Logain Mac Tir Thread - "The traitor Teyrn. Yes. I've heard all the names"

Still better than dying in Orlais. 

I like DAO's ultimate sacrifice as an ending for Loghain. After being so dismissive of the Grey Wardens, he finally learns why they are needed and then experiences it first hand.

Meh.  Rift shenanigans don't change spatial relationships. Your Loghain died in another dimension, which is logically as far from Orlais as any place could possibly be. Believe it.

My Loghain, however, is doing quite well reorganizing the Grey Wardens as only Loghain could, and waiting for an opportune moment to turn up in the next game, or the one after.   

Not talking more sense into Cailan? Not giving Duncan reason to believe he would meet him halfway once the latter's tactical knowledge actually became relevant? Dishonorably cheating death with the Archdemon? 

And it's not like people aren't capable of defending actions they regret.

If I'm reading your post right we're talking about the warden quizzing him on his reasoning in Origins and him saying he wants to atone in Inquisition, right? Maybe time gave him another perspective on his own motivations. It tends to do that. Selling those impoverished elves to Tevinter for hard cash has still got to be prickling at conscience.

Feeling that your reasoning and actions were right in principle and only sabotaged in execution because of circumstances entirely out of your control and - so absolutely not your fault!!!! - is the very first thing people do once they've been forced to admit that their actions had real unpleasant consequences they didn't count on. I get that it's a fallacy, but it's certainly not unrealistic for Loghain to cling to that mindset.

And I'm not talking about whether he was justified or not either, I'm talking about to what degree he actually feels he was and to what he just pretends to be for his own pride and comfort.

When you take him on a field trip through the Fade, the demon freak thing tries to guilt-trip him, and he interrupts it essentially saying it's not bringing anything he doesn't know and hasn't learned to live with. And when you face the Archdemon on Fort Drakon, if no other arrangements have been made, he will try to sacrifice himself to end the Blight even though there's little chance he considers you more valuable to Ferelden's future than he is. So he clearly does regret some of his actions even if he doesn't want to talk about it.

And what would you do if someone with a fraction of your experience and history of sacrifice and hardship got in your face and tried to drag an admission of sin out of you so they could browbeat you with it? Just because he doesn't want to talk to you about it doesn't mean he doesn't feel guilty. And he's dealing with it. Why would he feel obligated to share? That's not the Loghain way. 

People are complicated, man. Loghain is a classic machismo, they don't share their actual thinking and feelings just to air them out. And few people just embrace guilt wholeheartedly if they feel they have an excuse on some level.

You're right that we don't know exactly which actions he felt most guilty for because he simply never feels obligated to confirm it. My money really is on those elves sold into slavery though.

That could be it. Loghain's rationale throughout Origins seemed to be that the ends justify the means. Since he failed though, all those means were just wasted lives.