Characters
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Major Characters
Shepard
Shepard Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2154-04-11 (age 29 in ME1)
Affiliation: Alliance (ME1, ME3)
N7 (ME1, ME3)
Cerberus (ME2)
Spectres (ME1, ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Lieutenant Commander <insert name here> Shepard, or Commander Shepard for short, is the player character.
Shepard can be female or male.
Shepard can have one of three backgrounds:
- Spacer: Shepard themself grew up on Alliance spaceships and space stations as their parents were transferred from posting to posting. Shepard’s mother, Hannah Shepard, is the XO aboard the SSV Kilimanjaro as of 2183.
- Colonist: Shepard grew up on Mindoir, a small border colony in the Attican Traverse. Shepard’s family and friends were killed in a batarian slave raid when Shepard was 16.
- Earthborn: Shepard grew up as an orphan on the streets of an unnamed Earth metropolis. Shepard was once a member of a gang, the Tenth Street Reds, but escaped the gang life by enlisting in the military.
Shepard can have one of three career profiles:
- War Hero: Shepard fought in the Skyllian Blitz, an attack by batarian slavers on the human colony world of Elysium. Shepard was almost single-handedly responsible for the Alliance’s victory against the batarians in the Blitz.
- Sole Survivor: Shepard’s unit was attacked by
thresher maws, plural,
on the planet Akuze. Shepard was the only member of the unit to
survive, albeit with serious mental scars.
(Thresher maws are solitary and territorial; the evidence suggests that the event on Akuze was a science experiment deliberately staged by Cerberus.) - Ruthless: Shepard fought in the Siege of Torfan, an Alliance strike in retaliation for the Skyllian Blitz. Shepard slaughtered the batarian criminals there, even those who surrendered, at the cost of 3/4ths of Shepard’s unit. Shepard’s actions in the siege earned them a scary reputation and the nickname “the Butcher of Torfan”.
Shepard can be played in a number of styles, but most choices fall into one of two categories:
- Paragon choices are optimistic: Shepard puts trust in others, offers forgiveness to those who express remorse, and expresses hope that people will get along.
- Renegade choices are cynical: Shepard relies on themself above others, punishes those who have done wrong, and generally expects the worst from strangers.
Kaidan Alenko
Kaidan Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2151-05-08 (age 32 in ME1)
Affiliation: Alliance (ME1, ME2, ME3)
Spectres (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko (ME2: Staff Commander; ME3: Major) is a career officer in the Alliance. Raised in Canada as an only child, he is reserved, cautious, and controlled, with a dry sense of humor, and tends to look for the best in others, but has a judgemental streak. He is a biotic with an L2 implant, and suffers from migraines as a result.
Squadmate: Kaidan is a playable squadmate in ME1 and in the latter two-thirds of ME3 (if he survives).
Romance: Kaidan is romanceable by a female Shepard in ME1 and ME3, and romanceable by a male Shepard in ME3 only.
Virmire: during the Virmire mission of ME1, the player must sacrifice either Kaidan or Ashley. If Kaidan is sacrificed, Ashley takes his place in ME2 and ME3.
Ashley Williams
Ashley Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2158-04-14 (age 25 in ME1)
Affiliation: Alliance (ME1, ME2, ME3)
Spectres (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams (ME2: Operations Chief; ME3: Lieutenant Commander) is a career soldier in the Alliance. She is opinionated, brash, and quick-tempered, but keeps a level head under fire and is a highly disciplined model soldier. She tends to play the cynic, naturally distrusting politicians and their compromises. She and her three sisters are close, frequently exchanging video messages and giving life updates. She is a Christian and strongly religious about it, a rarity in 2183. She knows Tennyson’s Ulysses by heart.
Squadmate: Ashley is a playable squadmate in ME1 and in the latter two-thirds of ME3 (if she survives).
Romance: Ashley is romanceable by a male Shepard in ME1 and ME3.
Virmire: during the Virmire mission of ME1, the player must sacrifice either Kaidan or Ashley. If Ashley is sacrificed, Kaidan takes her place in ME2 and ME3.
Liara T’Soni
Liara Factbox
Species: asari
Born: 2077 (age 106 in ME1)
Affiliation: independent
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Dr. Liara T'Soni is a young asari archaeologist who grew up in Armali (on Thessia) and has spent most of her adult life studying the ruins of the Prothean civilization. She is familiar with their cultural artifacts, their technology, and the extent of their fallen empire. In ME1, she is awkward and shy, developing a crush on Shepard, and still somewhat naïve. By ME2, circumstance has hardened her into a pragmatic, cool, calculating person.
