Many memorable characters populate the Mass Effect universe, and many of them serve aboard Commander Shepard's own ship, the SSV Normandy. Who flies that ship? Jeff Moreau is a flight lieutenant with ace skills and sharp wit, and he is known as Joker among the crew. He's gone through more than a few major life moments, that's for sure.

In the first game, Commander Shepard assumes command of the Normandy to hunt down the rogue Spectre Saren, and Shepard gets to know Joker a little better during chats between missions. In the next two games, Joker is fleshed out even more, and it becomes clear that five particular scenes molded him into the person he is.

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When Joker Graduated Flight School

joker mass effect

Joker grew up with a serious health issue: Vrolik Syndrome, or brittle-bone disease. He had fragile bones, and Joker could never be a soldier. But flying ships isn't physically demanding, and Joker was interested in ships anyway, based on where he grew up. So, Jeff Moreau enrolled at a Systems Alliance flight school, pairing his natural talents with an incredible work ethic to prove himself. Joker even eclipsed his instructors in skill at some point, and while Jeff had been bitter and lonely at school, he was in a great mood during graduation (he had been at the top of his class). Jeff got the ironic nickname "Joker" because of his sour disposition, but he kept the name even when he joined the Alliance navy, and that put him on the path of meeting Commander Shepard someday.

When Joker Was Assigned To The Normandy

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Commander Shepard did not recruit Joker to the Normandy crew; instead, Joker was already aboard by the time Shepard assumed command of the ship. Sometime before the battle of Eden Prime, Joker was assigned to fly the ultra-advanced SSV Normandy. According to Joker, only an expert pilot like him could handle this unusual frigate, given its speed and large drive core. Other pilots would fumble with the ship, but not Joker, and then-Captain Anderson trusted Joker with that ship and his own life. Because of this, the Normandy survived countless deadly missions across the galaxy, and Joker and Commander Shepard became crewmates and friends. Before long, Joker was more loyal to the Commander than he was to the Alliance itself.

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When Joker Joined Cerberus In 2185

Normandy SR2 mass effect

In 2183, the insidious Collectors ambushed the Normandy with their battlecruiser and destroyed it in a one-sided space battle, and Commander Shepard was KIA. Worse yet, the Council reversed its position on the Reapers, and the Alliance declared Shepard dead and moved on. Joker was left without a ship, crew or even a cause, so he approached the rogue organization Cerberus and joined it. Cerberus spent a lot of credits building a new ship, the Normandy SR2, and only Joker was allowed to fly it. Joker was delighted with his new ship, and he eagerly tested out its capabilities while serving with the reborn Commander Shepard in the campaign against the Collectors. Joker had had enough with the Alliance; now, he would fight his enemies on his own terms, with Shepard to guide him.

When Joker Met EDI, An Advanced AI

EDI looking at viewer mass effect

Joker was in for a surprise: the new Normandy had an illegal but powerful AI named EDI aboard, and Joker had to learn to share the Normandy with it. At first, Joker resented EDI's presence, and he had a natural mistrust of AI's and their capabilities. Over time, though, Joker learned to trust and respect EDI, especially when they worked together to save the Normandy from another Collector ambush. By the time Shepard launched the suicide mission to the Collector home base, Joker and EDI were a tightly-knit pair, flying the ship while seamlessly integrating their skills. Jeff gained a whole new appreciation for AI, and his relationship with EDI was about to take another step that was both personal and historic.

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When Joker Learned To Love EDI

joker edi mass effect

Can machines love? This is a question that many works of sci-fi have tackled in many different ways, and the Mass Effect universe concluded that, yes, a machine could love. Joker began to see EDI as a person, not just a computer, and he even considered EDI "she" and "her," based on EDI's personality and female voice. They were soon on warm and first-name terms, and it helped when EDI obtained a powerful humanoid mech body that further enhanced her human appeal. EDI learned to appreciate Joker's whimsy and sense of humor, and she considered humor the bedrock of their relationship (aside from a shared passion for spaceflight). Joker was anxious and confused about his blossoming feelings, though, and turned to Shepard for help. In a Citadel nightclub, Joker bluntly asked: should he and EDI be a proper couple? Was that even possible? If Shepard says yes, Joker and EDI will take this brave step forward together and pioneer a whole new world of human-machine relations and new concepts of love and personhood. Joker and EDI are making history.

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