You’re wandering through the dense, fog-heavy woods of Vermund when suddenly a random NPC starts blushing. Their face turns a bright, strawberry red. They start following you. They might even leave a bunch of flowers or a dried fish at your doorstep in Bakbattahl. This is Dragon's Dogma 2 romance in a nutshell. It isn't the cinematic, heavily choreographed love stories of Baldur’s Gate 3 or the choice-driven loyalty missions of Mass Effect. It's a chaotic, systemic mess that feels more like a social experiment than a dating sim.
Honestly? It’s kind of brilliant.
Capcom didn't build a traditional romance tree. Instead, they used the "Affinity" system, a carryover from the first game that basically tracks how much every single person in the world likes you. If you talk to them, give them gifts, or finish their specific quests, that number goes up. If you draw your sword in their face or sprint into them like a linebacker, it goes down. The "romance" happens when that affinity hits a certain threshold, but because the game is so reactive, you often end up "dating" the shopkeeper you visit most often rather than the heroic knight you actually liked.
How Dragon's Dogma 2 romance actually works under the hood
The game uses a hidden numerical value for every NPC. You can tell someone is maxed out when they get that signature rosy-cheeked glow. It’s a bit jarring at first. You’ll be mid-conversation about a world-ending threat and realize the person giving you the quest looks like they just ran a marathon in the sun.
To boost this, you use the "Give Gift" prompt. Most people like "Expensive Items" or "Rare Items," but some have specific tastes. Bunch of Flowers is the universal currency of love here. You can craft them by combining different types of flora, like Sunbloom and Noonbloom. It’s simple. Effective.
But there’s a catch.
There is no "lock-in" mechanic for a single partner. This leads to hilarious, emergent gameplay moments where multiple NPCs might show up at your house at the same time. If two high-affinity characters meet, they might actually start bickering or even fighting. The game tracks who you’ve interacted with most recently and most frequently to determine who becomes your "Beloved" for the final acts of the story.
The Dragon's Dogma 2 romance heavy hitters: Ulrika and Wilhelmina
While you can technically woo almost anyone—from the guy running the morgue to a random guard—there are two characters with actual "romance quests." These are the closest the game gets to a scripted love story.
Ulrika is the one most players meet first in Melve. Her arc is long. It involves her being exiled, founding a new home in Harve Village, and dealing with a persistent monster problem. If you follow her questline—"Readvent of Calamity" and "Home is Where the Hearth Is"—you get a very clear, romantic cutscene on a pier. It’s sweet. It feels earned. It’s also completely missable if you don't check back on Melve after the initial dragon attack.
Then there’s Wilhelmina. She runs the Rose Chateau Bordelrie in Vermund. Her story is much darker, involving a revenge plot against a corrupt official. Completing "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" requires some stealth and a bit of investigation. It ends with a unique scene that’s significantly more "mature" than Ulrika’s, but it also feels more transactional given her profession and the context of her mission.
Why your Arisen keeps "accidentally" falling in love
The biggest complaint—and also the funniest part—is the accidental romance. Because the game rewards frequent interaction, your most frequent "date" is often the person who manages your storage or sells you potions.
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I've seen players reach the endgame only to find out the Dragon has kidnapped the local blacksmith instead of the queen.
This happens because of the "Beloved" mechanic. At a specific point in the main quest, the game checks your affinity levels. If you have five people at max affinity, it usually picks the one you talked to last. To avoid this, you can use the Eternal Bond ring, which you get by turning in Seekers Tokens. Giving this to a specific NPC massively boosts their priority.
Conversely, if someone is getting too clingy and you want them to back off, you can literally pick them up and throw them. Or just stop talking to them. The affinity decays over time.
The complexity of Pawns and "Special" Affinity
One of the most frequent questions is: Can you romance your Pawn?
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Sort of. It’s complicated.
Your Main Pawn doesn't have a traditional romance quest, but they do have an affinity score. It’s influenced by how you treat them. High-fives after combat, taking them to the hot springs in Agamen Volcanic Island, and getting their hair done at the barberie all help. If your Pawn has high affinity, their dialogue changes. They become more devoted. They look at you differently. During the final cinematic sequences, a high-affinity Pawn will have a much more emotional reaction to the Arisen’s fate. It’s subtle, but for many players, this is the most rewarding relationship in the game because that Pawn has been with you for 60+ hours.
Essential tips for managing your relationships
If you want to actually control your Dragon's Dogma 2 romance experience, you need to be intentional. Don't just spam gifts at everyone who gives you a quest.
- Focus on one person: Once you find the NPC you want, give them one gift per in-game day. Giving multiple gifts at once doesn't stack the bonus as effectively as spreading them out.
- The Sphinx’s Parent quest: Be careful during the Sphinx riddles. One riddle asks you to bring your "most beloved." If you bring the wrong person, it can mess with your hidden stats.
- The Aisen’s Abode: Buying a house in Vermund or Bakbattahl is key. High-affinity NPCs will leave gifts on your door. If you see a note and a parcel, someone's catching feelings.
- Use the Logbook: Check the NPC records in your menu. It won't show the exact number, but it helps you keep track of who you’ve actually met and interacted with.
The system is weirdly deep. It tracks things you wouldn't expect. If you kill an NPC’s family member, their affinity drops to zero instantly. If you save them from a griffin attack on the road, it spikes. It’s a living social web that reacts to your violence and your kindness in equal measure.
Taking control of the "Beloved" system
To ensure a specific character is chosen as your "Beloved" by the Dragon, you should maximize their affinity right before the quest "The New Godsway." This is generally considered the point of no return for relationship tracking. If you’re worried you’ve accidentally riled up the affinity of too many random NPCs, use the "Liquefied Effluvium." It’s a special item (sold by the Dragonforged) that looks like a potion but actually lowers affinity when given as a gift. It's essentially a "break-up in a bottle."
It's also worth noting that the game doesn't care about gender. The Arisen can romance anyone regardless of their character's appearance or the NPC's. This freedom is great, though it does contribute to the "oops, I'm dating the Captain of the Guard" moments that populate Reddit threads.
The romance in this game isn't about the destination. It’s about the bizarre, often hilarious journey of navigating a world where everyone is a potential suitor if you’re nice enough to them. It adds a layer of humanity to the high-fantasy grit.
Actionable Next Steps for Players:
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- Identify your target: Decide early if you want the scripted paths of Ulrika/Wilhelmina or a custom NPC.
- Craft Flowers: Collect Sunblooms near Melve and Noonblooms near the capital. Combine them to make Bunches of Flowers.
- Visit the Hot Springs: If you’re pushing for Pawn affinity, make the trek to Geyser Hamlet in the Volcanic Island Camp. It’s a massive boost.
- Clear the "Beloved" queue: Before the final mission, give the Eternal Bond ring to your favorite person and, if necessary, toss any unwanted admirers off a bridge to lower their score.
Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't hold your hand, and its romance system is no different. It’s a wild, systemic, and occasionally frustrating mechanic that perfectly mirrors the unpredictability of the rest of the game.