History Characters / MassEffectCommanderShepard

* KickTheSonOfABitch: More common than KickTheDog due to the large number of {{Asshole Victim}}s in the games.

* CanadaEh: Shepard definitely sounds Canadian if you listen to them speak. (Owing to the fact that both Shepard voice actors, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, are Canadian.) However, Shepard isn't even born on Earth in two backgrounds (Colonist and Space,) and the Earth-born background doesn't specify where on Earth they're born.

->''"We have to give everything....even if that means our lives. We will stop at nothing. We will fight for the lost!"''
-->-- ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' trailer[[note]][[NeverTrustATrailer This line is never actually said in the game]].[[/note]]

The following tropes appear in-game[[note]]The majority of these tropes apply no matter which version of Shepard is played, though there are a few that are exclusive to the male or female version. Some also change based on character background or character choices. [[/note]]:

** Shepard begins the first game as a Lieutenant Commander and remains at that rank throughout the entire saga, despite everyone else on the main [=ME1=] crew being promoted meteorically.[[note]]Kaidan gains three ranks, Ashley is commissioned as an officer AND gains three ranks, Tali becomes an admiral, Garrus is a military advisor whom generals answer to, Wrex is the de facto leader of the entire Krogan civilization, and Liara, while not holding a military rank, has become the most powerful information broker in the galaxy.[[/note]] This is a rank normally held by an XO of a single ship, and Shepard is never promoted despite galaxy-shaping heroics and, in the third game, being singlehandedly responsible for organizing the entire galactic response to the Reaper invasion. Shepard's rank stasis is justified as after the events of the first game, [[spoiler: they spend only a few weeks on active duty before being killed, come back working for a known terrorist group, and by the time they finally return to the Alliance, it's as an accused war criminal,]] but it's still jarring when Kaidan follows their orders despite being two ranks higher and a SPECTRE in his own right.

* CutsceneIncompetence: Owing to the need of the cutscenes to account for every class Shepard can be, Shepard will never use any of their powers in cutscenes. Even when those might make the threat they face irrelevant. This will for example lead Shepard to only ever use their guns when fighting in cutscenes, rather than using much more potent biotic, tech or combat powers on their foes.

** The ''Reapers'' consider Shepard this, with their [[http://twitter.com/#!/TheReaperLegion twitter feed]] referring to them as [[WorthyOpponent "Hostile target Shepard"]]. Keep in mind that the rest of that feed has them repeatedly appear unconcerned with [[ResistanceIsFutile any resistance whatsoever]] but the fact they ''don't'' know the location of Shepard has them nervous. It's notable that the Reapers will ignore nearly everything else around them when Shepard is around, targeting them with their [[WaveMotionGun main weapons]], normally designed to hit starships. The Reaper on Rannoch is a notable example, in that it ignores the Quarian fleet hitting it from orbit with everything in their arsenal to specifically focus down Shepard, moving closer and closer until it prepares to fire at point blank range. The Reaper in [[spoiler: London]] similarly abandons its well defended position to go after Shepard and Harbinger itself abandons the space battle above once ''that'' reaper is destroyed and employs BeamSpam (again, with weapons rated for starship combat) in an attempt to eliminate Shepard once and for all. And all of these ''[[MadeOfIron fail]]''. Leviathan notes that Shepard is the only being that the Reapers have ''ever'' feared.[[note]]The Reapers have been around for over a ''billion'' years.[[/note]] It's also worth noting that after the Rannoch mission, Shepard is told that "Harbinger has spoken of you." For a Reaper to take notice of a singular individual and, in effect, WARN his brethren about them.... speaks volumes about the effect Shepard has.
** The mission to Mars in ''3'' shows that Shepard has become this for the average Cerberus trooper[[note]]who are [[MoreThanMindControl indoctrinated]] to the point where they can no longer feel anything for themselves[[/note]]:

** A Paragon Shepard makes its perfectly clear in the third game that the ''only'' reason they are going to work with Balak, the batarian terrorist from ''Bring Down The Sky'', is because Shepard ''needs'' the batarian fleet to aid in the war, something as the de-facto leader of the remnants of the Batarian Hegemony, Balak can provide. Afterwards, Shepard even admits to wanting nothing more than to put a bullet between all four of his eyes, but they don't get to have what they want... ''today''.

** The ending to the DLC mission ''Overlord'' defines this. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even a pure renegade Shepard is sickened by what is done to David]]. The Paragon option is to take David away; with a bonus Paragon interrupt to PistolWhip his brother, and then threaten him at gunpoint that if he ''ever'' comes after David again, Shepard ''will'' shoot him.[[note]]Which makes sense considering Renegade Shepard is about "win at all costs", so Renegade would at best think Gavin went a little too far, while Paragon Shepard is "win without compromising our humanity", and David's situation is a deep offense to that philosophy.[[/note]]

* LargeAndInCharge: Male Shepard is 6'4"[[note]]height is calculated from Shepard's official scale statue; Garrus and Tali's heights were also calculated by their statues from the same series and confirmed accurate by their character keys[[/note]], and towers over all but a few of his alien followers. Completely inverted with Female Shepard.

** Someone actually bothered to [[https://www.reddit.com/r/masseffect/comments/5ao6wl/the_normandy_teams_kill_count_counted_and/ count]] all the enemies Shepard kills throughout the three games and various downloadable missions. The total is well into the thousands.[[note]]5,612 to be specific, but that doesn't count cutscenes, and also counts enemies that may have been killed by squadmates instead. But the player will be doing most of the killing in each game anyway, so it's safe to say that about 50% of those kills were Shepard. With the other ~2,800 being divided between... well, everyone else. Which still makes every other member of the Normandy team a One-Man Army in their own right, mind.[[/note]]

* OverTheShoulderCarry: Shepard does this twice to evacuate the Virmire survivor. Once on [[spoiler:Virmire after they've sustained injuries in combat against the geth]] and again [[spoiler:on Mars after being critically injured by a Cerberus mech.]] Bonus awesome points if it's female Shepard hoisting Kaidan.[[note]]Shepard's official scale statue places her height at [[PintSizedPowerhouse 5'3"]], while most fan estimates place Kaidan somewhere in the 5'10" to 6'2" range[[/note]]

* PintsizedPowerhouse: Female Shepard is 5'3,[[note]]height is calculated from Shepard's official scale statue; Garrus and Tali's heights were also calculated by their statues from the same series and confirmed accurate by their character keys[[/note]] making her one of the smallest people on the ''Normandy'', yet she's still a force to be reckoned with even bofore the enhancements from the Lazarus Project.

---> '''Shepard''': Your entire history is you trying to kill the geth! You forced them to rebel! You forced them to ally with the Reapers! The geth ''don't'' want to fight you! If you can believe that for just one minute, this war will be over! You have a choice. Please. ''[[IronicEcho Keelah se'lai.]]''

* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''Mass Effect 2'', Shepard's eyes will glow red the more Renegade they become, til they're ''glowing in the dark''.

* {{Retirony}}: By the end of ''3'', Shepard's started saying how tired they are of saving the galaxy, and suggests packing it, settling down with her/her love interest somewhere quiet. Even if Shepard is sincere (which more than one character questions), in three out of four endings, they don't get the chance.

