#anders my love

[yesiplaygamez]

when they say that side with the templars

me:

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #pro mage #sorry not sorry #anti templars #anders did nothing wrong #dragon age 2 #da2 #video game #dragon age shitpost #anders dragon age 2 #anders my love #wise words #pro anders #mage rights #dao #yesiplatgamez

[elvenforestwitch]

My Anders cosplay that I’ve been working on for like two years is finally done! Used Autodesk Sketchbook to edit these photos. Absolutely RIP to the photo quality. Click to enlarge, you know the drill.

Update: just wore this to the Ren Faire and people loved it!

More unedited pics below the cut:

#anders #handers #Anders cosplay #da2 #dragon age 2 #cosplay #anders dragon age #my art #my cosplay #my costumes #sad cat mage #babygirl #Anders my love #da2 Anders #Anders costume #dragon age #fenders #ren faire #ren fest

[my-dumb-obsessions]

When you're in love with your best friend and you can't do what you really want to do because he's being all weird about it, but you can't resist his stupid, handsome face.

❤ Thank you @dreadfutures for this sweet and beautiful artwork of my Astrid and her Anders! Their outfits, especially, look amazing! ❤

#anders #f!hawke #handers #dragon age 2 #dragon age oc #dragon age fanart #anders my love

[justcallmecappy]

When you first finished DA2, were you surprised by Anders's endgame actions? Before finishing the game, I felt that he's going to do something drastic at the chantry and remembering so many NPCs who was killed there, I was actually worried that he was going to be next. During the Justice quest, he was such a bad liar and even I was starting to doubt about what the ingridients are for, then after telling me it was a lie and I need to distract Elthina at the Chantry, I became afraid for him. I was like, "if he dies, I'll just redo this quest because I can't live w/o my only healer". Then there's the pillow giving scene and I was like, "oh no". I already assumed that Anders was written to be a mentally ill character by then because of his behavior during Dissent (questioning himself whether or not he's just being paranoid about the Tranquil Solution, wanting to isolate himself because he felt like's a danger to everyone, and the "trash, trash, keep" scene made him look like he's about to fall apart from distress). I was just worried for my companion's welfare even if he's not my romance back then. At the end, I was waiting for another chantry scene but I didn't expect for the building to explode. I always figured out Meredith was unreasonable so her declaring an annullment wasn't a surprise but I was kind of expecting that she'll kill Anders on the spot and I have to fight her to defend him. All of a sudden, I have the choice of whether to execute him or not. Obviously, I spared him because he's my only healer and I always felt like the chantry was a corrupt institution ever since Origins. Then after 2 and was fixing was my keep save for DAI, I searched Anders online and to my surprise, the game's narrative is actually against him and a lot of players hate him. I thought people love an underdog fighting against opression. I guess that doesn't apply in this series. So in the end, I was kind of right that he's going to do something at the chantry and someone will die there. I just didn't expect the explosion and that I have to be his executioner. 😭

Hi anon, thank you for the ask, and sorry for my late reply! 😅

Thanks so much for sharing your excellent perspectives on Anders' character and DA2! 💖 I really, really wish more players had your level of compassion and understanding when playing these games. I think a bit of empathy would have given many players more a more nuanced appreciation for these games, and especially Anders' character.

You are right in pointing out Meredith's hypocrisy in walking right past Anders (who literally just confessed to being the sole person responsible for the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry), to slaughter all the mages in the Gallows, who had nothing to do with it. Anders was willingly submitting himself to retribution. Why didn't Meredith try to execute Anders herself, if she truly believed in delivering justice? I think it's in that moment that we see the hypocrisy of the Chantry and the templar order: Meredith was never interested in justice, she only wanted to kill mages.

And your insight: "I thought people love an underdog fighting against opression. I guess that doesn't apply in this series" is so, so apt! 👏👏👏 To me, Anders is like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, or Luke Skywalker from Star Wars: the protagonist character who is fighting against great injustice and oppression, a champion for the downtrodden, a force of positive change.

Usually in stories like this, these characters are the heroes, and for good reason. Sometimes, people need stories that give them hope that they can overcome insurmountable odds (“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” ― G.K. Chesterton). BioWare trying to force a "grey morality" narrative by villainizing Anders, I think, was a bad call. There are many great ways to push a morally grey narrative. However, making someone who was trying his best to improve conditions for a marginalized people (something that resonates so strongly with people in the real world) into a villain and de-legitimatizing his cause his is not.

Thanks again for sharing your insights, friend! 🥰💖 I do love hearing about appreciation for Anders' character, because all the flak he gets from haters online can get exhausting and disheartening, sometimes! I'm happy and grateful for perspectives like yours. 🥰

I'll talk about my own experience with DA2 and Anders' character behind the cut (in case anyone is interested, lol!):

I have to confess: I got into DA only very recently (I only started playing the games in 2020), so when I started DA2, I was pretty much spoiled on Anders' actions in destroying the Kirkwall Chantry, so it didn't exactly come as a surprise when it happened, unfortunately! 😅 I guess this happens when you join years-old fandoms, haha~

My first DA2 playthrough was a Fenrismance. And I also confess, I was rushing through that playthrough (I was creating my first World State and wanted to get to DAI as fast as possible lol), so I didn't pay much attention to other characters outside of the romance and Hawke's family.

