History MassEffect / TropesEToH

** The quarians, having no homeworld of their own beyond an aging spacefleet, are often considered unwanted vagrants or thieves wherever they turn up, assuming they aren't being blamed for unleashing the Geth on the galaxy. They are called unflattering names by Citadel races, regarded with suspicion by law enforcement, and are often used as scapegoats if something goes wrong: Tali mentions that Quarians aren't considered welcome in some parts of the Citadel, and C-Sec grilled her for hours before letting her onto the station. In Mass Effect 2, this prejudice is aptly demonstrated when a Volus misplaces his credit chit and accuses a nearby Quarian of stealing it - and when Shepard finds said chit exactly where its owner had forgotten it, the volus attempts to save face by remarking that she could have stolen it.

** The Vorcha: a primitive species known for their short lives, regenerative powers and fast-breeding tendencies, they're widely considered to be pests in the communities where they end up, to the point that scenes on Omega indicate that they're targets of preventative culling. Though not an automatically violent species by nature, Vorcha are often forcibly recruited by the Blood Pack to serve as shock troops - and even then, they're treated as little more than CannonFodder; in another scene on Omega, one Blood Pack captain casually guns down a Vorcha underling just to demonstrate a point. Those who don't work as soldiers often eke out a living as scavengers.

** The Volus live in a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere, forcing them to use full body suits when dealing with other species.
** The Quarians are a wandering species and after centuries of living in sterilized environments they lost most of their immune system, thus they always use enviro-suits, to protect them from disease or infection, when dealing with other races.

** The Quarians, having no homeworld of their own beyond an aging spacefleet, are often considered unwanted vagrants or thieves wherever they turn up, assuming they aren't being blamed for unleashing the Geth on the galaxy. They are called unflattering names by Citadel races, regarded with suspicion by law enforcement, and are often used as scapegoats if something goes wrong: Tali mentions that Quarians aren't considered welcome in some parts of the Citadel, and C-Sec grilled her for hours before letting her onto the station. In Mass Effect 2, this prejudice is aptly demonstrated when a Volus misplaces his credit chit and accuses a nearby Quarian of stealing it - and when Shepard finds said chit exactly where its owner had forgotten it, the Volus attempts to save face by remarking that she could have stolen it.

** The quarians can't let go of their grudge against the Geth, a race of robots they created as servants, after the latter banished them from their homeworld. When it turns out that a large portion of Geth were working to rebuild the quarian homeworld for the eventual return of the Quarians, [[spoiler:Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema]] wants to destroy them. If Shepard, Tali, and [[spoiler:Legion]] don't convince him, the Geth will destroy the Migrant Fleet and wipe most if not all quarians aboard the ships.

* GenocideDilemma: With the rachni and the krogan. The Council seemed eager enough to wipe the rachni out (though the fact that the rachni have a HiveMind centered around the queens, who were securely defended on the rachni homeworlds had a part in this, since the Council simply ''couldn't'' communicate to them), but tried to avoid outright genocide with the krogan, settling for the [[DepopulationBomb genophage]]. However, ignorance of krogan psychology has essentially led to delayed genocide. [[spoiler: However, you get the chance to bring the rachni back into the galaxy, and it's looking like you can at the very least partially undo the genophage's effect in the future...]] In the third game, Shepard holds the fate of the krogan, quarians, and geth in their hands, and must decide whether these ''species'' live or die.

* GhostPlanet: Ilos. All of Shepard's team, including the krogan, comment on how utterly creepy and ''wrong'' the place feels.

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The (blue-skinned) asari were originally designed (as stated in the art book) to be "a race of beautiful 'green alien girls'," as much of the game's universe is nostalgically built upon the familiar sci-fi tropes of yesteryear. And, thanks to a delayed reaction to exposure to the Thorian's spores, one of them turns green for the second game.

* GuiltFreeExterminationWar: The quarians and Geth have been merrily attempting genocide on each other for three hundred years by the time of the games. The remnants have their final battle, one way or the other, in the third game. [[spoiler: Both sides are willing to accept peace, but neither seriously believes the other is; actually achieving this is the arc's GoldenEnding.]]

* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster: The stigma among biotics in human society seems to lean closer to this than FantasticRacism, since virtually anyone exposed to Element Zero could possibly be born a biotic, regardless of race.

