Sera (Dragon Age)

Last updated
Sera
Dragon Age character
Sera Red Jenny.png
Sera as she appears in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
First appearance Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
Voiced by Robyn Addison

Sera is a fictional character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. She first appears in 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition , where she serves as a party member. She is a member of a secret society called the Friends of Red Jenny, an enigmatic group of subversive vigilantes trying to undermine the perceived abuse committed by the nobility of Thedas, the setting of Dragon Age, by engaging in espionage and social banditry. Sera is voiced by English actress Robyn Addison.

Contents

Sera has received mixed commentary from critics; while some sources appreciated Sera for her irreverent personality or as a realistic portrayal of an LGBT character, other sources criticized the character's abrasiveness and called her irritating.

Concept and design

Sera is written by Lukas Kristjanson, a senior writer for Inquisition. Kristjanson explained that the character is "all about the energy of the moment. She’s frustrating and fun at the same time. You have to meet her at her level, not drag her to yours. Her music was loud, silly, and mean, except when suddenly sweet. Stuff may or may not be on fire, but odds are good it will be soon". [1] He noted that music by the Scottish band The Fratellis and American ska punk band Dance Hall Crashers would be something Sera would appreciate.

Sera's unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people and with few permanent ties, is reflected in her appearance and choice of clothing. Sera's character kit, released by Bioware, describes her as someone who cuts her own hair in an unskilled manner and wearing whatever she likes for as long as she likes it, and that "should she like something else, she’ll steal it". [2] In the Dragon Age series, she is the first female companion that can be romanced only by other women. [3]

Sera is the subject of a song titled "Sera Was Never" composed by Raney Shockne. [4] "Sera Was Never", along with other songs sung by Elizaveta Khripounova, are occasionally "performed" by a non-player character named Maryden Halewell whenever the Inquisitor enters the tavern in their base of operations. The song is part of a collection of tavern songs and song sheets called Dragon Age Inquisition: The Bard Songs, which were made free to download from January 26 to February 9, 2015 by BioWare due to substantial fan demand, [5] after which they were offered available for sale on various digital platforms. [6]

Appearances

After the Inquisition, the player character's paramilitary organization, concludes their business at Val Royeaux early in the game, an arrow with a message attached will land nearby, giving the locations of three satchels with instructions. These clues lead the player to a confrontation with a non-player character in a secluded courtyard, who assumes that the Inquisition was targeting him. Sera kills the man with a bow and arrow, then introduces herself and asks to join the Inquisition to fight for the less privileged. She will justify her killing of the non-player character if challenged, and insists that "bad things should happen to bad people". [7]

Sera's recruitment allows players access to side quests and war table operations, which involve locating information or resource caches left for a member of her vigilante organization, the Friends of Red Jenny. Unlike other party members, the player may dismiss Sera from the Inquisition at any time after she joins. The nature of her response will vary depending on her approval rating at the time. She will eventually leave the Inquisition on her own if she continually disapproves of the Inquisitor's actions. Her departure from the Inquisition will also end any romantic relationship between her and the Inquisitor.

Sera may appear in the Trespasser downloadable content (DLC) if she stays in the Inquisitor's party, where she will offer the Inquisitor membership in the Friends of Red Jenny. The Inquisitor may accept Sera's wedding proposal if they are still in a relationship by the events of Trespasser; this is noted by Jessica Hylton, author of an essay published in the book Women and Video Game Modding: Essays on Gender and the Digital Community, as "one of the first explicitly same-sex weddings seen on screen" at the time. [8] If Sera is not in a romantic relationship with the Inquisitor, the epilogue for the Trespasser DLC reveals that she is dating the dwarven arcanist, Dagna.

Critical reception

Sera has received a mixed response from critics and players. Gita Jackson, writing for Kotaku , said Sera is "hate at first sight" for her, but conceded that the character is not poorly written. She took issue with the fact that Sera's personality is too self-absorbed to have long-term plans, and that the class issues she fights for is eclipsed by her personal issues. She compares and contrasts her to Robin Hood, noting that "Robin Hood, though, had a specific man he wanted to overthrow, to help specific people, overthrowing a specific oppressive system for the betterment of a community. Sera doesn’t have any specificity, nor any real desire to create lasting change for the lower classes". [9] Kath Rella, guest writing for The Queerness for its gaming month in March 2017, said her first impression of Sera is "rude, crude and thoroughly argumentative", and that she is "like a chimpanzee on cocaine". [10] Conversely, Fraser Brown from PCGamesN called Sera the best character in Inquisition, and mentions The Iron Bull being the closest contender. Among the aspects that Brown has praised include her antics, her incidental party banter, and the "Sera Was Never" song. He noted that Sera is paradoxically loopy yet grounded as a character, and that she "elicit strong feelings. A lot of people seem to hate her", comparing her divisive reception to the general public perception of marmite. [11] Nicholas Scibetta from GameCrate was in agreement, praising Sera's sense of humour, her combat abilities and spontaneous reactions to various adversaries, her personal quests and side missions, the "Sera Was Never" song, as well as her care and concern for the common folk. [12]

