Mass Effect Companions Ranking

The Mass Effect trilogy is some of the best rpg games Bioware has created. From the story, to the planets, to the various aliens, there are a number of things that can draw you into the series' Milky Way Galaxy. And of course, one of those things is the various companions that follows Commander Shepard. As you can see, I'm gonna be ranking these companions.

The characters will be ranked based on their individual story arcs, involvement in the overall plot, and their development throughout the trilogy primarily. Likability, background, and complexity is also a factor, but most of these characters are incredibly well-rounded and enjoyable, so it would be difficult to rank them based primarily on those factors.

Finally, spoiler warning. If you haven't played the trilogy, and don't want to be spoiled, click out immediately. If you already played, or don't care, then enjoy.

19. Zaeed Massani

So, out of all the characters, the leader of the blue son gets last place. While he's a fairly enjoyable character, there isn't much about him that help stand out amongst the rest of the cast, and he made the least amount of impact throughout the trilogy.

We don't get much from him in terms of development and complexity, if anything. He acts like any professional mercenary, with a splash of a revenge story against his old partner, Vido. Other than that, Zaeed didn't do much of anything and his loyalty mission don't hold him up.

So, with no development, very little complexity, lack of importance in the overall narrative, and a flat revenge story, he gets 19th place.

18. Jacob Taylor

The cerberus soldier is hardly any better. While he's a fairly likable character, he lacks the depth and development the other characters have. And like Zaeed, hardly affect the story of Mass Effect.

Let start off with the good. As mentioned, Jacob is a pretty friendly guy, someone that anyone could hang out with. He's a former Alliance soldier who turned to Cerberus, frustrated with the red tape that stopped him from doing his job. All in all, decent enough (Though admittedly unoriginal, considering we already have Garrus).

But that backstory isn't explored at all in ME 2 or 3. We don't see him develop at all, nor does his backstory ties with his ME 2 loyalty mission or ME 3 side mission. Instead, all we get from his loyalty mission is finding his missing dad, who turned out to be a weasel playing harem king. While it was kind of interesting, it doesn't really add to the character.

Even in ME 3, he didn't develop that much nor add much to the story. While he was fighting against Cerberus instead of working for them this time (With a girlfriend to boot), we don't really see a change to his character. Just him defending ex-Cerberus members from his former employers.

It would've been better if we saw him struggle with the morality of Cerberus and his own morals; see him grapple with some of the things the terrorist group would do for humanity. Seeing him transition from a soldier, wary of his employers yet willing to work them, to one willing to fight against those very terrorists, would've probably done a number for his character.

Unfortunately, we don't get any of that. Thus, he'll have to settle for 18th place.

17. Kazumi Goto

Kazumi here is much better than the previous two. While she's not as developed or important as the other characters on the list, thanks to her DLC status, she makes up for it with how likable she is and her own compelling little loyalty mission.

Said loyalty mission is the retrieval of a greybox, which held the memories of her dead boyfriend, Keiji. With this mission, we see a grieving girl beneath the cheerful thief, who's unable to completely move on from her boyfriend's death. Especially if you elected to let her keep the greybox.

That makes a fairly layered character, along with being a likable one thanks to being cheerful, kind, mischievous, and easy-going most of the time. However, other than those things, there's not much else going for her. So for that, she gets 17th place.

16. James Vega

Like Kazumi, James is a pretty likable character. He easily fitted in well with the Normandy crew, as well as developed a student and mentor bond with Commander Shephard (Flirtatious too if the commander is female).

The main thing that places him here is that student and mentor bond he shares with the commander. That relationship help show more than the friendly yet cocky soldier we see throughout the game. We see someone who has a more serious, almost somber side to him, haunted by his past decision, and unsure whether or not he should take a bigger role in life. Namely, the decision to become an N7 soldier.

Overall, there's not much you can really say about this character, as he doesn't have a big role in the Mass Effect story. But his chemistry with the crew, as well as his personal little story that provide a second layer to his personality, places him in 16th place.

