BioWare’s Mass Effect franchise is filled with compelling characters who join you on a three-game epic to save the universe. With several characters’ arcs happening over multiple games, the developers were able to build some of the most engrossing companions in video games to that point.
Not counting Andromeda (and you shouldn’t), 20 characters can join Shepard’s squad. These seven Mass Effect companions are the best of the bunch.
7) Legion
Legion is an important character for the greater Mass Effect story because he finally presents the other side to the horrors you’ve learned about the Geth. It’s an effective twist on everything you’ve been presented so far, and lets Legion serve as a hopeful conduit for the Geth. Plus, he has some very unintentionally funny moments.
6) Garrus Vakarian
Most players probably have Garrus higher on their list, and I get it. Of everyone you meet in Mass Effect, his character probably has the most growth. The Garrus we end up with in Mass Effect 3 is one of the more fully realized characters in the series and Shepard’s best friend. That said, I’ve always found him boring through the first two games. There’s just not a lot going on with his story until the third game, dropping him down my rankings. The payoff is great, but the journey nearly made me fall asleep.
5) Tali’Zorah nar Rayya
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Like Garrus, you have three full games with Tali. She is there nearly every step of the way, giving her plenty of time to grow. She’s also deeply conflicted by everything she was taught growing up, and if you don’t play your cards right, her final showdown with Legion in Mass Effect 3 is one of the most heart-wrenching moments of the series. Hopefully, you can walk that tightrope and see the more rewarding conclusion that sees Geth and Quarians living together in Rannoch.
4) Thane Krios
Thane is a cold-blooded assassin who could easily have been a relatively forgettable character. Fortunately, BioWare gave him more than one dimension, making him deeply religious and introducing his desire to reconnect with his son Kolyat. It pays off in a moving scene between the two and Shep, seemingly giving Thane one last moment of comfort. Then, BioWare turns even that on its head in a revelation that will hit you to your core.
3) Liara T’Soni
I know I said you should forget about Mass Effect: Andromeda, but it’s worth noting that Liara is the only character on this list to technically appear in that unfortunate mess. That’s fitting. After enduring several hardships in Mass Effect 1, her personality hardens, though Shepard breaks through her walls in the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC. Then, she becomes Shep’s rock in Mass Effect 3, always there no matter what adversity the team faces. That’ll seemingly continue in the next Mass Effect game, as many players think BioWare hinted at her coming back in the ME5 teaser trailers.
2) Mordin Solus
In some ways, Mordin is the most brutal of Shepard’s companions. That’s weird to say about a fast-talking, seemingly nice scientist who loves to sing, but those traits hide a calculating, scientific mind that isn’t above murdering millions in the name of the greater good. However, the more you bond with him, you realize how deeply unsettled he is by the horrific choices he was forced to make. In Mass Effect 3, he’s given the opportunity to change his decision about the Krogan genophage. You can take that from him, but regardless of your decision, the end result is a fitting end to Mordin’s character arc.
1) Urdnot Wrex
BioWare’s decision to let players miss out on Wrex’s story by making it possible to die in the first Mass Effect is nearly unforgivable, but also speaks to the developer’s commitment to letting players create their own version of the epic story. Wrex starts as a man who has seemingly lost all hope for his race, but when he learns of a potential cure, you have to talk him down from the cliff or you’ll lose him forever.
I’ve never seen that version of the story, and I hope you haven’t either. With Wrex in the mix for the rest of the trilogy, you see him become the leader of a new Krogan era. Had his people lost him due to your decisions, things could have turned out much differently. You’d also miss out on his over-the-top proclamation on Tuchanka, where Wrex lets everyone know, “I am Urdnot Wrex, and this is my planet!”
More than anything, Wrex is one of the galaxy’s biggest badasses and Shepard’s best squadmate.
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