The depiction of Sera's sexuality in Inquisition has been commended by some sources for its avoidance of tokenism: MCV/Develop staff considers her character to be properly fleshed out and without the usual stereotypes of a poorly written or implemented LGBT character that exists simply to tick a box. [13] Rella said Sera is not just another stereotypical angry lesbian, but a multi-layered character who requires patience to understand. She believed that Sera is one of the best-written characters in Bioware games, and that her character arc progressed in a realistic fashion across Inquisition's narrative. Rella liked that the focus is on Sera's character, actions and abilities, while her sexuality is a relatively minor part of her personality. [10] Lucy O'Brien from IGN felt Sera was very "alive" and "three-dimensional" in the game, though she clashed with her Inquisitor character on numerous matters of principle. She disclosed that the aftermath of her character's relationship breakdown with Sera left her feeling "needy and gross and alone", but praised Bioware's integrity for not tying up Inquisition's romances in "neat little boxes", and for showing "a willingness to ditch the usual power fantasies in the pursuit of authenticity". [14] On the other hand, Hylton alleged that the depiction of the lesbian relationship between the Inquisitor and Sera is "fetishized" and reinforces "some troubling stereotypes". [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Dragon Age is a media franchise centered on a series of fantasy role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare, which have seen releases on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The franchise takes place on the fictional continent Thedas, and follows the experiences of its various inhabitants.

Hawke (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Player character in Dragon Age II

Hawke is a character from BioWare's Dragon Age media franchise, first appearing as the player character of the 2011 video game Dragon Age II. Hawke is the eldest child of the human Hawke family and hails from the nation of Ferelden in the world of Thedas, the setting of the Dragon Age franchise. The opening sequence of Dragon Age II follows Hawke's family as they flee northwards to the Free Marches region as refugees from the invading Darkspawn hordes. Settling down in the city-state of Kirkwall soon after arrival, Hawke emerges as a prominent figure within the span of a decade, rising in power and influence to become the "Champion of Kirkwall". Hawke is a pivotal figure behind the origins of the worldwide conflict between the setting's magicians and their custodians the Templar Order, and also plays an important role during a subsequent extradimensional invasion of Thedas by demonic beings as depicted in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

<i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i> 2014 video game

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a 2014 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major game in the Dragon Age franchise, Inquisition is the sequel to Dragon Age II (2011). The story follows a player character known as the Inquisitor on a journey to settle the civil unrest in the continent of Thedas and close a mysterious tear in the sky called the "Breach", which is unleashing dangerous demons upon the world. Dragon Age: Inquisition's gameplay is similar to its predecessors, although it consists of several semi-open worlds for players to explore. Players control the Inquisitor or their companions mainly from a third-person perspective, although a traditional role-playing game top-down camera angle is also available.

Alistair (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Fictional character

Alistair is a fictional character in Dragon Age, a role-playing video game series created by Canadian video game developer BioWare. He is introduced as one of many companions that can join the party of the player character in Dragon Age: Origins. Alistair is a Grey Warden who fought alongside The Warden against the Darkspawn to end the Fifth Blight. Alistair is eventually revealed to be the illegitimate child of King Maric, making him an heir to the throne of Ferelden. Depending on the player character's choices during the events of Dragon Age: Origins, Alistair may be installed as king of Ferelden, remain as a Grey Warden, become a wandering drunk, or be executed by Queen Anora.

Characters of <i>Dragon Age: Inquisition</i>

Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third main video game in BioWare's Dragon Age series, is the most successful video game launch in BioWare history based on units sold. The game features a large number of characters who are members or potential allies of the organization known as the Inquisition; its formation was sanctioned by Divine Justinia V of the Andrastrian Chantry, the dominant religious organization in the Dragon Age series, prior to the events of Inquisition. The organization's primary purpose is to restore order to the continent of Thedas, the setting of Inquisition, where civil unrest and civil wars have already plunged entire nations and societies across the known world into chaos. A supernatural calamity in the beginning of Inquisition led to the deaths of the Divine and the majority of the Chantry leadership, and the subsequent opening of a mysterious metaphysical tear in the sky called the "Breach", which is unleashing dangerous demons upon the world and sends Thedas deeper into crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassandra Pentaghast</span> Fictional character

