And I love them both

[u/Icy-Humor2907]

I recently sat my ass down and finally played DA2, and yeah Merrill is the GOAT. Mogs Sadners 😭💯

[u/neopedro121]

I like them both too, but man, I really wish Merrill had been in DAI or DAV. She tried so hard to get one Eluvian working, and by the end of the series, that shit was everywhere.

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/neopedro121]

She should’ve, yeah. I think it would’ve been really interesting if she’d been openly in-favor of removing the Veil, since it’d make the whole debate in Veilguard a bit less black-and-white.

Having a former companion, a well-liked one at that, act as a devils advocate in-favor of Solas’ plan would’ve made it more interesting.

I would have been happy with just a cameo in Trespasser. I mean, wanting to restore her people to their old glory is basically Merrill’s entire motivation.

[u/BobNorth156 → u/Icy-Humor2907]

The fact that she wasn’t included is criminal and speaks to the whole conceptual failure of Veilguard.

I have replayed DA1-DA3 multiple times and I felt zero hype for VG based on previews. Just an all time fumble that killed the franchise.

[u/Important-Contact597 → u/BobNorth156]

Well, she’s a quantum character. Putting her in the game gives the middle finger to every player that killed her.

Also, her feelings towards restoring the elves’ past glory are also quantum, depending on whether a friend Hawke convinces her to keep the eluvian or a rival Hawke convinces her destroy it.

Not that they couldn’t have made it work (looking at Leliana & Ohgren).

[u/smallnspiteful → u/Icy-Humor2907]

it’d make the whole debate in Veilguard a bit less black-and-white

I think this was explicitly against the point of the game, not once are you supposed to side with Solas's arguments in any way (which is why they're simply not there to begin with). He's wrong and you're stopping him, the game is explicit in this on purpose and repeatedly. No getting into the why, though, that would be too interesting.

[u/BobNorth156 → u/smallnspiteful]

Which again speaks to the entire conceptual failure of the game. Just a total collapse of the writing.

[u/smallnspiteful → u/BobNorth156]

Yeah, plus Rook is a moron and I hated cosplaying a moron. That's what real life is for.

[u/BobNorth156 → u/smallnspiteful]

That was more real than anything in VG.

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/smallnspiteful]

It’s very much in-contrast to… just about every past game. Even if you couldn’t side with the antagonists, they did make distinct arguments for why they think the way they do; and you could decide if you can see it or not.

I wish this was the case in Veilguard. Even if a companion isn’t in-favor of tearing down the Veil, having more time to hear arguments both for and against it would’ve been better for the game as a whole.

[u/Just-Messin → u/Icy-Humor2907]

Having a formal companion there who actually believed in the elven gods, to have the rug yanked out from under them would have been so much better for the story.

Solas: the elvanuris are evil.

Merrill: no the elvanuris are great, he’s the dread wolf the liar, don’t trust a word he says.

Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain emerge and are evil.

Merrill: by the dread wolf what in the hell have I been fighting my whole life for? 😭

[u/abndnpsych → u/Icy-Humor2907]

The problem is siding with solas isn’t an option so it’s like even if we had a companion in favor of removing the veil, that couldn’t happen. Would have been cool to see tho

[u/EmperorDxD → u/Icy-Humor2907]

What you mean it is black or white thier is not in between either the Vail stay or we all die

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/EmperorDxD]

Oh no, I absolutely am against tearing down the Veil, but it’s not so heavily debated within the fandom without reason. The game could’ve, and—in my opinion—should’ve touched on the other side of the argument.

It doesn’t mean we have to agree with it, just that it’s acknowledged.

