The sprawling role-playing game Avowed sees players journeying into the heart of the dangerous Living Lands to learn more about the deadly Dreamscourge—but they don’t have to do it alone. Avowed features four companions that players can recruit, journey with, and fight alongside. One companion, Yatzli the orlan mage, was played by veteran actor Anjali Bhimani, who particularly loved the positivity and sass the character brought to the party.
Game Rant spoke to Bhimani about what it was like to play Yatzli in Avowed. She loved the process, describing Yatzli as a “saucy and sassy and brilliant” character who brings “a little comic relief” to the party, often contrasting with the noble Kai and the more serious Avowed companions Giatta and Marius. As Yatzli, she was able to bring some much-needed brightness to the sometimes dreary Living Lands, creating a character who is a consistent source of humor who was just as fun for Bhimani to portray as she is for players to get to know in the game itself.
Related
Obsidian Entertainment releases a considerable new patch for Avowed on the first day of the hotly anticipated title’s release.
Avowed’s Yatzli Is Characterized By Her Youthful, Spunky Energy
Yatzli is an accomplished wizard and scholar who has a particular interest in studying Avowed‘s mysterious Godless and their artifacts. Her experience traveling in the Living Lands and studying its ruins is extremely useful to the party, as the Envoy finds few friendly faces in the hostile environment. Bhimani explained that she wanted to portray Yatzli as someone who both came across as very youthful and light-hearted but wise and knowledgeable due to her years of study. She explained how Yatzli effectively juxtaposes youth and age:
“In terms of the number of years she’s been around, it’s very long, but in terms of her energy, she’s also very youthful and spunky. So I tried to find that in the voice, where she didn’t sound like she’s been around for a long time, but also she has a sense of wisdom and self-composure and just an understanding of the world that, very clearly only comes from years and years of experience.”
Avowed May Not Feature Romance, But Yatzli Won’t Let That Stop Her
Avowed doesn’t let players romance companions, with all relationships between the player and their companions remaining platonic. Despite this, Yatzli is quite a flirt, with Bhimani describing her dialogue as “everything she says is a double entendre.” She may have a partner back at home, but she will not let that stop her from flirting with the player every chance she gets. The flirting begins from her first interaction with the Envoy and remains a key element of her character throughout the game. Bhimani describes Yatzli’s approach to romance and her relationship with the player character as such:
“Romance is not an option…[but] she’s surely trying. At the very least, she’s gonna make your player uncomfortable, and at the very most, she’s gonna make them fall in love with her.”
Bhimani described every recording session that went into portraying Yatzli as “a blast,” and loved how she and the other companions truly felt like “fully-fledged characters.” She praised Obsidian’s writing for all four of Avowed’s companions and enjoyed the dynamics that grew between them and the Envoy as they traveled together. In the future, she hopes to have the opportunity to portray Yatzli in a tabletop role-playing game setting, as she thinks the four companions going on a Dungeons and Dragons-style adventure together would be a lot of fun. No matter the format, Yatzli would certainly liven up any adventure with her signature humor, sass, and flirtation.
- Released
-
February 18, 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
-
Xbox Game Studios