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* {{Fiction 500}}: He was a major investor in Binary Helix, which allowed him to fund various research projects, not to mention the veritable army of mercenaries he regularly hires.
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* {{Fiction 500}}: He was a major investor in Binary Helix, which allowed him to fund various research projects, not to mention the veritable army of mercenaries he regularly hires.
* FinalBoss: Of the first game, though [[spoiler:Sovereign is directly controlling him at this point]].
* FinalBoss: Of the first game, though [[spoiler:Sovereign is directly controlling him at this point]].
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* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. When he overrides the Normandy lockdown, you can either get him shot by C-Sec or encourage him to punch out Udina (funny how you have to ''encourage'' him to do the latter).]]
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* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's his chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; ''Revelation''; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. When he overrides the Normandy lockdown, you can either get him shot by C-Sec or encourage have him to punch out Udina (funny how you have to ''encourage'' him to do the latter).]]
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* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Fits three out of four criteria [[spoiler: because he's not bald.]]
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* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Fits three out BeehiveBarrier: Fortification is one of four criteria [[spoiler: because he's not bald.]]his powers during the intro to ''3'' - in his admiral's uniform, to boot.
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** Shepard seemingly thinks so. Even a Paragon Shepard who regularly flips off the Council, the Illusive Man, and the Reapers, repeatedly demonstrating a lack of respect for authority will ''never'' mess with Anderson.
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. Later on in the game, the player can also encourage Anderson to intrude upon C-Sec controls in order to override the ''Normandy'''s lockdown protocol, which will result in Anderson ''being shot'' even though he's just trying to help Shepard save the galaxy.]]
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former will punch out the latter.
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. Later on in the game, the player can also encourage Anderson to intrude upon C-Sec controls in order to override the ''Normandy'''s lockdown protocol, which will result in Anderson ''being shot'' even though he's just trying to help Shepard save the galaxy.]]
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former will punch out the latter.
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** Shepard seemingly thinks so. Even a Paragon Shepard who regularly flips off the Council, the Illusive Man, and the Reapers, repeatedly demonstrating a lack of respect for authority authority, will ''never'' mess with Anderson.
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]].Later on in When he overrides the game, the player Normandy lockdown, you can also either get him shot by C-Sec or encourage Anderson him to intrude upon C-Sec controls in order to override the ''Normandy'''s lockdown protocol, which will result in Anderson ''being shot'' even though he's just trying to help Shepard save the galaxy.]]
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former willpunch out Udina (funny how you have to ''encourage'' him to do the latter.latter).]]
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]].
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former will
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* KickedUpstairs: In ''MassEffect3'', ''Captain'' Anderson is now ''Admiral'' Anderson.
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* KickedUpstairs: In ''MassEffect3'', ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', ''Captain'' Anderson is now ''Admiral'' Anderson.
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-->''"I move faster on my own."''
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* SacrificialLion
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* SacrificialLion SacrificialLamb: Mere minutes after Jenkins.
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** Did you release the Rachni queen? [[YouFool You FOOL!]] (to their credit, they don't utter that actual line) You've killed us all! Did you kill her instead? That's GENOCIDE, you monster!!! (Somewhat justified in that Shepard had no authority to make any decision at all.)
*** Shepard was a SPECTRE. That's all the authority s/he needed.
*** Shepard was a SPECTRE. That's all the authority s/he needed.
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* SchrodingersGun: The turian councilor loves using this against you. Kill [[spoiler:the Rachni?]] You're a monster and you committed genocide! Let [[spoiler:the Rachni live?]] You fool, [[spoiler:they'll kill us all!]]
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler: the Rachni]] is enough to irredeemably sour any situation.
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler: the Rachni]] is enough to irredeemably sour any situation.
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* SchrodingersGun: The turian councilor loves using this against you. Kill [[spoiler:the Rachni?]] You're a monster and the rachni: "Do you committed genocide! Let [[spoiler:the Rachni live?]] You fool, [[spoiler:they'll kill us all!]]
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler:enjoy committing genocide?" Release the Rachni]] is enough to irredeemably sour any situation. queen: "How long before they wipe us out?"
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler:
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--> ''"Always a pleasure to watch you work, Commander."''
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The Captain in charge of the Special Tasks Group on Virmire. Worked with Mordin[[spoiler:to modify the genophage and deliver it to Tuchanka.]] 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.
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The Captain in charge of the Special Tasks Group on Virmire. Worked with Mordin[[spoiler:to modify the genophage and deliver it to Tuchanka.]] 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'' provided you saved him on Virmire.
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* CreepyBlueEyes: ''Glowing'' blue ones too, and if you look really closely, they resemble The Illusive Man's, which hints that [[spoiler:both have been touched by Reapers]].
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : [[CaptainObvious Guess. Just guess.]]]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : [[CaptainObvious Guess. Just guess.]]]]]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Guess. Just guess.]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : [[CaptainObvious Guess. Just guess.]]]]]]
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If there\'re no tropes, there\'s no point to mentiioning the character.
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[[WMG:Fist]]
A human who owns the club Chora's Den on the Citadel. Also a known crime figure. Originally an agent for the Shadow Broker, he betrayed him and became an ally of Saren.
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-->'''Voiced by:''' Alastair Duncan (Turian Councilor), Jan Alexandra Smith (Asari Councilor), Armin Shimerman (Salarian Councilor)
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-->'''Voiced by:''' Alastair Duncan (Turian Councilor), Jan Alexandra Smith (Asari Councilor), (Tevos), Armin Shimerman (Salarian Councilor)
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* TeamMom: The asari Councilor spends about half of her time in any conversation trying to calm things down between the turian and Shepard or Udina.
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* TeamMom: The asari Councilor Tevos spends about half of her time in any conversation trying to calm things down between the turian and Shepard or Udina.
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** To be fair, the asari councilor seems grateful, the salarian councilor seems neutral and they both deny the Reapers as reasonably as possible. The turian councilor on the other hand continues to be a complete {{Jerkass}} to Shepard.
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** To be fair, the asari councilor Tevos seems grateful, the salarian councilor seems neutral and they both deny the Reapers as reasonably as possible. The turian councilor on the other hand continues to be a complete {{Jerkass}} to Shepard.
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** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Ashley Williams, Garrus Vakarian, Kaidan Alenko, Liara T'Soni, Liara T'Soni, Tali'Zorah, Urdnot Wrex]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Ashley Williams, Garrus Vakarian, Kaidan Alenko, Liara T'Soni, Liara T'Soni, Tali'Zorah, Urdnot Wrex]]
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[[WMG: Richard L. Jenkins]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jenkins_1199.jpg
[[caption-width:200:[[TemptingFate With a name like that, surely he'll be around forever. Right?]]]]
-->'''Voiced by''': Josh Dean
An over-enthusiastic Alliance soldier from Eden Prime, he is assigned as part of your squad when everything goes to hell there. Continuing in the long Bioware tradition of early sacrificial party members, he dies in the opening few minutes.
[[hardline]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He says he's itching for some action just before the Eden Prime mission. Too bad "action" in his case meant watching his homeworld get scorched and being gunned down by a pair of geth recon drones.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his boundless enthusiasm and naivety, various characters imply Jenkins was a very competent soldier.
* [[DoomedHometown Doomed Homeworld]]: Eden Prime is this for him. Pity he dies too soon for it to become a plot point.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Averted - Dr Chakwas reminisces about him over drinks with Shepard in the sequel.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Despite being with you for maybe a maximum of five minutes before his PlotlineDeath, he is a fully functional squad member that can be issued orders and even has some skill points for you to assign despite never having an opportunity to use any abilities.
* HeroWorshipper: To Shepard. This is rarely a good sign for a character's mortality rate this early in the story.
* HeyItsThatVoice: His VA would go on to voice another overly eager young man who gets shot first. However this time you can save him through the Paragon Interrupt.
* NaiveNewcomer
* LeeroyJenkins: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], actually, [[MeaningfulName despite the name.]] He follows Shepard's orders to the letter, though in the end it still doesn't do him much good.
* SacrificialLamb / RedShirt
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[[WMG:Fist]]
A human who owns the club Chora's Den on the Citadel. Also a known crime figure. Originally an agent for the Shadow Broker, he betrayed him and became an ally of Saren.
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** 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.]]
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* HopeSpot: From Mordin. Close to curing Vrolik Syndrome. Current iteration would cause liver failure. Still working on it.
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* [[ClusterFBomb Cluster S Bomb]]: "Shit! Shit! Shitshitshit! ''What the SHIT?!'' Shitshitshitshitshitshit!"
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* NighInvulnerability: Comes with being a Reaper. He is destroyed but it takes the combined efforts of TWO ENTIRE FLEETS to finally bring him down.
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* NighInvulnerability: Comes with being a Reaper. He is destroyed but it takes the combined efforts of TWO ENTIRE FLEETS to finally bring him down.down - ''and'' after his shields dropped after Shepard killed his vessel, Reaper!Saren.
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** Humorously, she coughs as if to say MyEyesAreUpHere to the player ''and'' [=BioWare=].
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* KickedUpstairs: In ''MassEffect3'', ''Captain'' Anderson is now ''Admiral'' Anderson.
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]
Shepard]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Guess. Just guess.]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers PartyMembers]]Members]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Ashley Williams, Garrus Vakarian, Kaidan Alenko, Liara T'Soni, Liara T'Soni, Tali'Zorah, Urdnot Wrex]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party
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** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Party Members]]
Members]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Grunt, Jack / Subject Zero, Jacob Taylor, Kasumi Goto, Miranda Lawson, Mordin Solus, Samara, Thane Krios, Zaeed Massani, Legion, Morinth]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists andNPCs]]NPCs]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Matriarch Aethyta, Amanda Kenson, Detective Anaya, Aria T'Loak, Armando Bailey, the Collector General, [=EDI=], Gabriella "Gabby" Daniels, Gavin Archer, Harbinger, the Illusive Man, Kal'Reegar, Kelly Chambers, Kenneth Donnelly, Warden Kuril, the Overlord V.I., the Quarian Admiralty Board, the Shadow Broker, Steven Hackett, Tela Vasir, Urz, Wilson]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and
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** [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]]
Members]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : James Vega]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists andNPCs]]
NPCs]]: [[hottip:Appearing on this page: : Diana Allers, Kai Leng, the Krogan Princess]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and
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[[WMG:The Geth]]
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[[WMG:The Geth]]Geth aka [[spoiler: The Heretic Geth]]]]
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[[WMG:The Geth]]
The geth are a race of networked artificial intelligences that reside beyond the Perseus Veil. The geth were created by the quarians, as laborers and tools of war. When the geth became sentient and began to question their masters, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war, and reduced the quarians to a race of nomads.
The history of the geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial intelligences throughout galactic society.
* AlienBlood
* DeployableCover
* GiantMook: Destroyers, Juggernauts, and Primes
* [[GlowingEyesOfDoom Glowing Eye Of Doom]]
* MechaMooks
* HiveMind: their "mind"
* MindHive: their "bodies"
* MachineWorship
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: The Geth you've been fighting are actually a splinter faction, that most likely make up a mere 5% of the Geth population.]]
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thorian2_88.png
[[caption-width:250:You are within and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!]]
[[caption-width:250:You are within and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!]]
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[[caption-width:250:You
[[caption-width-right:350:You are within and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!]]
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standardizing image size.
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Saren_5629.jpg
[[caption-width:323:[[KnightTemplar You can't possibly understand what's at stake here.]]]]
[[caption-width:323:[[KnightTemplar You can't possibly understand what's at stake here.]]]]
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[[caption-width:323:[[KnightTemplar
[[caption-width-right:350:[[KnightTemplar You can't possibly understand what's at stake here.]]]]
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[[caption-width:256:[[BadassBoast Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear.]]]]
[[caption-width:256:[[BadassBoast Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear.]]]]
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[[caption-width:256:[[BadassBoast
[[caption-width-right:350:[[BadassBoast Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear.]]]]
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[[WMG: Sovereign, aka [[spoiler: Nazara]]]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sovereign_1353.bmp
[[caption-width:191:THIS STATION IS '''MINE'''.]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sovereign_1353.bmp
[[caption-width:191:THIS STATION IS '''MINE'''.]]
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[[WMG: Sovereign, aka [[spoiler:
http://static.
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.
[[caption-width:191:THIS
[[caption-width-right:350:THIS STATION IS '''MINE'''.
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* First appearing in Mass Effect 1:
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* First appearing in Mass Effect 1:''MassEffect1'':
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** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Mass Effect 1 Party Members]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 2:
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 2 Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 3:
** [[Characters/MassEffect3 Mass Effect 3]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 2:
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 2 Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 3:
** [[Characters/MassEffect3 Mass Effect 3]]
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** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Mass Effect 1 Party Members]]
* First appearing inMass Effect 2:
''MassEffect2'':
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembersMass Effect 2 Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcsMass Effect 2 Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing inMass Effect 3:
''MassEffect3'':
**[[Characters/MassEffect3 Mass Effect 3]]
[[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing in
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs
* First appearing in
**
** [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]]
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This page is for listing the tropes related to party members who first appeared in the original ''[[MassEffect1 Mass Effect]]'' game. Tropes for Party Members, [=NPC=]s and Antagonists who first appeared in other games in the trilogy belong on the following:
to:
This page is for listing the tropes related to party members to Antagonists And [=NPC=]s who first appeared in the original ''[[MassEffect1 Mass Effect]]'' game. Tropes for Party Members, [=NPC=]s and Antagonists who first appeared in other games in the trilogy belong on the following:
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-->[[spoiler:No light? They always said there would be a � ah...]]
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-->[[spoiler:No light? They always said there would be a � a...ah...]]
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This page is for listing the tropes related to party members who first appeared in the original ''[[MassEffect1 Mass Effect]]'' game. Tropes for Party Members, [=NPC=]s and Antagonists who first appeared in other games in the trilogy belong on the following:
* First appearing in Mass Effect 1:
** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Mass Effect 1 Party Members]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 2:
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 2 Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 3:
** [[Characters/MassEffect3 Mass Effect 3]]
[[foldercontrol]]
!Antagonists
[[folder:Main]]
[[WMG: Saren Arterius]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Saren_5629.jpg
[[caption-width:323:[[KnightTemplar You can't possibly understand what's at stake here.]]]]
->"''[[FantasticRacism Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard.]]''"
-->'''Voiced by''': FredTatasciore
The primary villain of the first ''MassEffect'' game, a former Spectre agent turned rogue, who takes control of an army of geth and sets out to find an artifact known as "the Conduit." [[spoiler:Is actually being controlled by Sovereign.]]
Did we forget to mention that his theme song is also the ''Game Over'' music?
[[hardline]]
* [[spoiler:[[HeroicWillpower Anti-Heroic Willpower]]: How he manages to overcome Sovereign's indoctrination long enough to kill himself.]]
* ArchEnemy: The most personal adversary to Commander Shepard, by far.
* ArtificialLimbs: Has a mechanical arm donated by the geth, and later [[spoiler:gets many Reaper implants.]]
* BattleAura: As the only turian biotic encountered thus far, he gets an appropriately awesome charge-up scene whenever he enters into battle.
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Or not.]]
* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy: By Sovereign.]]
* DarkMessiah
* [[spoiler:DrivenToSuicide: Can be talked into this during his HeelRealization.]]
* DracoInLeatherPants: In-universe. ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' reveals that there's at least one documentary portraying him as a misunderstood hero.
** The fact that during Kasumi's heist, a statue of Saren is seen as a desirable gift, seems to imply that Saren is the subject of a ''lot'' of MisaimedFandom in-universe. The DeathGlare Shepard gives the statue doesn't begin to sum up their obvious feelings about this.
* [[spoiler:TheDragon: While he at first appears to be the BigBad, he's just a puppet to his sentient flagship, [[EldritchAbomination Sovereign]].]]
* [[spoiler:DyingAsYourself: With a Charm/Intimidate, the last lucid independent thought Saren can have is to kill himself to make the [[MoreThanMindControl indoctrination]] end.]]
* DyingLikeAnimals: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, Saren is a mouse.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: In ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}'', one of the many people he beat for information was a batarian who was going to beat a prostitute. Saren makes clear he is disgusted by this, and then goes on to torture the batarian for information.
** What makes this noteworthy for Saren is that the prostitute is human, a species he openly despises.
* EvilCounterpart: Can be seen as a version of Shepard who's willing to cross the MoralEventHorizon in order to achieve "greater good." This is especially made clear in the Paragon ending of ''Mass Effect 2''.
* [[spoiler:EvilHand: The implants that reanimate him at the end of the game were given to him after Virmire; Sovereign became suspicious of him, and wanted to keep a closer eye on his pet.]]
* EvilOverlooker: Can be seen in the boxart.
* EvilSoundsDeep
* FallenHero: Though the [[{{MassEffect/Revelation}} prequel novel]] makes it clear he was always a {{jerkass}}.