** The Jardaan, who created a massive terraforming network that can analyse a planet's atmosphere, determine the best way to fix environmental damage and how to implement it in ''minutes'', and [[spoiler:created an entire species, apparently just because they ''could.'' Also, their unidentified enemies, who cooked up a Negative Space Wedgie that violates nearly every physical law just to get rid of them.]]

* HumorlessAliens: The turians, the elcor, and the geth, in different ways. See the trope page for details.

* GreyingMorality:

* GenderNeutralWriting: Wholly averted, though not often; because most conversations are with Shepard, not about them, their gender isn't brought up much. But when the occasion arises the writers do not shy away from it. [[BiTheWay Most]] of the romances are gender-unique, and there are several other gender-unique scenes as well. For example, in [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 the second game]], there is a scene where a merc recruiter calls female Shepard a stripper. Bad idea.

** Finally averted in ''Andromeda'', when female Turians and Krogan are common. There are still only a few explicitly female Salarians, but they look exactly like the males so it's hard to tell how many are around in general.

* EvilIsAngular The [[spoiler Reapers]] were at the very least aware of this trope and exploited it to their advantage; while their design is very much like [[spoiler: big, scary, and spiky metallic cuttlefish, utilizing 'spikes' to indoctrinate and convert those they can get their hands on]]. The tech they leave behind after [[spoiler: a successful harvest]] has soft curves to entice its discoverers into using it. [[spoiler: It has worked for at least a ''billion'' years]].

* EverythingsSquishierWithCephalopods: The Reapers look a little like squids, with tentacle-like arms and elongated hulls. [[spoiler:Justified, as they actually are shaped after a water-dwelling organic species that created them]].

* ExplosiveBreeder: Formerly the krogan, as an adaptation to [[DeathWorld Tuchanka]]. At least before they got slapped with [[DepopulationBomb the genophage]].

* HumansAreFlawed: Rather hypocritically used by various non-humans as arguments for why they shouldn't be given special status. Played straight in the third game, with Hackett leading the entire galactic fleet and Shepard being the key player in developing alliances between all the races.
* HumansAreLeaders: Subtler than most works, but still a present undertone throughout the series.

* HumansAreFlawed: Rather hypocritically used by various non-humans as arguments for why they shouldn't be given special status.

* FantasticSlurs: With all the FantasticRacism flying around, it's surprising that the most memorable slur is 'pureblood' for a child who has two asari mothers, only a few of whom are encountered in the games. Granted, one is a party member, but still.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has Kai Leng, who brags about how either [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice Thane or Kirrahe]]]] died like cowards if he killed them yet in the game repeatedly proves that he's a DirtyCoward who relies more on [[GunshipRescue firepower]] or [[FlunkyBoss manpower]] rather than personal skill when confronting Shepard and tends to run whenever things go south for him. Not to mention that they went down fighting. Leng's last act? [[spoiler:Trying to stab Shepard while their back is turned.]]

* FirstContact: A disastrous version for humanity, which is explored in the backstory and a prequel novel. Not long after humanity began to expand into the galaxy, the turians found a group of human merchant ships opening a mass relay — something that's illegal by Citadel law, but [[PoorCommunicationKills not something that humanity could have known at the time]]. Cue a short but heated conflict in which the number of casualties is altogether very low for an interstellar war, but allows humanity to prove its military prowess despite having absolutely no experience with space combat. Hostilities ended when the Citadel Council stepped in and reprimanded the turians for shooting before asking questions, and allowing humanity to step into the greater galaxy in peace.

** Oh no! Your best buddy/love interest just took a sniper to the face and is lying on the ground, lifeless ! Oh well, just you wait until the fight is over or apply some medi-gel on their torn-off skull and they'll happily jump back on their feet, good as new and ready to get back to their daily dose of asskicking ! Unless the same thing happens in a cutscene, of course, as many of your squadmates can painfully realize depending on the way you play.

* GhostPlanet: Ilos.

* HenchmenRace: [[spoiler: The keepers and Collectors, after the Reapers [[MindRape finished with them, mentally and physically]]]].

* HeroicNeutral: [[spoiler: The vast majority of the geth, as it turns out, though they appear to be willing to help the rest of the galaxy if that's the best way to beat the Reapers. Mostly, though, they just want to be left alone]].

