History Characters / MassEffect2PartyMembers

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* Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers
* Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers

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This page is for listing the tropes related to party members who '''first appeared''' in the second ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect2 Mass Effect]]'' game. Specifically, the early half of the game and DLC.

For the pages listing tropes related to [=NPC=]s, Antagonists and Party Members who first appeared in other games in the trilogy, see the [[Characters/MassEffect Mass Effect Character Index]].

[[foldercontrol]]

!Party Members

[[folder:Grunt]]
![[spoiler:Urdnot]] Grunt
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grunt_p_2923.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:I am pure krogan; you should be in awe.]]
->''"Grunt is... not a stabilizing element, Commander."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/SteveBlum

A young lab-grown krogan with a violent attitude who believes that might makes right.
----
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: During the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''3'', Grunt decides to celebrate his "birthday" by having a wild night out on the Citadel. Much [[WalkingDisasterArea property damage]] and {{hilarity ensues}}.
* AppropriatedAppellation: He took the name "Grunt" from one of Okeer's [[FamousLastWords last words]]. It's noted that there were some more impressive words to use as a name, but he liked "grunt" for its simplicity (and because it has no greater meaning).
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: How Grunt asserts his command of Aralakh Company (essentially a collection of the best warriors from every krogan clan on Tuchanka) in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* AxCrazy: Subverted. [[BloodKnight As prone to violence as he is,]] Grunt makes a point of saying [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife that he requires meaning in his life,]] and seeks to challenge and fight strong enemies. Its the fighting and glory he's after, not the death.
* BadassBaritone: Just look at his voice actor.
* BadassBoast: "I don't need luck. I have ammo."
** During his LastStand: "''My'' turn, heh heh heh."
* BecomeARealBoy: The goal to secure his loyalty.
* BeehiveBarrier: His Fortification power.
* BigEater: Overlaps with ExtremeOmnivore. In the ''Citadel'' DLC for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', some people try to coax their way in to Shepard's party with offers of food:
--> "Yes, I like pie, and no, you can't come in."\\
"You're selling cookies? Uh...well...no, I shouldn't let you in. Damn."
* BloodKnight: Even more so than normal for a krogan. Given the conditions on Tuchanka, with children and women deliberately separated from the fighting males, it's likely that he's had more exposure to the krogan warrior culture than usual for a krogan his developmental age.
* TheBerserker: Eventually matures into a relatively stable (by [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy krogan]] standards) blood knight.
* TheBigGuy: Personality of a Class IV with [[GeniusBruiser the intelligence of a Class V.]] Definitely one of the strongest combat specialists. [[FoeTossingCharge Just a wee bit unpredictable.]]
* BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: His mission in ''3'' is a perfect example of this, down to him saying "I'll hold them off," [[spoiler: but it's subverted if you completed his Rite of Passage]].
* BlueEyes: Seems to be a rare trait in krogan. May be a reference to his youth (i.e. "baby blues").
* BoisterousBruiser: Any time there's a fight in the offing, Grunt will be all but jumping up and down with glee.
* BornAsAnAdult: Or a teenager, anyway -- he's designed to look younger than other krogan (e.g, his head-crest hasn't merged into a single plate yet, his skin is lighter-colored than other krogan).
* BuffySpeak:
** When he talks, if it's not SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, it's this.
--->'''Grunt:''' See, now we're having fun! Me remembering good deaths and you, with your... funny human thing.
** On getting into cover:
--->'''Grunt:''' We should hide behind... stuff.
* CantHoldHisLiquor: If Shepard throws a wild party in the ''Citadel'' [[DownloadableContent DLC]], Grunt ends up passed out on the floor of his/her shower before the night is half over.
* ChildSoldier: By krogan standards, but he revels in it.
* TheChosenOne: Okeer created him to be a perfect krogan. Grunt eventually gets the mindset as well. The Urdnot Shaman seems to think this too, sending an email to Shepard demanding that s/he not get him/herself and Grunt killed.
* CloningBlues: Somewhat. He stops angsting about it once he's accepted by other krogan.
* ComingOfAgeStory: His loyalty mission.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: He tries to kill Shepard until he/she demonstrates his/her worthiness to command him.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Doesn't like ramen, apparently, though he will eat almost damn near anything else--see below. By ''3'', particularly in the ''Citadel'' DLC, he seems to have acquired a taste for it as well.
--> '''Grunt''': This what passes for food out here? My tastes run more along the lines of "edible". Looks like worms. Dead ones. This a Human thing? Ugh. I'll pass. I'll eat almost anything, but I stress 'almost'.
* DoNotGoGentle: If he dies in ''3'', he's going out the way Krogan were meant to: in combat. He'll rack up a serious body count in the process too.
* DummiedOut: Audio files indicate he can get into an argument with Mordin once you have both their loyalties, although only the lines for regaining his or Mordin's loyalties are available.
* EnemiesEqualsGreatness: This is why he follows Shepard so loyally. Anyone who has made the [[EldritchAbomination kind of enemies]] that Shepard has made has earned his respect.
-->'''Grunt:''' This is why I follow you Shepard. BIG THINGS!
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Bursting out of his tank and demanding some kind of purpose to Shepard. Then giving a small laugh of amusement when Shepard either reveals s/he's been secretly holding a gun to Grunt's stomach all this time or actually shoots Grunt in the armor a few times to get him to back up.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: His Shadow Broker dossier shows that he [[WikiWalk went on extranet searches for "Urdnot Wrex" to "tyrannosaurus wrex" to "Earth lizard wrex" to "dinosaurs"]]. One can presume Grunt would have been all geared up to go test his mettle against such dangerous, deadly and massive creatures on Earth, only to be disappointed upon learning he was 65 million years too late.
** Good news for him: a dinosaur can be cloned. And krogan can ride them. Bad news? It's an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome, and Grunt is not involved.
* EvilLaugh: When things are about to get/already are violent, he has this low-pitched slow "Heh heh heh" laugh, as if he is giddy with anticipation in his own little way at the prospect of a fight.
* ExtremeOmnivore: Gets hungry at certain scenes of violence, to the disgust of his teammates. In ''Citadel'' he even ate a lamp while drunk.
** BigEater: The reason his [[WalkingDisasterArea "birthday celebration"]] in the Citadel comes to an end is because he gets hungry and raids a noodle house allowing C-sec to catch him. The noodles he ate? [[BrickJoke Ramen.]]
--> '''Shepard''': So... How were the noodles?\\
'''Grunt''': A little spicy.\\
'''Shepard:''' You're my hero./I love you, Grunt.
* FoeTossingCharge: In the 3rd game, while his squad is pinned down, you get to watch him charge a Ravager, ''pick it up'' and ''throw it off a cliff''.
** A short time later, he does it to cover Shepard's escape, killing half a dozen Ravagers in ''seconds'' before tackling one off a cliff. And if you have his loyalty? He ''survives'' it.
* GeniusBruiser: He had the military knowledge of several krogan warlords imprinted into him while he was being created. He's also a fan of SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, [[BuffySpeak although he's rather young and doesn't always have the words he needs to describe things]].
** And now, in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'', you find out he's reading (audiobook) [[Creator/ErnestHemingway Hemingway!]] He's finished ''The Old Man and The Sea'' & ''For Whom The Bell Tolls'', and is working on The Sun Also Rises. Not a fan of ''A Farewell To Arms'' however.
** He also apparently loves dinosaurs; he was apparently doing an extranet search on Urdnot Wrex, [[WikiWalk when he encountered entries on Tyrannosaurus Rex - and that got him into looking into Earth dinosaurs]]. ''Literature/TheOldManAndTheSea'' apparently also got him interested in sharks.
*** Note that his [[RougeAnglesofSatin spelling isn't perfect]]. Logical, though -- he was educated in a tank, and the Earth books he read were ''audiobooks''.
* GrievousHarmWithABody: Uses pieces of the Reaper-enhanced Rachni as weapons while buying time for Shepard and the Rachni Queen to escape in ''3''.
* HardWorkHardlyWorks: Every other teammate has gone through various forms of hell to be worthy of joining the team -- Grunt is actually ''born'' in the ''Normandy'' SR-2's cargo bay ready to kick ass alongside them. He's actually kind of bothered by this, mourning his "thousand weaker brothers" who were sacrificed to make him an [[{{Ubermensch}} Uberkrogan]].
* HeroicSacrifice: In the third game. [[spoiler:He stays behind to fight off the indoctrinated rachni and [[TakingYouWithMe falls down a cliff with one]]. And, if he's loyal, it's [[SubvertedTrope subverted]]. As the team gets ready to head out to their next assignment, Grunt comes out, covered in rachni-husk blood, and asks a simple question:]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Grunt''': [[SubvertedTrope Anyone got...]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments something to...]] [[BigEater eat?]]]]
* HoldTheLine: In ''3''. [[spoiler: Whether he survives or not depends on if you completed his loyalty mission.]]
* IncendiaryExponent: Mentioned, though not seen, in the Citadel DLC. During his drunken night out on the Citadel, he mentions that riot foam didn't stop him because he was on fire due to stealing a burning C-Sec squad car.
* IncrediblyLamePun: "Turians, I guess you have to work the blade. I don't see much point to it, though." {{Beat}} "Heh, much ''point''... oh, never mind."
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: He's very appreciative of Jack's escape from Purgatory if you take him with you, specifically the bodies she's leaving behind.
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Thinks highly of both Shepard [[spoiler:and Wrex]].
* LaserGuidedTykebomb: Okeer created him to lead the krogan against his personal enemies. However, his "programming" failed and Grunt could not care less about Okeer's goals.
* LastStand: In ''3''. [[spoiler: Though he'll survive if loyal]].
* LateToThePunchline: Grunt finally starts giggling when he figures out some his imprinted memories, like the image of a dead turian disfigured horribly (specifically, a krogan prying off the turian's face plates with a claw hammer). He thinks of it as hilarious because he "finally gets it": ''[[FantasticRacism turians suck]]''. When he tries to [[DontExplainTheJoke explain why it's funny]], Shepard is nonplussed.
* LightningBruiser: The most durable squadmate, and with the Claymore shotgun, he deals out a ton of damage. Even capable of doing the infamous krogan charge. And the charge? If he does it to another krogan, he'll '''push them back'''. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome This includes the considerably larger warlord on his loyalty mission.]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcJAo52a-qE Also, Scions.]]
* LonelyPianoPiece: During his LastStand.
* MeaningfulName: Despite choosing his name for the fact it ''doesn't'' have any greater meaning, Grunt endures a lot in order to prove himself worthy of the respect of other krogan, who look down on him for the manner of his birth. In that respect, he does indeed start out as a ''Grunt''.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: BloodKnight standard procedure.
* NeuralImplanting: The "imprints" he was given by Okeer when he was being grown in the tank. This is how he knows how to breathe, walk, talk, and kick ass. Unfortunately, the imprints were often without context.
-->'''Grunt:''' Like holding a book for a child. Just "remember this," picture after picture. No help with finding a reason to care.
* NotSoDifferent: From Miranda. Both are genetically-engineered {{Super Soldier}}s who angst about not feeling as though they've earned their strength.
* OneManArmy: Specifically designed by Okeer to be a krogan "lance" as opposed to their regular horde-based tactics.
* OnlyMostlyDead: In the third game, if you earned his loyalty. [[spoiler:After said cliff-dive, he shows up just as the shuttle's about to leave, limping and covered in gallons of blood, but alive (and wondering if anyone has something to eat)]].
* OptionalPartyMember: While his recruitment mission is mandatory, you don't actually have to release him from his tank.
* ParentalSubstitute:
** Shepard, particularly Paragon Shepard, acts as one to him. Particularly in the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''3'', where Shepard has to bail him out with C-Sec after his [[WalkingDisasterArea wild night out]] on the Citadel.
---> '''Shepard''': Grunt, you apologise to the nice man for setting his car on fire.\\
'''Grunt''': Fine, I'm sorry for setting your car on fire...\\
''[notices Shepard's look]''\\
'''Grunt''': ... and I won't do it again.[[note]]Later, Shepard can tell Grunt, "You're my hero."[[/note]]
** [[spoiler: Wrex also takes a shine to Grunt and adopts him into clan Urdnot, with an attitude of almost grooming Grunt to take over as the leader of clan Urdnot when he dies]].
* PlayingWithFire: He, like Jacob (and possibly Shepard) has regeneration-stopping Incendiary Ammo.
* PrecociousCrush: Given his actual age and frequency to behave like a child, and some things he says about Liara in the ''Citadel'' DLC, he may have one of these on her.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Eventually. Being accepted into the Urdnot clan really heals his tattered ego.
* PsychopathicManChild: Many of his mannerisms come across as rather child-like at times. He also plays with action figures on his spare time when he's not busy killing stuff, eating and reading Hemingway. Make sense since he's [[JustifiedTrope less than a year old]]. His actions in the Citadel DLC (and Paragon Shepard's response to them) also point in this direction.
* PunctuatedForEmphasis: '''I. AM. KROGAN!'''
* ReallyWasBornYesterday: As stated, you essentially witness his birth when you release him from his tank.
* ReplacementGoldfish: For his "father" Warlord Okeer, who was originally meant to be recruited on the Suicide Mission, but sacrificed himself to ensure Grunt's survival.
* SealedBadassInACan: He's tank-bred, so he was actually created in the "can" rather than being initially sealed in it. When his tank is obtained, it's left up to the player when to open the can and let the {{Badass}} out. He even plays the "neutral" part of the trope straight; he doesn't care much about morality, only asskicking.
* SignatureLaugh: Grunt's low, drawling "Heh...heh...heh".
* SociopathicHero: He couldn't care less about saving humanity. He just wants a good fight. And he laughs quite maniacally as he's tearing into your opponents. He gets better in ''3'', particularly if Wrex is the Urdnot leader.
--> '''Kelly Chambers:''' I don't know what to feel about Grunt. My psych reports were for Okeer. We have no guarantees that Grunt is mentally stable. I get the feeling he just doesn't care about anything, including who lives or dies.
* SmarterThanYouLook: On top of being a krogan, a race not exactly known for its smarts, trailers made him seem quite basic in personality, but in fact he's conflicted, knowledgeable, and can talk with surprising eloquence on both these things and his frustration with the former.
* SmugSuper: He was designed to be the ''perfect'' krogan and is very self-assured about this. Although, several conversations imply that [[BeneathTheMask deep down]] he doesn't really see him as such, leading him to overcompensate as a result.
* StoneWall: He can become this if you level him right; maxing out his [[BeehiveBarrier Fortification]] power and giving him the Krogan Pureblood power can increase his health and defenses to the point where he will almost never die, but he won't do as much damage.
* SuperSoldier: Grown in a vat to be the "perfect" krogan.
** Part of his loyalty mission involves killing a [[SandWorm Thresher Maw]] on foot. Alliance handbooks tell you to take on a Maw with a few tanks and even then: expect losses.
* ThisCannotBe: If taken to the plague-infested part of Omega (Mordin's recruitment mission): "''I do not get sick''!"
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The recruitment mission was clearly intended to make the player think they were getting Warlord Okeer as a squadmate. Getting Grunt instead was supposed to be a minor twist, but it was ruined by the pre-release trailer. Averted with Grunt's personality, however. Until the game was leaked, there was no indication that he was anything other than a typical krogan BloodKnight.
* {{Troll}}: Enjoys saying "no" to party crashers a little too much.
* {{Ubermensch}}: He was created to be one, although he has little interest in it.
* UltimateLifeForm:
** Along with being the perfect warrior, this was what he was meant to be for the krogan species.
** If you kill the Thresher Maw as part of his Loyalty quest he becomes one of two Krogans in a thousand years to kill a Maw on foot. The other was [[BadassGrandpa Wrex]].
--->'''Grunt:''' I am pure krogan. You should be in awe.
* UndyingLoyalty: Even before his mission, he seems to have nothing but respect for Shepard, his "Battlemaster". He even threatens Uvenk for spitting on Shepard's name. This is because [[BloodKnight he loves to fight]], and Shepard brings him along to fight '''''"[[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever BIG THINGS]]"'''''.
-->'''Grunt:''' Shepard is my battlemaster. S/he has no match.
* UnstoppableRage: Constantly. Apparently this is the default state for his species. The Rite of Passage was devised simply to help teenage krogan get a handle on it -- kind of like a young human's father taking him to a strip bar, except with guns and monsters. The sex comes afterward if a female is suitably impressed by the display. The Codex notes, however, that the rage only became so commonplace after the krogan devastated Tuchanka in nuclear war (before that, it was extremely rare and regarded as pathological). Admittedly, the Codex is an [[UnreliableNarrator in-universe resource]].
* WarriorPoet: According to the [[spoiler:Shadow Broker's dossier on him]], he's become a fan of Hemingway.
** Heck, even his dialogue from the beginning. His word choice is exquisite. This appears to be intentional on Okeer's part. Okeer similarly is surprisingly eloquent, even poetic, when speaking to Shepard upon their first meeting. It's entirely possible he programmed Grunt likewise.
* WeHaveReserves: He was engineered by Okeer to be an aversion to this trope; were Okeer to cure the genophage, the krogan would go back to spawning like mad and covering the galaxy with their hordes. Okeer believes the true future of the krogan is to have superior, elite warriors rather than cannon fodder, hence why he made the SuperPrototype, Grunt, and threw away the thousands that did not meet his standards.
* WorthyOpponent: One of the first indications that he views Shepard as one is the little smirk he gives when he realizes Shepard had quietly pulled a gun and had it trained on Grunt the entire time Grunt had him/her pinned against the wall.
-->'''Grunt:''' Hah! Offer one hand, but arm the other. Wise, Shepard.
** He comes to see the Collectors as this, stating that he "won't disrespect their strength by doing anything less than the worst to them."
* YoungerThanHeLooks: He's TheBigGuy and a damned good one, but he's a [[DesignerBabies Designer Krogan]] grown in a [[PeopleJars Krogan Jar]] and trained by NeuralImplanting. You don't recruit him so much as [[KleptomaniacHero "inherit"]] his Krogan Jar. When you crack it open and start chatting, you're basically witnessing his ''birth''.
* YouShallNotPass: During his mission in ''3'' -- [[spoiler: whether you choose to save his team or the rachni, he has to escort you out of the caves and hold off a wave of Ravagers. He survives if you completed his loyalty mission.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jack]]
[[WMG: Jack, AKA Subject Zero, (''nee'' Jennifer)]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_p_7174.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Turns out, mess with someone's head enough, you can turn a scared little kid into an all-powerful bitch.]]
->''"I'm not saying anything about Jack. I'm not stupid."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Courtenay Taylor