* FantasticRacism: While only mentioned in the game, the novel ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}'' makes it very clear he ''hates'' humans.
* {{Fiction 500}}: He was a major investor in Binary Helix, which allowed him to fund various research projects, not to mention the veritable army of mercenaries he regularly hires.
* FoeYay: Despite his intense dislike of humans, he's ''very'' interested in getting Shepard on his side, going out of his way to do so twice in the middle of a battlefield.
* FreudianExcuse: It's suggested that his racism toward humans is because of his brother's death in the First Contact War.
** [[spoiler:It's not. His brother, Desolas, did not die during the First Contact War: he died on the turian homeworld of Palaven well after the FCW had ended. Saren was forced to kill Desolas via long range bombardment upon realizing that Desolas had become irreversibly indoctrinated by a Reaper artifact, the Arca Monolith, and planned to use the Monolith to create an army of turian husks.]]
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: If you appeal to him using Paragon options.]]
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:Can be talked into having one of these.]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the second game. While Saren is a pretty bad guy to begin with, the Council is quick to demonize him and exaggerate his villainy, in spite of the fact that [[spoiler:Saren was a pawn of Sovereign. Saren is painted as the mastermind and becomes a scapegoat so that the Council can ignore the Reaper threat.]]
* HollywoodCyborg
* KnightTemplar
* LastSecondChance: Shepard can offer him this, and if s/he is persuasive enough [[spoiler:Saren will break free just long enough to kill himself.]]
* [[spoiler:LesCollaborateurs: Seemingly, he helps the Reapers because he thinks they will spare at least some organics if Saren can prove they are helpful. Really, though, it's MoreThanMindControl in action.]]
* MachineWorship: Saren convinced the geth to obey him by doing this, acting as the 'prophet' for the return of the Reapers. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, [[MoreThanMindControl it didn't stay an act for long]].]]
* MindOverMatter: Perhaps the only turian biotic of the series so far.
* [[spoiler:MoreThanMindControl]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin Doesn't that name sound familiar?]]
** He is also named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkegaard Søren Kierkegaard]], the father of existentialism.
* NecessarilyEvil: [[spoiler:Believes that proving organics to be useful will save them from the Reapers. [[AssimilationPlot He's proven horrifically right about that by the sequel]].]]
* NGOSuperpower: He's not just a [[ShootTheDog state-sponsored terrorist]] with years of experience. He has [[SuperpoweredMooks asari commandos]]. [[BloodKnight Krogan mercenaries]]. An army of [[MechaMooks geth]]. And Binary Helix, [[MegaCorp an interstellar biotech conglomerate]] that [[{{Fiction500}} pays for all of it]]. And don't forget his [[CoolStarship Creepy Starship]].
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: At the end of the game. [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession He doesn't]].]]
* NotSoDifferent: He's ruthless, racist, sadistic and willing to let hundreds die so long as it serves his ends. Sound familiar, Renegade Shepard?
** He also forms a small army out of the outcasts of galactic society: geth, krogan, rachni... [[spoiler: sound familiar, ''Paragon'' Shepard?]]
* ObviouslyEvil: In his very first appearance the cutscene practically draws flashing arrows pointing to the massive number of tubes festooning his back and to the glowing blue lights of cybernetics under his skin.
* [[spoiler:OneWingedAngel: When Sovereign activates his implants and takes over his body.]]
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Not that he's a paragon in the sense of the trope's meaning, Saren was still one of the best Spectres before he went very, very, very far off the rails.
* PostMortemComeback: Gets reanimated into a Husk by Sovereign. His death triggers a lowering of Sovereigns' shields and his balance, allowing the Normandy and the Alliance to take it out.
* PrimalStance: Normally, Saren's posture is wonderful. However, when he starts to get ticked off...
* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler:About being controlled by Sovereign.]]
* [[spoiler:TheQuisling: Though how much of this was his own thinking and how much was Sovereign's MoreThanMindControl is not entirely clear.]]
* RabidCop: Certainly fits the trope during ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}''.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:He can be persuaded to kill himself so Sovereign can't make him open the Citadel Relay. Subverted since the galaxy still sees him as a monster. Ironic in that he was viewed as a legend while he was Sovereign's [[TheDragon Dragon]].]]
* RedHerring: It's implied at the beginning and in the prequel novel that Saren's driving motivation is his hatred towards humanity. [[spoiler:This is largely bogus, since it was purely coincidental that his first attack happened to be a human colony, and he's acting equally against all the galactic civilizations.]]
* RedRightHand: The massive number of cybernetics he's visibly crammed with, including a geth arm replacing one of his organic ones, kinda screams evil.
* RogueAgent: Used to be the Council's best and most famous Spectre.
* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler:Sort of. There are two stages to his boss fight, so convincing him to go through [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redemption by suicide]] simply skips the first part of the fight and propels you into the second section of the battle.]]
* SocialDarwinist: He has elements of this.
-->'''Saren''': Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard.
* StoryDrivenInvulnerability: Refreshingly averted. Every time Saren appears in the earlier parts of the game, it's either in a cutscene where Shepard isn't present, or as a hologram that Shepard is incapable of throttling. When they finally meet face-to-face, it is ''on''.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Saren's original costume design had him dressed [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-05/me-misc03.html all in black.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Wants to usher in the Reaper invasion because he believes that if organics make themselves useful, they will be spared by the Reapers (he's right, but [[SlaveRace not quite the way he hoped]]). Though it's impossible to tell how much of that belief was implanted by Sovereign, and his original plans for the ship weren't exactly nice.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: At first. He gets exposed quite early on, though.
* WeCanRuleTogether: To Shepard, twice.
* WorthyOpponent: Comes to see Shepard as one, which really says a lot about Shepard's skills considering how much he hates humans.
----
[[WMG: Matriarch Benezia]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/benezia_7291.png
[[caption-width:256:[[BadassBoast Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear.]]]]
->"''Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have.''"
-->'''Voiced by''': Marina Sirtis
A powerful asari matriarch who acts as Saren's partner. Is also Liara's mother. [[spoiler:Like Saren, she is also controlled by Sovereign.]]
[[hardline]]
* [[spoiler:AndIMustScream: Indoctrination is already a case of this, but it's even worse for Benezia as she locked part of her mind away and was fully aware what was happening the entire time.]]
* AntiVillain
* TheBaroness
* BiTheWay
* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]]
* DiscountLesbians
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?: "His mouth is on my ear... his fingers on my spine..."
* TheDragon: To Saren [[spoiler:who is also a Dragon]].
* [[spoiler:DyingAsYourself]]
* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:Not by choice.]]
* [[spoiler:FightingFromTheInside: Prior to speaking to the rachni queen. She is able to completely resist Saren's influence, after taking enough ammunition to stop an entire commando unit, long enough to help Shepard at least somewhat, but eventually succumbs to her injuries from the fight beforehand. [[IDieFree She declines medigel if offered]], saying she'd just go back to being a slave anyway.]]
* FlunkyBoss
* [[spoiler:GoIntoTheLight: Cruelly subverted by her dying words.]]
-->[[spoiler:No light? They always said there would be a � ah...]]
* [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice: Her final act is to give Shepard the coordinates to the Mu Relay and then request that they kill her so she will no longer be under Sovereign's control.]]
* HeroicWillpower: [[spoiler:That plus her biotics allow her to seal off her consciousness long enough to have a last talk with Shepard.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: [[StarTrekTheNextGeneration Deanna Troi]] and [[{{Gargoyles}} Demona]].
* [[spoiler:IDieFree: She specifically refuses medigel after Shepard's party fatally wounds her.]]
* MaleGaze: When we first see her on Saren's ship, the first things we see of her are her rear end as she walks towards Saren, and then her chest before the camera pans up.
* MindOverMatter
* NecessarilyEvil: She started off helping Saren as a way of trying to dissuade him from his destructive path. [[spoiler:Then Saren's EldritchAbomination friend got involved...]]
* OneBadMother
* RedemptionEqualsDeath
* SpikesOfVillainy
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:[[TearJerker Tells Liara this before she succumbs to Indoctrination again.]]]]
* [[spoiler:[[SuicideByCop Suicide By Spectre]]: Because she knows she can't break Sovereign's MindControl completely.]]
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:She only joined Saren because she hoped that she could stop his evil from within. Then Sovereign decided to [[MindRape chime in]]...]]
* WomanInBlack
----
[[WMG: Sovereign, aka [[spoiler: Nazara]]]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sovereign_1353.bmp
[[caption-width:191:THIS STATION IS '''MINE'''.]]
-->[[spoiler:''[[AC:"We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."]]'']]
-->'''Voiced by''': Peter Jessop
The immense vessel belonging to Saren. [[spoiler:One of the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]], which is controlling Saren and using him to find the Conduit in order to open the way for a massive Reaper invasion of the galaxy.]]
'''WARNING: [[WalkingSpoiler The entire following entry is one massive spoiler. Read at your own risk.]]'''
[[hardline]]
* AbusivePrecursors: Holds the page quote.
* BadassBoast: Pretty much his entire speech during [[WhamEpisode Planet Wham]], er, Virmire. When combined with his [[EvilSoundsDeep very, very deep]] [[VoiceOfTheLegion mechanical voice]], it can [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_NAoNd4YyY give most people the shivers.]]
-->'''Sovereign:''' [[AC:You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.]]
* BadBoss: He pretty much says flatout that he doesn't give two shits about the geth, and actually seems a bit ''insulted'' that they revere him as a god.
** That, and let's not forget about [[MoreThanMindControl Reaper]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel indo]][[AndIMustScream ctri]][[FateWorseThanDeath nation]].
* BigBad: In the first game, he's the true force behind Saren.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: He outright tells Shepard that the reapers' motivations are incomprehensible to organics.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Sovereign is red, Harbinger is yellow. When Sovereign '''ASSUMES CONTROL''' of Saren, the possessed body is red.
* CoolStarship: ...since he ''is'' the starship.
* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: Sovereign is smart enough to actually give a villainous monologue ''without'' [[BondVillainStupidity giving away any details that would really let Shepard know how to stop it]]. It also turns out that the moment it realized that Shepard was inside Saren's base, it turned around and headed back to kill Shepard immediately, instead of leaving it to the mooks.
* EldritchAbomination: Bonus points for being a [[CoolStarship squid-shaped starship]].
* EvilGloating: Practically every single line he has.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Oh, ''hell'' yes!
* FightingAShadow: When he possesses Saren. The only time you'll fight him in the game.
* KarmicDeath: Killed by humans in the process of trying to activate the Reaper's relay.
* IShallTauntYou: Makes some pretty badass boasts.
-->"[[JustAMachine Your words]] are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction."
** Not without reason. See NighInvulnerability below.
* LightningBruiser: In naval terms. Sovereign is immense and powerful, but shockingly maneuverable and fast. At one point Joker reports that Sovereign pulls a turn that "would shear any of our ships in half."
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast
* NighInvulnerability: Comes with being a Reaper. He is destroyed but it takes the combined efforts of TWO ENTIRE FLEETS to finally bring him down.
* OneSceneWonder: He only gets a single scene with dialogue, and then one line and a couple of cutscenes after that. But '''DAMN''' are they awesome.
** In just those few scenes, he shows just how powerful ONE Reaper is, as when he's destroyed he brings almost an entire fleet with him.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The true force behind Saren.
* MeaningfulName: Both of his names are meaningful; "Sovereign" is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and "Nazara" is an early Greek translation of Nazareth.
* MindControl: Called "Indoctrination" in the game. All Reapers can do it - even when they're dead.
* TheMothership: This is what everyone on Eden Prime calls Sovereign, for lack of a better word.
* OmnicidalManiac
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Shepard's entire conversation with Sovereign consists of Shepard asking what the Reapers could possibly hope to achieve and Sovereign responding with a barrage of YouSuck and 'your-death-is-an-inevitability'-style [[IShallTauntYou taunting]].
* SapientShip
* [[ScrewYouElves Screw You Reapers]]: All Sovereign ever does is boast about the Reapers' superiority, but what happens to him? He gets blown up.
** Though he does bring almost an entire fleet down with him. [[OhCrap Without even trying]].
* TimeAbyss: Possibly ''tens of millions'' of years old.
* ViciousCycle: Unique in that he and his kind are deliberately perpetuating it. Over and over again. [[spoiler:''For millions of years.'']]
* VillainousBreakdown: His tone of voice when taking control of Saren's corpse suggests that he's more than a little pissed.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: The scary part is that he's not the only one...
* [[IAmLegion We Are Legion]]: Concerning the Reapers. And he's absolutely right, in more than one way.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Secondary]]
[[WMG: The Thorian]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thorian2_88.png
[[caption-width:250:You are within and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!]]
-->"''Invaders. Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose.''"
A sentient alien plant that lives underground on the planet Feros. It is capable of controlling other sentient beings with the spores it produces by using behavioral conditioning to reshape their minds through crippling pain. Malicious and seeing all other life, sentient or otherwise, only in terms of potential thralls, it makes a deal with Saren that goes way far south.
[[hardline]]
* AttackItsWeakPoint
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It cannot conceive of any other form of sentient life as anything but a threat or potential thrall.
** Blame Saren, who broke his promise to the Thorian.
** Or don't, since in '''100,000 years'' it deigned to actually negotiate with other sentients only once. So, even if that deal had been a good one and it niced up a bit after that, that's a lot of time on the Orange side.
* EldritchAbomination
* DistaffCounterpart: [[spoiler:Let's face it, it's pretty much an organic Reaper. [[TimeAbyss Impossibly old?]] Check. [[MindControl Can control sentient beings?]] Check. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Bizzare alien morality?]] Check. [[EldritchAbomination Cthulu-esque?]] Check. The main difference is that the Reapers care nothing for anything else beyond needing them for resources, while the Thorian seems to have a god complex.]]
* TheHypnotoad[=/=]PuppeteerParasite: A bizarre combination of the two. It uses biological agents to control its slaves, but it doesn't personally invade them to do so.
* MindControl via extended...
* MindRape
* PeoplePuppets
* StationaryBoss: One that doesn't directly attack you, either. It leaves that job to the Creepers and asari clones.
* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: It flips back and forth between this and regular speech.
* TimeAbyss: It's been alive for at least 100,000 years. [[spoiler:Long enough to witness more than one Reaper invasion, as the villains know.]]
----
[[WMG: Shiala]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Shiala_5255.bmp
[[caption-width:207:[[ShoutOut This is...]][[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries she's green.]]]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Gwendoline Yeo
An asari who followed Matriarch Benezia when she allied herself with Saren. She was later sacrificed to the Thorian in exchange for its knowledge of the Conduit and was ultimately freed by Commander Shepard. Due to the unique mind meld she experienced as the Thorian's thrall, [[spoiler:she is the only known person to have completely recovered from the effects of Reaper indoctrination]].
[[hardline]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: If you spare her life, she becomes the protector of Zhu's Hope, saying they suffered for her misdeeds and she needs to make amends.]]
* [[CloningBlues Cloning Greens]]: The Thorian used her to continuously produce asari-like biotic slaves to fight Shepard when s/he killed it on Feros.
* FaceDeathWithDignity:[[spoiler: If you decide to be a [[ShootTheDog bastard]] and kill her after hearing her story, '''and''' after she gave you vital information, she is remarkably understanding and calmly kneels down for you to shoot her in the head.]]
* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The first asari to legitimately fit the title at that!
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: If you choose to kill her on Feros, Shepard will discuss this trope before putting a bullet in her head.
* HeelFaceTurn: She understandably became disillusioned with Saren after he fed her to the Thorian. [[spoiler:The experience also had the benefit of helping her to break free of Sovereign's MindControl.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: It's [[FinalFantasyX2 Paine!]]
* MindOverMatter
* PhlebotinumBreakdown: For some reason, her powers go on the fritz if she survives being ingested by the Thorian; when you encounter her two years later her skin is green instead of blue, and her biotic powers are weak and erratic when she can use them at all.
** Which, of course, describes the Thorian-created clones of her too. Unsettling, and possibly a ChekhovsGun for Mass Effect 3.
* ShipTease: With Shepard in the second game.
----
[[WMG: Balak]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/balak_138.png
[[caption-width:234:He's not very fond of humans.]]
->"Those charges are still on a timer. Better hurry if you want to save your friends."
-->'''Voiced by''': FredTatasciore
A radical Batarian terrorist that serves as the main antagonist of the ''Bring Down The Sky'' DLC. He seeks to reignite the war between the Alliance and the Batarians by [[ColonyDrop crashing an asteroid into an Alliance colony]].
[[hardline]]
* BigBad: Of ''Bring Down The Sky''.
* FantasticRacism
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:In the Paragon ending.]]
* LaResistance: Convinced that he is but the first of a wave of batarian terrorists who will initiate a campaign of terror across human space.