15. Urdnot Grunt

There's not much to say about Grunt either. He's a tank bred krogan that acts like any other krogan (Though probably more aggressive than most), with some childlike/teenage tendencies. Those tendencies, along with his loyalty towards Shephard, makes him very likable though; which also help place him this high on the list.

The other thing that places him in this rank is his loyalty mission, where he has to take the Rite of Passage. The mission was like a coming of age story for the very young krogan, and helps give him a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose. While it doesn't really change him all that much, it does humanize him, for lack of better words.

But other than those two things, there's not much else about the character. He gets some off-screen development and becomes a leader of his own company, but that's about it. A fun character, with a coming of age type story, yet no actual development outside of that. That gives the tank bred krogan 15th place.

14. Miranda Lawson

Now we're getting to the more developed and involved characters. Mirander here has a much deeper backstory, a better side story, a more layered personality, and a plays a bigger role in the overall plot. Not terribly big, but much more than those above her.

From the start, it's made clear that Miranda is someone that's cold, arrogant, distrusting, and extremely loyal to Cerberus; a Cerberus cheerleader, as Jack called her. As the story progress, however, not only do we get a warmer, possibly insecure side of her, we also find out why she's so loyal to Cerberus; her sister, Oriana, who she rescued from her father when she was a teenager.

All this, along with her involvement in reviving Shephard, makes her a very solid character. However, what keeps her from going any higher is the fact that we don't see her transition out of her ends justify the means mentality. While she did defy the Illusive man and broke away from Cerberus, we don't see her progress to that point nor any hints pointing to that. While that's one blot on her character, it's a fairly significant and noticeable one.

Plus, her role became much smaller during Mass Effect 3, her focus put mainly on Oriana and her father. While she gets a few moments here and there, it's not much to put her any higher. Thus, it leaves her in 14th place.

13/12. Ashley Williams & Kaiden Alenko

So, after a lot of thinking, I decided to put two Alliance soldier together on the list. Reason being? They both pretty much share the same story arc in ME 2 & 3.

Before we get to the similarities, let start with what makes them different. Ashley is a feisty soldier, coming from a line of Alliance soldiers incapable moving up the ranks; Kaiden is a mellow biotic, who attended a camp of biotics taught by a racist turian. The soldier distrusted the alien species; the biotic sees how 'human' those species can be. One wants to prove herself to the Alliance, and redeem her family's honor; the other always to maintain his morality in the midst of conflict.

Those differences are clear in Mass Effect 3, with the two having different reactions to things happening and different interactions with Shephard (Along with the others in the Normandy crew). However, while the two are clearly different characters, they still pretty much had the same story arc.

Both reunited with Shephard in Horizon and distrusted them due to their ties with Cerberus; both kept being suspicious of the commander during the mission in Mars and ended up injured there; both slowly gain back their trust towards Shephard during the first half of ME3; and both manages to become Spectres.

So, there are clear differences with these characters, with both of them having different interactions with Shephard. However, those differences aren't enough to break the tiebreaker the two have, as their stories are pretty much equally developed. Thus, they both get 13th/12th place.

11. Samara

The main thing about Samara is her justicar code, and how tightly she holds to that code. From eliminating a village of people, to taking out officers of the law, to even killing her own daughter; if her code demands it, she will do it to the upmost letter.

The main thing about her justicar code is too eliminate any corrupt individual. To do that, the justicars has to be ruthless, even if they have to take down innocents that gets in the way of their mission. That code makes Samara ruthless and stoic when it comes to fulfilling her duty. Even when hunting one of her daughters (Who was a unrepentant murderer), she barely flinched and took her down.

However, that isn't all to Samara. While she is ruthless, there's also a selfless side to her that will protect the innocent when she can, even before becoming a justicar. Another side to her is one that cares about her children, shown twice when she was visibly affected at killing Morinth and when she tried to take her own life instead of killing her last daughter. 

Overall, she's a ruthless justicar that places her duty above everything else, yet is a compassionate and caring mother when she can be. This gives her the 11th spot on the list.

10. Thane Krios

There's a lot of tragedy that surrounds Thane Krios. He's an assassin trained as a child to kill, with a terminal illness that was incurable at the time, who lost his wife to a slavers ring wanting revenge, and had an estranged son that he abandoned to pursue revenge against those slavers.

