Witness Her: First Enchanter Vivienne
Today We Salute: Vivienne (Dragon Age: Inquisition)
In most Bioware games, it feels like the entire squad has a massive hard-on for whoever the main character is. And even if someone isn’t a romance option, it still feels like they have a friend-crush on you. You are their sun and their moon. You are their inspirational leader. You are the messiah who will pull them out of the darkness and triumph over the forces of evil.
Vivienne doesn’t give a shit about you.
This angered some people who were used to being adored by their companions. Vivienne is one of those characters who you either love or hate; there is no middle ground. This time, Bioware fan division actually stems from good writing. She is easily one of the most independent characters in Inquisition. She has her own goals, motivations, and desires. She doesn’t care about the goals of your organization. The two of you just happen to be mutually beneficial to each other, and so she agrees to help. It is a matter of professional convenience.
Depending on how you interact with Vivienne, she can become your dear friend…. or you can become a victim of her judgmental, bourgeoisie sass.
Background and Portrayal
Vivienne is an optional companion that you can recruit for the Inquisition. In a clever introduction to her personality, there’s a delightful role-reversal in your first meeting. Normally, the Inquisitor is the one who decides to seek out agents. Vivienne invites you to meet her. You go to Orlais on her terms. You are invited to her private ball. She volunteers her aid, lays out her terms, and takes full control of the conversation. The player merely decides whether to accept or decline her offer.
Exceptionally gifted and intelligent, Vivienne quickly rose through the ranks of the Circle of Magi — the land’s strictly regulated order of mages. She impressed the Empress of Orlais so much that she was named the imperial Court Enchanter after a single meeting. She was named First Enchanter of Montsimmard shortly thereafter, making her a regional leader of the Circle.
The Circle lost almost all of its leaders in the game’s opening, and so Vivienne is now in a position to become Grand Enchanter by merit of a sudden, deafening power vacuum.
While other mages dislike the Circle and actively rebel against it, Vivienne is a staunch loyalist and wants all mages to be brought back “under control.” Mages have done a lot of sketchy shit in the Dragon Age universe, so Vivienne believes that magic should be strictly regulated for the good of all — even if it means that mages have limited freedom.
She makes it perfectly clear that she will bring all mages under her heel once she becomes Grand Enchanter. Depending on how you built your character and story, there are even hints she might become an antagonist in the next game. That’s fun.
She is classy. She is refined. She is dignified. And she will fuck you up if you stand in her way.
Gameplay: In the Heat of Battle
Vivienne’s gameplay style feeds right into her character and plays with some classic tropes.
The two male mages on your team — Dorian and Solas — are glass cannons. They pack a punch, especially at longer ranges, but they’re very vulnerable without defensive barriers. Especially when they get cornered. Vivienne’s subclass is the Knight Enchanter. The short-range melee mage. If built correctly, this subclass becomes a nigh-unstoppable wrecking ball of flames and laser swords.
Where other mages flee to the safety of long range, Vivienne charges headlong into the bloody melee. She is up in the front lines with the tanks and the melee DPS characters. She is the only companion mage who can use a weapon other than a staff. Knight Enchanters can use the equivalent of a two-handed lightsaber. The solid grip of the weapon emits a blade of pure magical energy, which hacks through enemies and deals area elemental damage.
All while wearing headgear that makes her look like Rita Repulsa. I can dig it. Yeah, I know it was meant to resemble Maleficent. But Rita Repulsa was the first person that jumped into my mind. Because the 90s, man.
Gameplay: Court Politics and Intrigue
Outside of battle, Vivienne knows how to manipulate others and play the “great game” of court intrigue. There are sequences where this becomes a massive asset. At one point, you’ll be forced to attend a fancy ball. It’s a unique section of the game where you’re tested on your dialogue mastery rather than your combat prowess. Attending the imperial ball can feel a little jarring and overwhelming.
Vivienne is completely at ease while you’re there — and she’s one of your few solid rocks in a storm of drama and double-speak. She lounges off in the sidelines and tries to keep you from panicking, albeit with just the slightest hint of amusement in her voice. Like someone who is watching their child or pet try really hard to do something right despite being so obviously inexperienced.
Gameplay: Personal Interaction
Vivienne does not hang around the other companions. She’s not interested in small talk or — shudder — friend making. You can talk to her, though. Depending on your views and philosophies, she may end up disliking you and everything you stand for. She could also become your catty best friend. You have to go through her personal quest, which shows her softer side, to really bond with her. Once you do, though, she pampers you. She even buys you a day at the spa. The spa!
Her conversations mostly revolve around life in the Circle of Magi and why she believes it was a necessary evil. While most of her arguments are sound, she also seems (somewhat) blind to the fact that she’s led a very privileged life compared to most other mages. She used the imperial court to secure a place of power for herself. Other mages are routinely insulted and mistreated, and I don’t know if she ever really came to understand this. She mentions that reforms would have been good, and that she intends to implement them if she becomes Grand Enchanter, but she never seems to make a personal connection to those who suffered.
Her wit is cranked up to 11 almost all the time, so she’s also a fun source of biting sarcasm. Kind of like Morrigan, but high-brow and less goth.
She finds the idea of dating you hilariously beneath her.
Representation in Media
It is fucking rare that you see black characters in western fantasy — at least beyond background characters/civilizations. Even then, most still fall under the “thug” trope. They tend to be warrior races or exotic foreigners. Vivienne punches through a lot of cliches all at once:
- She is a regal, intellectual black woman in a position of power.
- She is a buff melee mage (while the male mages are more fragile).
- She could not give less of a shit about romancing the main character.
- She is extraordinarily independent.
- Heck, she even teases Blackwall when he tries to be “chivalrous.”
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 Rita Repulsas
Vivienne was a breath of fresh air for me — both for Bioware RPGs and general media. I respected her even while I was disagreeing with her, and I found her friendship to be a highlight of Dragon Age: Inquisition. I would have liked her to have a more prominent role in the story and interact with the other characters more often, but the content we do have is pretty worthwhile.
There are subtle hints that she may turn into an antagonist in the next Dragon Age game. If so, I am terrified.
Because holy shit, this woman could wreck dragons like nobody’s business. Fighting Vivienne is a terrifying prospect.