The Mass Effect Trilogy is considered by many to be one of the best RPG video games of all time. Despite being BioWare's first original IP, Mass Effect became the face of the studio, and still has many fans who are anticipating the next game in the franchise. Arguably, a large part of why Mass Effect was such a massive hit was because of its protagonist, Commander Shepard.
Commander Shepard is one of the most beloved video game protagonists of all time, and is an icon of the industry. The careful balance between backstory and headcanon that players were given with Shepard resulted in a character that was easy for players to connect to, while also allowing them to fill in the gaps and make Shepard feel uniquely "theirs." Players talk about "their" Shepard, and it's clear that Mass Effect would not be the same without Shepard. And so, April 11 is celebrated by many players as they commemorate their favorite character.
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Behind the Significance of April 11 For Mass Effect
Commander Shepard is so closely tied to Mass Effect that subsequent spin-off games such as Mass Effect: Andromeda have struggled to shake off Shepard's legacy and forge an identity without the iconic character. There is good reason for this, as Shepard is a compelling mix of charisma, competency, and tragedy. This blend created a winning face for the Mass Effect Trilogy, and resulted in a protagonist who had agency, built relationships, and took action when it was needed. These are all characteristics of a strong video game protagonist, but what pushed Shepard over the edge from compelling character to icon was the Paragon and Renegade system, which gave Shepard a personality and morals beyond just one-liners.
April 11 is a meaningful day for Mass Effect fans because it's Commander Shepard's birthday. Like Shepard's name, the day was chosen because of its significance in space exploration. April 11, 1970, is the day Apollo 13 launched. Apollo 13 was meant to be the third moon landing but, due to technical difficulties, it ended up aborting the moon landing and circling the moon instead. While Apollo 13 didn't succeed in landing on the moon, it did forge the way for Alan Shepard, Commander Shepard's namesake, to achieve a moon landing during Apollo 14's mission.
Celebrating Commander Shepard's Legacy
Commander Shepard's birthday is often recognized officially by BioWare and unofficially by the Mass Effect community. While the day doesn't have the same celebrations as N7 Day, BioWare usually gives a shout-out to many gamers' favorite protagonist, while the community creates art to commemorate Shepard. In 2025, with Mass Effect 4 in development, Shepard's role in Mass Effect has become more important than ever before and raises questions about the franchise's next protagonist, or if Shepard will play a role in it.
Commander Shepard's birthday is in 2154, which is 129 years in the future. Shepard is 29 years old in Mass Effect, and is 32 by the events of Mass Effect 3. With Mass Effect 4's timeline unknown at this point, no one knows how old Shepard could be in the next game, or if they could feasibly be alive. Seeing as this is a universe with cryo-freezing and Shepard has been brought back from the dead before with the Lazarus Project, it's possible that everyone's favorite Commander could find their way back to the series.
Mass Effect 3
- Released
- March 6, 2012
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Mass Effect
