Summary

• Dragon's Dogma features a customizable fantasy story with multiple, variable endings that greatly impact gameplay.
• Endings range from becoming the Duke to breaking the cycle of dogma, affecting the Arisen, their Pawn, and the world around them.
• Dragon's Dogma 2 is set in a different world but connects to the original game, hinting at the impact of the true ending.

Dragon's Dogma has a complicated story with multiple endings that tie into its sequel, Dragon's Dogma 2. In the original Dragon's Dogma, the player takes control of the Arisen, a being destined to save the world. Alongside their Pawn, the Arisen seeks out the dragon that destroyed their village and becomes wrapped up in an endless cycle of fate along the way. Set in the nation of Gransys, Dragon's Dogma tells a complicated, customizable, if sometimes barebones, fantasy story.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dragon's Dogma.]

The story of Dragon's Dogma is filled with twists and turns that make for very memorable moments, but the overall plot is fairly straightforward. Where the game's story really shines is in its multiple, variable endings. There are four unique endings to Dragon's Dogma, and they don't all occur just before the credits roll. Some of them have an enormous impact, and greatly expand the overall playtime. For those looking for a refresher before starting the sequel, or curious about whether they should play the original Dragon's Dogma first, here is a comprehensive explanation of Dragon's Dogma's story and endings.

Dragon's Dogma Tells A Classic Fantasy Story

Humble Beginnings, Destiny As Arisen, The Duke's Secret

Dragon's Dogma starts with the player character's humble village of Cassardis being attacked by a massive dragon. After a futile fight, the Dragon, known as Grigori, rips the heart from the protagonist and devours it. However, instead of killing them, this marks them as the Arisen, cursing them with supernatural abilities and a terrible destiny: seeking out and defeating Grigori. Shortly after this, the Arisen discovers that they can summon a Pawn, a customizable servant in Dragon's Dogma. The Arisen's Main Pawn accompanies them throughout their journey.

Players can hire a second, more temporary Pawn by visiting a Riftstone. In Dragon's Dogma and its sequel, players are allowed up to three Pawns at once.

The Arisen next pays a visit to the local military encampment, where they help its residents fend off a Hydra. Itinerant soldier Mercedes Marten, an envoy sent to help Gransys in its war against the Dragon, bears witness. She convinces the Arisen to follow her to Gran Soren, the seat of the Duchy, and swear fealty to Duke Edmun Dragonsbane's cause. After earning the Duke's favor, the Arisen finally gains an audience. They're shocked to realize that Edmun has reigned for over a hundred years, having gained the position (and stopped aging) after defeating the Dragon once before.

However, with Grigori returned, it falls to the Arisen to defeat him again. Members of the Salvation cult, who wish to secure the Dragon's victory and destroy the world, learn of the Arisen's destiny. The cult's leader, Elysion, sends assassins to stop the Arisen. The Arisen defeats them handily. But Grigori then appears and kills Elysion, putting an end to Salvation's plot. He then directly challenges the Arisen to come and find him.

While there are several side quests to complete in the main game, the story is ultimately not affected by them, with much of the narrative centered around Dragon's Dogma's multiple endings. Most of them simply exist to flesh out the lore and expand the map of Dragon's Dogma. The plot really picks up once the player first gains an opportunity to select which ending they see.

Dragon's Dogma's First Ending Cuts The Game Off Early

A Bad Ending Of Dragon's Dogma, "Solitude"

The first ending that the Arisen may come across happens at the midway point of the game. Upon confronting Grigori for the final time, the dragon offers a choice to the Arisen: sacrifice someone close to them and become the new duke of the land, or fight Grigori to the death. Should the player choose to sacrifice their beloved (who changes depending on who Dragon's Dogma's Arisen has the highest affinity with), Grigori honors the deal and becomes dormant. The Arisen then takes credit for the victory and becomes the duke of Gran Soren.

Through this ending, it is revealed that the current Duke Edmun became ruler of the land after taking Grigori's deal as well, hinting that this is a cycle that will only repeat itself in due time. The game then ends with the Arisen, dressed in ducal robes, sitting upon the throne, alone and miserable, waiting for the day a new Arisen may replace them. Fortunately, the game auto-saves beforehand, so players may elect to go back before the pivotal choice to confront the dragon and continue the game.

The Second Ending To Dragon's Dogma Lets The Arisen Live In Peace - At A Cost

The Good Ending Of Dragon's Dogma, "Peace"

Should the player deny Grigori's offer and kill him in combat, the world plunges into chaos. An endless underground tower known as the Everfall opens beneath Gran Soren, plunging half of the royal city into the abyss. The Duke blames the Arisen for this and most of the player's previous allies become foes as the game shifts towards a much darker tone.

In Dragon's Dogma's post-game, which is collectively known as "post-Dragon," all the game's enemies are replaced by much stronger variants and most quests are no longer able to be completed. With no other options, the Arisen is forced to delve into the ever-descending abyss of the Everfall.

