History Characters / MassEffect1Npcs

* PornStash: According to EDI, he has a few ''zettabytes''[[note]] that means there is thousands of times more information in his porn stash than there is on the 2014 internet[[/note]] of the stuff hidden away in the ''Normandy'' computers. [[spoiler: She flooded Cerberus with it after they tried to shut her down remotely. And no, she wasn't joking about that. At least, not about the size of the porn stash.]] Oh, and by the way, a zettabyte is a ''[[StealthPun sex]]''tillion bytes.

->''"When Earth calls, you be there with your dress blues on, ready to take the hit."''

* BatmanGambit: Pulls one on Shepard in the first game's side mission "the negotiation". The mission is only avaliable if Shepard is big enough of a [[CowboyCop Renegade]] and involves Shepard being sent to negotiate with an [[SmugSnake extremely unpleasant pirate who insults them practically every sentence]]. if the "negotiation" ends in a shootout (which is guaranteed to happen unless you pick the ''Paragon'' choice every single time, even as the man insults you), Hacket clearly doesn't sound ''too'' disappointed in the after-mission debrief. Shepard can call him out on this, pointing out that Hackett clearly knew what was going to happen when sending [[GoodIsNotSoft a Renegade Shepard]] to negociate. Hackett [[PlausibleDeniability claims he has no idea what you're talking about but thank you for "trying" to talk the criminal down]].

* NervesOfSteel: Probably the calmest and most unflappable human leader in the series. Even when Reapers tore the Alliance a new one. Pointed out by Jacob in the third game. Case in point: in the [[BadEnd Low EMS]] of the final battle, there's a scene of a Reaper destroyer landing on a dreadnought, presumably his flagship. We're treated to a scene inside of the [[TheBridge CIC]] with fires breaking out, panels exploding, alarms blazing and Alliance personnel screaming and running in horror, while the admiral just stands there calmly, gritting his teeth and holding on to a railing.

** And again in the Citadel DLC. He, EDI, Miranda, Jacob, and Shepard are talking about how Cerberus used to be IncompetenceInc. EDI points out that she is a Cerberus product.

* CoolOldLady: She's lived a full and adventurous life and is happy to reminisce about it with Shepard. If the player keeps her alive in ''2'' and picks her in ''3'', she's also the chief medical officer of all three of the ''Normandy'''s most important missions.

** He also proves to be one of the most open-minded about synthetic life on your entire crew. He takes to EDI and is keen to debate whether she "is" the ''Normandy'' or a separate entity and is quick to assert that any geth just minding its own business has more rights than (the now likely Indoctrinated) Cerberus. All without any cajoling or persuade checks on Shepard's part.

* VitriolicBestBuds: With Mordin. Referred to as a "bit of a cloaca[[note]]A cloaca is a general-purpose genital/waste excretion orifice on some non-mammal species - ergo he's calling Kirrahe a dick ''and'' an asshole[[/note]]" by Mordin in the present, [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead even if Kirrahe is dead]]. Mordin's Shadow Broker dossier includes an STG report that reveals that on the mission to [[spoiler: distribute the modified genophage on Tuchanka]], the two of them spent most of the time flinging cloaca-based insults at one another, with Mordin poking fun at Kirrahe's insistence on following the plan to the letter and suggesting that he "[[ExpospeakGag has foreign object in cloaca]]", "suggests foreign obstruction in cloaca is Kirrahe's cranium" and Kirrahe losing temper at constant jibes and Mordin incessantly asking about shifting mission parameters and calling Mordin a "walking cloaca." However, when Mordin was injured in battle and refused to obtain medical attention until his work was finished, Kirrahe admiringly called him "one tough cloaca." Furthermore, cut content from ''Mass Effect 2'' includes an email from Kirrahe (assuming he survived Virmire) in which he admits that he's been exchanging friendly emails with Mordin over special equipment requirements, and remarks that he's "a good agent. [[NotBad Nervy for a tech]]. [[RunningGag Bit of a cloaca, though]]."

A human diplomat at the Citadel struggling to give humans a say in intergalactic politics. And a real jerk about it. He's initially supportive of Shepard's attempts to expose Saren as a traitor, and plays his part in getting Shepard appointed as a Spectre, along with making them captain of the ''Normandy''. He promptly turns on Shepard after realizing his relationship with the Council is being jeopardized by their persistence, and throughout ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', he remains a self-concerned jerk. In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', he has become the human Councilor regardless of Shepard's previous decisions, although the stress of the Reaper War is starting to cloud his judgement.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:He assists the Cerberus coup in ''3'', and is shot by either Shepard or the Virmire Survivor for his efforts.]]

* IronicEcho: "You've done a hell of a thing." [[note]]What Hackett tells Shepard in the first game if they manage to save everyone in the Paragon-exclusive mission. Also what he says after Shepard [[ShootTheDog buys the galaxy some time]] in ''Arrival''.[[/note]]

** Later in the same DLC, Liara [[spoiler: reveals that Hackett was the one who gave her Shepard's dogtags, and confirmed that Shepard was still alive before they actually met, wishing Shepard well.]]

