He is a Qunari, a member of metallic-skinned race of large humanoids who live in the northern part of Thedas, the setting of the Dragon Age series, that venerates a civil religion known as The Qun.

The player may gain insight into Qunari culture, physiology, society, and politics by conversing with the Iron Bull,[4] though he reveals little about himself in any specific individual sense.

[7] Noting the underrepresentation of people with disabilities in entertainment media, Konefal had at one point considered making Iron Bull a warrior who had suffered a crippling loss of one of his fighting hands, and thought that "it would be cool to change that.

[4][12] The Iron Bull may be recruited if the player character, the Herald of Andraste, initiates a conversation with Krem after he appears at Inquisition's base of operations in the village of Haven.

The Iron Bull will openly admit to working with the Ben-Hassrath after his initial meeting with the Herald of Andraste, and he will explain that he will be relaying information about the Breach and Inquisition to them at certain points.

Following the Inquisition's relocation to Skyhold, Bull later informs the Herald of Andraste, now leading the organisation as its Inquisitor, that the Ben-Hassrath recognize the threat the Venatori, led by an ancient being known as Corypheus, pose and willing to offer an alliance.

the Inquisitor's party, which includes Bull and Gatt, and the Chargers would separately takes two hills where the Venatori are stationed so their mages can't sink the dreadnought.

Bull assigns the Chargers what he believed to be "the easy job", but a large Venatori force began advancing on their position.

If the Inquisitor signal the Chargers to retreat, the dreadnought is destroyed; the possibility of an alliance between the Qunari and the Inquisition ceases, while the Iron Bull is cast out and becomes Tal-Vashoth (literally meaning "True Grey One").

[16][18] Kirk Hamilton, the editor-in-chief of Kotaku, described the Iron Bull as "a thoughtful, wry killer whose joie de vivre and reckless enthusiasm for danger make him an all-but-essential party member for adventures out in the field".

Kate Gray observed that he started off as a witty yet slightly cold Qunari warrior that towers imposingly over the rest of the party companions, but "get to know him through the complex and engaging romance system and you'll discover the heart of a teddy bear underneath all that bravado".

Iron Bull demonstrates that classic, masculine video game archetypes and progressive views on human nature are not mutually exclusive".

[20] He comments that the Iron Bull's design does not resemble the typical archetype or image of male warrior characters in massive fantasy adventures.

[20] Prinze's performance as The Iron Bull has drawn unanimous praise from Bioware's developers[21][22] and video game journalists.

[16][23] Gita Jackson of Kotaku is amused by the fact that the Iron Bull "is roughly the size of a truck and voiced by a 90s teen heartthrob".

[25] Hamilton concluded that the Iron Bull steals the show due to the combination of a good script and a lusty performance by Prinze, and that he "knocks it out of the park";[23] a sentiment shared by Mike Laidlaw, former creative director of the Dragon Age series.

Elizabeth Sampat notes that there is a healthy BDSM relationship dynamic between Iron Bull and his sexual partners, with "frank and open communication, safe words, and aftercare".