So yeah, a pretty difficult life. But what makes him so interesting is how he holds himself despite those difficulties. He's very polite and soft-spoken, with a spiritual outlook in certain aspects of life. Whenever he's hired to kill, he views himself as a weapon being used to kill, rather than a being choosing to kill. He's also someone that wants to atone for all the wrong he has done, especially for abandoning his son, Kolyat.

All this makes him a very well-rounded character. And the final thing that places him at number 10? His potential sacrifice during ME3. If he survived the suicide mission in ME2, he gets the chance to defend the salarian councilor during the Citadel attack. He fights against Kai Leng, one of Cerberus' top men, and ended up fatally wounded in the defense of the councilor. That left him dying on his death bed in the hospital, with the company of Shephard and Kolyat.

With his very heavy past, his general behavior, and his potential sacrifice, he earns the number 10 spot on the list.

9. Javik

The only surviving prothean is something of an avenger for his people, who was trained solely to fight and kill during his timeline. How he was brought up, along with his people's culture and the war against the reaper, made him cynical, rude, arrogant, and ruthless.

Thanks to the timeline he was in, as well as his culture, he looked down on many of the other species, such as the Asari and the Salarian. He viewed them as primitives, amazed that they were able to advance to their current position. Very few would be able to gain his respect and/or friendship, one of which being, of course, Commander Shephard.

His people also led him to be ruthless and extremely pragmatic, more so than even renegade Shephard. From extreme punishments to traitors, to sacrificing planets, he's willing to do whatever it takes to take down the reapers. And the extinction of his race led him to become somewhat jaded, unable to think about anything else other than fighting. Potentially, he could even plan to join his people in the graves once the war is over.

If you make the right choice, however, he could think about a life beyond fighting the Reapers; traveling around the galaxy, living amongst the hanar, or even writing a book with Liara, someone who he previously thought of as annoying. That gives him a little bit of character development to add to his complexity.

Surface level, he would just be an unpleasant character. But knowing much of his character is developed thanks to the Prothean's culture, as well as the war he was born into (And admittedly, the fact that he's a part of an extinct and influential race in the first place), makes him a much more complex and interesting character. Which gives him 9th place on the list.

8. Jack

Our psychotic biotic is a very complex and developed character. At first, she merely seemed like a violent and slightly unstable criminal with a extreme hatred for Cerberus. But, while all that is true, there's more to this character than just that.

Beneath that powerful biotic is a scared little girl, who's been hurt and tormented by people who had no business experimenting on children. Someone who was let down by people time and time again, and grew to distrust others in return. Someone who's afraid to let people in, and will push them back if they get too close. We see much of that, not only in her conversations, but also in her loyalty mission, where she goes to to blow up the Teltin Facility.

And in Mass Effect 3, she developed from a crime-driven psychopath who was hurt by the galaxy, to a caring and protective teacher of a bunch of biotic kids. While it was off-screen, it was a major growth to her character, and she still maintained some of her core traits.

So, her backstory, the second layer beneath the psychotic biotic, and her off-screen development to a responsible biotic teacher gives her 8th place on the list.

7. EDI

At first, EDI was just a simple AI that was assisting the Normandy crew. But over time, during the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3, she developed into a snarky, yet loyal and valued crew member; one that became vital to the survival and success of Shephard and his team.

One of the things that placed the AI so high is her development. At the start of ME 2, she didn't have much of a personality, having just been created. But as the series continued on, she became very snarky and something of a jokester, probably due to being around Joker. She also very loyal to the Normandy crew, especially Joker and Shephard.

During ME 3, she became more inquisitive and curious about sentient life (Though mainly humanity), as well as how to become a better person. And throughout the two games, her chemistry with Joker grew, and potentially, the two could start dating.

And the next thing that places her so high is how valuable she became to the Normandy crew. As mentioned before, she became vital to the survival of the Normandy crew, especially right after she was unshackled. She saved the ship from the collectors during ME 2, operated the entire ship alongside Joker (Since the crew was captured), and went into cyberwarfare with Cerberus near the end of ME 3. Without her, Shephard and the crew would've been defeated multiple times.