A Systems Alliance officer who commands Pinnacle Station, and is the central character of the ''Pinnacle Station'' DLC. He is a veteran of the First Contact War, and provides most of the commentary during the training missions.

* RetiredBadass: He's not technically retired, but he no longer participates in war-fighting.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's not even mentioned in ''Mass Effect 2,'' and you can't visit the apartment he gave you on Intai'sei (though you being dead might have something to do with that).

** Surprisingly subverted, as [[spoiler:examining his body reveals that, despite being surrounded by horrific monsters, his body is completely unharmed except for a needle mark in his arm, implying that he was killed by lethal injection and ''then'' left in a cage with monsters.]] It's possible Shepard saved him from AFateWorseThanDeath by finding him when they do. Knowing the rachni, they probably ignored it, since they're at least human-level intelligent and had no use for the body, and were focusing on their captors instead.

A member of the Fifth Fleet's admiralty, in command of the 63rd Scout Flotilla, which the ''Normandy'' was supposed to join after the Eden Prime mission. He's not at all happy about being denied this new ship, and shows up to inspect it.

* AmbiguousSituation: He only appears in-person during the Snap Inspection assignment in the first game, and is never heard from again...until the third game, where he and his flotilla are a War Asset only if Shepard let the Council die.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed; he's the one senior Alliance officer you meet in the first game who ''isn't'' in favor of Shepard being given command of the ''Normandy'', mostly because it was supposed to be part of his command. He also dismisses Shepard being made a Spectre as a triviality, and complains that the ''Normandy'' cost more to build than a heavy cruiser. However, it's possible with sufficient Paragon and Renegade points to at least convince him that Shepard knows what they're doing with her.

* {{Sleepyhead}}: How he avoided the geth - he needed a nap to get through his shift.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He appears in one scene but is the person who identifies Saren's role in the geth attack, kickstarting Shepard's attempts to bring the rogue spectre down. He's also the one who instructs Shepard to take the cargo train to get to the Prothean beacon in time.
** And by extension, ruined the plans of [[spoiler:a millions year old galactic extinction cycle run like clock by countless machine gods.]]

Chairman Martin Burns is head of the Alliance Parliamentary Subcommittee for Transhuman Studies, whose purview most notably covers human biotics. Recently the Subcommittee held a vote on whether or not to pay reparations to L2 biotics with severe health problems, but Burns voted against (and presumably vetoed) the proposal. A group of L2 biotics wrote letters to the Subcommittee asking him to reconsider, but were ignored. Getting desperate and more angry, the L2s kidnapped Chairman Burns, took him aboard the MSV Ontario, and attempted to hide in the asteroid belt of the Farinata system.

* CorruptPolitician: By his own admission, he took the job just as a stepping stone to put on his resume.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Several times. Put a gun up to his head to prove he's not ready for what he's proposing and he'll think you were teaching him how to be an extreme badass in the second game. He'll also mention how supportive his wife was and how she even paid for his transportation off world. [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Cue a facepalm from the asari bartender standing behind him.]]

* FriendToAllChildren: [[spoiler:If Shepard deals with him in a Paragon fashion in the second game, Conrad goes on to found a charity for children orphaned by the Battle of the Citadel named after Shepard. If asked about this in the third game, he states that he spent everything he had in order to get the kids to safety.]]

** He has [[spoiler: a ''doctorate'', and wrote his dissertation on xenotechnology and dark energy integration. That's ''Doctor'' Moronic Fanboy to you!]]

** DialogueTree: He will also ask Shepard the same question twice, because he likes to ask all of the questions he can think of and sometimes repeats himself, and reminds Shepard that they shouldn't be asking him so many questions while people are dying.

* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: When he identifies his Cerberus contact, the contact tries to shoot Shepard, and Conrad leaps in the way of the bullet. Can be subverted if you helped Jenna from Chora's Den in the first game, as she Sabotages the gun causing it to make a bang, but the bullet doesn't actually fire.]]

A human doctor who runs a clinic in the Wards. Your interactions with her tend to involve saving her from various gangs of blackmailing lowlifes, and she rewards you with free medigel refills. She can be a crew member in ''Mass Effect 3''.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: She only refers to herself in the first person once Shepard convinces her to come to terms with her enslavement and receive emergency help so she can heal.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Lair of the Shadow Broker reveals that she's apparently in a relationship with an [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe asari]] despite her reporting being pretty [[FantasticRacism pro-human/anti-alien]]. Or maybe "everybody loves the asari!"[[note]]Paraphrased from the Bachelor Party on Illium[[/note]]. Even xenophobes.

