Hawke - the ultimate fan thread! "We sure do a lot of walking, don't we?"

I can't believe that there's no separate thread for Hawke, the most important character of them all! Correct me if I'm wrong or if this topic is somehow weird. Sure, the whole game is about Hawke and most conversations revolve around them, but I definitely think that he/she deserves a topic of their own where we Hawke fans can indulge in unabashed Hawke-centered revelry.

I've expressed my deep love for Hawke in many discussions here, and I won't go into all the reasons why he/she is my favourite DA character, or indeed, perhaps even my favourite character in any game. I think what makes Hawke so memorable and relatable as a PC is that while the player can affect their personality a lot, there are some fixed traits which are more or less constant despite the interpretation of the player. These include their love for family, their perseverance in the face of overwhelming opposition and so on.

Personally, I find those two above-mentioned traits to be crucial. The family plot is extremely innovative in a fantasy RPG setting, and I've talked about how it makes the struggle seem more worthwhile. It's like playing some sort of family drama.

About Hawke's perseverance: I think it is somewhat empowering to reflect on the effort Hawke puts in, even though they cannot possibly achieve the ideal outcome. I think Hawke's story is like a "realistic" version of the rags to riches tale. A refugee becomes the Champion and possibly even Viscount, but this journey from the bottom to the top does not come without sacrifices and doesn't mean that they are omnipotent and can life happily ever after - there are things bigger than any individual and even Hawke is forced to accept failure in the face of such momentous forces.

I know their return in DAI might cause mixed feelings in some, and the Bioware interpretation of Inquisition-era Hawke might differ from the personal interpretations of some. But for me it was very important, perhaps the single most memorable moment in any video game. Especially when, for me, the Hawke of DAI was a perfect reflection of my own DA2 Hawke. She was the same humorous and well-meaning character, but with the burden of responsibility for everyone she cared about and the shadow of all the traumatic events and failures of her past. Seeing her in DAI felt like completion; a worthy conclusion of, if not Hawke's tale, then at least their role in the events of current Thedas.

And of course, there are also the fun parts to Hawke: all those immortal quotes and their tendency to make things explode wherever they go. Varric's words in Trespasser summarised it so well:

"Weisshaupt has apparently descended into that special kind of mess that only happens when Hawke shows up. My bets are on Hawke walking out of there as the fortress explodes." (Freely recited from memory)

Especially the humorous Hawke has some priceless moments in both games.

"Could there be one week without a crazy mage? Just one week."

" 'I like big ships. I cannot deny it.' Really?"

"Are there any good seats left?"

"We might have to do this a few more times to find out."

Definitely my favourite PC in any RPG I've ever played. How about you? Share your favourite Hawke moment! Feel free to share any funny memes as well.

PS. There should have been flirting options with Hawke in DAI, don't you think? Hahaha. Especially if Hawke did not romance anyone in DA2. Maybe not a romance because that would have pushed the boat out too far. Would have been amusing, albeit a bit silly.