* PragmaticVillainy: Balak's second-in-command and several of his men betray Balak for this reason. They're murderers and slavers, but they're in it for profit, and destroying a planet simply isn't worth their time.
* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:Forces Shepard to choose between stopping him or saving the hostages.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He tries to paint himself as this, but it's averted in that nothing he says justifies what he attempts to do. He even tries to accuse Shepard of [[spoiler: being responsible for Kate Bowman's death]] when Balak was the one who [[spoiler: set the bomb and triggers it if Shepard refuses to let him escape.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: He ''tries'' this if Shepard [[spoiler: refuses to let him go]]. He tells Shepard that [[spoiler: s/he is to blame for the deaths of Bowman and her team after Balak blows the charges.]] At his accusation that "Who's the real terrorist here?" Shepard can retort that "You are. But you're ''[[ShutUpHannibal dead]]''."
----
[[/folder]]
![=NPC=]s
[[folder: Normandy Crew]]
[[WMG: Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Joker_2368.bmp
[[caption-width:234:Sometimes I get the urge to turn off the internal compensators and pull a Crazy Ivan, you know?]]
-->''"I'm not good. I'm not even great. I'm the best damn helmsman in the Alliance fleet."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' SethGreen
The pilot of the Normandy. While he is handicapped by brittle bone disease, he's an essential member of the team, serving as MissionControl and all-around piloting badass.
[[hardline]]
* AcePilot
* [[spoiler:AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent]]: [[spoiler: The only playable character in the series other than Shepard.]]
* AscendedExtra: Joker goes from being effectively part of the scenery in the first game (never once seen outside of his pilot's chair) to having a much larger role (most notably the one referenced in the spoiler-protected entry just above this one) in the second.
* [[BadassDriver Badass Pilot]]
* BringNewsBack: [[spoiler: What Shepard tasks Joker with doing in the EverybodyDies ending. [[DontExplainTheJoke Before dying.]]]]
* CovertPervert: He is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVxYYB0knA playing]] ''pornography'' whilst flying the Normandy. EDI is aware, too.
** ..."covert"?
*** It WAS supposed to go to his earpiece.
** After a tour of the Normandy SR-2, Liara mentions that he asked if she and Shepard were planning to reenact scenes from an asari porn vid. She doesn't get the reference, but Shepard might.
*** Shepard definitely gets it as s/he starts rubbing his/her neck, with an embarrassed tone in his/her voice.
** If you didn't romance her, Joker asked if Liara had "[[LampshadedDoubleEntendre embraced eternity]]" lately.
** When Joker informs you that Jack and Miranda have started a fight in the latter's office he'll ask you to take pictures.
** ''[[RuleOfThree Covert?]]''
* DeadpanSnarker: Despite "Joker" originally being [[IronicNickname ironic]], he can lay down snark with the best of them (not surprising, given [[SethGreen who voices him]]).
-->''"I guess [[spoiler:the geth]] aren't all bad, huh? They're like EDI's ex-con uncle we don't talk about."''\\
''"I'm glad that mess is over for Tali, Commander. Some of those quarians... I guess living aboard a ship can really mess with your priorities? Not that I would know... ah, I just burned myself. Great."''\\
''"Two years and everything hits the crapper. Teach you to die on me."''
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler: The guy killed '''''Sovereign!''''']]
* DisabledSnarker: His bone disease makes him extremely cynical.
* EscalatingWar: He winds up engaged in one of these with EDI, with him muting her until his thumb breaks, her making his chair spin unexpectedly, him putting grease on her camera lenses...
* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler: Joker is literally the only person to survive the events of the second game in the worst ending]].
** Also happens when [[spoiler:EDI asks Joker to flush out the ship atmosphere to eject the invading collectors. "What about the crew?" "They are gone, Jeff. The Collectors took them."]]
* GaussianGirl: Joker cheerfully claims he was trying to invoke this when he smeared EDI's optics with grease.
* GreenEyes: Oh, those pretty, pretty emerald eyes...
* GunshipRescue
* HandicappedBadass: Joker has Vrolik's Syndrome, also known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bone disease. Basically, he can barely jog, and the slightest injury can break bones. [[spoiler: He leads the 5th fleet into battle to save the Citadel especially when if you pick a Paragon option to save the Coucil, they flew in like BigDamnHeroes. Even more badass is how Joker managed to give the final killing blow on Sovereign in a puny frigate.]]
** Notably too is that during said sequence, the normally talkative Joker is completely silent. BewareTheNiceOnes indeed!
** At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect 2}}'', [[spoiler: the ''Normandy'' arrives to rescue Shepard and his team. The airlock opens... to reveal Joker hefting an assault rifle and taking potshots at Collectors. He even takes a couple down!]]
*** [[spoiler: Note that he is doing so ''on two broken legs and with''[[hottip:* :(likely to be an exaggeration on his part)]] ''a full set of broken ribs.'']]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Hey! [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Oz]] is flying my CoolStarship!
* HeroicBSOD: Joker suffers this when you talk to him after the Normandy crew gets captured
* ImprobablePilotingSkills: "It takes skill to bank a starship - don't think it doesn't!"
* InkSuitActor: Bears more than a passing resemblance to Seth Green.
* [[InsufferableGenius Insufferable Ace Pilot]]: Players fresh to the series might scoff at his early claims in the original ''Mass Effect'' that he's the best pilot in the Alliance. However, he demonstrates the validity of his bragging again. And again. And again.
* IronicNickname: Joker took flight school very seriously, and he was given the name Joker by an instructor who constantly needled him for being so grim. After he graduated with flying colors, he let the nickname become a conventional one.
* ItsPersonal: Joker has shades of this against the Collector Ship in the second game. It destroyed the first ''Normandy'' and dared to do the same to its successor. When Joker opens fire during the suicide mission with the upgraded cannons, he makes it perfectly clear why no-one gets away with laying a finger on ''his'' baby.
--> '''Joker''' How do you like ''that'' you sons-of-bitches?! Give them hell, girl!
* LetsGetDangerous: Near the end of the first game, the Normandy is trying to land on a planet that contains the Conduit they and Saren have been looking for. While dodging air defenses and desperately looking for a way to get down, Pressley insists they can't drop the Mako because they're too close to the ground to successfully deploy it. Joker fixes his gaze and states "I can do it". No jokes, no bravado. The best pilot in the Alliance has a job to do, and by God he's going to do it.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: After EDI [[spoiler: is unshackled and saves the ship from the Collectors]], their relationship changes. EDI even stops calling him "Mr. Moreau" and starts referring to him as "Jeff".
* MomentKiller: Cheerfully so in the first game.
* NonActionSnarker: In spades.
* PermaStubble: He once joked about Shepard recommending him for a medal after saving him/her from "swimming in molten sulfur", but is convinced he doesn't want one since he'd have to deal with the ceremony for receiving it...
-->'''Joker:''' Yeah, they'd probably make me shave too. I just spent the last seven weeks working on this baby. No medal's worth that.
* PluckyComicRelief: While other characters also have their funny moments, conversation with Joker are almost entirely optional and serve no other purpose than to be a source of comedy.
* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: Is the first to rejoin Shepard's crew and clearly wants to try to reunite as many of his former comrades from the first ''Normandy'' as he can.
* QuizzicalTilt: His reaction to EDI's 'humans on their knees' comment.
* SarcasticDevotee
* ScottyTime: Joker apparently deliberately pads his estimates to make himself look good when he pulls off whatever his tasks are in under that. EDI calls him out on this.
* ShipTease: With EDI in [=ME2=] overlapping with BelligerentSexualTension. While Joker and EDI deny they are flirting, everyone else... [[EveryoneCanSeeIt isn't convinced]].
* ShoutOut: The above picture caption quote is referencing another [[{{Firefly}} ace pilot who is known for his snarking.]]
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: While he never actually says it, his facial expression and worried "Aw, '''''shit!'''''" definitely fit when [[spoiler:the Collectors board the Normandy, and Joker finds out he has to [[strike:run]] briskly hobble all the way from the cockpit to a maintenance shaft all the way at the opposite end of the deck, '''then''' make his way to the AI core from there, all the while trying to not get dragged off or killed]].
** His reaction in the intro of Mass Effect 2, being the first to realise that the Collector WarShip have locked weapons because they ''[[OhCrap can see them]]''.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite their frequent spats, he and EDI work best when together.
* UndyingLoyalty: He will follow Shepard to hell and back, [[MagneticHero like so many other characters.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a quick one to Shepard, blaming him/her for not being on the ship [[spoiler:when the Collectors attacked and abducted the crew.]] He even threatens to leave but given his UndyingLoyalty to Shepard, it's just emotions. EDI points that out as well.
----
[[WMG: Doctor Chakwas]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Chakwas_5729.bmp
[[caption-width:224:She'll crack the bottle if you get the glasses.]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Carolyn Seymour
The chief medical officer stationed aboard the ''Normandy''. When Joker joined Cerberus, she went with him, ostensibly to keep an eye on his Vrolik's syndrome, but really to keep an eye on him.
[[hardline]]
* AscendedExtra: Is there for a bit of exposition early on, and then doesn't have much in the way of new dialog later in the game. In [=ME2=], she becomes the de facto TeamMom of the crew.
* DrinkOrder: She prefers a specialty called Serrice ice brandy. You can get a bottle for her in the second game. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Which both of you then get completely wasted on.]]
** Then has quite a MoodWhiplash as she starts remembering dead crewmembers.
* GoodLookingPrivates: Her motivation for joining the Alliance military was, in her words, "handsome soldiers with sensitive souls".
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: She's looking pretty good for a woman who is at the very least in her sixties. Justified, as the medical advances in the Mass Effect universe are far enough to make people look significantly younger than their age would imply. Chakwas is barely middle-aged in the setting.
* HeyItsThatVoice: As a polar opposite to the kind, always-looking-out-for-her-patients Chakwas, Carolyn Seymour also voices the Locust Queen in ''GearsOfWar''.
** She also voices a large number of minor characters in Knights of the Old Republic, most notably Bastila's mother.
*** FridgeBrilliance: She is a bit "motherly" to Shepard, who has the same voice actress as Bastila (if Shepard is female).
* HospitalHottie: The community apparently has something of a fetish for her. Surprisingly there isn't a shipping base for her and Shepard.
* InHarmsWay: After the destruction of the ''SSV Normandy'', Chakwas was given a post at the Mars Naval Medical Center. A pretty sweet deal actually, but the doctor couldn't stand being in one place for too long:
-->'''Dr. Chakwas:''' I've spent most of my life on warhsips, never knowing what the next mission might bring. I'm used to the hum of engines, the creaking bulkheads, the subtle vertigo when the momentum dampeners kick in. Life planetside is too static, too boring.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Granted it's mentioned repeatedly how medical advances have slowed aging in humans, but Chakwas is probably the most telling example.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: While she's a skilled doctor who patches up several crew members in the first game, in ME 2 [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Mordin]] all but takes over the job as soon as he's recruited.
** That's impossible to know for sure because the player never sees Mordin or Chakwas treating anyone, but it's fair to assume that, even if Mordin is the better medic, Chakwas would still be the one in charge of the crew's health as a means to decrease Mordin's workload so that he can concentrate on more important matters.
* SignificantAnagram: Her name is an anagram of "hacksaw."
* [[spoiler:SoleSurvivor]]: [[spoiler:If Shepard delays in saving the crew from the Collectors, Chakwas will always be the last one alive to [[WhatTheHellHero call him/her out]] for not hurrying. If she's sent back without an escort then she'll die for good.]]
* TeamMom: Chakwas is definitely the most nurturing person on either of the ''Normandys'', and often takes it upon herself to look out for the crew.
* ToAbsentFriends: One of the toasts Chakwas and Shepard can share during the brandy drinking cutscene.
* UndyingLoyalty: Do you even need to ask?
----
[[WMG: Richard L. Jenkins]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jenkins_1199.jpg
[[caption-width:200:[[TemptingFate With a name like that, surely he'll be around forever. Right?]]]]
-->'''Voiced by''': Josh Dean
An over-enthusiastic Alliance soldier from Eden Prime, he is assigned as part of your squad when everything goes to hell there. Continuing in the long Bioware tradition of early sacrificial party members, he dies in the opening few minutes.
[[hardline]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He says he's itching for some action just before the Eden Prime mission. Too bad "action" in his case meant watching his homeworld get scorched and being gunned down by a pair of geth recon drones.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his boundless enthusiasm and naivety, various characters imply Jenkins was a very competent soldier.
* [[DoomedHometown Doomed Homeworld]]: Eden Prime is this for him. Pity he dies too soon for it to become a plot point.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Averted - Dr Chakwas reminisces about him over drinks with Shepard in the sequel.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Despite being with you for maybe a maximum of five minutes before his PlotlineDeath, he is a fully functional squad member that can be issued orders and even has some skill points for you to assign despite never having an opportunity to use any abilities.
* HeroWorshipper: To Shepard. This is rarely a good sign for a character's mortality rate this early in the story.
* HeyItsThatVoice: His VA would go on to voice another overly eager young man who gets shot first. However this time you can save him through the Paragon Interrupt.
* NaiveNewcomer
* LeeroyJenkins: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], actually, [[MeaningfulName despite the name.]] He follows Shepard's orders to the letter, though in the end it still doesn't do him much good.
* SacrificialLamb / RedShirt
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Council Space]]
[[WMG: The Citadel Council]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Council_308.bmp
[[caption-width:338:[[TemptingFate Do not cut me off again, Commander. I fail to find it amusing.]]]]
-->''"Ah yes, "Reapers"...[[NoMereWindmill We have dismissed that claim.]]"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Alastair Duncan (Turian Councilor), Jan Alexandra Smith (Asari Councilor), Armin Shimerman (Salarian Councilor)
The ruling group of most of the known Milky Way galaxy, consisting of representatives of the three [[spoiler: later four]] dominant species. [[spoiler: They can be killed in two of the three endings of the first game, after which humanity ends up either gaining a Council seat, leading a new mixed-species council or completely replacing them.]]
[[hardline]]
* CommanderContrarian: No matter ''what'' you do, even to the point of completely opposite behaviors, the turian councilor will be a jerkass.
* [[spoiler:DoomedContrarian: If you allow them to die in the [=ME1=].]]
* DyingLikeAnimals: A winning combination of bats, lemmings, ostriches, and reindeer. Hopefully they'll wise up before the third game, but the vast majority of the fanbase is skeptical.
* FantasticRacism: The turian, against humans.
* TheFederation
* TheGhost: [[spoiler: If the Council dies, their replacements are never met.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Is that Councilor [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Quark]] or Councilor [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Snyder]]? Maybe even Councilor [[BioShock Andrew Ryan]]? Any of those possibilities make the salarians suddenly seem a ''lot'' less trustworthy.
* IBelieveThatYouBelieveIt: One of the ways they claim the Reapers don't exist; the galaxy only has your word for it.
* IdiotBall: The turian councilor gets one without any doubt.
* JerkAss: The turian councilor takes every opportunity to deride Shepard, no matter how the player acts. The other Councilors are decidedly less judgmental.
** Also, [[spoiler: if the Council die, their replacements are evidently this. The original Council was at least nice enough to hear Shepard out and offer too reinstate him/her. The new Council won't even see him/her, with the exception of Anderson or Udina. And we all know how nice Udina is.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: The Turian Councillor. While he's often an ass about it, Shepard ''does'' frequently do erratic things and make decisions of galactic importance without bothering to consult the council first.
** Also when you consider that Turians are taught to value discipline, self-responsibility and their government is based on heriarchical meritocracy, it makes sense why he's irritated by Shepard's maverick attitude and subordinate nature to authority.
* MemeticHandGesture: To the "point" where the "turian" "councilor" cannot be "mentioned" without "air quotes." "* air quotes* "
* NoNameGiven: Except for [[spoiler:Anderson or Udina]], so far they're only known as the turian, asari and the salarian councilor. However, according to the news one of them is named Valern.
** Most of the community seems to have assumed that Valern is the turian councilor and just ran with it, and now that there's a user running around on the Bioware forums called Councilor Velarn which is probably a mod or a Bioware person, this is probably confirmed.
** According to Cerberus Daily News the asari is Councillor Tevos.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: No matter what Shepard brings to their view, they will ''never'' believe him/her.
** Did you release the Rachni queen? [[YouFool You FOOL!]] (to their credit, they don't utter that actual line) You've killed us all! Did you kill her instead? That's GENOCIDE, you monster!!! (Somewhat justified in that Shepard had no authority to make any decision at all.)
*** Shepard was a SPECTRE. That's all the authority s/he needed.
* SchmuckBait: The Citadel itself. [[spoiler: The station is actually the mass relay that normally brings in the Reapers for their regular genocides, designed specifically to attract sapients and prevent them from analyzing it too well.]]