* HigherTechSpecies: The Protheans, all the way. [[spoiler:Even taking into consideration the fact that the mass relay system and the Citadel weren't actually made by them, their custom technology is still pretty incredible, and they did build one prototype relay of their own before being destroyed.]] Also, the Collectors, and [[spoiler: the Reapers, who ''were'' the ones who made the mass relay system. And the Collectors get their technology from the Reapers]]. And if the AI they created (and the things the AI itself created) is any indication, [[spoiler: the Leviathans]] definitely count.

** And then, there's the coup de grace of this universe: [[spoiler: a small cabal of asari matriarchs. The Council made a law stating that anyone who withholds Prothean technology will be fined severely and the tech will be taken from them, with extreme force if necessary, so it can be shared with the galaxy at large. Then [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 the third game]] reveals that the highest officials of the asari "government" have possibly the only intact Prothean beacon in existence. Obviously, this gives them a massive advantage, especially considering they've had it since their Stone Age and hid it in an ancient temple.]]

* EpiphanyTherapy: Averted on almost every occasion. Rather than getting people over their problems with a few helpful/tough words and maybe a slap to the face, Shepard instead tries to get people to acknowledge that they have a problem in the first place. And if they do, s/he then encourages them to see a shrink.

** After the mission to Feros, during your debriefing with the Citadel Council, a Paragon Shepard can get the Councilors to question his/her decision to save the colonists. The salarian will call him/her on it, saying "sometimes you have to be willing to make sacrifices to get the mission done." Ominous, and somewhat ironic.

* ForgotAboutHisPowers: Throughout the series, Cutscene Shepard is portrayed as a Soldier and will almost never use any biotic or tech powers s/he might have, save for a specific instance in the Omega DLC.

* GenderNeutralWriting: Wholly averted, though not often; because most conversations are with Shepard, not about them, his/her gender isn't brought up much. But when the occasion arises the writers do not shy away from it. [[BiTheWay Most]] of the romances are gender-unique, and there are several other gender-unique scenes as well. For example, in [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 the second game]], there is a scene where a merc recruiter calls female Shepard a stripper. Bad idea.

* GenocideDilemma: With the rachni and the krogan. The Council seemed eager enough to wipe the rachni out (though the fact that the rachni have a HiveMind centered around the queens, who were securely defended on the rachni homeworlds had a part in this, since the Council simply ''couldn't'' communicate to them), but tried to avoid outright genocide with the krogan, settling for the [[DepopulationBomb genophage]]. However, ignorance of krogan psychology has essentially led to delayed genocide. [[spoiler: However, you get the chance to bring the rachni back into the galaxy, and it's looking like you can at the very least partially undo the genophage's effect in the future...]] In the third game, Shepard holds the fate of the krogan, quarians, and geth in his/her hands, and must decide whether these ''species'' live or die.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Paragon Shepard is regarded as a textbook example, though s/he is definitely not the only one. Garrus, Tali, Jacob and Hackett would be prominent examples.

** Subverted in regards to Cerberus. The first game presents Cerberus as unambiguously evil, but in the second game Shepard is introduced to more sympathetic members of the organization, and is both saved and backed by their leader, the Illusive Man. However, Shepard leaves them by the third game and the Illusive Man makes no attempts to buddy up with Shepard again. In the penultimate mission, it's also revealed that the events of the second game were ''specifically'' engineered to make Shepard (and the player by extension) as sympathetic to Cerberus as possible. Giving Shepard the illusion of freedom and command, and surrounding him with friendly and moderate members of the group were psychologically conditioning him/her into forming a personal attachment. In short, the first impression of Cerberus was the correct one.

* HandBehindHead: A standard character animation for some who's uncomfortable...or lying. Shepard him/herself does it a few times, when forced to come up with an explanation or cover story on the spot.

** Also because Handguns are the only class of weapon that all characters and classes can use, therefore allowing the PlayerCharacter and all of the members of his/her party to be able to use the same, or similar, animations. There ''are'' cutscenes that are character-specific however, which allow party members to use other weapons, mainly for characters who do not carry a pistol (such as Garrus or Grunt).

*** [[spoiler:Pointed out by Legion, who says that the geth view Shepard as very important, due to him/her being the most crucial in killing a Reaper.]]