A powerful and unstable human biotic with a chequered past. Formerly a biotics test experiment of Cerberus. Romance option.
----
* AbnormalAmmo: She gains Warp Ammo after you earn her loyalty, which increases damage against armor, biotic barriers and health, and does double damage to anything under the effects of a biotic power, like Pull or Shockwave.
* AdultFear: How did Cerberus get Jack as the primary test subject? It turns out that Jack's mother was approached by an agent posing as her doctor, informing her that Jack was dying of a dangerous illness and they needed to take her baby away for diagnostics. Her mother trusted the agent and handed over her child, never to see her again. With Jack's parents unaware of their child's current status, she was nonexistent to the entire world and Cerberus was free to subject her to [[ColdBloodedTorture inhumane tests]].
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Played with. She admires [[BloodKnight Renegade]] [[KnightTemplar Shepard's]] bloodlust and cruelty, but the Renegade version of her romance is not treated as a serious thing by either one, but rather just a one-night stand. The Paragon romance with her is much more lasting and heartfelt.
* AmbiguouslyBi: She mentions that one of the first criminals she ran with was a woman and her boyfriend who "shared their bed" with her. However, if you keep talking to her as female Shepard, she says she doesn't play for that club. The dialogue for both lines is pretty ambiguous, but then, she's a pretty messed up girl who might not have her own feelings straight.
** In the ''Citadel'' DLC, she says she finds drunken Tali adorable, and says "If I were a little drunker and knew how to unzip that suit..." If the party takes a different turn, however, she gets pissed at the implication that her animosity with Miranda is just thinly-veiled sexual tension. She also tells Miranda that she has "fantastic tits".
* AntiHero: ''Strongly'' of the NominalHero kind. Shows signs of moving up the scale towards PragmaticHero with even a hint of a KnightInSourArmor under the influence of Paragon Shepard. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by her students, who lovingly call her "The Psychotic Biotic."
* AndIMustScream: If you don't rescue the students from Grissom Academy in ''Mass Effect 3'' in time, [[spoiler:Jack will end up being turned into a Phantom]].
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Subverted. Her extensive list of crimes includes piracy, theft of a military craft, destruction of a space station, and vandalism. When asked, she clarifies that vandalism is what the hanar called it when she [[DefaceOfTheMoon added a new crater to one of their moons]] ''[[ColonyDrop by dropping the space station on it]]''.
-->'''Jack:''' They ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny really]]'' liked that moon.
* TheAtoner: With some FreudianExcuse tossed in. It's not a coincidence she's happy being the teacher of biotic children, considering what the Teltin Facility was doing with biotic research.
* AxCrazy: Even [[BloodKnight Grunt]] and [[RetiredMonster Zaeed]] are impressed with her bloodlust. [[spoiler: She grows out of it, becoming more of a mild BloodKnight in ''3''. If captured by Cerberus however, she becomes this again, and this time irreversibly so]].
* BadassBoast:
** One of her lines when a new wave of enemies come onto the field is "Hello, dead people!"
** Here's another: "If I die, I'm haunting you, Shepard."
** She also gets one from Warden Kuril, who refers to her fearfully as "The meanest handful of violence and hate I've ever encountered. Dangerous, crazy and very powerful."
** "I will destroy you!" would be this if the first game hadn't ruined this line for the players.
* BadassBiker: One of her alternate ''DLC'' outfits in ''2''. Her new look in ''3'' also gives off this image.
* BadassTeacher[=/=]CoolTeacher: In ''Mass Effect 3''.
* BaldOfEvil: Shaved her head for a cult, and kept it that way. While she's still a squadmate for you, she remains violent and generally psychopathic. By the third game, she's ascended to BaldOfAwesome.
* BaldWomen: Though she's growing her hair out by the third game. Well, sort of. Her hairstyle appears to be a mohawk with a ponytail.
* BareYourMidriff: Jack bears ''a lot more'' than that. In her default appearance, the only thing around Jack's torso is a belt wrapped around her chest. In ''3'', she dresses in a similar manner, but also wears a small leather jacket with it.
* BastardGirlfriend: If Shepard tries to romance and show he cares about her, she treats him like utter shit and snaps completely if she does drive him away, but ends up in perhaps the most touching romance scene if [[DoggedNiceGuy Shepard]] can [[{{Determinator}} persevere.]]
* BecauseYouCanCope: If you side with Miranda in the Jack/Miranda loyalty conflict, the "Intimidate" option for regaining Jack's loyalty has Shepard explain that Jack is tough when she's angry, and Shepard needs Jack's "edge." Besides, Jack would've reacted badly if Shepard had kissed her ass.
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil
--> '''Jack:''' [[LampshadeHanging [Cerberus] thought they were so clever. Turns out, mess with someone's head enough, you can turn a scared little kid into an all powerful-bitch. Fuckin' idiots.]]
* TheBigDamnKiss: If romanced, Shepard can kiss her at the end of their game together in the Arena, while an Atlas mech blows up in the background.
* TheBigGuy: Not necessarily in physical size, but she definitely fits in personality.
* BloodKnight: She was conditioned to feel most alive while fighting, and it shows. Even after she TookALevelInKindness in ''3'', she still clearly loves being in a fight.
* BookEnds: You first meet her at a prison named Purgatory in ''Mass Effect 2.'' In ''Mass Effect 3,'' not counting the ''Citadel'' DLC, the last place you can interact with her is in a bar with the same name.
* BoxedCrook: You were originally just going to borrow her from max security space prison/slave ship to finish a mission, but certain events have left her quite a bit less constrained.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy:
** She was given euphoric drugs as a kid while fighting to condition her to equate killing with pleasure.
** [[spoiler: Will be programmed to fight for Cerberus if you don't do her [=ME3=] quest; you fight her at the Cerberus base]].
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: If Shepard plays the Paragon route while trying to win her affection, then Jack tries to scare Shepard away to prevent them both from getting hurt. However, she grows fond of him if [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Shepard prevails anyway]].
* BrokenBird: To say she's got issues is putting it lightly.
--> '''Jack:''' I feel like... I'm pissed off. I'm a dangerous bitch. But then, I'm a little girl again. Shit, it's complicated.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Thanks to some CharacterDevelopment throughout the game, Jack can display a much more vulnerable side towards others while still enjoying kicking butt.
* BuffySpeak: If you bring her to the Collector ship.
-->'''Jack:''' I'm not gonna let [the Reapers] turn me into some fucked up... bug thing.
* CardCarryingVillain: Pre-CharacterDevelopment.
* CharacterDevelopment: Her loyalty mission forces her to acknowledge that she wasn't the only biotic kid to suffer at that facility, as well as to accept the fact that the entire facility was built around her abilities in the first place. Depending on how you treat her, she can either stay a DarkActionGirl or show a softer side. This is shown in the two possible culminating scenes for a romance with her, one of which is just about sex, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6RHlWL2Oz0=related the other of which is far more tender.]]
** It's worth noting that while [[spoiler:assaulting the Collector base]], if you choose her to [[spoiler:man the biotic barrier through the Seeker Swarm room and she's loyal, she'll refer to you as "Commander" like she ''means'' it. For as violently psychotic and unruly a character as Jack is, that's speaking volumes about her development under Shepard's command. More than that, she phrases the word Commander around appropriate statements. That is, instead of being snarky, she uses more short and to the point phrases that you'd expect from more disciplined crew members]].
** There's also the Suicide Mission: [[spoiler: if you choose to have her lead a team during it, her final words will be "Too many... tore me up. How'd you talk me into this? Heh... I wasn't supposed to care." Apparently, being around a MessianicArchetype long enough can make even Jack give a damn about everyone else]].
** If she's still alive in ''3'', [[spoiler: she's become a teacher with a very strong bond with her pupils, due mostly to Shepard's influence, thus sticking it to the Illusive Man by protecting biotics from people like him]].
* ClusterFBomb:
** Constantly. In fact, she drops all but two or three of the game's F-bombs -- mainly because she's the only character who uses the word in regular conversation.
** If you start to romance her and then push her away at the end (either to pursue a different partner or just ForTheEvulz), or if you side with Miranda in their conflict, all she will ''ever'' say to you from then on is, "Fuck off!"
** [[spoiler:Toned down a bit in ''3'' when she becomes a teacher at Grissom. Gotta set a good example for the students, after all]].
** [[spoiler: Until Joker provokes her, that is. But see CurseCutShort below]].
** And in the Citadel DLC she's back in form.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Subjected to it by Cerberus during her childhood, [[FreudianExcuse hence why she]] [[MonsterSobStory is the way she is.]]
** And if you don't save Grissom Academy in the third game, [[spoiler: Cerberus captures her and inflicts this on her again, turning her into a Phantom that you will have to kill]].
* ColonyDrop[=/=]DefaceOfTheMoon: She committed [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking "vandalism"]] by [[MonumentalDamage smashing a space station into the hanar's favorite moon]].
* CooldownHug: A romanced Shepard gives her one just when she starts breaking out in tears about how worried she is to lose him in ''Citadel''.
* CurseCutShort:
--> '''Jack''': ''(to her students)'' Cover your ears, kids. ''(to Joker)'' Hey, Joker, f-- ''[loading screen]''
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: When she first appears, she tears through three [[HumongousMecha YMIR mechs]] like they were made of wet cardboard. In normal gameplay, you're usually popping in and out of cover and gradually whittling them down and she's probably the weakest of any party member against them, since her two active powers, Shockwave and Pull, both have next to no effect on an YMIR.
** In ''Citadel'' she uses Shockwave to blow up an Atlas mech from across the arena. In actual gameplay, Shockwave has very short range and has very little effect on an Atlas' shields and armor.
* TheCynic: [[FreudianExcuse Given]] [[MonsterSobStory her]] [[AndIMustScream past]], it's not surprising. Paragon Shepard helps get her out of this a little bit and into KnightInSourArmor territory, but it's a slow process.
* DareToBeBadass: [[spoiler: Her general tone to teaching her students in ''3''. Her lighthearted berating of her students does well to inspire them to succeed]].
* DarkActionGirl: [[spoiler: Becomes an ActionGirl in ''3'']].
* DatingCatwoman: Technically this is her romantic relationship with Paragon Shepard. She's an AxCrazy criminal and he's a LawfulGood Spectre.
* DeathGlare: She's usually seen with an angry grimace when ready to kill.
* DeathSeeker: Heavily implied during conversations with her in ''2''. Jack admits that she has no plan for the future other than crime sprees. In her own words death to her is like an 'on/off switch'. Of course, she snaps out of this if she lives to ''3''.
* DefrostingIceQueen: She has a ''very'' [[BrokenBird hardened exterior]] and prefers to be alone. However, Shepard can reach out to her, helping her slowly regain her faith in life. [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Much more so if romanced]].
* DestroyTheAbusiveHome: Her loyalty mission. Being Jack, she uses a bomb planted right in her old cell - and the explosion not only takes out the facility but a good chunk of the surrounding forest.
* DoesNotKnowHowToSayThanks: Pre-CharacterDevelopment.
* DoesNotLikeMen: Although she hates ''everyone'', she seems to be wary towards men since she assumes AllMenArePerverts because of her DarkAndTroubledPast. Shepard can coax her out of this if romanced.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Jack's pet from ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'''s Citadel DLC, Eezo the varren, is a short-tempered biotic animal that Jack had to rescue from an animal shelter. Initially it was extremely hostile, but Jack showed it lots of love, patience and trust, and now while it's still BadAss, it's become a "big softie" at heart. Shepard can see the parallels, but Jack apparently can't.
* DrillSergeantNasty: As one of Grissom Academy's instructors in the final game. Remarkably, she gets high praise and respect from both her students and superiors for it. She's a little milder than some examples, though; she admits to Shepard that the students are like her family and they need her to believe in them, and puts up with it when they cheerfully mock her.
* EmbarrassingTattoo: If romanced by Shepard, she jokes in ''3'' that she's gotten an [[IconicLogo N7 tattoo]] on her ass.
* EnemyMine: Puts her hatred towards Cerberus aside since they both have a common enemy.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When she's released from cryo-stasis, Shepard's team is shocked that the Jack they've been hearing so much about is actually a small young woman. She proceeds to awaken and destroy three YMIR Mechs and then start tearing up the station.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: She is slightly troubled by Shepard urging Niftu Cal, the "Biotic God," to get himself killed, even though she admits it was kind of funny.
-->'''Jack:''' That was ''mean''... but damn funny.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: She questions why Shepard cares for her and fails to know why s/he risks everything to save the galaxy. However, she gets better because of Shepard's heroics.
* EvilCounterpart: While not pure evil, she's basically a dark reflection of Kaidan Alenko from the first game. Only replace the Alliance-run [=BaAT=] bootcamp with a rogue Cerberus facility, being surrounded by friends with solitary confinement, where the other children are ''afraid'' of you, and the grueling training with surgical experimentation and outright ''torture''.
* EvilFeelsGood: At least that's what she would most likely tell you. And it turns out that she was conditioned to feel that way.
-->'''Jack:''' I still get warm feelings during a fight.
* EvilIsPetty: Her fight with Miranda in a nutshell. [[KickTheDog Cold as Miranda acts,]] Jack was still looking for a fight there and was only causing trouble because she wanted to hear Miranda admit that what Cerberus did to her was wrong. And if Shepard chooses not to take her side, you lose her loyalty (though the same is also true of Miranda if you side with Jack). Granted, Jack had a more justifiable reason to be offended, as Miranda's loyalty had nothing to do with her allegiance to Cerberus anyway.
* ExposedToTheElements: Jack wears {{stripperiffic}} outfits ''in space''.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: You see her again in ''Mass Effect 3'' with her hair on top grown out long enough for a short pony tail. She still keeps her temples shaved.
* FantasticDrug: Red sand [[WhatCouldHaveBeen in dummied-out content.]]
* FluffyTamer: Shows up with a biotic varren from Thessia in the Citadel DLC.
* ForTheEvulz: Her motivation a lot of the time. [[spoiler: She grows out of it]].
* FreakyIsCool: She doesn't understand why Paragon Shepard wants to form a romantic relationship with her, but admits the idea is intriguing.
-->'''Jack:''' ([[WhenSheSmiles Smiling]]) You're weird Shepard. That kinda gets me off.
* FreudianExcuse[=/=]MonsterSobStory: She's got a particularly dark and grisly one for her backstory that explains her bloodlust and extremely antisocial nature. And also her RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Cerberus.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Started out as a normal little girl. Years of being tortured and used has turned her into one of the galaxy's most notorious criminals.
* GenderBlenderName: Lampshaded when she is first seen, and then never mentioned again. [[spoiler: Subverted, however, by her real name, Jennifer]].
* GlassCannon: She's very powerful offensively, but she's very frail in combat, second only to Kasumi.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Cerberus got what they wanted.
* GoodFeelsGood: She starts to succumb to this after her HeelFaceTurn. Teaching biotic kids like her really makes her understand why good feels better than evil.
* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: If successfully romanced by Paragon Shepard, she becomes a firm believer of this trope. Throughout ''3'', she casually remarks about wanting to have sex with Shepard ''a lot''.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: The tattoos mask them from a distance, but she's covered in surgical scars from Teltin.
-->'''Jack:''' You see the scars, Rodriguez? Come on, ''take a good look''. Cerberus did this to me when I was ''half'' your age.
* {{Goth}}: Thinks very little of herself? Check. [[TheCynic Cynical]]? Check. Loves deep, emotional poetry? Check. Full of emotional scars? Check. An admiration for death? Check. Wears pale makeup and black eyeliner? Check. Covered in beautiful tattoos that reflect her inner pain? Check. HellBentForLeather? Check. Feared for being [[LonersAreFreaks a loner]]? Check.
* GothGirlsKnowMagic: Jack shows shades of being a {{Goth}} with her [[HellBentForLeather penchant for leather clothing]] and her personality fitting the [[LonersAreFreaks Lone Psycho]] type. She's also the most powerful human biotic in the TheVerse.
* HeelFaceTurn: A very gradual process that isn't fully completed until after ''2''.
* HellBentForLeather: Both her loyalty and alternate BadassBiker DLC outfit in ''2''.
** Wears a studded leather jacket in her new job as a [[spoiler: BadassTeacher]] in ''3''. According to [[spoiler: Kahlee Sanders]], it's as far as Jack is willing to compromise on the dress-code required for [[spoiler: Grissom Academy's faculty members]].
* HiddenBuxom: That strap Jack has covering her chest on her default appearance is actually used as a constrictor binding her breasts to make them appear small because she doesn't like men checking her out. Ironically, not much is covered up since she doesn't wear a shirt. But, her appearance in ''3'' shows Jack's full endowment.
* HiddenDepths: A Paragon Shep will peel away her layers, and even her voice will reflect this, as it goes from rough and masculine to soft and feminine by the time a romance is completed. At the end of the game, if she survives, no matter what her loyalty is, she'll give Shepard a determined nod, which is tantamount to a salute -- and this was a woman who had ''no'' interest in ''anything'' or ''anyone'' but herself.
** The Shadow Broker DLC also reveals that she writes poetry in her spare time under the pseudonym "Jacqueline Nought".
* HideousHangoverCure: Averted. She reveals in the Citadel DLC thanks to her conditioning, she never feels any sort of morning-after hangover effects. She's ''exercising'' when she's first met up with after the party.
* IUhYouToo: Despite being in love with Shepard, she never ''says'' she is.
--> '''Jack''': [[{{Tsundere}} Don't you die out there dumbass. When this is over, I'm getting laid]].\\
'''Shepard''': [[DeadpanSnarker I love you too.]]
* IncompletelyTrained: The Pragia facility was shut down long before they could finish. With no one to fill in the gaps in her biotic abilities, Jack trained herself to use weapons instead.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: In the ''Citadel'' DLC, if Shepard suggests to Jack that she and Miranda should [[BelligerentSexualTension kiss and make up]].
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: Summed up in this borderline {{Adorkable}} line from the ''Citadel'' DLC:
--> '''Jack:''' ''[after blowing up an Atlas mech]'' If there's a God, that's what she sounds like. Just a big, deep "BWOOM!" to let you know everything's gonna be okay.
* InstitutionalApparel: Her starting outfit is the remains of her Purgatory uniform.
* IntimateMarks: Everything below the neck is covered in ink, including her breasts.
* InUniverseCatharsis: Pretty much the entire point of her loyalty mission. The achievement for gaining her loyalty is even called "Catharsis."
* {{Jerkass}}: Pre-CharacterDevelopment, and she knows it.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Her suspicions about Cerberus eventually betraying her and Shepard are [[ProperlyParanoid proven correct in the end]]. By ''3'', the Illusive Man is revealed to have been manipulating Shepard to serve his own purposes the whole time.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In ''3''.
* KaleidoscopeEyes: In [=ME3=], her eyes turn blue when she uses her biotics.
* KickTheDog: A favorite past-time of hers pre CharacterDevelopment, including but not limited to mass murder, [[ColonyDrop destroying a moon]], being a {{Jerkass}}, and being such a {{Troll}} that she's been banned from the extranet (among other places) several times. And most of this behavior is done ForTheEvulz.
* LackOfEmpathy: Initially. She gets better.
* TheLadette: Her behavior isn't even remotely feminine.
* LadySwearsALot: In [=ME3=], Joker asks if she has a swear jar, because emptying it would buy another cruiser.
* LastGirlWins: [=MaleShep=] meets her last out of the women who give the Paramour achievement.
* LastSecondWordSwap: At the end of the Grissom Academy mission.
--> '''Jack''': Screw you, f--flight lieutenant.\\
'''Joker:''' Uhh, what the hell was that?
* LeanAndMean: For such a small woman, Jack is very strong and cruel to others. This changes after her HeelFaceTurn...[[DrillSergeantNasty somewhat]].
* LonersAreFreaks: Likes to be alone in an isolated part under the ship. Shepard has the option to visit her though and can convince her to bond with others. By ''3'', she does.
* LoveableSexManiac: In the Citadel DLC if you romance her. If you dance with her, she asks you to not tire yourself out because ''"We're gonna be doing it on the table later"''. The morning after she says she's horny, but contemplate that other people are already awake. She also makes several comments on Miranda's figure.
--> '''Jack''': You as turned on as I am right now?
--> '''Shepard''': (Confused) You want to have sex in the combat simulator?
--> '''Jack''': (Mischievously) No...I wanna make love.
* LoveIsAWeakness: Initially believes in this, but Paragon Shepard can convince her otherwise if romanced.
* LoveRedeems: The Paragon ending to her romance.
* MaleGaze: Although not as much as [[{{MsFanservice}} Miranda]], she still has it. When Shepard asks about her tattoos, the camera pans all over across her torso, with a close-up shot of her breasts. She even assumes Male Shepard is checking her out.
* MamaBear: Towards the students of Grissom Academy.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Her relationship with Male Paragon Shepard, especially if romanced. She's the tough-as-nails, murderous criminal while he's the AllLovingHero.
* MeaningfulName: Presumably inspired by JackLondon, who's famously quoted from ''Call of the Wild'': "Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed." Also like London, Jack became quite the traveler.
* MegatonPunch: She's fond of using biotics to create these.
* MildlyMilitary: From the sound of things, she has some manner of provisional officer's rank in the Alliance Navy, judging from banter with Joker, and the fact that she's administrating her students' operations once they go into the field. Although it's given her purpose, she's still Jack, as most readily evidenced by her choice of attire.
* MindOverMatter: Considered to be the most powerful human biotic.
* MiniBoss: If you don't do the Grissom Academy mission before a set time, or not at all, [[spoiler:she gets indoctrinated and works for Cerberus, becoming a mini-boss in the Cerberus HQ]].
* MoralityChain: Paragon Shepard becomes this to her. Acknowledged in ''3'' when she notes that some of Shepard's speeches rubbed off on her. Even she seems a little surprised by this.
* {{Ms.Fanservice}}: Although not quite to the extent of Miranda, Jack is sporting more revealing clothing than she is. For starters, Jack doesn't wear a shirt in her default appearance, exposing most of her chest and upper body.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: As should be obvious by this point.
--> '''Shepard:''' What is it about killing that fascinates you so much?\\
'''Jack:''' I figure every time someone dies and it's not me, my chances of survival go up. Simple.
* MyEyesAreUpHere: When Male Shepard talks with her frequently, she assumes that he's checking her out and wants to use her for sex.
* MyHeroZero: She's a hero called Subject Zero. But, [[BerserkButton don't call her that nickname.]]
* MythologyGag:
** She sometimes screams '''I WILL DESTROY YOU!''' in the same way the human biotic mooks did in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''.
** Mocked by Rodriguez in [=ME3=]
---> '''Rodriguez''': I will destroy you!\\
'''Jack''': Drink your juice, Rodriguez. You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Inverted. Also, it would be too late for you to run anyway.
* TheNicknamer: Refers to Miranda as "the Cheerleader" and Paragon Shepard as "King of the Boy Scouts" or "Queen of the Girl Scouts" depending on his/her gender.
* NoodleIncident: While it doesn't get nearly as much attention due to being brought up in the same conversation as the "[[ColonyDrop vandalism]] incident," all she says about stealing a military craft is, "Shouldn't have left the thing unlocked. Besides, parades are boring. I helped."
* NotSoAboveItAll: The most notorious, dangerous human criminal in the galaxy likes to write poetry and {{troll}} people on the internet.
* NotSoDifferent: From Miranda. Both are powerful biotic women with potential for greatness who had their gifts turned into curses by others (Miranda's father and Cerberus respectively) and the ensuing traumatic childhoods has made them both cold, bitter, and ruthless until when or if Shepard gets them to move past their pain and become happier [[HeelFaceTurn (and better)]] people. Sadly, all of these similarities are lost on them both.
* OddFriendship: Particularly with a Paragon Shepard, who she sarcastically refers to as "King/Queen of the Boy/Girl Scouts" in the third game. Nonetheless, it's clear that Jack owes a lot of her character development to Shepard's influence and she admits that all their [[PatrickStewartSpeech speeches]] clearly rubbed off on her.
** OddCouple: Her romance with [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Paragon Shepard]] is one of the oddest in the entire series.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Judging by the confrontation between them, she seems to think this way about Miranda; she says she'll keep Miranda alive so she can tear her apart herself after the mission. [[spoiler: Fortunately, she buries the hatchet with her later]].
* PersonOfMassDestruction: [[AxCrazy And she revels in it.]]
* PetTheDog: Jack does have a few nice moments of kindness in the series.
** During her loyalty mission, Shepard can convince her to spare Aresh's life instead of killing him.
** In Grissom Academy, she saves the life of Rodriguez, the student she picks on the most, [[spoiler: from Cerberus troops]]
** In the ''Citadel DlC'', she adopts an abandoned Varren to keep as a pet.
** Her whole romance can be seen as this towards Paragon Shepard, since she was initially hostile towards him, but gave him a chance after [[DefrostingIceQueen he was so kind to her]] [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan when he had no reason not to]].
* PowerPerversionPotential: Biotic powers can be unstable during the act, but can also have "benefits." [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RayAQfMqY Mordin, as always, is the man to see.]]
* PsychoForHire: An incredibly rare protagonist example. She may develop beyond this if you gain her loyalty.
* RapeAsBackstory: It says something about her past when the multiple times she's been sexually assaulted count as some of the '''least''' traumatic memories.
** It's a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming that if the player remains romantically interested in Jack, she'll openly kiss him in front of everyone, even her students, no longer afraid to show open affection.
%%* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Miranda and Paragon Shepard's Blue.
* RetiredMonster: Though she ultimately becomes a genuinely good person, she also never regrets any of her past misdeeds, including murdering dozens of people with little justification and crashing a space station into a moon.
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: If you skip Grissom Academy, she's captured [[spoiler:and turned into a Cerberus Phantom]].
* TheReveal: Taking Liara along to [[spoiler: Grissom Academy]] in ''3'' reveals that Jack's birth-name is actually [[spoiler: Jennifer]], though Liara hasn't been able to discover her surname yet.
* RevengeBeforeReason: On her loyalty mission, Shepard has the option to point out that Jack's quest for vengeance is tearing her apart, making her more unstable than before. Jack eventually realizes this, [[CharacterDevelopment and intends to control herself more often.]]
* RevengeByProxy: A variation. Jack snipes at Miranda a lot, (leading to quite a bit of animosity between them) likely because Miranda (being a Cerberus agent) is the easiest and most convenient outlet for her rage, even though Miranda wasn't even ''with'' Cerberus when they tortured Jack for years. She also takes issue with Miranda's "cheerleading" and excuses for the things Cerberus has done, including Pragia.
* TheRival: To Miranda, complete with an TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou mentality. This reaches its peak in during a catfight that Shepard has to head off, possibly also losing the loyalty of one or the other. [[spoiler: Fortunately, as of the Citadel DLC, they've smoothed things over a bit]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Apparently a recurring event for her. You add her to the crew right after she finishes one of these. And you get her loyalty by blowing up the facility that made her who she is.
* SamusIsAGirl: Basically, everyone, including the Warden holding her in cryo, shudder at the very mention of her and portray her as the ultimate force of destruction... and then you see this apparently small young woman break out of metal restraints and wipe out three heavy mechs with nothing but her biotics.
-->'''Grunt:''' ''That's'' Jack? Jack is tiny. ''[Jack starts wrecking the place]'' Let's get down there, I wanna see!
* SatisfiedStreetRat: Although she's hardly "satisfied" unless she's in a fight. Not only that, but she ''is'' extremely pissed off at Cerberus for using her as a lab rat; while Shep can say "You enjoy the power they gave you," she's damn sore that "they didn't give (her) a choice".
* SexEqualsLove:
** Averted. Kelly mentions that Jack pushes people away, but approaches sex casually, and warns that having a one-night stand with her is a bad idea. Having sex with Jack is an option fairly early into the game. If the casual sex option is chosen, she's really into it, but says that she doesn't want to play if you try and talk to her again. If you refuse sex with her and show interest in her as a person, she'll eventually come out of her shell and begin to actually love Shepard.
** During the final love scene between Jack and Shepard in ''2'', they don't have sex. Rather, Jack snuggles with Shepard contently. Considering her RapeAsBackstory, she probably needs affection more than sex.
* ShutUpKiss: On the receiving end if Shepard romanced her when the Grissom Academy mission finishes. [[spoiler:Shep grabs and kisses her before she gives too many details about her "N7 Tattoo"]].
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She may be the TropeCodifier for this. If [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Paragon Shepard]] drops hints of romantic interest in her, then Jack will develop a serious crush on him. Although Jack does admire Renegade Shepard, she ends up falling in love with Paragon Shepard because of his kindness and real love for her. [[spoiler: She even gets an N7 tattoo to remember him.]]
* SlapSlapKiss: If romanced in ''2'', the first thing she does to Shepard in ''3'' is deck him. [[note]] For leaving and turning himself in to the Alliance after the events of the second game.[[/note]] Then give him a passionate kiss.
* SlasherSmile: She [[BloodKnight enjoys]] fighting a lot.
* SociopathicHero: "Heroic" is very much a stretch for her. [[spoiler:At first]].
* SoProudOfYou: Some cut content from 3's endgame includes her [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k_AK6vz4_bM reassuring her squad]].
* StealthPun: She once used "Jacqueline Nought" as an alias, with "nought" being the British term for the American "zero." So she is "Jack Zero". [[spoiler:If she died in ''2'', this is her listed name on the ''Normandy'' cenotaph]].
* SternTeacher: She's tough on her students and receives their adoration in return. A bit crazier than most examples though.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Her first costume is essentially a strap across her breasts and a pair of pants; her alternate costume is a bit more modest. In ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]'' she explains that it was a deliberate attempt to make her breasts look as small as possible, since [[PrisonRape showing off her rack in a prison ship would have been a bad idea.]]
** The third DLC outfit makes her a BadassBiker with a leather jacket, pants and shades, so everything is hidden, including tattoos.
** Her outfit in ''3'' is more conservative, but it still shows quite a lot of skin.
* SuperSoldier: Cerberus wanted to make her a powerful biotic warrior... [[GoneHorriblyRight and they succeeded]].
* SurvivorGuilt: One of the reasons she pushes everyone away is that [[spoiler:the last person who cared about her ended up dying in order to save her instead of betraying her as she'd expected he would. This made her even more violent and reclusive]].
** Can get [[spoiler:taken {{Up to Eleven}} in ''3''. If you chose to send her students to the front lines and romanced her, by the end, they'll all be dead as shall Shepard (in most endings). After all her major character development, everyone closest to her still dies]].
* TattooedCrook: UpToEleven. [[AllThereInTheManual The art book shows just how much detail and thought went into them,]] including tally marks for people she’s killed, including a skeleton tattoo with ''marks over each bone she killed a person by breaking.'' Needless to say, [[AxCrazy she's got a lot of tally marks.]]
** TattooAsCharacterType: They're a way to reassert control over her body and remind her of the colorful life she's led since since escaping Pragia.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With ''everyone'' in ''2'', but especially Miranda.
* ThereWasADoor: Justified: After being released from cryo, she has to escape somehow, and the quickest way is to break through walls with her biotics.
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Quite a few of her battle cries. She's fond of the B-word in conversation as well.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Even after recruitment, she remains a barely contained ball of homicidal rage. She can grow out of it eventually.
* TomboyishName [[spoiler: Though in the third game, Liara reveals that her real birth name is Jennifer]].
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: She enjoys reading and writing poetry in her spare time. Her romance shows this off more though. As her interest grows in Paragon Shepard, her voice changes from rough and masculine to a gentler, caring tone.
-->(First conversation)
-->'''Shepard:''' I should go.
-->'''Jack:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Yep]].

-->(After dropping hints of romance)
-->'''Shepard:''' I should go.
-->'''Jack:''' [[{{Adorkable}} Take care!]]
* TomboyishPonytail: Sports one in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* TookALevelInCheerfulness: She becomes much happier in ''3'' after her HeelFaceTurn.
* TookALevelInKindness: A bit in ''2'', much more if romanced. Quite a bit in ''3'', where she's become [[spoiler: a full-fledged MamaBear and BadassTeacher who has left her AxCrazy nature behind]]. The Citadel DLC takes it even further, showing her to now have a pet biotic varren named Eezo that she got from a rescue group who she is extremely affectionate towards (and the parallels to her own life she is [[ComicallyMissingThePoint completely oblivious about]]). [[spoiler: She also no longer wants to kill Miranda]].
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Within the game, all you're told is that you're picking up a dangerous biotic named Jack; it's left as a surprise that she's a female until you see her the first time. The surprise is completely ruined by the fact that the character was introduced in promotional material prior to the game's release, including a personal character trailer. Although her name is only given as "Subject Zero" in this material, enough detail is given about how she's recruited that the only way her sex can come as a surprise is if the player goes into the game completely blind.
* {{Transhuman}}: Possibly the most powerful human biotic yet.
* {{Troll}}: She was banned from the Citadel News Net forums for excessive and repeated swearing, derogatory comments, inflammatory comments, and circumventing work-safe filters. She lasted 15 minutes in an online poker community before being banned for the same reasons.
** She also gets vanned a lot. You are actually supposed to get her out of the proverbial space van in her recruit mission.
* {{Tsundere}}: If Shepard coaxes her out of her hostility and helps her find some personal closure, she displays a softer and more vulnerable side.
* {{Tykebomb}}: The Shadow Broker's dossier indicates [[spoiler:she was actually taken by Cerberus shortly after birth. Her mother was convinced the child had died from horrible element zero-induced seizures]].
* TheUnfettered: [[spoiler: Gets better in ''3'']].
* [[UngratefulBastard Ungrateful Bitch]]: In her recruitment mission, Shepard not only frees her, but saves her by shooting a Blue Suns trooper just before he shot Jack. Her response is to loudly insult Shepard.
--> '''Shepard:''' This ship's going down in flames. I've got the only way out. I'm offering to take you with me. ''And you're arguing.''
* UnreliableNarrator: [[spoiler:She wasn't in the best position to figure out just what was going on in the Teltin facility]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: [[spoiler: With Miranda in the Citadel DLC, for given value of "best buds"]].
* WeCanRuleTogether: In her first conversation with Shepard, she suggests the two of them team up to take over the Normandy and pirate other ships in order to conquer the universe as partners in crime.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: A cut sidequest in [=ME2=] originally had Shepard forced to find some red sand for Jack, due the fact that Cerberus experimentation meant that red sand was the only thing that could help her sleep without levitating everything in the room.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Downplayed, but still present. Jack doesn't understand what real love actually is, only understanding that people have sex to get what they want. She questions why a romancing Shepard doesn't just do it with her and is confused when he wants to bond with her. She eventually realizes her true feelings for him if Shepard remains faithful to pursuing a true romance with her.
* WhatTheHellHero: In the third game, she punches Shepard in the face, saying that [[spoiler:Shepard should never have trusted Cerberus]]. If you romanced her, it turns into AngerBornOfWorry, as she punches [[spoiler:Shepard for turning him/herself in after the events of Arrival]].
* WhatWouldXDo: If she survives the second game and you make it to Grissom Academy in time in the third, you'll find her teaching a batch of young biotics and defending them from Cerberus. She even admits that some of Shepard's leadership rubbed off on her, what with "all those damn speeches."
* WhenSheSmiles: If romanced successfully by Paragon Shepard, she finally shows ''real'' happiness. Not a SlasherSmile, but a genuine smile.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds[=/=]TragicVillain: Because seriously -- after a life of physical torture, emotional, and sexual abuse, Jack really deserves a little bit of happiness. And a Shepard hug.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: How Paragon Shepard prompts her HeelFaceTurn.
* YouNeedToGetLaid: Inverted; see SexEqualsLove above.
* YourMakeupIsRunning: During her romance scene.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jacob Taylor]]
[[WMG: Jacob Taylor]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jacob_6876.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Somebody's got to take down the bad guys. Cerberus keeps that line, I'm on their side.]]
->''"Jacob is way too nice a guy for the number of ways he knows how to kill people."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Adam Lazarre-White

