The Mass Effect Legendary Edition recently releasing has allowed fans of the sci-fi franchise and series newcomers to hop into the space opera on modern and next-generation consoles and PC. The games are known for their deep lore and world-building that does a spectacular job of endearing unique alien races and characters to the audience.
Among those characters is a squad member from Mass Effect 2 named Jack that’s essentially Eleven from Stranger Things, but many years before that beloved Netflix show aired. She’s also much more violent and apathetic.
10 It Marks You In Ways You…You Don’t Expect
The sad reality of those who experience trauma is that they’ll live with it, carry it, for the rest of their lives. Jack understands that and tries to explain it to Shepard when she responds “You don’t know what it’s like, Shepard. To have garbage like that following you. It marks you in ways you… you don’t expect.” It doesn’t matter if she finds happiness, if she’s able to start a whole new life, she’ll always have those physical, mental, and emotional scars that were seared into her very being by those who treated her like a lab rat.
9 Hello, Dead People!
Combat dialogue is quite common in the Mass Effect trilogy and squad members will utter phrases at the beginning of the interaction, in the heat of battle, and also when things have subsided and all of the threats have been eliminated. Jack is never afraid of a fight and oftentimes to begin an engagement she’ll shout “Hello, dead people!” which may sound funny, but imagine hearing that as you engage in a firefight with a random group of people? The non-chalantless in regards to taking someone else’s life is a useful tactic in playing mind games and throwing the enemy off.
8 I Feel Like…I’m Pissed Off
Growing up in a lab the way Jack did she was very much robbed of her childhood. That’s why she holds so much resentment towards all of the people who experimented on and hurt her. They didn’t see her as a human, but rather a means to an end.
Her saying “I feel like… I’m pissed off. I’m a dangerous bitch. But then, I’m a little girl again. Shit, it’s complicated.” is soul-crushing because it illustrates not only her mental instability but the fact that she doesn’t know who she is and wishes she could have just been a normal kid.
7 Sounds Fun. Let’s Go.
Jack is ready and willing to do anything if it involves a little danger and violence. During the mission in which Shepard recruits, Dr. Mordin Solus the player will come across a plague zone. If Shepard brought along Jack and another human squad member she’ll excitedly say “Plague zone, but I’m immune? Sounds fun. Let’s go.” meaning she doesn’t care about the other member, only that she can endure it. For obvious reasons, Jack tends to be selfish, but it’s not a slight at other squad members, she’s only concerned with how things affect her personally.
6 Are We Still Recruiting?
In the next entry, the relationship between Miranda and Jack will be explored a bit more, but this quite puts a comedic tone to the rivalry between the two Normandy squad members. During Miranda’s loyalty mission Shepard comes across an Asari mercenary who insults Miranda’s tight outfit. If Jack is in the party at this time she’ll jovially say “I like her. Are we still recruiting?”, which is her way of saying she hopes they’ll find more people who dislike Miranda as much as she does. Luckily this verbal exchange can be resolved via a Paragon dialogue choice players can make with Shepard.
5 Lonely & Alive Works Just Fine, Thanks
From the moment Jack joins the squad on the Normandy it’s clear as day that she despises Miranda. Jack is apprehensive to trust anyone due to her troubled upbringing as a child experiment. It doesn’t help that Miranda is an operative for Cerberus, either. In regards to trusting Miranda in a conversation with Shepard, Jack explains “You let someone get that close, it just means they need a shorter knife. Lonely and alive works just fine, thanks.” This means that Jack would rather die alone than put her life in the hands of someone like Miranda.
4 A Scared Little Kid…
It may feel like a trope these days, but the story of a child turning on those who experimented on them and put them through hell is satisfying when that kid gets their revenge as an adult. The problem is that those characters tend to end up with numerous mental issues.
Jack exclaiming “They thought they were so clever. Turns out, mess with someone’s head enough, you can turn a scared little kid into an all-powerful bitch. Fuckin’ idiots.” is her way of letting those around her know that she persevered, she won, and they can’t hurt her anymore.
3 Too Happy With You
With almost every squad member being romanceable players understand that there’s bound to be heartbreak. If players decide to commit their Shepard to Jack, they can be met with some sad times if she happens to die in the final mission for Mass Effect 2. In her dying breath, if Shepard is male, she’ll utter “Too many of them…I knew I’d get hit on this job. I was too happy…too happy with you.” Jack always felt that she didn’t deserve a happy and healthy life and this is a product of the trauma she was put through as the subject of a science experiment that essentially tortured her.
2 My Chances Of Survival Go Up
Leaning into her dark sense of humor was a strong way the writer’s of Mass Effect 2 got the audience to fall in love with Jack as a squad member. She has moments where what she says is truly dark, but often it is packaged in a bit of wisdom that has the player sitting back and thinking about it. If Shepard asks her what’s fascinating about killing people she’ll respond with “I figure every time someone dies and it’s not me, my chances of survival go up. Simple.” Despite how sociopathic this sounds, there is sound logic in what she is stating.
1 If I Die, I’m Haunting You, Shepard
Some of the best lines in the Mass Effect series seem to come mid-combat when guns are being fired and the adrenaline is at an all-time high. This high intensity doesn’t phase someone like Jack who has endured far worse in her life as a living experiment. One of her funnier and more iconic combat lines is when she says “If I die, I’m haunting you, Shepard”. Not only is this line hilarious, but it serves to showcase her personality. She has a sense of dark humor that’s almost unrivaled, and she’s the type of friend that will say they hate you, but often are the most loyal one in the group.
NEXT: Best Technical Changes Between Mass Effect 1 & 2