Cassandra Pentaghast is a fictional character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. She is the "Right Hand" of the Divine, the leader of the dominant religion in the Dragon Age setting, and a Seeker of Truth, an order of said religious organization. The character made her debut in 2011's Dragon Age II, where she appeared as part of the game's framing device. An anime film prequel, Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, was released in 2012, covering the character's backstory. She appeared again in 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition, where she serves as a party member. Cassandra makes a cameo appearance in the first episode of the 2022 Netflix animated series Absolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varric Tethras</span> Fictional videogame character

Varric Tethras is a fictional character from BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. The character made his debut in 2011's Dragon Age II, where he appeared as part of the game's framing device as the unreliable narrator of its plot. He also serves as a party member, a role which he reprises in its sequel, Dragon Age: Inquisition. In-universe, he is a renowned novelist as well as a self-appointed biographer to Hawke and the Inquisitor, the protagonists of Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition respectively. Brian Bloom provides the voice for Varric in all media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leliana</span> Fictional character

Leliana is a fictional character from BioWare's Dragon Age media franchise, first appearing as a party member in the 2009 role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins. A bard who is originally from the nation of Orlais, she came to Ferelden prior to the events of the Dragon Age series. Following the events of Leliana's Song, a DLC pack which serves as a prequel to the base game, she encounters the surviving Grey Wardens of Ferelden in the town of Lothering, and accompanies them to stop the monstrous Darkspawn from overrunning the world of Thedas. Leliana has appeared as a supporting character in subsequent video game sequels to Origins as well as other expanded media. She is voiced by French actress Corinne Kempa.

Morrigan (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Fictional character

Morrigan is a fictional character from BioWare's Dragon Age franchise, first appearing as a party member in Dragon Age: Origins. She is a shapeshifting Witch of the Wilds, one of several sorceresses whose legends originate in the Korcari Wilds region of the kingdom of Ferelden, the setting of Origins. Morrigan leaves her home to accompany the protagonist of Origins, the would-be Hero of Ferelden, at the request of her mother Flemeth to stop the monstrous Darkspawn from overrunning the world of Thedas. Morrigan also appears in Dragon Age: Inquisition as a supporting character. She is voiced by Claudia Black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorian Pavus</span> Fictional character

Dorian Pavus is a fictional character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. The character made his debut in the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition, where he serves as a companion and party member. Within the series, he is a human mage from a proud noble bloodline of the Tevinter Imperium, a realm governed by a powerful magic-using oligarchy situated in the northern region of Thedas, the continent in which the Dragon Age series is set in. A self-assured man born with magical virtuosity, he is nonetheless considered a pariah as his morals and ideals do not line up with the rest of his family nor the rest of the general populace living in Tevinter. Though he rejects the decadence and corruption which is prevalent throughout Tevinter society, he loves his homeland and wants his vision of a Tevinter where prejudices don't run rampant realized. Seeking to halt what he perceives as the moral decay of his countrymen and the fundamentalist zealotry of his former mentor, he decides to join the Inquisition, believing he could not return without first eliminating the forces corrupting his homeland.

Solas (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Video game fictional character

Solas is a character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. He first appears in the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition, where he serves as a party member. He presents himself as an elven outlaw mage who operates outside of the edicts of the Chantry, the dominant religious organization in Thedas, the world setting of Dragon Age. Solas joins the Inquisition and serves as an expert on the Fade, a metaphysical realm that is tied to Thedas which is normally accessible only through dreaming, and its denizens. His knowledge and expertise prove instrumental in aiding the Inquisition's struggle to close the Breach, a massive dimensional tear in the sky that allows multitudes of demonic spirits to pass through into the physical world through dimensional rifts. A post-credit scene of Inquisition reveals his true identity as Fen'Harel. Trespasser, the final DLC pack released for Inquisition, provides further insight into his backstory and motives, as well as his involvement in the current world state of Thedas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Bull</span> Fictional character from Dragon Age video game

The Iron Bull is a fictional character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. He appears in the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition, where he serves as a companion party member. He is a Qunari, a member of metallic-skinned race of large humanoids who live in the northern part of Thedas, the setting of the Dragon Age series, that venerates a civil religion known as The Qun. He is a spy commissioned by the Ben'Hassrath, the secret police of the Qunari government, to operate in southern Thedas. As part of his cover, he leads a mercenary company known as the Bull's Chargers. Freddie Prinze Jr. voices the character.

Krem (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Fictional character

Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi is a fictional character in the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. He is a former soldier in the Tevinter Imperium's military forces, and is currently a member of the Bull's Chargers, a mercenary company led by the Iron Bull. He was created and written by Patrick Weekes. Canadian-American voice actress Jennifer Hale voiced Krem in Inquisition.