* SinkOrSwimMentor: Shepard often invokes DareToBeBadass in their friends and allies in ''2'' and ''3''. Could be seen as one to Ashley/Kaidan in the third game when they become a Spectre. If you hold off the Renegade interrupt, Shepard's hesitation to shoot [[spoiler: Udina]] could be interpreted as a way of letting Ashley/Kaidan know the responsibility that comes with being a Spectre and of owning ones mistakes, meaning they should be the one to shoot [[spoiler: Udina]].

** Even seems to extends to the people around Shepard. Joker's reaction to the warning that someone is trying to kill Shepard is to simply ''laugh'' and note that a ''lot'' of people are. Likewise, upon discovering the existence of [[spoiler: Clone Shepard]], everyone seems more interested in riffing on the possibility of using them as a ''butler?!''

* VillainKiller: The reason Commander Shepard is so highly regarded and feared is that, against all odds, they are known for being able to do whatever it takes, defend the galaxy, and stop threats. While they already had this reputation as an [[SuperSoldier [=N7=] Marine]], and later a [[EliteAgentsAboveTheLaw SPECTRE]], they became a LivingLegend for being the first and only known person to successfully kill a [[AbusivePrecursors Reaper]]. In the next games (regardless of player morality or choice), they would then go on to destroy the Collectors, a faction of renegade geth, other rogue [=N7s=] and [=SPECTREs=], ''more Reapers'', and even an EvilDoppelganger of themself.

** Becomes this in the eyes of Saren, which is quite impressive on their part given Saren's enormous racism towards humans. Also, Harbinger labeling Shepard as "an annoyance" could be seen as it acknowledging that they are this for the Reapers, also an impressive feat.

* {{Determinator}}: All three of Shepard's possible backgrounds ([[OneManArmy War Hero]], SoleSurvivor, and [[WeHaveReserves Ruthless]]) have shades of this. And in all the games themselves, not even [[spoiler:being blasted by Harbinger will stop Shepard's last-ditch effort to activate the Crucible. [[ImplacableMan Despite a gunshot wound, broken bones, internal bleeding, and being violently thrown through a transporter meant for "vehicles", Shepard keeps going]]. After all this, Shepard still goes through with either defying the Catalyst to prove a point, or activating the Crucible, even though they know that through doing so they will either be blasted back to Earth in a fiery explosion, be stuck controlling the Reapers for possibly an eternity, or willfully jump into a the power core for the device and be disintegrated to develop a synthetic-organic hybrid race.]]

* CuttingOffTheBranches: If you take "Bioware Canon" as canon, and if the default Shepard in ''2'' is any indication, then, according to Bioware Canon, Shepard is a Renegade SociopathicHero.

* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: Default female Shepard looked quite different in ''Mass Effect 1'' and ''Mass Effect 2'', due to a contest asking for fan input on a new design. This coincided with {{Creator/BioWare}} making female Shepard a part of the marketing for the game.

In the first game, Shepard is selected to be the first human Spectre, an elite agent of the [[TheFederation Council.]] After stumbling upon a [[{{Precursors}} Prothean]] beacon and a rogue Spectre named Saren, Shepard sets out on a quest to stop Saren and save the galaxy from his attempts to bring back the Reapers, an ancient machine race bent on exterminating all spacefaring species in the galaxy.

* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: They're a member of the N7 special forces ''and'' a Spectre, probably the two most dangerous fighting forces in the galaxy alongside the salarian STG, turian blackwatch and asari commandos.

* {{Flanderization}}: Shepard's ability, or lack there of, to dance. In the first game, Shepard's dance movements were [[InformedFlaw exactly the same as the NPCs]], but this became the butt of jokes in the fandom. In Mass Effect 2, it becomes a FandomNod with Shepard potentially scarring off an asari with their awful dancing. In the third game, it's a full on RunningGag, [[ButtMonkey with everyone making jokes about it.]]

** The Rachni Queen, the Krogan Battlemaster[[spoiler:, the ''geth'']]... The only thing Paragon Shepard ''can't'' befriend seems to be the Reapers. [[spoiler: And with the Control and Synthesis endings, even that's arguable.]]
* FoeTossingCharge: Shepard is the only party member that can use the Vanguard's biotic Charge, from ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect 2}}''; they was the only character to use it at all until [[DarkActionGirl Tela Vasir]] came along in "Lair of the Shadow Broker". By ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', it was standard for Vanguard's of most races.

* LaughablyEvil: In the 1st and 2nd games at least, a lot of players like to play Shepard as a jerk because it leads to a lot of amusing dialog and moments.

* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Never promoted above the rank of Commander, despite having responsibilities and power far beyond that rank and command of Earth's most advanced ship. This gets lampshaded in the second game, where the Quarians insist on using the the title Captain despite Shepard not actually holding that military rank. It gets especially ridiculous in the third game, when Shepard is the second or third most powerful person in the Alliance and the public face of humanity. However, given that they're a spectre and thus outside of Alliance authority, it's a moot point.

* OneManArmy: Or "One Woman Army". They can take a squad of three against three hundred and come out on top, as well as bring their entire squad through a guaranteed suicide mission alive. Even without any squad members to back them up, they're a force to be reckoned with. Just ask all of the members and assault troopers of Project Rho. Oh wait you can't, they're all dead.

** Paragon Shepard. At least, if one assumes that Shepard ''is'' a {{Transhuman}} and EDI was simply lying in order to spare Shepard's feelings, since they had previously expressed discomfort at the idea they might be considered one because of their bio-synthetic implants.

** In the second game, female Commander Shepard during Hock's party in Kasumi's loyalty quest. It's the only time in the series to date that Female Shepard has worn anything feminine, a dress and heels. Sadly, the usual male jaw-drop that typically happens during one of these scenes is absent. Kasumi makes an offhand comment, but that's about it. (Male Shepard gets a suit too, but his is just a re-skinned version of the same suit every male character wears. Female Shepard's is actually unique.)

* TalkingYourWayOut: Paragon Shepard will take this option at every opportunity. Renegade Shepard can do this too, although they are usually far more fond of...

* TeleportSpam: Starting in ''Mass Effect 2'', a Vanguard Shepard can fully abuse this trope with enough cooldown reduction on their Biotic Charge. The charge itself not only instantly teleports you to your enemy, but also sends any unarmored target flying, refills your shields, and can ''slow down time''. At it's absolute best, the cooldown can finish in just under two seconds, (some of which is during the slowed time) meaning that any Shepard who tries this will find themselves hard pressed to be killed. [[spoiler:It's worth noting however than just about anyone else with the Charge ability, even Shepard's clone, can do it infinitely more often and don't require an enemy target.]]

** And again in the Citadel DLC, where Shepard both trolls and gets trolled ''extensively.'' They reach a new level of trolling when they [[BelligerentSexualTension find an opportunity to mess with Jack and Miranda.]]