* DeathEqualsRedemption: After realizing that [[spoiler: her live-tweets led the Reapers directly to the only effective evacuation point in the San Fernando Valley.]]

** She decide to kill her harmless workers for no good reason during Thane's recruitment mission.
** During Thane's recruitment mission, it's mentioned that Nassana has made a practice of killing those who threaten her reputation, which was probably why Thane was sent to kill her, and is paranoid to the bone. One poor salarian worker you meet tells you about how she's sent mechs and mech-dogs to kill everyone, and about how he's seen workers jumping out the windows to escape the dogs. That and if anyone leaves before their contract is up, it's implied she has them murdered as well. BadBoss indeed.

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: She gets very... snuggly with Shepard when first asking the Commander for a favour, which is strange since when Shepard first enters the room she tells them "That's close enough" even when they're at quite a distance.

-->'''Parasini:''' ''[when asked why she doesn't go through her boss's records for evidence of his wrongdoing]'' He's a crook, not a moron! He doesn't keep records saying "This month, I stole 3 million credits!"

-->'''Gianna Parasini:''' He's a crook, not a moron! He doesn't keep logs on his computer saying "This month I stole three million credits!"

* BadgesAndDogTags: She served ten years as a Alliance marine before leaving the service and joining ERCS, who gave her command of the Port Hanshan detachment due to her combat experience.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She has a zero-tolerance policy on bribery. All well and good. But she also has the blatantly rabid Kaira Stirling as an underling, and despite acknowledging that she's "mercenary", doesn't notice the woman's on the take, along with several other officers.

* AlwaysABiggerFish: Her coworkers refer to her as their secret weapon because Stirling is a biotic. Shepard's squad has multiple biotics that are way above her level.

* DirtyCop: She is on the take, and confronts Shepard if the player raids the Synthtic Insights office to get evidence that Administrator Anoleis is dirty. Stirling is pissed off that Shepard killed her fellow dirty cops who were guarding the office for Anoleis and calls them a cop killer, but Shepard and the current party members simply point out they were dirty and then kill her.

* {{Jerkass}}: Aside from being a dirty cop, she is intensely hostile towards Shepard when they arrive on Novaria, and seems to want to pick a fight with Shepard.
* MindOverMatter: She is a biotic, and can use barrier and lift in combat.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: More like, My God, What Did I Let Happen?, but he blames himself for what happened to the colonists, and is likely part of the reason for his suicide.

* DeterminedHomesteader: They want to make their home work, and think they should be self-sufficient. They say this even when not controlled by the Thorian. Except for Hana Murakami, who wants to leave.

* HiveMind: A side effect of the Thorian spores after the creature dies. Most of the colonists can sense each others thoughts. Fortunately, they can use this to resist indoctrination, and, later on, turns them into effective soldiers since they can coordinate telepathically and teach skills to make even the weakest member move like a commando.

The Rachni Wars ended with the complete and utter annihilation of the rachni, or so the galaxy thought. Thousands of years later, the Binary Helix corporation discovered a cache of rachni eggs in cryogenic suspension. To their pleasant surprise, one of these eggs was a queen and, once hatched, many interested parties sought to use her to breed an army of rachni soldiers. Shepard encounters the Rachni Queen on Noveria and is presented with a choice: [[GenocideDilemma To kill her and end the rachni threat once and for all, or release her so that she can follow her dream of rebuilding her race]].

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: If the Queen is asked on Noveria about why the rachni went to war, the Queen says "I do not know what happened in the war!". In all other times she refers to herself, she uses the RoyalWe, instead of the personal pronoun I, emphasizing that she had no idea why her race became hostile. It is the only time she does this.
* PeoplePuppets: Although she can do this, she only does it to communicate with Shepard and even then only because the person she's controlling is already (nearly) dead.

** Done almost whole-cloth (right down to the Queens killing the daughters that didn't share "harmonious" views) from the bugs in ''Literature/EndersGame''.

* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: [[spoiler:In the sequel, apparently once Vigil powered down it could not be reactivated again, making it an even riskier GambitRoulette by the Protheans. It's possible this was so the Reapers wouldn't be able to retrieve anything from its databanks even after it powered down, but that meant they left the fate of all future civilisations -- sentient beings in numbers beyond counting -- suspended by a single, slim thread. Even if it was a thread they'd never had before. JustifiedTrope when you remember that he's been doing this for a very long time... He didn't power down naturally, he ran out of power completely.]] ''Mass Effect 3'''s "From Ashes" DLC subverts this by revealing that the Protheans had ''several'' alternate plans, [[spoiler:which makes sense considering the remnants of their society had no way of contacting each other and made their own plans.]] For example, [[spoiler:Javik was supposed to lead a million-man army of cryogenically-suspended Protheans in rebuilding the Empire after the Reapers left. Another attempted to covertly uplift the proto-asari as they were deemed the most apt to lead the next cycle of all the "primitives".]]

