Summary
- The best romances in the Mass Effect franchise aren't always the most fleshed-out ones, but they continue to be popular after players revisited the trilogy through Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
- Some characters have a special draw for certain demographics, while others have broad appeal even when not romanced. Mass Effect romances have influenced player tastes and made the franchise worth playing.
- The love interests in Mass Effect: Andromeda may only have one game to introduce them, but they carry on the tradition of Mass Effect romances.
- Turians, Quarians, and Angarans may be limited to the world of virtual fiction, but humans have a lot more flexibility to reach for love stories that matter.
Romance is one of the most popular aspects of the Mass Effect franchise, and the love interests in its lineup are an impressive bunch. These characters are compelling, some to the point of controversy, and getting to know them more intimately can reveal a whole new dimension to the games they feature in. The best romances in the franchise aren’t always the most fleshed-out ones, but they continue to be popular after players revisited the trilogy through Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. From the Mass Effect: Andromeda lineup, the best romances may only have one game to introduce them, but they carry on the tradition of Mass Effect romances that make this franchise worth playing.
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Some characters have a special draw for some demographics. Others have a broad appeal even when not romanced. Either way, they’re all characters who make players blush and crave more, particularly the fan favorites that have far too little content or emphasis. Lack of content aside, these romances have fueled players’ imaginations to the point of influencing their tastes. Turians, Quarians, and Angarans might be limited to the world of virtual fiction, but if there’s one thing Mass Effect romances are famous for, it’s the fact that humans have a lot more flexibility when they can reach for love stories that matter.
Updated on March 17, 2025 by Lucy Melocco: Mass Effect’s romances are known for many things from serious commitments to notorious flirtations, and iconic romances with characters like Garrus, Tali, and Thane are legendary enough in fandom that they hardly need introduction. Every once in a while, though, some gamers are seized by the urge to explore the least popular or most game-breaking choices in their favorite RPG, including the romance options. The likes of romances with characters such as Jacob and Diana Allers live in infamy in fandom, characters like Gil Brodie and Kelly Chambers have great potential but leave an aftertaste, and the option to see what all these bottom-of-the-barrel relationships are about is there. Curious players stepping into the realm of delightful Mass Effect absurdity and missed opportunities alike will have ample provocation and things to say about these romances, too, and a healthy debate about their shortcomings could help improve the fate of their successors in the next Mass Effect .
28 Jacob Taylor
The Ex-Romance With An Ex-Cerberus
- Race: Human
- Romanceable by: Female Shepard
- Voice Actor: Adam Lazarre-White
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
Jacob has some points in his favor, including having one of the more interesting companion quests in Mass Effect 2, his openness about where Shepard stands with him, and his aversion to shirts. That said, his character ultimately fails to bring what his concept promises. He’s unnecessarily standoffish with femShep, his relationship with Miranda has a certain ick factor, and the shine of his personality is hard to find beneath the missed opportunities and stereotypes he became infamous for in fandom.
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There’s also Mass Effect 3. Jacob’s character progresses to the third game with no thought given to importing his romance from the previous one, and, unfortunately, it canonizes him not only failing to formally break up with Shepard before impregnating another woman, but he also goes out of his way to reject her again. Ironically, considering how Jacob reacts if he gets rejected in Mass Effect 2. Rejection on its own would have been an accepted and bold RPG move had it been purposeful and timely, but it was neither. A point in favor of having Jacob as an ex is the opportunity to give him a piece of femShep’s mind in the Citadel DLC.
27 Diana Allers
The Exclusively Token Fling
- Race: Human
- Romanceable by: Male Shepard
- Voice Actor: Jessica Chobot
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 3
Allers is arguably best appreciated by those with no feelings for the first two games, nor for long-term relationships because she asks Shepard to keep their activities on the down-low. It’s no secret that her late addition to Mass Effect 3 took the spot that should have been given to one of the more familiar reporters featured in the earlier games like Emily Wong, beloved by fandom and the original choice, or even Khalisah al-Jilani. Either option would have been a welcome surprise for fans and an interesting addition to the crew.
Allers is mostly inoffensive, her function as a reporter is quite useful for War Assets, and the performance behind the character is good. In a lineup of long-beloved and fascinating characters, though, “good” doesn’t stand out and she is given little to no personal depth, so it’s hardly surprising that few fans choose to romance her. The controversy surrounding creating Allers to replace Wong is harder to look past, and the lack of substantive drama or joy makes her a lackluster choice at best.
26 Avela Kjar
A Sample Of Romance For Science
- Race: Angaran
- Romanceable by: Male Ryder
- Voice Actor: Kate Kennedy
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect Andromeda
Avela won’t hesitate to take the opportunity to get to know the newest alien race showing up in her galaxy, and intellectual Ryders can get delightfully lost in the details with her. Players must work to win her affections, and doing her archeological favors yields the confession of feelings. Unfortunately, she won’t give Ryder a shot at a true romance, so players shouldn’t get too emotionally attached.
Although this romance is barely a fling and more of an emotional affair, it’s easy to picture Scott falling for her intelligence, historical insight, and witty banter, which makes it a shame straight Ryders don’t get to explore it, at least not to the depth that Reyes or Suvi get. However, she is straightforward about her intentions and feelings, and she definitely has feelings for Ryder. She just won’t let herself get sidetracked by them.
