Taash’s romance questline in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is truly unique. As you get to know the towering dragon hunter, you also follow them on a journey in exploring their identity. I don’t think there’s another character in all of RPGs that decides to change their gender expression during your relationship, let alone in previous Dragon Age games.

I can’t say that it’s always the most masterfully written storyline—much of Taash’s self-reflection is quite awkwardly inserted into conversations, and the use of very modern, real-world terms and ideas can feel jarring in a fantasy world, even if the underlying struggle doesn’t feel out of place in Thedas. But it’s certainly a bold choice to make it such a major part of the romance and the wider story, and it feels like a significant step to see trans inclusion so front and centre in a major game release.

Plus, you also get to just enjoy smooching with a character that looks like they could lift you over their head with zero effort—and Taash’s direct and dominant approach to romance definitely has its charms, especially if you’re the kind of person that often wishes a fictional character would step on them. Read on to discover how to romance Taash in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and some of the key scenes you’ll get to see if you do.

How to romance Taash

Like all romances in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, romancing Taash is very straightforward. The game makes it obvious which options will lead to romance, so you just have to pay attention and pick the right ones. But in case you have any doubts, these are the steps to follow to make sure it happens:

• Complete Taash’s companion quests and events whenever they come up. Make sure to check whenever you go back to the Lighthouse to see if they have anything new for you—either an exclamation mark or a speech bubble over their icon on the map.
• Choose the dialogue options marked with a love heart every time they appear. You can miss some early flirting opportunities and still win Taash’s affections, but after a certain point these options become now-or-never, so play it safe by always getting lovey-dovey when you can.
• Give them the “Priceless Ancient Trinkets” gift—if you’re not sure where to find it, check our companion gift guide.

You don’t need to do every one of their companion quests (many of which are just short conversations or scenes) to romance them, but it’s good to see them all through to experience Taash’s complete story and make sure you don’t miss anything. The crucial turning point is a conversation you’ll be able to have at the Lighthouse shortly after the events at Weisshaupt. Say you’re interested then, and things will unfold from there into the A Little Dragon Hatches quest, where you can fully commit to the relationship.

Taash romance scenes

Feeding the birds

Shortly after meeting Taash for the first time and adding them to your party, you’ll receive the Fire on the Sands quest. This is a chance to get to know them better, by joining them as they run an errand on the Rivaini coast and feed the local birds. You’ll get the opportunity to flirt with them here, lighting the spark of a potential romance. Make sure you don’t run into the birds as you go, though—hilariously, disturbing them while they’re eating actually hurts your bond with Taash a small amount.

Just flirting?

After the events at Weisshaupt, a conversation with Taash should become available at the Lighthouse. It may take a little while to trigger—if it’s not showing up, just do some more sidequests while you wait, checking back after each one.

Taash will tell you about their mother scolding them over applying the traditional ropes to their arms. Choose the option:

• “You deserve kindness, Taash”

Taash will quickly change the subject to asking you pretty directly whether you’re just flirting for fun or looking for something serious. Tell them you’re looking for “Taamlok”—that’s basically Qunari language for a serious relationship—and things will start to get steamy. That is, until you’re interrupted by Harding with a message that leads into the A Little Dragon Hatches quest.

Commit to a relationship with Taash

The A Little Dragon Hatches quest will send you to a dragon’s lair, but you don’t need to prepare for combat—this is just another dialogue scene in a different setting, basically. Taash will express their frustration with being confused about their identity—their role as the dragon hunter of the group, their gender expression, and their mixed Rivaini/Qunari heritage. When they bring up their mother, you’ll get the dialogue option:

• “She cares for you. So do I.”

That commits you to a relationship with Taash for the rest of the game, and closes off any flirting/romance options with other characters. Then there’s some kissing in a cave to seal the deal.