Dragon Age Missed Its Greatest Storytelling Opportunity: The Saarebas

 That is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the Dragon Age: The Veilguard era of Dragon Age. The Saarebas are among the most visually striking and culturally disturbing concepts in the entire franchise, yet they have rarely been allowed to exist as actual characters with depth, agency, and major story relevance. Instead, they are often treated as background lore, enemies, or brief quest devices. (Dragon Age Wiki)

A new Dragon Age game could have explored multiple Saarebas archetypes:

The Traditional Chained Saarebas

The classic version fans know:

• Heavy shoulder restraints

• Chains connected to an Arvaarad handler

• Metal face mask

• Sewn lips

• Ritual scars

• Viewed as a "dangerous thing" rather than a person

The horror of this system should not just be mentioned in codex entries. The player should witness the daily reality of it. (Dragon Age Wiki)

The Iron-Dome Saarebas

A rarer version.

Instead of sewn lips, some powerful Saarebas could wear:

• Full metal dome helmets

• Arcane seals carved into the helmet

• Eye slits glowing with Fade energy

• Internal anti-magic restraints

These could be walking magical artillery pieces deployed only during wars.

The helmet would function almost like a magical prison.

The Royal Saarebas

Certain Qunari leaders may require highly controlled mages.

These Saarebas could have:

• Ornamental gold masks

• Decorated chains

• Specialized handlers

• Political importance

They would still be prisoners, but treated like valuable state weapons.

Think of them as living siege engines.

The Ancient Kossith Saarebas

A storyline could reveal pre-Qun mage traditions.

Imagine discovering:

• Ancient horned mage-kings

• Kossith magical orders

• Old armor designs

• Ancient magical masks predating the Qun

This could create conflict between modern Qunari beliefs and their forgotten past.

The Rebel Saarebas

Perhaps the most interesting.

A network of escaped Saarebas could exist across Thedas:

• Some want freedom.

• Some want revenge.

• Some still believe in the Qun.

• Some have become abominations.

• Some seek a new path.

Unlike previous games, these would not simply be "evil mage rebels."

Each would have a different response to years of conditioning.

The Seer-Saarebas Conflict

Dragon Age lore already hints that not all Qunari magic traditions are treated equally. Some seers operate differently than standard Saarebas. (Dragon Age Wiki)

A story could explore:

• Seers arguing that Saarebas treatment is outdated.

• Traditional Arvaarads defending the old ways.

• Political conflict inside the Qun itself.

• Splinter factions emerging.

That is far more interesting than simply hearing another codex say, "Qunari mages are feared."

A Saarebas Companion

Dragon Age has never fully committed to this.

Imagine recruiting a genuine Saarebas companion.

Not a Vashoth mage.

Not a former Qunari who left years ago.

An actual recently escaped Saarebas.

Their story could involve:

• Learning how to make choices.

• Speaking freely for the first time.

• Dealing with trauma from years of restraint.

• Deciding whether the Qun was entirely wrong.

• Wrestling with immense magical power.

Every companion conversation would feel unique because this character would be discovering personhood itself.

Different Visual Variants

The games could have shown regional variations:

Antaam Battle Saarebas

• Heavy armor

• Reinforced chains

• Combat markings

Ben-Hassrath Saarebas

• Lighter restraints

• Spy-oriented magic

• Stealth-focused equipment

Naval Saarebas

• Waterproof masks

• Storm and lightning magic

• Ship-support roles

Ceremonial Saarebas

• Large basket-like horn cages

• Bronze dome masks

• Religious iconography

The "basket" or "dome" concept especially could have been expanded as a visual language showing rank, danger level, magical specialization, or how unstable the mage is.

The Qunari are often presented as one of Dragon Age's most fascinating societies, but Saarebas are where the ideology becomes most extreme. Instead of being a slight mention or an occasional boss fight, entire story arcs could have revolved around their existence, their suffering, their power, and the question of whether the Qun can survive if the Saarebas ever stop accepting their role. (Dragon Age Wiki)