How To Achieve a Happy End in the Main Campaign (Spoiler Alert!)

Dragon Age: Origins can end in many possible ways. Some of them are really grim. This is a short list of what one must do for a happy ending...

A quick note before we start

Author of this guide isn't native English speaker. Please excuse some grammatical and stylistic mistakes within the text.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***
*** Beware of spoilers in this guide ***

In general

What we try to achieve is that after events of main campaign:

1) Main character lives.
2) All long-term companions survive as well.
3) Alistair is a new king of Ferelden and he rules together with his new wife, queen Anora. They become great leaders of the nation.
4) There are no possible loose ends which could backfire later.

How to do it in five steps

These are five conditions which must be fulfilled:

1) Alistair must be hardened.
2) Arrange a marriage between Alistair and Anora (before landsmeet).
3) Spare Loghain at the landsmeet and make him one of the Wardens.
4) Refuse Morrigan's proposal for a "loophole".
5) For the final confrontation with the Archdemon take Loghain with you as one of your companions and let him kill the beast.

... and they lived happily ever after... ;-)

Ad 1)

Alistair is a good-hearted young fellow with strong sence for justice. But he is also quite naive and idealistic. For his future role as a king we must adjust his perspective little bit (aka harden him).

How to do it:

During Alistair's personal quest (Alistair's Family), you and Alistair visit his sister in Denerim. The meeting doesn't go very well and after that you have a conversation with Alistair, during which you must say "Everyone is out for themselves. You should learn that." From this point forward, Alistair becomes hardened and more perceptive to world around him. This is very important and the only chance to harden Alistair (without cheating).

*) Note: If Alistair remains unhardened, on the landsmeet, when you spare Loghain, there Alistair is furious and he refuses to marry Anora. Then you must choose between him or Anora. If you choose Alistair, Anora is either executed (which makes Alistair nothing more than usurper of the throne in many eyes) or exiled (possible future rebelion backfire). If Anora becomes the queen she wants to execute Alistair (to prevent possible future rebelion). You can safe Alistair's life but no matter what, Alistair leaves you for good and becomes drunken good-for-nothing. That's what we want to prevent. The marriage is the only clean way out of this mess.

**) If you play human noble you can kinda take the throne for yourself by marrying Alistair (if playing female) or become Anora's prince-consort (whatever that means) but the problems I wrote about earlier remain the same.

Ad 2)

In the end one of the Wardens must die - there is only one way around it and we don't want to go that path (more ad 4).

Firstly, we must safe Alistair. To do so, we let him leave the Wardens. He is an illegitimate son of late king Maric and therefore he has claim to the throne. So let's make him the king! But queen Anora also wants to rule. To prevent possible future conflicts we arrange their marriage. Classy, right?

BEFORE the landsmeet, at Arl Eamon's Estate, talk to Anora about possible marriage to Alistair. She is a clever girl and she will agree. Then talk to Alistair. It will be a little harder but eventually he will agree too. Don't forget to confirm the deal with Anora once more.

Ad 3)

As it has been said, in the end one of the Wardens must die. We don't want either Alistair or our hero to die, so we must find a new Warden. Loghain, the main human fiend, seems to be perfect for that role. ;-)

The landsmeet finishes with a duel between Loghain and main hero (or one of the companions). Don't let Alistair fight for you because he will kill Loghain (before you can stop him) and Anora (who is Loghain's daughter) will refuse to marry her father's killer. So fight Loghain yourself or any other companion but don't kill him. Instead agree with Riordan's proposal to make Loghain one of the Grey Wardens.

Alistair is very angry but because he has been hardened, he keeps his promise to marry Anora and becomes the king.

Ad 4)

After fighting darkspawn in Redcliffe, Riordan finally tells you that the one who kills the Archdemon dies as well. Our funny witch companion Morrigan has her own agenda. She tries to convince you (or Loghain) to lay with her and concieve a child. This child would drag spirit of defeated Archdemon and therefore no Warden has to die.

Well, as tempting as it might sound, you should refuse. Come on, do you really want to plant a seed of another darkspawn invasion in the future? I don't think so. Not mention that Loghain is real piece of s**t and deserves punishment. Also he could be a political problem for Alistair's and Anora's reign. Or you can take it this way - even Loghain deserves another chance for self-redemption.

Morrigan will leave you when you refuse but otherwise nothing bad happens to her.

Ad 5)

It is obvious, isn't it? Loghain is the one who should kill the Archdemon and sacrifice himself. Be sure to take him with you for the last battle in Fort Drakon. In the end Loghain will offer to deliver the final blow. Let him do it.

And it's done. Archdemon is no more and Loghain left this world with honor. It will be later appreciated by his daughter Anora, but also by Alistair (justice has been served). You are the hero of Ferelden and mostly everybody is happy. It's a happy end after all.

[Tankmaster1944]

Strazzen, of note is that Goldanna is not Alistair's half/sister. His mother was a former Grey Warden, and the head of the Mage Rebellion in DAI

[Sir_Strazzen]

When you asked about "A Prince--Consort, whatever that is?" , the easiest and most familiar person I can give as an example is or was Queen Elizabeth's husband who recently passed away last years , Prince Philipe . A "Consort" is a nice way of saying "Guy Gigolo who she sleeps with and has Babies with" . Prince Philipe , Prince Charles father was considered a Prince-Consort .

Basically a 'Prince--Consort' can never be made King and is only there for his Queen simply to make Babies and keep her happy . That's it , that is all he does. Oh , and Tyvm for telling me about "Hardening" Alister since I never knew that was how you could have him not like the choice of Loghain being made a Grey Warden , but still go through with marrying Anora. All that I never knew and have never made that choice for Alister with his half-sister Goldanna . Thanks again and much appreciated. STRZ

[samari2456chakra]

Also, I love Alistair and don't want him to become angry at me or the world!

[samari2456chakra]

I agree mcnabney on this one. I would rather have my characters all live and it does make the Witch Hunt DLC tie with Inquisition. Who cares if Morrigan has an evil god baby, you can always just send another Grey Warden after it.

[Warlord4Hikage]

Good ending, but didn't canon cause Morrigan must have a son

[Lawyer_Up]

what? and miss out on the glory of killing the archdemon myself and living. Have the old god baby and just kill loghain in the landsmeet. Their really aren't any good or bad endings in the game. plus i always romanced morgan so it would be dumb not to do the ritual then.

[Economic Terrorist]

nuh. Old God baby is evil. Don't have Old God baby

[mcnabney]

Just have the Old God baby. It ties-in with the Witch Hunt DLC and is resolved in Inquisition.