Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals a More Vengeful Solas
Concept sketches from former BioWare artist Nick Thornborrow offer a 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 to The Veilguard's development by creating a visual novel prototype to explore story possibilities. Over 100 sketches from this prototype depict various characters and scenes, some of which significantly differ from their final in-game counterparts.
While Solas's initial act of tearing the Veil remains largely consistent between concept and final product, other scenes depict a stark contrast. The sketches portray Solas as a colossal, shadowy figure, far more imposing than his in-game representation. 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.
The divergence between concept art and the final game highlights the significant narrative shifts that occurred during The Veilguard's development. This is further underscored by the game's title change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf shortly before release. Thornborrow's shared sketches provide valuable insight into these alterations, bridging the gap between the initial vision and the final product for players. The early sketches hint at a potentially darker, more powerful Solas, a vengeful god persona that ultimately remained largely unseen in the released game.
