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

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Solas: Early Concepts Reveal a Darker God

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 vengeful, god-like persona than the advisor role he ultimately plays in the final game.

Thornborrow, who contributed to The Veilguard's development by creating a visual novel prototype to explore plotlines, shared over 100 sketches. While many scenes closely resemble the final product, Solas's portrayal shows significant divergence. His debut in Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) established him as a helpful companion, a secret later revealed to be a deceptive facade. His treacherous plot to shatter the Veil, central to The Veilguard, takes on a different visual tone in the early concepts.

The sketches, primarily black and white with selective color accents, depict Solas shedding his guise of a sympathetic advisor. He's presented as a far more overtly menacing figure, a vengeful god actively wielding his power. While the initial Veil-shattering scene appears largely unchanged, other depictions portray Solas as a colossal, shadowy entity. The ambiguity leaves open the question of whether these scenes represent Rook's dreams or actual events in the game's world.

The discrepancies between concept art and the finished game highlight the significant evolution The Veilguard underwent during development. This is further underscored by the game's late title change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Thornborrow's behind-the-scenes look allows fans to better understand the creative process and the alterations made along the way, bridging the gap between initial vision and final release.