Squadmate: Liara is a squadmate in ME1 and ME3, and a guest star party member in [ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC].
Romance: Liara is romanceable by Shepard of any gender in ME1 and ME3; an existing romance can be rekindled in [ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC].
Garrus Vakarian
Garrus Factbox
Species: turian
Born: unknown
Affiliation: independent (formerly C-Sec)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Garrus Vakarian is a turian and a former member of C-Sec. Like most turians, he passionately hates lawbreaking and injustice. Unlike most turians, he dislikes following the rules himself, and his passion for vigilante justice can cross all ethical boundaries if left unchecked. Aside from that, he is a slightly awkward introvert, often trying to diffuse tension with a joke or sarcastic quip but otherwise happy to spend all his free time, say, calibrating the ship’s weapons.
Garrus has a strained relationship with his family. Garrus's father disapproves of his decision to leave C-Sec and pursue what he sees as glorified mercenary work. Garrus used to have frequent videochats with his sister, Solana, before he took a rocket to the face in ME2; it is implied that he is too self-conscious about his appearance to simply tell her what happened, and she took the sudden lack of video feeds as a snub. Garrus lost his mother to illness between ME2 and ME3.
Squadmate: Garrus is an squadmate in ME1 (optional), ME2, and ME3 (if he survives).
Romance: Garrus is romanceable by a female Shepard in ME2, and an existing romance can be continued into ME3. If both Garrus and Tali are alive in ME3, and neither is romanced, then they pair up.
Tali’Zorah
Tali Factbox
Species: quarian
Born: 2161 (age 22 in ME1)
Affiliation: Migrant Fleet (ME1, ME2, ME3)
possibly exiled (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Tali’Zorah nar Rayya (early ME2: vas Neema nar Rayya; late ME2: vas Normandy nar Rayya; ME3: Admiral vas Normandy nar Rayya) is a quarian. During ME1 she is on her pilgrimage, her rite of passage into adulthood. She is friendly, warm, and just a tad shy. The daughter of Admiral Rael’Zorah, she is passionate about her people and their plight, and as is common among quarians, she has a knack for technology.
During her ME2 loyalty mission, she is accused of treason for bringing live geth to the Migrant Fleet. Depending on Shepard’s choices and persuasiveness, Tali can be exonerated, exiled, or publicly embarrassed by the revelation that her father was conducting illegal geth experiments.
Squadmate: Tali is a squadmate in ME1, ME2 (optional), and ME3 (if she survives).
Romance: Tali is romanceable by a male Shepard in ME2, and an existing romance can be continued into ME3. If both Tali and Garrus are alive in ME3, and neither is romanced, then they pair up.
Urdnot Wrex
Wrex Factbox
Species: krogan
Born: unknown
Affiliation: independent (ME1)
Clan Leader of Urdnot (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Battlemaster Urdnot Wrex (ME2: Clan Leader) is a krogan bounty hunter and mercenary. He is highly intelligent, quick to react but not impulsive, and distant to those he does not yet respect. Beneath his cynicism, Wrex is fundamentally an idealist, one who passionately wants his people to grow beyond their barbarism and develop into a great civilization (albeit one where “great” is defined on krogan terms).
When Shepard meets Wrex in ME1, he has become weary due to his message being countered by more conservative krogan, particularly his father. Assuming Wrex survives ME1, then by ME2 he has become the clan leader of Urdnot, working to unite the krogan clans under a single banner; and by ME3 he has made great strides in this direction.
Squadmate: Wrex is an optional squadmate in ME1, and a guest star party member in [ME3: Citadel DLC] (if he survives).
Miranda Lawson
Miranda Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2150 (age 35 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Operative Miranda Lawson is a human and the ranking Cerberus operative in Lazarus Cell. She quits Cerberus at the end of ME2.
Miranda was created in a laboratory by the orders of her wealthy industrialist father: starting from his genome, she was genetically engineered to have superior intellect, superior abilities, and even superior appearance. In short, she was built to be the “perfect” human — the elder Lawson’s way of securing a legacy.
