Over the course of the Mass Effect games, Commander Shepard becomes the first human Spectre and goes on more than one quest to save the galaxy from doom. But the Commander can't do it alone; they have to team up with many soldiers, biotics and tech experts, and one notable crew member is the Drell assassin known as Thane Krios. And he has a lot on his mind.
Thane is the best at what he does, but he's not too quick to boast about it. In fact, when looking back, he regrets living "an ill-spent life," and his unresolved issues eat away at him. But for every mistake he made, he found a way to redeem himself, right to his last breath.
Duty & Empty Revenge
Thane was born on Kahje, the aquatic homeworld of the Hanar people, where most of the surviving Drell lived under the Compact agreement. The Drell assisted the Hanar in many ways, including serving as assassins and saboteurs, as was the case with Thane. He began training at age six to honor the Compact, and by age 12, he had already begun dispatching targets.
Thane took advantage of his race's innate ability to totally separate their mind from their bodies, allowing their body to act on its own while the conscious mind is buried deep inside. Thane called this his "battle sleep," but he was awoken from it one day when a Drell woman named Irikah got in the way of one of Thane's assassination attempts. Intrigued, Thane met her, eventually falling in love and marrying her. They had a son, Kolyat, but Thane's enemies struck back before long.
While Thane was away on "business," vengeful assassins killed Irikah and nearly killed Kolyat too. When Thane discovered this gruesome twist, he found and killed the raiders, actually torturing them to death as opposed to his usual clean and quick kills. But this act of revenge accomplished little. Thane was still distraught, Irikah was dead, and Thane and Kolyat became estranged.
Kolyat believed his father cared little about what happened, but in reality, Thane simply didn't know what else to do. He resumed his assassination work in his battle sleep, working as a freelancer to try and find absolution somehow. He was also dying from Kepler's Syndrome, an incurable lung problem, and he was prepared to die soon when he crossed paths with Commander Shepard in 2185. That was when he diverted to a newer, better path.
Making Things Right
At first, Thane wanted to use Commander Shepard's suicide mission against the monstrous Collectors as a chance to end his life in a blaze of glory, but deep down, he wanted something bigger. Early on, he admitted to Shepard that the universe was a dark place, and he wanted to give it a little light before his death, especially for Kolyat. During the mission, Thane confirmed that his son was on the Citadel's wards, performing an assassination job to try and get his father's attention and draw him out.
Thane and Commander Shepard confronted Kolyat at the scene of the crime, and Thane finally got a chance to explain himself and take the first steps in healing his relationship with his son. Commander Shepard didn't have to drag him there; this was Thane's idea, and he was eager and desperate to mend ties and prevent K0lyat from going down the same dark path as his father. Off-screen, Thane and Kolyat began to talk things over, and after the final mission against the Collectors, Thane and Kolyat continued to repair their relationship.
By 2186, the Reapers had taken Earth in a massive assault, and the rest of the galaxy was burning. Thane wasn't on the front lines; his Kelper's Syndrome was advancing fast. But when the Illusive Man and Councilor Udina schemed to take control of the Council and the Citadel, Thane risked his life to help Shepard take on Kai Leng and rescue the Council before Cerberus could ruin everything. Thane and Shepard succeeded, but Thane later died of his injuries in the hospital, his son, the Commander and a few other friends by his side. Thane was able to pass in peace, as his son and best friend read aloud traditional Drell funeral rites.
The beginning and end of Thane's journey were markedly different. Thane started as an ice-cold tool of his employers. Even when he acted on his own free will, he used his skills to torture others and seek revenge, and he failed to stay connected with his son. But Thane, having a good heart, refused to let the situation stay this dark for long. He found it in himself to face his son again and give the boy a brighter future.
Thane made the ultimate sacrifice by helping Shepard save the Council, thus maintaining hope and courage for all people of the galaxy. Thane's journey from a bitter loner to a noble hero was a rough one, and he long doubted whether he could ever succeed. But succeed he did, and Thane indeed made the universe a brighter place by the time he departed it.