Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals Early Plans for Solas

Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals a Darker Solas

Early concept sketches by former BioWare artist Nick Thornborrow offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of Solas's character in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. These sketches, showcased on Thornborrow's website, reveal a more overtly vengeful and god-like Solas than the advisor role he ultimately plays in the final game.

Thornborrow, who departed BioWare in April 2022 after 15 years, contributed significantly to The Veilguard's development. He created a visual novel prototype, complete with branching narratives, to help convey story ideas to the development team. Over 100 sketches from this prototype have been released, showing various characters and scenes, some of which underwent significant changes during the game's production.

The sketches depict Solas in stark contrast to his in-game portrayal. While the core concept of his Veil-rending remains consistent, many scenes present him as a colossal, shadowy figure, radiating a far more sinister presence. The ambiguity surrounding these scenes leaves open the question of whether they represent events within Rook's dreams or manifestations of Fen'Harel's power in the real world. This divergence highlights the potential for a darker, more forceful Solas than what ultimately made it into the released game.

The contrast between the concept art and the final product underscores the significant evolution The Veilguard's narrative underwent. With the game's title change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the nearly ten-year gap between installments, considerable alterations were expected. Thornborrow's contribution provides valuable insight into this creative process, bridging the gap between initial vision and final execution.