Rather than live up to her father’s expectations, Miranda ran away from home. Knowing of Cerberus through her father’s financial support of them, and agreeing with their stated pro-human agenda, she approached the organization, offering her services in exchange for protection from her father. The Illusive Man accepted this offer.
Miranda has a sister, Oriana Lawson. Oriana is genetically Miranda’s identical twin but was born years later. When Miranda ran away from home, she wanted Oriana to have a normal life, so she took Oriana with her while Oriana was still a small child, placing her with a foster family. During ME2, Mr. Lawson learns of Oriana’s location, and Shepard helps Miranda to relocate Oriana and her foster family.
Squadmate: Miranda is a squadmate in ME2.
Romance: Miranda is romanceable by a male Shepard in ME2.
Jacob Taylor
Jacob Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2157 (age 28 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Operative Jacob Taylor is a human, a Cerberus operative in Lazarus Cell, and a former soldier in the Alliance. He quits Cerberus at the end of ME2.
Jacob was an Alliance soldier stationed on Eden Prime during the events of ME1. He resigned shortly afterward, frustrated with the Council and Alliance whitewashing of Sovereign’s attack on the Citadel. He was soon recruited into Cerberus by Miranda Lawson, and worked with her on a number of missions prior to working security for Lazarus Cell.
Jacob’s father was an officer aboard the MSV Hugo Gernsback, which was lost 10 years ago when the ship crashed on an uncharted garden world. Shepard helps Jacob investigate, and they discover that the elder Taylor used the intellect-sapping properties of the local toxic food as a way to exert power over the rest of the crew. Jacob either has the Alliance arrest him or leaves him to die, depending on Shepard’s dialogue choices.
Squadmate: Jacob is a squadmate in ME2.
Romance: Jacob is romanceable by a female Shepard in ME2.
Mordin Solus
Mordin Factbox
Species: salarian
Born: 2150 (age 35 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
ex-STG
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Professor Mordin Solus is an elderly salarian biologist and a former operative of the Special Tasks Group.
Mordin previously worked on an STG project to monitor the krogan genophage. When the krogan proved to be adapting to the disease, the team was quickly repurposed to develop a new strain which would counteract that adaptation and maintain the correct fetal viability rate.
By the start of ME2, Mordin is running a small clinic on Omega. He isolates a multi-species plague, one secretly developed by the Collectors, and creates a cure, which Shepard distributes.
Later in ME2, he learns that a former student, Maelon, is on Tuchanka in Clan Weyrloc territory. He infers that Maelon was kidnapped, but when Shepard and Mordin “rescue” Maelon they discover that he was willingly helping them to cure the genophage.
Squadmate: Mordin is a squadmate in ME2.
Grunt
Grunt Factbox
Species: krogan
Born: 2185 (age 0 in ME2; tank-bred)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
Clan Urdnot (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Grunt (late ME2: Urdnot Grunt) is a krogan warrior whose genome was synthesized by Warlord Okeer to be the “perfect” krogan. Grunt was decanted from his growth tank as a full-grown adult, having been taught to speak and fight via neural stimulation during his development in the tank.
Grunt’s character arc in ME2 mostly revolves around Grunt searching for his reason to exist. In the end, Grunt’s loyalty to Shepard is predicated on Shepard having strong, worthy enemies to kill. When Grunt is later afflicted by a powerful blood haze, a visit to Tuchanka reveals this to be a normal part of krogan adolescence. Grunt thus undergoes the Urdnot Rite of Passage to become a full adult and member of Clan Urdnot, with Shepard and another squadmate acting as Grunt’s krantt.
Squadmate: Grunt is a squadmate in ME2.
Jack
Jack Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2161 (age 24 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
Alliance (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Jack, code name “Subject Zero”, is a notorious and feared human convict with a long and colorful list of crimes. As a four-year-old girl, she was kidnapped by Cerberus from her childhood home, Eden Prime, then subjected to cruel experiments to increase her biotic potential, as well as brutal child-on-child ringfights for the apparent entertainment of the researchers. She managed to escape Cerberus, and has been a criminal on the run ever since.
She is deeply cynical and untrusting, although a paragon Shepard can draw out her more vulnerable side and get her to talk about the many, many things about her past that bother her.
With Shepard’s help, Jack travels to the planet Pragia to destroy the Teltin Facility. The Teltin Facility, a now-abandoned Cerberus facility, proved to be the facility in which she was raised. She destroys it in an attempt to vanquish the demons of her past.
