Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Solas: From Vengeful God to Dream Advisor – A Look at Early Concept Art
Early concept sketches for Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveal a significantly different portrayal of Solas, hinting at a far more overt vengeful god persona than the advisor role he ultimately plays in the final game. These sketches, shared by former BioWare artist Nick Thornborrow, offer fascinating insight into the evolution of Solas's character and storyline.
Thornborrow, who left BioWare in April 2022 after 15 years, played a key role in The Veilguard's development. He created a visual novel to help convey story ideas, and over 100 sketches from this novel have recently been released online. These sketches showcase various characters and scenes, many of which made it into the final game, albeit with significant alterations.
Solas, initially introduced in Dragon Age: Inquisition as a helpful companion, later revealed his treacherous plan to destroy the Veil. While this central plot point remains consistent in The Veilguard, Thornborrow's concept art depicts a much more aggressive and sinister Solas.
The black and white sketches, punctuated by strategic color accents, often portray Solas as a colossal, shadowy figure, a far cry from his primarily dream-based advisory role in the released game. Some scenes, such as his attempt to shatter the Veil, appear largely unchanged from concept to final product. However, other scenes are drastically different, raising questions about the blurred lines between Solas's actions in Rook's dreams and the real world.
The significant differences between the concept art and the final game are not surprising, given the nearly 10-year gap between installments and the last-minute title change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Thornborrow's behind-the-scenes glimpse, however, provides fans with a clearer understanding of the substantial creative evolution The Veilguard underwent during its development.