A biotic and former marine who joined Cerberus to protect humanity, although he dislikes their extreme methods. He's also the protagonist of the [=iPhone=] game ''Mass Effect Galaxy''. Also one of [=ME2=]'s romance options for the female Shepard.
----
* AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder: [[spoiler: He and Dr Brynn Cole are together in ''3'' whether or not you romanced him]].
* AntiHero: Either a KnightInSourArmor or PragmaticHero.
* TheAtoner: In ''3'' for his time with Cerberus.
* BaldOfAwesome: In his younger years.
* BadassBeard: Grew one after ''Galaxy''.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: One of the most non-confrontational, baggage-deprived guys on your squad, but check out his loyalty mission's Renegade ending for what he's capable of when pushed.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Potentially. He does volunteer for an assignment he's not geared towards, but it's possible to have already lost up to three people at that point. It really comes down to the player.
* BrokenPedestal: His father.
* BrutalHonesty: Similar to Ashley, Jacob is fairly direct with his opinions when asked. This will extend to ''Shepard'' as well.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:Was pretty pissed to find out what his father had been doing for the past 10 years]].
* CanonImmigrant: From ''Mass Effect Galaxy''.
* ChickMagnet: He's had a past history with Miranda, Kasumi totally digs him, and he can possibly romance a Female Shepard. Continues into the third game, [[spoiler: where he has a new girlfriend regardless of whether he was with Shepard in the previous game or not]].
** EvenTheGuysWantHim: If both were romanced in the previous games, [[BiTheWay Kaidan]] subtly hints that he finds Jacob attractive.
* DeadpanSnarker: He has his moments, particularly in the Citadel DLC where he effortlessly trades banter with Shepard and ribs him/her quite a bit.
* DemotedToExtra: Went from being the main character of ''Mass Effect Galaxy'' to a party member in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' to an NPC in an optional mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* DerailingLoveInterests: In ''3'', if you previously romanced him, [[spoiler:he's already moved on to another woman he plans to settle down with]].
* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: Early in his mission in ''3'', Jacob gets shot in the stomach protecting some Ex-Cerberus Scientists. While he gets briefly treated, Jacob continues to power through the mission while injured]].
--> '''Shepard:''' You should get that wound looked at.\\
'''Jacob:''' I'm good. I mean, I will.
* DisappearedDad: For 10 years and counting... [[spoiler:at least, until his loyalty mission]].
* DoggedNiceGuy: Inverted -- female Shepard has to work to get him to open up to the possibility of a romance.
* DontYouDarePityMe: He doesn't want anyone thinking of him as a "baggage guy" or trying to "figure me out". You can actually convince him to break off the romance if you keep pushing him.
-->'''Jacob:''' Even if you were right, how small would my problems be if you could 'fix' them with grad-school psych and a crying jag?"
* DisappointedByTheMotive: In his loyalty mission, Jacob isn't disappointed as he is ''outraged'' over the fact that his father spent 10 years on a remote planet, indulging in what he calls "a juvenile fantasy."
* EveryoneHasStandards: Dislikes mercenaries and assassins, which causes some initial friction when Thane comes aboard.
* FemaleGaze: There's a point [[http://youtu.be/z03cL5ZzhkA early in the romance]] in which the camera seems to switch to Shepard's POV, and pans up from his groin to his face.
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: A relatively minor example in ''3'': He still handles guns well when Cerberus attacks the defectors' safehouse, but apparently completely forgets he has biotic powers, specifically Barrier, [[spoiler: which would have prevented him from receiving the wound that puts him out of action for most of the mission]].
* TheGenericGuy: While intended to be the OnlySaneMan in the second game, the fact that he rarely interacts with other crew members instead makes him come off as simply uninteresting in comparison to [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits the others]] rather than the StraightMan.
* TheHeart: Jacob and Miranda serve as the foils/voice-of-reason towards Shepard. Jacob generally support actions that tend to be ''morally'' right, and is the paragon-voice point.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Literally, with ''Mass Effect Galaxy''. This put him in the rare position of a previous player character stuck as second-fiddle to another one.
* HiddenDepths: Apparently he's good at arcade games if the Citadel DLC is anything to go by.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: He seems rather surprised when female Shepard tries to start a romance with him, but eventually runs with it.
* IHaveNoSon: [[spoiler:Inverted. He disowns his father after discovering what he did.]]
-->'''Jacob''': [[spoiler: I don't know who you are, because you're no father that I remember]].
* IllPretendIDidntHearThat: When Grunt starts talking about how appetizing the smell of burning plague victims is.
* InsecureLoveInterest: With both Shepard and Miranda, he doesn't believe he's good enough for them.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Implies this towards Miranda. "She... requires a better man than I."
* KnightInSourArmor: He's generally a nice guy, but displays a ''lot'' of cynicism regarding the Alliance and Citadel governments after the events of ''Mass Effect Galaxy'' which led him to join Cerberus in disgust. Not that he's altogether fond of ''them'', either.
--> "Saved the Citadel, but... what's the saying? A good deed's like pissing in dark pants. Warm feeling, but no one notices."
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: He's a bit of a Shepard {{Fanboy}}.
* TheLancer: A position he shares with Garrus and Miranda, hence why he and they are the only ideal candidates for leading the fireteams on the Suicide Mission.
* LeaveBehindAPistol: At the end of his loyalty mission, the Renegade conclusion is to give a gun to [[spoiler:his father]] to kill himself rather than face a court-martial or be killed by males driven to violence by the local flora.
* MagicKnight: Both a capable soldier and a powerful biotic.
* ManHug: How he assures Shepard he's ready to go post-loyalty mission.
-->'''Jacob:''' I'm good, Shepard! Ready for anything. We live, we'll get loud, spill some drinks on the Citadel!
* MilitaryMaverick: He left the Alliance because he couldn't handle all the {{Obstructive Bureaucrat}}s. Having said that, he also gets the prize for the other half of the trope: of all the party members, he holds himself to the strongest level of military behavior, and is the ''only'' person on the ship aside from Kelly (and a loyal Miranda, ''once'' if not romanced) who actually salutes Shepard.
* MindOverMatter: Jacob is the closest Shepard's squad gets to an average human biotic.
* MrExposition: Early in ''2''. Justified because he's the only person around Shepard can talk to, and Shep's been dead for two years.
* MrFanservice: Why, hello there, [[BuffySpeak Mr. Unneccessary In Camera Focus Shirt Removal Ripped Guy]]. His abs are rendered with more detail than some character's faces. Shadow Broker info shows that he's ''earned'' those abs with an insane workout schedule. His taut ass is also prominent in some shots (the same camera angle as Miranda's Ass Cam, no less.)
* NiceGuy: One of the nicest members of [[EvilInc Cerberus]] Shepard meets.
* NotSoDifferent:
** [[spoiler:If a female Shepard who romanced him calls him out on leaving her during the ''Citadel'' DLC, he'll say that maybe he's not so different from his father after all]].
** [[spoiler:Additionally, if Shepard romanced someone before him, Jacob will call Shepard out on the previous relationship she'd abandoned]].
* ObliviousToLove: Not only does Shepard pretty much have to explicitly state her interest in him for it to register, but, by all accounts, he also doesn't seem to realize that Kasumi wants to jump his bones. Of course, since she's a downloadable character, he has no dialog related to her so it's hard to tell.
* OnlySaneMan: The Illusive Man placed him on Shepard's team for relative emotional stability as much as skill. In-practice however, he's viewed as TheGenericGuy.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Miranda and a Female Shepard who befriends him but doesn't romance him.
* PlayingWithFire: Aside from Grunt and Shepard themselves, he's the only one with Incendiary Ammo.
* PrecisionFStrike: An "S-Strike", to be more accurate. Shortly after the cutscene where Shepard releases Jack from cryo, as the squad enters a wrecked room with a few Blue Suns enemies fighting off escaped prisoners, Jacob will blurt out "Holy shit!" in face of all the chaos and destruction.
* {{Privateer}}: A former member of the Corsairs, a black ops unit that the Alliance could disavow knowledge of if they were caught.
%%* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Miranda's Blue.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Bring him along to the Derelict Reaper and you'll learn that he hasn't gotten over Eden Prime as much you initially thought. During the Citadel party, he'll mention that he still has nightmares about the Collector base.
* StaticCharacter: His character changes the least throughout the story. This is deliberate; he's ''supposed'' to be the most emotionally-stable crew member. Everyone else's loyalty mission involves some form of baggage from their past, while Jacob has to actually be brought into his loyalty mission by an outside actor.
* TheStoic: He tends to express less emotion than most of the characters.
* ThatManIsDead: His opinion of Ronald Taylor; no matter how the mission plays out, you'll hear some variation of it. "I've already mourned the man he used to be."
* TokenGoodTeammate: Of Cerberus along with some of the ''Normandy'' crew (including Kelly) and, to a lesser extent, Miranda. And he knows it.
* TookALevelInJerkass: In ''3'', if romanced previously he is shown to have [[spoiler:cheated on a Shepard with Dr. Cole in the six months they were incarcerated]]. Even ''he'' admits he was a bastard for doing so if Shepard chooses to call him on it (though in a fairly casual manner).
* {{Transhuman}}: Par for the course when one is able to project mass effect fields from your body.
%%* TwoFirstNames
* WellDoneSonGuy: He does a good job of not showing it, though.
* WhatTheHellHero: It's downplayed, but he'll show discomfort if you go out of your way to be vindictive (even if the "victim" is an intel trader who once sent Jacob into an ambush). Played for laughs in the Citadel [=DLC=]; pick James's side in the "physique vs biotics" argument, and he'll call it the first questionable decision he's ''ever'' seen you make.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: His backstory is full of this. He doesn't mind so much.
-->'''Jacob:''' Good deed's like pissing yourself in dark pants. Warm feeling, but no one notices.
* WorkingWithTheEx: In his words, his previous work with Miranda "got a little close -- then it got really far apart." They're still on good terms, and [[spoiler: she gives him the plot hook for his character mission to keep a promise. If he could only remember ''which'' promise...]]
** And in ''3'', [[spoiler:with Shepard, if you romanced him in the last game]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kasumi Goto]]
[[WMG: Kasumi Goto]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kasumi_p_5146.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: I'm the best thief in the galaxy, not the most famous. Need to watch my step to keep it that way.]]
->''"I like Kasumi, but why do I feel like I need to check the Citadel for parts she may have pawned?"''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Kym Lane (credited as Kym Hoy)

A ClassyCatBurglar who is available in the ''Kasumi - Stolen Memory'' DLC pack for Xbox 360 & PC, and included on disc for [=PlayStation 3=]. She is so skilled that few are aware that she even exists.
----
* AffectionateNickname: She calls Shepard "Shep."
* AmbiguouslyBi: She deeply loved Keiji, and spies on Jacob while he's working out, but she also makes some admiring comments about Miranda's body. This is taken further in ''Citadel'', where [[spoiler:she offers to record Miranda and Jack "working out their sexual tension" and roots through Shepard's underwear drawer, regardless of the commander's gender]].
* AntiHero: Despite being a shameless career kleptomaniac, she was willing to place herself in severe danger to protect a young artist purely on principle. She has a caring side, often showing concern for the rest of the squad. Of course, given that you have a squad of mercs, terrorists, [[KnightTemplar Knights Templars]] and berserkers, her thieving seems pretty benign in comparison.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[spoiler:she helps the salarian Spectre agent assigned to hunt her down stop an indoctrinated hanar diplomat from dooming his entire species]].
** In the ''Citadel'' DLC, she's robbing a casino and intends to give the loot to the war refugees.
* AscendedFangirl: In-universe; describes herself as a fan of Shepard when she first meets him/her.
* {{Backstab}}: Her signature ability, called Shadow Strike. Less of an actual Backstab, but more "[[TapOnTheHead bop people with the omni-tool]]".
* CallingCard: In her early career, she left a rose in place of what she stole. Her partner eventually made her realize how unproductive this is for a thief.
* TheCaper: Her activity of choice. Naturally, her loyalty mission is one.
* CovertPervert:
** She admits to using her cloak in order to spy on Jacob while he's working out.
** Given her rather accurate comments about whoever Shepard chose to romance, it's entirely possible she might have been secretly watching during their romance scene. Case in point -- her comment after Shepard sleeps with Miranda:
--->'''Kasumi:''' Oh, Shepard. The engine room? Really? Down there where Tali works? Okay, I gotta ask... just how genetically modified is she? Because -— wow.
** [[spoiler: In the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''3'', she can be found during the party checking Shepard's drawers to find out what kind of underwear they wear. Apparently she does this with everyone. She spends the whole party reminiscing about Jacob's crunches, admiring James's muscles, and offering to record Jack and Miranda working out their "sexual tension". The only "covert" part is her turning invisible again before they can react]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: Wears mostly black but is in fact one of the nicest and friendliest of all the party members.
* DeadpanSnarker
** On Korlus, regarding Rana Thanoptis:
--->'''Kasumi:''' She seems nice... in a mad scientist ethics-for-sale kind of way.
** On the Citadel:
--->'''Kasumi:''' They're really selling the [[GasLeakCoverup "geth did it"]] message. I bet you can't even say "Reapers" without inciting a panic. ''[[LampshadeHanging [airquote gesture]]]'' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny ''"Reapers!"'']]
* DemotedToExtra: While most of the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' squadmates have smaller roles in ''3'', Zaeed and Kasumi suffer the most from it, likely due to being DLC characters. At the very least, having both of them keeps you from choosing between war assets.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: The ''Citadel'' DLC reveals that she's slightly lactose-intolerant, having mistaken the milk in Shep's fridge to be made of soy.
--> "I'm not really lactose-intolerant. I just don't put up with lactose's stupid drama."
* DownloadableContent: She does not appear in the vanilla game at all.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Unlike the other squad members, who meet you face to face, Kasumi insists on talking to you through a hacked Citadel advertisement. She then reveals she's been watching the whole time, and leaps off a railing above Shepard to introduce herself in person.
* FaceFramedInShadow: Aside from the glint of her eyes, we never see the top half of her face.
* FakingTheDead: In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[spoiler: after helping you (and another Spectre who's trying to arrest her), she "activates an explosive failsafe" on a terminal and collapses in a bloody heap. The Spectre is fooled, but Shepard sees right through it. A good way to introduce the new Decoy ability]].
* {{Fangirl}}: "Good to finally meet you, Commander Shepard. Kasumi Goto. I'm a fan."
* FriendToAllChildren: She's a nice person in general, but she seems pretty fond of children in particular -- the quickest way to get on her bad side is to injure or traumatise a child. One of her anecdotes involves a rare wholly charitable act, which was to rescue a child from slavery, and seeing what Jack and other biotic children went through on Pragia is enough to reduce her to tears.
* TheGamblingAddict: The only time she's not sneaking around at the party is if you host a card game, where she'll finally settle down and join Liara and James for a hand of poker.
* GenkiGirl: She's very enthusiastic.
* GenreSavvy: From the second she sneaks up on Shepard in the third game she is dead-set against being recruited to fight the Reapers. She was happy to take the Illusive Man's money before, but will not begin to allow Shepard to talk her into fighting. She still helps him/her though, she just won't come back to the ''Normandy''. Unless [[LoveInterest Jacob]] is there.
* GlassCannon: She's excellent at incapacitating enemies up close, but she has low health and shields while her main ability often puts her in dangerous situations. Very inconvenient especially on her loyalty mission, where she is your only squadmate.
* GossipyHens: If Shepard talks to her on the ''Normandy'', she gossips about the other crewmembers and talks about rumors.
* HighlyVisibleNinja: In her loyalty mission, she strolls right up to Hock's estate in her SpyCatsuit, not even bothering to take her hood down, and seems surprised when Hock turns her away in a brief stroke of GenreSavvy. She then uses her invisibility to get into the building anyway.
* HypocriticalHumor: During the Hock heist, she notes that his password, "Peruggia", refers to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Peruggia Vincenzo Peruggia]], the man who stole the Mona Lisa back in the 1880's. [[spoiler:The Shadow Broker DLC reveals that she has also stolen the Mona Lisa, ''[[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_Broker_Dossiers/Kasumi_Goto but is offering it for sale.]]'' As well as ''the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor Koh-i-Noor Diamond]]'' and a number of other alien artifacts that are presumably as valuable.]]
* InTheHood: Kasumi wears a hood at all times so no one can ever really see her face.
* {{Invisibility}}: Uses the same invisibility device as the player Infiltrator.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: She has a crush on [[NiceGuy Jacob]], but will support Fem!Shep if she decides to romance him. Dump him though and you get this.
-->[[WhatTheHellHero You dumped Jacob?]] I know you have a galaxy to save, '''[[FemaleGaze but you have SEEN Jacob. Right?]]'''
* JustAMachine: Subtle but present.
-->'''Kasumi:''' Sometimes [EDI] seems like a person, but when it comes down to it, I can't get past her being a computer. \\
\\
'''Kasumi:''' ''(on the heretics)'' Killed or remade, what's the difference? They're only synthetics. Just fancy security mechs.
* JustLikeRobinHood: In "Citadel", Shepard can walk in on her about to pull a heist on the Silver Coast Casino. She's not doing it for the money or the fun. She plans on giving the loot to refugees, since she feels that they need it more than the Casino owners.
* KilledOffForReal: If you didn't go on her loyalty mission at all, [[spoiler:her death's not fake. Shepard simply looks on and then walks away. Of course, maybe she's faking her death towards ''Shepard'' too, but she certainly doesn't join your list of war assets]].
** [[FridgeBrilliance She has no reason to reveal herself to you if she's not loyal to you]]. One of the most justified [[spoiler: deaths due to failing to complete a loyalty mission from the previous game]].
* KleptomaniacHero: One quality she ''definitely'' shares with Shepard.
* KleptomaniacHeroFoundUnderwear: ''Literally''. You can catch her snooping through Shepard's intimates during the party in Anderson's apartment!
* KnifeNut: You never see her using them in-game, but she gets very...''enthused'' over a selection of knives on Tuchanka, and contemplates "borrowing" them sometime later.
* LampshadeHanging: When commenting on female Shepard's romance with Garrus, she notes that many people want them to be together.
* LeParkour: [[CutscenePowerToTheMax Briefly shows off some moves in her loyalty mission.]]
* TheLostLenore: She never completely gets over Keiji's death. [[spoiler: It actually gets ''worse'' in [=ME3=] if you allowed her to keep the greybox]]. [[spoiler: And then proceeds to get much, much better if you choose the Synthesis ending, as Keiji's greybox is affected and ''he returns to life.'']]
* LoveableRogue: She's very endearing for a self-admitted kleptomaniac.
* MagikarpPower: She starts out very weak. With the right allocation of skill points, she becomes a devastating GlassCannon.
* MeaningfulName:
** Kasumi is a Japanese name that means simply "mist". KASUMI is also the name of a cipher used in electronic security.
** The Japanese word "goto", the same word as her surname and which is pronounced mostly the same, also means "robber" or "robbery."
* MeetCute: When examining one of the paintings in her quarters, she'll tell you how she acquired it. She was hired to steal it, and when she went to take it, it had already been stolen. As she was leaving, she saw another thief with the painting, chased him down and tackled him. The other thief was Keiji, and he and Kasumi ended up as partners in crime as well as lovers. Neither of their clients ever did get the painting, because they kept it as a memento.
* NiceGirl: Minus the whole "stealing everything in sight" thing, Kasumi is one of the most openly friendly members of your crew.
* TheNicknamer: She calls Shepard 'Shep' on a variety of occasions and designates the Illusive Man as 'Mr. Illusive.' The first may be something of an AscendedMeme as (Fem/Male)Shep is a common FanNickname for Shepard.
* NotMeThisTime: If you set off the scanners on the Citadel on your first visit with her in your party.
-->'''Kasumi:''' I swear to God, I didn't touch anything.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: In ''3'', she's not interested in putting her life on the line to fight the Reapers. Her mind can be changed by simply stating she doesn't need to be on the front lines -- her computer skills are a big enough asset... that and there is a ''lot'' on the [[spoiler: Crucible]] for her to steal.
* OddFriendship: As a Spectre, Shepard technically is a galactic lawman, while Kasumi is a galactic master-thief.
* OptionalPartyMember: A DLC character (although her DLC is included with the [=PS3=] version, and she can thus be considered a canon character for the [=PS3=] version).
* OutlawCouple: [[spoiler:With her former partner, Keiji]].
* PerkyGoth: Her outfit is of a design normally associated with dark, brooding characters, but she's actually usually pretty cheerful and playful.
* ThePollyanna: She always reflects that things could be worse... even when trapped inside a derelict Reaper with dozens of husks that's slowly crashing into a star. Hey, at least it's not full of rats!
** But take her with you on Jack's loyalty mission, and the thought of children being experimented on horrifies her beyond words.
* PhantomThief: She's one of the galaxy's best thieves/hackers, but has no criminal record. On her loyalty mission, Kasumi even says that no one knows what she looks like.
* PlayfulHacker:
** She greets Shepard by taking over one of the Citadel's advertising terminals. Her hacking skills are actually on-par with both Legion and Tali.
** If Shepard ignores her, she has half a dozen humorous comments from being a credit agency for help with collector agents to the offer of a sweet Japanese girl, before getting mad if Shepard doesn't bite.
---> '''Ad!Kasumi:''' OK, really? [[WhatTheHellPlayer How many times can you walk by without stopping?]]
** She even starts helping the Spectre sent to arrest her with one of his investigations ''just because''.
** For that matter she plays around with this at the party in Citadel, from imitating Jacob doing crunches to helping him win a push up contest against James to raiding Shepard's underwear drawer.
* RecruitingTheCriminal: Cerberus seeks her out to use her skills against the Collectors.
* ShipperOnDeck: She ships Ken/Gabby and Shepard/Any of the [=ME2=] love interests (if applicable). But she especially ships Tali and Garrus with Shepard for their respective genders.
* TheSmartGuy: [[spoiler:Along with Tali and Legion, she's an ideal choice for the Tech Expert during the suicide mission]].
* TheSneakyGuy[=/=]StealthExpert: "Now you see me..."
* SpyCatsuit: Her outfit is as form-fitting as Miranda's.
* StealthHiBye: Her special ability involves this.
-->'''Kasumi:''' Now you see me...
* StepfordSnarker
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: She loves ramen, and regrets not having stolen her grandmother's recipe.
* TheTrickster: She spends the entire party in ''Citadel'' messing with the rest of the crew. She's far more lighthearted and fun than Jack being a nasty {{Troll}}, making Kasumi this.
* WhatTheHellPlayer: Ignore Kasumi on the Citadel when she's pretending to be a station advertisement, and she'll drop the SpySpeak and call Shepard out to meet with her already, dammit.
* WorthyOpponent:
** She considers Spectre Jondum Bau one, and, in fact, forwarded the information on the possibly indoctrinated hanar diplomat to him, claiming the galaxy needs more men like him. Even as he's trying to arrest her.
--->'''Kasumi:''' Nobody's perfect.
** The feeling's mutual -- Jondum openly admires her.
--->'''Jondum Bau:''' Her intelligence and skill are almost salarian.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Miranda Lawson]]
[[WMG: Miranda Lawson]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miranda_1673.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:I have every respect for your abilities, Shepard. It's your motivations that concern me.]]
->''"I would never say anything against Miranda. And expect to survive the reprisal."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/YvonneStrahovski