** There's a rare lapse in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'', when Shepard wonders what kind of weapons ''a taxi'' has. Of course given [[CosmicPlaything the chaotic nature]] of Shepard's life, expecting a taxi to have guns is something that honestly isn't considered too far-fetched, especially considering that Illium is described as just [[WretchedHive Omega]] with fancier shoes.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Shepard is obviously TheLeader and strength of personality and will makes Shepard come across as older than they really are. But like much of the crew, Shepard is relatively young, only 28 or 29 at the beginning of the first game. [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline Based on the Mass Effect timeline]], born in 2154, Shepard is actually about bang in the middle of the crew age range, being younger than Samara and Wrex (who both mention being nearly a thousand years old), Liara (2077), Hackett (2134), Anderson (2137), Thane (2146), Miranda and Mordin (2150), and Kaidan (2151). In this regard, they are older than Joker (2155), Jacob (2157), Ashley (2158), Kasumi (2160), and Jack and Tali (2161). It's worth noting that the default Male Shepard's face model, Mark Vanderloo, was pushing forty when the first game came out.

* YouDidTheRightThing: Paragon Shepard is often on the receiving end of this, after letting terrorists, mass-murderers, etc go in order to protect the innocent.
* YouShallNotPass: War Hero Shepard pulled this off, single-handedly fending off an entire platoon of batarians who breached the garrison's defences during the Skyllian Blitz. Becomes even more awesome if Shepard has the Colonist background, because they effectively took on a larger number of troops than those that attacked Mindoir and ''actually won''.

--->'''Clone: '''Somewhere along the way you forgot about your entire species. You saved more alien lives than you have human.

'''Shepard:''' I'm taking the Normandy back. And honestly, I'm doing you a favor. 'Cause you don't have what it takes.\\
'''Mysterious Figure:''' [[spoiler:[[VillainousBreakdown I'm Shepard, do you hear me bastard/bitch! I'm Shepard!]]]]\\
'''Shepard:''' No, you're not.\\
'''Mysterious Figure:''' [[spoiler:I am Commander Shepard!]]\\

'''Mysterious Figure:''' My team is better than yours!\\

'''Mysterious Figure:''' You're just cybernetics! Scarred, worn-out Cerberus tech!\\
'''Shepard:''' You know where I got those scars? Feros and Noveria and Virmire and Ilos! At the Collector Base and Palaven and Tuchanka and Rannoch and Thessia! I earned these scars protecting the galaxy! [[spoiler:You got yours from ''a petri dish!'']]

* SaveTheVillain: Paragon Shepard attempts to do this to Saren in ''1'', [[spoiler:their evil clone in ''3'''s ''Citadel'' DLC,]] and The Illusive Man in ''3'', despite the fact that they have repeatedly tried to kill them and, in case of Saren and TIM, [[spoiler:are heavily indoctrinated]]. [[spoiler:He also will attempt this with his clone, too, but said clone crossed the DespairEventHorizon and just [[DrivenToSuicide lets himself die]].]]

* HeroesWantRedheads: Of course, you can customize Shepard's hair color and style, but going by the default flaming red hair for female Shepard this trope applies for her love interests.

** Shepard begins the first game as a Lieutenant Commander and remains at that rank throughout the entire saga, despite everyone else on the main [=ME1=] crew being promoted meteorically.[[note]]Kaidan gains three ranks, Ashley is commissioned as an officer AND gains three ranks, Tali becomes an admiral, Garrus is a military advisor whom generals answer to, Wrex is the de facto leader of the entire Krogan civilization, and Liara, while not holding a military rank, has become the most powerful information broker in the galaxy.[[/note]] This is a rank normally held by an XO of a single ship, and Shepard is never promoted despite galaxy-shaping heroics and, in the third game, being singlehandedly responsible for organizing the entire galactic response to the Reaper invasion. Granted, Shepard is dual hatted as an Alliance officer and a Council SPECTRE, and most of what they do is on the authority of the latter position, but it's still jarring when Kaidan follows their orders despite being two ranks higher and a SPECTRE in his own right.

* ActionGirl: Female Shepard, obviously. Also a Paragon Shepard, who routinely smashes entire armies and [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] with little trouble.

** After once again encountering the Rachni Queen, Garrus jokes in ''3'' that Paragon Shepard seems intent on wandering the galaxy in order to find the most deadliest things imaginable and then make ''[[FluffyTamer friends]]'' with them. And it ''works''.

** Shepard begins the first game as a Lieutenant Commander and remains at that rank throughout the entire saga, despite everyone else on the main [=ME1=] crew being promoted meteorically.[[note]]Kaidan gains three ranks, Ashley is commissioned as an officer AND gains three ranks, Tali becomes an admiral, Garrus is a military advisor whom generals answer to, Wrex is the de facto leader of the entire Krogan civilization, and Liara, while not holding a military rank, has become the most powerful information broker in the galaxy.[[/note]] This is a rank normally held by an XO of a single ship, and Shepard is never promoted despite galaxy-shaping heroics and, in the third game, being singlehandedly responsible for organizing the entire galactic response to the Reaper invasion. Granted, Shepard is dual-hatted as an Alliance officer and a Council SPECTRE, and most of what they do is on the authority of the latter position, but it's still jarring when Kaidan follows their orders despite being two ranks higher and a SPECTRE in his own right.

** Played for laughs in the Citadel DLC, where they fold their arms in the exact same way, while trying to blend in with the rich and famous at a party. Somehow, it works and they get away with the heist undetected by party security.

* BadassFamily: If Shepard has the Spacer backstory, it's fairly obvious where Shepard gets it from. Hannah Shepard is a commander herself in the first game, gets promoted to captain over the two years between ''[=ME1=]'' and ''[=ME2=]'', and then repeatedly turns down a promotion to become an admiral in ''2'' in order [[TheMenFirst to stay with her ship and crew]]. And then in ''3'', she begrudgingly accepted the promotion to rear admiral, becoming one of the highest-ranking surviving members of the Alliance Navy. Shepard's father is also in the navy, and implied to be still alive as of ''[=ME1=]'' at least. No other info on him is available, however. It's also implied for a Colonist backstory. Dialogue options for the ''[[TearJerker I Remember Me]]'' sidequest reveal that Shepard and their whole family fought back against the slavers but they were hit by an artillery shell and Colonist Shepard survived.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Kasumi procures a tuxedo for a male Shepard for use in her loyalty mission. It can become a default casual outfit for Shepard after the mission's complete. Likewise, Kasumi procures a [[LittleBlackDress little black cocktail dress]] for a female Shepard, thus having her KickingAssInAllHerFinery.

* BigBrotherInstinct: Or "Big Sister Instinct", depending on gender choice. Happens in the Overlord DLC if you play as Paragon Shepard. [[spoiler:They'll become so utterly ''furious'' after learning the true origins of the Overlord VI, that they'll pistol-whip the ever-living shit out of the MadScientist responsible for creating it (and this is the ''Paragon'' interrupt), and threaten to end said scientist with a bullet if he tries coming near his brother David again.]]

* BookDumb: Earther Shep grew up on the streets, and by Miranda's words had no real formal education. You'd never know from watching some of their actions, like being able to talk shop with a man who works in a genetic engineering firm, or citing historical examples of ItWillNeverCatchOn to a rear-admiral.

* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: Shepard literally breaks their arm in the first game when they defeat Sovereign. And again in the third game, [[spoiler: leading the [[ZergRush charge across No Man's Land]] in London to the portal leading to the Citadel. Literally and in the sense that their entire sizable task force is wiped out in the attempt.]]

** Is seen as this by quite a few people in ''Mass Effect 2'', particularly Ashley/Kaidan, since they're forced to work with Cerberus. Particularly in Ashley's example, when you consider that just seconds earlier she had berated an ungrateful colonist that Shepard had rescued and told him that he was "standing in the presence of a ''God''", then immediately [[WhatTheHellHero chews you out for faking your death and working with Cerberus.]]

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: In ''Mass Effect 2'', Shepard can meet with Fist, who gets real snippy at the fact that you ruined his life. The Renegade option basically has you say "I forgot about you five minutes after I told you to run".

* CanonName: "John" and "Jane" are the default first names for Shepard depending on gender and can be changed by the player, but are never actually used in the game. Even up to the very end of the third game, Shepard's full name isn't used [[spoiler:on the ''Normandy''[='=]s memorial wall]]. [[HelloInsertNameHere Shepard always stays, however.]]

** Even without intentional action, Shepard quite clearly becomes a much more well defined character with a distinct personality over the course of the games. If Shepard is a "blank slate" in the first game, they are certainly far less so by the third game. Note how much of Shepard's lines you have control over in the first game; Shepard begins speaking for themself more often from the second game onward.

** Seemingly contradictory, but the award for completing Mass Effect 1 at least once is explicitly called "Medal of Honor", and is seen in Shepard's quarters in the second game and is where the player can check their achievements/trophies/challenges/etc of that nature in game. It's seen again in the third game in the same spot, but isn't manipulable.

** On Rannoch, [[spoiler:they can either betray Legion and the geth by killing him and allowing the quarians to destroy them, or betray the quarians and Tali by allowing Legion to upload the geth sentience code so they can destroy the quarians. Unfortunately, if you haven't done everything perfectly in order to make peace between the quarians and geth possible, someone is getting stabbed in the back.]]
** At the end of the trilogy, [[spoiler:they can betray all sentient life in the galaxy by refusing to fire the Crucible]]. They can also [[spoiler:betray the geth and EDI by using the Crucible to destroy all synthetic life in the galaxy, although if your EMS isn't high enough they might honestly not have a better option]].

** Shepard in the third game, where Hackett notes that the sole reason Shepard was chosen to speak as a envoy on behalf of humanity was because, while you can teach a soldier to follow orders and pay people to point a gun, you can't teach a soldier to believe. Shepard has proved numerous times by willing to defy orders because they honestly ''believe'' in the mission that much, repeatedly earning the loyalty of people who would gladly follow Shepard into hell simply because they believe in them.

* CoveredInScars: It's implied that Shepard has collected a large amount of scars over the course of the trilogy. Confirmed in the "Citadel" DLC, as the [[spoiler: Clone Shepard]] calls Shepard a 'Scarred, piece of Cerberus tech', to which they respond by stating they got them from defending the galaxy, naming nearly every location the story required you to go.

--> '''Shepard:''' The Alliance lost eight cruisers. Shenyang. Emden. Jakarta. Cairo. Seoul. Cape Town. Warsaw. Madrid. And yes, I remember them all. Everyone in the Fifth Fleet is a damn hero. The Alliance owes them all medals, the Council owes them a lot more than that. And so do you.
* DeadpanSnarker: A lot of options lead to these type of responses. A lot of their neutral responses, ''especially'' in the ''Citadel'' DLC, consists of them snarking the ridiculousness of their circumstances.

* {{Determinator}}: All three of Shepard's possible backgrounds ([[OneManArmy War Hero]], SoleSurvivor, and [[WeHaveReserves Ruthless]]) have shades of this. And in the games themselves, not even [[spoiler:being blasted by Harbinger will stop Shepard's last-ditch effort to activate the Crucible. [[ImplacableMan Despite a gunshot wound, broken bones, internal bleeding, and being violently thrown through a transporter meant for "vehicles", Shepard keeps going]]. After all this, Shepard still goes through with either defying the Catalyst to prove a point, or activating the Crucible, even though they know that through doing so they will either be blasted back to Earth in a fiery explosion, be stuck controlling the Reapers for possibly an eternity, or willfully jump into a the power core for the device and be disintegrated to develop a synthetic-organic hybrid race.]]

** They also get a nice post-facto one in ''Leviathan'', made all the more sweeter when you remember that Reapers can still be technically conscious long after death. Spotting the quarantined piece of Sovereign that crashed into the Citadel tower and nearly killed them in the first game, they quip to it: "Sovereign, vanguard of our destruction. How's that working out for you, big guy?"

** ActionCommands allow Shepard to pull a few of these in the second game, as well as during the regular cutscenes. One of the more notable occurrences is [[spoiler:during the final assault on the Collector base, where you have to jump to save one of your party from sliding into an abyss. Depending on your party composition, it's possible for Grunt - a krogan easily two or three times Shepard's size - to be the one rescued in this fashion.]]

** Even though in game-play all {{mooks}} display SuicidalOverconfidence, the Commander is referred to like this on two occasions: First, on the [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/N7:_MSV_Strontium_Mule MSV Strontium Mule assignment]], Merc datapads contain OhCrap messages on the fact that you're attacking. Second, on the ''Arrival'' DownloadableContent, there is a OptionalBoss fight where you HoldTheLine against waves of [[ArtificialBrilliance scarily intelligent enemies]] and a MiniBoss all by yourself. If you can win the fight, you'll hear increasingly desperate cries about [[OneManArmy how unstoppable you are]].

** The ''Reapers'' consider Shepard this, with their [[http://twitter.com/#!/TheReaperLegion twitter feed]] referring to them as [[WorthyOpponent "Hostile target Shepard"]]. Keep in mind that the rest of that feed has them repeatedly appear unconcerned with [[ResistanceIsFutile any resistance whatsoever]] but the fact they ''don't'' know the location of Shepard has them nervous. It's notable that the Reapers will ignore nearly everything else around them when Shepard is around, targeting them with their [[WaveMotionGun main weapons]], normally designed to hit starships. The Reaper on Rannoch is a notable example, in that it ignores the Quarian fleet hitting it from orbit with everything in their arsenal to specifically focus down Shepard, moving closer and closer until it prepares to fire at point blank range. The Reaper in [[spoiler: London]] similarly abandons its well defended position to go after Shepard, and Harbinger itself abandons the space battle above once ''that'' reaper is destroyed and employs BeamSpam (again, with weapons rated for starship combat) in an attempt to eliminate Shepard once and for all. And all of these ''[[MadeOfIron fail]]''. Leviathan notes that Shepard is the only being that the Reapers have ''ever'' feared.[[note]]The Reapers have been around for over a ''billion'' years.[[/note]] It's also worth noting that after the Rannoch mission, Shepard is told that "Harbinger has spoken of you." For a Reaper to take notice of a singular individual and, in effect, WARN his brethren about them....speaks volumes about the effect Shepard has.