However, in that first pt, my relationship with Anders was pretty good: he saved Bethany's life in the Deep Roads, I brought him around a lot because he was my healer, I got him to full 100 Friendship, and even though I couldn't totally understand his motives at the time, I spared his life in Act 3 and we fought to save the mages against Meredith's templars.

When I replayed DA2 for my second World State, I decided to romance Anders, and pay more attention to the world and the characters this time around.

And let me tell you, friendship romancing Anders was — no exaggeration — life-changing. It was like a switch flipped in my head and a bright light came on, haha~ 😆 In my first casual pt, the hardships that mages face in Southern Thedas weren't immediately obvious. However, in my second World State, I happened to roll a Warden Surana in DAO, and in DA2 I romanced Anders as a Mage!Hawke ... and it opened my eyes, lol~ Mages have it tough. They're dehumanized, othered, stripped of equal rights by the Chantry. As someone who has been 'othered' before, and as a minority in the industry I work in, the narrative quickly became important to me.

And now that I was romancing Anders and paying more attention to him, all the wonderful things about his character I overlooked previously now became crystal clear to me. He's so, so devoted to romanced!Hawke, and he doesn't take their love for granted for a second. He loves so carefully and deliberately, with all his heart, despite all his struggles, and the world demanding so much from him.

I never thought it was possible to love a fictional character with as much enthusiasm and ardor as I do now, but here we are, haha 😂❤️

Anders' cause became just as important to me when I saw how noble and necessary it was. My Hawke supported him, fully and wholeheartedly, with zero inhibitions. I would say my Hawke "forgave" him for his actions in Act 3, but honestly, there was nothing to forgive. When you spare Anders in Act 3, the surprise and relief he shows when being shown mercy and understanding is so heartbreakingly palpable. He never expected to be treated with empathy; never expected to be worthy of being listened to with compassion. When you reach your hand out to him, it's a rare kindness he's hardly ever been shown.

(Playing the Andersmance was also pivotal to me shipping Fenders, and realizing how perfect Fenris and Anders are for each other, but that's a story for another time, haha! 😂❤️)

Thank you for reading this far, I hadn't expected this reply to turn into an essay, lol! 😂

#asks #anon #character analysis #chantry boom #andersmance #anders positivity #anders my love #mage rights #bioware critical #dragon age 2 #anders da2 #anders dragon age #anders deserved better

[ambrosethedarling]

Winners of the “Most Likely to Live Happily Ever After” superlative

#i miss them so much #inventors of love and romance #my mother and father #koriand'r #dick grayson #kori anders #starfire #nightwing #starwing #nightfire #dickkory #dc comics #ambrose art

[i-wanna-hug]

fenris bullying merrill is so funny to me cuz bro THIS is who you're beefing with?????? GET REAL

#((they were 2 of my favs so i always wanted to bring them along everywhere but he is RELENTLESS sometimes)) #((i love running merrill//fenris//anders as the ultimate nightmare battle royale banter party comp)) #((going for an evening stroll w/ my pals and anders randomly asks why fenris didn't kill himself like GIRL??????????)) #((god da2 is so funny. truly a game of all time)) #dragon age #dragon age 2 #fenris #merrill #my art

[tramweye]

"I try to remember the wrath of the devil // Was also given him by God"

#the lyrics are from 'bug like an angel' by mitski i love mitski #and its quite obvious but the pose is inspired heavily by the fallen angel #ah yes my fav hobby putting my faves into paitings i like #tramweye art #art #digital art #artists on tumblr #digital artist #dragon age #dragon age fanart #da fanart #da anders #dragon age 2 #dragon age ii #da2 #da2 anders #anders da2 #anders dragon age #anders

[sadmages]

Rotting my brain again

#da2 #handers #dragon age 2 #anders dragon age #custom hawke #mhanders #my art #these are my favourite handers ive drawn ever. i miss them i love them #fin hawke im coming for you soon #i just think anders known mage and pain is cullens ass from kinloch hold should able to gratuitously make out in front of him #with the champion of kirkwall

[traaanskimkitsuragi]

a handers comm i got by aer0spac on twitter!

#dragon age #da2 #anders #garrett hawke #handers #mhanders #look at my beloveds............... #i love love love how this turned out its so cute hehe <3333

[miraculan-draws]

Potential Love Interests that make themselves an earth-shaking plot development with or without your approval. You can beg all you want, they are not listening. They are world-builders. And also bisexuals who have been arrested several times. You run through a burning city twice. It was one of them both times.