A human biotic and tech specialist, "born" on Earth. Her father genetically engineered her for perfection, but couldn't have cared less about what she wanted. When she ran from him, Cerberus offered her protection, gaining her loyalty in the process. She first appeared in ''Mass Effect Galaxy'', as well as in the comic ''Mass Effect: Redemption''. Romance option for a male Shepard.
----
* AbusiveParents: Let's just say Daddy is ''worse'' than what she says. And what she says ain't positive about Mr. Lawson.
* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: In her loyalty mission where she debates whether or not to talk to her sister.
* ActionGirl: Designed to be, indeed. Those biotics probably didn't come cheap. Especially since, officially, humanity had no idea what biotics were at the time.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: If you choose to earn her friendship, she reveals she feels somewhat inferior to Shepard. She was designed to be perfect and easily accomplish impossible tasks she is set. Shepard is just a regular person but somehow manages to succeed in doing impossible tasks ''anyway'' and often completes them with results beyond what she could have done. It's also implied that she feels a bit jealous of how much faith the Illusive Man places in Shepard.
* AntiHero: For most of 2 she's veering into (and occasionally entering) HeWhoFightsMonsters territory and is generally both a KnightTemplar and GoodIsNotNice. From the end of 2 onward though she becomes more of a ClassicalAntiHero. She has no KickTheDog moments, her entire quest arc in ''3'' [[spoiler: is about her trying to protect her sister from her father, and along the way, she tries to save refugees of all races from a husk facility masquerading as a refuge]].
* ArchEnemy[=/=]TheRival: Jack sees her this way, complete with an TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou mentality. This reaches its peak during a catfight that Shepard has to head off, possibly also losing the loyalty of one or the other. [[spoiler: Fortunately, as of the Citadel DLC, they've smoothed things over a bit]].
-->'''Jack''': She'll survive. I hate to see her die [[AxCrazy before I get the chance to filet her myself!]]
* ArchnemesisDad: The reason she joined Cerberus in the first place was to gain protection from her father. Her dad actually had close Cerberus ties before this, but the Illusive Man valued her abilities over his resources. [[spoiler: Until the third game, that is. Besides, she's left Cerberus by that point (dead or alive)]].
* TheAtoner: In ''3'', for her work with Cerberus and other things. To the point that she apologizes to Shepard for something she ''almost'' did to him/her.
* AwesomeAussie: By extension of being voiced by and face-modeled after one.
* BadassBoast: Early in ''2''.
-->'''Miranda''': Worried about my qualifications? [[MindOverMatter I can crush a mech with my biotics]] or [[BoomHeadshot blow its head off from a hundred yards.]] Take your pick.
* TheBaroness: Sexpot variety, albeit a much less evil example than most.
* BarrierWarrior: ''Citadel'' replaces Slam with the redesigned Reave.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Played with. She's incredibly beautiful and while, initially, [[KnightTemplar not the most morally inclined member of Shepard's crew]], [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold she's far from evil]] and is also [[TokenGoodTeammate one of the better members of Cerberus]].
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: [[spoiler: In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', after she gets the crap beaten out of her by Kai Leng, she doesn't appear to have any visible wounds on her body aside from a few scratches on her face. This is especially weird if she actually dies from her wounds. Then again, she easily could've had severe internal injuries from blunt force trauma]].
* BecauseYouCanCope: If you lose her loyalty by siding with Jack, you can regain it by saying that you did it because she's more understanding than Jack is.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Paragon Shepard can cause her to resign from Cerberus, likely due to Shepard being the first person with authority over her to actually ask what ''she'' wants, not attempt to control her, and seeks her friendship with no ulterior motive for doing so.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With a male Renegade Shepard, their FirstKiss pretty much comes about after he mercilessly teases and taunts her about her insecurities and is generally rude and challenging, which seems to be pushing all her buttons... with Miranda being [[PostKissCatatonia flabbergasted]] and asking "Okay, what the hell was that?!" afterwards.
* BeneathTheMask: Under the cocky, arrogant, and ruthless demeanor lies an extremely insecure woman with a hell of an inferiority complex, major daddy issues, and a surprisingly good heart that needs to be pushed in the right direction.
* BerserkButton: Do ''not'' attempt to bring harm to her sister or get the idea of returning her to their father.
* BigSisterInstinct: She will go the ends of the galaxy and risk everything to protect Oriana.
* BirdsOfAFeather: Shepard can use this to argue for or against a relationship with her.
-->'''Shepard:''' This won't work, Miranda. We're TooMuchAlike.
* BondOneLiner:
** Once Shepard escapes the Lazarus facility, his/her first encounter with Miranda has her killing Wilson in cold blood.
---> '''Wilson:''' Miranda? But you're--\\
''[Miranda kills him]''\\
'''Miranda:''' Dead?
** Then there's her loyalty mission:
--->'''Miranda''': Goodbye [[spoiler: Niket]], I'm gonna miss you...\\
''[bang]''\\
'''Miranda''':...not literally, of course.
** In the third game, at the end of [[spoiler:the Sanctuary mission if she's still alive]]:
--->[[spoiler:'''Henry Lawson]]:''' ''[after releasing [[spoiler:Oriana]]]'' Alright, take her. But I want out alive, deal?\\
''[Miranda uses her biotics to [[DestinationDefenestration throw him out the window]]]\\
'''Miranda:''' No deal.
* BrainyBrunette: She was the head scientist of the Lazarus Project.
* BrokenAce: Beautiful, intelligent, competent, and consumed with self-doubt and self-loathing due to being genetically engineered by her father to be be absolutely perfect and capable of accomplishing anything. This causes her to view anything she accomplishes to be a result of her father's money and planning, and believes that only her mistakes are truly hers. She's the very [[Pantheon/{{Characterization}} goddess]] of this trope.
* BrokenBird: See FreudianExcuse.
* BrokenPedestal: To the Illusive Man and Cerberus at the end of 2.
* BuxomIsBetter: As the engineers put it...
-->'''Daniels:''' I've got green across the board. The forward tanks are buoyant and elevated.\\
'''Donnelly:''' Are ya talking about the ''Normandy'' or Miranda?\\
'''Daniels:''' I'm talking about the one that's covered and protected, not ''bouncing in the breeze''.
** Even Jack concurs in the Citadel DLC. The first genuine compliment she gives? "I still really hate you, but you have fantastic tits."
* CanonImmigrant: From the ''Mass Effect Galaxy'' [=iPhone=] game and the ''Mass Effect Redemption'' comic. Notably, in the latter, she did not yet look like Yvonne Strahovski.
* CharacterDevelopment:
** Compare the first conversation you have with her after first meeting with the Illusive Man in ''2'' to the last one you have with her on the Citadel in ''3''. By the time you meet her in Sanctuary, she's not much of an IceQueen any longer...
** Her breakdown in ''3'' over the guilt of wanting to install a control chip in Shepard's brain, speaks volumes over how far she's come, as she realises that her attempt to control Shepard almost turned her into her ''father''. Best summed up in this line:
---> '''Miranda:''' Nobody's perfect.
* CloningBlues: See UltimateLifeForm below, and add the fact that A: She is a [[TrulySingleParent female clone of her father]] and B: Her father is a [[AbusiveParents massive]] [[MadScientist jerk]]. She can [[CharacterDevelopment get over it provided with enough time]], and even [[{{Troll}} trolls]] Shepard during ''Citadel'' [[spoiler:by asking him/her if he really is the original Shepard]].
--> '''Miranda:''' I wasn't even the first one he made. I was only the first one he kept.
* CombatStilettos: Wears them for no explicable reason. Her DLC outfit removes them.
* ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive: When she and Shepard have their first real meeting, she has the only way off the Lazarus research station.
* ConflictingLoyalty: Begins to show a little after her LoyaltyMission, particularly with a Paragon Shepard. While she has been extremely loyal to Cerberus for her entire adult life and a Paragon Shepard opposes Cerberus ideals in almost every way, Shepard also risked a great deal to help her keep her sister away from their father, without any strings attached. In the end, when she is forced to choose between Cerberus and Shepard, she chooses Shepard without hesitation.
* ControlFreak: One of her main character flaws. [[KickTheDog She initially wanted to implant Shepard with a Control Chip]], but was vetoed by the Illusive Man, since it could impair Shepard's abilities and the idea was to bring them back ''exactly'' as they were. She later regrets this, since she realizes that her attempt to control Shepard almost made her be just like her ''[[ArchnemesisDad father]]''.
** Oriana's grateful email to Shepard after s/he rescued her during Miranda's loyalty mission, has a secondary postscript addressed to Miranda, where it turns out that Oriana is both [[GenreSavvy perfectly aware of]], and subsequently orders, Miranda to ''stop'' reading Shepard's private mail!
* CoolBigSis: To her (genetically identical) little sister Oriana Lawson, occasional ControlFreak moments notwithstanding. Especially if she allows herself to be known to Oriana.
* CovertPervert: After completing her loyalty mission, she attempts to give Male Shepard a hug. She's hesitant at first, but she ends up touching his chest for no reason. She was really trying to [[ThanksForTheMammary cop a feel off of the commander's muscles]].
* CrazyPrepared: [[spoiler:She plants a tracer on Kai Leng, giving Shepard the exact location of the Illusive Man's base on Cronus Station, just because she had a feeling it'd be useful. Shepard is both relieved and grateful -- before that, s/he was grasping at straws]].
* CulturedBadass: Enjoys classical music, particularly the Danish composer Carl Nielsen.
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as much as many of the other characters, but she has her moments, particularly when flirting with Shepard if romanced.
* DeathOfTheHypotenuse: If you romanced her in [=ME2=] but break up with her in order to rekindle your [=ME1=] romance in [=ME3=], she will die regardless of the help you give her.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Paragon Shepard can cause her to resign from Cerberus. Also part of [[spoiler:Niket]]'s argument against letting Miranda take Oriana with her on her loyalty mission -- when she accuses him of being bought by her father, he calls her out on the luxuries she enjoyed before she left.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Becomes notably less unpleasant as the story progresses -- at least to Shepard. She's also generally nicer to Jacob as well, due to their past relationship. By ''3'', she's completely defrosted and is one of the nicest people in the entire game.
* DesignerBabies: She was specifically designed by her father as part of his "dynasty" and really, really wishes she hadn't been.
* DidNotSeeThatComing: Said almost verbatim [[spoiler: after Niket betrays her]] during her loyalty mission.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: One of her possible death scenes [[spoiler: in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has her [[TearJerker dying in Shepard's arms, reconciling with Oriana, and making Shepard promise to keep fighting, no matter what the cost]].]] This earns her a [[AndThisIsFor name drop]] when [[spoiler: Shepard kills Kai Leng]].
* TheDragon: To The Illusive Man, [[HeelFaceTurn at least until the end of the second game.]] She's been replaced by Kai Leng as of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
** This role of hers is also referenced by [[spoiler:Shepard's clone]] in the ''Citadel'' DLC, with regards to [[spoiler:Maya Brooks]].
--> '''Mysterious Figure:''' You had Miranda, I have her. Mine has more bite.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first time she's actually spoken to, she guns down Wilson for betraying her and follows it up with a sarcastic quip. She then calmly counters any arguments Shepard makes, and prioritizes getting Shepard off the station rather than risk waiting for (very unlikely) survivors.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite being a Cerberus supporter who is quick to disavow their atrocities, she regards Kai Leng as a PsychoForHire in the comics.
* FacePalm: Her reaction when [[spoiler: Shepard suggests that she [[BelligerentSexualTension sleep with Jack and get over their sexual tension]].]]
* FantasticRacism: Averted, despite her status as a Cerberus agent. She specifically states, and the game backs up, that she's more pro-human than anti-alien and also laments how so many people join Cerberus for no other reason than xenophobia. She also has a certain respect for the asari.
* FatalFlaw: Her inability to comprehend that people will react other than the way she believes they will. She also seems to have the mindset of handing out as little information as possible, with complete disregard for how others will react to her doing so.
* FaustianRebellion: Paragon Shepard can push her into performing one against the Illusive Man. Also part of her backstory before joining Cerberus.
* FemmeFatale: Beautiful, seductive, and utterly ruthless at first.
* {{Foil}}: To Ashley. One is extremely loyal to the Alliance, the other Cerberus. One is fiery but can be made to show a softer side, the other starts out as an IceQueen [[DefrostingIceQueen who defrosts.]] [[spoiler: One is very close with her sisters, the other prefers to observe her from afar]]. Not to mention that in ''3'', Ashley now resembles Miranda a little more with let-down hair and a more [[SpaceClothes form fitting]] [[SpyCatsuit outfit.]]
** Miranda is also one to Jack. Miranda is calculating and measured, believes in following orders, keeps an ice queen demeanour and is fiercely loyal to Cerberus. Jack is brash and reckless, has very little respect for authority and hates Cerberus' guts. [[spoiler: Mass Effect 3 showcases their respective character growths and once again they're opposites. Miranda has become a kind woman, but if you romanced her and decide to break up with her, she [[TearJerker absolutely shatters]], as while she used to have Cerberus around as a form of family, she is now pretty much alone (her sister aside, who is in danger). Meanwhile Jack has become a lot kinder too, but if you break up with her she's completely fine with it, as she has a new family in her students.]]
* FormFittingWardrobe: Although this seems to be the go with almost all types of wardrobe in the 'verse, including many of the armors and [[EatingTheEyeCandy regardless of sex]]. Played straight that since her outfit is done to make it look leather-like, not to mention quite [[EverythingIsAniPodInTheFuture shiny]], it gives the illusion of more skin-tight and, say, [[MaleGaze alluring.]]
* FreudianExcuse: Much of her behavior makes more sense in light of her loyalty mission and the Shadow Broker dossier. [[spoiler:Before meeting Shepard, only three people have never betrayed her to her knowledge: a childhood friend, the Illusive Man, and Jacob. By the end of the game, it's entirely likely that only Jacob and the Illusive Man remain from that list. With the Shadow Broker dossier, it's clear that part of her affection for her sister comes from being unable to have children of her own, and despite being in a dating service, she ruthlessly cuts off one candidate who makes the mistake of trying to be interested in more than just sex. Since she cannot bear children, she's less interested in romance]]. Though these are played more subtly than most FreudianExcuse examples, once they're revealed, most of Miranda's personality is clearly defined by these.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: "Nobody" is an overstatement, but her hardline pro-Cerberus stance does alienate her from the others somewhat. This is why someone always argues against making her the fire team leader. Jacob has known her the longest, Samara respects her determination, and Kasumi seems to like her. Once CharacterDevelopment sets in and she [[TookALevelInKindness takes a level in kindess]] in ''3'', this changes, noticeably in "Citadel".
* GeniusBruiser: A very capable combatant and extremely intelligent as well, having led the Lazarus Project to bring someone back from the dead.
* GoodIsNotNice: As cold, bitter, bitingly critical of others, [[KickTheDog and occasionally]] [[KnightTemplar ruthless]] as Miranda can be sometimes, she is still a good person [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold deep down.]] She genuinely believes that Cerberus is pro-human and only wants to help further humanity's agenda.
* GoodIsNotSoft: After CharacterDevelopment the "not nice" part disappears and the "good" part becomes more prominent. She becomes genuinely friendly and caring, expresses regret over [[MindControlDevice what she wanted to do to Shepard]], unlike other characters doesn't ask for help when trying to protect her sister, and upon discovering Cerberus has set up essentially a Nazi death camp makes efforts to warn people away. Then she kills her father, who was responsible for said death camp. Even in the second game her EstablishingCharacterMoment is her watching over Shepard with a genuinely warm smile, trying to first help them make a full recovery then get to safety, then upon seeing Wilson flashes a PsychoticSmirk and executes him.
* GuideDangIt: Keeping her alive in the 3rd game requires meeting a very specific set of criteria. [[spoiler: To summarize: she needs to be loyal from 2, and you need to have warned her about Kai Leng, and/or Charm her father during the standoff, and give her access to Alliance resources earlier in the game. Additionally, if you romanced her in ''2'', you need to break up with her before importing your save, because if you start with an active romance but don't continue it further, she'll die no matter what you do.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: She's one of the Illusive Man's most loyal agents, yet [[MagneticHero Paragon Shepard]] can end up causing her to resign from Cerberus and hang up on the Illusive Man, basically delivering the verbal equivalent of flipping him off to his face. The third game reveals that he did ''not'' take this well.
* HeelFaceDoorSlam: Possibility in the third game. [[spoiler: She finally sees the error of her ways, condemns Cerberus, then tries to repent by warning people about them and helping to take down one of the facilities where they kidnap people to make husks... then she gets stabbed by Kai Leng]].
** Also possible in the second game. [[spoiler: If she's in the final stretch of the suicide mission and the base is destroyed, she will agree with Shepard and resign from Cerberus on the spot. But if she is not loyal, she will die in the subsequent escape]].
* HeroOfAnotherStory: While Shepard is building alliances in ''3'', s/he can meet with Miranda a few times, where she discusses a mission she's currently on involving her sister and father, [[spoiler:and later Cerberus]]. Their stories eventually coincide, however.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She claims to be an "excellent judge of character" but it's clear with her views on Cerberus and in particular the Illusive Man that this isn't always the case. She gets her eyes opened at the end of 2.
* HypocrisyNod: She apologizes in ''3'' for intending to put a control chip into Shepard during the Lazarus project, noting that it was a hypocritical plan for someone who has had her life defined by her struggle with her control freak father.
* IceQueen: Explicitly called that by a [[TheMole soon-to-be-former]] Cerberus employee.
* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: This can be inferred, given that the genetically-identical Oriana was raised by civilians without raising any eyebrows.
* ImNotHereToMakeFriends: Says this to Shepard in one of their first conversations. She ends up quite surprised when this is what actually happens, enough that it overrides her initial loyalty to Cerberus.
* InkSuitActor: Albeit with dyed hair.
** In [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Miranda_Lawson#Trivia the concept art]] she was blonde.
* InsufferableGenius: At first, although dialog shows her {{pride}} is largely a security mechanism she uses to deal with her insecurity about being a {{Designer Bab|ies}}y.
* JackOfAllStats:
** As a Sentinel-style "Cerberus Officer", she's probably the closest Shepard's team has to this, being somewhat capable in combat, a decent biotic, and good at using tech to disable enemies. Her passive skill also provides bonuses to the ''entire squad's'' health and weapon damage, making her a good tactical choice for any player class or squad makeup.
** With a bit of GlassCannon as well. She has low health (lower than Garrus's) and all three of her skills are geared towards offence.
* JerkassFacade: This seems to be the case. It appears that she's a cold professional to everyone she meets until she spends time around them and decides that she can trust them. At the start of the game, she'll shut down any attempt at personal conversation, but in her office aboard the ''Normandy'' she's more open with Shepard. This is most obvious regarding Jack. If Shepard asks her about what Cerberus did, she'll say without hesitation that it was a mistake and was rightfully shut down as soon as the Illusive Man found out. But when Jack calls her out on it directly, she'll refuse to apologize.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She really does want humanity to succeed and will do what she can to keep those she cares about safe at any cost. By ''3'', the Jerk part is pretty much completely gone.
** Despite her cold exterior she seems to genuinely care for Shepard even before being revived. When s/he begins waking up Miranda bitches out Wilson then helps Shepard stabilize with a warm smile.
* KickTheDog: She has a few moments.
** In her very first appearance, if you try to get her to go back and save survivors in the overrun Cerberus lab, she'll scold you for being shortsighted and refer to all of the workers as [[WeHaveReserves "expendable".]]
** On Freedom's Progress, she'll recommend taking Veetor for "interrogation" (possibly including ColdBloodedTorture) rather than letting Tali take him back for medical care, though she'll back down if Shepard says no. She's also less than sympathetic about the bad blood between the quarians and Cerberus, listing Cerberus' grievances against the quarians (including mass murder) as "nothing personal". Granted, she also claims Prazza's account is "not how she would have explained it" suggesting she may have been fed false information, but either way its callous, since all the dead quarians were apparently seen by her as [[WeHaveReserves acceptable losses.]]
** Her fight with Jack. Confrontations between Party Members tend to be small KickTheDog moments for all parties involved, even though they do have pretty justifiable reasons for being mad. What makes her fight with Jack in particular stand out though is the line "''Clearly,'' you were a mistake". Ouch. And while it's true that Jack was looking for a fight there, Miranda's response is still cold. She will admit to Shepard in private that she believes what was done to Jack was wrong, but she never admits it to Jack herself.
*** Even the fact that her loyalty to Shepard is at stake in said conflict seems to be this, considering her mission had nothing to do with her allegiance to Cerberus, and instead was a deeply personal favor.
** Right after the [[spoiler:''Normandy'' gets attacked by the Collectors, and Joker, the sole survivor of the attack watches all his friends be dragged away by various cosmic horrors]], the ''first thing she does'' upon getting back the ship is [[spoiler:scold Joker for losing the crew and unshackling EDI (which saved the ship).]] Keep in mind that [[spoiler:it was her brilliant idea that all the capable fighters aboard abandon the ship, leaving it wide open for attack]].
* KickTheSonOfABitch: She mercilessly shoots Wilson.
** Killing [[spoiler:her father]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* KnightTemplar: When with Cerberus, [[TokenGoodTeammate though still quite light compared to others in the organization.]]
* KnightTemplarBigBrother: She keeps extremely detailed records on all her sister's potential boyfriends. Even her sister finds that a little creepy.
* TheLadette: Not as much as Fem!Shep, but she also can't think of a single traditionally feminine interest to talk about when they try to act more normal.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: The sci-fi equivalent of one as a LadyOfWar and [[MindOverMatter biotic]].
* LadyOfWar: She's elegant, has a calm and cold demeanor, and prefers to use her more graceful [[MindOverMatter biotics]] over firearms.
* LadyInRed: In the ''Citadel'' DLC, she [[http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/masseffect3citadel/screenshot-viewer.html?id=288676 wears a red dress]] when she and Shepard head to the Silver Coast Casino for some fun.
* TheLancer[=/=]NumberTwo: She's Shepard's executive officer, although she shares the overarching Lancer role with Jacob and Garrus. [[spoiler: Which is why Miranda is a good choice for Fire Team Leader during the suicide mission, just like both aforementioned squadmates]].
* LastKiss: If she dies in ''3'' and is romantically involved with Shepard.
* LawOfInverseFertility: Judging from Liara's files on her, [[spoiler:she's been trying really hard to get pregnant. Sadly, she has a benign neoplasm that makes her unable to conceive. It's subtly implied this was either yet ''another'' way Henry Lawson meant to control his daughter, or the "imperfection" that led to the creation of Oriana]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Subverted; they turn out to be very different people in the end. Both are highly talented scientists who use their intelligence to do the extraordinary. Miranda brings Shepard back to life, and Henry [[spoiler: manages to control husks independently of the ''Reapers.'']] However, while Miranda's only ethical quandary was whether to implant Shepard with a control chip (which she later regrets even considering) and she becomes a genuinely heroic person, Henry [[spoiler: sacrifices thousands, if not millions of innocent people to indoctrination in order to make his breakthrough, and never regrets a thing]]. While Henry is obsessed with securing a lasting legacy of his own, Miranda can't even get beyond taking credit for anything she achieved all by herself.
* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Henry Lawson created her to be perfect in every way, using his own DNA as a template, for reasons that had as much to do with satisfying his own ego as securing an heir for his dynasty. Naturally, Miranda had ''[[RebelliousPrincess other]]'' plans.
* MaleGaze: The in-game camera spends a ''lot'' of time focused on Miranda's rear, including at rather inappropriate times (one example occurs while she's asking for help regarding her sister -- the dialogue wheel appears just as her rear end comes into focus). This has also gotten ire from some fans.
* MindOverMatter: She has biotic powers. Not, however, on the same level as Jack and Samara; [[spoiler: picking her for the biotic bubble will result in the death of one squadmate]]. Curiously, she's a year older than the biotics who were exposed in the original Singapore incident.
* MoralityChain: A Paragon Shepard can become this to her.
** Jacob also shares this role, being one of the few people that Miranda actually will listen to for advice.
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler: Her (much younger) twin sister, Oriana]].
* MsFanservice:
** Noted and lampshaded by the crew:
--->'''Donnelly:''' I don't know. Operative Lawson's uniform is very official: it always makes me [[DoubleEntendre stand at attention]].
** This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] during her loyalty mission (even if she's wearing the appearance pack armour).
---> '''Captain Enyala:''' [[{{Hypocrite}} I was just waiting for you to finish getting dressed. Or does Cerberus really let you whore around in that outfit?]]
** And again by Ashley in ''Mass Effect 3,'' if you romanced her in the first game and Miranda in the second:
--->'''Ashley:''' [[HypocriticalHumor I wear armor into battle, not swimwear!]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: She feels terrible guilt for even considering installing a control chip into Shepard and basically turning him/her into a mindless slave. Even more so as it is exactly what she tries to keep her father from doing to her and her sister, almost becoming just like him.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: While Miranda doesn't agree with everything Cerberus does and acknowledges that they cross the line, she stays on with them anyway until the end of 2.
* {{Narcissist}}: Inverted. She initially appears to be this, but upon getting to know her better, it turns out that she is in fact self-loathing and feeling that she does not deserve credit for her accomplishments. Part of her CharacterDevelopment is learning to get over this.
* NeverASelfMadeWoman: [[ConversedTrope Conversed]] by Miranda. She feels all her accomplishments were made possible by her father's genetic influence, and the only things she can take credit for are her mistakes. Of course, Shepard can tell her that she was the one who decided what to do with her gifts.
* NiceGirl: Post-defrosting, and even before that she's very friendly and polite when speaking to Shepard on the ''Normandy''.
* NoTrueScotsman: Those guys that tortured Jack? They're not ''really'' Cerberus, according to her. Neither were the guys who orchestrated the deaths of entire Alliance platoons. She stops using this trope by the third game though, as she has realized how wrong she was, and has dedicated herself to taking the organization down.
* NobleDemon[=/=]NobleTopEnforcer: When with Cerberus, though the "noble" part [[JerkassFacade isn't immediately obvious]].
* NotSoDifferent: From her father. For all her resentment over his domineering attitude and how he attempted to control her entire life, she herself veers dangerously to falling into this territory when trying to protect her sister Oriana. Not to mention, initially wanting to install a ''control-chip'' in Shepard's brain to keep them in line.
** Ultimately subverted because her controlling nature towards her sister is motivated by genuine love and a desire to protect her (as opposed to her father just wanting to control Miranda because he feels like he owns her). It is also a sign of her character development that she does come to recognize just how dangerously close she came to becoming like her father. In the third game she has a minor breakdown over the lingering guilt she feels about the control-chip, realizing that it's exactly what he would have done. [[VideoGameCaringPotential Shepard can of course,]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming forgive her and assure her that she is better than her father.]]
** Also from Jack. Both are powerful biotic women with potential for greatness who had their gifts turned into curses by others (Miranda's father and Cerberus respectively) and the ensuing traumatic childhoods has made them both cold, bitter, and ruthless until when or if Shepard gets them to move past their pain and become happier [[HeelFaceTurn (and better)]] people. Sadly, all of these similarities are lost on them both.
** Finally, she tries to convince Shepard of this concerning Cerberus. And if it's a [[KnightTemplar Renegade]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist Shepard]] we're talking about, [[StrawmanHasAPoint she's kind of right.]]
** She's also very similar to Grunt - both are engineered to be the perfect [thing], and both feel insecure over how much of their strength they were given through the actions of others rather than earning it themselves.
* NotSoStoic: Miranda's IceQueen demeanor frequently crumbles throughout the course of the games, not the least of which would be during her loyalty mission, interactions with [[spoiler: her sister]], and her romance with Shepard.
* NotWhatISignedUpFor: When the Illusive Man makes clear his plan to keep intact the Collector base that liquefied millions of innocent people alive (albeit for [[JerkassHasAPoint arguably compelling reasons]]), and Shepard defies him in front of Miranda, she sides with Shepard and resigns from Cerberus.
** She will also show signs of drifting away from the organization if Shepard ''does'' preserve the Collector base, telling them that she had never questioned her loyalty to Cerberus until the Suicide Mission happened, and she even sounds a bit concerned about what Cerberus will do with the base.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Thanks to her genetic enhancements, she'll easily live to half again the age most humans will reach. By now, this is 150 -- she's 35 right now.
* OppositeSexClone: Subverted. Her father intended her to be this, but she ended up becoming a very different person from him.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: If befriended, she admits to feeling somewhat insecure around Shepard. She explains that because she was designed to be "''perfect''", all of her victories are simply products of genetic engineering that allows her to excel at ''everything''. Shepard on the other hand, is simply a ''normal'' human being, who somehow manages to achieve the impossible due to sheer willpower, because that is ''who'' they are!
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Many consider her shooting Wilson in cold blood to be pretty ruthless, but it should be remembered that he betrayed her and tried to kill her, Shepard, Jacob, and everyone else on the facility. He succeeded on the latter, too.
* PerpetualSmiler: Though likely a case of SpecialEffectsFailure it's worth nothing that she wears a happy face a lot. Even when gunning down a traitor early in the game, or laying into Joker [[spoiler: after the Collectors invaded the ''Normandy'', or when Shepard steps in when she fights Kai Leng]].
** Even her battle quotes sound more like she's playing a game rather than fighting for her life.
* PetTheDog: To her credit, Miranda pets as many dogs as she kicks, especially when ''3'' [[CharacterDevelopment comes around]].
** If present when Tali makes clear her intentions to sabotage the suit of a volus who's being a racist {{Jerkass}}, Miranda, though viewing it as "juvenile" also says that it's "certainly deserved".
** After her loyalty mission is completed, Miranda apologizes to Shepard for her earlier {{Jerkass}} attitude towards him/her. If Shepard also stopped her from shooting [[spoiler:Niket]], she accepts that her trusting him wasn't so much of a bad thing, even if it backfired on her.
** If not romanced, Miranda will tell Shepard before they go through the Omega-4 relay that [[ItHasBeenAnHonor it has been an honor to serve with him/her.]] She even salutes!
** Her interactions (and general relationship with) her [[spoiler: [[MoralityPet twin sister Oriana]]]].
** When asked by Shepard what she thought of Jack's torture at Cerberus' hands, she does not hesitate to say that it was without question a mistake. [[KickTheDog Of course, she also refuses to admit this to Jack herself]] and maintains [[NoTrueScotsman that it wasn't really Cerberus]].
** She concludes on her own that keeping the Collector Base intact is wrong and wholeheartedly supports Shepard's decision to blow it to hell.
** She apologizes to Shepard for wanting to put a control chip in his/her head and also says that she's always regretted it, realizing how close she came to becoming her father.
** She warns people about her father's husk facility on Horizon and tries to save as many people as she can.
** By ''Citadel'', she seems to have mended her rift with Jack and is even capable of laughing, acknowledging that some of Jack's ribbing toward her is ActuallyPrettyFunny, and sharing a drink with her.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Jacob and a male Shepard who befriends her but doesn't romance her.
* PlayingWithFire: ''Citadel'' adds Incinerate to her power set.
* PlotArmor: In ''2'', she can only die during the suicide mission if she's disloyal and you bring her to the final boss fight, or if she's disloyal and you get very, ''very'' unlucky when she's holding the line. If she is chosen as second squad's commander and gets shot, she will shrug it off, even if she's not loyal. This is mostly because she is depicted speaking in cutscenes at several points in the mission, and having her dead likely would've messed with the game's script.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: She's much paler than most of the other inhabitants of TheVerse, has jet-black hair, and is regarded as extraordinarily attractive. It helps that her default outfit is black and white.
%%* RedOniBlueOni: The Blue to Jack and Jacob's Red.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: If she dies in ''3''.
* RuleOfSymbolism: A subtle case in conversations with her. As Shepard keeps talking with her, the setting of the conversation goes from sitting in front of her desk, sitting beside her desk, on a sofa further inside her room, to her sitting on her bed. The location correlates with how close Shepard is to her.
* SexyWalk: [[MsFanservice Natch.]] Even her idle pose looks like she just stopped in front of a catwalk.
* ShockAndAwe: Overload.
* SelfMadeOrphan: If she survives to the end of 3, she finally kills Henry Lawson along the way. [[spoiler:Whether she lives past ''that'' depends on whether you warned her about Kai Leng, whether or not you charmed Henry, whether or not you gave her Alliance resources, and whether or not you romanced her and then broke up with her. Very much a GuideDangIt situation]].
* ShootTheDog: Jacob and Miranda serve as the foils/voice-of-reason towards Shepard. Miranda tends to support more ruthless actions that are beneficial to the mission as a whole; she's the mouthpiece of Cerberus and its mission statement.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Literally. She's done her share of high profile internet dating. Hidden logs reveal her turning down many high profile suitors for some surprising and... not so surprising reasons.
** Has this relationship with a Paragon Male Shepard, if pursued.
* SlapSlapKiss[=/=]WellExcuseMePrincess: Her relationship with Renegade Shepard, if one is pursued.
* SmugSuper: Played straight then deconstructed and inverted.
* SpaceClothes: Except in her alternate appearance pack armor.
* SpyCatsuit: Particularly her loyalty outfit. It is worth noting that the second appearance pack DLC takes pains to avert this; instead of form-fitting fabric and high heels, Miranda now wears armor very similar to the Medium armor from the first game, complete with combat boots and notably less emphasis on her curves. However, consider the fact that the ''Mass Effect 1'' armors to which it emulates were [[LatexSpaceSuit still quite form-fitting]].
* StarcrossedLovers[=/=]DatingCatwoman: Her romance with Paragon Shepard until she resigns from Cerberus. She and Shepard are the first one again in ''3'' due to not seeing each other much but still loving and remaining faithful to one another. [[LampshadeHanging The extended cut even has an image of Miranda looking out at the stars if she was romanced.]]
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Miranda starts off as very cold and standoffish, and is called an IceQueen by [[TheMole Wilson]], but she warms up to Shepard considerably during the course of the game, especially if romanced. And of course there's the relationship she has with [[spoiler: her sister, Oriana]] and also her good working relationship with Jacob, all of which suggest she is “sugar” to people who have gotten her trust, respect, and (possibly) love.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Jack in ''2'' and also Paragon Shepard initially.
* TemptingFate: She introduces herself by saying she's "an excellent judge of character" and that she's "never wrong". Between her loyalty mission and the suicide mission, the universe seems to be keen on proving she's, in fact, far from perfect.
** Although her opinions in the suicide mission zig-zag between being this trope and subverting it. She's wrong about [[spoiler: being a good candidate to hold up the biotic barrier]], tempting fate, but she turns out to be ''right'' about [[spoiler: being a good candidate to lead the fire team both times, despite Jack's or Garrus' objection]].
* ThanksForTheMammary: In a very rare GenderFlip example, Miranda touches ''Male Shepard's'' muscular chest in a sudden rush of emotion. [[CovertPervert She actually seems to enjoy it]].
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: If Shepard stops Miranda from killing Niket, he'll have a HeelFaceTurn, only to be killed in cold blood by Enyala. This earns an angry "You'll pay for that, '''BITCH!'''" exclamation from Miranda, giving her a blast of biotic energy.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Of Cerberus, albeit not as much as Jacob and Kelly.
* TooCleverByHalf: As Miranda and her sister were DesignerBabies engineered by their megalomaniacal TrulySingleParent to be {{Born Winner}}s, InstantExpert TVGenius barely ''begins'' to describe her capabilities. Lawson drops in on Shepard's resurrection without any knowledge of the process and becomes the project's leader through sheer ability in less than a ''week''. Of course, being unfamiliar with failure, she never sees her mistakes coming: her statement that "any [[MindOverMatter biotic]] could be a BarrierWarrior" is ''technically'' true but [[spoiler:without using either [[PsychoPrototype Jack]] or [[NeverMessWithGranny Samara]] will get an ally killed because only they aren't exhausted by the end and able to blast away Swarm and Collectors following them]]. She's actually cursed with being ''aware'' of this trope, resulting in an ''inferiority'' complex -- she attributes all her successes to her father's design, and [[ItsAllMyFault only takes credit for her failures]].
--> '''Shepard:''' Sounds like you were designed to be perfect.\\
'''Miranda:''' Maybe, but I'm not. I'm still human. I do make mistakes. And when I do, the consequences are severe.
* TookALevelInKindness:
** A bit by the end of ''2'', more so if romanced. A lot by the end of ''3'', where she [[spoiler: tries to warn as many people on Horizon as she can about a Husk facility masquerading as a refugee camp, and goes to extraordinary lengths to save her sister.]] A pretty far cry from the human supremacist from the start of ''2''.
** [[spoiler: Can even bury the hatchet with Jack in the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''3''... and ''not'' in her back!]]
* TrulySingleParent: She doesn't have a mother. She was designed from her father's chromosomes mixed with a mishmash of female DNA.
* {{Transhuman}}: Without the biotics, she may just qualify for "peak human". But glowing misty blue and smashing people to and fro against bulkheads with a flick of the wrist puts her in this trope.
* UltimateLifeform: [=BioWare=] uses Miranda to explore the entire concept of the [[{{Ubermensch}} perfect]] [[{{Transhuman}} human]]. She's unbelievably gorgeous, brilliant and skilled. She is those things because her father, an egotistical prick, [[DesignerBabies designed]] her that way in a lab. Miranda is [[DeconstructedTrope tortured by all of those gifts]], seeing in them constant evidence of her father's influence. Other companions belittle her for being too perfect, and she laments that her engineered skills means she owns nothing about herself.
--> '''Miranda:''' The only thing I can take credit for are my ''mistakes''.
* UndyingLoyalty: Ultimately subverted in ''2'', where she resigns from Cerberus after at last realizing that they go too far. Eventually played straight with Shepard though, despite the initial tension between the two.
* VitriolicBestBuds: [[spoiler: With Jack in the Citadel DLC]], for given value of "best buds". Neither of them would ever ''admit'' to liking each other, but neither seems too eager to seek out other company, either. Miranda even (albeit somewhat sarcastically) refers to her and Jack as being "the best of friends".
* WeHaveReserves: Her first KickTheDog moment in a nutshell. Averted later during the Suicide Mission if anyone dies though. She sounds choked up when she tells Shepard that they have to keep moving and even Jack's death seems to sadden her.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: A bit of one when with Cerberus.
* WeWillHavePerfectHealthInTheFuture: Miranda's projected lifespan is 50% longer than the already-enhanced human norm. She could conceivably hit her ''200s''.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Her romance with Shepard seems to suggest this, as if kissed she will say afterwards [[PostKissCatatonia "what the hell was that?"]], and later, when struggling with her feelings for Shepard, confesses that she doesn't know why she feels the way she does for him, and attempts to rationalize it before Shepard convinces her that it's more.
-->'''Miranda:''' What idiotic bunch of hormones thought that now would be a great time for love?
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: She never had any intention of making herself known to [[spoiler:Oriana]], in spite of the extraordinary lengths she's gone to protect her from [[spoiler:their father]]. It takes some encouragement from Shepard to convince her otherwise.
--> '''Shepard:''' She doesn't need any details, but would it really be so bad for her to know she has [[spoiler:a sister who loves her]]?
* WideEyedIdealist: Concerning Cerberus she's almost as bad as Kelly. Her views of the group is extremely idealistic, and she even claims that the Illusive Man is humanity's best advocate, almost making one wonder just how aware she is of the atrocities Cerberus tends to commit. Fortunately she gets her eyes opened at the end of the second game.
** Particularly notable is her claim that the Husks at the Cerberus facility you can shut down in 1 were "already dead"...except they were that way ''because'' Cerberus killed them all. Since Shepard knows this, it's unlikely Miranda was lying to him/her, suggesting she may have been lied to herself.
** Possibly regarding the experiments on Pragia. It's very vague ''what'' the Teltin facility was hiding; it could have been the nature of the experiments, or it could have been something completely different. Miranda quick to conclude that they were shut down on ethical standards when the IM learned the truth, but Jack isn't convinced. Given the IM's tendency to be extremely involved in every ongoing project, her scepticism that he wasn't aware they were experimenting on children is probably justified.
* WomanInBlack: In her alternate appearance pack armor. Subverted with her loyalty outfit though, which is actually a very dark blue upon close inspection.
* WomanInWhite: Her default look.
* WorkingWithTheEx: She headhunted Jacob for Cerberus, and it's suggested they had something at one point, but there's not much tension.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: What Shepard can ultimately convince her of. Both in terms of her ability and morality.
--> '''Shepard:''' Your spirit and personality are what make you great. It's what makes anyone great.\\
'''Miranda:''' That's kind of you. I'm not sure I believe you, but thanks for saying it.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mordin Solus]]
!Mordin Solus
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mordin_5211.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients; sometimes execute dangerous people. Either way helps.]]
->''"No surprise, Mordin acts superior to everyone. Like he's got tenure at FU."''
-->--''' Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Michael Beattie (2), William Salyers (3)