* EnemySummoner: In the third game, from the point of their enemies, Engineer Shepard qualifies, especially if they take Tali's Defense Drone as a bonus power. They can summon three types of drones at a time to control the battlefield: the Combat Drone, which floats around the field spamming rockets and attacking enemies, the Defense Drone, which floats around Shepard and shocks anything that gets in range (something like ten yards from Shepard), and the Turret drone, which is a small, stationary, floating turret with a gun and a flamethrower that attacks any enemies near it. All of these regenerate extremely fast, letting new ones be redeployed almost as soon as the first ones are destroyed. In fact they can deploy four {{mooks}} if you count the enemy synthetics that they can hack to their side with Sabotage.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: You can be remorseless Renegade but it doesn't lock out the chance to get into a relationship with others.

* FailureHero: Played with. In ''3'', much more emphasis is put on Shepard's character, and how utterly plagued they are by the deaths during the Reaper War. Of course Shepard's choices are still mostly determined by the player (so any tactical blunders the player makes may be minimal at best), and they're still viewed overall as the best chance the galaxy has at beating the Reapers... but it's clear that they're terrified of losing the war, and heartbroken about the losses under their command.

* FakingTheDead: Played with. Shepard really was killed and brought back. However, only a very small pool of people were aware of the Lazarus Project. Everyone else, including most of Shepard's friends and allies, only ''thought'' that Shepard's death was faked and behaved accordingly.

* FighterMageThief: Shepard can be any one of these, or mix two classes together with the Biotics/Tech, Combat/Biotics, and Tech/Combat classes.

* ForWantOfANail: If Shepard didn't do the Shadow Broker DLC, Liara says that it took a ''squadron'' to usurp the Shadow Broker - and she couldn't save Feron. If Shepard didn't do the Project Overlord DLC, Archer says that dozens were killed by David and they ''had to nuke the entire facility'' to stop him. If Shepard didn't do the Arrival DLC, Hackett sends in a platoon of marines to liberate Dr. Amanda Kenson, but were forced to send the asteroid into the mass relay, leaving no survivors. However, the alternative outcomes lead to certain war assets being reduced or removed entirely come the third game. For example, the marines that die doing ''Arrival'' in Shepard's stead constitute about 50 points of war assets in the Alliance 103rd Marine Division, while the brothers Archer (yes, both of them) combine to bring about 30 points to the table by themselves.

** Let’s not forget that Shepard is potentially highly skilled in disciplines such as hacking and military engineering. As a highly-trained special forces officer, Shepard is presumably well-versed in a high number of disciplines such as trauma medicine, demolitions, etc.

* GodzillaThreshold: In the third game. After the events of ''Arrival'', Shepard turned themselves in to the Alliance and was placed under house arrest at headquarters for several months, awaiting trial for what were technically war crimes against the batarians. However when the Reapers arrive on Earth's doorstep, the Alliance promptly decides to reinstate Shepard, recognising that not only were they ''[[TheExtremistWasRight right]]'', but they are ''clearly'' the most experienced officer to put in charge of dealing with the Reapers.
* GoneHorriblyRight: For the Illusive Man. Bringing back Shepard to be exactly like they were before... Then he [[VillainousBreakdown rages]] when Paragon Shepard doesn't help him get things like [[spoiler:Collector/Reaper technology]], and can even pull Miranda (arguably his most loyal operative) over to their side.

* GoodIsNotNice: Renegade Shepard. Unlike Paragon Shepard who [[BullyingADragon is this when they're provoked]], Renegade just goes straight to being ruthless with little to no provocation, and will do very vicious things for the sake of the greater good. They're also an extreme {{Jerkass}} to boot.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Of course you can customize Shepard's hair color and style, but going by the default flaming red hair for female Shepard this trope applies for her love interests.

* HumbleHero: Despite all their accomplishments, a Paragon Shepard will on numerous occasions state they are [[ImNotAHeroIm just doing their job]] and attempt to [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplay their heroic actions]]. In the third game, Shepard even questions why Hackett wants them to speak for humanity at peace-talks, stating they're ''not'' a diplomat, despite being the reason most of the various parties even agreed to be in the same room as each other.

** ''Mass Effect 3'' averts this further; every weapon you carry has mass and bulk. A lightly-equipped Shepard will get a few useful stat boosts, conversely a heavily loaded-down Shepard will suffer mobility issues.

** Also during the Citadel DLC, a female Commander Shepard romancing Garrus will end up dancing a tango with him. Even ''she'' lampshades her usual lack of dancing skill: as he pulls her out onto the floor, all she can say is "[[OhCrap No no no no]] [[RapidFireNo no no no no no]]!" [[SubvertedTrope Surprisingly, it looks spectacular.]]

* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: In the beginning of ''3'', they are told by Anderson to testify before an Alliance committee about the Reapers' arrival. Shepard is quick to reply that they are "a soldier, not a diplomat." One might argue against that phrase with the fact that with player input, Shepard can talk their way out of trouble, but it should also be remembered that Shepard has no formal education as a diplomat and has only being making it up as they went along.

* ImplacableMan: Especially so in the second game. No matter what Shepard's enemies do, up to and including [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead outright killing them]]]], Shepard will ''not'' stop coming for them. This is especially emphasized in the ''Arrival'' DLC, where after decimating a large number of their forces, the Project Rho troops finally subdue them, only for them to break through the sedatives. Every single defense and holding tactic that the troops put in Shepard's way is easily cut through as [[CurbStompBattle Shepard slaughters their through the whole facility]], ''[[OneManArmy single-handedly]]''.

* InvisibleParents: Captain Hannah Shepard for a Spacer Shepard; Shepard calls their mother on the comm system, and, like with Admiral Hackett, the camera focuses on Shepard the entire time.
** She's also "appears" in ''2'' via email and a news-report and is mentioned several times in ''3'', after being initially being listed as M.I.A. due to the confusion from the Reaper invasion, with Hackett later reporting that she's both alive and been promoted to Rear-Admiral.

* TheJuggernaut: In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', Shepard is TheJuggernaut. Even [[OneManArmy alone]], tears through enemies as if their [[ArmorIsUseless armour was made of paper]]. Being enhanced through cybernetics and having enhanced tech makes about 50 enemies like a 4 minute fight. Takes a Reaper tech device at full power to bring them down. Even sedated, it doesn't stop them for long. In fact each dose of sedative had to constantly get increased because Shepard grew [[AcquiredPoisonImmunity immune]] to it. their entire lone wolf [[CurbStompBattle "fight"]] through the facility afterwards confirms them as this even more. Among the classes, Sentinel Shepard is one of the most ridiculously tanky things in the universe, and in 3, Vanguard Shepard becomes an unstoppable living grenade that kills everything in their path.

* KnightInSourArmor: Yes, the play styles are infinite, but if you have the Colonist origin, the asari Consort pretty much describes you this way. Basically if Paragon Shepard isn't a WideEyedIdealist or ThePollyanna, they're likely a KnightInSourArmor.
-->"I see the sadness behind your eyes, it tells a story that makes me want to weep. Pain and loss. But it drives you, makes you strong. It is that strength that people are drawn to. [[MagneticHero It is why you lead and others follow without question]]. You will need that leadership in the battles to come."
** At the end of the ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' DLC, Liara will ask Shepard how they're doing. If you choose the right dialogue option, Shepard will vent to Liara about how tired they are of dealing with Cerberus and the Council treating them like they're nuts. But in the end they keep going because it's the right thing to do. It really drives home how much crap Shepard is going through. See PatrickStewartSpeech below for part of the exchange.