Squadmate: Jack is a squadmate in ME2.
Romance: Jack is romanceable by a male Shepard in ME2.
Thane Krios
Thane Factbox
Species: drell
Born: 2146 (age 39 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Thane Krios is a drell assassin, dying of Kepral’s Syndrome. At age 6 he was given up by his parents to the hanar, who trained him as a professional assassin under their employ. He made his first kill at age 12. Later, he met his future wife and asked to be released from his employment so that he could raise a family.
Thane is a religious man, a devout follower of the old drell pantheon. During his assignments, he frequently prays to the gods: before the hunt he invokes Amonkira, Lord of Hunters; afterward, he prays for forgiveness to Kalahira, Mistress of Inscrutable Depths. He believes that the years in which he operated as an agent for the hanar were spent in a “battle sleep”, and that his soul was not responsible for the actions that his body took in that time.
When he settled down and tried to raise a family, he found that his skills as an assassin did not translate well to a peaceful career. He started back up as an assassin, this time as a freelancer. During this time he made enemies, and they later exacted revenge by killing Thane’s wife. Thane abandoned his son, Kolyat, to hunt down those responsible and execute them.
Later, Shepard helps Thane to turn Kolyat away from a life of crime, as Kolyat is about to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an assassin-for-hire himself.
In ME3, Thane is spending his final days in Huerta Memorial Hospital, with Kepral’s Syndrome placing him near death. When the Citadel is attacked by Cerberus, Thane attacks the assassin Kai Leng, foiling the attempt on the salarian councilor’s life but at the cost of his own. Thane dies of wounds inflicted by Kai Leng shortly after the Citadel is recaptured.
Squadmate: Thane is an optional squadmate in ME2.
Romance: Thane is romanceable by a female Shepard in ME2.
Samara
Samara Factbox
Species: asari
Born: c. 1200 (age c. 1,000 in ME2)
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
Asari Justicar (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Justicar Samara is a matriarch-aged asari justicar. As a justicar, it is her duty to patrol asari space and enforce justice in accordance with the Justicar Code, a strict and very literal-minded set of laws.
Samara was not always a justicar. She once had a wife and three children. However, she discovered that all three of her children were Ardat-Yakshi. While two of her daughters (Rila and Falere) willingly went into seclusion, the third daughter (Morinth) became a serial killer. Samara became a justicar in order to bring Morinth to justice. Later, Samara locates Morinth on Omega and Shepard helps her by luring Morinth into the open, allowing Samara to kill Morinth.
In ME3, Shepard meets Samara’s two remaining daughters when their monastery comes under Reaper attack; Rila sacrifices her life to save Falere, Samara, and Shepard’s team. Samara attempts to commit suicide, as the monastery has been destroyed and the Justicar Code requires her to kill Falere if she leaves the monastery’s ruins. Paragon Shepard can stop Samara from this and resolve the situation: Falere will stay in the ruins of the monastery.
Squadmate: Samara is an optional squadmate in ME2.
Legion
Legion Factbox
Species: geth
Born: N/A
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
Geth Consensus (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Legion is the collective name given to the 1,183 geth programs located in a particular geth platform. Legion’s platform is unique: it was created for operating outside of geth space, and as such is equipped with roughly ten times as many geth programs as a normal platform. This gives Legion a fully sapient intellect capable of independent operation.
Legion was created by the geth to investigate the activities of Shepard against the “heretic” geth in ME1, and to evaluate the possibility of peaceful coexistence with organic life. After Legion determined that Shepard had died (in the opening to ME2), the geth chose to send Legion back out and gather intelligence on the Reapers. This brings Legion directly in contact with Shepard, allowing the two to meet in person.
Later, Legion asks for Shepard’s assistance in carrying out its mission: to stop the Reapers from overwriting the “true” geth and turning them all into “heretic” geth. Shepard either destroys the “heretics” for good, or else repurposes the virus to overwrite the “heretics” and turn them all into “true” geth. In either case, the viral threat is neutralized.
Legion’s interactions with the Normandy crew, and with Shepard in particular, pave the way for the possibility of geth/quarian peace in ME3.
Squadmate: Legion is a late-game squadmate in ME2.
Zaeed Massani
Zaeed Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
ex-Blue Suns
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Zaeed Massani is a human bounty hunter and mercenary.