* SchrodingersGun: The turian councilor loves using this against you. Kill [[spoiler:the Rachni?]] You're a monster and you committed genocide! Let [[spoiler:the Rachni live?]] You fool, [[spoiler:they'll kill us all!]]
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler: the Rachni]] is enough to irredeemably sour any situation.
* TeamMom: The asari Councilor spends about half of her time in any conversation trying to calm things down between the turian and Shepard or Udina.
* TookALevelInJerkass: The turian councilor 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.
* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: Even if the player saves their lives in from Sovereign, they will still offer no help whatsoever in stopping the Collectors beyond the reinstatement of Shepard's Spectre status.]] The fact you're working for what is essentially a terrorist group may have something to do with it.
** To be fair, the asari councilor seems grateful, the salarian councilor seems neutral and they both deny the Reapers as reasonably as possible. The turian councilor on the other hand continues to be a complete {{Jerkass}} to Shepard.
----
[[WMG: Captain David Anderson]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CaptainAnderson1_6457.jpg
[[caption-width:401:They say that if he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-sized statue of himself.]]
-->''"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."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' KeithDavid
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.
[[hardline]]
* {{Badass}}: [[spoiler: He was considered to become the first human Spectre before Shepard, he HAS to be one.]] In ''[[ExpandedUniverse Revelation]]'' he [[spoiler:mangages to survive fighting a krogan battlemaster in close quarters combat.]]
** In the Shadow Broker's video logs, you can see him holding his own in a Citadel shootout as well as punching Udina in the stomach.
* BadassBaritone
* BadassGrandpa: Still badass even as an older captain; when [[spoiler: releasing the Normandy to Shepard, if sent to Citadel Security he'll headbutt a guard without slowing down.]] In the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, one of the videos the Broker has will show [[spoiler: Anderson being ambushed by a krogan and a quarian. He's killing ''both'' of them with just a pistol.]]
** In ''Retibution'', he faces down [[spoiler: Reaper-avatar Grayson and lives to tell the tale,]] which is pretty damed impressive when one considers that the only other person to tackle something like that was [[spoiler: Shepard - and Shepard had two buddies to back him/her up.]]
* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Fits three out of four criteria [[spoiler: because he's not bald.]]
* BigGood: While not officially leading the Alliance [[spoiler: unless you pick the Paragon end of Mass Effect]], he's certainly a contender for this trope.
** Shepard seemingly thinks so. Even a Paragon Shepard who regularly flips off the Council, the Illusive Man, and the Reapers, repeatedly demonstrating a lack of respect for authority will ''never'' mess with Anderson.
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. Later on in the game, the player can also encourage Anderson to intrude upon C-Sec controls in order to override the ''Normandy'''s lockdown protocol, which will result in Anderson ''being shot'' even though he's just trying to help Shepard save the galaxy.]]
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former will punch out the latter.
* CosmicPlaything: The Universe just piles on the crap for this guy. [[TheDeterminator He still gets up and does his job though]].
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''Mass Effect: Revelation.''
* DeskJockey: What he's demoted to when Shepard is given command of the ship. [[spoiler: You can decide whether he stays like this or gets promoted to Councilor at the end of the first game.]]
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs he'll see at least some action.]]
* DoomedHometown: According to the first Mass Effect novel ''Revelation'', Anderson was born and raised in London. [[spoiler: Guess where the Reapers first stop in Mass Effect 3 seems to be?]]
* AFatherToHisMen: Especially when it comes to Shepard.
* TheGoodCaptain
* GuestStarPartyMember: Fights with Shepard directly during the intro level of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Of ''Mass Effect: Revelation'' and ''Retribution''.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Hey [[{{Gargoyles}} Goliath!]] And [[{{Halo}} Arbiter!]] [[SaintsRow Julius]], maybe? What are you doing here?
** If players played ''ModernWarfare 2'' before playing ''VideoGame/MassEffect'', they will notice that Sgt. Foley isn't making them do entirely everything.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: In the two years between ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', 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 stupid 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]].
* KnightInSourArmor: He knows full well the galaxy is run by idiotic politicians and bureaucrats. He does not like this. He gets up and does his job anyway.
* NiceHat: He's sporting one in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* TheObiWrong: [[spoiler: He was the first candidate for human Spectre, but then he had to make way for Shepard.]]
* [[spoiler:OptOut: Whether you choose him to be the Councilor or not, Anderson opts to quit his position in Mass Effect Retribution, leaving Udina as Councilor.]]
* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: According to ''Mass Effect: Revelation'', though he doesn't have the accent.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: One of the two human authority figures Shepard can actually count on throughout the entire series (the other being Hackett).
* RebelLeader: During ''Mass Effect 3'', he decides to stay on Earth and lead LaResistance during the Reaper occupation.
* WellDoneSonGuy: The ''Shadow Broker'' DLC implies this is the relationship between him and his son.
----
[[WMG: Ambassador Donnel Udina]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Udina_6704.bmp
[[caption-width:243:[[ObstructiveBureaucrat It's just politics, Shepard.]] [[AssInAmbassador You understand.]]]]
-->''"What? Councilor, do the words [[PrecisionFStrike "political shitstorm"]] mean anything to you?"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Bill Ratner
A human diplomat at the Citadel struggling to give humans a say in intergalactic politics. And a real jerk about it.
[[hardline]]
* AssInAmbassador: In spades. The turians describe him in the second game as "a diplomatic incident waiting to happen."
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler: Can be given a Council seat at the end of the game.]]
** In ''Mass Effect: Retribution'', the novel sequel to ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[spoiler: Udina is the Councilor regardless of your choice. Anderson opts to quit his job.]]
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: While the Renegade ending leaves no doubt as to the kind of person he is, Udina sometimes seems as tired of politics as everyone else, but he has to deal with it because it's his job. This is most obvious if you talk to him after Feros.
* DividedWeFall: When he grounds Shepard as opposed to letting him/her go after the Conduit because he's afraid of losing the Council's favor.
* {{Jerkass}}: Ambassador Udina seems to enjoy his job a little too much, especially when foiling Shepard.
** JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: If you [[spoiler:give him the position on the Council]], does he serve as a "true advocate" for humanity? ''Balls no''. He goes right back to being an ObstructiveBureaucrat and [[spoiler:may even completely deny the existence of Reapers]].
* KickTheDog: He was responsible for [[spoiler: Executor Pallin's death]] in Mass Effect Inquisition where he tries to use the fact there could be enemies in the council to further a pro-human agenda
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Though he's fairly helpful at first. But not for long.
* PetTheDog: If you convince the Alliance to return Nirali Bhatia's body to her husband, Samesh, or save Chairman Burns from biotic extremists, Udina is nice enough to supply them with Shepard's e-mail address so that they can properly thank Shepard in ''Mass Effect 2''. Udina will do this even if [[spoiler:Shepard recommends Anderson to the Council.]]
* SlaveToPR
* TookALevelInJerkass: It's hard to forget, but at the beginning of Mass Effect 1, while he was not the friendliest guy, he at least would give Shepard the benefit of the doubt. But then he started basing his judgement purely on PR.
* [[spoiler:TyrantTakesTheHelm: 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''.]]
* UngratefulBastard: Even if you [[spoiler: recommend him to be on the Council]], don't expect him to give you a warm welcome in the sequel.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Pulls this card when siding with the Council against Shepard near the end of the first game.
----
[[WMG: Nihlus Kryik]]
-->'''Voiced by''': Alastair Duncan
A turian Spectre trained by Saren, Nihlus was selected to assess whether Shepard was qualified to join the Spectres and mentor him/her if that was the case. During the attack on Eden Prime, he's betrayed and killed by his old mentor.
* EtTuBrute: Killed by a shot to the head from Saren, his mentor.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Before he got to do any mentoring, even.
* TheObiWan: He was ''supposed'' to fulfill this role for Shepard. However, Saren kills him before he could really teach Shepard anything.
* SacrificialLion
* SoundOnlyDeath: Saren pulls his gun on Nihlus, and the cutscene ends before he can pull the trigger. Just as gameplay resumes, the player hears a gunshot off in the distance.
* WorthyOpponent: Samara considers him one.
----
[[WMG: Dr. Chloe Michel]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/230px-Dr__Chloe_Michel_9561.JPG
-->'''Voiced by''': Jan Alexandra Smith
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.
[[hardline]]
* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench
* TheInformant: She provides the player with information during several quests. It tends to be information of the sort you wouldn't expect an ordinary clinic Doctor to know.
* MilitaryBrat: Her parents were both Alliance military.
----
[[WMG: Talitha]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/240px-Talitha_9568.jpg
[[caption-width:240: You'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you'll be in it.]]
->"''It hurts when she...when I remember me. But she wants to remember.''"
A slave taken by batarians from the same colony from which Colonist Shepard escaped when s/he was sixteen. Shepard is told about how she escaped, but wants to kill herself, and is asked if s/he can help, having been through the raid.
[[hardline]]
* BaldWomen: Or stubble headed girl, whatever.
* FridgeHorror: Everything she suffered over her years in captivity.
** Also a disturbing look at what Shepard's life could have been, if s/he had been a little younger, or been captured.
* KickTheDog: Shepard can force her to take the sedative and make snide remarks afterwards.
-->'''Girard:''' Is she all right?\\
'''Shepard:''' I'm fine, thanks for asking.
* ShootTheDog: Talitha will either do this to herself if she feels threatened by Shepard, or Shepard can order a sniper to do so.
* ShoutOut: To ''Literature/CrimeAndPunishment'', as stated above, but Shepard's words of comfort are also taken from ''{{Film/Alien}}s''.
* StockholmSyndrome: She tried to heal the slavers when a woman came along and slaughtered them all.
* ThirdPersonPerson: How Talitha copes with what happened to her; she sees the trauma she faced as happening to another girl.
----
[[WMG: Admiral Tadius Ahern]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ahern_3753.png
[[caption-width:290:Don't just stand there looking pretty, ''kill something!'']]
->'''Shepard:''' So you run the station and the training here?\\
'''Ahern:''' Last I checked. It's better than a desk job, and a hell of a lot better than retirement.
-->'''Voiced by''': Charles Dennis
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.
[[hardline]]
* BadassBeard
* BadassGrandpa
* CoolOldGuy: As long as you can impress him in the simulations, he'll ''give you a BigFancyHouse on a remote planet'' with infinite grenades, medi-gel, a big-screen TV and, most importantly, an avenue to purchase ''the best equipment in the game.''
* DeadpanSnarker: He tends to be very caustic.
* FantasticRacism: He openly carries a grudge against turians, but to be fair, during the First Contract War he was given a near-suicidal mission against dozens of turian mercenaries. He survived.
* FourStarBadass: Same as Admiral Hackett, though not with nearly as much political power.
* LargeHamAnnouncer
* RetiredBadass: He's not technically retired (see quote above,) 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.
----
[[WMG: Captain Kirrahe]]
-->'''Voiced by''': George Szilagyi
The Captain in charge of the Special Tasks Group on Virmire. Worked with Mordin[[spoiler:to modify the genophage and deliver it to Tuchanka.]] 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.
[[hardline]]
* AllThereInTheManual: The Shadow Broker's files on Mordin show how he worked with him [[spoiler:on the modified genophage mission.]]
* TheCaptain: Has the rank and the personality for it.
* HoldTheLine: Says this alot in his RousingSpeech and can die doing it.
* KilledOffForReal: Can die if Shepard doesn't help with the base's defences.
* MeaningfulName: Named after Currahee Mountain. A mountain used during WW2 to train Paratroopers
* RousingSpeech: A fan of these. Mordin somewhat exasperated with them, preferred to get the job done instead of wasting time with "chest-pounding."
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Mordin. Referred to as a "bit of a cloaca" by Mordin in the present- [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead even if Kirrahe is dead]]; mission files held by the Shadow Broker reveal 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- Mordin poking fun at Kirrahe's insistence on following the plan to the letter and suggesting that he "[[ExpospeakGag has foreign object in cloaca]]", Kirrahe losing temper at constant jibes 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.]]"
----
[[WMG: Conrad Verner]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Conrad_4847.bmp
[[caption-width:219:[[TemptingFate What harm could there be in talking with him?]]]]
-->''"You showed me what it meant to be truly extreme. I learned that lesson well."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Jeff Page
[[hardline]]
* BadassBoast: Not that anyone takes him seriously.
-->'''Conrad:''' Why don't you sit back and let me show you how it's done? I've got some asses to kick.
* ButtMonkey
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: 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. Cue a {{facepalm}} from the asari bartender standing behind him.
* [[spoiler:CruelAndUnusualDeath: If Shepard tells him to get lost, a news report says he is killed attempting to stop youths from hitching a ride on top of a bus. It goes on to say he fell from the bus, hit several passing cars, and landed in the power turbine of a bio-mass recycling facility. Ouch.]]
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Happens in the first and second games. In the sequel, Shepard can inspire him to do something other than emulating him/her.
* DumbBlonde: A male version - good for him!
* IgnoredEpiphany: Even if Shepard chose the Paragon route in ''1'' (thereby convincing him to stay with his family), he still shows up as a wannabe mercenary in ''2''.
** Of course, this is due to a save import error, which will always assume that Conrad was dealt with in a Renegade fashion. Modifying the save to correct the error results results in an accidentally DummiedOut Paragon scene involved Conrad [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATxE9JlSOlg pretending to be Shepard's]] {{Lancer}}.
--->'''Conrad:''' [[BlatantLies I'm Commander Shepard's squadmate! I'm practically]] ''[[BlatantLies second-in-command!]]''
* IJustWantToBeBadass
* HeroicWannabe: Very much so.
* HeroWorshipper
* IrritationIsTheSincerestFormOfFlattery: He's taken to dressing like Shepard in the sequel.
* LoonyFan: Oh God yeah.
* LordErrorProne: Big time.
* MilesGloriosus: In the second game.
* MoralityPet: Potentially towards a Renegade Shepard.
--> '''Shepard:''' Conrad may be an idiot, but even he doesn't deserve to be manipulated like that!
* NeverBeAHero: The point of the second game. Shepard has had intense, high-level specialist military training, and possibly genetic enhancements and faux-psychic powers. Conrad has nothing of the sort. Leave the saving of the galaxy to Shepard. Somewhat subverted in the Paragon ending, though, because Conrad [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming finally gets that there's more than just one way to be a hero]].
* {{Squee}}: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qTZV4Xnl8 This video]] is how Conrad would've reacted without the import save file bug. Go to about 2:00 to hear him say that meeting Shep again is the happiest day of his life, fanboy squee in every word. If you take the Charm option in his quest and lie that he helped expose a dirty cop, he'll reply with a tiny, quivering, pathetic "Really?", as if he can't believe he ''actually helped you out''. Aww, Conrad!
* TedBaxter: In ''Mass Effect 2''.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: He'll get himself killed trying to prove that he's tough if you brush him off too harshly.]]
* ThisLoserIsYou: Almost everything he says and does in number two is a take that at the player. Conrad is what would happen if a real person were to emulate an RPG character.
-->'''Conrad:''' [[TalkToEveryone I talk to people, y'know? Ask them if they have big problems that only I can solve. You'd be surprised how many people are just waitin' for someone to talk to them.]] [[KleptomaniacHero Sometimes I poke through crates, too. Y'know, for extra credits.]]
----
[[WMG: Gianna Parasini]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gianna_9248.bmp
[[caption-width:207:[[DoubleEntendre I love nailing asari.]] [[ScrewYouElves So ageless and superior -- then you get them, and they squeal like schoolgirls.]]]]
-->''"You have the right to remain silent. I wish to God you'd exercise it!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Wendy Braun
An oft-undercover internal affairs agent for the consortium on Noveria that Shepard repeatedly encounters through the galaxy, repeatedly enlisting his/her aid in her investigations.
[[hardline]]
* DeadpanSnarker: She has quite a tongue when she's not pretending to be a secretary.
* DrinkOrder: She cheerfully promises Shepard a beer if s/he helps her arrest Anoleis; she delivers on that promise in the second game, [[spoiler:but only as a prelude to asking for help in another investigation.]]
* InternalAffairs: Perhaps one of the only ''good'' examples in all of fiction; she's the ''least'' irritating person who can get you a freakin' garage pass on Noveria.
* ReverseMole: When you first encounter her, she's posing as [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Administrator Anoleis's]] secretary, but [[spoiler: quickly reveals herself to be an InternalAffairs agent for some corporate conglomerate.]]
* ScrewYouElves: She currently provides the lead page quote.
* ShipTease: With Male Shepard in the second game.
----
[[WMG: Harkin]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Harkin_9786.bmp
[[caption-width:257:What'd I ever do to you?]]
-->''"Secrets are like herpes. If you got 'em, might as well spread 'em around."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Roger Jackson
A disgraced C-Sec officer known for numerous abuses of power and general disorderly conduct. Used as an obnoxious informant in the first game and [[spoiler:an obnoxious criminal in the second]].