* LastDisrespects: Renegade Shepard can go the extra mile after killing Wrex, and tell Kirrahe to just toss their former teammate's body in the nearest swamp.

** Played with in ''3''. Spacer Shepard initially hears no word from their mother, leading them to believe that she perished in the initial attack on Earth. Turns out that Captain Hannah Shepard not only is still alive, but has been promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and is working directly under Admiral Hackett in leading the Fleet.

** By ''Mass Effect 3'', this starts turning around as Shepard keeps moving closer and closer to the DespairEventHorizon. Liara, Tali, Garrus, Kaidan, Ashley, and Joker act as ones for them to keep them going. It also gets a lampshade when he out of the blue asks EDI if she has any daddy issues to work through involving the Illusive Man; when she just gets confused he says he's learned to ask that kind of thing.

** ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' shows that Shepard is strong enough to hold their own in a fist-fight with a ''yahg''. In fact, if the Shadow Broker wasn't relying on using a shield during the fight, it's likely that Shepard would have beaten him into submission with their bare hands.

** More downplayed if Shepard is male. Steve and Kaidan are StraightGay and the bisexual equivalent respectively, but are still clearly the [[SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan sensitive guy to]] the ManlyGay Shepard.

** Although it's mentioned a few times that the level of military discipline enforced onboard lies solely at the discretion of the Captain of the vessel. Paragon Shepard is repeatedly shown in both games to be perfectly fine with waving rank aside and letting the crew speak freely as friends and equals, even stating at one point that they always keep an open-door policy.
** It's worth noting that the only people in authority that Shepard is shown to have any respect for, always refers to as "Sir" and actively remembers to stand to attention while speaking to are Admirals [[BigGood Hackett]] and [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Anderson]] .
** The ''Citadel DLC'' reveals that Shepard and EDI avert this by ''[[BotheringByTheBook insisting]]'' on carrying out thirty minutes of extensive pre-flight checks before each takeoff. These are actually largely unnecessary and the ''Normandy'' can be prepped and ready to go in under ''five'' minutes, something the rest of the crew were well aware of, but decided to simply humour them about. Shepard isn't particularly happy to learn this fact, mostly because they ''genuinely'' believed it took that long!
* MilitaryBrat: The basis for the Spacer origin. Both parents were Alliance Navy, and is the only origin story where at least one parent is still alive.

** A Renegade ending of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' can have Shep stating that they let the Council die because they wanted humans to take over, to the shock of Anderson and the delight of Udina. They then walk off like a classic VillainProtagonist and the closing scene has them posing with an assault rifle against a frighteningly red background - and this is perhaps the most evil Shepard will look in the entire series.

** Shepard has the option of [[spoiler:refusing the three choices offered by the Catalyst, choosing instead to find a different solution to defeating the Reapers. This "solution" is letting the current cycle run its course, and having the next one defeat the Reapers with the help of Liara's time capsules]]. PyrrhicVictory at its finest.

** Can show signs of this while talking to Miranda and Jacob about Grunt's tank. Can show them much more strongly in the ''Leviathan'' DLC. James Vega is fascinated by the severed animated head of either a Husk or a Cerberus trooper, and even after it bites him he wants the Commander to take it home with them... and the Commander ''can''.

* NobleBigotWithABadge: A Renegade Shepard can make many racist assumptions about other species, and is quick to make remarks regarding their desire to avoid cooperation with them.
* NobleDemon: A possible playthrough of Renegade Shepard: a ruthless AntiHero who will do anything to complete their mission, and actively embraces the image of a OneManArmy bestowed upon them... but at the same time can help any person who may need it, and would gladly place themself in harm's way for or speak on the behalf of any member of their crew.

** Then there's Shepard's interaction with Toombs in the first game. A Paragon then Renegade option can have Shepard exploding that he wants to gun down the scientist too, but jailing him hurts him more. You can hear the angst and pain in Shep's voice.

* OddFriendship: Paragon Shepard seems to have this with nearly everyone. For good reason; Shepard's squadmates are a motley bunch of melancholic misfits and miscreants.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Shepard is actually the one overshadowing their own teammates. The Shadow Broker notes that Garrus, for example, has great potential as a leader but will never realize it while in Shepard's shadow. Ditto for Tali (although without Shepard, one wonders who she would look up to as a role model, given her mixed feelings toward her father). It's even explicit if Shepard chooses to aid Liara with the Shadow Broker. If Shepard does help her, they take the Broker down together. If Shepard doesn't help her, Liara eventually defeats the Broker with only minimal aid from Cerberus. The rest of her squad, however, all die; unlike Shepard, who doesn't lose a single squadmate in the process.

** Paragon Shepard can become one towards Grunt in the second game. The Citadel DLC gives us Shepard having to free Grunt from C-Sec after he escaped from hospital and caused trouble on the Citadel, in a scene very reminiscent of a parent picking up their son after he did something stupid. A Paragon Shepard will force Grunt to "apologize to the nice man for setting his car on fire." Subverted after the cop leaves when he asks Grunt how the noodles were then tell him "you're my hero".
** Shepard also becomes a surrogate father/mother-figure for EDI in the third game, acting supporting and even giving her TheTalk in regards to her blooming relationship with Joker. EDI being treated as Shepard's "daughter" is further shown by Joker nervously asking for their opinion about him and EDI dating, essentially asking for their permission, as well as later telling Mordin over the intercom that he ''doesn't'' want Shepard to know that they're intending to have sex (while Shepard is standing right next to Mordin).

* PermaStubble: The default Male Shepard model has this and it can't be changed. Apparently being able to defeat whatever the galaxy throws at you is incompatible with knowing your way around a razor blade.

* PhlebotinumRebel: Cerberus spends a lot of time, money, and technology in bringing Shepard back from the dead. Thus the player can [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope at the end of the second game by choosing to destroy the Collector base against The Illusive Man's wishes. Whatever your choice in the second, in the third, Cerberus becomes a major antagonist, [[EnforcedTrope forcing]] you into this. Gets a [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] in the Citadel DLC.
* PistolWhipping: Does this at the end of the Overlord DLC if the Paragon Route is chosen. [[spoiler:After learning the titular Overlord VI was created by forcibly hooking up a young, autistic genius to the geth network so humans can have a way to control the geth, Shepard decides to take David far away to a place where he can be cared for and be able to live without being exploited. David's brother Gavin, the person responsible for the Overlord's creation, tries to stop Shepard from taking a "valuable" person and tries to shoot them, but Shepard easily dodges and hits the scumbag with his gun, and warns Gavin they'll personally make him bite the bullet if he ever tries finding David again.]]

* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: How every one of Shepard's squads starts out. They're [[BunnyEarsLawyer abnormally skilled misfits]], but would still probably kill each other in a heartbeat without Shepard guiding them.

* {{Retirony}}: By the end of ''3'', Shepard's started saying how tired they are of saving the galaxy, and suggests packing it, settling down with her/her love interest somewhere quiet. Even if Shepard is sincere (which more than one character questions), in three out of four endings, they doesn't get the chance.

