The character is presented as a member of the Seekers of Truth, a "quiet" order dedicated to protecting and policing the Chantry,[1] described as "the best of the best" with unique training and access to powerful magic.

[3] Originally a noble, the Pentaghasts being the ruling family of Neverra as well as famed dragon hunters,[4] Cassandra joined the Seekers after her brother died.

[2] Creative director Mike Laidlaw described Cassandra as being "brash, impulsive" and having "anger management issues", but also being "incredibly dedicated" and in the third Dragon Age game doing "whatever it takes to set the world right".

[7] Gaider also drew a distinction between how the character views herself and how others see her, with her appearing "very stern and rigid, perhaps even humorless" despite the occasional "surprise" of a "wry comment" or some small sarcasm.

[7] BioWare built upon the characters before deciding who the romance options would be, and felt it important to try to make each romantic arc unique and not a retread of past plots.

[10] Mike Laidlaw said, "In a lot of ways, I think she represents the opportunity to grow by understanding [and not] getting increasingly lost in the noise of Dragon Age's rising chaos.

The in-universe country Cassandra came from influenced her appearance, Nevarra being closer to the equator and Nevarrans generally having darker-tone skin and black hair as a result.

[15]: 54  For her appearance in Inquisition, concept artist Casper Konefal decided to ignore the subjective criteria of "beauty", and try to focus her design on presenting her "power and authority", trying to give her "a strong aggressive forward visual flow".

[15]: 54 The change to the Frostbite engine for Inquisition allowed for increased visual fidelity compared to previous games, and enhanced model details with more sophisticated shaders and a "realistic surface response".

At the end of the game, it is revealed that the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order, a Chantry group dedicated to watching over or "imprisoning" mages, have both gone rogue and are warring in the streets, and Cassandra seeks Hawke to help resolve the conflict, no longer blaming them for starting it.

[11] Cassandra next appears in Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, a CGI-anime film by Funimation released in 2012, which explores her backstory and how she comes to be known as the Right Hand of the Divine.

[19] Dawn of the Seeker tells the story of a younger Cassandra who, through the last acts of her mentor Byron, learns of a plot by a coven of blood mages to bring down the entire Chantry.

[21] The character is of the Warrior class, designed around close-range combat, and by default uses a sword and shield combination though this can be changed if the player wishes.

[22] The character is introduced interrogating the Inquisitor at the start of the game, who is the sole survivor of a large explosion that has ripped open the sky, causing demons to fall out, and killed the Divine, many mages, and many templars during their peace talks.

She immediately joins the party and, after the Inquisitor temporarily seals the "Breach" in the sky, protests the player's innocence and forms the Inquisition, breaking away from the Chantry.

If the player chooses to complete it, they discover that Lord-Seeker Lucius has been luring the Seekers away to be killed, intending to wipe out the order due to their duplicity, attributing the ongoing mage/templar war to them.

Prior to the release of Inquisition, Kimberly Wallace of Game Informer considered the potential of her return to the series, and thought she could be interesting due to the mystery surrounding her, what she could bring to the group, and how she could develop.

Danielle Riendeau, writing for Polygon, praised the female characters, stating that they all were "written with care, attention to detail, and enormous respect".

[28] GamesRadar's Ashley Reed and Andy Hartup listed her as one of the "most inspirational female characters in games", writing "Cassandra's an unstoppable storm, but one with a calm and quiet eye, too.