So, for her development throughout the games, as well as her significance in the storyline, she gets 7th place.

6. Legion

Due to showing up very late in ME 2, there's not much time to really bond with our favorite geth, Legion. He also doesn't have much a personality himself, at least at the start, and was mainly a spokesman for the geth for the most part. Still, despite those drawbacks (Or maybe even because of one of those drawbacks), he manage to become a great character.

To start, what makes Legion so interesting is because he's a spokesman for the geths. Most of the other synthetics were either hostile or in the Perseus Veil, and none of them could really speak. Legion, with the ability to communicate, brought in a new perspective of the geths; one that doesn't wish harm on their creators or the other sentient species, who aren't aligned with the "Old Machines", and merely wish to create their own futures.

And, while it is difficult to tell, Legion does develop individual traits of his own through the course of ME 2 & 3. He gains an admiration for Shephard, manage to bond with Tali, and felt shame about the reaper codes still planted within him. While it isn't much, it does help boost his quality as a character.

The final thing that places him this high on the list is his potential to play a major role between the quarians and geth. Depending on the choices made, after defeating the reaper controlling the geths, Legion can save his fellow AIs and have them keep their upgrades, while Shephard makes a plea/threat for the quarians to stand down. In the process, he would have to distribute his personality into the consensus, thus sacrificing himself.

His sacrifice, along with the tentative relationship between him and Tali, help pave the way in making peace between the two factions. Thus, his role in the two games and slightly developed personality gives him 6th place on the list.

5. Mordin Solus

What placed our favorite scientist salarian at the top five is his development and complexity throughout ME 2 & 3, as well as his role in both games; developing a vaccine against the collector swarms and making a cure for the Genophage.

One of the main things about him is his involvement with the Genophage. At first, he seemed proud of his work in keeping the Genophage potent, and felt that it was necessary to keep the krogans from starting another bloody campaign. However, looking into his loyalty mission, and into ME 3, we see that it isn't as simple as that.

Beneath the friendly yet ruthless doctor, lies someone who's deeply conflicted with what he's done. Oh, he still says that the Genophage is needed to save lives, and doesn't consider it murder, but it's clear that he don't fully believe his own words. He often looked into different religions, doing much soul-searching after his actions.

The conflict turns into a desire for atonement, which led him to developing a cure for the Genophage in Mass Effect 3. He became an inside source for Wrex and protected the experimented female krogan, Eve; eventually, he's given the chance to sacrifice himself for the krogans, and give them a second chance to become better.

Overall, he's a doctor who desire to save as many lives as he can, yet is ruthless when he needs to be; someone who felt the Genophage was necessary, yet feels guilt over the role he plays in keeping it potent; someone who eventually realized he made a mistake and went to fix it. All this earns him 5th place on the list.

4. Urdnot Wrex

Despite being a companion for just one game, and becoming a side character in the other two, Wrex gain a heavy amount of development throughout the trilogy, as well as played a major role in the games. He became very complex and likable character, as well as a very involved one.

At the start, he was a gruff mercenary just trying to make a living. The Genophage, and his people's refusal to change, cause him to become jaded and cynical over their plight. And after being betrayed by his father, he went roaming about the galaxy, killing for credits like many of his kind.

However, if he survives ME 1, that changes. In ME 2, he took charge of not only clan Urdnot, but most of the other clans in Tuchanka. Instead of fighting and warfare, he had them focus on reproduction and survival. And in ME 3, he gain a much more hopeful outlook in his people's future, as well as becoming more friendly and laidback with the original Normandy crew.

Not only does he push to get the cure for his people, but he and a female Krogan, Eve, are the key to giving the Krogan the chance to be more than just warmongers. Without either, it's more than likely that Krogan would go back to combating the other species. So with his development throughout the three games, along with his major role in them, he gets 4th place.

3. Garrus Vakarian

The C-sec officer, turned vigilante, turned military consultant has received a lot of development throughout the trilogy. Since the beginning, Garrus has been one of the few constant presence for Shephard and the series itself, becoming one of the most popular characters in the trilogy, and for good reasons.