* SadClown: Of course Shepard can be played any number of ways, but it seems canon that they use snark to cover up their sadness. Particularly if you chose the Colonist background, being one of the few survivors of a batarian slave-run in which your parents were killed. Even more so if you're playing as a Sole Survivor, which meant your first mission ended with your entire squad either slaughtered right in front of you or were picked off one by one by a nest of angry Thresher Maws.

* SecondLove: If [[spoiler:their first love interest dies on Virmire and they romance someone else in ''2''. Can even stretch to Third Love if the second romance dies during the suicide mission.]]

* TookALevelInJerkass: Website/YouTube videos of Renegade action in the first game were titled ''Shepard is a jerk.'' For the second game, even if they were darker the videos were called ''Shepard is still a jerk.'' In the third game however the humor is gone and the Renegade interrupts are met with ''Commander Shepard is...oh my god Shepard has become evil.'' (Though anyone who experienced the ''1'' ending in which Shepard tells a shocked Anderson he killed the Council because they were in humanity's way will know that Shepard was EvilAllAlong.)
* TookALevelInKindness: It's possible to play Shepard this way. Depending on the player's choices, Shepard can start the trilogy as an unrepentant jackass who hurts and lies to people with no provocation and end the trilogy as an absolute saint of a human being who will do their best to right every wrong they come across.

* TragicBigot: A Renegade Colonist Shepard can ''majorly'' hate Batarians because of what happened to their [[DoomedHometown hometown]] and [[YouKilledMyFather family]], in addition to the general contempt they shows them at the beginning of ''Bring Down the Sky''.

** Commented on in the third game where EDI comments that Shepard may be one and that the legal issues about transhumanism are rather complicated. When Shepard gets worried, she claims to have been joking and clarifies that Shepard ''isn't'' as their cybernetics don't control their mind, merely enhance their body. However, its worth remembering that EDI has by now learnt how to ''lie'' to spare others' feelings, so Shepard really ''could'' be.

* UnclePennybags: Technically, a Paragon Shepard in the first game. By the end of the game, so many high level guns, armor, mods, ammo types, and other things were dropping off enemies that your only option was to sell them to vendors so they wouldn't clutter your inventory. This resulted in Shepard accumulating a fortune of millions and millions of credits, while still swimming in high-level guns. Later games don't let you do this; you can't pick up enemy weapons off their bodies or loot their chests, and picking up a weapon on a mission will cause Cerberus/The Alliance to only give you enough copies to supply your squad. Not that it would matter anyway, since you also can't sell things.

** The [=ME1=] relationships mentioned above change significantly with Ashley or Kaidan being promoted to ranks equal to or even above Shepard's own, and given Spectre status to boot. However, they still treat Shepard as a direct superior and two of the three new love interests in said game are even ''lower'' pay-grade Alliance subordinates. Also, while Tali is given the rank of Admiral in the quarian flotilla, making her proportionally higher-ranked than Shepard, it's still a rank which means bupkis on an Alliance vessel. Not to mention that her official name is "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy", which means Shepard, by virtue of being the commanding officer of the ''Normandy'', is still her captain... not that she minds being referred to as "miss vas Normandy". Although since she's with the quarian delegation, this would technically make Tali an Ambassador, thus giving her full diplomatic privileges whilst she's aboard Alliance vessels.

* UpbringingMakesTheHero: The three backstories function as such. [[MilitaryBrat Spacer]]? Had as normal a childhood as you can have while living on spaceships the whole time, have a [[GoodParents kind and supportive]] surviving parent who repeatedly says she's SoProudOfYou -- ergo bonus [[IdealHero Paragon]] points. [[StreetUrchin Earthborn]]? Grew up rough on the streets, [[ParentalAbandonment never knew their parents]] and [[JustifiedCriminal were forced to join various street gangs to survive]] before [[ReformedCriminal deciding they wanted more from life]] -- ergo bonus [[AntiHero Renegade]] points. [[DoomedHometown Colonist]]? Witnessed their home planet being invaded by batarians who [[MadeASlave abducted and enslaved]] most of the population they didn't just kill, but were [[BigDamnHeroes rescued by the Alliance]] and enlisted not long after -- ergo a mix of both.

* TheExtremistWasRight: A considerable number of Shepard's more extreme actions ultimately prove fruitful in certain entries. After the events of ''Arrival'', where Shepard was forced to kill 300,000 people, they were branded a terrorist and murderer, discharged and awaiting trial from the Alliance and condemned by the Council for their actions. Only when the Reapers finally show up do people realize exactly what they were trying to stop and warn them about.

* FailedASpotCheck: In ''3'' in a conversation with Liara, Shepard briefly wonders if the asari have schools for biotics like Grissom Academy. Liara then points out that the asari are ''all'' biotics, so ''every'' school has to have biotic education.
** Also when asking Liara in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' what kind of weapons a ''taxi'' has.

** TeamMom: ...At the same time, Shepard can be nurturing and act as the mediator and heart of the team. In the same debate above, Shepard can persuade both of them to cooperate and realize that they have more in common than they realize.

* TeleportSpam: Starting in Mass Effect 2, a Vanguard Shepard can fully abuse this trope with enough cooldown reduction on their Biotic Charge. The charge itself not only instantly teleports you to your enemy, but also sends any unarmored target flying, refills your shields, and can ''slow down time''. At it's absolute best, the cooldown can finish in just under two seconds, (some of which is during the slowed time) meaning that any Shepard who tries this will find themselves hard pressed to be killed. [[spoiler:It's worth noting however than just about anyone else with the Charge ability, even Shepard's clone, can do it infinitely more often and don't require an enemy target.]]

* TheExtremistWasRight: A Renegade Shepard will insist Rana Thanoptis is too dangerous to live, and shoots her dead, even as she's pleading for her life. ''3'' shows this was the right move. Letting her live means she eventually kills a lot of people when her indoctrination kicks in.

* AlmightyJanitor: Shepard begins the first game as a Lieutenant Commander and remains at that rank throughout the entire saga, despite everyone else on the main [=ME1=] crew being promoted meteorically.[[note]]Kaidan gains three ranks, Ashley is commissioned as an officer AND gains three ranks, Tali becomes an admiral, Garrus is a military advisor whom generals answer to, Wrex is the de facto leader of the entire Krogan civilization, and Liara, while not holding a military rank, has become the most powerful information broker in the galaxy.[[/note]] This is a rank normally held by an XO of a single ship, and Shepard is never promoted despite galaxy-shaping heroics and, in the third game, being singlehandedly responsible for organizing the entire galactic response to the Reaper invasion. Granted, Shepard is dual-hatted as an Alliance officer and a Council SPECTRE, and most of what they do is on the authority of the latter position, but it's still jarring when Kaidan follows their orders despite being two ranks higher and a SPECTRE in his own right.

* GeniusBruiser: It's heavily implied that Shepard is extremely intelligent due to their political tact (as much as they hate it), and ability to come up with [[TakeAThirdOption creative solutions to many seemingly unsolvable problems,]] both through good strategic thinking and [[IndyPloy on the fly.]] It is pretty much required for an N7 marine.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: The default Male Shep has a scar cutting into his hairline. As of Mass Effect 3, the default Female Shep has a scar across one of her eyebrows.