Anders (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Fictional character

Anders is a fictional character in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. The character made his debut in Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening as a human mage pursued by members of the Templar Order, the military arm of the Chantry, which is the dominant religious organization in the Dragon Age series. He joins the player character as a party member. He appears again as a companion character in 2011's Dragon Age II.

<i>Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon</i> 2015 video game

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon is a downloadable content (DLC) pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2014 action role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was initially released for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows through Electronic Arts' digital distribution platform Origin, on March 24, 2015, and for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360 on May 26, 2015. The pack follows the Inquisition's exploration of the Frostback Basin, an overgrown wilderness area populated by Avvar barbarian tribes and the site of an ancient Tevinter fortress, to determine the fate of the last Inquisitor and the powerful dragon he hunted.

<i>Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights</i> 2020 anthology of short stories

Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights is an anthology of short stories set in Thedas, the universe of the Dragon Age media franchise. The collection is edited by Chris Bain, Patrick Weekes, Matthew Goldman and Christopher Morgan, and comprises a selection of fifteen stories written by nine BioWare staff writers about various characters from the Dragon Age series. Tevinter Nights was released on March 10, 2020 in paperback and e-book format.

Vivienne (<i>Dragon Age</i>) Fictional character from BioWares Dragon Age franchise

Vivienne is a fictional character from BioWare's Dragon Age franchise, first appearing as a party member in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Within the series, she is the official enchanter to the Imperial Court of the Orlesian Empire who achieved her position through political savvy. She presents herself to the Inquisition as a representative of the Orlesian Court and a self-styled leader among the mage community of Thedas, the world setting of the Dragon Age series, who supports the status quo of cloistering magic users into supervised training facilities known as the Circles of Magi. The character was featured prominently in promotional material and advertisements released by Bioware's parent company EA leading up to the release of Inquisition. She is voiced by British actress Indira Varma.

<i>Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Descent</i> 2015 video game

Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Descent is a downloadable content (DLC) pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2014 action role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was initially released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows through Electronic Arts' digital distribution platform Origin on August 11, 2015. The pack follows the Inquisition's exploration of the Deep Roads, a subterranean network of underground pathways and tunnels built by dwarven civilizations of yore, to investigate the occurrence of strange earthquakes which is disrupting international trade of the precious material lyrium.

<i>Dragon Age: Inquisition – Trespasser</i> 2015 video game

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Trespasser is a downloadable content (DLC) pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2014 action role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows through Electronic Arts' digital distribution platform Origin, on September 8, 2015. The pack follows members of the Inquisition as they uncover a conspiracy to invade southern Thedas, while at the same time being confronted over their relevancy as an organization two years after a cataclysmic series of events which unfolded in Inquisition. As the Inquisition works to undermine a secret invasion by the Qunari, its leadership will eventually have to decide whether the organization itself should continue to exist.

References

  1. ↑ Conal Pierse (December 12, 2014). "The Sound and the Fury: What we listened to while writing Dragon Age: Inquisition". Bioware Blog. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ Conal Pierse (June 27, 2014). "Sera Character Kit". BioWare . Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Patricia Hernandez (1 December 2014). "The New Dragon Age Has Some Pretty Good Sex Scenes". Kotaku . Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The world premiere of Greflet's song from the official King's Bounty II soundtrack!". Gamasutra. July 9, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  5. ↑ Andy Chalk (January 26, 2015). "Dragon Age: Inquisition tavern music is free to download for a limited time". PC Gamer . Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  6. ↑ Eddie Makuch (January 26, 2015). "Get Dragon Age: Inquisition's Tavern Songs Free Right Now". GameSpot . Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ BioWare. Dragon Age: Inquisition. Level/area: Val Royeaux: Secluded Courtyard. Sera: Bad things should happen to bad people. We find someone not so bad, maybe he'll end up not so dead.
  8. 1 2 Bridget Whelan; Matthew Wilhelm Kapell, eds. (January 24, 2020). Women and Video Game Modding: Essays on Gender and the Digital Community. McFarland. ISBN   97814-7661-878-4.
  9. ↑ Gita Jackson (18 November 2019). "The Most Irritating Character In Dragon Age: Inquisition". Kotaku . Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Kath Rella (March 17, 2017). "In Defence of Dragon Age's Sera". The Queerness. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sera is the only companion you need in Dragon Age: Inquisition". PCGamesN . 27 November 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ Nicholas Scibetta (November 24, 2014). "5 reasons Sera is the best character in Dragon Age: Inquisition". GameCrate. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Developing queer characters – How we can do better". MCV/Develop. January 26, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ Kat Brewster (11 December 2018). "Dragon Age: Inquisition Broke My Heart (And why that's a good thing.)". IGN . Retrieved February 24, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.