#dragon age 2 #anders #isabela #i hope the colors look ok on mobile bc i love how they look on my puter

[yesiplaygamez]

#dragon age #da2 #anders dragon age #dragon age 2 anders #anders dragon age 2 #anders did nothing wrong #pro anders #pro anders blog #anders my love #mage rights #yesiplaygamez

[moosu]

Anders' flowers

#dragon age #da art #da fanart #dragon age 2 #anders #handers #kinda implied #rogue hawke because #i love my rogues #the flowers had specific meanings when I drew this #but I forgot #my art

[my-dumb-obsessions]

Fuck this "I remember you from the Circle" crap. Cariane Amell would have jumped into Anders's arms, crying, the second he turned around and went, "Holy shit, Carie!?"

This was her friend, her tutor, her role model. The friend she didn't get to see for a whole year when they locked him up, and maybe once got to talk to him and hug him before her Harrowing when shit went down with Jowan and she ended up in the Wardens.

Anders, whose relationship with Karl made her feel like maybe she and Niall could have something real... But Niall was gone, and everything went to shit, and "Oh my god I went back and I couldn't find you and I thought you were dead!" And here he was, surrounded by death, but still alive.

And she couldn't save Jowan, but she was Commander now, and Carie was damned if she was going to let anyone take Anders from her again.

#anders #amell #warden amell #dragon age #dragon age awakening #dragon age anders #warden oc #magi origin #headcanon #rebel mage wardens #the feelings i have for this man #emotionally compromised #anders my love #oc cariane amell

[justcallmecappy]

Omg I'm sorry I put you through that. I never considered the Night Terrors quest a Harrowing for Hawke before since Hawke is fighting against Feynriel's demons rather than their own. Poor Feynriel paying the price for Hawke's actions. I also feel like it's personal betrayal to Feynriel as well because Hawke is like a hero to him (his letters to Hawke all sound like great admiration for them). I always choose the ending to send him to Tevinter because the other two endings suck. The bad endings also earn a lot of rivalry points from Anders anyways so that makes it not worth it. Both bad endings do feel like you're fulfilling Anders's worst fears but instead of him, the one on the receiving end is a young mage struggling with his powers. You're right that Anders does care about Feynriel's welfare since he's one of the few companions that would like him to go the Dalish in Wayward Son and he gets rivalry points if you tell Arianni that you sent Feynriel to the Gallows. Bringing Anders along during that quest is also kind of sad because unlike his parents, Feynriel's parents are willing to help their son evade the templars. Vincento may not be father of the year but to Anders, he's a better dad than his own. Makes me wonder how much of Anders's life would have changed if his parents tried to hide him. Side note: Anders responses to purple and red Hawke regarding Justice being in control reminds me how much Anders worries more about Justice's welfare than his own and I wished that we could have at least talk to Justice about it. Big mood on Anders being sad the dark timeline because all my worldstates have him winning and which is why I refuse to do the boring default world state. Anyways, thank you for your in-depth analysis.

Hi anon! 😊 It’s totally fine, no need to apologize! You asked a very good question, and it gave me a reason to play through a story path in the game I wouldn’t have considered to do on my own, and I felt it was worth the exploration. 😃

And thanks so much for sharing your own thoughts on the characters as well! Great insight on how Hawke giving Feynriel to Torpor hits harder as a betrayal, considering Feynriel’s admiration for Hawke.

Anders feeling glad for Feynriel's parents wanting to protect their son from the Gallows, but also sad and wistful reflecting over his own parents who gave him up so easily to the templars is also a deep insight into his character in that questline.

And you're right, Anders always cared about Justice and still put Justice’s welfare before his own – even as far as Act 3, when he gives himself up to Hawke’s judgement, not expecting mercy or to be spared, he says, “Maybe then Justice will be free.” He’s still thinking of his Spirit friend, even when he’s at death’s door – I think Anders just really hates holding people, mage or Spirit, against their will, since he knows what it’s like to feel like a prisoner with no freedom or autonomy when he was in the Circle. He does not want to be a person who could do that to someone else.

Anders is happy and well in all my world states, as he should be! I think he deserves a bit of peace after fighting for so long. 💖

Thanks again for sending in the Asks, and sorry again for my late replies 😅

(in response to this ask)

#asks #anon #anders positivity #anders my love #character analysis #night terrors #feynriel #justice #dragon age 2

[alienturnipp]

Post-game Handers commission for @chisotahn 💞

(Image Description in ALT)

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #anders #hawke #handers #alien turnip's art #alien turnip's commission #chisotahn #thank you so much again for the comm sosi! it was a delight #i love them so much your honor #gosh i love showing them happily aging hahahaha each of hawke's white hair adds 10 years to my lifespan

[yoschag]

I gonna upload here some of my older art from my old accounts. Ill try to not spam so hard.

--

I just love Anders... what a piece of shit.

#i reeeeeeeally love anders #here some old sketches of him #my fanart #anders #dragon age 2 #dragon age #justice