* {{Herald}}: Oddly enough, despite being [[TheHero the protagonist]], this is arguably Shepard's other main role in the series. Most of their squadmates are clearly the HeroOfAnotherStory, but none of them would have stepped up before Shepard waltzed in, offered them a place on their crew and gave them the chance to save the entire galaxy.

* HeroicComedicSociopath: Renegade Shepard is [[{{Jerkass}} a dick]]. But as LaughablyEvil covers below, choosing the Renegade option leads to some hilarious results, and Renegade Shepard [[GoodIsNotSoft still has solid goals in mind]], hence the heroic part of this trope. Played straight in ''1'' and ''2'', but [[AvertedTrope completely averted]] in ''3.'' Being a comedic asshole suddenly becomes [[ShooOutTheClowns a lot less funny]] when the galaxy's survival is at stake, especially when a lot of the pure Renegade options are horrifying for how ''evil'' [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential they can be.]]

** [=ME3=] has Shepard in a borderline state for the whole game. And they just get worse the longer you go. The fall of Thessia in particular actually does manage to temporarily send them into one. [[KnightInSourArmor They keep going]] [[{{Determinator}} through sheer force of will.]]

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: A very real possibility by ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', depending on how you play. Shepard can become so ruthlessly driven to defeat the Reapers, that even they seem shocked by the measures they take.

* HoldingHands: Thane and [=FemShep=] will do this naturally while pursuing their romance; a male Shepard will do this with Tali to try to convince her of his feelings.

-->'''Legion''': Hope sustains organics during periods of difficulty. We... [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove admire]] the concept.

* HyperspaceArsenal: Averted. Every one of Shepard's guns, and all their equipment, are clearly visible on their body. While this is standard for the series, it's a notable aversion for both RPG and Third Person Shooter protagonists.
** Mass Effect 3 averts this further; every weapon you carry has mass and bulk. A lightly-equipped Shepard will get a few useful stat boosts, conversely a heavily loaded-down Shepard will suffer mobility issues.

--> '''Shepard:''' Most of the time, I'm not being stupid about it.

** This is lampshaded by Jack in the Purgatory club in Mass Effect 3 should she survive to Act 2. Shepard pries her away from doing work on her supposed shore leave to go dance, and she calls Shepard out for their lack of dancing skills.

* EasilyCondemned:
** In ''2'', the Virmire Survivor is pretty quick to castigate them for apparently working with Cerberus. Shepard isn't given a chance to make a good counterargument.
** Screw things up really badly in the Cerberus Coup, and Undina is able to instantly sway the survivor over to his side with a hastily produced edit of Shepard shooting the salarian councillor.

* TheExtremistWasRight: A considerable number of Shepard's more extreme actions ultimately prove fruitful in certain entries. After the events of ''Arrival'', where Shepard was forced to kill 300,000 people, they were branded a terrorist and murderer, discharged and awaiting trial from the Alliance and condemned by the Council for their actions. Only when the Reapers finally show up, do people realize exactly what they were trying to stop and warn them about.

** The Rachni Queen, the Krogan Battlemaster[[spoiler:, the ''Geth'']]... The only thing Paragon Shepard ''can't'' befriend seems to be the Reapers. [[spoiler: And with the Control and Synthesis endings, even that's arguable.]]

'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]]| [[Characters/MassEffectJack Jack]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\

'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\

* CloningBlues: An interesting variation. The "Lazarus" project was tasked with taking Shepard's body's biomass and recreating their memory as close as possible, since Shepard's body was brain-dead when it was recovered. Their body was reconstructed, but even Shepard questions whether they are a clone in ''2'' or a high-tech VI who just thinks they're Commander Shepard in ''3''. Liara however states that Shepard ''is'' indeed the original. However, the Citadel DLC reveals that [[spoiler: there ''is'' a clone of Shepard created by the Illusive Man, ostensibly for "spare parts" for Lazarus.]]

* AnythingThatMoves: Shepard can be played this way, since nothing is stopping you from cheating on your love interests between games; there are also OptionalSexualEncounter[=s=] available. Parodied in [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=309 this]] ''Webcomic/VGCats'' comic. This can even extend to [[spoiler:Javik]] in the ''Citadel'' DLC, if female Shepard's drunk enough.

* BeingGoodSucks: Paragon Shepard in a nutshell, especially in ''2'' and ''3''. No matter how much good they do, they're constantly screwed over by higher-ups and treated as if they're crazy and when people do finally start taking them seriously, they're expected to spearhead a war effort against an unstoppable force. [[TheChainsOfCommanding It really takes its toll on]] [[HurtingHero them physically]] [[ShellShockedVeteran and emotionally.]]

** [=ME3=] has [[HurtingHero Shepard in a borderline state for the whole game.]] And they just get worse the longer you go. The fall of Thessia in particular actually does manage to temporarily send them into one. [[KnightInSourArmor They keep going]] [[{{Determinator}} through sheer force of will.]]

* HurtingHero:
** Definitely there with a Colonist background and mixed with a War Hero or Sole Survivor background. Also depends on dialogue choices.
** Can also be shown at the end of the ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' DLC as shown in the KnightInSourArmor entry below.
** Very much so in [=ME3=]. To the point where Admiral Anderson -- stuck on Earth in the middle of a Reaper invasion -- asks Joker to take care of Shepard.

'''Shepard:''' [[TheChainsOfCommanding It's my job to be prepared,]] [[HurtingHero no matter what.]]

-->"[[HurtingHero I see the sadness behind your eyes, it tells a story that makes me want to weep. Pain and loss.]] But it drives you, makes you strong. It is that strength that people are drawn to. [[MagneticHero It is why you lead and others follow without question]]. You will need that leadership in the battles to come."
** At the end of the ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' DLC, Liara will ask Shepard how they're doing. If you choose the right dialogue option, Shepard will vent to Liara about how tired they are of dealing with Cerberus and the Council treating them like they're nuts. But in the end they keep going because it's the right thing to do. It really drives home how [[HurtingHero much crap Shepard is going through]]. See PatrickStewartSpeech below for part of the exchange.

* NotAfraidToDie: Shepard in the second game and the third, likely cause they've already ''done'' that. Aided by the fact that in the third game, they become a mild version of a DeathSeeker. They're not really looking to die and want to finish the job, [[HurtingHero but at this point they really don't care.]]

** Even though in game-play all {{mooks}} display SuicidalOverconfidence, the Commander is referred to like this on two occasions: First, on the [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/N7:_MSV_Strontium_Mule MSV Strontium Mule assignment]], Merc datapads contain OhCrap messages on the fact that you're attacking. Second, on the ''Arrival'' DownloadableContent, there is a OptionalBoss fight where you HoldtheLine against waves of [[ArtificialBrilliance scarily intelligent enemies]] and a MiniBoss all by yourself. If you can win the fight, you'll hear increasingly desperate cries about [[OneManArmy how unstoppable you are]].

** ''2'' has Shepard sacrificing his life to save Joker. In the Bad ending, Shepard will sacrifice his life to save Joker.