Despite being one the strongest individuals in the Mass Effect universe, Shepard has no chance of beating the Collectors alone. So, they build a team of some of the most impressive specialists in the galaxy. Each member is recruited because of their physical and mental capabilities. Cerberus doesn’t select any of them because of their virtuous nature.
In truth, when going up against an enemy like the Collecters, you probably need some ruthlessness. Shepard’s squad includes everything from unsavory rogues to principled heroes. Here is how each team member stacks up against one another when it comes to being honorable.
13 Morinth, The Serial Killer
Samara’s daughter Morinth is a tragic figure. As an Ardat-Yakshi, not only does she kill anyone she mates with, but she also gets addicted to doing so. Thus, her dishonorable nature isn’t entirely her own fault.
However, Morinth had the option of living a life in seclusion, effectively making her a threat to nobody. Instead, the Asari chose to go on a killing spree that only ends with Shepard and Samara’s interference. She’s not the evilest character in the series, but she’s certainly not among the noblest either.
12 Zaeed Massani, The Merciless Mercenary
The easiest way to earn Zaeed’s loyalty is by making Renegade decisions, which gives you an inkling of his character. He is a ruthless merc who’s willing to do some truly awful things as long as there are either credits or a personal stake involved.
The lives of innocent civilians aren’t a concern for him, as evident during his loyalty mission. Zaeed is willing to sacrifice many factory workers to get revenge on the man who wronged him many years ago. Plus, he only joins Shepard’s heroic mission because Cerbeus gives him things in return.
11 Jack, The Psychotic Biotic
On the surface, Jack seems as cruel as they come as she’s willing to brutalize anyone that gets in her way. Yet, once you get closer to her, you can see that she’s not all that bad.
She spent so much of her life being used and abused that it’s understandable why she is so angry all of the time. Much of her rage is used against those who deserve it. Although, it’s often clear that she doesn’t care too much about innocent people either.
10 Miranda Lawson, The Cerberus Cheerleader
With the use of genetic engineering, Miranda’s father bred her to be pretty much perfect. Her intelligence, biotic abilities, and strength exceed many of the most powerful humans in the galaxy. However, her morals are not exactly faultless.
She’s spent most of her life in Cerberus and doesn’t seem too upset about the countless awful things the organization has done over the years. In fact, she’s probably been a part of some of the Illusive Man’s most wicked operations. Outside of her misguided loyalty to Cerberus, Miranda is a kind-hearted person, even if she doesn’t always show it.
9 Kasumi Goto, The Master Thief
It’s hard to decide how good of a person Kasumi is. She seems sweet and innocent, but she’s also dedicated her life to stealing other people’s belongings.
In her defense, many of her targets are evil people who probably deserve it. Plus, she’s used her expert infiltration powers for good at times, like in that story she tells about saving a young girl from slavers. Still, a master thief is hardly the most honorable figure in the galaxy.
8 Grunt, The Perfect Krogan
By nature, Krogans are extremely violent creatures, and Grunt is no different. He constantly finds joy in fighting and killing his opponents.
A love of brutality isn’t very morally righteous, but at least this Krogan doesn’t prey on the weak. Grunt enjoys the competitive side of combat, so he likes to fight the strongest opponents, many of whom happen to be evil. He’d seem like a more noble character, though, if he cared about anything other than fighting.
7 Garrus Vakarian, The Ruthless Vigilante
Many people’s favorite companion, Garrus, generally knows right from wrong. In fact, during the beginning of ME2, under the name Archangel, he’s a vigilante fighting back against the gangs of Omega. From interfering with their operations to killing their people, Garrus does many things to stop the dishonorable merc groups from terrorizing innocent civilians.
Although, the Turian does not have a perfect moral compass as he can be a bit ruthless. He’s often willing to kill those who wrong him in cold blood. For instance, he tries to assassinate Sidonis for betraying him before allowing his former friend to explain himself.
6 Mordin Solus, The Conflicted Genius
The moral complexity of Mordin goes hand in hand with the moral complexity of the Genophage. On the surface, the plague is barbaric as it makes most Krogan babies die at birth. But, without the Genophage, the Krogans would likely wipe out most of the galaxy.
Mordin is related to the plague because he helped modify it to maintain its effectiveness. In Mass Effect 2, you see how conflicted he is over his actions. He clearly cares so much about people of all races, but it’s difficult to absolve him of all the deaths he caused.
5 Thane Krios, The Spiritual Assassin
Like Kasumi, Thane’s job title brings his morality into question. The life-long assassin has killed more people over the years than almost any other character — and his targets have likely been a mix of both honorable and dishonorable individuals.
Yet, by Mass Effect 2, the Drell is in a very different place in life. With his life slipping away due to Kepral’s Syndrome, Thane has decided to atone for his sins by making the world a better place before he perishes. He even joins Shepard’s dangerous war with the Collectors for free.
4 Jacob Taylor, The Good Guy
Jacob Taylor is the Normandy’s resident straight man. He’s not flashy or interesting, and in all honesty, he’s a little dull. Yet, in terms of morality, he ranks high. There doesn’t seem to be a wicked bone in his body as he always tries to do the right thing.
However, his strong connection to Cerberus does put a little black mark on his record. The organization is known for its morally questionable actions, and by being associated with them, Jacob is somewhat encouraging their misdeeds. Unlike Miranda, though, at least he doesn’t entirely trust the company.
3 Legion, The Non-Hostile Geth
In the Mass Effect universe, the Geth are known as one of the cruelest races of all. The synthetics’ reputation is particularly bad because they attacked the Citadel alongside Saren.
However, in the second game, Legion shows you that their species is a little misunderstood. You find out that they didn’t all join Saren, and their conflict with the Quarians isn’t as black and white as the Migrant Fleet would have you believe. What’s also clear is that Legion themselves is a noble unit. Throughout the game, they don’t really do anything that could be considered too immoral.
2 Samara, The Noble Justicar
As a Justicar, Samara is forced to uphold a strict code of ethics. She never gives a full list of every rule she has to follow, but many seem to be about protecting the innocent. There are some questionable elements to the code, such as, in certain situations, she’ll have to kill people who don’t deserve it, like cops who’ve arrested her.
Yet, most of the time, it forces her to be a noble individual. You could argue Samara herself isn’t honorable as she’s just a slave to her code, but she gave up a lot to become a Justicar in the first place and help people all across Asari space.
1 Tali’Zorah Vas Neema, The Loyal Quarian
The Mass Effect series has plenty of beloved companions, but few are as popular as Tali. Fans have many reasons for liking the tech expert, including her good heart.
During the second game, she rarely does anything that could be considered dishonorable. She commits to stopping the Collectors despite having her own responsibilities, she’s willing to work with a Geth unit even though she has issues with synthetics, and she’s prepared to risk banishment to protect her father’s legacy. The Quarian is a constant example of moral goodness throughout the adventure.
NEXT: Mass Effect: 10 Reasons Tali Is The Best Companion In The Trilogy