Salarian doctor. Former member of salarian Special Tasks Group. Recruited by Shepard to combat Collector technology.
----
* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: Personal mission involves one. [[InWhichATropeIsDescribed In which]] Mordin considers actions. Reasons for becoming [[TheAtoner Atoner]] also stated. Done fairly well.
* AffectionateNickname: Referred to by Urdnot Wrex as "Pyjak". Don't know whether to be insulted or honoured...
* AmazingFreakingGrace: Recording of him singing this on his ''Citadel'' DLC datapad. "Still prefer patter songs."
* AngstWhatAngst: [[invoked]] Heavily affected by loyalty mission, fine by return to ''Normandy''. Salarians possess short lifespans, learn to deal with emotional burdens efficiently. Came to terms during shuttle ride. Concern appreciated, however.
** [[spoiler: Third game suggests [[SubvertedTrope not as "over it" as previously claimed]], when chance to finish genophage cure is presented.]]
* {{Asexuality}}: Salarian. No sex drive. Gives Shepard TheTalk anyway.
** IfItsYouItsOkay: ''Generally'' asexual. Found some asari melding offers interesting. Considers Shepard optimal if was interested in humans. [[BiTheWay Shepard gender irrelevant.]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Upgraded genophage]]. Perfect reason to atone for.
** Ultimately [[ZigzaggedTrope zigzagged]]. Considers act inexcusable. Also considers act inevitable and necessary.
** In ''Mass Effect 3'', [[spoiler:Fight to save female krogan. Cure the genophage. [[HeroicSacrifice Do what needs to be done.]] *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]* [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Proud posthumously]].]]
*** [[spoiler: On other hand, personal guilt may be causing rash decisions. Wreav dangerous and without Eve to stabilize him, likely to repeat Krogan Rebellions. *sharp inhale* Trick krogan, fake death, get salarian support, help with Crucible. Cure genophage when Reapers dealt with.]]
* BadassBookworm: Salarian doctor. Among smartest ever. Also highly skilled killer.
** Broken cranial horn and facial scars due to attack by Krogan. Stabbed Krogan with pitchfork through eye. [[{{Determinator}} Continued with mission despite injuries.]]
* BadassGrandpa: Elderly by salarian standards. Chronologically same age as Shepard. Find this amusing.
* BadassLabcoat: Wears labcoat over commando gear. *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]* Awesome.
* BaldOfAwesome: Salarians have no hair. Also quite awesome.
* BecauseYouCanCope: Paragon solution if loyalty lost in DummiedOut material.
* BeigeProse: [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Naturally.]] Tried...to...slow...down...no no no can't do it. Too much to do.
* BerserkButton: PlayingWithSyringes. Hates reckless science. Especially pointless wastes of life.
** Also metaphors.
** Also can't stand the thought of CreativeSterility. Species cannot evolve without art in culture. No art, no life. Collectors have no art, can barely be considered truly alive.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Ran clinic on Omega. Mercs tried to extort a protection racket. They all ended up dead. Was gone five minutes. Hung their bodies on display. *''Sharp inhale''*. Never bothered again.
* BizarreAlienBiology: Salarians need little sleep. Have almost perfect recall of any learned information. Egg-laying, have little understanding of romantic interaction.
* BlackEyesOfEvil: Averted. Salarian eyes black, but not evil. Merely ruthless.
* BondOneLiner: Non-lethal example, since victim was merely obstinate STG agent, not actually an enemy.
-->'''Mordin:''' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yT_IcAqjYyM#t=30s Objection noted.]]
%%* TheCastShowoff: Voice actor musical. Most fans approve, moment hilarious.
* CatchPhrase: "X is[=/=]likely to be...problematic."
** "Had to be me. Someone else would have gotten it wrong."
* CelibateHero: Inherent to salarian biology. Quite knowledgeable regardless.
* CombatMedic: Technically. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Performs medical research on ship, on ground Shepard provides in-game medic abilities.]]
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: [[spoiler: Gilbert and Sullivan's Modern Major General song describes individual skilled universally ''except'' chosen profession]].
* CoolOldGuy: 30 years old. Salarian life expectancy forty. Roughly same age as Shepard. Find this amusing.
* CrazyPrepared: Ready to give TheTalk for any kind of interspecies romance. Ran clinic on [[WretchedHive Omega]] -- advice likely necessary there. Many species, many tastes.
* CrisisOfFaith: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGBFTlRT3o0#t=0m55s Studied many religions]] as means to [[TheAtoner atone]]. Looked for answers. Found questions. Declares {{Reincarnation}} popular with salarians. Deeply spiritual still. Shepard expresses surprise.
--> '''Shepard:''' I didn't expect spirituality from you, Mordin.\\
'''Mordin:''' Genophage modification project altered millions of lives. Then saw results. Ego, humility, juxtaposition. Frailty of life. Size of universe. Explored religions after work was completed. Different races. No answers. Many questions.\\
'''Shepard:''' Sounds like you were trying to deal with a guilty conscience. The doctor who killed millions.
* CulturedBadass: Believes culture needs art. Otherwise not culture. Actively fears CreativeSterility. Uses as evidence for Collectors not being... alive. No art, no expression. No expression, no soul. *sharp inhale* Also did GilbertAndSullivan.
* DeadlyDoctor:
** Thought harmless, did you?
--->'''Mordin:''' Advantage of being salarian. Turians, krogan, vorcha - all obvious threats. ''[[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]]'' [[PsychoticSmirk Never see me coming]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Subversion]], actually. Has killed many times, but '''never''' with medicine (says so himself during loyalty mission). [[spoiler: Shepard can challenge whether upgraded genophage killing with medicine or not. Likely asked himself same question in past]].
*** Paralysing nerve gas followed by lethal projectile to cranium is acceptable, however.
* DeadpanSnarker: Found several surveillance bugs. Destroyed some. Returned expensive one to Miranda.
* DeathFakedForYou: If Wrex and Eve dead, can be convinced to [[spoiler:fake genophage cure and help with Crucible project. Wreav too dangerous as leader without Eve to stabilize him. Pretend to have died in explosion.]]
* DeadManWriting: From ''Citadel''. In event of death, STG colleagues to deliver datapad to Shepard. Contains greatest hits. Hope Shepard finds them informative, amusing, educational...
* {{Determinator}}: If Shepard forced to [[spoiler: shoot him. Manages to crawl toward console despite lethal wound. Almost reaches console before collapsing. Makes it further than replacement if dead in second game]].
* DirtyBusiness: Guilt for actions major part of character.
* DummiedOut: Argument with Grunt, likely about genophage.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome:
** If deploying genophage cure, quietly hums [[spoiler: [[MajorGeneralSong Scientist Salarian]] while going about work. Facility collapsing around. *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]* ...Exhilarating.]]
** [[spoiler: Inverted if Shepard shoots in back. Crawl to workstation. Die before temperature change ruins cure. Senseless death. Even Shepard disgusted with self]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** [[spoiler: Hates unnecessary waste of life. Only kills problematic people. Always careful with medicine. Never carries out research on species capable of calculus unless subject volunteers. Protege... [[VerbalTic *sharp inhale*]] not so principled]].
** If taken on Jack loyalty mission, repeatedly disgusted by surroundings. Experimenting on children ''not'' acceptable.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: Subverts trope. Generally well-intentioned. Strong ethical guidelines. Fairly ruthless regardless.
-->'''Mordin:''' No testing on species capable of calculus. Simple rule. Never broke it.
* FakingTheDead: Third game. If Eve dead and Urdnot Wreav sole krogan leader, can be convinced krogan not yet ready for cure. [[spoiler: Will disappear to work on Crucible. Shepard lets krogan believe everything went as planned]].
* FamousLastWords: Has spoken alternative dialogue to KilledMidSentence entry, [[spoiler:during final moments, after successfully releasing genophage cure:]]
-->'''Mordin:''' [[spoiler:Genophage cured. Krogan free. New beginning... For all of us...]]
** If talked to Shepard about singing Gilbert and Sullivan, will sing "Scientist Salarian" song in final moments.
* FireIceLightning: [[KillItWithFire Incinerate]], check. [[KillItWithIce Cryo Blast]], check. [[AgonyBeam Neural Shock]]? Close enough!
** In the third game, proves capable of inflicting electric shocks with omni-tool. [[CutscenePowerToTheMax Only in cutscene, though.]]
* TheFettered: Believes strongly in scientific ethics, refuses to experiment on sapient life.
* FilmNoir: Authored novel in this style. Protagonist, lone STG operative on a mission. Broke number one rule on Omega... in [[ReallyGetsAround more ways than one]]. Semi-autobiographical? Leave up to audience to decide.
* GibberingGenius: [[ThinkingOutLoud Dictates thought processes in real time]]. [[YouNoTakeCandle Avoids infinitives]]. [[SubvertedTrope Irrelevant]] if [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud heard saying inconvenient thought out loud.]]
* GlassCannon: Three skills, purely offensive. [[spoiler: Also low defence rating. Death during suicide mission likely. Preferable choice for escorting Chakwas and other crew members back to ''Normandy'']].
* HeroicBSOD: Upon discovering [[spoiler:pupil performed tests. Dangerous and reckless, even if misguided.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: Third game, [[spoiler: salarian sabotage to Shroud revealed. Stay behind to fix it. Die in the process. *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]* Conscience clear.]]
** FaceDeathWithDignity: Stands tall and proud while [[spoiler:Shroud exploding around him.]]
** GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler: Restored future of krogan species]]. Good reason to smile in face of death.
** RedemptionEqualsDeath: Dying while [[spoiler: curing genophage]] only redemption for [[spoiler: modifying it previously.]]
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Subverted. Insists this repeatedly during loyalty mission. Obviously trying to convince self, not companions.
** Still resolute it was right action. Even against Shepard's best arguments. Invokes GreyAndGrayMorality. Actions not unjustified.
** Worth remembering alternative was genocide. "Save galaxy from krogan. Save krogan from galaxy."
** Also made peace with self after mission. Mind clear. Hands washed. No guilt. Free to focus on task at hand.
** Until [[spoiler: sequel. True guilt revealed... and [[RedemptionEqualsDeath again overcome.]]]]
* InsistentTerminology: Genophage sterility plague. ''Not'' murder.
* InsufferableGenius: Some hints of this. For example, when joining Crucible in ''3'': "Exciting atmosphere, galaxy's most brilliant minds working together towards common goal. Read their solutions to engineering problems on the way over. Looking forward to correcting them in person."
* IronicEcho: If survived [=ME2=], [[spoiler: can die while curing genophage in [=ME3=]]]. Uses same lines about how others would have gotten it wrong.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: No interest in Shepard romantically. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Fwa-OQ1ao If ever explored, Shepard optimal.]] Either sex. Ahem.
* ItsPersonal: Deliberately invoked in order to anthropomorphize fight against Collectors and Reapers.
-->'''Mordin:''' Hard to imagine galaxy. Too many people. Faceless. Statistics. Easy to depersonalize. Good when doing unpleasant work. For this fight, want personal connection. Can't anthropomorphize galaxy. But can think of favorite nephew. Fighting for him.
* {{Keet}}: Described as being like hamster on caffeine. Salarian metabolism much faster than most other species', but fast even for salarians.
* KickTheDog: Questions Paragon Shepard's willingness to spare batarians who threatened assistant, [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Rana_Thanoptis sketchy asari neurospecialist]] as well. Second chances noble, not pragmatic, open possibilities for future betrayals. Correct about Rana Thanoptis. Should have killed her.
* KilledMidSentence: "[[spoiler: [[DyingMomentOfAwesome I am the very model of a--]]]] '''BOOM'''
* KillItWithIce: Uses omnitool to freeze enemies solid. [[HarmlessFreezing Thaw quickly]], but [[LiterallyShatteredLives bodies fragile]]!
* KillItWithFire: Uses omnitool to incinerate enemies. Incredibly deadly. "Flammable! Or inflammable? Forget which. Doesn't matter!" ([[IThoughtItMeant Same thing. Really doesn't matter.]])
* LampshadeHanging:
** Meeting Shepard for first time. Attempt to work out why Spectre is here. Renegade interrupt offered. If not taken Paragon interrupt suggested. On board ''Normandy'' third interrupt option available. ''[[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]]''. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Allows Shepard to interrupt when heard enough.]]
** Alternatively, can ignore interrupts. Made up for with hilarious scene:
---> '''Shepard:''' Do you ever pause for breath?\\
'''Mordin:''' Sorry. I'll... try... to... slow... down. No-no-no. Can't do it. No time.
* LightIsGood: [[ManInWhite Wears white.]] In keeping with doctoral nature. Also good. Help people. [[spoiler: Cure genophage]].
* MadScientist: Not mad. Usually irritable. Sometimes affable.
* MadScientistLaboratory: Granted personal lab on ''Normandy''. Cerberus spared no expense. Removed by Alliance during ''Normandy'' retrofit. Pity. Medical Bay will have to suffice. Proves convenient by that time, however. After all, [[spoiler: working on genophage cure]].
* MajorGeneralSong: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-HgVM6JSIY "I am the very model of a scientist salarian."]]
** [[TheCastShowoff Voice actor had]] [[ActorAllusion previous role]]. TV movie production of ''ThePiratesOfPenzance''. Makes it funnier.
** In third game sings another version. Asari-vorcha crosses have allergy to dairy.
* ManInWhite: Wears primarily white. Makes sense. Doctor.
* TheMatchmaker: Tries to hook Eve up with Garrus. Scars, intelligence, aggression. Would've made good match for Eve. Eve declined repeatedly.
* MeasuringTheMarigolds: Planned to walk on beach, collect seashells on retirement. Shepard asserted would go crazy within hour. Amended plans to run tests on seashells.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Good but conflicted. Did what had to do. Necessary, but still regrets.
* MotorMouth: "For the love of God, take a breath!"
** *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]*
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Mission important. Talking takes too long. At least one way to help people.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Horrified by personal work on genophage. Still feel it had to be done.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: Treats [[spoiler: work on genophage]] as this, though [[GoneHorriblyRight not failure]], strictly speaking. Justifies it incessantly. Had to be done. No other option. Only correct and logical course of action...
-->'''Mordin''': [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness I made a MISTAKE!]] Focused on big picture. Big picture made of little pictures. Too many variables!
* MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat: Cross-species body language awkward; makes for easy misunderstandings. Movements of Shepard's lower eyelids suggestive by salarian standards. Good to clear air.
* NeverTrustATrailer: Some fans confused initially. Felt Fight For The Lost trailers implied Mordin Creator/ClintEastwood style lone ranger. In game, [[MotorMouth quickly]] [[CombatMedic proven wrong.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Narrowly averted. Had cure ready for Joker's Vrolik Syndrome. Luckily double checked in middle of night. Discovered that humans do ''not'' have two livers! *''Sharp inhale''* Turns out would have caused liver failure if implemented. Imagine this would have been... problematic.
** Paragon Shepard repeatedly insists this case with the genophage modification project. Vehemently disagree! [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Had to be done!]]
* NoodleIncident: Lethal proficiency with [[ImprobableWeaponUser farming equipment]]. Never explained until discovery of [[{{DLC}} Shadow Broker]] database; [[spoiler:Skinny salarian doctor killed charging krogan by driving pitchfork through head. Disappoints fans, who imagined combine harvester]]
* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Make no mistake. Brilliant scientist. Not perfect, though. Seeker swarm countermeasure developed hastily. Tested only on Horizon.
--> '''Shepard:''' We're groundside. Mordin, you sure those armor upgrades will protect us from the seeker swarms?\\
'''Mordin:''' Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms. In theory.\\
'''Squadmate:''' In theory?\\
'''Mordin:''' Experimental technology. Only test is contact with seeker swarms. Look forward to seeing if you survive!
* NotImportantToThisEpisodeCamp: Not present for ''Citadel'' DLC, even if survived Suicide Mission [[spoiler: and Tuchanka]]. Too busy working [[spoiler: on Crucible project and survival classified]]. Maybe next time?
* OddFriendship: With genophage-immune krogan female. Call her Eve. Part of reason wish to cure genophage.
** Also eventually establishes one with Wrex. [[spoiler: Is mourned by Wrex after dying for genophage cure]]
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Primary focus biomedical. Constantly forays into other sciences. Mechanical expertise surprising. He ''is'' the very model of a scientist salarian.
** One exception: limited experience with security systems. [[spoiler: Assignment as Tech Specialist unwise]].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Pausing while speaking. Short succinct statements. Both likely indicators of serious topics.
** In ''3''.
-->'''Mordin:''' [[spoiler:I made a ''mistake''!]]
%%* TheOtherDarrin: Only major character to switch voice actor between games. Few notice difference.
* PetTheDog: Loyalty mission. Packed with these moments. Notably [[spoiler:absolutely horrified at dead female krogan test subject. States that species doesn't matter. Acknowledges work as a cause]].
--> '''Shepard:''' I didn't expect you to be disturbed by the sight of a dead krogan.\\
'''Mordin:''' ''[surprised]'' What? Why? Because of genophage work? Irrelevant. No, ''causative''.
* TheProfessor: Nature of mission irrelevant. Know ''something'' about strange thing.
* RetiredBadass: Formerly served in special forces. Now doctor. Return to combat not a problem.
* {{Retirony}}:
** "Would have liked to run tests on the seashells."
** [[spoiler: In Extended Cut, if alive, spends final years finding the time to cure the genophage]].
* SacrificialLion: In third game. End of first story act, [[spoiler: first major character to die. Clear sign no-one else safe. *inhale* No-one. If killed by Shepard, good sign of how far s/he has fallen]].
* ScienceHero: Uses vast scientific knowledge to help Shepard against both Collectors and Reapers.
* SeenItAll: Has encountered much in the galaxy. Little surprise. Reaction to [[spoiler: Javik: "Ah, a Prothean. Excellent."]]
* SelfDemonstratingArticle: Terse talker. Speaks in sentence fragments. Emulated in this character trope list.
* SherlockScan: Good at analysis. Displayed when first met Shepard. Deduces Cerberus affiliation even if not explicitly stated. Recognizes EDI as AI just as quickly.
* ShipperOnDeck: Ready to offer [[TheTalk medical advice]] for Shepard and their romantic partner. Available to offer gels and instruction manuals for possible cross-species intercourse.
** Admits worries about implications of [[RoboShip Joker/EDI]] however.
** Knew that krogan females find scars attractive. Tried to set "Eve" up with Garrus Vakarian. Apparently she wasn't interested. Will do this even if Shepard in relationship with Garrus. Awkward.
* ShootTheDog:
** Has no problem killing one person. To save ten others, of course. [[spoiler:Even created new strain of genophage. Krogan adapted to previous one.]] Does feel regretful about the latter. Started clinic to atone. All life precious.
--->'''Mordin:''' Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients; sometimes execute dangerous people. Either way helps.
** Also at end of loyalty mission. [[spoiler:Discover former STG agent curing genophage. Must be killed]]. Can be stopped with Paragon interrupt.
--->'''Mordin:''' No! Not a [[spoiler:murderer]]. Thank you, Shepard.
** [[spoiler: Possibly on receiving end in third game. If not convinced to go along with sabotage, Renegade Shepard forced to shoot him to stop genophage cure]].
* TheSmartGuy: Runs tech lab. Cannot purchase upgrades without him aboard.
* SophisticatedAsHell: Noted in Shadow Broker Dossier. Example adequate:
--> "''Specialist Solus suggests Commander Kirrahe has a foreign object in his cloaca[[note]]he has a stick up his ass.[[/note]] [...] suggests that cloacal obstruction is in fact Kirrahe's cranium.[[note]] he has his head up his ass.[[/note]]''"
* TheSpock: Usually goes with more logical path. Belief in killing those who present themselves as threat. [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] during Loyalty mission. [[spoiler: Genophage involvement becomes source of conflict]].
* SquishyWizard: Skills quite useful in combat, but shields and health quite weak. Survival requires support.
* TheTalk: Shown [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAP92rvm1hQ here]], on InterspeciesRomance. Try not to "ingest". Offers for all romances. Promises to "probe" Jacob/Miranda. Cerberus could have bugs ''anywhere''...
** Third game takes this step further. Offers [[spoiler: Joker]] advice on proposed [[spoiler: {{robosexual}} liaison with EDI.]] All part of profession.
* {{Technobabble}}: Constantly. Combines with TerseTalker, MotorMouth. Some complain of difficulty understanding. Get doctorate! Have real conversation!
* TerseTalker: Talks fast and short. [[MotorMouth First part natural to salarians]]. Second part peculiar to himself. Likes TechnoBabble dialogue. Always ThinkingOutLoud. Reading SelfDemonstratingArticle right now. *[[VerbalTic sharp inhale]]* May help you understand.
* ThinkingOutLoud: Constantly. Annoying to krogan female in ''3''.
-->'''Mordin:''' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMA6F4-YAfw Who's that?]] Pilot? No. Synthesized voice. Simulated emotional inflections. Could it be... no. Maybe. Have to ask. Is that an AI?
* UnwantedHarem: Found attractive by many species. Bemused at this. Saved many lives. May be desire for GladToBeAliveSex with savior.
** "If wanted to try human, would try [[[DudeMagnet Shepard]]]." Shepard's sex irrelevant.
* UtilityPartyMember: No non-combat gameplay skills in series, but still fits role aboard ''Normandy''. Mediocre squadmate, barely useful in SuicideMission. However, technical expertise useful for combat and ship upgrades, and for seeker swarm countermeasure vital to surviving on Horizon.
* VerbalTic: [[TerseTalker Talks in sentence fragments]], [[ThinkingOutLoud thinks aloud]], TechnoBabble, answers own questions, OneLiner, [[MotorMouth No time to breathe]], [[WeAreAsMayflies Salarians Are As Mayflies]], [[PlanetOfHats entire race]] {{Workaholic}}s, *sharp inhale*... [[TheDeterminator work even harder]].
** Must note. No other salarians share tic. Unique to Mordin.
** Refers to self with first-person pronouns ''very'' rarely unless singing, mostly when statements would be nonsensical without an "I". Usually can, does avoid it. [[spoiler: Happens if Shepard questions decision to cure genophage after working on it for so long.]]
---> [[spoiler: '''Mordin''': I made a ''MISTAKE!'']]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Mutual respect, mutually derogatory banter with Kirrahe evident in STG mission report, spent whole time referring to the other as a cloaca. Mocks Kirrahe's constant [[RousingSpeech "Hold the line" speeches]], nevertheless has deep respect for former captain.
** Friendship with Shepard has aspects of this. Mutually respect each other. However, recognise Shepard often becomes exasperated with salarian thought process. Permit them to interrupt when they've heard enough.
* WeAreAsMayflies: Inverted. Salarian lifespans much shorter than human ones. He himself already 30. Human equivalent 116.[[note]]Humans in setting can live to be 150. Modern human equivalent: late 70s.[[/note]] Will die soon, even if survive suicide mission [[spoiler: and Tuchanka arc in ''3'']].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Believes past actions necessary. Feels guilty regardless.
%%* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Initially intended to be biotic. [[spoiler: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_28OE71kmA8&feature=channel One correct choice for maintaining Biotic Barrier during suicide mission]]. DummiedOut content lampshaded by Jack in [=ME3=]. Claims [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath Mordin could have protected party from seekers by incessant babbling.]]]] Also, initially would have come into conflict with Grunt. The two have next to no problems with each other.
%%** In-story: [[spoiler: "Would have liked to run tests on the seashells."]]
* WhatTheHellHero: In the third game, [[spoiler:realizes that genophage cure was sabotaged. Also that Shepard knew, said nothing]].
* TheWonka: [[ThinkingOutLoud Thinks out loud]]. [[CloudCuckooLander Mental processes seemingly random]]. {{Techno Babble}}s constantly. Described as "Hamster on coffee".
* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: Absolutely refuses to admit that Genophage was a slow genocide in second game. Eventually realizes being wrong in third game.
* XMarksTheHero: Apparently received scar from krogan killed with pitchfork. Ruined right cranial horn.
* YouNoTakeCandle: ''Obviously'' highly intelligent -- infinitives waste time!


