The asari are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. Introduced in the 2007 novel Mass Effect: Revelation, the asari are a sapient homeotherm species who are naturally inclined towards biotics, the ability to manipulate dark energy and alter the mass of objects through the use of electrical impulses from the brain, which produce various psychic abilities such as telekinesis.
Commander Shepard is the player character in the Mass Effect video game series by BioWare.
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the Mass Effect series and a sequel to the original Mass Effect. The game takes place within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where humanity is threatened by an insectoid alien race known as the Collectors. The player assumes the role of Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who must assemble and gain the loyalty of a diverse team to stop the Collectors in a suicide mission. Using a completed saved game of its predecessor, the player can impact the game's story in numerous ways.
Mass Effect 3 is a 2012 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major entry in the Mass Effect series and the final installment of the original trilogy, it was released in March 2012 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. A Wii U version of the game, entitled Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, was later released in November 2012. The game is set within the Milky Way galaxy in 2186, where galactic civilization is invaded by a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships known as Reapers. It concludes the story of Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who is tasked with forging alliances between species for the war.
Mass Effect is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the galaxy using technology left behind by advanced precursor civilizations.
Miranda Lawson is a fictional character in the role-playing video game series Mass Effect by BioWare. In it, Miranda is an officer of the pro-human group Cerberus, first appearing in the 2009 iOS game Mass Effect Galaxy, and then serving as a squad mate in Mass Effect 2. In addition to these, the character also makes an appearance in the Mass Effect: Redemption comic series, in Mass Effect 3 if she survived the events of the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2, and in issues 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the Mass Effect: Foundation comic series. She is revealed to have been genetically designed by her father, Henry Lawson, to be perfect, and ran away from home to join Cerberus.
The Illusive Man is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect video game franchise. He is the leader of the pro-human group Cerberus. The Illusive Man wears an open suit that connotes both futuristic style and the "casual swagger of a charming billionaire". His eye implants make him appear slightly inhuman. He is normally seen in an empty office with no indication of his living arrangements. He is voiced by Martin Sheen.
Thane Krios is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who first appeared in Mass Effect 2 as a party member. The character is a drell, a race of extraterrestrial reptilian humanoids who form a sociopolitical alliance with the hanar, a sentient species of jellyfish-like entities. Thane Krios is voiced by Keythe Farley in the video game series.
Mordin Solus is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who serves as a party member in Mass Effect 2. A salarian physician and life scientist who was once a member of the salarian intelligence organization Special Tasks Group ("STG") earlier in his life, Mordin is depicted as a fast-talking and affable individual who is initially guided by scientific principles and logic, but later changes his mind and adopts strong moral standards as well as a respect for all forms of life.
Legion is a character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise. The character first appears in Mass Effect 2 as a party member. After Mass Effect 2, Legion returns in Mass Effect 3 as a supporting non-player character. Legion is voiced by American actor D. C. Douglas.
Jack is a fictional character in the role-playing video game series Mass Effect by BioWare. Jack appears as a squadmate in Mass Effect 2, and may appear in Mass Effect 3 as a supporting character provided she survives the events of the previous game. Jack is voiced by Courtenay Taylor. Within the series, Jack was orphaned at an early age and was kidnapped by the anthropocentric paramilitary group Cerberus to be exploited as a test subject. Designated Subject Zero by Cerberus, she is considered to be one of the most powerful human biotics in existence in the Mass Effect trilogy as the result of unethical experiments conducted by Cerberus to enhance human biotic ability, though her traumatic experiences have molded her into an antisocial and psychopathic individual.
Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker is a downloadable content pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2010 action role-playing video game Mass Effect 2. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010, and is included in the PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2, which was released in 2011. Set after the events of the Mass Effect: Redemption comic book, Lair of the Shadow Broker follows the story of information broker Liara T'Soni and her efforts to find an information dealer known as the Shadow Broker.
Tali'Zorah, or Tali in short, is a character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who serves as a party member in all three games in the Mass Effect trilogy. She is of the quarian alien race. Within the series, she is a skilled technician and the daughter of Rael'Zorah, a member of the quarian judicial review Admiralty Board. Ash "Liz" Sroka voices Tali in each of her appearances. Outside of the trilogy, Tali appears in Mass Effect: Homeworlds, a comic series with individual issues on each of several Mass Effect 3 squadmates.
Mass Effect 2: Kasumi – Stolen Memory is a downloadable content pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2010 action role-playing video game Mass Effect 2. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010, and is included in the PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2, which was released in 2011. Set within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, Stolen Memory follows thief Kasumi Goto and her efforts to steal a graybox that contains memories of her partner.
The Last of Us: American Dreams is a four-issue comic book series based on the video game The Last of Us. It was written by The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann and cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks, with illustrations by Hicks and coloring by Rachelle Rosenberg. The series was published by Dark Horse Comics between April and July 2013, and a collected edition was published in October 2013.
Dr. Liara T'Soni is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who serves as a party member in the original Mass Effect trilogy. She is an asari, a female-appearing species from the planet Thessia who are naturally inclined towards biotics, the ability to "manipulate dark energy and create mass effect fields through the use of electrical impulses from the brain". Within the series, Liara is noted for being the galactic scientific community's foremost expert in the field of Prothean archaeology and technology, specifically evidence concerning the demise of the ancient Protheans, believed by the galactic community to be the pre-eminent civilization in the Milky Way galaxy until their sudden disappearance fifty thousands years before the events of the first Mass Effect.
Mass Effect: Foundation is a Canadian science fiction comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics featuring several secondary characters from the original Mass Effect trilogy. The fifth Mass Effect comic series to be produced, Foundation is a tie-in to 2013's Mass Effect 3: Citadel downloadable content, the story of Foundation explores the characters' backstories prior to their meeting with Commander Shepard. Much of its narrative is framed as reconnaissance by the antagonist of Citadel, Maya Brooks, as the point-of-view character, with the first issue exploring her childhood and origin story.