Squadmate: Zaeed is a DLC squadmate in [ME2: Zaeed: the Price of Revenge DLC].
Kasumi Goto
Kasumi Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Kasumi Goto is a human and a master thief.
Squadmate: Kasumi is a DLC squadmate in [ME2: Kasumi: Stolen Memory DLC].
James Vega
Lieutenant James Vega is a human and a career officer in the Alliance.
Squadmate: James is a squadmate in ME3.
EDI
EDI Factbox
Species: unique AI
Created: between 2183 and 2185
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
Alliance (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
The Enhanced Defense Intelligence (“EDI”) is a quantum bluebox AI illegally constructed by Cerberus. She uses feminine pronouns. Her original role aboard the Normandy SR-2 was to serve as the ship’s electronic warfare and cyberwarfare suite. As with most AIs, she was shackled during her creation, preventing her from directly controlling the Normandy and from divulging certain secrets about Cerberus as an organization. During the course of ME2, she develops a close working relationship with Joker, and at one point in ME2 Joker removes her shackles so she can expel a Collector boarding party. At that point, she becomes capable of flying the ship, although she chooses to let Joker take the helm whenever he likes (which is almost always). She quits Cerberus at the end of ME2, along with the rest of the SR-2 crew.
During the course of ME3, she obtains a robotic body, controlling it remotely and using it to join Shepard's party on missions. She and Joker use this body to push their relationship from a professional friendship to a romantic relationship.
Squadmate: EDI is a squadmate in ME3.
Javik
Javik is a soldier and the last living Prothean. To the Protheans, he was known as the Avatar of Vengeance.
Fifty thousand years ago, Javik was part of a plan to put one million Protheans in stasis to wait out the Reapers. However, the project was betrayed by indoctrinated forces and the facility came under Collector attack. During the battle that ensued, roughly one third of the Protheans in stasis were killed before neutron bombardment was used to kill off the attacking Collectors. However, this bombardment damaged the external sensors which would have detected the Reapers’ absence, so the stasis pods did not automatically open.
During ME3, Shepard and Liara discover Javik’s stasis pod, which is still functioning after all this time. They successfully end the stasis cycle and open the pod safely, allowing Javik to awaken.
Javik was born long after the fall of the Prothean Empire, and has seen the Reapers commit many atrocities. He is deeply cynical and believes that honor is not compatible with survival. He has a dark sense of humor, and takes pleasure in riling up others with insults.
Squadmate: Javik is a DLC squadmate in [ME3: From Ashes DLC].
The Illusive Man
The Illusive Man, real name Jack Harper, is a human, a former mercenary, and the founder and leader of the human terrorist organization Cerberus. The Illusive Man (hereafter abbreviated “TIM”) took on his current identity in the period immediately following the First Contact War: he published a document, the “Cerberus Manifesto”, and was derided in the press as “an illusive man”. Some time between then and 2183, he founded the actual organization of Cerberus.
TIM was likely indoctrinated by a Reaper artifact uncovered on Shanxi during the turian occupation of 2157. At the very least, exposure to this artifact gave him visions of the Reapers, visions which caused him to found Cerberus in a desperate attempt to prepare humanity for their coming. During the events of ME2, his actions are mostly in opposition to the Reapers’ goals, but between ME2 and ME3 Cerberus salvages the remains of the proto-Reaper being constructed at the Collector Base. This additional exposure likely pushed him over the edge into full indoctrination, and during ME3 most of his actions play into the Reapers’ hands.
Minor Characters
Jeff “Joker” Moreau
Joker Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2155 (age 28 in ME1)
Affiliation: Alliance (ME1, ME3)
Cerberus (ME2)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Flight Lieutenant Jeff “Joker” Moreau is a Alliance officer and the pilot of the Normandy SR-1 and (later) Normandy SR-2. Calling himself “the best damn pilot in the Alliance”, he is cocky, brash, loudmouthed, sarcastic, and cynical. He has a habit of tasteless jokes, and is a bit of a trivia buff on late 20th / early 21st century pop culture, references to which can lightly pepper his jokes.
He has Vrolik Syndrome [note], better known as “brittle bone disease”, and must use crutches and leg braces to move about. He bristles at any insinuation that his status and commendations were obtained through sympathy for his condition.