[[folder:Zaeed Massani]]
[[WMG:Zaeed Massani]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zaeed_p_5463.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Rage is a hell of an anesthetic...]]
->''"Zaeed is like you, but takes checks. As long as it's not my money, we're good."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/RobinSachs

A character who is only available through the Cerberus Network {{DLC}} content, free with every new copy of the game. He is the best bounty hunter in the galaxy and has been hired to help Shepard.
----
* AntiHero: A NominalHero in ''Mass Effect 2''. Becomes an UnscrupulousHero in ''Mass Effect 3''; he's started restricting his ruthlessness to Cerberus, who definitely deserve it.
* BadBoss: It's hinted that his willingness to sacrifice anyone and his lack of charisma was a major factor in [[spoiler:the Blue Suns betraying him]].
* BadassGrandpa: He's such a hardass that Javik suspects he's a Prothean in disguise, and the two of them discuss conquering the galaxy once the Reapers are gone. Subverted in that he's actually only 40, but still ''really'' badass. Though this age may be a mistake, unless he managed to pull off all of his accomplishments in a ridiculously short time.
* BerserkButton: Don't call his fixation with taking Vido down a 'grudge' or imply that he needs to let go.
* TheBigGuy: He, Grunt and Garrus have the highest "hold the line" scores. Their base value is higher than any other loyal squadmate -- with loyalty, they're each worth two.
* BountyHunter: Best in the business.
-->'''Warden Kuril:''' I got sick of seeing prisoners escape justice. Bounty hunters... aren't reliable.\\
'''Zaeed:''' Then you aren't hiring the right ones.
* {{Catchphrase}}: The man likes to say "Goddamn", that's for sure.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPjuokhhc8c Javik]] in the ''Citadel'' DLC.
* ClusterFBomb: Goes into this when playing an arcade game. A claw machine to be precise. While trying to win a plushie toy. For an asari girl.
* CoolOldGuy: In casual conversation, he'll tell stories about his previous adventures.
* CrackPairing: InUniverse, he tries and fails to hook up with Samara.
* DeadpanSnarker: Kind of a default way of stating things for him. Among other things, he can say an asari ex-girlfriend selling him out to the Blood Pack mercenaries "put a sour note on the whole relationship".
* DemotedToExtra: While all of the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' squadmates suffer from this in ''3'', Zaeed and Kasumi suffer the most from it, likely due to being DLC characters.
* {{Determinator}}: He credits his survival of a ''headshot'' to this.
-->'''Zaeed:''' A stubborn enough person will survive just about anythin'.
* TheDogBitesBack: After negotiations with a Cerberus contract go sour post-''2'', he starts taking jobs which disrupt their operations.
* DownloadableContent: Zaeed makes no appearance in the vanilla game.
* DummiedOut: [[spoiler:Apparently, it was planned so it would be possible for him be taught proper squad tactics in the suicide mission, allowing the specialist to live and surviving the long walk if he's the fire team leader.]]
-->'''Zaeed:''' Suppression fire. [[ShootEverythingThatMoves Something comes through the door, kill it]].
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When you first meet him, he's roughing up a batarian who repeatedly claims to be innocent for the crime Zaeed is capturing him for. After you're done talking to him, the batarian tries to run, so Zaeed casually shoots him in the leg.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** He's hardly a pleasant man, but what ethics he has are largely responsible for his "leaving" the Blue Suns (he disapproved of their hiring of batarians, whom he saw as terrorists), and he expresses disgust at Cerberus' imprisonment of biotic children if taken along on Jack's loyalty mission. He also dislikes corporate security, preferring to work for his contracts and care who he's killing, and [[http://youtu.be/6uHPuyumuFM doesn't find torture worth it]]. Also, take him with you whenever the Collectors are involved and he is clearly disgusted and horrified by what he sees.
--->'''Zaeed:''' "Cheaper labor," he said. "[[CatchPhrase Goddamn]] terrorists," I said.
** Speaking of Cerberus, this is all he has to say on how Cerberus offered him a new contract just as they went off the deep end between ''2'' and ''3''.
--->'''Zaeed''': [[NoodleIncident Negotiations]] [[AggressiveNegotiations ended]] [[UnstoppableRage badly.]]
** If brought to Jacob's loyalty mission, upon seeing what [[spoiler:Ronald Taylor]] has done, Zaeed states that anyone who does this to their own men deserves a knife to the spine. Though if you talk to him afterwards on the ship, he's less judgmental.
** In ''3'', apart from working against Cerberus, he's also ''very'' disgusted when [[spoiler:Din Korlack]] tries to bargain when lives are at stake and he has barely anything to gain.
* EvilCounterpart[=/=]{{Foil}}[=/=]ShadowArchetype: To Thane Krios and Urdnot Wrex.
** According to Joker, Zaeed is Shepard if they were OnlyInItForTheMoney.
** Zaeed is also one to Garrus, with their loyalty missions almost being perfect mirrors of each other. Both are searching for the men who wronged them and left them for dead, both suffered facial wounds as a result of that betrayal and both are willing to put RevengeBeforeReason, unless Shepard either talks them down or chooses to let them indulge in it.
*** NotSoDifferent: From Saren, who also set a factory full of workers on fire to reach his target.
* ExactlyWhatIAimedAt: Pulled off during his loyalty mission, although it isn't quite as successful as he'd hoped.
-->'''Zaeed:''' ''Burn'', you son-of-a-bitch!
* FriendToAllChildren: See PetTheDog.
* GetARoom: Zaeed's reaction when [[SickeninglySweethearts [=FemShep=] and Garrus start flirting]] while he and Garrus are boobytrapping Shepard's apartment during the Citadel DLC.
-->'''Zaeed:''' Oh, go get a room. God knows this place has enough of them.
* GlassEye: One green, the other one a replacement cybernetic prosthesis for the eye that (likely) got blown out when he was shot in the head.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: His extensive scars make it immediately clear he's not a morally squeaky-clean individual.
* GutturalGrowler: Zaeed's voice is very rough.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Paragon Shepard actually [[GoodIsNotSoft punches him and holds a gun to his head]] in order to hammer this point into Zaeed. By wanting to let innocents die in order to satisfy his need for vengeance, he's become no better than Vido.
* HeelFaceTurn: In ''Mass Effect 3'', after some "bad negotiations" with Cerberus, he's been actively taking jobs working against them.
* HiddenDepths: In the Citadel DLC, if part 1 of the party was calm and part 2 was lively, and Samara is also invited (who he is also trying to put moves on), he says something surprisingly poetic about an... abstract piece of art in the dining room. Samara more or less labels him with this trope.
** In the same DLC, if he's the only one invited, he'll tell a [=FemShep=] that he always thought she was beautiful.
* ICallItVera: Jessie, his old rifle. His attachment to it is quite strong, despite the fact that it 's been broken beyond repair for five years.
** [[spoiler: A message on Liara's information terminal in the third game shows that he's bought a parts kit for a discontinued assault rifle, indicating that he knows the Reaper War is going to be so bad that he'll need the most reliable weapon he ever owned by his side again]].
* InkSuitActor: [[http://www.magweb.com/picts/nm0755179.jpg Resembles his voice actor Robin Sachs]].
** Although his physical appearance is definitely based on [[http://community.flixster.com/movie/platoon-photos?page=3 Sgt. Bob Barnes]] from ''Film/{{Platoon}}''.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: He describes the best way to get a krogan to talk: Stick a knife behind his forehead plate in just the right spot and pry it right off. The thought of it apparently drives them mad. In the Renegade end of his quest in ''3'', you can suggest he try this on Korlack. All he actually has to do is crack his knuckles.
* TheJinx: He seems to have an unnatural tendency of getting people around him killed. Works as a subtle warning against [[spoiler:choosing him as a fireteam leader on the SuicideMission]].
* KarmicDeath: If Shepard [[spoiler: leaves him to die on his loyalty mission, mostly because Shepard doesn't even kill him, just refuses to help him as he burns in the fire. The irony is noted by Shepard as well]].
-->'''Shepard:''' [[spoiler: You started this fire, Zaeed. It makes sense that you'd burn in it.]]
* KickTheDog: His loyalty mission is basically just one long kick the dog moment, to the point that many fans view it as a MoralEventHorizon Crossing. In particular this line:
-->'''Zaeed''': Let these people burn! Vido ''dies'' whatever the cost!
* KillItWithFire: He gets powerful Inferno Grenades when you earn his loyalty.
* LackOfEmpathy: Big time during his loyalty mission.
* MadeOfIron: Survives a ''point-blank headshot''.
* TheMeanBrit: "Walk it off. A little poison never hurt anyone."
* MoralPragmatist: If you're playing a Paragon Shepard, the only way to complete his loyalty mission is to convince him that letting his hated archenemy get away is less important than focusing on the main mission. If you do, he'll agree to leave that behind him until the job's done. Then, in the third game, he still happens to be on the same side as Shepard because he's [[EnemyMine got a common enemy in Cerberus]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: His first solution to pretty much everything is violence. It backfires on him.
* TheNeidermeyer: His stories and the Shadow Broker's info on him indicate that Zaeed was a horrible leader who was all too willing to let others die and not particularly well-liked by those he leads. [[spoiler:This is a pretty big indicator that he's a poor squad leader in the endgame]].
* NeverMyFault: Somewhat implied from his war stories. On seeing a familiar weapon on the Citadel, he claims that the weapon was so good that its wielder took out half his squad. In general, most of his stories end with him noting the casualties nonchalantly, even when he was supposed to be the squad leader. [[spoiler:Of course, it's still up to you whether you want a guy with this attitude leading your squad on the suicide mission]].
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: He survived getting shot in the head at point-blank range purely by sheer [[{{Determinator}} determination]].
-->'''Zaeed:''' A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything.
* OddFriendship: He and Garrus bond over ''booby-trapping Shepard's apartment'' of all things!
** Slightly less odd when you consider how Garrus spent the two years after you stopped Sovereign (becoming a vigilante on Omega who pissed off all three of the mercenary groups) and the pride they take in their work
** Javik thinks he's a Prothean in disguise and they discuss conquering the galaxy together after the Reapers are gone. Note that Javik's interactions with most people of this cycle is to call them primitives and complain endlessly about their shortcomings.
* OldSoldier: He practically embodies this trope.
* OneLastJob: The money he received from Cerberus as payment for joining Shepard's squad has made him seriously consider retirement. Either that or suicide via blowing his ship up near Omega.
* OptionalPartyMember: He's a DLC character, if you didn't get a new copy of the game. Otherwise he's a free download.
* PetTheDog: In the Citadel DLC, he reveals what got him addicted to a skill crane game was [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming trying to make a crying kid happy by winning her a toy.]]
* PsychoForHire: Albeit a much more subdued and refined version than most.
** He even gets a bit self-referential -- he claims that the only people not to piss themselves when having a gun next to their heads are psychotic maniacs and trained killers. And they can be hard to discern sometimes.
* RebelRelaxation: In his room on the ship and during the pre-suicide mission briefing; he's the only one not standing at the table, opting to slouch against a wall near the end of the room. His ending in the Extended Cut also shows him relaxing on a lawn chair after the war is over.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Possible in ''3'' if Zaeed wasn't loyal in ''2''. He dies saving ambassador Din Korlack from the other mercs who had been duped into thinking Din was still a Cerberus sympathizer]].
** [[spoiler: Turned into a CrowningMomentofAwesome for either him or Shepard if it was. He kills them all the SECOND Shepard asks.]]
* RetiredMonster: He was once a very vicious merc and [[spoiler:co-founded the Blue Suns]]. Though he hasn't stepped down'' too'' far -- now he's a BountyHunter.
* {{Retirony}}: Played with. The Shadow Broker's intel reveals that Zaeed is contemplating retirement after finishing Shepard's mission [[spoiler:and he is so annoyed by the thought that the best plan he came up with so far is invoking the trope himself, by committing a SuicideAttack on Omega.]]
** RetiredBadass: [[spoiler: If he makes it to the end of 3, his personal slide in the Extended Cut shows him kicking back on a deckchair somewhere, beer in hand. Guess he found someplace he could stand after all.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: His real motivation during his character quest, despite his initial claim that he's in it to liberate a factory of workers from the Blue Suns mercenary group, [[spoiler:which he co-founded]]. It's possible for a Paragon Shepard to not only allow the target to escape in order to save the workers, but gain Zaeed's loyalty ''anyway'' in a scene that proves [[GoodIsNotSoft good is most definitely]] '''[[GoodIsNotSoft not]]''' [[GoodIsNotSoft soft and indecisive.]] As a bonus, he never brings it up again in the third game; presumably, he's learned to let that go, or at least get his priorities straight.
** DummiedOut dialogue in 3 mention he got his revenge even if Vido got away in his loyalty mission: Denying a MercyKill on somebody getting [[FateWorseThanDeath abducted by the Reapers]] is brutal even by his standards.
* SayMyName[=/=]SkywardScream: [[spoiler:If he's left to die on his loyalty mission.]]
-->'''Zaeed:''' '''''SHEPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!'''''
* SeriousBusiness: In the ''Citadel'' DLC, believe it or not, a '''claw-machine'''.
--> '''Zaeed:''' What could be more important than Zaeed Massani not getting bested by some ''[[PrecisionFStrike fucking]]'' kid's game!?
* ShoutingShooter: In his loyalty mission, if you pick Paragon.
* SirSwearsALot: Not as much as Jack, but occasionally. Especially in the Citadel DLC after failing at a skill crane for too long.
* SociopathicHero: He has some amusing war stories, but during his loyalty mission, it becomes apparent that he's chillingly ruthless in his pursuit of vengeance. Hell, a lot of his stories are rather horrifying, which gets amplified by his even and detached manner of delivering them.
* SoleSurvivor: All of his stories usually result in everyone in his squad but him dying, though rather than a testament to his skills, most of this seems to be more out of his ability to get others killed, either through [[TheJinx bad luck]] or [[BadBoss just tossing them under the fire]]. [[spoiler: Keep this in mind when choosing fire team leaders during the suicide mission]].
** [[spoiler:In the second worst version of the Extended Cut version of the destroy ending in ''Mass Effect 3'', several planets in the galaxy lie torn and barren from the war and several species are skirting on the edge of extinction. Meanwhile Zaeed is shown to be only one having a somewhat comfortable outcome, having apparently retired to a somewhat untouched, sunny corner of Earth]].
* TattooAsCharacterType: He has a tattoo on his neck, visible when you recruit him. Like other members of that organization, it's a Blue Suns tattoo.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Less than a freshly-recruited Jack, but more than Grunt or loyal Jack. In contrast to [[TokenGoodTeammate Tali]], it's considerably more difficult to win his loyalty with the Paragon approach, which requires a persuade check.
** Acknowledged enough that [[spoiler:his name will not be inscribed on the ''Normandy'''s memorial wall if he dies.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: Nowhere ''near'' to the extent of Jack or Miranda, but he's noticeably far more pleasant in ''3'', particularly in "Citadel".
* UnflinchingWalk: During his loyalty mission (if you chose the Renegade path).
* WhatTheHellHero: Gets this from Paragon Shepard in his loyalty mission. The first is a straight-up punch to the face. [[spoiler:The second is pointing a gun at him and threatening to leave him to burn for being willing to do the same for civilian factory workers. This will actually earn his respect enough so that he'll still be loyal in the end]].
* WritersCannotDoMath: There's at least one official source claiming he was born in 2145 and founded the Suns in 2160. That seems unlikely even for him. The same source mixed up Mordin's age too.
** However, if one thinks of the Blue Suns being a small street gang started by a bunch of young {{Delinquents}} before becoming what it is now, the age makes a lot more sense.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Shepard can leave Zaeed to die during his loyalty mission if the player chooses. However, this requires [[spoiler:1) waiting until after the suicide mission to do his loyalty mission and 2) having at least two other surviving squadmates in addition to Zaeed]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: You wouldn't believe this by looking at him, but according to the official website, he is only 40 years old.
** A rough life, and getting shot in the face, do this to you.

[[/folder]]

!Secret Party Members
The two secret party members have gotten their own page. Don't go there unless you don't care about spoilers. To find it, go to [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers this page]].

!Guest Party Members

[[folder:Wilson]]
[[WMG: Wilson]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wilson_4565.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Don't get too attached.]]
->''"Miranda? But you're..."''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/SteveBlum

One of the Cerberus medical officers working on the Lazarus Project. After everything goes to hell, he helps you out after you heal him. When you finally meet up with Miranda, she guns him down for being the traitor who caused this mess in the first place, thus continuing the Bioware tradition of early game sacrificial party members.
----
* AssholeVictim: Of Miranda.
* BaldOfEvil: [[spoiler: Being a member of Cerberus is bad enough, but he's also working for the Shadow Broker to sabotage Project Lazarus.]]
* BeardOfEvil: [[spoiler: He's willing to sabotage Project Lazarus for money.]]
* BoomHeadshot: How he dies, courtesy of Miranda.
* DeathByMaterialism: When checking logs on the medical station, Wilson constantly complains that Cerberus pumped 4 billion credits into resurrecting Shepard, and he implies that he isn't getting paid enough. It makes it kind of clear why he betrays Cerberus and Miranda. [[spoiler: Or not. It turns out it was because he was working with the Shadow Broker]].
* DirtyCoward: Even when in your party, this is very apparent.
* TheEngineer: One of his jobs with Cerberus.
* GuestStarPartyMember: He's killed at the end of the first mission. At least you get to see him in action, unlike poor [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 Jenkins]].
* KilledMidSentence:
-->'''Wilson:''' Miranda? But you're...\\
''[[[BoomHeadshot Bang!]]]''\\
'''Miranda:''' [[BondOneLiner Dead?]]
* OhCrap: His reaction to hearing that Shepard was still alive after sabotaging the Mechs.
** He gets an even bigger one after running into Miranda again. Unfortunately for him, it was also a very short one.
* TheMole: He started the disaster that led to Shepard's early awakening, but you don't know who he was working for at first. [[spoiler: He was working for the Shadow Broker]].
* PlayingWithSyringes: He helps bring someone back from the dead.
* {{Turncoat}}: He betrays Cerberus [[spoiler: for the Shadow Broker.]]
* TooDumbToLive: He had no reason to think Cerberus would let him live after he betrayed them.
[[/folder]]
----

If you're playing a Paragon Shepard, the only way to complete his loyalty mission is to convince him that letting his hated archenemy get away is less important than focusing on the main mission. If you do, he'll agree to leave that behind him until the job's done. Then, in the third game, he still happens to be on the same side as Shepard because he's [[EnemyMine got a common enemy in Cerberus]].

This page is for listing the tropes related to party members who '''first appeared''' in the second ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect2 Mass Effect]]'' game.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Samara]]
[[WMG: Samara]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samara_9496.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Find peace in the embrace of the goddess.]]
->''"I feel like Samara could shoot me in a very tranquil way, which doesn't make me feel any better about it."''

-->'''Voiced by''': Maggie Baird

A member of an ancient cult of asari [[WarriorMonk warrior monks]] who give up all personal property and spend their lives righting wrongs. They rarely leave asari space, but Samara is found on Illium, on the scent of a murderer she's spent centuries hunting.