At the start, Garrus he was a disgruntled cop, sick of the red tape that his job place on him. He wanted to be able to help others and take down criminals with less restrictions, to be able to do his job without the regulations blocking him. And depending on the choices, you can either reinforce that desire or have him realize that he can properly do his job with some (or all) the tape intact.

When ME 2 came, he developed into a vigilante, becoming a tad more brutal and more willing to do whatever is needed (Again, you can either reinforce or challenge his darker tendencies). And in 3, his darker traits were refined, and he becomes much more easy-going, making him a more likable character. He'll be ruthless and calculated when needed, but only when it's necessary.

Not only was he developed very well, but he also develops a strong bond with the Normandy crew. He, Shephard, and Tali can very likely become close friends, and be very loyal to one another. He also gets along well with other members of the Normandy, such as James, Wrex, and even Javik.

Overall, the turian's development into a well-liked and complex companion, as well as his interaction and developed friendship with Shephard and the others in the Normandy, gives him 3rd place.

2. Tali'zorah vos Normandy

Like Garrus, Tali was also a constant presence throughout the trilogy. The spunky little quarian received plenty of development, got a great individual story, is very adorable, and is vital to the quarian-geth story arc.

At the start, Tali was a slightly naive quarian, new to the galaxy and eager to prove her worth to her people. As the series progressed, she becomes more confident, more mature, and more experienced. But while she does become more self-assured, she remains an endearing and amusing character.

Throughout her own story arc, she gets many great moments, specifically in 2 and 3. From her loyalty mission, to her first time looking over Rannoch, there are several scenes that can pull at the heart-strings. The young quarian becomes very essential in the conflict between her people and the geth, becoming one of the pieces needed to make peace with the two factions. Without her, one of the two species will be wiped out in the war.

Finally, like Garrus, she also developed a strong bond with the Normandy crew, wearing the name "vos Normandy" with pride once she gotten used it. She's another of the few characters that stay loyal to Shephard through all three games, and bonded with characters such as Legion and Garrus. 

Her development throughout the series, her endearing traits, strong story moments, and loyalty towards Shephard and the Normandy crew, gives her 2nd place on the list.

1. Liara T'soni

And here we are, with the number one companion on the list; our favorite archeologist and Shadow Broker, Liara T'soni. Now some of you may disagree, feeling that she's way too involved in the whole story; but her involvement isn't something that can be ignored, and I argue that it doesn't ruin her character.

For one, the asari received a heavy amount of development. At the start, she was a shy and insecure archeologist, one who devoted her life to studying the protheans and is generally a nice girl. When 2 came, she became much more colder, more confident, and a tad vicious. Finally, she got back to being much more friendlier at the end of the Shadow Broker dlc, leaving a very well fleshed out character at the start of ME 3.

Throughout the trilogy, she became heavily involved with the main story, from helping Shephard decipher the beacons that were discovered, to finding the blueprints of the prothean weapon that would destroy the Reapers. And along with that involvement, came several major characters moments for the young asari.

Finally, out of all the characters, she's the one that bonded most with Shephard. Even without the romance, there's a clear attachment between the human commander and the asari archeologist/information broker. That bond is made clear with several moments between the two, and especially due to the fact that Liara was the one to find their corpse, and bring it to Cerberus so the commander could be resurrected.

With her development from a shy archeologist to the Shadow Broker, her near unmatched loyalty towards Shephard, her many character moments throughout three games, and her major involvement in each game gives first place in this ranking.

Conclusion

So, that's the end of the ranking. Apologies for taking so very long with this. This ranking was harder than I thought it would be, and by the time I considered doing something else, I felt that I was too far in. Next post, I'll likely do something smaller, maybe analyses on individual characters; just so I can post things faster. If you have any suggestions or ideas, let me know in the comments, though no promises on anything.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the ranking and that, despite the difficulties writing this, I still got my points across well enough. If you did enjoy it, leave a comment down below and maybe inform others who would enjoy this. If you disagree with the ranking, tell me why or give your own ranking. Until the next post, I'll see you all later.