Upon reaching the core of the Everfall, the player encounters a godlike being known as the Seneschal, who reveals that they are a former Arisen tasked with overseeing the world. The world is in turn sustained by the Seneschal's life essence. However, over time, the Seneschal's life essence has faded and they need a replacement. Thus, they sent Grigori out into the land to search for worthy people to become Arisen and, potentially, become powerful enough in strength and will to replace them.

The Seneschal's identity depends on a variety of factors. On their first playthrough, if the player is offline, it may be Savan, the character briefly controlled in the prologue to Dragon's Dogma. If they're online, it'll be another player's custom character. If they complete the game a second time on New Game Plus, it'll be their Arisen from their first playthrough.

The game's second ending occurs shortly after meeting the Seneschal. Like other western RPGs, Dragon's Dogma embraces choice. Echoing the first ending, the Seneschal offers the Arisen a choice: reject becoming the new Seneschal and live a normal life, or choose to take on the mantle of a god.

Should the player refuse, they are teleported back to Cassardis, with the dragon attack never actually happening. The player character is no longer Arisen, and their Pawn is nowhere to be found. The Seneschal is disappointed, but allows the player to live in peace. However, this surely allows the cycle to continue again, with the Seneschal needing to find another replacement.

Dragon's Dogma's Third Ending Sees The Arisen Become The Dragon

A Bad Ending Of Dragon's Dogma, "Peace"

Dragon's Dogma's third ending sees the Arisen fall by the Seneschal's blade, proving to them that the Arisen is not strong enough to take their place. A rift then opens beneath the Arisen's feet, and they fall into an unknown world. As they fall, they are transformed into a new dragon much like Grigori, hinting that they are now tasked with finding a new replacement.

Of all the endings, this one may have had the greatest influence on Dragon's Dogma's Netflix anime adaptation, given that a similar fate befalls Ethan. As with all previous endings, the cycle begins again, this time with the player's Arisen as the new antagonist.

The Final Ending To Dragon's Dogma Breaks The Cycle

The True Ending Of Dragon's Dogma, "The Great Hereafter"

The final, definitive ending, dubbed "The Great Hereafter," occurs when the Seneschal is defeated and gives the Arisen the Godsbane, a weapon capable of killing the Seneschal. Upon killing the Seneschal, their power is given to the Arisen, allowing them to become the new Seneschal. In this form, the player may visit Gran Soren and Cassardis, albeit in a restricted capacity. In their Seneschal form, the Arisen is invisible and cannot interact with anyone or most of the environment.

However, should the player use the Godsbane to end their own lives, the cycle of the Arisen is broken and their Main Pawn is sent back to Cassardis. But upon returning, the player's Pawn finds themselves trapped in the body of their Arisen, with the fate of the world left ambiguous. However, this is the most positive of all endings. By breaking the cycle, the Arisen has not only freed the world from the Dragon's dogma, but also granted their Main Pawn free will. It's a win for everybody except the Arisen, whose sacrifice has made a new world possible.

Where Dragon's Dogma 2 Begins

New World, New Cycle, Same Dragon

Although Dragon's Dogma 2 is technically a sequel, it's set in an entirely different world from the first game. Instead of Gransys, it takes place in the dual nations of Vermund and Battahl. Vermund is a verdant, hilly kingdom, home to humans and overseen by a ruler called the Sovran. Battahl is an arid desert land inhabited by the feline beastren race, ruled by the high priestess Nadinia.

Despite their different settings, Dragon's Dogma and Dragon's Dogma 2 have similar stories, both prominently featuring the Dragon Grigori. Dragon's Dogma 2 opens with the protagonist fighting Grigori, whose rampage is destroying the town of Melve. Much as in the first game, Grigori plucks out the protagonist's heart and eats it, designating them Arisen. However, the Arisen wakes up a few days later in a work camp, with no memory of the battle. The Pawns there recognize them as Arisen, and help them escape astride a griffin.

The splash screen of Dragon's Dogma 2 even omits the "2" from its title until players have reached the endgame, presenting the game almost as if it were an alternate version of Dragon's Dogma, not a sequel. This is supported by both games, which imply the existence of multiple parallel worlds.

After recruiting their Main Pawn and returning to Melve, they're regaled of the battle by Melve's leader and one of Dragon's Dogma 2's romance options, Ulrika. The Arisen next proceeds to Vernworth, Vermund's capital, where they learn that the Sovran has falsely claimed to be the Arisen, spurred by the manipulations of his mother, the Queen Regent Disa. With the guidance of a shadowy figure known only as the Pathfinder, the Arisen must prove their identity, unseat the false Sovran, and take on the Dragon once more.

Ultimately, the two plots are very similar, and are implied to take place in different worlds within the same universe. In that case, "The Great Hereafter" should likely be considered the canon ending to the original Dragon's Dogma. But truthfully, the first game doesn't have much impact on its sequel. No matter whether Gransys has been freed from the cycle, Vermund and Battahl have yet to be.

Still, there are questions yet unanswered by the ending of Dragon's Dogma 2. Do Vermund and Battahl have a Seneschal, and if so, who is it? What happens to worlds that escape the cycle? What lies beyond the Brine? Although both games in the series tell complete stories, there's a lot of lore still left untouched. That means there's plenty of new ground for a third Dragon's Dogma game to explore.