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Vigil only appears for one conversation in the final quest of the game, but it provides a lot of context to the Reapers and their genocide of the Protheans, and his actions were instrumental in ensuring the next galactic civilization had a chance at stopping the cycle.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: No matter what Shepard brings to their view, they will ''never'' believe them about the Reapers. They actually do believe Shepard's accusations against Saren once they're brought proof, but even then they refuse to believe Shepard's claims that Saren is merely a pawn of a greater threat.

* WrongGenreSavvy: In the first game, they are ''certain'' that they are taking part in a [[{{Thriller}} political thriller]] about a RogueAgent attempting to take down their government with his loyal army of machines, despite their top agent's repeated protests that this is actually a CosmicHorrorStory with the Reapers as the ''[[GreaterScopeVillain true]]'' threat to all life in the galaxy. It takes until the third game and an galaxy-wide invasion by said race of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]], before they finally get on the same page. However, the Citadel DLC reveals the Council knew that Shepard wasn't wrong about the Reapers, and it's implied that the turians did take it seriously, as Garrus went to his father who went to the Primarch to establish a group that focused on the Reapers; Garrus feels it was probably an empty gesture, but it could have been more, as unlike Thessia, Paleven holds off the Reaper's initial attack.

* RedHerring: Very briefly, and more prominent in a Renegade playthrough. He's got a [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black color scheme]], face-paint that is somewhat remeniscent of a skull, some vaguely threatening lines, and his name just sounds pretty sinister. It's possible to mistrust Nihlus throughout, and you can question the survivors of the Eden Prime assault about his whereabouts and possible involvement. One of them even claims to have seen a turian before the attack, though your party doubts it's Nihlus since he was aboard the ''Normandy'' at that time. Since he's off on his own during the mission, it's left ambiguous whether or not he had anything to do with the assault, before Saren's introduction makes it abundantly clear that Nihlus was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

* StickyBomb: When you meet him again in the third game he's carrying a Scorpion as his sidearm. The Scorpion is a salarian pistol that launches blue sticky grenades, which he helpfully demonstrates on a couple of Cerberus {{mook}}s. Garrus complains about it... But after the mission, you can buy it and ease his (and your) gun desires.

* VitriolicBestBuds: With Mordin. Referred to as a "bit of a cloaca[[note]]A cloaca is a general purpose genital/waste excretion orifice on some non-mammal species - ergo he's calling Kirrahe a dick ''and'' an asshole[[/note]]" by Mordin in the present, [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead even if Kirrahe is dead]]. Mordin's Shadow Broker dossier includes an STG report that reveals that on the mission to [[spoiler: distribute the modified genophage on Tuchanka]], the two of them spent most of the time flinging cloaca-based insults at one another, with Mordin poking fun at Kirrahe's insistence on following the plan to the letter and suggesting that he "[[ExpospeakGag has foreign object in cloaca]]", "suggests foreign obstruction in cloaca is Kirrahe's cranium" and Kirrahe losing temper at constant jibes and Mordin incessantly asking about shifting mission parameters and calling Mordin a "walking cloaca." However, when Mordin was injured in battle and refused to obtain medical attention until his work was finished, Kirrahe admiringly called him "one tough cloaca." Furthermore, cut content from ''Mass Effect 2'' includes an email from Kirrahe (assuming he survived Virmire) in which he admits that he's been exchanging friendly emails with Mordin over special equipment requirements, and remarks that he's "a good agent. [[NotBad Nervy for a tech]]. [[RunningGag Bit of a cloaca, though]]."

* FantasticRacism: He believes humanity's meteoric rise is due to humans being favored by the Council, and doesn't approve of the amount they've been given.

* NobleBigot: Despite his general distrust of humans, he seems fine with many of them joining C-Sec and it's implied human officers are treated fairly under his command.

* BadassNormal: While he lacks biotic powers or cybernetics, he's still a badass nonetheless. Particularly noticeable in the prequel novel "Revelation", where he surprises, injures, and drives off the krogan battlemaster Skarr with nothing more than a heavy pistol, quick reflexes, very good aim, and some luck. Skarr, by the way, is a 500-pound alien who can bench press a car and toss an APC [[MindOverMatter with his mind.]]

* CoolOldGuy: Zigzagged. He's 49 by the third game, which is pretty old for an active duty military man in our time, but human life expectancy and quality of life has increased dramatically by ''Mass Effect'' to the point where living to 150 is considered lucky. So it's unclear if the same military retirement standards would apply.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Of ''Revelation'' and ''Retribution''. Again in the third game.

* TheOneThatGotAway: Seems to feel this way about Kahlee Sanders. The feeling is mutual and it's alluded to multiple times in ''3'' that both of them wish to renew their relationship once the war is over.

