veilguard Shares Early Solas Art

A former BioWare artist has released early concept sketches for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, offering deeper insight into the character arc of Solas—a figure who has been both ally and adversary throughout the series. While Solas plays a pivotal role in The Veilguard, these sketches shared by Nick Thornborrow portray him from a perspective players may find unfamiliar.

Solas first appeared as a playable companion in Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, quickly joining the Inquisitor's party as the only companion specializing in Rift Magic. Initially cooperative, the game's conclusion and its Trespasser DLC revealed his betrayal as the mastermind behind the Breach in the Veil. He carries this plan forward into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, setting the stage for the game's central conflict.

Though Thornborrow concluded his 15-year tenure at BioWare in April 2022—before The Veilguard's launch—his official website notes his contributions during development. Among these, he created a branching, visual novel-style game based on The Veilguard's narrative to help convey story concepts to the team. Recently uploaded to his site, over a hundred sketches—presumably from that visual novel—include many characters and scenes that appear in the final game. However, some depictions of Solas have evolved significantly from these early concepts. In the final version, Solas primarily acts as an advisor, visiting protagonist Rook through dreams. Yet earlier concepts make his hidden motives appear far more overt and menacing.

Artist Reveals Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Sketches of Solas

Rendered primarily in black and white with strategic use of color to highlight key elements—such as the lyrium dagger wielded by The Veilguard—these early images show Solas abandoning his sympathetic mentor facade, instead appearing as a vengeful deity. While some sequences, like the opening scene where he attempts to tear down the Veil, remain largely unchanged from concept to final product, others are less recognizable. In several sketches, Solas is depicted as a colossal, shadow-shrouded figure. Given the game's evolution during development, it's unclear whether some of these scenes occur within Rook's dreams or if Fen'Harel is manifesting his power in the physical world.

With nearly a decade between major series releases and notable production shifts—including the game's title change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf mere months before launch—fans were already aware that the narrative likely underwent significant revisions throughout development. Thanks to Thornborrow's behind-the-scenes glimpse, players can now better understand some of those creative transitions.