We Need Giants

One of the biggest missing opportunities in Dragon Age has always been the lack of true giants.

Thedas has dragons, demons, darkspawn, golems, spirits, ogres, high dragons, titans beneath the earth, and creatures capable of reshaping entire regions. Yet somehow, players have never truly encountered a civilization of giants roaming mountains, ancient forests, frozen wastelands, or forgotten corners of the world.

Giants could add a completely new layer of wonder, danger, and storytelling to Dragon Age.

Not Just Bigger Ogres

The mistake would be making giants nothing more than oversized monsters.

Dragon Age giants should have history, culture, beliefs, and relationships with the world around them.

Some giants might be peaceful keepers of ancient knowledge.

Others could be terrifying warlords capable of crushing armies.

A few may even remember events that happened thousands of years before the founding of the Chantry.

Imagine speaking with a giant who witnessed the fall of ancient elven kingdoms or remembers the first appearance of darkspawn.

That kind of perspective would instantly make them fascinating.

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The Mountain Giants

These giants live among the highest peaks of Thedas.

They are:

• 20 to 40 feet tall

• Covered in stone-like skin

• Masters of mountain warfare

• Builders of enormous fortresses

Entire dwarven thaigs might have originally been built in cooperation with these giants.

Many ancient roads could have been carved by them long before humans arrived.

Story Hook

A giant king awakens after centuries of slumber and discovers humans have built cities upon lands once belonging to his people.

Will he seek diplomacy?

Or reclaim everything by force?

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Forest Giants

Not every giant should be a warrior.

Some could be deeply connected to nature.

These giants would act almost like living forests.

Trees grow from their backs.

Birds nest in their shoulders.

Spirits gather around them.

Dalish elves might consider them sacred beings.

A single forest giant could protect entire regions from demons, poachers, and corrupted creatures.

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The Sea Giants

Legends speak of massive beings living beyond known waters.

Sailors tell stories of islands that move.

Those islands are actually sleeping giants.

When they awaken, entire fleets disappear.

The Qunari might have ancient records describing wars fought against these colossal beings centuries ago.

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Titan-Blood Giants

One of the most interesting possibilities would connect giants to the mysterious Titans introduced in later Dragon Age lore.

These giants could be descendants of Titan fragments.

Their bodies contain:

• Lyrium veins

• Crystal growths

• Earth-shaping abilities

• Tremendous magical resistance

They would be among the strongest beings in Thedas.

Entire armies would fear confronting even one.

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Giant Companions

Imagine recruiting a young giant companion.

Not a full-sized giant, but perhaps a teenage giant still growing.

He could:

• Carry massive weapons

• Break down gates

• Lift fallen debris

• Serve as a tank during combat

• Provide a unique perspective on giant culture

His personal questline might determine whether he becomes a wise leader, wandering hero, or feared conqueror.

Fans loved companions like Shale because they felt different from everyone else.

A giant companion could create that same sense of uniqueness.

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Giant Hunters

If giants exist, there should also be those who hunt them.

New factions could emerge:

Giant Wardens

Specialists who monitor giant territories.

Stonebreakers

Mercenaries hired to kill hostile giants.

Sky Harpooners

Elite warriors who use ballistas and specialized weapons to bring down colossal foes.

Titan Seekers

Scholars obsessed with uncovering connections between giants and Titans.

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Giant Boss Battles

Modern technology could finally allow truly massive encounters.

Imagine:

• Climbing a giant during battle

• Destroying armor pieces to expose weak points

• Fighting on the giant's shoulders

• Coordinating armies against a colossal enemy

• Using siege weapons during combat

A giant should feel like an event, not simply another enemy with a larger health bar.

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The Ancient Truth

Perhaps giants were never extinct.

Perhaps they deliberately withdrew from the world.

Hidden beyond known maps are entire giant kingdoms watching Thedas from afar.

Now dragons are returning.

Ancient powers are awakening.

The Veil is weakened.

The giants have decided the time for hiding is over.

And when the first giant king walks into a human capital, everyone realizes that dragons were not the only legends that survived.

Why Giants Belong in Dragon Age

Giants would fit naturally into Dragon Age because the setting thrives on ancient mysteries, forgotten civilizations, and powerful beings whose histories have been lost to time.

They could provide:

• New companions

• New factions

• New enemies

• New lore tied to Titans

• Massive boss encounters

• Ancient stories predating current civilizations

Most importantly, they would restore a sense of awe and discovery that has always been one of Dragon Age's greatest strengths.

[Dragon Age] We Need Giants (Part 2)

The Giant Kingdoms Hidden From History

If giants exist in Thedas, the next question is simple:

Where have they been?

The answer could be one of the greatest secrets in Dragon Age.

Long before the rise of the Tevinter Imperium, before the first Blight, and perhaps even before the fall of Arlathan, giant civilizations may have ruled vast portions of the world.

Their ruins would not look like human ruins.

