Not all of the great romances in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition involve Commander Shepard. And while everyone knows about the sweet relationship between Joker and EDI, you might not be aware that Garrus and Tali can also get together.

The pair’s romance isn’t the deepest in the series, but both characters are some of Mass Effect’s most beloved companions, so just seeing them as a loving pair is exciting. However, whether or not they engage in a fling depends on your actions. It’s very easy to stop the romance from happening by accident and without even knowing. Therefore, if you want to avoid robbing the world of a Garrus and Tali relationship, then here’s everything you need to do (or not do in some cases).

Keep Them Both Alive

The two characters can’t fall in love if one or both of them are dead. Additionally, a certain suicide mission at the end of the second game puts Garrus and Tali in jeopardy. Ideally, you’ll want to keep everyone alive during the assault on the Collector Base, but the best way to protect Garrus and Tali specifically is to do these things:

  • Make them loyal by completing their loyalty missions. Keep Tali loyal by either taking her side when she argues with Legion or by appeasing both of them with a Paragon or Renegade choice. Get the Heavy Ship Armor, Multicore Shielding, and Thanix Cannon upgrades for the Normandy. During the Suicide Mission, the only job you should give Tali is to go through the vent, and a loyal Garrus is safe as the leader of Fireteam. They can both be regular members of your party too. For the Biotic Specialist, choose a loyal Samara, a loyal Jack, or a loyal Morinth because otherwise, they could get Tali or Garrus killed. If both Garrus and Tali are loyal, you can ensure their survival by choosing them as your final squad at the end of the Suicide Mission. But if you want everyone to live, you should leave Garrus to help hold the line with the rest — although it does put him at risk.

Don’t Romance Either Character In Mass Effect 3

As Garrus and Tali are two of Shepard’s most loyal friends, they’re not going to try to steal the Commander’s partner. Thus, the only way you can initiate the relationship between the pair is to avoid romancing either of them — don’t worry, there are plenty of other great romantic options for Shepard.

If you’re not in a relationship with Garrus or Tali in Mass Effect 3, then you might notice them speaking a lot on the Normandy, with some of their conversations being flirty in nature. Eventually, right before heading to Earth for the trilogy’s final mission, you can catch the two embracing in the Normandy’s main battery (the room where Garrus does his calibrations). When caught, the two lovebirds will try to lie about what they’re doing, and by hitting the talk prompt on one of them, Shepard can give their blessing, and the romance is complete.

NEXT: Mass Effect: The Reasons Tali Is The Best Companion In The Trilogy