* AbsoluteCleavage: Her suit is kept partially unzipped to expose her breasts.
* ActionMom: She has three daughters [[spoiler: and had to imprison two and hunt down the other because they're Ardat-Yakshi -- basically asari [[HornyDevils succubi]]]].
* AllCrimesAreEqual: Although she has been shown to offer other alternatives than death to criminals, and she states during her talks that "if a justicar is involved, a peaceful solution has long passed." In other words, she wouldn't chase after, say, a ''jaywalker'' with the same zeal that she would for a slaver or axe murderer. Just don't resist arrest.
* AncientAstronauts: In DummiedOut [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_2_Cut_Content#Shadow_Broker_Dossiers:_Samara content]] from her Shadow Broker dossier, [[spoiler: she was a crewmember of an asari ship that crashed on Earth in the Elizabethan era, was possibly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish Armada, and inspired none other than Creator/WilliamShakespeare to write a romantic sonnet about her]].
* AntiHero: Due to the fact that the code basically requires her to kill anyone who gets in her way and does not remove themselves promptly. She once says that many asari admire her, but she would [[KillEmAll kill them all]] if she had to. As a mercenary maiden she may have been softer, but she's always been interested in the "hero" part to the point of violence.
* TheAtoner: The ActionMom spoiler mentions why.
* BadassBisexual: As an asari she's omnisexual, and a Justicar who can use biotics to crush cars.
* BadassGrandma: She knows how to fight multiple enemies despite being 1000 years old.
* BarrierWarrior: The third game redesigned her iconic Reave power, turning Samara into one of these.
* BigDamnHeroes: If Shepard doesn't have enough Paragon/Renegade points to resist Morinth, Samara comes in to save him/her.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: And a lethal one too, in a universe of GreyAndGreyMorality.
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: She turns down Shepard's advances to spare them both from pain.
* BullyingADragon:
** Anyone who gets in her way.
** [[spoiler: Paragon Shepard in ''3'' grabs her hands to avert her attempt to commit suicide]].
---> '''Samara''': ''[restrained anger]'' Let. Go.\\
'''Shepard''': ''[firmly]'' No.
* CatchPhrase[=/=]PreMortemOneLiner: "Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess." Usually followed by a sick, splattering '''CRUNCH'''.
* CelibateHero: After becoming a justicar, she put her mission before everything else. Her code does not forbid romance or sexual relations, but she remains celibate due to her personal choice. [[spoiler:The fact that all three of her daughters are Ardat-Yakshi, with two of them LockedAwayInAMonastery and the other who operates much like a SerialKiller may have something to do with it]].
* CombatStilettos: She puts them to good use in her opening scene.
* ContraltoOfDanger: Her voice is somewhat lower-pitched than most female characters in the series, which also makes for a good indicator of how {{badass}} she is.
* CovertPervert: If Shepard brings up the topic of romancing her, she smiles and admits that she's flattered by the idea. She also admits in ''Citadel'' that she's had lots of carefree sex.
* DeathSeeker: A mild example but she outright states that she has no plans for retirement and expects to die in battle.
-->'''Samara:''' I will fight and struggle all my life. That is my fate. When I die, it will not be in bed. I am at peace with that.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Paragon Shepard can convince her to lighten up and get along with others. In the ''Citadel DLC'', she enjoys Shepard's party by dancing and interacting with the crew.
* DirtyOldWoman: If Shepard asks about the idea of romance with her, she fantasizes about being with Shepard. She also proudly admits her huge sex life when bonding with the team.
* DiscoDan: Samara, and by extension, all Justicars, follow a philosophy that's seen as outdated and dangerous, even by their fellow asari. The unfettered pursuit of justice and retribution brings them into conflict with more conventional law enforcement, who have changed drastically in the thousands of years since the Justicar Code was the norm.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Somewhat likely to break your neck for stealing an old lady's purse, but she might just offer you a lesser punishment first.
* DissonantSerenity: Samara discusses horrific kills, contemplates her own death, and even crushes her own daughter's head with a super-powered biotic punch, all while talking in a calm, peaceful tone like she's lying on a beach. Lampshaded:
--> '''Anaya:''' It's a great honor to have a justicar here, but I could do without the honor of having her kill me.\\
'''Samara:''' I would like to avoid killing you, detective. Unfortunately, the moment my code dictates that I must, I will. There is only the Code.\\
'''Anaya:''' She says this kind of thing like she's talking about what to eat for dinner.
* DontYouDarePityMe: "I do not want your pity, Shepard. I do not accept it."
* TheDreaded: Like all Asari Justicars. Her simple presence on Illium puts the police forces on the edge.
** Samara tells a story from her past that pirates who were about to attack the ship she was travelling on [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere swiftly called off the attack and retreated]] when they found out she was onboard.
* DrivenToSuicide: Potentially in ''3'', [[spoiler:rather than kill her one remaining daughter, Falere, and break her code, but you have a Paragon interrupt that can be used to stop her]].
* EmotionlessGirl: She acts all stoic and unfeeling all the time.
* EndOfAnAge: Samara states in the Citadel DLC that "my way of life is dying."
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Dispatches a small squad of Eclipse mercs, coldly executing the last one with a stomp and a blessing.
-->'''Samara''': Find peace in the embrace of the goddess. ''[steps on the merc's throat]''
* EveryoneHasStandards: Samara notes that in her youth she had no qualms about some of the seedier aspects of working as a mercenary...[[spoiler: until she discovered her merc band had been hired to transport slaves to be handed over to the Collectors. When she found out, Samara refused to have any part of the deal, slaughtered every one of her comrades when they refused to call it off and helped the slaves escape to the Citadel]].
* FamedInStory: In the Citadel DLC, Shepard finds a magazine that celebrates Justicars, with an article talking about one of Samara's more famous exploits. Samara sheepishly says the mag has been known to exaggerate, but it's implied the article was dead-on.
* FirstKiss: If you stay utterly committed to her throughout ''Mass Effect 2'' and ''Mass Effect 3'' and [[spoiler:invite her to your apartment in the ''Citadel'' DLC, she is finally persuaded to live for the moment surrounded by so much loss and hardship, and she and Shepard will kiss if the right dialogue option is taken. Shepard even gives the aforementioned line a callback]].
* FormerTeenRebel: Her current life is hardly mild, but it is extremely disciplined and solitary. She'd happily drag Paragon Shepard to the floor if she were still a maiden.
-->'''Samara:''' I sometimes miss my younger days. Centuries and centuries of carefree sex.\\
'''Garrus:''' And now we know something about Samara we didn't know a minute ago.
* FormFittingWardrobe: Seems to be the preferred armor of the Justicar order.
* GlowingEyes: Sometimes her eyes glow white when she is using her biotics. [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/Djecker/FreakySamara.png See here for an example]].
* GoodIsNotSoft: An extreme case given how justicars work.
* GoryDiscretionShot: We don't get a direct view when she [[spoiler:kills the Eclipse merc when you first meet her, nor when she crushes Morinth's head with one biotic punch (if you side with her over Morinth).]]
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: For 1000 years old she sure can fit a SpyCatsuit baring AbsoluteCleavage.
* HasTwoMommies: Samara's father was an asari.
* IntriguedByHumanity:
** Since the last time she left asari space humanity had not yet emerged onto the galactic scene. When Shepard asks what her impression of humanity is, she admits she finds them fascinating for their sheer individualism and ability to hold a dozen opinions, sometimes conflicting, on a singular topic.
--->'''Samara:''' You are more individualistic than any other species I have encountered. If three humans are in a room, there will be six opinions. I like your species. I am curious to see what you will do.
** This quirk is likely the reason why she has such a good working relationship with (and potential attraction to) Paragon Shepard, who frequently manages to reconcile various disparate problems into a [[TakeAThirdOption single solution]] that benefits all parties. [[spoiler: This can even prevent her from [[DrivenToSuicide taking her own life]] in ''3'', when Shepard points out a [[LoopholeAbuse loophole]] in the Justicar Code that ''would'' allow her to keep Falere alive]].
* KnightTemplar: Subverted: the Justicar Code is strict and usually merciless and Justicars have a reputation for being ruthless in their pursuit of justice, so everyone on Illium fears that Samara will go on a killing spree on account of how nearly everyone on the planet is corrupt. However, Samara turns out to be skilled at interpreting the Code to avoid needless bloodshed. Samara considers the closest human equivalent to her role as being a KnightErrant or a {{Samurai}}.
* LadyOfWar: She's very refined, reserved, honorable, and uses [[MindOverMatter biotics]] for a more graceful style of fighting. Even in the midst of battle she is very lady-like, maintaining grace and serenity while snapping people's necks.
* LawfulStupid: Zigzagged. Samara is thoroughly devoted to the Code and will not waver from it, even when she encounters a morally gray situation. If put into a situation where she has to, for example, shoot her way through a police station of honest officers to carry out her mission, she will do so - not ''gladly'', but she will still do so. On the other hand, she's smart enough to use every [[LoopholeAbuse loophole]] in the Code to get around these problems.
* LifeDrain: Reave, which restores your health if it hits an unprotected organic enemy (it damages armor and barriers too, but without the health boost).
* LoopholeAbuse: [[spoiler:The code says that she ''must'' give up her ties to her family...but it also says she must check often on her surviving daughter now that the monastery is destroyed. [[BlatantLies That's the only reason.]]]]
* MalignedMixedMarriage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Before she was a Justicar, Samara was married to another asari. They found out ''why'' such relationships are discouraged.
* MamaBear: The Code demands that she forsake all ties to her family. When [[spoiler: the Ardat-Yakshi monastery is attacked by the Reapers]], however, she ''immediately'' goes there in search of her daughters with the full intent of slaughtering anything and anyone who gets in her way. [[spoiler: Once Falere is rescued, she is even willing to ''protect her from the Code'' by choosing to kill herself rather than Falere]].
* MarriedToTheJob: She is so into her role as a justicar that she rebukes any possibility of romance, even when she's ''sure'' she would find nothing but happiness with [=Paragon!Shepard=]. When she committed to becoming a justicar, she also had to give up all ties to her family, and has not spoken to two of her daughters since.
* MeaningfulName: Samara is Hebrew/Arabic and means "guardian (protected by God)."
* MindOverMatter: She is an extremely powerful biotic and -- aside from perhaps Jack's escape from Purgatory -- performs the most spectacular onscreen feats, from slowing falls to smashing people's heads to wrenching a skycar out of the air as its drivers try to escape. And all without losing her lady-like poise and gracefulness.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: A rare heroic example; thanks to her Code, anyone who opposes her is a criminal, and therefore should not be allowed to live.
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: Although it is possible to [[spoiler:recruit Morinth, you can only do so after Samara's death at the hands of her daughter]].
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: It's left deliberately ambiguous whether she takes certain actions because she wants to, or because she has to. Some dialogue indicates it's highly likely that she takes no pleasure in a lot of things she has to do as a justicar, but the rules and the code are more important than her personal feelings. In fact, she may have sworn the code to get as far away from her personal feelings as possible.
** ''Mass Effect 3'' shows one thing that she flat-out refuses to do: [[spoiler:killing her last living daughter, because said daughter is not a twisted sociopath.]] Thought technically, she is fulfilling the code, as the code demands that a justicar who fails to fulfill the code pay for it with her life to atone.
* NearKiss: "Another time, another life."
* NeverMessWithGranny: She's nearly 1000 years old, and even most asari would have settled down by her age.
* OffingTheOffspring: Her primary goal as a justicar [[spoiler:is to put down one of her daughters, due to being an Ardat-Yakshi.]]
* TheNotLoveInterest: She'll actively reject any attempt at romance. The interest is quite welcome, however.
* NotSoAboveItAll: She acts cold and stoic, but she bonds with the team and admits having an interest in Shepard that she imagines.
* OptionalPartyMember: None of the post-Horizon squadmates are necessary to finish the game.
* ThePaladin: A religious warrior who lives to serve her code and dispense justice.
* PrinciplesZealot:
** No one else keeps their feelings and their actions as separate as her.
--->'''Captain Anaya:''' She would die defending an honest cop, but would fight an army of corrupt ones to her death.
** [[spoiler:Except in the case of her two law-abiding daughters, Falere and Rila. She considers suicide preferable to killing them]].
%%* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Paragon Shepard's red. While both are members of elite organisations dedicated to dispensing justice throughout the galaxy, they have radically different approaches to how they accomplish their goals.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: She's over 1000, old even for an asari, and she ''really'' doesn't look it.
* RulesLawyer: To become an asari justicar, one must first memorise every single line of The Code. While Samara will ''always'' follow the Code, it is flexible enough to allow [[LoopholeAbuse multiple precedents]] that can allow her to temporarily stay her hand in exacting justice, or even allow her to find a reasonable compromise that still adheres to the tenets of The Code.
* SadisticChoice: The Code requires that she kill any Ardat-Yakshi not confined to a monastery. Her daughter is an Ardat-Yakshi, and the monastery had just been levelled. She cannot allow an Ardat-Yakshi to run around alive while she lives. [[DrivenToSuicide Guess what she does to]] TakeAThirdOption to satisfy the Code [[spoiler: if you don't stop her. Fortunately, Falere will stay in the ruins to help rebuild, and if Samara hears about this, then the Code will be satisfied, but to make sure that she doesn't get any ideas about escaping, Samara will visit her when she can to keep an eye on her. Just like a justicar should. [[BlatantLies That is the only reason]].]]
** In ''2'', Nihlus gets a post-mortem backstory where Samara once encountered him killing a civilian. She chased after him until he cornered her into choosing whether to continue hunting him or to save the lives of other civilians he put at risk in the process. She reluctantly decided to let him go, but not without acknowledging his brilliance as an opponent.
* SenselessSacrifice[=/=]ShootTheShaggyDog: Shepard can make her suicide a pointless one. Shepard at his/her most pointlessly cruel.
* ShadowArchetype: She's very similar to Thane. Both are a ReligiousBruiser [[TheAtoner atoner type]] [[GoodIsNotSoft who have killed many evil people to make the galaxy a better place]], are recruited on Illium, and [[spoiler: have troubled relationships with their children.]] The big differences are that Thane is an assassin and Samara is a WarriorMonk [[ThePaladin paladin]], so in effect they are on opposite sides of the law.
** She also can be interpreted as an older Liara. Both are emotionally damaged Asari who dip into WellIntentionedExtremist territory and are very brutal in their methods of dealing justice. However, they are also the most selfless characters.
* ShipTease: This is her entire romance with Shepard. She also gets a moment with Zaeed.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Although she denies it, she develops feeling for Paragon Shepard. Deep down she wants to be with him/her, but she turns Shepard down out of fear.
* SlaveLiberation: If talked to enough she tells Shepard about her time as a mercenary. When she found out that her band was taking a cargo of slaves to sell to the Collectors, she disagreed with them to the point of having to kill all of them, at which point she freed the slaves, lectured them on the values of self-defense, distributed the band's arms and money among them, and released them on the Citadel.
* SquishyWizard[=/=]GlassCannon: Like most of the Adept class, her physical durability isn't extremely high, but she can put out a lot of damage very quickly (she's also the only biotic teammate able to use assault rifles). Becomes less glass and more cannon when her loyalty power, Reave, is unlocked due to it granting her health regeneration any time she uses it on an organic enemy.
* StandardFemaleGrabArea: How Shepard subdues the opponent of whoever s/he chooses to recruit at the end of Samara's loyalty mission. Somewhat appropriate, in that arm and hand movements are needed to use biotics in an offensive capacity. The fact that Shepard has a [[{{Cyborg}} reinforced skeleton and muscle system]] helped in that regard; a normal human probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off.
* StarCrossedLovers: If Shepard presses for romance, this is probably the best that the two could be called, as Samara isn't opposed to the idea, but doesn't seem to be able to combine it with her way of life.
* TheStoic: The only time she shows emotion is when her daughters are involved.
* StatuesqueStunner: She is quite tall with very chiseled features.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: With [[AxCrazy psychotic]] [[DeathBySex sex-vampire]] daughter Morinth.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Her speech tends to be this.
-->'''Shepard:''' You're not going to lock her up?
-->'''Samara:''' Any attempt to put me in a passive restraint system will be viewed as a hostile action and I will be forced to attack.
-->'''Anaya:''' [[BuffySpeak Yeah, that.]]
* TakeAThirdOption: Her occasional way of working around her code. In fact, her primary reason for joining Shepard in the fight against the Collectors was so she wouldn't be forced to kill innocents.
** In [=ME3=], when forced to make a, for her, impossible choice between [[spoiler:her innocent daughter's life and the demands of her code, she chooses the third option -- suicide. Shepard can intervene and allow her daughter to give her a ''fourth'' option]].
* TrainingFromHell: The Path of the Justicar is, by her own admission, a difficult one. This includes the training it takes to become one. Many fail to survive it.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Her dialogue with Shepard in ''3'' has shades of this. She wants to be with Shepard, but is too afraid.
* VagueAge: More vaguely contradictory age. She says that she's nearly a thousand, but later states that she still has centuries to live, and the description of one of her abilities from the second game mention that she isn't in the matriarch life stage yet. Call her around eight hundred if you want to reconcile it.
* WarriorMonk: Though it's noted that other cultures would see her as a vigilante.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Samara was married to another asari before becoming a Justicar, but her bondmate's fate, reaction to their daughters' condition, and thoughts on Samara's career choice is never explored.
* WhenSheSmiles: Pulls a mischievous grin when Shepard asks about a romance with her.
* WorthyOpponent: According to her, Nihlus. After seeing him kill an unarmed civilian, she spent a fortnight tracking him through the wilderness. He escaped by forcing her to choose between going after him or letting more innocents die.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:If the player chooses Morinth over her. Shepard even says "Morinth is more useful."]] Which can be interpreted as either ruthless practicality or simple self-preservation. [[spoiler:Morinth, after all, is a known quantity by this point and only an idiot would die at her... hands. Samara explicitly says she would kill a Renegade Shepard if she hadn't already sworn an oath]].
* ZenSurvivor: She's an asari Matriarch who is an ascetic warrior-monk hunting down her mass-murderer daughter.

[[folder:Thane Krios]]
[[WMG: Thane Krios]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thane_5601.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't decide who it kills. The one who wields it does.]]
->''"Thane seems like the strong, sensitive, murdering type. You know those are always great to have around. A real cuddler."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Keythe Farley

A drell assassin who is said to be the best in the galaxy. He used to take contracts for credits, but is spending his last days trying to right wrongs. A romance option for female Shepard.

* AffectionateNickname: If romanced, he calls female Shepard [[YouAreTheTranslatedForeignWord "siha"]]. He will call female Shepard "siha" without the romance being initiated, but he drops it -- and doesn't explain what it means -- if she doesn't reciprocate.
* AntiHero: He shows no hesitation to take down evil people like Nassana, but is very strict about his methods, shown in his absolute focus on protecting civilians and his disapproval towards Renegade Shepard's rough interrogation techniques.
* TheAtoner: Wishes to make the galaxy a better place before he dies and considers his assassinations of horrible people merely "removing the bad" rather than "making things better".
-->'''Thane:''' The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die.
* BackForTheDead: If he survives the suicide mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[spoiler:his only role in the third game is to be killed by Kai Leng during Cerberus' attempted coup on the Citadel]].
* BadassBaritone: Actually hints at his illness. A good deal of the extra vibration in his voice is just drell physiology (judging from what we hear of Kolyat's voice), but anyone who's talked to a relative suffering from emphysema will recognize certain sounds in his voice.
* BadassBookworm: Aside from his work, all that interested him was his family and reading. He even quotes Hobbes regarding the fate of his homeworld.
* BadassLongcoat: Well, waistcoat. In the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, his file reveals he wears the outfit not because ArmorIsUseless, but because covering up his chest would worsen his illness.
* BizarreAlienBiology:
** Drell have perfect recall of [[PhotographicMemory anything they've ever done]], though they can't always control it. Thane notes that with the ability to recall ''bad'' memories as well, [[BlessedWithSuck this isn't always a good thing.]] And since the drell came from an arid world and are now living on a planet that's 90% ocean, they suffer from a degenerative illness that causes their lungs to eventually fail.
** If he is romanced, Mordin tells [=FemShep=] that oral contact with drell skin can cause hallucinations in humans.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Has some unusual beliefs about his career as an assassin, as shown by his picture caption.
* BookEnds: Shepard meets him saying a prayer for the wicked -- meant not for his victim, but for himself. In the third game, [[spoiler:he dies after Shepard prays over him -- a prayer that Kolyat reveals to be intended not for him, but for Shepard]].
* ChildSoldiers: Trained as an assassin from the age of six and carried out his first hit at twelve.
* ClickHello: [[spoiler: Keep him alive for ''3'', and Kai Leng's assassination attempt on the salarian councilor doesn't quite go as planned]].
* ClosetKey: For one of the salarian workers he saved on Illium, who sends Shepard an email saying that he has decided to quit his job and try to find some way to capture the [[InLoveWithYourCarnage grace and beauty]] he saw when Thane took out a merc who was threatening him.
* ColdBloodedTorture: While he is normally a clean and efficient killer, he notes that he took extra time with [[spoiler:his wife's killers]].
* ColdSniper: A highly trained sniper who rarely expresses emotion.
* CoolShades: His [=DLC=] outfit comes with these, along with piercings and chest armour.
* CradlingYourKill: When he takes down [[spoiler:Nassana Dantius]] during his introduction. After shooting her at point-blank range, he calmly and gently places her body on her desk in a peaceful repose.
* CripplingOverspecialization:
** Shredder Ammo, his Loyalty Power, gives him one of the most massive damage boosts in the game even at low levels. It's also considered one of the least useful ammo powers because it ''only'' applies to Health damage, meaning Thane can get over 60% power on unprotected enemies, but his ammo power is useless for penetrating enemy defenses compared to even the "basic" ammo enhancers. This is especially useless since an enemy that's stripped down to their health is considered to be almost dead anyway, making the damage boost irrelevant.
** On the other hand, on Normal difficulty, it makes him an absolute ''beast'' in any level where you fight Collectors and Husks. And with enough area debuffs to strip the protections from targets, he can finish them off before they recover.
* CrusadingWidower: [[spoiler:In his backstory. After his wife's murder, he spent the next few years hunting down her killers. Emphasis on ''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge hunting]]''.]]
* CulturedBadass: He quotes Thomas Hobbes when explaining the fate of the drell homeworld.
* DeadManWalking: In ''2'', he says that he'll "be fine for another eight to twelve months." In ''3'', which takes place half a year after ''2'', he states that one of his doctors gave him three months to live -- nine months ago.
* DeadManWriting: If he's female Shepard's LoveInterest, his Shadow Broker dossier includes [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_Broker_Dossiers/Thane_Krios#Personal_Journal a love letter intended to be delivered to her after his death,]] [[spoiler:and is delivered in ''3'' when he dies.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Not to the level of, say, Garrus, but he gets his moments.
-->'''Thane:''' ''[after Shepard offers to help him with his disease]'' Thank you, but if the best minds the hanar Illuminated Primacy have to offer can't fix my problem, I doubt your ship's medic can.\\
'''Thane:''' ''[after Mouse is startled by both his own presence and that of the BackFromTheDead Shepard]'' Be still, Mouse. You may change your pants in a moment.
* DeadPersonConversation: At the end of the Citadel DLC, if [[spoiler:you romanced him. It even makes Female Shepard cry]].
* DeathSeeker:
--> '''Thane''': I accepted the Dantius commission because I didn't know what else to do. Looking back, it's clear I resigned myself to death. I would have fulfilled my contract.\\
'''Thane:''' A suicide mission... Yes. A suicide mission will do nicely.
* {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler: When you meet him in ''3'', he was given three months to live... nine months ago.]]
* DisappearedDad: [[spoiler:Left his son Kolyat to be raised by relatives after his wife died. In his personal mission, he attempts to stop him from following his footsteps.]]
* DummiedOut: Much like Kaidan from the first game, he was originally intended as a bisexual romance option. Some dialogue from his romance with Male!Shep is still floating around the Internet.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: After doctors judging that he'd die from his disease ''six months ago'', he still manages to not only ''fight off'', but '''humiliate''' [[spoiler:[[HeroKiller Kai Leng]]. As he remarks on his deathbed, Leng should feel ashamed for the rest of his life for failing his mission because of a terminally ill drell]].
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Stealthily drops in from the ceiling and dispatches five mercenaries with his bare hands, before executing Nassana Dantius with a pistol, and then praying over her corpse.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: After his recruitment mission, you can receive a very admiring email from a salarian construction worker he saved while going after Nassana. Bonus points considering that salarians [[{{Asexuality}} don't even have sex drives]].
* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: While he holds the hanar in esteem, he admits that he didn't know any better when they started training him. He's deeply concerned at the idea of Kolyat following the same path as him.
-->'''Thane:''' Kolyat, I've taken many bad things out of the world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: He passes away from complications of late stage Kepral's Syndrome, [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice abdominal trauma]] and blood loss. He dies having made peace with himself and his son, knowing that others consider him a hero. He says a final prayer not for himself but for Shepard]].
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: A minor case. In gameplay, he's a biotic; in cutscenes, not so much. Finally averted in the third game, where [[spoiler: he knocks down Kai Leng with a biotic punch]].
** Of course, [[{{Badass}} until then he didn't seem to]] ''need'' them.
* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: A very, very, very rare male version of this trope.
* GoodCopBadCop: During an interrogation, Thane can either gently rebuke Shepard for beating up the suspect and calmly try to reason with the criminal... or just sit there and not do very much while Shepard beats up the suspect.
* GunsAkimbo: In the Blur trailer.
* GutturalGrowler: Has a rather deep and raspy voice, which seems to be something of the norm of his race since his son, Kolyat, has a similarly raspy, if somewhat higher-pitched, voice.
* HellbentForLeather: It seems to be a popular style among drell men.
* HandicappedBadass: His incurable Kepral's syndrome basically means that he's slowly drowning/suffocating because of the moisture that has built up in his lungs, meaning he is nowhere near as physically capable as he was. According to his Shadow Broker dossier, Thane's lungs were at less than half capacity throughout the second game. Despite this, he helps destroy the Collector base [[spoiler:and goes toe to toe with Kai Leng preventing him from killing the Salarian councillor. Though he dies from wounds accumulated in the process.]]
* HitmanWithAHeart: He joins you not for the money, but because he wants make the galaxy a better place before he dies.
* HoldingHands: As part of the romance with female Shepard.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice:
** In ''2'', [[spoiler:not upgrading the ''Normandy'''s weapons by default leads to him getting impaled by a bulkhead during the trip through the Omega-4 Relay]].
** In ''3'', [[spoiler:he gets stabbed by Kai Leng during the Cerberus coup on the Citadel, which eventually leads to his death]].
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: He's got one of these in the third game, thanks to late-stage Kepral's Syndrome.
* InLoveWithTheMark: Sort of. [[spoiler:His late wife was not his target, but got his attention when she stood in his line of fire to protect his mark from him]].
* KillItWithFire: One of the Shadow Broker's dossiers lists his favorite methods of assassinating various species. One of the options listed for krogan? "Bomb."
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:He gets stabbed while fighting Kai Leng]], and the blood loss combined with complications from Kepral's Syndrome prove fatal, despite a transfusion from his son.
* TheLastDance: After he learned about his terminal illness, he decided to devote the rest of his life to making the universe a better place. [[spoiler:This reaches a climax when he shames Kai Leng, despite a severe handicap]].
* TheLostLenore: The ''Citadel'' DLC can optionally turn Thane into this for a romanced female Shepard. [[spoiler:During Kolyat's memorial service, the paragon options allow Shepard to say that there will never be another man in her life, and she will continue to love him until the end of her days]].
* LoveRedeems: [[spoiler:His wife made him realize that there was more to his life than assassination]]. Female Shepard makes him realize the same thing if that romance is pursued.
* MageMarksman: He makes use of powerful weapons and his bonus power enhances his ammunition, but can still use powers like Throw and Warp.
* ManlyTears: Of frustration more than of the warm and fuzzy kind, but still.
* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler:Kolyat can be invited to Shepard's apartment in the ''Citadel'' DLC to hold a memorial service for Thane]].
* MindOverMatter: Apart from using guns he also is a biotic.
* MrFanservice: Repentant assassin with a spiritual side? Check. Soft-spoken and eloquent? Check. Humanoid yet exotically handsome? Check. Kelly's not sure if she finds him scary or sexy. Best part: Reading the notes of the dev team as they tried to ''engineer him'' to have this reaction. It was, needless to say, [[http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/02/09/drawing-mass-effect-the-creation-of-thane.aspx a long and arduous process,]] and, ultimately, it seems a good deal of it relied on him being a BadassInANiceSuit.
* NeckSnap: He uses this on [[spoiler:Nassana]]'s bodyguards. The Shadow Broker's dossier indicates that this is in fact his preferred method of killing, although, if his target is krogan, he's equally willing to resort to explosives, though this is as much out of necessity as anything else, as krogan are very difficult to kill -- not to mention have huge, muscular necks.
* NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight: Inverted. His confrontation with Kai Leng in the third game sees him with a gun and Kai Leng with a sword. [[spoiler: Thane's the one who dies, though to his credit he did do quite well and also kept Kai Leng from accomplishing his goals]].
* NoodleIncident: Responsible for an incident known as the "One-Hour Massacre" on Omega.
* OneLastJob: His assassination of [[spoiler:Nassana Dantius]]. Then he talks to Shepard and decides to do One More Last Job.
* OptionalPartyMember: You don't have to recruit him.
* OrbitalKiss: At the culmination of his romance.
* PetTheDog: In his recruitment mission, he goes out of his way to save the salarian workers from Nassana's goons. No matter who you have in your party, one of them will note how unusual it is for a hitman to protect potential witnesses.
* PhotographicMemory: Drell can relive any memory they choose. Counts as BlessedWithSuck for a hitman that has issues with his family.
* PowerPerversionPotential: Drell can remember ''any'' moment and effectively experience it again. Not so nice if you're remembering getting shot, but if you decided to dwell on, ahem, nicer experiences... points for the fact that Thane mentions it in-game.
* ProfessionalKiller: "You've spent too much time fighting thugs who think custom-painted armor makes them professionals."
* ReligiousBruiser: While not a bruiser per se, he's the galaxy's best assassin, and the only person to pray for his victims. And, of course, that scene:
-->'''Thane:''' Amonkira. Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass, grant me [[StealthHiBye forgiveness]].
* RetiredBadass: In the third game, he tells Shepard that it's his time to rest from conflict now that his life is almost over. [[spoiler:Then the Cerberus coup attempt happens and he has one last rumble with Kai Leng, saving the salarian councilor at the cost of his own life. In the hospital, Thane quips that Leng should feel ashamed that a terminally-ill drell managed to stop him from reaching his target]].
** HandicappedBadass: Dying by suffocating slowly and in constant pain because of it counts, right?
* ReverseArmFold: Appropriate for a calm, reflective martial artist and (sort of) soldier.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Went on one after [[spoiler:his wife was murdered]]. He notes that while he usually kills swiftly, he took extra time with [[spoiler:her killers]].
* {{Romancing the Widow}}er: If Shepard romances him.
* SacrificialLion: His only role in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[spoiler:and the first unavoidable case of it in the game. He doesn't go out without a fight, though]].
* SayYourPrayers: [[spoiler: He's not praying for himself, he's praying for [[{{Foreshadowing}} Shepard]].]]
-->'''Thane''': Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths, I ask forgiveness. Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand. Kalahira, wash the sins from this one and set him on a distant shore of the infinite spirit. Kalahira, this one’s heart is pure, but beset by wickedness and contention. Guide this one to where the traveller never tires, the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve. Guide this one, Kalahira, and s/he will be a companion to you as s/he was to me.
* SecondLove: Female Shepard can become this to him.
* ShadowArchetype: He's very similar to Samara. Both are a ReligiousBruiser [[TheAtoner atoner type]] [[GoodIsNotSoft who have killed many evil people to make the galaxy a better place]], are recruited on Illium, and [[spoiler: have troubled relationships with their children.]] The big differences are that Thane is an assassin and Samara is a WarriorMonk [[ThePaladin paladin]], so in effect they are on opposite sides of the law.
* ShutUpKiss: If he was romanced in ''Mass Effect 2'', Shepard can give one of these to him during [[OneSceneWonder their one conversation]] in the third game.
* SoHappyTogether: His romance [[spoiler:ends this, expedited by Kai Leng]].
* SpringtimeForHitler: He was going to his last mission to be killed in action, until Shepard showed up. Subverted because he decides that joining Shepard is a much better plan.
* StalkerWithACrush: Subverted. [[spoiler: After his future wife threw herself in front of his targeting laser to stop one of his missions, he became obsessed with finding her. Instead of going down the usual path of this trope, he fell on his knees in front of her and begged for forgiveness. Eventually, it worked]].
* StealthHiBye:
** He does this during his loyalty mission, but, unlike most instances of this trope, he does this in plain sight in the middle of an open lobby. [[FailedASpotCheck When two people walk in front of him.]]
*** Drell seem to have this as an innate ability - during the Shadow Broker DLC, the power blinks off in the ship for a half-second, and Feron is ''gone'' from his restraints in that time. Then again, ''the entire drell race'' was actually [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Drell#Trivia conceptualized around Thane in the first place.]]
** One of the Shadow Broker's surveillance tapes shows another example: while walking down a corridor, he steps into the shadow cast by a column and doesn't step out again. He then reappears ''behind'' the mook he was approaching, snaps his target's neck, and shoots out the camera.
* SuperSenses: Downplayed: Thane's eyes have been altered to detect ultraviolet radiation, to better let him communicate with hanar. He notes that this means losing vision at the other end of the spectrum: he can't differentiate between dark red and black.
* ThereWasADoor: Silly troper, assassins never use doors. They drop from air ducts in the ceiling to kill their targets. With the target's own gun. After beating the crap out of a trio of heavily armed and armored guards with his bare hands.
* TokenReligiousTeammate:
** Although his religion is like no real-life counterpart; he worships several deities and believes we go across an "ocean", presumably to some form of Elysian Fields, when we die.
** Considering that the original drell homeworld, Rakhana, was a desert planet and their physiology cannot handle too much water moisture, it makes sense that the ocean came to be revered as a far off, unknowable thing and crossing it came to symbolise their passage into the afterlife.
--->'''Thane:''' Consider. The ocean is full of life. Yet it is not life as you and I know it. To survive there, you must release your hold on land. Accept a new way of living. So it is with the death. The soul must accept its departure from the body. If it can't, it will be lost.
* TroubledButCute: Carries a lot of baggage from his life as an assassin and very much a male GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe.
* {{Tykebomb}}: Was trained to be an assassin since early childhood by the hanar. Killed his first target at the age of twelve. Mind, drell do live shorter lives -- eighty years to humanity's hundred and fifty.
* VigilanteMan: He prefers to take contracts on people that he feels [[AssholeVictim deserve to die.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Trust BioWare to come up with a good way to [[JustifiedTrope justify this trope]]. (Covering his chest could cause moisture buildup in his lungs, worsening his illness.)
* WallSlump: In the third game, after [[spoiler:being stabbed by Kai Leng. He doesn't die right away, but it's pretty clear that he's not going to last much longer]].
* WarriorPoet: Especially during flashback sequences, when he speaks almost in white rhyme.
* WhenYouComingHomeDad: [[spoiler:His relationship with his son, Kolyat, prior to his wife's death. This becomes a WholePlotReference to the original song when Kolyat decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become an assassin]]. [[LampshadeHanging His loyalty achievement is even]] ''[[LampshadeHanging called]]'' [[LampshadeHanging "Cat's in the Cradle."]]
* WorfHadTheFlu: [[spoiler:It seemed that Kai Leng was only able to beat him because he was already in poor physical condition at the time. Thane was suffering from the advanced stages of Kepral's Syndrome, which makes every breath painful, and is roughly 6 months past his best doctor's expected projections. Had Thane been at his peak, Leng would not have survived the fight, or at least would have ran with his tail between his legs much earlier. Plus, Kai Leng was trying to kill the salarian councilor, but because Thane interfered and distracted Kai Leng, the salarian councilor escaped with his/her life, so Thane succeeded in accomplishing his goal, while Kai Leng failed]].
** [[spoiler: And Thane STILL kicked his ass. Kai Leng had his katana and a huge number of cybernetic implants. All Thane had on his side was a pistol, biotic powers and his sheer unadulterated badassery, and could barely breathe. It's doubtful Leng would have even seen a ''Mass Effect 2''-era Thane coming before [[NeckSnap his head was facing the opposite direction]]. Thane even notes that a true assassin should be ashamed of being defeated by a sick drell]].
* YouAreTheTranslatedForeignWord:
** Used as part of the romance with female Shepard. [[spoiler:It's a name for the warrior-angels of the protector-goddess Arashu]].
--->'''Shepard:''' I think my translator just glitched. What did you call me?\\
'''Thane:''' "Siha." Someday I'll tell you what it means.
** He will call a female Paragon Shepard "Siha" even without a romance being initiated.
* YouAreWorthHell: The romance for female Shepard -- the love scene starts with Thane's frustration that now that he has something to live for again, he's started to fear death once more. Additionally, his Shadow Broker dossier contains a romantic letter in which he expresses his wish to protect and be with her, even if it means he will die a slow, choking death on a hospital bed. The trope isn't directly invoked to its full extent, however.
* YourDaysAreNumbered[=/=]YouSeeImDying: "This was to be my last job. I'm dying."