** In ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' [[spoiler:Tela Vasir calls Shepard a hypocrite for judging her dealing with the Shadow Broker when s/he's working with the terrorist organization, Cerberus right before she dies. She has a point if you're playing a full Renegade Shepard, who will endorse Cerberus' actions. Paragon Shepard not so much; they see working with Cerberus as a NecessaryEvil at best and will betray it in the end.]]
** Warden Kuril claims that he wants to make the galaxy a safer place by locking up dangerous criminals. Yet he extorts the criminals' homeworlds, sells criminals, [[TooDumbToLive and attempts to arrest Shepard just so he can sell him/her as a slave on the black market or hold him/her for ransom.]] S/he naturally calls him out on this and he attempts to justify it but fails miserably.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has Kai Leng, who brags about how either [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice Thane or Kirrahe]]]] died like cowards if he killed them yet in the game repeatedly proves that he's a DirtyCoward who relies more on [[GunshipRescue firepower]] or [[FlunkyBoss manpower]] rather than personal skill when confronting Shepard and tends to run whenever things go south for him. Not to mention that they went down fighting. Leng's last act? [[spoiler:Trying to stab Shepard while his/her back is turned.]]
** In an unusually tragic example of this, Shepard at one point berates James Vega for the DeathSeeker tendencies he shows, despite having become somewhat of a DeathSeeker him/herself by this time.

* EncyclopediaExposita: The Codex, narrated by Neil "I know I've [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid heard you before]]" Ross.

* EnemyCivilWar: [[spoiler:The original geth vs the AlwaysChaoticEvil heretic geth by the second game.]]

** For the Krogans, it's their violent nature. Coming from a DeathWorld, Krogans are made to be as strong, violent, and fertile as possible to make up for the bloodthirsty ecosystem they live in. After being uplifted by the Salarians ("like giving nuclear weapons to cavemen") and winning the Rachni war the Krogans proceeded to run amok across the galaxy as nothing was keeping their population in check. By refusing to solve thing peacefully the Turians used the Genophage to cut down on their numbers with one in every thousand Krogans being alive when born. Urdnot Wrex tries to unite the various warring Clans and allow the Krogans to peacefully coexist with each other and other races... if he lives past the first game.
** The Quarians can't let go of their grudge against the Geth, a race of robots they created as servants, after the latter banished them from their homeworld. When it turns out that a large portion of Geth were working to rebuild the Quarian homeworld for the eventual return of the Quarians, [[spoiler:Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema]] wants to destroy them. If Shepard, Tali, and [[spoiler:Legion]] don't convince him, the Geth will destroy the Migrant Fleet and wipe most if not all Quarians aboard the ships.
* The Batarian Hegemony is horribly paranoid and xenophobic and refuses to submit to Citadel laws and decides to stay separate. This led to them being the first to fall when [[spoiler:the Reapers]] arrive and most if not all civilians being slaughtered.

* TheFuture: The 22nd century, to be exact. Primarily the mid 2180's.

* GondorCallsForAid: ''Mass Effect 3'', especially for Paragon Shepard, who may have made some very ''powerful'' allies, some of whom are [[TheAtoner trying to make up for past galactic transgressions]]. Shepard has to rally ''everyone'' since the Reapers' first action is to attack Earth.

* GuiltFreeExterminationWar: The Quarians and Geth have been merrily attempting genocide on each other for three hundred years by the time of the games. The remnants have their final battle, one way or the other, in the third game. [[spoiler: Both sides are willing to accept peace, but neither seriously believes the other is; actually achieving this is the arc's GoldenEnding.]]

* HasTwoMommies: A definite possibility for any asari, since they mate through genetic tweaking as opposed to actual sex. As long as the other mommy isn't another asari. [[FantasticRacism That's a big no-no.]]

* HiveMind: Two confirmed, one creepily ambiguous, depending on how stringent your criteria are.

** Cute: Quarians. The least warlike species, and an entire species of IllGirl. Also [[{{Keet}} Salarians]], [[FunSize Volus]] and [[GentleGiant Elcor]].

** Citadel Space, however, is totally this trope. And, more specifically, the Asari Republics. The asari, as the first species to find the Citadel and the most advanced species in the galaxy, completely dominate how Citadel politics work. If you want to become part of their society, you need to conform to their way of doing things and prove useful to their interests. Case in point, when new races show up, they are expected to abandon any and all experiments on ArtificialIntelligence due to the galaxy-wide belief that AIIsACrapshoot. In addition, all Prothean technology needs to be submitted to the Council for proper study, which in ''ME3'' is revealed as a rule the asari ''specifically'' worked into Council law to hide the fact that they themselves had access to functional Prothean tech and were using it to stay on top. As long as every other species obeyed these rules, they were unwittingly playing directly into the asari's hands.