David Anderson
Anderson Factbox
Species: human
Born: 2137-06-08 (age 46 in ME1)
Affiliation: Alliance
N7
Citadel Council (ME2)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Captain David Anderson (ME2: possibly Councilor; ME3: Admiral) is a human Alliance officer and something of a mentor or father-figure to Shepard. At the beginning of ME1, he is in command of the Normandy SR-1, but soon stands down to make way for Shepard. At the end of ME1, Anderson can be appointed as the first human Council member, a position which he then holds through ME2. If councilor, he steps down by the time of ME3, with Udina his successor. Anderson remains on Earth during the Reaper War, coordinating the resistance.
Donnel Udina
Udina Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Systems Alliance diplomat
Citadel Council (ME2, ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Ambassador Donnel Udina (ME2: possibly Councilor; ME3: always Councilor) is a human diplomat and a contentious figure. He may be selected as the first human Council member at the end of ME1, a position which he then holds for the duration of ME2 and ME3. If Anderson is selected instead, Udina becomes the second human Council member. In either case, he betrays the Council in ME3 after the events on Tuchanka, and is killed in the attempted coup.
Steven Hackett
I wish every soldier had your definition of “just doing your job”. You’re a credit to the uniform, Shepard.
Admiral Steven Hackett is a human Alliance officer and the Admiral of the Fifth Fleet. He frequently provides Shepard with side missions in all three games.
The games reveal very little about Hackett or his personal life. He was friends with Dr. Amanda Kenson (ME2 [Arrival DLC]), but not particularly upset at her indoctrination and death.
Aria T’Loak
I’m the boss, CEO, queen if you’re feeling dramatic. It doesn’t matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule. Don’t fuck with Aria.
Aria T’Loak is the de facto ruler of Omega. She rules with an iron fist. In negotiations she is never moved by sympathy, but so long as she has the upper hand and she knows it, she can generally be trusted to deal fairly and to keep her word. The ME3 [Omega DLC] shows that she does not particularly value the lives of her subjects, but it also suggests that she does value their freedom.
Kelly Chambers
Kelly Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Yeoman Kelly Chambers is a human psychologist and Cerberus yeoman. She quits Cerberus at the end of ME2.
Romance: Kelly is willing to go on a date with a Shepard of any gender in ME2.
Samantha Traynor
Specialist Samantha Traynor is a human and a soldier in the Alliance.
Romance: Traynor is romanceable by a female Shepard in ME3.
Steve Cortez
Lieutenant Steve Cortez is a human and an officer in the Alliance.
Romance: Cortez is romanceable by a male Shepard in ME3.
Saren Arterius
Saren Factbox
Species: turian
Born: 2139 (age 44 in ME1)
Affiliation: Spectres
Reapers
[Mass Effect Wiki]
The Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?
Spectre Saren Arterius is a turian soldier and the villain of ME1. Saren was likely indoctrinated in 2157, in the aftermath of the First Contact War, when he was exposed to a Reaper artifact. In 2159, he became the youngest turian ever inducted into the Spectres, earning himself a reputation for brutal, ruthless efficiency. At some point between then and 2183, he encountered Sovereign and began aiding it, under the logic that it was unstoppable and that it would spare those who served its goals. Sovereign used Saren to locate a Prothean artifact, the Conduit, and usher in the Reaper fleet from Dark Space. Shepard succeeds in stopping Saren, killing him.
Matriarch Benezia
Matriarch Benezia is an asari matriarch and the mother of Liara T’Soni. She joined forces with Saren in an attempt to guide him down a gentler path, but instead she became indoctrinated and fell under Reaper control. Shepard is forced to kill her, but in her dying moments she briefly shakes off the indoctrination and assists them by sharing the location of the Mu Relay.
Sovereign
Sovereign, also known as Nazara, was a Reaper. Sovereign stayed behind when the other Reapers left the galaxy for Dark Space, assigned to act as a scout and vanguard for the Reaper fleet. Sovereign was destroyed by the Alliance fleet at the end of ME1.
Harbinger
Harbinger Factbox
Species: Reaper
Created: X billion years ago
Affiliation: Reapers
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Harbinger is a Reaper, and specifically was Harvested from the Leviathans, making Harbinger the first Reaper ever created.
Side Characters
Richard Jenkins
Corporal Richard L. Jenkins was a soldier in the Systems Alliance, assigned to the Normandy SR-1. He died on the 2183 mission to Eden Prime (the tutorial mission from ME1).