A giant doorway could be 60 feet tall.

A giant throne room could be the size of a castle.

What modern civilizations call mountains may actually be the collapsed remains of giant cities.

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The Sky Giants

Among giant societies, none are more mysterious than the Sky Giants.

These giants live among floating islands and impossible mountain peaks hidden by ancient magic.

Legends claim they once worked alongside powerful mages before the Veil existed.

Unlike other giants, Sky Giants have mastered wind magic.

Abilities include:

• Creating storms
• Controlling weather
• Summoning lightning
• Walking through clouds
• Riding enormous winged creatures

Many stories about gods descending from the heavens may have actually originated from encounters with Sky Giants.

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Giant Dragonslayers

While humans celebrate famous dragon hunters, giants could have once been the greatest dragonslayers in existence.

Imagine finding an ancient battlefield.

Scattered across the landscape are:

• Dragon skeletons
• Giant weapons
• Crushed fortifications
• Forgotten war monuments

An ancient giant spear might be so large that a party mistakes it for a tower.

Dragon hunting would not merely be a profession for giants.

It would be a sacred duty.

Some giant clans may still carry scars from wars against ancient dragons.

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The Iron Giants

Not all giants need to be born naturally.

Ancient dwarves may have created enormous living constructs.

Think of them as distant cousins to Shale.

But instead of ten feet tall, these constructs stand fifty feet tall.

Features

• Lyrium-powered cores
• Stone and metal bodies
• Runic armor
• Ancient defensive protocols

Some remain buried beneath lost thaigs.

Others still obey commands issued thousands of years ago.

Imagine accidentally awakening one.

The first thing it asks:

"State the status of the kingdom."

The kingdom it protects has been gone for centuries.

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The Gentle Giants

One thing Dragon Age often does well is challenging assumptions.

Not every giant should be hostile.

Some should be among the kindest beings in Thedas.

These giants might:

• Protect villages
• Rescue travelers
• Guard sacred sites
• Care for wildlife
• Mediate disputes between clans

Many humans would still fear them simply because of their size.

This creates opportunities for emotional storytelling.

A giant could save hundreds of lives yet remain viewed as a monster.

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Giant Companions: The Last Heir

One of the most memorable companions Dragon Age could ever create would be a giant known simply as The Last Heir.

Background

His people are nearly extinct.

His kingdom has fallen.

His family is gone.

He travels Thedas searching for answers about what happened to giant civilization.

Unlike most giants:

• He enjoys reading.
• He loves history.
• He struggles with loneliness.
• He feels responsible for preserving his people's legacy.

As the story progresses, players help determine his future.

Possible Outcomes

The King

• Rebuilds giant civilization.

The Wanderer

• Travels Thedas helping others.

The Warlord

• Uses giant strength to conquer.

The Guardian

• Protects ancient giant ruins forever.

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Giant Mounts

Not every giant needs to be a companion.

Some could become living mounts or allies.

Imagine:

• Giant mammoths
• Giant elk
• Titan-touched rhinos
• Massive brontos similar to those already seen in Dragon Age lore

Entire armies could move atop these creatures.

A giant war caravan would be an unforgettable sight.

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The Giant Threat Beyond Thedas

The biggest twist would be discovering that Thedas isn't the center of the story.

Far beyond known lands exists an empire of giants.

Not a tribe.

Not a village.

An empire.

Millions of giants.

Ancient cities.

Powerful armies.

Magic unlike anything seen in modern Thedas.

The giants did not disappear.

They simply left.

Now they have returned because they believe the younger races have failed to protect the world.

The Veil weakens.

Darkspawn endure.

Dragons awaken.

Ancient evils stir.

The giant emperor has reached a conclusion:

"The age of small folk is ending."

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Giant Character Archetypes

Dragon Age could introduce dozens of giant variants:

Stone Giants

Living mountains with immense durability.

Runebound Giants

Covered in magical glyphs.

Frost Giants

Masters of cold and survival.

Forest Giants

Nature guardians tied to spirits.

Storm Giants

Weather manipulators.

Iron Giants

Ancient construct warriors.

Titan-Blood Giants

Descendants of primordial Titans.

Sun Giants

Rare giants capable of wielding radiant magic.

Deep Giants

Underground giants who dwell near Titan hearts.

Spirit Giants

Beings partially connected to the Fade.

Each could feel as distinct from one another as elves, dwarves, humans, and Qunari.

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The Dream Scenario

Imagine standing on a battlefield.

Darkspawn fill the horizon.

The defenders know they cannot win.

Then horns sound in the distance.

The ground begins shaking.

Mountains seem to move.

Except they aren't mountains.

Thousands of giants have answered the call.

Ancient banners fly once more.

For the first time in centuries, giant kingdoms march to war.

Thedas realizes it has just witnessed the return of one of the oldest races in the world.

And the age of legends has begun again.

Thedas feels ancient. Giants would make it feel even older.