Solas Concept Art from Dragon Age: Veilguard Surfaces

Early Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals a Darker Solas

Early concept sketches by former BioWare artist Nick Thornborrow offer intriguing insights into the evolution of Solas's character in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. These sketches, showcased on Thornborrow's website, reveal a more overtly vengeful and god-like Solas than the advisor role he ultimately plays in the final game.

Thornborrow, who left BioWare in April 2022, contributed significantly to The Veilguard's development by creating a visual novel prototype to explore story possibilities. Over 100 sketches from this prototype have been released, highlighting significant deviations between initial concepts and the final product.

While Solas's initial act of tearing the Veil remains largely consistent, other scenes depict him as a colossal, shadowy figure, far removed from his in-game portrayal. This raises questions about the context of these scenes—are they solely confined to Rook's dreams, or do they represent Fen'Harel's real-world actions?

The contrast between the concept art and the finished game underscores the significant narrative shifts that occurred during The Veilguard's development. The change in the game's title from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf further emphasizes the extensive evolution of the storyline. Thornborrow's contribution offers fans a unique glimpse into this transformative process, bridging the gap between initial vision and final release. The sketches, primarily black and white with selective color accents (such as The Veilguard's lyrium dagger), highlight the initially more sinister and powerful depiction of Solas.