It took ten years. Ten long years of waiting, speculating, and replaying Inquisition until we knew every line of Solas’s cryptic dialogue by heart. When BioWare finally dropped the curtain on Dragon Age Veilguard voice actors, the collective sigh of relief from the fandom was practically audible. We weren't just getting a new game; we were getting a cast that felt like a deliberate bridge between the classic BioWare soul and a fresh, modern energy.
Casting for a game this massive isn't just about finding people who sound "cool." According to BioWare’s Creative Performance Director, Ashley Barlow, the team actually started the casting process five years before the game’s 2024 launch. They weren't just looking for voices; they were looking for anchors for 140,000 lines of dialogue. That’s a staggering amount of recording time.
The Four Voices of Rook
Honestly, the most stressful part of any Dragon Age game is the character creator. But in The Veilguard, that stress extends to the vocal booth. You aren't just picking a face; you’re picking a vibe. BioWare went with four distinct options for Rook—two North American accents and two British ones.
If you go with the North American female voice, you’re hearing Erika Ishii. If you’ve spent any time in the "nerd-o-sphere," you know Erika. They are everywhere—from Apex Legends (Valkyrie) to Dimension 20 and Critical Role. They bring this chaotic, high-stakes energy that fits a protagonist trying to stop a god-tier disaster perfectly.
Then you’ve got Jeff Berg providing the North American male voice. He’s got that classic "hero" grit, previously heard in Battlefield 1. On the British side, we have Bryony Corrigan (who did amazing work in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Good Omens) and Alex Jordan. If Alex’s voice sounds familiar, it might be because you heard him in Cyberpunk 2077 or, strangely enough, as the Hot Dog Guy in The Amazing World of Gumball.
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The range here is intentional. BioWare wanted your Rook to feel like your Rook, whether they’re a stoic Warden or a sarcastic Shadow Dragon.
Meet the Veilguard: Your New Found Family
The companions are the heart of Dragon Age. Period. If the cast doesn't have chemistry, the game falls flat. Fortunately, the Dragon Age Veilguard voice actors for the companion roster are a heavy-hitting mix of industry veterans and screen actors.
- Harding (Ali Hillis): Lace Harding is finally a full companion, and Ali Hillis is back to voice her. You might also recognize her as Liara T’Soni from Mass Effect. She brings a warmth and groundedness to Harding that makes her feel like the "moral north" of the group.
- Davrin (Ike Amadi): A Grey Warden with a baby griffon? Sold. Ike Amadi is a legend in the booth, having voiced Javik in Mass Effect 3 and various roles in Spider-Man. He has a voice that commands authority but also has this underlying charm.
- Neve Gallus (Jessica Clark): The cynical private eye from Tevinter. Jessica Clark (True Blood) gives Neve a smoky, noir-inspired delivery that contrasts beautifully with the high-fantasy setting.
- Lucanis Dellamorte (Zach Mendez): The "Mage-Killer" of the House of Crows. Zach Mendez gives Lucanis a poised, almost lethal elegance. There’s a lot of Zevran energy here, but with a darker, more pragmatic edge.
- Bellara Lutare (Jee Young Han): Bellara is the Veil Jumper—obsessive, romantic, and a bit of a tech-geek for ancient elven magic. Jee Young Han (Perry Mason) captures that frantic, "I-just-found-something-cool" energy perfectly.
- Taash (Jin Maley): A dragon hunter with the Lords of Fortune. Jin Maley (Star Trek: Picard) brings a rugged, risk-taking persona to Taash that makes them stand out as the heavy hitter of the squad.
- Emmrich Volkarin (Nick Boraine): A necromancer who is actually... polite? Nick Boraine (Black Sails) voices Emmrich with a scholarly, sophisticated tone.
And we have to talk about Manfred. Emmrich’s skeletal assistant is voiced by none other than Matthew Mercer. Yes, the Critical Role DM himself. Mercer actually voices several roles in the game, including the Viper, but Manfred is the one that stole everyone's hearts before the game even launched.
Why the Returning Cast Matters
While the new faces are great, The Veilguard wouldn't work without the titans of the franchise. Gareth David-Lloyd returns as Solas (the Dread Wolf himself). His performance in Inquisition was haunting, and in this game, he has to balance being an antagonist with being a former friend. It's a tightrope walk.
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Then there’s Brian Bloom as Varric Tethras. At this point, Brian is Varric. He’s the narrator of our lives in Thedas. Seeing Varric aged up, tired, but still holding onto that storyteller’s spark is a testament to Bloom’s consistency over the last decade.
The Logistics of a 700-Character World
BioWare didn't stop at the main cast. The game features over 700 characters in total. To fill those roles, they tapped into a massive pool of talent. You’ll hear voices like Claudia Black (returning as Morrigan, thank the Maker), Harry Hadden-Paton (one of the original Inquisitor voices), and even Michelle Gomez (Doctor Who) as the elven god Ghilan’nain.
This isn't just "filling space." The depth of the Dragon Age Veilguard voice actors roster means that even a random shopkeeper in Minrathous or a soldier in the Arlathan Forest sounds like a real person with a history. It adds layers of "texture," as Creative Director John Epler puts it. You don't need to read the tie-in comics or novels like The Missing to understand the plot, but hearing the voices of characters like Evka Ivo or Antoine brings that expanded universe to life for the hardcore fans.
What This Means for Your Playthrough
Basically, the voice acting in The Veilguard is designed to make the world feel reactive. Because there are four Rooks, every single scene in the game had to be recorded four times for the protagonist alone. When you factor in the branching dialogue paths and companion reactions, the sheer volume of audio is mind-boggling.
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Honestly, the best way to experience this is to lean into the roleplay. Don't just pick the "best" voice; pick the one that matches the personality you want to project.
If you’re looking to get the most out of the performances, keep these things in mind:
- Switch Rooks: If you’re planning a second playthrough, change your Rook’s voice. The delivery between Erika Ishii’s "scrappy hero" and Alex Jordan’s "composed leader" can completely change the tone of a scene.
- Talk to Manfred: Seriously. Matt Mercer’s performance as a skeleton who can't actually "speak" in the traditional sense is a masterclass in physical comedy via audio.
- Rotate Your Party: The "banter" system is back and better than ever. The chemistry between, say, Lucanis and Neve is very different from the vibe between Davrin and Bellara.
The cast of The Veilguard had a massive task—they had to follow up on a decade of expectations. By mixing industry legends with fresh screen talent, BioWare managed to create a soundscape that feels both nostalgic and brand new. Whether you’re a Grey Warden at heart or a Shadow Dragon in training, these are the voices that will be echoing in your head for the next hundred hours of gameplay.
To really dive into the world, make sure you spend time in the Lighthouse between missions; that's where the most nuanced character work from these actors really shines through in the optional "heart-to-heart" conversations.