Some villains are more than they let on to be at first. In Dragon Age: Origins, Loghain is the instigator of much of the plot going sideways. He is a villain, through and through. Or is he? Certainly, he makes it clear that he has his reasons for doing what he does. The player is free to agree or disagree with his intentions and his methods. As the game is an RPG, your created character can make myriad choices. Understanding Loghain is the first step to deciding how you feel about him, and what you will do as you face him. This is the full story on Loghain Mac Tir.
Humble Origins
Loghain was low-born, the son of a farmer. His family suffered under the Orlesian Empire, who conquered the land in his youth and took everything from the people they could. When they dared to rise against the Orlesians, his family had to go on the run. Losing his mother, he and his father ended up joining the rebellion against the foreign rulers. Teaming up with a man in the rebellion named Maric, they fought many battles, the most famous being the battle of River Dane. He was granted the surname Mac Tir, "of the land," and would be granted lands and a noble title when Maric ended up ruling over a freed Ferelden as king.
A Ruthless Man
Loghain would serve as a major advisor to Maric's son and successor, King Cailan, and would see his daughter Anora marry him to become queen. He never trusted Cailan much, finding him vainglorious and foolish. When the Darkspawn came to Ferelden, Loghain doubted if it was a real Blight. When the Grey Wardens came to help, as they were meant to do, he was suspicious. They were foreigners, with no bastion of their order remaining in Ferelden. He didn't trust them, and he thought Cailan's alliance with them would lead the Ferelden forces to doom. When the time came to lead his forces to back up Cailan against the Darkspawn, he abandoned the king and the Grey Wardens both.
An Enemy
The player character of Dragon Age: Origins would see Loghain's betrayal and be one of the two surviving Grey Wardens. Loghain needed them to die to keep his betrayal a secret and did all in his power to do so. He hired assassins, worked with murderers, and even abided having slavers in his city to try and maintain a hold on the kingdom. Ruling through his daughter, the queen, he had all the control to fight the war the way he wanted. However, the Grey Wardens made allies and, provided the player worked hard enough, convinced the kingdom to stand against him. Loghain was stopped, as his mistrust of the Orlesians and Wardens even led his daughter to abandon him.
A Fate You Can Choose
In one of the great moments of the first game, you can decide Loghain's fate. Your companion Alistair will demand he dies. His daughter Anora wishes him to live. People will disagree no matter what decision you make. If he lives, he is ironically made to join the Grey Wardens alongside you as a party member. Alistair will not abide by this, either leaving to rule as king, become a drunkard, or die. Should you utilize Morrigan's ritual to make it so no Warden has to die to end the Blight, then Loghain will live on. He will be sent to join the Wardens at their stronghold, his discomfort of foreigners having to be put aside.
If Loghain survives, he will become a major contact for the protagonist of Dragon Age II, Hawke. This will lead him to encounter the players in Dragon Age: Inquisition as their contact within the Grey Wardens. A decade later, he now has loyalty to the order and wishes to save them from themselves. In the course of this quest, he will end up stuck in the Fade alongside the Inquisitor and Hawke. One person must stay behind, and the player can force either Hawke or Loghain to do it. Should they make Hawke stay, then Loghain once again survives a game he wasn't meant to and returns to the Grey Warden base to inform them of his efforts.
Final Thoughts
Loghain is a curious man. He is strong, cunning, and driven. While not particularly ambitious, his distaste for Orlesians and his desire to keep his kingdom free leads him to take rash actions. He hurts innocents and becomes the villain of the first game, or at least the most important one we can talk to. Few players invite him to their party, but those who do can learn a lot about him. He makes for a dependable ally, despite his attempts to end your life repeatedly throughout the story. Letting him live on throughout the franchise is a funny quirk, although one that seemingly will not be mentioned in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Regardless, Loghain Mac Tir will be remembered as a worthy foe.
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