* NervesOfSteel: Probably the calmest and most unflappable human leader in the series. Even when Reapers tore the Alliance a new one. Pointed out by Jacob in the third game. Case in point: in the [[BadEnd Low EMS]] final battle there's a scene of a Reaper destroyer landing on a Dreadnought, presumably his flagship. We're treated to a scene inside of the [[TheBridge CIC]] with fires breaking out, panels exploding, alarms blazing and Alliance personnel screaming and running in horror, while the admiral just stands there calmly, gritting his teeth and holding on to a railing.

--> "Holy shit, they did it."

** In the ''Arrival'' DLC, after Shepard is forced to [[spoiler:kill 300,000 batarians, Hackett notes that he will do what he can to protect Shepard and delay any fallout that they will have to face as long as possible saying that they did what they did for the right reasons. He even tells Shepard to keep his report because he doesn't need it to know that they did the right thing.]]

* ShootTheDog: A lot of his missions seem to revolve around this trope. After the events of ''Arrival'', Hackett tells Shepard that [[spoiler:'''''they''''' have to be (metaphorically) sacrificed to the batarians to avoid a war, after they kill over 300 000 of them to blow up a mass relay the Reapers were minutes away from using.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: He's restrained about it, but he's vexed when Shepard comes back from a mission to rescue a single person to blowing up a mass relay and killing 300,000 colonists in the process.

* {{Expy}}: Very similar to [[Series/{{Firefly}} Hoban "Wash" Washburne]]. Both are [[AcePilot Ace Pilots]], [[NonActionGuy Non Action Guys]] (although this is by necessity for Joker), are known for their sense of humor, and are called by their nicknames over their real names. Also, given the ActionGirl / NonActionGuy romance that optionally develops between him and [[spoiler: EDI]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', he also fulfills Wash's role in his marriage to Zoe Washburne. An important distinction between them, however, is that Joker [[spoiler:survives his story, unless you get a low-EMS Destroy ending.]]

-->''"I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war."''

Former commanding officer of the ''Normandy'', now advisor to Shepard from the Citadel. Was once in the running to be the first human Spectre until his efforts were sabotaged by Saren.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: If he becomes the human Councillor.

* FourStarBadass: Gets some admirals' stars in ''Mass Effect 3'', and if he was Councilor, he has retired from that post to return to the military. Takes charge of the Resistance on Earth once Reapers start reapin'.

* INeedAFreakingDrink: In the two years between ''Mass Effect 1'' and ''Mass Effect 2'', apparently. The [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_Broker_Dossiers/Captain_David_Anderson Shadow Broker's dossier on him]] shows that he's two steps from becoming a full-blown alcoholic due to [[DrowningMySorrows all the booze he's had to down to ignore all the stupidity he's been exposed to.]] His tab at Dionysus Imports: 2 bottles white wine after viewing "Saren: A Hero Betrayed", 1 bottle GargleBlaster after viewing a documentary on what ''really'' happened behind the Citadel attack, 2 bottles VodkaDrunkenski after watching "Path of Lies: A History of the Alliance Military" and a documentary on the [[MemeticMutation airquotes "Reapers"]] back-to-back. Followed by a call to [[VomitDiscretionShot Kleen Sweep Home Maintenance.]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: One of the two human authority figures Shepard can actually count on throughout the entire series, (the other being Admiral Hackett). In the third game, Anderson has apparently having repeatedly gone out on a limb for Shepard during their time in the Alliance brig. Despite Shepard's trial being interrupted by the Reaper invasion without coming to a verdict, Anderson promptly drops the charges and reactivates them back into service, as Earth needs the person most experienced at fighting Reapers in the fight.

* BatmanGambit: Pulls one on Shepard in the first game's side mission "the negotiation". The mission is only avaliable if Shepard is big enough of a [[CowboyCop Renegade]] and involves Shepard being sent to negotiate with an [[SmugSnake extremely unpleasant pirate who insults them practically every sentence]]. if the "nogication" ends in a shootout (which is guaranteed to happen unless you pick the ''Paragon'' choice every single time, even as the man insults you), Hacket clearly doesn't sound ''too'' disappointed in the after-mission debrief. Shepard can call him out on this, pointing out that Hackett clearly knew what was going to happen when sending [[GoodIsNotSoft a Renegade Shepard]] to negociate. Hackett [[PlausibleDeniability claims he has no idea what you're talking about but thank you for "trying" to talk the criminal down]].

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AlastairDuncan (Sparatus), Creator/JanAlexandraSmith (Tevos), Creator/ArminShimerman (Valern)

* HeadInTheSandManagement: Appears as though they are indulging in this throughout the second game. [[spoiler: Revealed to be true in the third game's Citadel DLC, when Shepard and team are exploring the ultra secret Citadel archives.]]