[[folder:Zaeed Massani]]
[[WMG:Zaeed Massani]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zaeed_p_5463.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Rage is a hell of an anesthetic...]]
->''"Zaeed is like you, but takes checks. As long as it's not my money, we're good."''
-->--'''Joker's description'''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/RobinSachs

A character who is only available through the Cerberus Network {{DLC}} content, free with every new copy of the game. He is the best bounty hunter in the galaxy and has been hired to help Shepard.
----
* AntiHero: A NominalHero in ''Mass Effect 2''. Becomes an UnscrupulousHero in ''Mass Effect 3''; he's started restricting his ruthlessness to Cerberus, who definitely deserve it.
* BadBoss: It's hinted that his willingness to sacrifice anyone and his lack of charisma was a major factor in [[spoiler:the Blue Suns betraying him]].
* BadassGrandpa: He's such a hardass that Javik suspects he's a Prothean in disguise, and the two of them discuss conquering the galaxy once the Reapers are gone. Subverted in that he's actually only 40, but still ''really'' badass. Though this age may be a mistake, unless he managed to pull off all of his accomplishments in a ridiculously short time.
* BerserkButton: Don't call his fixation with taking Vido down a 'grudge' or imply that he needs to let go.
* TheBigGuy: He, Grunt and Garrus have the highest "hold the line" scores. Their base value is higher than any other loyal squadmate -- with loyalty, they're each worth two.
* BountyHunter: Best in the business.
-->'''Warden Kuril:''' I got sick of seeing prisoners escape justice. Bounty hunters... aren't reliable.\\
'''Zaeed:''' Then you aren't hiring the right ones.
* {{Catchphrase}}: The man likes to say "Goddamn", that's for sure.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPjuokhhc8c Javik]] in the ''Citadel'' DLC.
* ClusterFBomb: Goes into this when playing an arcade game. A claw machine to be precise. While trying to win a plushie toy. For an asari girl.
* CoolOldGuy: In casual conversation, he'll tell stories about his previous adventures.
* CrackPairing: InUniverse, he tries and fails to hook up with Samara.
* DeadpanSnarker: Kind of a default way of stating things for him. Among other things, he can say an asari ex-girlfriend selling him out to the Blood Pack mercenaries "put a sour note on the whole relationship".
* DemotedToExtra: While all of the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' squadmates suffer from this in ''3'', Zaeed and Kasumi suffer the most from it, likely due to being DLC characters.
* {{Determinator}}: He credits his survival of a ''headshot'' to this.
-->'''Zaeed:''' A stubborn enough person will survive just about anythin'.
* TheDogBitesBack: After negotiations with a Cerberus contract go sour post-''2'', he starts taking jobs which disrupt their operations.
* DownloadableContent: Zaeed makes no appearance in the vanilla game.
* DummiedOut: [[spoiler:Apparently, it was planned so it would be possible for him be taught proper squad tactics in the suicide mission, allowing the specialist to live and surviving the long walk if he's the fire team leader.]]
-->'''Zaeed:''' Suppression fire. [[ShootEverythingThatMoves Something comes through the door, kill it]].
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When you first meet him, he's roughing up a batarian who repeatedly claims to be innocent for the crime Zaeed is capturing him for. After you're done talking to him, the batarian tries to run, so Zaeed casually shoots him in the leg.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** He's hardly a pleasant man, but what ethics he has are largely responsible for his "leaving" the Blue Suns (he disapproved of their hiring of batarians, whom he saw as terrorists), and he expresses disgust at Cerberus' imprisonment of biotic children if taken along on Jack's loyalty mission. He also dislikes corporate security, preferring to work for his contracts and care who he's killing, and [[http://youtu.be/6uHPuyumuFM doesn't find torture worth it]]. Also, take him with you whenever the Collectors are involved and he is clearly disgusted and horrified by what he sees.
--->'''Zaeed:''' "Cheaper labor," he said. "[[CatchPhrase Goddamn]] terrorists," I said.
** Speaking of Cerberus, this is all he has to say on how Cerberus offered him a new contract just as they went off the deep end between ''2'' and ''3''.
--->'''Zaeed''': [[NoodleIncident Negotiations]] [[AggressiveNegotiations ended]] [[UnstoppableRage badly.]]
** If brought to Jacob's loyalty mission, upon seeing what [[spoiler:Ronald Taylor]] has done, Zaeed states that anyone who does this to their own men deserves a knife to the spine. Though if you talk to him afterwards on the ship, he's less judgmental.
** In ''3'', apart from working against Cerberus, he's also ''very'' disgusted when [[spoiler:Din Korlack]] tries to bargain when lives are at stake and he has barely anything to gain.
* EvilCounterpart[=/=]{{Foil}}[=/=]ShadowArchetype: To Thane Krios and Urdnot Wrex.
** According to Joker, Zaeed is Shepard if they were OnlyInItForTheMoney.
** Zaeed is also one to Garrus, with their loyalty missions almost being perfect mirrors of each other. Both are searching for the men who wronged them and left them for dead, both suffered facial wounds as a result of that betrayal and both are willing to put RevengeBeforeReason, unless Shepard either talks them down or chooses to let them indulge in it.
*** NotSoDifferent: From Saren, who also set a factory full of workers on fire to reach his target.
* ExactlyWhatIAimedAt: Pulled off during his loyalty mission, although it isn't quite as successful as he'd hoped.
-->'''Zaeed:''' ''Burn'', you son-of-a-bitch!
* FriendToAllChildren: See PetTheDog.
* GetARoom: Zaeed's reaction when [[SickeninglySweethearts [=FemShep=] and Garrus start flirting]] while he and Garrus are boobytrapping Shepard's apartment during the Citadel DLC.
-->'''Zaeed:''' Oh, go get a room. God knows this place has enough of them.
* GlassEye: One green, the other one a replacement cybernetic prosthesis for the eye that (likely) got blown out when he was shot in the head.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: His extensive scars make it immediately clear he's not a morally squeaky-clean individual.
* GutturalGrowler: Zaeed's voice is very rough.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Paragon Shepard actually [[GoodIsNotSoft punches him and holds a gun to his head]] in order to hammer this point into Zaeed. By wanting to let innocents die in order to satisfy his need for vengeance, he's become no better than Vido.
* HeelFaceTurn: In ''Mass Effect 3'', after some "bad negotiations" with Cerberus, he's been actively taking jobs working against them.
* HiddenDepths: In the Citadel DLC, if part 1 of the party was calm and part 2 was lively, and Samara is also invited (who he is also trying to put moves on), he says something surprisingly poetic about an... abstract piece of art in the dining room. Samara more or less labels him with this trope.
** In the same DLC, if he's the only one invited, he'll tell a [=FemShep=] that he always thought she was beautiful.
* ICallItVera: Jessie, his old rifle. His attachment to it is quite strong, despite the fact that it 's been broken beyond repair for five years.
** [[spoiler: A message on Liara's information terminal in the third game shows that he's bought a parts kit for a discontinued assault rifle, indicating that he knows the Reaper War is going to be so bad that he'll need the most reliable weapon he ever owned by his side again]].
* InkSuitActor: [[http://www.magweb.com/picts/nm0755179.jpg Resembles his voice actor Robin Sachs]].
** Although his physical appearance is definitely based on [[http://community.flixster.com/movie/platoon-photos?page=3 Sgt. Bob Barnes]] from ''Film/{{Platoon}}''.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: He describes the best way to get a krogan to talk: Stick a knife behind his forehead plate in just the right spot and pry it right off. The thought of it apparently drives them mad. In the Renegade end of his quest in ''3'', you can suggest he try this on Korlack. All he actually has to do is crack his knuckles.
* TheJinx: He seems to have an unnatural tendency of getting people around him killed. Works as a subtle warning against [[spoiler:choosing him as a fireteam leader on the SuicideMission]].
* KarmicDeath: If Shepard [[spoiler: leaves him to die on his loyalty mission, mostly because Shepard doesn't even kill him, just refuses to help him as he burns in the fire. The irony is noted by Shepard as well]].
-->'''Shepard:''' [[spoiler: You started this fire, Zaeed. It makes sense that you'd burn in it.]]
* KickTheDog: His loyalty mission is basically just one long kick the dog moment, to the point that many fans view it as a MoralEventHorizon Crossing. In particular this line:
-->'''Zaeed''': Let these people burn! Vido ''dies'' whatever the cost!
* KillItWithFire: He gets powerful Inferno Grenades when you earn his loyalty.
* LackOfEmpathy: Big time during his loyalty mission.
* MadeOfIron: Survives a ''point-blank headshot''.
* TheMeanBrit: "Walk it off. A little poison never hurt anyone."
If you're playing a Paragon Shepard, the only way to complete his loyalty mission is to convince him that letting his hated archenemy get away is less important than focusing on the main mission. If you do, he'll agree to leave that behind him until the job's done. Then, in the third game, he still happens to be on the same side as Shepard because he's [[EnemyMine got a common enemy in Cerberus]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: His first solution to pretty much everything is violence. It backfires on him.
* TheNeidermeyer: His stories and the Shadow Broker's info on him indicate that Zaeed was a horrible leader who was all too willing to let others die and not particularly well-liked by those he leads. [[spoiler:This is a pretty big indicator that he's a poor squad leader in the endgame]].
* NeverMyFault: Somewhat implied from his war stories. On seeing a familiar weapon on the Citadel, he claims that the weapon was so good that its wielder took out half his squad. In general, most of his stories end with him noting the casualties nonchalantly, even when he was supposed to be the squad leader. [[spoiler:Of course, it's still up to you whether you want a guy with this attitude leading your squad on the suicide mission]].
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: He survived getting shot in the head at point-blank range purely by sheer [[{{Determinator}} determination]].
-->'''Zaeed:''' A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything.
* OddFriendship: He and Garrus bond over ''booby-trapping Shepard's apartment'' of all things!
** Slightly less odd when you consider how Garrus spent the two years after you stopped Sovereign (becoming a vigilante on Omega who pissed off all three of the mercenary groups) and the pride they take in their work
** Javik thinks he's a Prothean in disguise and they discuss conquering the galaxy together after the Reapers are gone. Note that Javik's interactions with most people of this cycle is to call them primitives and complain endlessly about their shortcomings.
* OldSoldier: He practically embodies this trope.
* OneLastJob: The money he received from Cerberus as payment for joining Shepard's squad has made him seriously consider retirement. Either that or suicide via blowing his ship up near Omega.
* OptionalPartyMember: He's a DLC character, if you didn't get a new copy of the game. Otherwise he's a free download.
* PetTheDog: In the Citadel DLC, he reveals what got him addicted to a skill crane game was [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming trying to make a crying kid happy by winning her a toy.]]
* PsychoForHire: Albeit a much more subdued and refined version than most.
** He even gets a bit self-referential -- he claims that the only people not to piss themselves when having a gun next to their heads are psychotic maniacs and trained killers. And they can be hard to discern sometimes.
* RebelRelaxation: In his room on the ship and during the pre-suicide mission briefing; he's the only one not standing at the table, opting to slouch against a wall near the end of the room. His ending in the Extended Cut also shows him relaxing on a lawn chair after the war is over.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Possible in ''3'' if Zaeed wasn't loyal in ''2''. He dies saving ambassador Din Korlack from the other mercs who had been duped into thinking Din was still a Cerberus sympathizer]].
** [[spoiler: Turned into a CrowningMomentofAwesome for either him or Shepard if it was. He kills them all the SECOND Shepard asks.]]
* RetiredMonster: He was once a very vicious merc and [[spoiler:co-founded the Blue Suns]]. Though he hasn't stepped down'' too'' far -- now he's a BountyHunter.
* {{Retirony}}: Played with. The Shadow Broker's intel reveals that Zaeed is contemplating retirement after finishing Shepard's mission [[spoiler:and he is so annoyed by the thought that the best plan he came up with so far is invoking the trope himself, by committing a SuicideAttack on Omega.]]
** RetiredBadass: [[spoiler: If he makes it to the end of 3, his personal slide in the Extended Cut shows him kicking back on a deckchair somewhere, beer in hand. Guess he found someplace he could stand after all.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: His real motivation during his character quest, despite his initial claim that he's in it to liberate a factory of workers from the Blue Suns mercenary group, [[spoiler:which he co-founded]]. It's possible for a Paragon Shepard to not only allow the target to escape in order to save the workers, but gain Zaeed's loyalty ''anyway'' in a scene that proves [[GoodIsNotSoft good is most definitely]] '''[[GoodIsNotSoft not]]''' [[GoodIsNotSoft soft and indecisive.]] As a bonus, he never brings it up again in the third game; presumably, he's learned to let that go, or at least get his priorities straight.
** DummiedOut dialogue in 3 mention he got his revenge even if Vido got away in his loyalty mission: Denying a MercyKill on somebody getting [[FateWorseThanDeath abducted by the Reapers]] is brutal even by his standards.
* SayMyName[=/=]SkywardScream: [[spoiler:If he's left to die on his loyalty mission.]]
-->'''Zaeed:''' '''''SHEPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!'''''
* SeriousBusiness: In the ''Citadel'' DLC, believe it or not, a '''claw-machine'''.
--> '''Zaeed:''' What could be more important than Zaeed Massani not getting bested by some ''[[PrecisionFStrike fucking]]'' kid's game!?
* ShoutingShooter: In his loyalty mission, if you pick Paragon.
* SirSwearsALot: Not as much as Jack, but occasionally. Especially in the Citadel DLC after failing at a skill crane for too long.
* SociopathicHero: He has some amusing war stories, but during his loyalty mission, it becomes apparent that he's chillingly ruthless in his pursuit of vengeance. Hell, a lot of his stories are rather horrifying, which gets amplified by his even and detached manner of delivering them.
* SoleSurvivor: All of his stories usually result in everyone in his squad but him dying, though rather than a testament to his skills, most of this seems to be more out of his ability to get others killed, either through [[TheJinx bad luck]] or [[BadBoss just tossing them under the fire]]. [[spoiler: Keep this in mind when choosing fire team leaders during the suicide mission]].
** [[spoiler:In the second worst version of the Extended Cut version of the destroy ending in ''Mass Effect 3'', several planets in the galaxy lie torn and barren from the war and several species are skirting on the edge of extinction. Meanwhile Zaeed is shown to be only one having a somewhat comfortable outcome, having apparently retired to a somewhat untouched, sunny corner of Earth]].
* TattooAsCharacterType: He has a tattoo on his neck, visible when you recruit him. Like other members of that organization, it's a Blue Suns tattoo.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Less than a freshly-recruited Jack, but more than Grunt or loyal Jack. In contrast to [[TokenGoodTeammate Tali]], it's considerably more difficult to win his loyalty with the Paragon approach, which requires a persuade check.
** Acknowledged enough that [[spoiler:his name will not be inscribed on the ''Normandy'''s memorial wall if he dies.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: Nowhere ''near'' to the extent of Jack or Miranda, but he's noticeably far more pleasant in ''3'', particularly in "Citadel".
* UnflinchingWalk: During his loyalty mission (if you chose the Renegade path).
* WhatTheHellHero: Gets this from Paragon Shepard in his loyalty mission. The first is a straight-up punch to the face. [[spoiler:The second is pointing a gun at him and threatening to leave him to burn for being willing to do the same for civilian factory workers. This will actually earn his respect enough so that he'll still be loyal in the end]].
* WritersCannotDoMath: There's at least one official source claiming he was born in 2145 and founded the Suns in 2160. That seems unlikely even for him. The same source mixed up Mordin's age too.
** However, if one thinks of the Blue Suns being a small street gang started by a bunch of young {{Delinquents}} before becoming what it is now, the age makes a lot more sense.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Shepard can leave Zaeed to die during his loyalty mission if the player chooses. However, this requires [[spoiler:1) waiting until after the suicide mission to do his loyalty mission and 2) having at least two other surviving squadmates in addition to Zaeed]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: You wouldn't believe this by looking at him, but according to the official website, he is only 40 years old.
** A rough life, and getting shot in the face, do this to you.

[[/folder]]

!Secret Party Members
The two secret party members have gotten their own page. Don't go there unless you don't care about spoilers. To find it, go to [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers this page]].

!Guest Party Members

[[folder:Wilson]]
[[WMG: Wilson]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wilson_4565.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Don't get too attached.]]
->''"Miranda? But you're..."''

-->'''Voiced by''': Creator/SteveBlum

One of the Cerberus medical officers working on the Lazarus Project. After everything goes to hell, he helps you out after you heal him. When you finally meet up with Miranda, she guns him down for being the traitor who caused this mess in the first place, thus continuing the Bioware tradition of early game sacrificial party members.
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* AssholeVictim: Of Miranda.
* BaldOfEvil: [[spoiler: Being a member of Cerberus is bad enough, but he's also working for the Shadow Broker to sabotage Project Lazarus.]]
* BeardOfEvil: [[spoiler: He's willing to sabotage Project Lazarus for money.]]
* BoomHeadshot: How he dies, courtesy of Miranda.
* DeathByMaterialism: When checking logs on the medical station, Wilson constantly complains that Cerberus pumped 4 billion credits into resurrecting Shepard, and he implies that he isn't getting paid enough. It makes it kind of clear why he betrays Cerberus and Miranda. [[spoiler: Or not. It turns out it was because he was working with the Shadow Broker]].
* DirtyCoward: Even when in your party, this is very apparent.
* TheEngineer: One of his jobs with Cerberus.
* GuestStarPartyMember: He's killed at the end of the first mission. At least you get to see him in action, unlike poor [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 Jenkins]].
* KilledMidSentence:
-->'''Wilson:''' Miranda? But you're...\\
''[[[BoomHeadshot Bang!]]]''\\
'''Miranda:''' [[BondOneLiner Dead?]]
* OhCrap: His reaction to hearing that Shepard was still alive after sabotaging the Mechs.
** He gets an even bigger one after running into Miranda again. Unfortunately for him, it was also a very short one.
* TheMole: He started the disaster that led to Shepard's early awakening, but you don't know who he was working for at first. [[spoiler: He was working for the Shadow Broker]].
* PlayingWithSyringes: He helps bring someone back from the dead.
* {{Turncoat}}: He betrays Cerberus [[spoiler: for the Shadow Broker.]]
* TooDumbToLive: He had no reason to think Cerberus would let him live after he betrayed them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dr. Amanda Kenson]]
!!Dr. Amanda Kenson
--> See MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs/SecondaryAntagonists folder.

[[/folder]]

[[WMG: Jack, AKA Subject Zero, [[spoiler: (''nee'' Jennifer)]]]]

* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Miranda and Paragon Shepard's Blue.

* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Miranda's Blue.

** ShellShockedVeteran: Bring him along to the Derelict Reaper and you'll learn that he hasn't gotten over Eden Prime as much you initially thought. During the Citadel party, he'll mention that he still has nightmares about the Collector base.

* TwoFirstNames

* RedOniBlueOni: The Blue to Jack and Jacob's Red.

* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Paragon Shepard's red. While both are members of elite organisations dedicated to dispensing justice throughout the galaxy, they have radically different approaches to how they accomplish their goals.

* ArtificialLimbs: [[WhatCouldHaveBeen He was originally meant to have a robot leg.]]

--> See [[spoiler:MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs/SecondaryAntagonists]] folder.

* {{Badass}}: If you manage to kill off the entire rest of the team, Grunt can be rearguard ''[[OneManArmy on his own]]''.
** BadassBaritone: Just look at his voice actor.
** BadassBoast: "I don't need luck. I have ammo."
*** During his LastStand: "''My'' turn, heh heh heh."

* {{Badass}}: WordOfGod [[http://forum.bioware.com/topic/246325-strongest-squad-member/?p=7231820 states]] that she is overall the most powerful squadmate period. Which makes sense, given that she has the most fighting exprience.

* {{Badass}}: He's a very skilled assassin, to say the least.

* ActorExistenceFailure: Technically subverted and averted. Robin Sachs passed away in February 2013, but he had recorded for Zaeed's final appearance, in that of the Citadel DLC for ''Mass Effect 3'' before he died.

* {{Badass}}: Shepard even calls him a badass, albeit not on his/her level, though.

* WeCanRuleTogether: In her first conversation with (Male) Shepard, she suggests the two of them team up to take over the Normandy and pirate other ships in order to conquer the universe as partners in crime.