Top 10 Mass Effect Characters

Considering we spent the majority of the first game gunning down hundreds of Geth, imagine our surprise when one ends up joining our crew. A unique platform capable of standing apart from the rest of the digital hive-mind, Legion sought to liberate the collective consciousness of his race from the control of the Reapers, joining force with ‘Shepard-Commander’ in order to accomplish his goal. As you might expect this caused a lot of tensions with Tali due to the war between their people, which turned out to lead to one of the most tragic goodbyes in the series as for the conflict to end, Legion had to sacrifice itself. Undoubtedly, this unit truly did have a soul.

Before the likes of the Collectors and the Reapers, the one true foe of Shepard was none other than this Spectre. Using his status to roam the galaxy free of restriction, he acted as the figurehead for the coming Reaper invasion, managing to recruit swarms of Geth to his cause and even pulled the wool over the Council’s eyes until being exposed by Shepard. What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse all over the cosmos, leading to a clash of ideals and thermal clips – wait, were thermal clips a thing in the first game? Whatever shreds of decency remain are only hinted at when players use enough persuasion during the final battle with the Turian to make Saren take his own life, rather than live as a puppet.

He is the very model of a scientist Salarian. Despite his mile a minute mouth, Mordin is not only a the crew’s expert researcher and a great source of comedy, but comes with his own fair share of burdens. Turns out his brilliance has not always been used for the good of science, but was responsible for altering the genophage; a biological weapon that ensured the Krogan race would remain infertile and eventually die out. He ultimately ends up correcting this mistake at the cost of his own life, ensuring the survival of the Krogan species. After all, someone else might have got it wrong.

As the leader of Cerberus, the enigmatic figure known as the Illusive Man is only concerned with the preservation and security of the human race, sometimes going beyond what is considered morally acceptable in order to accomplish this. With the unmistakable voice of Martin Sheen, he’s the one responsible for bringing Shepard back from the brink of death after his first run in for the Collectors. Alas, his own ambitions leave him susceptible to the Reaper’s indoctrination, making the transition from idealistic extremist to delusional megalomaniac with explosive consequences.

Even by Asari standards, this little lady is considered a prodigy when it comes to the study of Prothean culture as well as her capabilities as a biotic. As one of Shepard’s oldest companions and potential romances should you pursue her through each instalment of the series, Liara may seem as sweet as can be, but over time her destiny takes something of a dark turn, eventually replacing and assuming the mantle of the Shadow Broker. If information is power then Liara is one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy.

Going from mercenary to chieftain, Wrex may be more at home on the battlefield, but above all else wants to secure a future for his people against the blight of the genophage. Should he survives the events of the first game, he goes onto rally his people together in the hopes of overcoming their stigma. Even if he has to drag them through the dirt to do so. A warrior through and through, his deep respect for Shepard and killer wit made him an instant favourite for fans, though you have to feel sorry for him post-genophage, it can’t be easy being such a hit with the ladies.

Who would have thought the most skilled of all human pilots would be a young man full of more sass and cynicism and afflicted with a brittle bone disease. Despite his genetic condition, there’s no other character who can fly the Normandy quite like Joker. His loyalty to the commander, uncanny talent for arriving in the nick of time, not to mention his oddly touching relationship with the Normandy’s A.I, EDI, all make for the standout character that we’re glad was there at the start and stuck with us until the end.

When we first met this Quarian, she was nothing more than a naïve girl desperate to complete her pilgrimage, only to go on to become a paragon of her persecuted race in the eyes. A natural when it comes to engineering, Tali not only made for a excellent companion in the field, but also a gripping and heart-warming romance for Shepard should he choose to take it. Overcoming prejudice, exile and the centuries long conflict with the Geth, it can’t be denied how far how Tali has come over the course of the trilogy. Trust us guys, she’s totally worth it.

Serving as both a mentor, supporter and father-figure to Shepard all throughout the series, even when things have seemed at their most low Captain Anderson has always had our backs. From hunting down Saren to taking Earth back from the Reapers, you won’t find a more dedicated individual ready to give his life to save the Earth. Speaking of which, we’re pretty sure there wasn’t a single person who didn’t weep during one of the most harrowing yet touching death scenes in gaming. Potent and moving, Anderson’s final words of pride still resonate with fans to this day, though what else would you expect from a Keith David performance?

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

Aria T’Loak

Thane Krios

EDI

He wrote the book on sniping, is seemingly never-finished with those calibrations, and is well-known for his reach and flexibility. Say hello to the greatest sci-fi bro since Chewbacca. A former member of C-Sec, Garrus grew tired of being constrained by policy and so assumed the role of Archangel, a vigilante unafraid of bringing justice to criminals with a pull of a trigger. His skills are irreplaceable, his comedy timing is spot on, and as both a friend and potential romance you won’t find yourself a better companion in the whole galaxy. We’ll miss you Garrus, see you at the bar.

Do you agree with our list? Who do you think is the best character in Mass Effect? With new top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.