* BatmanGambit: Pulls one on Shepard in the first game's side mission "the negociation". The mission is only aviable if Shepard is big enough of a [[CowboyCop Renegade]] and involves Shepard being sent to negociate with an [[SmugSnake extremely unpleasant pirate who insults them practically every sentence]]. if the "nogication" ends in a shootout (which is guaranteed to happen unless you pick the ''Paragon'' choice every single time, even as the man insults you), Hacket clearly doesn't sound ''too'' disappointed in the after-mission debrief. Shepard can call him out on this, pointing out that Hackett clearly knew what was going to happen when sending [[GoodIsNotSoft a Renegade Shepard]] to negociate. Hackett [[PlausibleDeniability claims he has no idea what you're talking about, but thank you for "trying" to talk the criminal down]].

If Commander Shepard has the Spacer background, Captain Hannah Shepard is Shepard's mother. She helps Shepard with a side mission involving a PTSD soldier friend of hers.

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

* PunctuationShaker: An interesting case, considering no other asari so far is shown to have a given name with an apostrophe. It's possible that Sha'ira is not her real name, however. Since asari surnames often ''do'' have apostrophes, its entirely possible that Sha'ira could just be her ''[[LastNameBasis last name]]''.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Her motivation for killing the other crime bosses are that they condone slavery and selling of red sand, whereas she simply wants to smuggle illegal products.
* HeelFaceTurn: If you convince her to disband the gang, she shows up on Omega in the second game as a social worker. Shepard is impressed, and is at a loss as to how she could keep up the job on [[WretchedHive Omega]] of all places. She replies that a place like Omega ''desperately'' needs a social worker, especially one who's been a ''mob boss'' before her reformation.

* MetaGuy: See LampshadeHanging.

--> '''Shepard:''' Conrad may be an idiot, but even he doesn't deserve to be manipulated like that!

* OldSaveBonus: He only shows up in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' if you completed his quest in the preceding game and saved him from getting killed in a myriad of horrific ways, and you transfer this action into your next game. His quest in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' also involves an impressive degree of ContinuityPorn. See above.

* PretenderDiss: Used as one [[spoiler: against Shepard's clone]].

'''Conrad:''' [[FlatYes Well, I did write my doctoral dissertation on xenotechnology and dark energy integration.]]\\

* ScienceHero: [[spoiler:Yes, him.]]

* TakeThatMe: A bug in ''2'' causes him to tell the asari bartender that Shepard waved a gun in his face in ''1'', even though only Renegade Shepard did that. Paragon Shepard tells him to go home, because there's more than one way to be a hero. In ''3'', when Shepard meets him again, [[AuthorsSavingThrow he apologizes for accusing Shepard of pointing a gun at him]].

** Conrad also [[http://youtu.be/cEnIQWXCgzQ repeats]] many of the same complaints that those against the whole thermal clip system have in a possible TakeThatUs. He also claims that Cerberus are just a bunch of misunderstood heroes protecting humanity, almost certainly referring to the MisaimedFandom the anthropocentric terrorist organization acquired during the second game.

[[WMG: Rear Admiral Mikhailovich]]

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: [[spoiler: You take control of him during a brief segment in the second game while the Normandy is being invaded by the Collectors. It's the only time in the first trilogy that you play as someone other than Shepard in the single-player campaign-unless one counts a brief hack of a Loki mech in the Arrival DLC.]]

* BerserkButton: He gets irrationally enraged when the Normandy is put in danger; Shepard has to drag him kicking and screaming off the [=SR1=] when the Collectors destroy it at the beginning of ''2'', and he spends the final mission of ''3'''s "Citadel" DLC raging about how [[spoiler:the Shepard clone]] is trying to steal his ship.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], ''Citadel'' reveals that for all of Joker's talent at the helm of a warship, his skill in an actual car leaves a lot to be desired. Maya Brookes complains about Joker almost crashing the taxi they commandeered on the way to pick up Shepard, and Cortez is quite adamant that Joker not be the one to drive when [[spoiler: they have to keep the ''Normandy'' from escaping.]]

** In the first game, when he's about to drop the Mako in on Ilos with virtually no clearance, he isn't joking or snarking at all. He just says "I can do it," in one of the most focused voices heard in the game.

* PornStash: According to EDI, he has a few ''zettabytes''[[note]] that means there is thousands of times more information in his porn stash than there is on the 2014 internet[[/note]] of the stuff hidden away in the ''Normandy'' computers. [[spoiler: She flooded Cerberus with it after they tried to shut her down remotely. And no, she wasn't joking about that. At least, not about the size of the porn stash.]] Oh and by the way, a zettabyte is a ''[[StealthPun sex]]''tillion bytes.

* PromotedToPlayable: He's an NPC in ''Mass Effect 1'', and in ''Mass Effect 2'' [[spoiler:you assume direct control of him when the Collectors attack the Normandy [=SR2=]]].

* {{Robosexual}}: Joker is a little '''too''' attached to the Normandy. [[spoiler:It almost gets him killed, and ''does'' get Shepard killed, at the start of ''2'']]. This is taken to its logical conclusion in ''3'', where [[spoiler:Shepard can convince him to pursue a relationship with EDI, once she takes over Dr. Eva Coré's mecha body]].