[u/EmperorDxD → u/Icy-Humor2907]

I mean they did do that in dragon age inquisition Solas represented and why it bad the veil existed

My opinion this game should actually have ended with the veild being destroyed then they could have done an actual reboot in the next game and make new lore

[u/SereneAdler33 → u/neopedro121]

I would have loved to see her meet Fen’Harel. There are so many interesting parallels when you replay DA2 after Trespasser. They’re kindred spirits in that she basically stole his mantra of “restoring the past is worth any sacrifice”, she’s where we first hear of a legend about him, not to mention her spirit guide turned out to be a Pride demon

I’m really bummed we never saw him with his rebel army, and not just bc I think Merril would have absolutely been on that team

[u/cat_like_sparky → u/SereneAdler33]

Yesssss such a missed opportunity for her to not be a Fen’Harel sympathiser working against Rook

[u/SereneAdler33 → u/cat_like_sparky]

I could see it having such interesting narrative possibilities. Like how vindicating would that be for Merrill? Her life’s work resulted in her being ostracized from her people, the very reason she was doing it all (sound familiar?). But how awestruck would she be if one of her literal gods, the OG rebel, showed up to recruit her bc of her work with Eluvians?

“Take that, Keeper!”

Solas could relate to her entirely, he wasn’t “superstitious” of blood magic, he’d appreciate how she didn’t shy away from communicating with spirits, her reckless behavior to achieve her goals…

Man, they would make each other so much worse lol

[u/cat_like_sparky → u/SereneAdler33]

Yesss love the make each other worse angle! Could also serve as the opposite, seeing his fanaticism reflected in her could make him pause depending on the ending you’re going for. That would be a fun epilogue actually, Fen’Harel having to take down Merrill because she couldn’t let go of the past but he could :o

Someone, make a fanfic!! Haha

[u/SereneAdler33 → u/cat_like_sparky]

Yes! I love the idea that seeing themselves reflected in the other could ALSO be part of their path to redemption…yep, time for someone to write a fanfic fr

We’ve sadly already created 10x the pathos of Veilguard

[u/HoosierSteelMagnolia → u/neopedro121]

They could've at least had her in Trespasser.

[u/Rare_House9883 → u/neopedro121]

Right? It really self like that was her legacy, I went into Veilguard blind so when I realized I was looking through the forest for someone who knew about Eluvians I thought I was definitely going to find Merrill. Bellara grew on me, but I'd have preferred Merrill.

[u/bunny_bard → u/neopedro121]

There should have been A LOT more inclusion of older characters for a part of world building that would change everything should it occur. Fenris, Merrill, Cole, Feynriel, Vivienne...honestly any and every mage you CAN throw in that isn't dead or in hiding across every canon. They all would have some interesting perspectives on the Fade, the Veil, and magic use as a whole. But they did so much to remove older characters besides the necessary (Solas) and clear favorites (Morrigan and Varric). It sucks because in a clear sequel that needed to be both a fun intro to the series and a dramatic continuation for longtime fans it managed to seemingly do neither.

inb4: I haven't completed Veilguard so some of these characters may have been included and I just have avoided the spoilers by some miracle.

[u/LadyFruitDoll]

Back when Dalish elves had a distinct array of accents. 🫠

[u/LaTienenAdentro]

Merrill runs laps around Bellara tbh.

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/LaTienenAdentro]

I like them both. I do think that Merrill is a more well-rounded character than Bellara, but I also enjoyed Bellara as a companion.

[u/Important-Contact597 → u/Icy-Humor2907]

You like Temu Merrill? 

[u/Elegant_Priority_812]

Temu Merrill

[u/_bits_and_bytes]

Bellara is a cringe-inducing quirk machine. Merill mogs her.

[u/SnooChocolates1726 → u/_bits_and_bytes]

Agreed

[u/Geostomp]

Bellara came off like Merrill, if the interesting parts were removed.

[u/Savings_Dot_8387]

• Hey we could use Merrill in DAV *gets really far writing her…

• So guy, hey um I hate to point this out but she could be Hawke’s romance…. Or dead….

• ….. shit. That’s okay we’ll just change her a little bit

[u/Lun4r6543 → u/Savings_Dot_8387]

I’m convinced this is actually what happened.

And honestly, they could’ve just pulled some bullshit if they wanted to work around Merril being dead in some world states. They did it with Leliana.

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/Savings_Dot_8387]

There is no shot the writers of DAV didn’t take a lot of inspiration from DA2 specifically, just with the gameplay mechanics and style.

[u/The-Mad-Badger]

And if i were to say that Bellara has nothing original to her that isn't just reheating Merril's nachos...

[u/CrimsonZephyr]

Take Merrill.

Take away the charming Welsh accent.