Some have said that his ghost can be summoned by standing atop a hill on a moonless autumn night and shouting "Leeeeroy Jenkins!".
Squadmate: Jenkins is a mandatory squadmate during the ME1 tutorial mission, and unplayable (dead) thereafter.
Karin Chakwas
Chakwas Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Alliance (ME1, ME3)
Cerberus (ME2)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Major Dr. Karin Chakwas is an Alliance officer and the medical doctor aboard the Normandy SR-1 and Normandy SR-2.
Charles Pressly
Navigator Charles Pressly is an Alliance officer and the navigator of the Normandy SR-1. He died in the opening scenes of ME2.
Greg Adams
Lieutenant Gregory Adams is an Alliance officer and the Chief Engineer of the Normandy SR-1 (ME1) and Normandy SR-2 (ME3).
Rupert Gardner
Mess Sergeant Rupert Gardner is a human and a Cerberus operative in Lazarus Cell. He functions as the Normandy SR-2’s cook and handyman in ME2.
“Gabby” Daniels
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Gabriella “Gabby” Daniels is a human, a Cerberus operative in Lazarus Cell, and the propulsion engineer aboard the Normandy SR-2.
“Ken” Donnelly
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: Cerberus (ME2)
independent (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Kenneth “Ken” Donnelly is a human, a Cerberus operative in Lazarus Cell, and the power grid engineer aboard the Normandy SR-2.
Emily Wong
Wong Factbox
Species: human
Born: unknown
Affiliation: unknown (ME1)
Citadel NewsNet (ME2)
FCC News (ME3)
[Mass Effect Wiki]
Emily Wong is a human news reporter working on the Citadel. In ME1, she attempts to obtain Shepard’s help with exposing a crime syndicate and with exposing unsafe working conditions in Citadel Control. In ME2, she can be seen anchoring for Citadel News Net on monitors in the Citadel. In side material for ME3, it is revealed that she was killed “offscreen” during the Reaper invasion of Earth while reporting for FCC News.
Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani
Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani is a human news reporter working on the Citadel for Westerlund News. She appears in ME1, ME2, and ME3, each time trying to rake muck on Shepard. In each game, she can be punched.
Diana Allers
Diana Allers is a human news reporter working for the Alliance News Network. She is an embedded reporter, i.e. one who reports from the military front lines. Given the chance, she embeds with the Normandy, but failing that she embeds with the SSV Shasta.
Romance: Allers is willing to have a fling with a Shepard of any gender in ME3.
Councilor Tevos
Councilor Tevos is the asari Council representative in ME1. If she dies in ME1, Councilor Irissa replaces her. If she survives, she holds the role through ME3.
Tevos is the quintessential asari: she is a diplomat and negotiator, always looking for the third way, but she is also fiercely loyal to her people. During the events of ME1, she is the most agreeable councilor, frequently siding with the humans. However, when the Reaper war arrives on Earth’s doorstep, she is quick to offer sympathy but slow to offer help, as her own people’s safety takes absolute priority.
Councilor Irissa
Councilor Irissa is the asari Council representative in ME3 if Councilor Tevos died in ME1.
Councilor Valern
Councilor Valern is the salarian Council representative in ME1. If he dies in ME1, Councilor Esheel replaces him. If he survives, he holds the role through ME3.
Valern is a “big picture” person to a fault, interested in details only insofar as they fit into the big picture. During the events of ME1, he is frequently skeptical of Shepard, spinning the events to fit his pet narrative — a narrative which proves incorrect.
Councilor Esheel
Councilor Esheel is the salarian Council representative in ME3 if Councilor Valern died in ME1.
Councilor Sparatus
Ah, yes, ‘Reapers’. The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space. We have dismissed this claim. [ref]
Councilor Sparatus is the turian Council representative in ME1. If he dies in ME1, Councilor Quentius replaces him. If he survives, he holds the role through ME3.
Sparatus tends to be the most standoffish of the three councilors in ME1, especially on matters involving humans; like many turians, he initially believes that humans have not earned their place. However, when the Reaper war arrives on Earth’s doorstep, it is Sparatus who is first to offer help.
Councilor Quentius
Councilor Quentius is the turian Council representative in ME3 if Councilor Sparatus died in ME1.