** He is the only character [[spoiler:to survive the SuicideMission at the end of ''2'' in the worst ending, and takes Shepard's place in reporting what happened to the Illusive Man]].

** During the run to the Collector Base, Joker does this if one of the vital Normandy upgrades hasn't been applied.

** He will follow Shepard to hell and back, [[MagneticHero like so many other characters.]] Joker has the honor of being the only character guaranteed to be alongside the Commander through all 3 games, and is basically Shepard's sidekick. Which is why getting him on board was one of the very first things the Illusive Man did to get Shepard invested in working with Cerberus in ''2''.

* CoolOldLady: She's lived a full and adventurous life, and is happy to reminisce about it with Shepard. If the player keeps her alive in ''2'' and picks her in ''3'', she's also the chief medical officer of all three of the ''Normandy'''s most important missions.

* InsistentTerminology: In the second game, if Shepard asks her about why she is working for Cerberus;

* NobleBigot: Not towards aliens, but ''3'' shows that she point-blank refuses to accept artificial intelligences as truly alive. Engineer Adams, who is clearly a good friend of hers, argues the point with her; Shepard can join in on either side. She dismisses the arguments, and maintains that they are just machines. This does not change the fact that she is, overall, a good person. However, when Adams snarks the geth are more deserving of equal rights than Cerberus troops who are endangering the lives of ''everyone in the galaxy'' by interfering with the mission, the only thing she can say in response is a rather weak argument that at least the Cerberus troops are human.

* OfficerAndAGentleman: ''3'' reveals that she actually ''outranks Shepard''; she's an Alliance Major. She's also quite demure, and genuinely cares about the soldiers she's treating - so much so that she gave up a cushy post on Mars to work aboard the rebuilt Normandy.

* PutOnABus: Shepard can convince her to work on the Crucible Project instead of coming back to the Normandy in ''3''. She will then become a War Asset and not be seen anymore for the rest of the game.

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:If Shepard delays in saving the crew from the Collectors, Dr. Chakwas will always be the last one alive to [[WhatTheHellHero call them out]] for not hurrying. If she's sent back without an escort then [[KilledOffForReal she'll die for good.]]]]

--> "I am the last of a prestigious line of medical professionals. The Alliance is my spouse and you are all my children."

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:He is unceremoniously killed in the attack on the Normandy at the beginning of ''Mass Effect 2''.]]

-->''I know if this doesn't work out, we'll all get court-martialed, but part of me loves this!''

* TheEngineer: He's incredibly talented at what he does, and in ''[=ME3=]'' reveals he was was put in charge of the team tasked with bringing the second ''Normandy'' up to Alliance-spec, something that took ''months'' to complete. While he is impressed with the second ''Normandy'' for having several innovative features and advantages over the original, he berates Cerberus for being lazy and cutting several corners they could find in its safety systems.

** He also proves to be one of the most open-minded about synthetic life on your entire crew. He takes to EDI and is keen to debate whether she "is" the ''Normandy'' or a separate entity, and is quick to assert that any geth just minding its own business has more rights than (the now likely Indoctrinated) Cerberus. All without any cajoling or persuade checks on Shepard's part.
** He also becomes a mentor to two engineers who technically are traitors to the Alliance. But he trusts Shepard and notes both are extremely talented (especially Gabby), and says Shep has an impeccable eye for talent.

** Subverted in a conversation Shepard can have with him on the ''Normandy'' -- he was approached by Chakwas to come back during ''Mass Effect 2'', but didn't trust Shepard due to Cerberus. Shepard can forgive him for it, though he's still shown having regrets about it during a conversation with Chakwas.

** Valern states that humanity should assist the other Council Species with their problems, but when the subject of human colonies going missing comes up and the human councillor asks for help? Mankind's on their own on that one.

** One of the supposed requirements for a Council Race is to lend aid and relief to other species in times of great need or catastrophe. The asari, salarians, and turians all have fleets, tremendous resources, plenty of colonies, and the ability to project their influence all over Council space. This is the rationale why the humans are allowed to join the Council if Shepard saves the ''Destiny Ascension'' at the end of ''Mass Effect 1'', because the Alliance has proven that they are willing to sacrifice human lives to save non-humans ones. When ''Mass Effect 3'' rolls around and the Reapers begin their assault on Earth, the only other Council race that doesn't immediately abandon humanity is, ironically, the turians (the species the humans have the most tense relationship with).

** Also when you consider that turians are taught to value discipline, self-responsibility and their government is based on hierarchical meritocracy, it makes sense why he's irritated by Shepard's maverick attitude and insubordinate nature to authority.
** Also when he is the only council member who believes that it is plausible that [[spoiler: Benezia would order Liara's death: "Or maybe we don't know her - we never expected she could become a traitor." Because of indoctrination, he's dead right - they don't know her, and she does try to kill Liara.]]

