Mass Effect 3 New and Old Characters

I’m not very far into Mass Effect 3 but here’s what’s going on.  The combat is certainly harder on normal than Mass Effect 2.  Enemies are a smarter and often try to flank you.  The Cerberus Engineer ground mounted turrets are a pain and fighting Cerberus mechs is getting tiresome.  The good news is I’ve spoiled every one of the Illusive Man’s plots so far.  Lol  I’ve taken the Prothean data from Mars along with Dr. Eva's cybernetic spy body, evacuated the biotic children from Grissom Academy and have the last living Prothean on my team; take that Illusive Man!

The new Edi

I really liked the Mass Effect 2 characters and have been interested to see what their fates were in Mass Effect 3.  But first lets talk about some new characters. SPOILERS to some degree follow.

Edi:  On Mars you steal Dr. Eva's cybernetic female body from Cerberus.  Edi is able to transfer into this body.  From then on you can take Edi on missions and she becomes a permanent squad member.  Joker is in love with her.  Will they fall in love and get married? 

Javik: It is back to Eden Prime where it all started to steal the last Prothean from the Illusive Man.  He survived the last Reaper cycle 50,000 years ago in a stasis pod.  Luckily you are the only person who can decipher the messages in the Prothean Beacons and Liara, the galaxies foremost expert on Protheans, is there to help you find, wrestle away from Cerberus and revive him.  Best quote of the game so far belongs to Javik; Referring the the Salarians; “The lizard people evolved…they used to eat flies.”  He becomes a permanent squad member.

Vega: He’s a permanent squad member from the start.  A solider class who is Shepherd’s guard while on trial for the events during “Arrival” then sticks on after the Reaper invasion begins.

EA/Bioware stated that any Mass Effect 2 characters that survive the Suicide Mission would appear in Mass Effect 3.  It appears that we now know what “appear” means. 

So here is what I’ve discovered so far.  A pattern is emerging with the fate of Mass Effect 2 characters.  Most are being discarded like trash.  Essentially Mass Effect 2 characters are given a video cameo like the lame cameo they did in Mass Effect 2 for Mass Effect characters Ashley and Kaidan.  Here’s what I’ve discovered so far.

Thane: Sorry Thane fans, stick a fork in him, he’s done.  Your closure with Thane is a really lame video cameo in the Citadel hospital.  You can talk to him and find out his illness has gotten worse.  It appears that Thane remains in the hospital for the entire game.

Kasumi:  Her fate is very disappointing because she was one of my favorite ME2 characters.  Essentially on some weak side mission she follows you around the Citadel, invisible most of the time, as you wander from point to point picking up clues.  She saves your life, feigns death (to avoid the authorities) and goes off on some Reaper related task for Shepherd.  Most likely not to be seen again in the game, we’ll see what happens.

Liara's new armor

Liara: Is one of your permanent squad members.  You catch up with her immediately during the first mission on Mars.  She does finally get some decent looking armor.

Jack:  You run into her at the Grissom Academy where she is now teaching biotics to children.  After you evacuate her and the kids to the Normandy she disappears. As with Kasumi it appears you won’t see her again.

Wrex:  Again a video cameo as you rescue the Krogan female.  It appears you’ll see him again since he is the leader of the Krogran. I’m guessing not as a squad member but in video cameos again.

Grunt:  No sighting yet.

Jacob: No sighting yet.

Zaeed: No sighting yet.

Samara: No sighting yet.

Miranda:  You met her at the Citadel after she sends an email to you.  After you meet she’s off to help her sister again and you to fight Reapers.  You are given the chance to continue the romance from Mass Effect 2 or end it.  I'm guessing if you keep the romance you’ll see her again but only in video cut scene cameos not as a squad member.

Legion: No sighting yet.

Ash: Starts as a permanent squad member.  You run into her immediately on Earth at your trial.  She gets a smack down on Mars and goes to the Citadel hospital.  I think depending on if you are trying to reestablish a romance with her you might have different trees.  She’s become a Spectre and might be assigned back to the Normandy with you or could do other missions for the Council.  It might depend on if you are trying to romance her or Miranda. Not sure if she comes back as a squad member, we’ll see what happens.

Garrus:  You link up with him on a mission and he becomes a permanent squad member.

Mordin:  Mordin is encountered on the Salarian home world of  Sur'Kesh when Shepherd (with Wrex in tow) arrive to free the Krogan female Eve.  Mordin helps Shepherd free Eve then agrees to use Maelon's data to find a cure for the genophage.