One of the youngest but most popular science fiction game franchises is Mass Effect. Created by BioWare, this space opera joins the greats such as Halo and StarCraft with its RPG-shooter style and outstanding combat mechanics. The player is Commander Shepard, an Alliance Navy hero who is sworn to defend the galaxy against any threat, even the all-powerful Reapers.
But Shepard isn't alone in the fight. He or she will be joined by all kinds of squadmates. Each game in the original Mass Effect trilogy introduces new squadmates, ranging from krogan and turians to biotics and heavily-armored soldiers. Some of these squadmates are more deadly in combat than others, though. In terms of lore and gameplay mechanics, which five squadmates are the standouts and which need a bit more time at the shooting range?
10 Strongest: Garrus Vakarian
In terms of lore, Garrus is like a miniature Commander Shepard. He joined C-Sec, only to grow weary of all the red tape and cut loose. He set up his own squad on Omega to fight back against the cruel gangs there, and he became the reputable Archangel in no time.
He forced the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack to unite against him, and that's saying a lot. In addition, he's a fine sharpshooter, and in gameplay, his Overload ability is great against geth opponents and shields of all kinds.
9 Weakest: Ashley Williams
Ashley is a fine Alliance soldier, but she is little more than that. On an elite ship like the Normandy, that's barely enough to even qualify for the team at all. Yes, Ashley does have some useful powers, but other squadmates have better options for barrier, shields, and biotics on the enemy team.
Lore-wise, Ashley is a tough soldier who can use a gun just fine, and she was once entrusted with guarding the Council (if Kaidan is deceased). But here again, that falls far short of what most other squadmates are capable of.
8 Strongest: Liara T'Soni
Liara was something of a dark horse in the first game. She was introduced as the meek and bookish daughter of Matriarch Benezia, and she'd rather dig up Prothean artifacts and study them rather than get in to fights.
But Liara is smart and brave, and her biotic powers are unique in Shepard's squad. Her Singularity power can draw enemies to a single point (great against Cerberus guardians), and she can defend herself against Spectres like Tela Vasir.
7 Weakest: Jacob Taylor
In his defense, Jacob has a tough mind, being able to move on from the personal tragedy of his father. He's also a romance option for female Commander Shepards. His merits end there, though.
Jacob is a biotic, but he falls short of Miranda, let alone asari powerhouses like Liara and Tela Vasir, and his choice in weapons is plain to say the least. In the lore, he and Miranda helped take out a Batarian cabal that tried to assassinate the Council, and he once served as a Corsair (privateer) for the Alliance. But that's child's play compared to what some other squadmates can do.
6 Strongest: Grunt
Grunt is a pure, lab-grown krogan engineered for perfection, and he demands that other krogan be in awe. Fortunately, this isn't just a vain boast; he can back it up. He is nearly indestructible both in the lore and gameplay, making him a fine bulwark against enemy fire.
He can use powerful shotguns in combat and his Concussive Shot is a nice ranged attack to complement that (and his inferno ammo is great against krogan and vorcha enemies). Don't forget that day he bought Shepard some time against a horde of ravagers (rachni husks)... and survived. No other being in the galaxy could pull that off.
5 Weakest: James Vega
A trend is starting to emerge. Commander Shepard's least impressive squadmates have, so far, been ordinary human soldiers who can use an assault rifle but little more. James Vega, introduced in Mass Effect 3, is something like an Ashley Williams reboot.
He's a nice guy and has an incredible physique, but he couldn't take on Grunt or Wrex in a fight, and he has no biotic or tech abilities, either. He's tough but he's basic, and in a squad like Shepard's, that doesn't warrant much attention.
4 Strongest: Kasumi Goto
In many ways, the master thief Kasumi Goto is James and Ashley's opposite, and in all the right ways. She's a petite, slender woman who survives due to her agility and stealth rather than thick armor or krogan regenerative abilities.
In combat, she can use Shadow Strike to assassinate a target, and like Garrus', her Overload ability is great against enemy geth and shields. In the lore, she can take out nearly anyone, like Thane, and she can jump onto a moving aircraft and disable its shields. Now that's impressive.
3 Weakest: Tali'Zorah
This isn't to say that Tali'Zorah is weak or useless; far from it. She's an expert on the geth and her powers are effective against them during gameplay. This is ideal in the first game, but there's much more variety among enemies later on.
Meanwhile, in the lore, Tali can handle herself in a fight, but she's not a hardened soldier or a biotic or an assassin by any stretch. She's better off in a lab where her genius mind can help craft new vehicle parts of anti-geth weapons. She's more of a tinkerer than a soldier.
2 Strongest: Samara
Liara isn't the only biotic asari around here. In Mass Effect 2, her role is taken over by Samara, a justicar (a sort of vigilante/monk/assassin). In gameplay, Samara can use some impressive biotics and a variety of weapons.
Meanwhile, the lore is where Samara truly shines. Being an elite justicar, she is among the most powerful biotics alive, and she can take out Ardat-Yakshi and Eclipse platoons with little effort. She's been fighting for over 400 years, and her combat experience and skill is too extensive for any human to imagine.
1 Weakest: Kaidan Alenko
If this list proves anything, it's that humanity still has a long way to go in terms of combat power, biotics, and tech abilities. Kaidan is a squadmate in the first game and sometimes the third, and his combat kit is decent but not groundbreaking.
Lore-wise, he's a fairly advanced biotic, but only by human standards, never mind asari. And even among humanity, the likes of Jack and Miranda can out-perform him. Kaidan is a nice guy with a balanced perspective on things, but he plays second fiddle to most characters.