Summary
Fictional characters mean a lot to us. We can see ourselves in them, find ourselves in them. We feel each crack when their hearts break, we share in their joy when they are victorious. People get posters, t-shirts, and tattoos of fictional characters, they even name their children after them. Forging a deep connection with characters in fiction is a sign that art resonates with us, and proves humans are empathetic, caring creatures.
However, it is possible to take it too far. Fandoms can become parasocial, seeing characters as core parts of their identity, viewing criticism of any character as direct criticism of them, and the misguided notion that characters should always be protected from harm and should never do anything that might reflect badly on them (and by extension, on you). Characters cease to be storytelling tools and become friends. It all gets a bit messy. And sometimes, it blinds you to things you should care about - enter Davrin fromDragon Age.
Dragon Age’s Davrin Actor Has Been Criticised For The Twitter Accounts He Follows
As theDragon Age: The Veilguardcast was revealed, it became apparent thatDavrin’s actor Ike Amadi had some troubling Twitter activity. Though his personal internet presence is mostly restricted to promotional adverts for various video games and TV shows he’s in, Amadi includes some concerning names amongst the 331 people he follows: Andrew Tate, Libs of TikTok, and Mark Kern (AKA Grummz) being the most worrying.
As I already pointed out in the article I just linked to, he has never said anything or even platformed anything even mildly controversial. His online persona is mainly a string of adverts. But to follow so many accounts that run counter to the views of the vast majority of Dragon Age fans, as well as the values the series itself has espoused since its inception, will put fans on edge. Or at least, that’s what you’d think.
Many fans seem to be scrambling into damage control, which should be the reaction ofBioWare(who, thus far, have not addressed fan concerns on the issue). The messaging from fans seems to be that however you feel about Amadi, you should not take it out on Davrin himself. But why does that matter?
Dragon Age Fans' First Responsibility Should Be The Community
‘I don’t want him to be ignored, it’s not fair on the character’. Respectfully, who cares? This is a single player game. If any player out there wants to not recruit a character voiced by an Andrew Tate fan, that’s their choice. None of us have ever met Davrin, there are no nostalgic memories to protect here. It was a little different when ‘Dear Cullenites’ dropped and Greg Ellis' personal politics soured the character for many. Cullen was already a major character by then, a core part of Inquisition and for many people, their canon romance.
It’s natural to want to shield the memories of Cullen from being tarred by Ellis if Cullen means something to you. But it’s also natural for other players to want to snip the man who says “womanifest” while criticising Black Lives Matter and MeToo out of their playthroughs.
Separating the art from the artist has become a bit of a get out of jail free card recently, a pass to engage in art by problematic people without interrogating the consequences because your personal enjoyment trumps all. We saw that withHogwarts Legacyand (noted supporter of Greg Ellis) JK Rowling. With Davrin, it’s a little different as Amadi will have had little to no impact on the script, and thus his views aren’t likely to be represented in the game just because his voice is. But to peddle that line feels a little too convenient.
If you just don’t care about Amadi’s potential views, or even support them, just come out and say that. At least it would be honest. But if you disagree with them, your hope that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is good, your annoyance that you feel journalists are being too mean to it, or your strange belief that you can only enjoy the game if everyone else loves it and it sells a bajillion copies should not come first.
Too many people are content to wave away these concerns and put Davrin, the fictional character none of us have ever interacted with or even heard speak in the game, above them all. To prioritise people treating Davrin as a character fairly, rather than underlining that Libs of TikTok and their ilk have no place in the Dragon Age community, is to let down your fellow fans. Those wanting to shield Davrin from blowback seem to want to keep the community united, but in their refusal to acknowledge how impactful these sorts of things can be on many members of the community, they are more likely to tear it apart.
A simple question. What matters more to the Dragon Age community: that we all feel the same way about a character we haven’t met yet, or that marginalised fans feel welcome in our midst?
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, it focuses on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