[[hardline]]
* DirtyCop: Anderson refers to him as an embarrasment kept in office only because humanity needed bodies in C-Sec. He was kicked out the second he was no longer needed politically.
* DirtyCoward
* HeyItsThatVoice: Ewww! [[PowerpuffGirls Mojo Jojo]] was hitting on [[ActorAllusion Miss Keane!]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He attempts to hit on a female Shepard in a manner that seems designed to provoke a hostile reaction.
-->'''Harkin:''' Why don't you sit your sweet little ass down. Have a drink and we'll see where this goes.\\
'''Shepard:''' I'd rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade.
* ShutUpKirk: "Save yer sermons, this ain't no church."
----
[[WMG: Khalisah Al-Jilani]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Khalisah_4358.bmp
[[caption-width:245:[[BlatantLies The people want to hear your story.]]]]
-->''"Check the vid. We get it? Great, bull-rushed on my own show."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' April Banigan
A reporter who tries to get an interview with you in both games. The first time, she not-so-subtly accuses you of bending over backwards to please the Council; in the second, she'll present your decisions from the previous game in the worst possible light no matter what. You have the opportunity to punch her out in both cases, and even if you don't take it, the Shadow Broker videos show that plenty of others are less restrained.
[[hardline]]
* TheChewToy
* EvilCounterpart: Compared to the ''actual'' intrepid reporter, Emily Wong.
* IntrepidReporter: Sees herself as this.
** {{Paparazzi}}: What she ''really'' is.
* {{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!"[[hottip:* :Paraphrased from the Bachelor Party on Illium]]. Even xenophobes.
* MadeOfIron: The fact that she managed to survive getting punched in the face by a krogan should make her count as this.
* RunningGag: The opportunity to sucker punch her.
* SmugSnake: Especially after any physical beatdown you give her.
----
[[WMG: Nassana Dantius]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nassana_5951.bmp
[[caption-width:236:Her family has...trust issues.]]
-->''"Shepard? But...you're dead!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' GreyDeLisle
A shrewd asari politician and businesswoman. In the first game, she was being blackmailed by her SpacePirate sister, and hired Shepard to "take care" of her. Shepard encounters her again in the second game during the search for Thane, and quickly finds out that she's changed... for the worse.
[[hardline]]
* BadBoss: ''Very'' bad...
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Lets just say trust issues are the ''least'' of their problems.
* CainAndAbel: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. We learn in [=ME2=] that [[spoiler:a third sister wants her dead.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Arguably in the first game, [[spoiler:''definitely'' in the sequel.]]
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Goes from a pragmatic but ultimately decent businesswoman in the first game to a psychotic, ultra-paranoid bitch.
** FridgeBrilliance: ...or she already was a psychotic, ultra-paranoid bitch who [[ManipulativeBastard used you to kill a rival]].
* HeyItsThatVoice: It's [[AvatarTheLastAirbender Azula]]!
** This makes the CainAndAbel implications with her a little [[HilariousInHindsight funny in hindsight.]]
* ManipulativeBitch
* WrongGenreSavvy: Despite Shepard's [[CassandraTruth insistance]], she remains utterly convinced that Shepard is the OneManArmy who's slaughtered their way through the building in order to kill her... [[spoiler: then Thane drops from the ceiling behind her.]].
** Only half-wrong, because Shepard did get to her by killing a lot of people...
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Non-Council Space]]
[[WMG: The Rachni Queen]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rachni_9742.png
[[caption-width:247:What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?]]
->''"We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced. We are rachni."''
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]].
[[hardline]]
* BizarreAlienBiology: She contains the genetic material of her predecessors, which allows her to lay fertile eggs without mating. In addition, rachni communicate through whalesong-like sounds (which may be partially telepathic, since they can be [[SpaceIsNoisy heard in a near-vacuum]]) that they refer to as 'singing'.
* ChekhovsArmy: If Shepard spares her life, [[spoiler:she will send a messenger in the second game in order to pledge her support against the Reapers when the time comes]].
* GeneticMemory: Appears to be the case, at least between generations of Rachni queens.
* GenocideDilemma: On one hand, everybody and their grandma tells you about how dangerous the Rachni Wars were. On the other hand, she's done nothing wrong and swears to live in peace. It's up to Shepard to decide how it goes.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: [[spoiler:Averted in the second game; if you spare her, it seems she's held to her promise not to cause trouble, and pledges to aid you in any way that she can when the Reaper war begins.]]
* HiveQueen: [[spoiler:One of the few good examples.]]
* LastOfHerKind: She is the only remaining rachni queen, which means the rachni race will die with her if she is killed.
* 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.
** Depending on dialogue choices, Shepard can show concern that she is doing this in the second game. However, the one that Shepard's worried about is happy to help the rachni.
*** Ironically, some of the backstory clearly hints that [[spoiler:those rachni who fought in the Rachni War were controlled by the Reapers. Sort of a parallel there with the heretic Geth.]]
* ShoutOut: Done almost whole-cloth (right down to the Queens killing the daughters that didn't share "harmonious" views) from the bugs in ''EndersGame''.
* StarfishAlien
* [[IAmTheTrope We Are The Trope]]
----
[[WMG: Vigil]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vigil_6318.jpg
[[caption-width:350:My name is Vigil, you are safe here for the moment but that is likely to change. Soon, ''nowhere'' will be safe.]]
->"''You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand, or you will make the same mistakes we did.''"
-->'''Voiced by''': David Shaughnessy
A virtual intelligence on Ilos [[spoiler:that is the last voice of the Protheans, who remained active long enough to give Shepard critical information about the Reapers, and how the Protheans made one last ditch effort to warn future species about them.]]
[[hardline]]
* CozyVoiceForCatastrophes: Understandable, since it's a virtual intelligence.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Vigil's theme is not only the menu music, but in ''Mass Effect 2'', it's the music played when you and Kaiden/Ashley meet again on Horizon, when you get a hearty welcome from Wrex, and when you have the "date" with Liara on the ''Normandy'' after she [[spoiler:assumes the Shadow Broker mantle]].
* [[spoiler:FlingALightIntoTheFuture]]: Vigil's sole purpose.
* MrExposition: The rare positive variety.
* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: [[spoiler:In the sequel, apparently once Vigil "died", everything it "knew" was destroyed, making it an even riskier XanatosGambit by the Protheans.]]
* {{Omniglot}}: Learnt English merely by studying Shepard's radio chatter.
* OneSceneWonder
[[/folder]]
<<|CharacterSheets|>>
* First appearing in Mass Effect 1:
** [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Mass Effect 1 Party Members]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 2:
** [[Characters/MassEffect2PartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Party Members]]
** [[Characters/MassEffect2AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 2 Antagonists and NPCs]]
* First appearing in Mass Effect 3:
** [[Characters/MassEffect3 Mass Effect 3]]
[[foldercontrol]]
!Antagonists
[[folder:Main]]
[[WMG: Saren Arterius]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Saren_5629.jpg
[[caption-width:323:[[KnightTemplar You can't possibly understand what's at stake here.]]]]
->"''[[FantasticRacism Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard.]]''"
-->'''Voiced by''': FredTatasciore
The primary villain of the first ''MassEffect'' game, a former Spectre agent turned rogue, who takes control of an army of geth and sets out to find an artifact known as "the Conduit." [[spoiler:Is actually being controlled by Sovereign.]]
Did we forget to mention that his theme song is also the ''Game Over'' music?
[[hardline]]
* [[spoiler:[[HeroicWillpower Anti-Heroic Willpower]]: How he manages to overcome Sovereign's indoctrination long enough to kill himself.]]
* ArchEnemy: The most personal adversary to Commander Shepard, by far.
* ArtificialLimbs: Has a mechanical arm donated by the geth, and later [[spoiler:gets many Reaper implants.]]
* BattleAura: As the only turian biotic encountered thus far, he gets an appropriately awesome charge-up scene whenever he enters into battle.
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Or not.]]
* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy: By Sovereign.]]
* DarkMessiah
* [[spoiler:DrivenToSuicide: Can be talked into this during his HeelRealization.]]
* DracoInLeatherPants: In-universe. ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' reveals that there's at least one documentary portraying him as a misunderstood hero.
** The fact that during Kasumi's heist, a statue of Saren is seen as a desirable gift, seems to imply that Saren is the subject of a ''lot'' of MisaimedFandom in-universe. The DeathGlare Shepard gives the statue doesn't begin to sum up their obvious feelings about this.
* [[spoiler:TheDragon: While he at first appears to be the BigBad, he's just a puppet to his sentient flagship, [[EldritchAbomination Sovereign]].]]
* [[spoiler:DyingAsYourself: With a Charm/Intimidate, the last lucid independent thought Saren can have is to kill himself to make the [[MoreThanMindControl indoctrination]] end.]]
* DyingLikeAnimals: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, Saren is a mouse.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: In ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}'', one of the many people he beat for information was a batarian who was going to beat a prostitute. Saren makes clear he is disgusted by this, and then goes on to torture the batarian for information.
** What makes this noteworthy for Saren is that the prostitute is human, a species he openly despises.
* EvilCounterpart: Can be seen as a version of Shepard who's willing to cross the MoralEventHorizon in order to achieve "greater good." This is especially made clear in the Paragon ending of ''Mass Effect 2''.
* [[spoiler:EvilHand: The implants that reanimate him at the end of the game were given to him after Virmire; Sovereign became suspicious of him, and wanted to keep a closer eye on his pet.]]
* EvilOverlooker: Can be seen in the boxart.
* EvilSoundsDeep
* FallenHero: Though the [[{{MassEffect/Revelation}} prequel novel]] makes it clear he was always a {{jerkass}}.
* FantasticRacism: While only mentioned in the game, the novel ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}'' makes it very clear he ''hates'' humans.
* {{Fiction 500}}: He was a major investor in Binary Helix, which allowed him to fund various research projects, not to mention the veritable army of mercenaries he regularly hires.
* FoeYay: Despite his intense dislike of humans, he's ''very'' interested in getting Shepard on his side, going out of his way to do so twice in the middle of a battlefield.
* FreudianExcuse: It's suggested that his racism toward humans is because of his brother's death in the First Contact War.
** [[spoiler:It's not. His brother, Desolas, did not die during the First Contact War: he died on the turian homeworld of Palaven well after the FCW had ended. Saren was forced to kill Desolas via long range bombardment upon realizing that Desolas had become irreversibly indoctrinated by a Reaper artifact, the Arca Monolith, and planned to use the Monolith to create an army of turian husks.]]
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: If you appeal to him using Paragon options.]]
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:Can be talked into having one of these.]]
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: In the second game. While Saren is a pretty bad guy to begin with, the Council is quick to demonize him and exaggerate his villainy, in spite of the fact that [[spoiler:Saren was a pawn of Sovereign. Saren is painted as the mastermind and becomes a scapegoat so that the Council can ignore the Reaper threat.]]
* HollywoodCyborg
* KnightTemplar
* LastSecondChance: Shepard can offer him this, and if s/he is persuasive enough [[spoiler:Saren will break free just long enough to kill himself.]]
* [[spoiler:LesCollaborateurs: Seemingly, he helps the Reapers because he thinks they will spare at least some organics if Saren can prove they are helpful. Really, though, it's MoreThanMindControl in action.]]
* MachineWorship: Saren convinced the geth to obey him by doing this, acting as the 'prophet' for the return of the Reapers. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, [[MoreThanMindControl it didn't stay an act for long]].]]
* MindOverMatter: Perhaps the only turian biotic of the series so far.
* [[spoiler:MoreThanMindControl]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin Doesn't that name sound familiar?]]
** He is also named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkegaard Søren Kierkegaard]], the father of existentialism.
* NecessarilyEvil: [[spoiler:Believes that proving organics to be useful will save them from the Reapers. [[AssimilationPlot He's proven horrifically right about that by the sequel]].]]
* NGOSuperpower: He's not just a [[ShootTheDog state-sponsored terrorist]] with years of experience. He has [[SuperpoweredMooks asari commandos]]. [[BloodKnight Krogan mercenaries]]. An army of [[MechaMooks geth]]. And Binary Helix, [[MegaCorp an interstellar biotech conglomerate]] that [[{{Fiction500}} pays for all of it]]. And don't forget his [[CoolStarship Creepy Starship]].
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: At the end of the game. [[spoiler:[[DemonicPossession He doesn't]].]]
* NotSoDifferent: He's ruthless, racist, sadistic and willing to let hundreds die so long as it serves his ends. Sound familiar, Renegade Shepard?
** He also forms a small army out of the outcasts of galactic society: geth, krogan, rachni... [[spoiler: sound familiar, ''Paragon'' Shepard?]]
* ObviouslyEvil: In his very first appearance the cutscene practically draws flashing arrows pointing to the massive number of tubes festooning his back and to the glowing blue lights of cybernetics under his skin.
* [[spoiler:OneWingedAngel: When Sovereign activates his implants and takes over his body.]]
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Not that he's a paragon in the sense of the trope's meaning, Saren was still one of the best Spectres before he went very, very, very far off the rails.
* PostMortemComeback: Gets reanimated into a Husk by Sovereign. His death triggers a lowering of Sovereigns' shields and his balance, allowing the Normandy and the Alliance to take it out.
* PrimalStance: Normally, Saren's posture is wonderful. However, when he starts to get ticked off...
* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler:About being controlled by Sovereign.]]
* [[spoiler:TheQuisling: Though how much of this was his own thinking and how much was Sovereign's MoreThanMindControl is not entirely clear.]]
* RabidCop: Certainly fits the trope during ''{{MassEffect/Revelation}}''.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:He can be persuaded to kill himself so Sovereign can't make him open the Citadel Relay. Subverted since the galaxy still sees him as a monster. Ironic in that he was viewed as a legend while he was Sovereign's [[TheDragon Dragon]].]]
* RedHerring: It's implied at the beginning and in the prequel novel that Saren's driving motivation is his hatred towards humanity. [[spoiler:This is largely bogus, since it was purely coincidental that his first attack happened to be a human colony, and he's acting equally against all the galactic civilizations.]]
* RedRightHand: The massive number of cybernetics he's visibly crammed with, including a geth arm replacing one of his organic ones, kinda screams evil.
* RogueAgent: Used to be the Council's best and most famous Spectre.
* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler:Sort of. There are two stages to his boss fight, so convincing him to go through [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redemption by suicide]] simply skips the first part of the fight and propels you into the second section of the battle.]]
* SocialDarwinist: He has elements of this.
-->'''Saren''': Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard.
* StoryDrivenInvulnerability: Refreshingly averted. Every time Saren appears in the earlier parts of the game, it's either in a cutscene where Shepard isn't present, or as a hologram that Shepard is incapable of throttling. When they finally meet face-to-face, it is ''on''.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Saren's original costume design had him dressed [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-05/me-misc03.html all in black.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Wants to usher in the Reaper invasion because he believes that if organics make themselves useful, they will be spared by the Reapers (he's right, but [[SlaveRace not quite the way he hoped]]). Though it's impossible to tell how much of that belief was implanted by Sovereign, and his original plans for the ship weren't exactly nice.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: At first. He gets exposed quite early on, though.
* WeCanRuleTogether: To Shepard, twice.
* WorthyOpponent: Comes to see Shepard as one, which really says a lot about Shepard's skills considering how much he hates humans.
----
[[WMG: Matriarch Benezia]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/benezia_7291.png
[[caption-width:256:[[BadassBoast Your insolence is a poor mask for your fear.]]]]
->"''Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have.''"
-->'''Voiced by''': Marina Sirtis
A powerful asari matriarch who acts as Saren's partner. Is also Liara's mother. [[spoiler:Like Saren, she is also controlled by Sovereign.]]
[[hardline]]
* [[spoiler:AndIMustScream: Indoctrination is already a case of this, but it's even worse for Benezia as she locked part of her mind away and was fully aware what was happening the entire time.]]
* AntiVillain
* TheBaroness
* BiTheWay
* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]]
* DiscountLesbians
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?: "His mouth is on my ear... his fingers on my spine..."
* TheDragon: To Saren [[spoiler:who is also a Dragon]].
* [[spoiler:DyingAsYourself]]
* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:Not by choice.]]
* [[spoiler:FightingFromTheInside: Prior to speaking to the rachni queen. She is able to completely resist Saren's influence, after taking enough ammunition to stop an entire commando unit, long enough to help Shepard at least somewhat, but eventually succumbs to her injuries from the fight beforehand. [[IDieFree She declines medigel if offered]], saying she'd just go back to being a slave anyway.]]
* FlunkyBoss
* [[spoiler:GoIntoTheLight: Cruelly subverted by her dying words.]]
-->[[spoiler:No light? They always said there would be a � ah...]]
* [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice: Her final act is to give Shepard the coordinates to the Mu Relay and then request that they kill her so she will no longer be under Sovereign's control.]]
