Pride demon

Pride demons are incredibly powerful demons that are corrupted forms of wisdom and faith spirits. They are among the most powerful demons encountered in Thedas, and the most insidious.

Such is their strength that possessing a corpse doesn't produce another shambling warrior, but a respectively powerful revenant or arcane horror.

Background

The most powerful demons yet encountered are the pride demons, perhaps because they, among all their kind, most resemble men; as clever and manipulative as the desire demon, with a penchant for cruel irony that is almost human. While the demons of desire largely engage in the bribery of mortals, pride will use mortals' own best nature against them. Clever men outwit themselves. Strong men crush themselves. Humble men forget themselves. Jealous men fear themselves. They turn corruption and ruin into an art.
—From Beyond the Veil: Spirits and Demons by Enchanter Mirdromel^[1]

Notable pride demons

Audacity

The Baroness

Charged Pride^[2]

Fade beast

Hybris

Mouse

Uldred

Wryme

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins

In the quest Asunder, the Fade beast lay dormant until the Warden assembles its body parts, at which point it will attempt to barter for its freedom.
A powerful pride demon is encountered in Kinloch Hold when multiple abominations are unleashed within. Senior Enchanter Uldred attempted to summon and control the demon, but like many before him, he succumbed to the pride demon's will and became an abomination himself.
During the Harrowing in the Mage Origin, a pride demon seems to make an appearance. While in the Fade, after the Spirit of Rage is defeated, Mouse will ask for help to leave the Fade. If the mage decides against it, Mouse will state that they "passed the true test" and will then transform into a pride demon.

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

The Baroness reveals herself to be a dark pride demon, a more powerful variant of a pride demon.

Dragon Age II

Wryme is a pride demon confronted during the side quest Night Terrors.
Audacity advises Merrill to use blood magic to purify the Eluvian; and the demon is eventually confronted during the side quest A New Path.
Hybris is encountered at the last stage of the side quest the Awiergan Scrolls: Pride Unbound.
An unnamed pride demon is encountered on the Docks during the quest the Last Straw in conjunction with a blood mage and multiple shades.
- Two additional pride demons along with several shades are fought simultaneously in Templar Hall.
- The last pride demon is seen as corpse laying amongst several other slain demons and abomination surrounding Sandal in the long hallway.
Three seals in the Legacy DLC are guarded by pride demons of each variant. The first seal is guarded by a fire variant, the second is the common variant, and the last, a dark variant.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

A pride demon is encountered in the Temple of Sacred Ashes during the prologue quest the Wrath of Heaven. It spawns as the Inquisitor attempts to seal the Breach and must be slain in order to do so.
A pride demon named Charged Pride is encountered on the Storm Coast atop a bluff overlooking the Long River; the demon must be slayed in order to progress the rogue specialization side quest the Way of the Tempest.
A pride demon is the objective of Solas' companion quest All New, Faded for Her. The Inquisitor can elect to either kill the demon or set it free.
Two unnamed pride demons can be fought atop Adamant during the main quest Here Lies the Abyss.
- An additional pride demon must be slain as well in order to escape the Raw Fade.
- While in the Raw Fade two others can be slain to complete the side quests Fears of the Dreamers and Broken Window.
In the side quest What Lies Dormant, two pride demons are encountered, one per wave; this quest is unlocked after the war table operation Measure Veil Strength has been completed.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

This section is incomplete and requires expansion.

Abilities & Skills

Dragon Age: Origins

Note: While classified as demons by lore setting, Pride Demons are not counted as spellcasters / fade creatures in-game. Thus they are immune to spells like Mana Clash and most of their "spells" (with the exception of Mana Drain and Crushing Prison) will bypass spell resistance, making Uldred and Baroness extremely dangerous on higher difficulties.

Properties and traits:

Pride Demon Properties	Demon Properties	Demon Resistance	Demonic Caster
+5 spellpower +5 armor +1 mana regeneration in combat	+5 spellpower +5 armor +1 health regeneration in combat	+50% fire resistance +5% spirit resistance	+5 spellpower +10% spell resistance

Abilities:

Skill Used	Condition	Use Chance
Massive Attack	Enemy at right flank	85%
	Enemy at left flank	85%
	Enemy at right back flank	85%
	Enemy at left back flank	85%
Mana Wave	All enemies using magic	75%
	Most enemies using magic	50%
	HP < 50%	35%
	Target using magic	25%
	Surrounded by at least 2 enemies	20%
Fire Bolt	Target between short and medium range	25%
Fire Bolt	Target between medium and long range	25%
Frost Bolt	Target between short and medium range	25%
Frost Bolt	Target between medium and long range	25%
Fire Blast	Surrounded by at least 2 enemies	25%
Fire Blast	Surrounded by at least 3 enemies	50%
Frost Burst	Surrounded by at least 2 enemies	25%
Frost Burst	Surrounded by at least 3 enemies	50%

Spells:

Skill Used	Condition	Use Chance
Anti-Magic Ward	Most enemies using magic	50%
Anti-Magic Ward	Target using magic	50%
Mana Drain	Target using magic	50%
Crushing Prison	Target between short and medium range	25%
Crushing Prison	Target between medium and long range	25%

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Drain

Shockwave

Dragon Age II

Fire type: Fire Bolt; Fire Shield; Fire Fist; Crushing Prison; Stomp; Charge

Poison type: Poison Bolt; Poison Shield; Crushing Prison; Stomp; Charge

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Electricity Resistance

Immunity: Asleep

Immunity: Frozen

Immunity: Paralyzed

Immunity: Physical Effects

Perceptive

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

This section is incomplete and requires expansion.

Codex entries

Codex entry: Pride Demon

Codex entry: Beyond the Veil: Spirits and Demons

Codex entry: Demonic Possession

Notes

Revenants and arcane horrors can potentially be possessed by pride demons.
Solas states in conversation that Wisdom is at least one spirit that can be twisted into a Pride Demon.^[3] His personal quest further solidifies this fact.
Faith is another spirit that Gaider has stated becomes a Pride Demon when corrupted.^[4]

Trivia

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

There are several hints throughout Dragon Age: The Veilguard indicating that Solas may, in fact, be a unique and very powerful pride demon.
- His earliest form is revealed to have been as a Spirit of Wisdom. Spirits of Wisdom can potentially be corrupted into Pride Demons, as revealed in Solas' personal quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition, All New, Faded for Her.
- Demons are said by Solas to be spirits that were denied their original purpose. This fits with Solas' history as part of the Evanuris, where his counsel was constantly ignored (including his advice that the Evanuris not become physical beings through the use of Lyrium; that they not render the Titans tranquil; that they not call themselves gods; and that they not use the Blight as a weapon) and the consequences were severe. It is possible that these events were enough to corrupt him into a Pride Demon.
- Several references are made throughout the game to his pride, such as Varric suggesting that a Pride Demon was drawn to Solas' ritual site in Arlathan Forest by Solas' ego, and how he cannot accept that anything is his fault.
- Solas' Dread Wolf form, which fights with Elgar'nan's Archdemon through the quest The Dread Wolf Rises, has multiple glowing eyes patterned similarly to those of a Pride Demon. This may be a hint as to his true nature.