* ThePeterPrinciple: The same desire for discipline, firm intelligence, and a clear chain of command that presumably made Sparatus a capable enough leader to be promoted to such a high position within the miliaristic Turian Hierarchy make him a frustrated ObstructiveBureaucrat utterly incapable of properly handling Specter assets like Saren and Shepard. Fortunately for him, the arrival of the Reapers and all out galactic war with them in ''3'' puts him right back ''in'' his element, and ensure he's easily most useful of the Council for the duration of the game. The other Councilors, unfortunately, play this trope to the hilt. [[spoiler: The same instinct for conflict avoidance that made Tevos such a good peacemaker drives her to continue concealing vital information from the rest of the asari's allies in wartime, the same logical viewpoint and deference to his government that made Valern a good representative hamstring his ability to support the other species when said government attempts to sabotage efforts to get the most powerful military in the galaxy into the war, and Udina's patriotism that made him such a strong advocate for humanity's interests cracks him like glass in the face of the Earth invasion, driving him to outright collaborate with Cerberus and launch a coup.]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ironically, ''Sparatus'' of all turians becomes this in ''3''. He quickly becomes a critical ally to Shepard and the Systems Alliance, and [[spoiler:is ultimately the only councilor who doesn't make your life harder. Tevos, and the Asari government in general, are concealing the existence of a fully-functional Prothean Beacon on Thessia. Valern is complicit in the Salarian sabotage of the Genophage Cure, and Udina is complicit in an attempted Cerberus coup]].

* TookALevelInJerkass: Sparatus was never exactly nice, but he did start off reasonable and actually made some good points. Then Shepard became a Spectre and all bets were off - even though he gives reasons for each criticism, there will almost ''never'' be any choice Shepard makes that he will endorse nor agree with. [[spoiler:This is most obvious post-Noveria; spare the rachni and he'll accuse Shepard of unleashing a horror on the galaxy, but kill the rachni and he'll accuse Shepard of genocide]] . He takes another level in the sequel, where he essentially tells Shepard that he thinks they're completely insane, easily manipulated and an idiot.

The volus ambassador to the Citadel. He takes a dim view of how the other species view his, and feels that their power should be greater than it is.

* CulturalPosturing: A fairly minor case, but will still bend Shepard's ear about how they are vital to the galactic economy while humans are upstart newcomers.
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:Knows of a planned attack on a turian colony, but is afraid that revealing this will jeopardize his safety, and will withhold the support of the Volus Bombing Fleet if he's made to reveal the attack unless Zaeed can persuade him.]]

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Between ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' he apparently came to realize the galaxy was in danger from the Reapers and Collectors, and decided to do his part to help. [[spoiler:This lead him to become an informant for Cerberus, which put the Turian Empire in danger during the Reaper War when Cerberus decided to go to war with everyone]].

The Captain in charge of the Special Tasks Group on Virmire. Worked with Mordin. Sends a request to the Council for backup upon finding Saren's base but gets garbled into static so only Shepard and the ''Normandy'' comes to investigate. Returns in ''Mass Effect 3'', now a major, provided you saved him on Virmire.

* EarlyBirdCameo: His appearance in the third game's demo (which features the Sur'Kesh) mission, is this for [=PS3=] players. Both a fresh start on the second game, and one performed with the ''Genesis'' mini-comic [[spoiler:assume that he's killed on Virmire.]] As a result, until the platform got the first game sometime after the third game's release, this was the earliest that [=PS3=] players would see him alive.
* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: His opinion of [=STG=] work. Nobody except their direct superiors will ever know what they do, but they do it anyway, storming through gunfire if necessary, because it's their duty.

** [[spoiler:See the HeroicSacrifice entry above for what happens if you don't get Thane's help or he isn't alive in the third game.]]

* DirtyCoward: He does his best to put on a tough guy act, but caves the moment he's faced with a real threat.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: [[spoiler: If you never assaulted her in the prior two games, Khalisah's value as a War Assest will double in ''3''. The description will imply that Shepard's advocating for unity ultimately ended up rubbing off on her, and integrating that into her journalism has made it more effective.]]

** Also if you fail the second renegade interrupt when trying to punch her in the third game she will manage to actually ''knock'' Shepard to the ground in a single punch to the jaw. Considering this is Shepard we're talking about, that's a pretty impressive achievement all things considered.

** She’s on the leaderboard of several games on the Citadel, including combat simulation. This hints she has some experience in self-defense training.

** [[spoiler:If you kill off the Council and put him in charge of the human one, he'll start restricting Spectre positions because he doesn't want anybody to operate outside of his authority. Even though the last person who did so ''saved the freaking galaxy''.]]

-->'''Jacob:''' They make old guys any tougher than that, I'd like to see it.