If the Mass Effect series is known for anything, it’s the incredible cast of characters Shepard meets along their way. Bonds will be forged, romances will be had, and the galaxy will be saved, maybe. Sacrifices will need to be made and some good people may lose their lives.
Such is the mission on Virmire, where Shepard must make the grueling choice between saving and sacrificing the lives of two of their teammates. Depending on how you have developed Shepard’s relationship with either character, this can be a pretty tough decision to make, especially since it affects the rest of the trilogy.
However, what if there was another choice? Specifically, what if we could swap a crewmate for a dingus we met out there in the big ol’ galaxy? Let’s see who deserves their own permanent vacation to Virmire.
Have any other characters that you think deserve to hang out with Ashley or Kaiden on Virmire? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Conrad Verner
Being the savior of an entire galaxy isn’t so easy. You have a squad to command, murderous AI to fight, and pesky fanboys who just won’t leave you alone.
Depending on how you decide to deal with Verner, he manages to pop back up in each game to cause trouble. One minute it’s an autograph, the next it’s a picture to uh… hang on his wall, and then this guy has the gull to invite himself to your crew.
If Virmire could have used another occupant, Conrad would certainly be at the top of the list.
Abassador Donnel Udina
Donnel Udina might take the cake for being the biggest power-hungry sleazeball to ever grace the halls of the Citadel. It’s undeniable that without his help, Shepard wouldn’t have been able to reach Spectre status without Udina first granting them an audience with the Council.
Everything since then, however, has all been downhill.
Udina looks after one thing and one thing only, himself. At every turn, he’ll upend Shepard’s efforts to expose Saren and the Reapers in an effort to gain a seat on the council. Udina doesn’t really have a change of heart as the story moves forward. In Mass Effect 3, Udina is made a member of the council and in desperation to retake Earth from the Reapers, stages a coup to take control of the Citadel. Not exactly the best guy that Udina, which makes him an easy choice for a short and pleasant trip to Virmire.
Finch
While Finch is by no means a major player in Mass Effect, he can be a bit of an annoyance if your Shepard comes from an Earth-born background. After the incident on Virmire, Finch will be hanging around Chora’s Den to blackmail you into freeing a fellow member being held captive.
If you refuse to help Finch, he’ll threaten to inform the entire galaxy of Shepard’s time in the Tenth Street Reds. Shepard can confront Finch and choose to either kill him or force him to keep the details of Shepard’s past to himself.
Choose to assist Finch in freeing his buddy, and he’ll stay true to his word. Finch doesn’t make any appearances beyond this, save for a message in Mass Effect 2 if he was kept alive. Either way, Finch makes the list.
Din Korlack
Look, Din Korlack, the Volus ambassador, has a lot to be grumpy about. Not only is he forced to wear an inconvenient pressure suit all day, but the guy doesn’t even get his own office.
Din’s derogatory behavior towards humans can be a bit of a drag, to say the least. Din will begrudgingly answer Shepard’s questions but will let Shepard know of the human’s interference with Volus status. There’s clear jealousy in his voice and believes that the Volus will never receive a seat on the Council.
Din’s so bad, that poor Calyn, the Elcor ambassador, has to reign in this guy day in and day out, apologizing to everyone that interacts with the Volus with Remorse. Think of Calyn. Vote Din for Virmire.
Khalisah al-Jilani
How could we end this list of the galaxy’s biggest jerks without including Westerlund News’ star reporter? Khalisah al-Jilani is absolutely one of the most memorable interactions in Mass Effect for all of the wrong reasons.
While her line of questioning starts off innocent enough, al-Jilani starts to hammer on more hostile questions in an effort to undermine public perception of the Council. Throughout all three games, al-Jilani questions how Shepard’s motives and how they affect human relations with Council. Shepard’s decision during the battle of the Citadel or during the invasion of Earth in Mass Effect 3.
Shepard can choose to play along or end the interview with a fist to al-Jihani’s face. And thus, a series staple was born. You can al-Jilani the ol’ right hook in Mass Effect 2 and nice hearty headbutt in Mass Effect 3.
Al-Jilani will continue to be a media presence throughout the series but one ponders the thought of her being sent on a special assignment on a little planet call Virmire.
Published: May 27, 2021 09:00 am