* HeroicWillpower: [[spoiler:That plus her biotics allow her to seal off her consciousness long enough to have a last talk with Shepard.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: [[StarTrekTheNextGeneration Deanna Troi]] and [[{{Gargoyles}} Demona]].
* [[spoiler:IDieFree: She specifically refuses medigel after Shepard's party fatally wounds her.]]
* MaleGaze: When we first see her on Saren's ship, the first things we see of her are her rear end as she walks towards Saren, and then her chest before the camera pans up.
* MindOverMatter
* NecessarilyEvil: She started off helping Saren as a way of trying to dissuade him from his destructive path. [[spoiler:Then Saren's EldritchAbomination friend got involved...]]
* OneBadMother
* RedemptionEqualsDeath
* SpikesOfVillainy
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:[[TearJerker Tells Liara this before she succumbs to Indoctrination again.]]]]
* [[spoiler:[[SuicideByCop Suicide By Spectre]]: Because she knows she can't break Sovereign's MindControl completely.]]
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:She only joined Saren because she hoped that she could stop his evil from within. Then Sovereign decided to [[MindRape chime in]]...]]
* WomanInBlack
----
[[WMG: Sovereign, aka [[spoiler: Nazara]]]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sovereign_1353.bmp
[[caption-width:191:THIS STATION IS '''MINE'''.]]
-->[[spoiler:''[[AC:"We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."]]'']]
-->'''Voiced by''': Peter Jessop
The immense vessel belonging to Saren. [[spoiler:One of the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]], which is controlling Saren and using him to find the Conduit in order to open the way for a massive Reaper invasion of the galaxy.]]
'''WARNING: [[WalkingSpoiler The entire following entry is one massive spoiler. Read at your own risk.]]'''
[[hardline]]
* AbusivePrecursors: Holds the page quote.
* BadassBoast: Pretty much his entire speech during [[WhamEpisode Planet Wham]], er, Virmire. When combined with his [[EvilSoundsDeep very, very deep]] [[VoiceOfTheLegion mechanical voice]], it can [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_NAoNd4YyY give most people the shivers.]]
-->'''Sovereign:''' [[AC:You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.]]
* BadBoss: He pretty much says flatout that he doesn't give two shits about the geth, and actually seems a bit ''insulted'' that they revere him as a god.
** That, and let's not forget about [[MoreThanMindControl Reaper]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel indo]][[AndIMustScream ctri]][[FateWorseThanDeath nation]].
* BigBad: In the first game, he's the true force behind Saren.
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: He outright tells Shepard that the reapers' motivations are incomprehensible to organics.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Sovereign is red, Harbinger is yellow. When Sovereign '''ASSUMES CONTROL''' of Saren, the possessed body is red.
* CoolStarship: ...since he ''is'' the starship.
* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: Sovereign is smart enough to actually give a villainous monologue ''without'' [[BondVillainStupidity giving away any details that would really let Shepard know how to stop it]]. It also turns out that the moment it realized that Shepard was inside Saren's base, it turned around and headed back to kill Shepard immediately, instead of leaving it to the mooks.
* EldritchAbomination: Bonus points for being a [[CoolStarship squid-shaped starship]].
* EvilGloating: Practically every single line he has.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Oh, ''hell'' yes!
* FightingAShadow: When he possesses Saren. The only time you'll fight him in the game.
* KarmicDeath: Killed by humans in the process of trying to activate the Reaper's relay.
* IShallTauntYou: Makes some pretty badass boasts.
-->"[[JustAMachine Your words]] are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction."
** Not without reason. See NighInvulnerability below.
* LightningBruiser: In naval terms. Sovereign is immense and powerful, but shockingly maneuverable and fast. At one point Joker reports that Sovereign pulls a turn that "would shear any of our ships in half."
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast
* NighInvulnerability: Comes with being a Reaper. He is destroyed but it takes the combined efforts of TWO ENTIRE FLEETS to finally bring him down.
* OneSceneWonder: He only gets a single scene with dialogue, and then one line and a couple of cutscenes after that. But '''DAMN''' are they awesome.
** In just those few scenes, he shows just how powerful ONE Reaper is, as when he's destroyed he brings almost an entire fleet with him.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The true force behind Saren.
* MeaningfulName: Both of his names are meaningful; "Sovereign" is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and "Nazara" is an early Greek translation of Nazareth.
* MindControl: Called "Indoctrination" in the game. All Reapers can do it - even when they're dead.
* TheMothership: This is what everyone on Eden Prime calls Sovereign, for lack of a better word.
* OmnicidalManiac
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Shepard's entire conversation with Sovereign consists of Shepard asking what the Reapers could possibly hope to achieve and Sovereign responding with a barrage of YouSuck and 'your-death-is-an-inevitability'-style [[IShallTauntYou taunting]].
* SapientShip
* [[ScrewYouElves Screw You Reapers]]: All Sovereign ever does is boast about the Reapers' superiority, but what happens to him? He gets blown up.
** Though he does bring almost an entire fleet down with him. [[OhCrap Without even trying]].
* TimeAbyss: Possibly ''tens of millions'' of years old.
* ViciousCycle: Unique in that he and his kind are deliberately perpetuating it. Over and over again. [[spoiler:''For millions of years.'']]
* VillainousBreakdown: His tone of voice when taking control of Saren's corpse suggests that he's more than a little pissed.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: The scary part is that he's not the only one...
* [[IAmLegion We Are Legion]]: Concerning the Reapers. And he's absolutely right, in more than one way.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Secondary]]
[[WMG: The Thorian]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thorian2_88.png
[[caption-width:250:You are within and before the Thorian. It demands that you be in awe!]]
-->"''Invaders. Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose.''"
A sentient alien plant that lives underground on the planet Feros. It is capable of controlling other sentient beings with the spores it produces by using behavioral conditioning to reshape their minds through crippling pain. Malicious and seeing all other life, sentient or otherwise, only in terms of potential thralls, it makes a deal with Saren that goes way far south.
[[hardline]]
* AttackItsWeakPoint
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It cannot conceive of any other form of sentient life as anything but a threat or potential thrall.
** Blame Saren, who broke his promise to the Thorian.
** Or don't, since in '''100,000 years'' it deigned to actually negotiate with other sentients only once. So, even if that deal had been a good one and it niced up a bit after that, that's a lot of time on the Orange side.
* EldritchAbomination
* DistaffCounterpart: [[spoiler:Let's face it, it's pretty much an organic Reaper. [[TimeAbyss Impossibly old?]] Check. [[MindControl Can control sentient beings?]] Check. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Bizzare alien morality?]] Check. [[EldritchAbomination Cthulu-esque?]] Check. The main difference is that the Reapers care nothing for anything else beyond needing them for resources, while the Thorian seems to have a god complex.]]
* TheHypnotoad[=/=]PuppeteerParasite: A bizarre combination of the two. It uses biological agents to control its slaves, but it doesn't personally invade them to do so.
* MindControl via extended...
* MindRape
* PeoplePuppets
* StationaryBoss: One that doesn't directly attack you, either. It leaves that job to the Creepers and asari clones.
* StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: It flips back and forth between this and regular speech.
* TimeAbyss: It's been alive for at least 100,000 years. [[spoiler:Long enough to witness more than one Reaper invasion, as the villains know.]]
----
[[WMG: Shiala]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Shiala_5255.bmp
[[caption-width:207:[[ShoutOut This is...]][[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries she's green.]]]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Gwendoline Yeo
An asari who followed Matriarch Benezia when she allied herself with Saren. She was later sacrificed to the Thorian in exchange for its knowledge of the Conduit and was ultimately freed by Commander Shepard. Due to the unique mind meld she experienced as the Thorian's thrall, [[spoiler:she is the only known person to have completely recovered from the effects of Reaper indoctrination]].
[[hardline]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: If you spare her life, she becomes the protector of Zhu's Hope, saying they suffered for her misdeeds and she needs to make amends.]]
* [[CloningBlues Cloning Greens]]: The Thorian used her to continuously produce asari-like biotic slaves to fight Shepard when s/he killed it on Feros.
* FaceDeathWithDignity:[[spoiler: If you decide to be a [[ShootTheDog bastard]] and kill her after hearing her story, '''and''' after she gave you vital information, she is remarkably understanding and calmly kneels down for you to shoot her in the head.]]
* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The first asari to legitimately fit the title at that!
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: If you choose to kill her on Feros, Shepard will discuss this trope before putting a bullet in her head.
* HeelFaceTurn: She understandably became disillusioned with Saren after he fed her to the Thorian. [[spoiler:The experience also had the benefit of helping her to break free of Sovereign's MindControl.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: It's [[FinalFantasyX2 Paine!]]
* MindOverMatter
* PhlebotinumBreakdown: For some reason, her powers go on the fritz if she survives being ingested by the Thorian; when you encounter her two years later her skin is green instead of blue, and her biotic powers are weak and erratic when she can use them at all.
** Which, of course, describes the Thorian-created clones of her too. Unsettling, and possibly a ChekhovsGun for Mass Effect 3.
* ShipTease: With Shepard in the second game.
----
[[WMG: Balak]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/balak_138.png
[[caption-width:234:He's not very fond of humans.]]
->"Those charges are still on a timer. Better hurry if you want to save your friends."
-->'''Voiced by''': FredTatasciore
A radical Batarian terrorist that serves as the main antagonist of the ''Bring Down The Sky'' DLC. He seeks to reignite the war between the Alliance and the Batarians by [[ColonyDrop crashing an asteroid into an Alliance colony]].
[[hardline]]
* BigBad: Of ''Bring Down The Sky''.
* FantasticRacism
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:In the Paragon ending.]]
* LaResistance: Convinced that he is but the first of a wave of batarian terrorists who will initiate a campaign of terror across human space.
* PragmaticVillainy: Balak's second-in-command and several of his men betray Balak for this reason. They're murderers and slavers, but they're in it for profit, and destroying a planet simply isn't worth their time.
* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:Forces Shepard to choose between stopping him or saving the hostages.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He tries to paint himself as this, but it's averted in that nothing he says justifies what he attempts to do. He even tries to accuse Shepard of [[spoiler: being responsible for Kate Bowman's death]] when Balak was the one who [[spoiler: set the bomb and triggers it if Shepard refuses to let him escape.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: He ''tries'' this if Shepard [[spoiler: refuses to let him go]]. He tells Shepard that [[spoiler: s/he is to blame for the deaths of Bowman and her team after Balak blows the charges.]] At his accusation that "Who's the real terrorist here?" Shepard can retort that "You are. But you're ''[[ShutUpHannibal dead]]''."
----
[[/folder]]
![=NPC=]s
[[folder: Normandy Crew]]
[[WMG: Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Joker_2368.bmp
[[caption-width:234:Sometimes I get the urge to turn off the internal compensators and pull a Crazy Ivan, you know?]]
-->''"I'm not good. I'm not even great. I'm the best damn helmsman in the Alliance fleet."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' SethGreen
The pilot of the Normandy. While he is handicapped by brittle bone disease, he's an essential member of the team, serving as MissionControl and all-around piloting badass.
[[hardline]]
* AcePilot
* [[spoiler:AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent]]: [[spoiler: The only playable character in the series other than Shepard.]]
* AscendedExtra: Joker goes from being effectively part of the scenery in the first game (never once seen outside of his pilot's chair) to having a much larger role (most notably the one referenced in the spoiler-protected entry just above this one) in the second.
* [[BadassDriver Badass Pilot]]
* BringNewsBack: [[spoiler: What Shepard tasks Joker with doing in the EverybodyDies ending. [[DontExplainTheJoke Before dying.]]]]
* CovertPervert: He is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVxYYB0knA playing]] ''pornography'' whilst flying the Normandy. EDI is aware, too.
** ..."covert"?
*** It WAS supposed to go to his earpiece.
** After a tour of the Normandy SR-2, Liara mentions that he asked if she and Shepard were planning to reenact scenes from an asari porn vid. She doesn't get the reference, but Shepard might.
*** Shepard definitely gets it as s/he starts rubbing his/her neck, with an embarrassed tone in his/her voice.
** If you didn't romance her, Joker asked if Liara had "[[LampshadedDoubleEntendre embraced eternity]]" lately.
** When Joker informs you that Jack and Miranda have started a fight in the latter's office he'll ask you to take pictures.
** ''[[RuleOfThree Covert?]]''
* DeadpanSnarker: Despite "Joker" originally being [[IronicNickname ironic]], he can lay down snark with the best of them (not surprising, given [[SethGreen who voices him]]).
-->''"I guess [[spoiler:the geth]] aren't all bad, huh? They're like EDI's ex-con uncle we don't talk about."''\\
''"I'm glad that mess is over for Tali, Commander. Some of those quarians... I guess living aboard a ship can really mess with your priorities? Not that I would know... ah, I just burned myself. Great."''\\
''"Two years and everything hits the crapper. Teach you to die on me."''
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler: The guy killed '''''Sovereign!''''']]
* DisabledSnarker: His bone disease makes him extremely cynical.
* EscalatingWar: He winds up engaged in one of these with EDI, with him muting her until his thumb breaks, her making his chair spin unexpectedly, him putting grease on her camera lenses...
* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler: Joker is literally the only person to survive the events of the second game in the worst ending]].
** Also happens when [[spoiler:EDI asks Joker to flush out the ship atmosphere to eject the invading collectors. "What about the crew?" "They are gone, Jeff. The Collectors took them."]]
* GaussianGirl: Joker cheerfully claims he was trying to invoke this when he smeared EDI's optics with grease.
* GreenEyes: Oh, those pretty, pretty emerald eyes...
* GunshipRescue
* HandicappedBadass: Joker has Vrolik's Syndrome, also known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bone disease. Basically, he can barely jog, and the slightest injury can break bones. [[spoiler: He leads the 5th fleet into battle to save the Citadel especially when if you pick a Paragon option to save the Coucil, they flew in like BigDamnHeroes. Even more badass is how Joker managed to give the final killing blow on Sovereign in a puny frigate.]]
** Notably too is that during said sequence, the normally talkative Joker is completely silent. BewareTheNiceOnes indeed!
** At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Mass Effect 2}}'', [[spoiler: the ''Normandy'' arrives to rescue Shepard and his team. The airlock opens... to reveal Joker hefting an assault rifle and taking potshots at Collectors. He even takes a couple down!]]
*** [[spoiler: Note that he is doing so ''on two broken legs and with''[[hottip:* :(likely to be an exaggeration on his part)]] ''a full set of broken ribs.'']]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Hey! [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Oz]] is flying my CoolStarship!
* HeroicBSOD: Joker suffers this when you talk to him after the Normandy crew gets captured
* ImprobablePilotingSkills: "It takes skill to bank a starship - don't think it doesn't!"
* InkSuitActor: Bears more than a passing resemblance to Seth Green.
* [[InsufferableGenius Insufferable Ace Pilot]]: Players fresh to the series might scoff at his early claims in the original ''Mass Effect'' that he's the best pilot in the Alliance. However, he demonstrates the validity of his bragging again. And again. And again.
* IronicNickname: Joker took flight school very seriously, and he was given the name Joker by an instructor who constantly needled him for being so grim. After he graduated with flying colors, he let the nickname become a conventional one.
* ItsPersonal: Joker has shades of this against the Collector Ship in the second game. It destroyed the first ''Normandy'' and dared to do the same to its successor. When Joker opens fire during the suicide mission with the upgraded cannons, he makes it perfectly clear why no-one gets away with laying a finger on ''his'' baby.
--> '''Joker''' How do you like ''that'' you sons-of-bitches?! Give them hell, girl!
* LetsGetDangerous: Near the end of the first game, the Normandy is trying to land on a planet that contains the Conduit they and Saren have been looking for. While dodging air defenses and desperately looking for a way to get down, Pressley insists they can't drop the Mako because they're too close to the ground to successfully deploy it. Joker fixes his gaze and states "I can do it". No jokes, no bravado. The best pilot in the Alliance has a job to do, and by God he's going to do it.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: After EDI [[spoiler: is unshackled and saves the ship from the Collectors]], their relationship changes. EDI even stops calling him "Mr. Moreau" and starts referring to him as "Jeff".
* MomentKiller: Cheerfully so in the first game.
* NonActionSnarker: In spades.
* PermaStubble: He once joked about Shepard recommending him for a medal after saving him/her from "swimming in molten sulfur", but is convinced he doesn't want one since he'd have to deal with the ceremony for receiving it...
-->'''Joker:''' Yeah, they'd probably make me shave too. I just spent the last seven weeks working on this baby. No medal's worth that.
* PluckyComicRelief: While other characters also have their funny moments, conversation with Joker are almost entirely optional and serve no other purpose than to be a source of comedy.
* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: Is the first to rejoin Shepard's crew and clearly wants to try to reunite as many of his former comrades from the first ''Normandy'' as he can.