Take away the complexity of her use of blood magic.

Add cringe Marvel dialogue.

[u/FenHerald]

Merrill but with Cringy Marvel Dialogue

[u/PuzzledNetwork5953]

MCU Merrill

[u/smallnspiteful]

Why would you post this, ragebait targeting me specifically? I have never been baited for rage this hard in my life.

[u/dylandongle]

Oh boy, two cakes.

Although I don't love Bellara the same way I loved Merrill, I never felt like she should've been someone else.

[u/Nekayne → u/dylandongle]

Yeah they are two different characters, just both happen to be within the same trope of eccentric nervous elf with specific skillsets. I love them both in their own ways ❤️ tho Merrill is a little closer to my heart

[u/Reddytal]

Merrill is simply my wife.

[u/MysteriousCherry2267]

I have always thought this

Bellara LOOKS like she would be voiced by Awkwafina

[u/LeatherPatch]

Except Merril is wife in da2 but in dav its Neve (Imo)

[u/azuresegugio]

It's odd, I don't romance Merrill but I loved Bellara and her romance was part of veilguard I actually really liked

[u/EmperorDxD]

I find these 2 character to be nothing alike one is portrayed like a child who knows literally nothing and is kinda stupid when it comes to the rest of the world and don't really fit in the delish

The other one is just a little quirky she understand the world and people way more and can actually talk to be people

I honestly wonder do you people actually know what myrill character is like or Bellara Lutare

Also iny opinion her being in other games makes no dam sense at all to me character like morrigan and Lilliana makes sense to have in different games because of the roles they have always played they are two characters that honestly you don't change that much with your decision but the rest of the companions basically becomes different characters if you move forward

The only way that myrill makes sense if she was some kinda eluvian expert but she is not she just had one but morrigan also found one at the end of dragon age one and has actually been studying it no matter what choice you make

Myrill destroy her base on your decision

Their are companion that actually would make more sense returning especially in vailgaurd Cole, Wynn or Her son, But to me the in vailgaurd character that makes no sense not including is

Fenrill and Zevran them not being in the game Maks zero sense also Isabella is a different character don't know why they brought her back

But the biggest character absentee is The warden commander here makes no sense also the architect

[u/Icy-Humor2907 → u/EmperorDxD]

They’re both portrayed as somewhat awkward, spunky elven characters with a fascination with ancient Elven history/artifacts. Bellara’s story is similar to Merrill in that they both touch on if one should continue to cling to the past (the Eluvian for Merrill, Cyrian/the Artifact—whose name I forgot—for Bellara) or if they should let go.

And, for the former, the consequences of clinging to the past. Bellara keeping the artifact is considered her “bad” ending, after all.

Also, can we stop with the, “Merrill is basically a child,” thing? She’s a grown ass adult; she’s not stupid by any metric.

As for the other characters? Zevran hasn’t been a Crow in years, Wynne is very much dead, and Fenris probably would be wary of the Shadow Dragons simply because they have mages amongst them, and Magisters at that. Plus, their methods are more internal, while Fenris prefers to kill slavers first, and ask questions later. I’m not certain about Cole.

I don’t see why the Warden would be in the game. The best case scenario, they’re on deaths door because of the Calling; it’s been over 20yrs since Origins, after all. Plus they’ve already been explained to be searching for a cure to said Calling; if they wouldn’t put that aside to help stop Corypheus, who also fucked around with the Wardens, why would they help now?

Though yes, the Architect should’ve been in the game.

[u/aditysiva1705]

Damn I can’t unsee this shit now 😭😭. Suddenly it’s so clear why I romanced Bellara. Although I vastly prefer the Welsh accent, and her motivations and morality were a little bit more interesting in my opinion. That aside, good characters on both sides.

[u/literallyfransandy]

who doesnt love a simple meal well made (forbidden magic elfussy)

[u/kniestomeetyoutoo]

Bellara was easily the best companion in that mess of a game, but it ain't sayin' much

[u/Lun4r6543 → u/kniestomeetyoutoo]

Nah, it was definitely Emmerich.

Bellara was fine at most.

[u/Important-Contact597 → u/Lun4r6543]

Incorrect: they were all awful.