 | This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (August 2023) |
| Cassandra Pentaghast | |
|---|---|
| Dragon Age character | |
 Cassandra as she appears in Dragon Age: Inquisition | |
| First game | Dragon Age II (2011) |
| Voiced by | Miranda Raison Colleen Clinkenbeard (Dawn of the Seeker) |
| In-universe information | |
| Home | Nevarra |
| Class | Warrior |
| Specialization | Templar |
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.
A forceful character was needed to "carry" Dragon Age II's story. The character was designed to be "severe and dramatic", and has a heavily angular face representing her "hard edge". The developers wanted the Seeker armor to be easily recognisable, and it has a "strong and graphic" silhouette. Longer hair proved difficult to animate in the game, leading to her current short hair. It was intended that Cassandra visually display her authority and power. Miranda Raison provides Cassandra's voice in the games and in Absolution, though she does not voice the character in Dawn of the Seeker.
Cassandra received a positive reception in Inquisition, with attention being drawn to her layered personality, as well as her place as one of Inquisition's diverse cast of women. For her earlier appearance in Dawn of the Seeker, she received a more mixed response, with some credit going to her design but her characterization being criticised.