* QuizzicalTilt: His reaction to EDI's 'humans on their knees' comment.
* SarcasticDevotee
* ScottyTime: Joker apparently deliberately pads his estimates to make himself look good when he pulls off whatever his tasks are in under that. EDI calls him out on this.
* ShipTease: With EDI in [=ME2=] overlapping with BelligerentSexualTension. While Joker and EDI deny they are flirting, everyone else... [[EveryoneCanSeeIt isn't convinced]].
* ShoutOut: The above picture caption quote is referencing another [[{{Firefly}} ace pilot who is known for his snarking.]]
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: While he never actually says it, his facial expression and worried "Aw, '''''shit!'''''" definitely fit when [[spoiler:the Collectors board the Normandy, and Joker finds out he has to [[strike:run]] briskly hobble all the way from the cockpit to a maintenance shaft all the way at the opposite end of the deck, '''then''' make his way to the AI core from there, all the while trying to not get dragged off or killed]].
** His reaction in the intro of Mass Effect 2, being the first to realise that the Collector WarShip have locked weapons because they ''[[OhCrap can see them]]''.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite their frequent spats, he and EDI work best when together.
* UndyingLoyalty: He will follow Shepard to hell and back, [[MagneticHero like so many other characters.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a quick one to Shepard, blaming him/her for not being on the ship [[spoiler:when the Collectors attacked and abducted the crew.]] He even threatens to leave but given his UndyingLoyalty to Shepard, it's just emotions. EDI points that out as well.
----
[[WMG: Doctor Chakwas]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Chakwas_5729.bmp
[[caption-width:224:She'll crack the bottle if you get the glasses.]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Carolyn Seymour
The chief medical officer stationed aboard the ''Normandy''. When Joker joined Cerberus, she went with him, ostensibly to keep an eye on his Vrolik's syndrome, but really to keep an eye on him.
[[hardline]]
* AscendedExtra: Is there for a bit of exposition early on, and then doesn't have much in the way of new dialog later in the game. In [=ME2=], she becomes the de facto TeamMom of the crew.
* DrinkOrder: She prefers a specialty called Serrice ice brandy. You can get a bottle for her in the second game. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Which both of you then get completely wasted on.]]
** Then has quite a MoodWhiplash as she starts remembering dead crewmembers.
* GoodLookingPrivates: Her motivation for joining the Alliance military was, in her words, "handsome soldiers with sensitive souls".
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: She's looking pretty good for a woman who is at the very least in her sixties. Justified, as the medical advances in the Mass Effect universe are far enough to make people look significantly younger than their age would imply. Chakwas is barely middle-aged in the setting.
* HeyItsThatVoice: As a polar opposite to the kind, always-looking-out-for-her-patients Chakwas, Carolyn Seymour also voices the Locust Queen in ''GearsOfWar''.
** She also voices a large number of minor characters in Knights of the Old Republic, most notably Bastila's mother.
*** FridgeBrilliance: She is a bit "motherly" to Shepard, who has the same voice actress as Bastila (if Shepard is female).
* HospitalHottie: The community apparently has something of a fetish for her. Surprisingly there isn't a shipping base for her and Shepard.
* InHarmsWay: After the destruction of the ''SSV Normandy'', Chakwas was given a post at the Mars Naval Medical Center. A pretty sweet deal actually, but the doctor couldn't stand being in one place for too long:
-->'''Dr. Chakwas:''' I've spent most of my life on warhsips, never knowing what the next mission might bring. I'm used to the hum of engines, the creaking bulkheads, the subtle vertigo when the momentum dampeners kick in. Life planetside is too static, too boring.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Granted it's mentioned repeatedly how medical advances have slowed aging in humans, but Chakwas is probably the most telling example.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: While she's a skilled doctor who patches up several crew members in the first game, in ME 2 [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Mordin]] all but takes over the job as soon as he's recruited.
** That's impossible to know for sure because the player never sees Mordin or Chakwas treating anyone, but it's fair to assume that, even if Mordin is the better medic, Chakwas would still be the one in charge of the crew's health as a means to decrease Mordin's workload so that he can concentrate on more important matters.
* SignificantAnagram: Her name is an anagram of "hacksaw."
* [[spoiler:SoleSurvivor]]: [[spoiler:If Shepard delays in saving the crew from the Collectors, Chakwas will always be the last one alive to [[WhatTheHellHero call him/her out]] for not hurrying. If she's sent back without an escort then she'll die for good.]]
* TeamMom: Chakwas is definitely the most nurturing person on either of the ''Normandys'', and often takes it upon herself to look out for the crew.
* ToAbsentFriends: One of the toasts Chakwas and Shepard can share during the brandy drinking cutscene.
* UndyingLoyalty: Do you even need to ask?
----
[[WMG: Richard L. Jenkins]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jenkins_1199.jpg
[[caption-width:200:[[TemptingFate With a name like that, surely he'll be around forever. Right?]]]]
-->'''Voiced by''': Josh Dean
An over-enthusiastic Alliance soldier from Eden Prime, he is assigned as part of your squad when everything goes to hell there. Continuing in the long Bioware tradition of early sacrificial party members, he dies in the opening few minutes.
[[hardline]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: He says he's itching for some action just before the Eden Prime mission. Too bad "action" in his case meant watching his homeworld get scorched and being gunned down by a pair of geth recon drones.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his boundless enthusiasm and naivety, various characters imply Jenkins was a very competent soldier.
* [[DoomedHometown Doomed Homeworld]]: Eden Prime is this for him. Pity he dies too soon for it to become a plot point.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Averted - Dr Chakwas reminisces about him over drinks with Shepard in the sequel.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Despite being with you for maybe a maximum of five minutes before his PlotlineDeath, he is a fully functional squad member that can be issued orders and even has some skill points for you to assign despite never having an opportunity to use any abilities.
* HeroWorshipper: To Shepard. This is rarely a good sign for a character's mortality rate this early in the story.
* HeyItsThatVoice: His VA would go on to voice another overly eager young man who gets shot first. However this time you can save him through the Paragon Interrupt.
* NaiveNewcomer
* LeeroyJenkins: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], actually, [[MeaningfulName despite the name.]] He follows Shepard's orders to the letter, though in the end it still doesn't do him much good.
* SacrificialLamb / RedShirt
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Council Space]]
[[WMG: The Citadel Council]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Council_308.bmp
[[caption-width:338:[[TemptingFate Do not cut me off again, Commander. I fail to find it amusing.]]]]
-->''"Ah yes, "Reapers"...[[NoMereWindmill We have dismissed that claim.]]"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Alastair Duncan (Turian Councilor), Jan Alexandra Smith (Asari Councilor), Armin Shimerman (Salarian Councilor)
The ruling group of most of the known Milky Way galaxy, consisting of representatives of the three [[spoiler: later four]] dominant species. [[spoiler: They can be killed in two of the three endings of the first game, after which humanity ends up either gaining a Council seat, leading a new mixed-species council or completely replacing them.]]
[[hardline]]
* CommanderContrarian: No matter ''what'' you do, even to the point of completely opposite behaviors, the turian councilor will be a jerkass.
* [[spoiler:DoomedContrarian: If you allow them to die in the [=ME1=].]]
* DyingLikeAnimals: A winning combination of bats, lemmings, ostriches, and reindeer. Hopefully they'll wise up before the third game, but the vast majority of the fanbase is skeptical.
* FantasticRacism: The turian, against humans.
* TheFederation
* TheGhost: [[spoiler: If the Council dies, their replacements are never met.]]
* HeyItsThatVoice: Is that Councilor [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Quark]] or Councilor [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Snyder]]? Maybe even Councilor [[BioShock Andrew Ryan]]? Any of those possibilities make the salarians suddenly seem a ''lot'' less trustworthy.
* IBelieveThatYouBelieveIt: One of the ways they claim the Reapers don't exist; the galaxy only has your word for it.
* IdiotBall: The turian councilor gets one without any doubt.
* JerkAss: The turian councilor takes every opportunity to deride Shepard, no matter how the player acts. The other Councilors are decidedly less judgmental.
** Also, [[spoiler: if the Council die, their replacements are evidently this. The original Council was at least nice enough to hear Shepard out and offer too reinstate him/her. The new Council won't even see him/her, with the exception of Anderson or Udina. And we all know how nice Udina is.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: The Turian Councillor. While he's often an ass about it, Shepard ''does'' frequently do erratic things and make decisions of galactic importance without bothering to consult the council first.
** Also when you consider that Turians are taught to value discipline, self-responsibility and their government is based on heriarchical meritocracy, it makes sense why he's irritated by Shepard's maverick attitude and subordinate nature to authority.
* MemeticHandGesture: To the "point" where the "turian" "councilor" cannot be "mentioned" without "air quotes." "* air quotes* "
* NoNameGiven: Except for [[spoiler:Anderson or Udina]], so far they're only known as the turian, asari and the salarian councilor. However, according to the news one of them is named Valern.
** Most of the community seems to have assumed that Valern is the turian councilor and just ran with it, and now that there's a user running around on the Bioware forums called Councilor Velarn which is probably a mod or a Bioware person, this is probably confirmed.
** According to Cerberus Daily News the asari is Councillor Tevos.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: No matter what Shepard brings to their view, they will ''never'' believe him/her.
** Did you release the Rachni queen? [[YouFool You FOOL!]] (to their credit, they don't utter that actual line) You've killed us all! Did you kill her instead? That's GENOCIDE, you monster!!! (Somewhat justified in that Shepard had no authority to make any decision at all.)
*** Shepard was a SPECTRE. That's all the authority s/he needed.
* SchmuckBait: The Citadel itself. [[spoiler: The station is actually the mass relay that normally brings in the Reapers for their regular genocides, designed specifically to attract sapients and prevent them from analyzing it too well.]]
* SchrodingersGun: The turian councilor loves using this against you. Kill [[spoiler:the Rachni?]] You're a monster and you committed genocide! Let [[spoiler:the Rachni live?]] You fool, [[spoiler:they'll kill us all!]]
** Entirely [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]]: The mere involvement of [[spoiler: the Rachni]] is enough to irredeemably sour any situation.
* TeamMom: The asari Councilor spends about half of her time in any conversation trying to calm things down between the turian and Shepard or Udina.
* TookALevelInJerkass: The turian councilor 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.
* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: Even if the player saves their lives in from Sovereign, they will still offer no help whatsoever in stopping the Collectors beyond the reinstatement of Shepard's Spectre status.]] The fact you're working for what is essentially a terrorist group may have something to do with it.
** To be fair, the asari councilor seems grateful, the salarian councilor seems neutral and they both deny the Reapers as reasonably as possible. The turian councilor on the other hand continues to be a complete {{Jerkass}} to Shepard.
----
[[WMG: Captain David Anderson]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CaptainAnderson1_6457.jpg
[[caption-width:401:They say that if he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-sized statue of himself.]]
-->''"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."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' KeithDavid
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.
[[hardline]]
* {{Badass}}: [[spoiler: He was considered to become the first human Spectre before Shepard, he HAS to be one.]] In ''[[ExpandedUniverse Revelation]]'' he [[spoiler:mangages to survive fighting a krogan battlemaster in close quarters combat.]]
** In the Shadow Broker's video logs, you can see him holding his own in a Citadel shootout as well as punching Udina in the stomach.
* BadassBaritone
* BadassGrandpa: Still badass even as an older captain; when [[spoiler: releasing the Normandy to Shepard, if sent to Citadel Security he'll headbutt a guard without slowing down.]] In the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, one of the videos the Broker has will show [[spoiler: Anderson being ambushed by a krogan and a quarian. He's killing ''both'' of them with just a pistol.]]
** In ''Retibution'', he faces down [[spoiler: Reaper-avatar Grayson and lives to tell the tale,]] which is pretty damed impressive when one considers that the only other person to tackle something like that was [[spoiler: Shepard - and Shepard had two buddies to back him/her up.]]
* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Fits three out of four criteria [[spoiler: because he's not bald.]]
* BigGood: While not officially leading the Alliance [[spoiler: unless you pick the Paragon end of Mass Effect]], he's certainly a contender for this trope.
** Shepard seemingly thinks so. Even a Paragon Shepard who regularly flips off the Council, the Illusive Man, and the Reapers, repeatedly demonstrating a lack of respect for authority will ''never'' mess with Anderson.
* ButtMonkey: He has to take crap from [[spoiler: Saren, who ruined Anderson's chances to become a Spectre by blaming the destruction of an element zero refinery on him in Mass Effect: Revelation; Udina, who belittles Anderson and complains about everything he says in addition to shafting him mid-game, [[TheObiWrong forcing him to step down and hand over the ''Normandy'' to Shepard]]. Later on in the game, the player can also encourage Anderson to intrude upon C-Sec controls in order to override the ''Normandy'''s lockdown protocol, which will result in Anderson ''being shot'' even though he's just trying to help Shepard save the galaxy.]]
** Of course, the latter incident also involves Anderson headbutting a turian. The player can also make up for these various indignities by recommending Anderson for humanity's new seat on the Citadel Council.
** If you send Anderson to Udina's office instead of C-Sec, the former will punch out the latter.
* CosmicPlaything: The Universe just piles on the crap for this guy. [[TheDeterminator He still gets up and does his job though]].
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''Mass Effect: Revelation.''
* DeskJockey: What he's demoted to when Shepard is given command of the ship. [[spoiler: You can decide whether he stays like this or gets promoted to Councilor at the end of the first game.]]
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs he'll see at least some action.]]
* DoomedHometown: According to the first Mass Effect novel ''Revelation'', Anderson was born and raised in London. [[spoiler: Guess where the Reapers first stop in Mass Effect 3 seems to be?]]
* AFatherToHisMen: Especially when it comes to Shepard.
* TheGoodCaptain
* GuestStarPartyMember: Fights with Shepard directly during the intro level of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Of ''Mass Effect: Revelation'' and ''Retribution''.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Hey [[{{Gargoyles}} Goliath!]] And [[{{Halo}} Arbiter!]] [[SaintsRow Julius]], maybe? What are you doing here?
** If players played ''ModernWarfare 2'' before playing ''VideoGame/MassEffect'', they will notice that Sgt. Foley isn't making them do entirely everything.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: In the two years between ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', 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 stupid 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]].
* KnightInSourArmor: He knows full well the galaxy is run by idiotic politicians and bureaucrats. He does not like this. He gets up and does his job anyway.
* NiceHat: He's sporting one in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* TheObiWrong: [[spoiler: He was the first candidate for human Spectre, but then he had to make way for Shepard.]]
* [[spoiler:OptOut: Whether you choose him to be the Councilor or not, Anderson opts to quit his position in Mass Effect Retribution, leaving Udina as Councilor.]]
* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: According to ''Mass Effect: Revelation'', though he doesn't have the accent.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: One of the two human authority figures Shepard can actually count on throughout the entire series (the other being Hackett).
* RebelLeader: During ''Mass Effect 3'', he decides to stay on Earth and lead LaResistance during the Reaper occupation.
* WellDoneSonGuy: The ''Shadow Broker'' DLC implies this is the relationship between him and his son.
----
[[WMG: Ambassador Donnel Udina]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Udina_6704.bmp
[[caption-width:243:[[ObstructiveBureaucrat It's just politics, Shepard.]] [[AssInAmbassador You understand.]]]]
-->''"What? Councilor, do the words [[PrecisionFStrike "political shitstorm"]] mean anything to you?"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Bill Ratner
A human diplomat at the Citadel struggling to give humans a say in intergalactic politics. And a real jerk about it.
[[hardline]]
* AssInAmbassador: In spades. The turians describe him in the second game as "a diplomatic incident waiting to happen."
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler: Can be given a Council seat at the end of the game.]]
** In ''Mass Effect: Retribution'', the novel sequel to ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[spoiler: Udina is the Councilor regardless of your choice. Anderson opts to quit his job.]]
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: While the Renegade ending leaves no doubt as to the kind of person he is, Udina sometimes seems as tired of politics as everyone else, but he has to deal with it because it's his job. This is most obvious if you talk to him after Feros.
* DividedWeFall: When he grounds Shepard as opposed to letting him/her go after the Conduit because he's afraid of losing the Council's favor.
* {{Jerkass}}: Ambassador Udina seems to enjoy his job a little too much, especially when foiling Shepard.
** JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: If you [[spoiler:give him the position on the Council]], does he serve as a "true advocate" for humanity? ''Balls no''. He goes right back to being an ObstructiveBureaucrat and [[spoiler:may even completely deny the existence of Reapers]].
* KickTheDog: He was responsible for [[spoiler: Executor Pallin's death]] in Mass Effect Inquisition where he tries to use the fact there could be enemies in the council to further a pro-human agenda
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Though he's fairly helpful at first. But not for long.