25 Kelly Chambers
For The Giggles, For The Fish
- Race: Human
- Romanceable by: Female or male Shepard
- Voice Actor: Cara Pifko
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
Kelly’s romance hasn’t aged well, and it’s not because some people enjoy the idea of her dancing for Shepard in an Afterlife outfit. The problem lies in how hers is not presented as a serious romance in so many ways, despite smooth segues into flirting and emotional groundwork, and that there’s the incentive to manipulatively romance her up until she feeds Shepard’s fish and then forget about her in favor of the “real” romance to lock-in.
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That said, Kelly is delightful. She’s empathetic and charming, she has a magnetic vulnerability, and she’s a damsel in distress Shepard can rescue for players who enjoy that trope. By Mass Effect 3, acknowledgment of her romance considerably improves, although she still gets far too little content to compete with the romantic heavyweights of this series.
24 Morinth
Embracing Game Over
- Race: Asari
- Romanceable by: Female or male Shepard
- Voice Actor: Natalia Cigliuti
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
Players who choose Morinth will first have to sacrifice Samara, which is already a big ask. But what makes Morinth a fascinating romance from an RPG perspective is that Shepard is made fully aware that becoming intimate with this person will most definitely result in death, and much to some fans’ delight, Mass Effect 2 can end in Morinth’s embrace of eternity.
There are few reasons to keep this character alive from a strategic or romantic perspective. Aside from losing her mother and being unable to romance her and live to play on, her unromanced future is bleak. If Morinth lives, in Mass Effect 3 she is one of the numerous Ardat Yakshi-turned-Banshees that Shepard mows down. Her character has nothing but tragedy and death written into it, which has its appeal for those looking for a more brutal gameplay, and it’s a great feature that her romance is actually an option for players.
23 Gil Brodie
The Family Man Mechanic
- Race: Human
- Romanceable by: Male Ryder
- Voice Actor: Gethin Anthony
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect Andromeda
This romance should have been great, Gil does have a certain handsome charm about him, although it takes him some time to warm up to Ryder. He also comes with some caveats, most notably, his questionable obsession with the biological imperative to reproduce despite his somewhat lacking maturity, the way his relationship with his equally obsessed friend Jill fits in, and the fact that he isn’t even a squadmate.
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Having the only strictly m/m romance as the only family option Andromeda offers should have played into the game’s overall theme of colonizing a new galaxy. In reality, not only does the “let’s be two dads” question override the opportunity to establish how he and Ryder might work as a couple, but it also gives just enough for his fans to feel short-changed despite their love of this romance. Gil is a great guy, but he deserved better.
22 Keri T’Vessa
Scooping Some In-Depth Research
- Race: Asari
- Romanceable by: Female or male Ryder
- Voice Actor: Rebecca Night
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect Andromeda
Keri is a journalist who lives for her work, and similar to other Mass Effect media personalities, her main focus with Ryder is discussing the Pathfinder Team’s progress. Unlike Diana Allers before her, Keri makes her role feel attractively relevant. Players who flirt with her enough will discover the sweetness behind her analytical personality. Persistent Ryders can sail the oceans of eternity with this asari off-screen.
The less appealing side of Keri is her apparent lack of relational integrity; she is fully willing to be Ryder’s discreet lover alongside a main romance, although this is only applicable if players take advantage of pursuing multiple romances. Andromeda lightly dabbles in alternative relationship models, but if there are others, Keri will choose secrecy from a relatively early dialogue point even if Ryder later commits to another romance.
21 Sha’ira The Consort
Shepard Is The Envy Of The Galaxy
- Race: Asari
- Romanceable by: Female or male Shepard
- Voice Actor: Gwendoline Yeo
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect
Sha’ira is one of the most powerful denizens of the Presidium in Mass Effect, and spending time in her presence is something people will spend fortunes on and patiently wait months to do. She is the graceful and sensuous advisor, counselor, and comfort of esteemed figures from diplomats to generals, and as players will learn, even she has worldly problems to fix.
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Liara romancers get to hear a tinge of her jealousy during this quest, although Sha’ira will not outright offer Shepard a sensual encounter. Players who deem her advice as an insufficient reward at the end of her quest can still ask about alternative means of compensation; the glamor of this experience is a mildly suggestive cutscene, an achievement, and maybe a reputation.
20 James Vega
A Night To Almost Remember
- Race: Human
- Romanceable by: Female Shepard
- Voice Actor: Freddie Prinze Jr.
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 3
James has an old-school approach to avoiding outright fraternization with superiors, although players wouldn’t know it by how he talks back to Shepard and calls her “Lola”. This shameless flirt won’t keep his attraction to himself, but he will balk at the idea of romance if confronted with the idea.
That doesn’t mean a solo Shepard unattached to other romances can’t have a moment of levity in the Citadel DLC when James winds up in her bed after some more relentless flirting between them. The only prerequisite is to complete his companion arc and not to have a locked-in romance before the party. No relationships here, just a moment of drunk passion.
19 Javik
He Waited 50,000 Years
- Race: Prothean
- Romanceable by: Female Shepard
- Voice Actor: Ike Amadi
- Appearance(s): Mass Effect 3
As far as one-night stands go, Javik is an acquired taste who will deftly interrupt the bleakness of the trilogy’s looming end with an amusingly satisfied Prothean, and a femShep experiencing the visible cringe of someone who woke up to a living, breathing Prothean in her bed. Whether players like Javik or not, Shepard’s moment of lust can’t be called anything but distinguished.
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If not a single Turian, Asari, Human, or any other available sentient species aboard the Normandy stands a chance at catching Shepard’s eye, her most ancient war buddy will make the first move he’s made since the last cycle. For just one night after the Citadel DLC party, Shepard can prove to Javik that being surrounded by primitives has certain benefits.