* PetTheDog: If you convince the Alliance to return Nirali Bhatia's body to her husband, Samesh, or save Chairman Burns from biotic extremists, Udina is nice enough to supply them with Shepard's e-mail address so that they can properly thank Shepard in ''Mass Effect 2''. Udina will do this even if [[spoiler:Shepard recommends Anderson to the Council.]]
* SlaveToPR
* TookALevelInJerkass: It's hard to forget, but at the beginning of Mass Effect 1, while he was not the friendliest guy, he at least would give Shepard the benefit of the doubt. But then he started basing his judgement purely on PR.
* [[spoiler:TyrantTakesTheHelm: 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''.]]
* UngratefulBastard: Even if you [[spoiler: recommend him to be on the Council]], don't expect him to give you a warm welcome in the sequel.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Pulls this card when siding with the Council against Shepard near the end of the first game.
----
[[WMG: Nihlus Kryik]]
-->'''Voiced by''': Alastair Duncan
A turian Spectre trained by Saren, Nihlus was selected to assess whether Shepard was qualified to join the Spectres and mentor him/her if that was the case. During the attack on Eden Prime, he's betrayed and killed by his old mentor.
* EtTuBrute: Killed by a shot to the head from Saren, his mentor.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Before he got to do any mentoring, even.
* TheObiWan: He was ''supposed'' to fulfill this role for Shepard. However, Saren kills him before he could really teach Shepard anything.
* SacrificialLion
* SoundOnlyDeath: Saren pulls his gun on Nihlus, and the cutscene ends before he can pull the trigger. Just as gameplay resumes, the player hears a gunshot off in the distance.
* WorthyOpponent: Samara considers him one.
----
[[WMG: Dr. Chloe Michel]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/230px-Dr__Chloe_Michel_9561.JPG
-->'''Voiced by''': Jan Alexandra Smith
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.
[[hardline]]
* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench
* TheInformant: She provides the player with information during several quests. It tends to be information of the sort you wouldn't expect an ordinary clinic Doctor to know.
* MilitaryBrat: Her parents were both Alliance military.
----
[[WMG: Talitha]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/240px-Talitha_9568.jpg
[[caption-width:240: You'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you'll be in it.]]
->"''It hurts when she...when I remember me. But she wants to remember.''"
A slave taken by batarians from the same colony from which Colonist Shepard escaped when s/he was sixteen. Shepard is told about how she escaped, but wants to kill herself, and is asked if s/he can help, having been through the raid.
[[hardline]]
* BaldWomen: Or stubble headed girl, whatever.
* FridgeHorror: Everything she suffered over her years in captivity.
** Also a disturbing look at what Shepard's life could have been, if s/he had been a little younger, or been captured.
* KickTheDog: Shepard can force her to take the sedative and make snide remarks afterwards.
-->'''Girard:''' Is she all right?\\
'''Shepard:''' I'm fine, thanks for asking.
* ShootTheDog: Talitha will either do this to herself if she feels threatened by Shepard, or Shepard can order a sniper to do so.
* ShoutOut: To ''Literature/CrimeAndPunishment'', as stated above, but Shepard's words of comfort are also taken from ''{{Film/Alien}}s''.
* StockholmSyndrome: She tried to heal the slavers when a woman came along and slaughtered them all.
* ThirdPersonPerson: How Talitha copes with what happened to her; she sees the trauma she faced as happening to another girl.
----
[[WMG: Admiral Tadius Ahern]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ahern_3753.png
[[caption-width:290:Don't just stand there looking pretty, ''kill something!'']]
->'''Shepard:''' So you run the station and the training here?\\
'''Ahern:''' Last I checked. It's better than a desk job, and a hell of a lot better than retirement.
-->'''Voiced by''': Charles Dennis
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.
[[hardline]]
* BadassBeard
* BadassGrandpa
* CoolOldGuy: As long as you can impress him in the simulations, he'll ''give you a BigFancyHouse on a remote planet'' with infinite grenades, medi-gel, a big-screen TV and, most importantly, an avenue to purchase ''the best equipment in the game.''
* DeadpanSnarker: He tends to be very caustic.
* FantasticRacism: He openly carries a grudge against turians, but to be fair, during the First Contract War he was given a near-suicidal mission against dozens of turian mercenaries. He survived.
* FourStarBadass: Same as Admiral Hackett, though not with nearly as much political power.
* LargeHamAnnouncer
* RetiredBadass: He's not technically retired (see quote above,) 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.
----
[[WMG: Captain Kirrahe]]
-->'''Voiced by''': George Szilagyi
The Captain in charge of the Special Tasks Group on Virmire. Worked with Mordin[[spoiler:to modify the genophage and deliver it to Tuchanka.]] 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.
[[hardline]]
* AllThereInTheManual: The Shadow Broker's files on Mordin show how he worked with him [[spoiler:on the modified genophage mission.]]
* TheCaptain: Has the rank and the personality for it.
* HoldTheLine: Says this alot in his RousingSpeech and can die doing it.
* KilledOffForReal: Can die if Shepard doesn't help with the base's defences.
* MeaningfulName: Named after Currahee Mountain. A mountain used during WW2 to train Paratroopers
* RousingSpeech: A fan of these. Mordin somewhat exasperated with them, preferred to get the job done instead of wasting time with "chest-pounding."
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Mordin. Referred to as a "bit of a cloaca" by Mordin in the present- [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead even if Kirrahe is dead]]; mission files held by the Shadow Broker reveal 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- Mordin poking fun at Kirrahe's insistence on following the plan to the letter and suggesting that he "[[ExpospeakGag has foreign object in cloaca]]", Kirrahe losing temper at constant jibes 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.]]"
----
[[WMG: Conrad Verner]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Conrad_4847.bmp
[[caption-width:219:[[TemptingFate What harm could there be in talking with him?]]]]
-->''"You showed me what it meant to be truly extreme. I learned that lesson well."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Jeff Page
[[hardline]]
* BadassBoast: Not that anyone takes him seriously.
-->'''Conrad:''' Why don't you sit back and let me show you how it's done? I've got some asses to kick.
* ButtMonkey
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: 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. Cue a {{facepalm}} from the asari bartender standing behind him.
* [[spoiler:CruelAndUnusualDeath: If Shepard tells him to get lost, a news report says he is killed attempting to stop youths from hitching a ride on top of a bus. It goes on to say he fell from the bus, hit several passing cars, and landed in the power turbine of a bio-mass recycling facility. Ouch.]]
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Happens in the first and second games. In the sequel, Shepard can inspire him to do something other than emulating him/her.
* DumbBlonde: A male version - good for him!
* IgnoredEpiphany: Even if Shepard chose the Paragon route in ''1'' (thereby convincing him to stay with his family), he still shows up as a wannabe mercenary in ''2''.
** Of course, this is due to a save import error, which will always assume that Conrad was dealt with in a Renegade fashion. Modifying the save to correct the error results results in an accidentally DummiedOut Paragon scene involved Conrad [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATxE9JlSOlg pretending to be Shepard's]] {{Lancer}}.
--->'''Conrad:''' [[BlatantLies I'm Commander Shepard's squadmate! I'm practically]] ''[[BlatantLies second-in-command!]]''
* IJustWantToBeBadass
* HeroicWannabe: Very much so.
* HeroWorshipper
* IrritationIsTheSincerestFormOfFlattery: He's taken to dressing like Shepard in the sequel.
* LoonyFan: Oh God yeah.
* LordErrorProne: Big time.
* MilesGloriosus: In the second game.
* MoralityPet: Potentially towards a Renegade Shepard.
--> '''Shepard:''' Conrad may be an idiot, but even he doesn't deserve to be manipulated like that!
* NeverBeAHero: The point of the second game. Shepard has had intense, high-level specialist military training, and possibly genetic enhancements and faux-psychic powers. Conrad has nothing of the sort. Leave the saving of the galaxy to Shepard. Somewhat subverted in the Paragon ending, though, because Conrad [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming finally gets that there's more than just one way to be a hero]].
* {{Squee}}: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qTZV4Xnl8 This video]] is how Conrad would've reacted without the import save file bug. Go to about 2:00 to hear him say that meeting Shep again is the happiest day of his life, fanboy squee in every word. If you take the Charm option in his quest and lie that he helped expose a dirty cop, he'll reply with a tiny, quivering, pathetic "Really?", as if he can't believe he ''actually helped you out''. Aww, Conrad!
* TedBaxter: In ''Mass Effect 2''.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: He'll get himself killed trying to prove that he's tough if you brush him off too harshly.]]
* ThisLoserIsYou: Almost everything he says and does in number two is a take that at the player. Conrad is what would happen if a real person were to emulate an RPG character.
-->'''Conrad:''' [[TalkToEveryone I talk to people, y'know? Ask them if they have big problems that only I can solve. You'd be surprised how many people are just waitin' for someone to talk to them.]] [[KleptomaniacHero Sometimes I poke through crates, too. Y'know, for extra credits.]]
----
[[WMG: Gianna Parasini]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gianna_9248.bmp
[[caption-width:207:[[DoubleEntendre I love nailing asari.]] [[ScrewYouElves So ageless and superior -- then you get them, and they squeal like schoolgirls.]]]]
-->''"You have the right to remain silent. I wish to God you'd exercise it!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Wendy Braun
An oft-undercover internal affairs agent for the consortium on Noveria that Shepard repeatedly encounters through the galaxy, repeatedly enlisting his/her aid in her investigations.
[[hardline]]
* DeadpanSnarker: She has quite a tongue when she's not pretending to be a secretary.
* DrinkOrder: She cheerfully promises Shepard a beer if s/he helps her arrest Anoleis; she delivers on that promise in the second game, [[spoiler:but only as a prelude to asking for help in another investigation.]]
* InternalAffairs: Perhaps one of the only ''good'' examples in all of fiction; she's the ''least'' irritating person who can get you a freakin' garage pass on Noveria.
* ReverseMole: When you first encounter her, she's posing as [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Administrator Anoleis's]] secretary, but [[spoiler: quickly reveals herself to be an InternalAffairs agent for some corporate conglomerate.]]
* ScrewYouElves: She currently provides the lead page quote.
* ShipTease: With Male Shepard in the second game.
----
[[WMG: Harkin]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Harkin_9786.bmp
[[caption-width:257:What'd I ever do to you?]]
-->''"Secrets are like herpes. If you got 'em, might as well spread 'em around."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Roger Jackson
A disgraced C-Sec officer known for numerous abuses of power and general disorderly conduct. Used as an obnoxious informant in the first game and [[spoiler:an obnoxious criminal in the second]].
[[hardline]]
* DirtyCop: Anderson refers to him as an embarrasment kept in office only because humanity needed bodies in C-Sec. He was kicked out the second he was no longer needed politically.
* DirtyCoward
* HeyItsThatVoice: Ewww! [[PowerpuffGirls Mojo Jojo]] was hitting on [[ActorAllusion Miss Keane!]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He attempts to hit on a female Shepard in a manner that seems designed to provoke a hostile reaction.
-->'''Harkin:''' Why don't you sit your sweet little ass down. Have a drink and we'll see where this goes.\\
'''Shepard:''' I'd rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade.
* ShutUpKirk: "Save yer sermons, this ain't no church."
----
[[WMG: Khalisah Al-Jilani]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Khalisah_4358.bmp
[[caption-width:245:[[BlatantLies The people want to hear your story.]]]]
-->''"Check the vid. We get it? Great, bull-rushed on my own show."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' April Banigan
A reporter who tries to get an interview with you in both games. The first time, she not-so-subtly accuses you of bending over backwards to please the Council; in the second, she'll present your decisions from the previous game in the worst possible light no matter what. You have the opportunity to punch her out in both cases, and even if you don't take it, the Shadow Broker videos show that plenty of others are less restrained.
[[hardline]]
* TheChewToy
* EvilCounterpart: Compared to the ''actual'' intrepid reporter, Emily Wong.
* IntrepidReporter: Sees herself as this.
** {{Paparazzi}}: What she ''really'' is.
* {{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!"[[hottip:* :Paraphrased from the Bachelor Party on Illium]]. Even xenophobes.
* MadeOfIron: The fact that she managed to survive getting punched in the face by a krogan should make her count as this.
* RunningGag: The opportunity to sucker punch her.
* SmugSnake: Especially after any physical beatdown you give her.
----
[[WMG: Nassana Dantius]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nassana_5951.bmp
[[caption-width:236:Her family has...trust issues.]]
-->''"Shepard? But...you're dead!"''
-->'''Voiced by:''' GreyDeLisle
A shrewd asari politician and businesswoman. In the first game, she was being blackmailed by her SpacePirate sister, and hired Shepard to "take care" of her. Shepard encounters her again in the second game during the search for Thane, and quickly finds out that she's changed... for the worse.
[[hardline]]
* BadBoss: ''Very'' bad...
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Lets just say trust issues are the ''least'' of their problems.
* CainAndAbel: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. We learn in [=ME2=] that [[spoiler:a third sister wants her dead.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Arguably in the first game, [[spoiler:''definitely'' in the sequel.]]
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Goes from a pragmatic but ultimately decent businesswoman in the first game to a psychotic, ultra-paranoid bitch.
** FridgeBrilliance: ...or she already was a psychotic, ultra-paranoid bitch who [[ManipulativeBastard used you to kill a rival]].
* HeyItsThatVoice: It's [[AvatarTheLastAirbender Azula]]!
** This makes the CainAndAbel implications with her a little [[HilariousInHindsight funny in hindsight.]]
* ManipulativeBitch
* WrongGenreSavvy: Despite Shepard's [[CassandraTruth insistance]], she remains utterly convinced that Shepard is the OneManArmy who's slaughtered their way through the building in order to kill her... [[spoiler: then Thane drops from the ceiling behind her.]].
** Only half-wrong, because Shepard did get to her by killing a lot of people...
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Non-Council Space]]
[[WMG: The Rachni Queen]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rachni_9742.png
[[caption-width:247:What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?]]
->''"We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced. We are rachni."''
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]].
[[hardline]]
* BizarreAlienBiology: She contains the genetic material of her predecessors, which allows her to lay fertile eggs without mating. In addition, rachni communicate through whalesong-like sounds (which may be partially telepathic, since they can be [[SpaceIsNoisy heard in a near-vacuum]]) that they refer to as 'singing'.
* ChekhovsArmy: If Shepard spares her life, [[spoiler:she will send a messenger in the second game in order to pledge her support against the Reapers when the time comes]].
* GeneticMemory: Appears to be the case, at least between generations of Rachni queens.
* GenocideDilemma: On one hand, everybody and their grandma tells you about how dangerous the Rachni Wars were. On the other hand, she's done nothing wrong and swears to live in peace. It's up to Shepard to decide how it goes.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: [[spoiler:Averted in the second game; if you spare her, it seems she's held to her promise not to cause trouble, and pledges to aid you in any way that she can when the Reaper war begins.]]
* HiveQueen: [[spoiler:One of the few good examples.]]
* LastOfHerKind: She is the only remaining rachni queen, which means the rachni race will die with her if she is killed.
* 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.
** Depending on dialogue choices, Shepard can show concern that she is doing this in the second game. However, the one that Shepard's worried about is happy to help the rachni.
*** Ironically, some of the backstory clearly hints that [[spoiler:those rachni who fought in the Rachni War were controlled by the Reapers. Sort of a parallel there with the heretic Geth.]]
* ShoutOut: Done almost whole-cloth (right down to the Queens killing the daughters that didn't share "harmonious" views) from the bugs in ''EndersGame''.
* StarfishAlien
* [[IAmTheTrope We Are The Trope]]
----
[[WMG: Vigil]]
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vigil_6318.jpg
[[caption-width:350:My name is Vigil, you are safe here for the moment but that is likely to change. Soon, ''nowhere'' will be safe.]]
->"''You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand, or you will make the same mistakes we did.''"
-->'''Voiced by''': David Shaughnessy
A virtual intelligence on Ilos [[spoiler:that is the last voice of the Protheans, who remained active long enough to give Shepard critical information about the Reapers, and how the Protheans made one last ditch effort to warn future species about them.]]
[[hardline]]
* CozyVoiceForCatastrophes: Understandable, since it's a virtual intelligence.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Vigil's theme is not only the menu music, but in ''Mass Effect 2'', it's the music played when you and Kaiden/Ashley meet again on Horizon, when you get a hearty welcome from Wrex, and when you have the "date" with Liara on the ''Normandy'' after she [[spoiler:assumes the Shadow Broker mantle]].
* [[spoiler:FlingALightIntoTheFuture]]: Vigil's sole purpose.
* MrExposition: The rare positive variety.
* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: [[spoiler:In the sequel, apparently once Vigil "died", everything it "knew" was destroyed, making it an even riskier XanatosGambit by the Protheans.]]
* {{Omniglot}}: Learnt English merely by studying Shepard's radio chatter.
* OneSceneWonder
[[/folder]]
<<|CharacterSheets|>>
