My Favourite Characters - Liara T'Soni

Back to talking about Mass Effect. Liara is a 109 year old Asari scientist who has a keen interest in archaeology and an ancient race known as the Protheans. Throughout all three games, Liara goes through massive character arcs and emotionally scarring tragedies, all of which she turns out better for. In Mass Effect 1 when she's first recruited by Sheppard she has almost no social skills or understanding of other species behaviour, having locked herself away for so long to focus on her studies. But that doesn't make her a stick in the mud, as introverted as she is, she is easily excitable at the idea of learning more about the protheans, finding Vigil, a Prothean A.I. lights her up like it a child at Christmas. Despite this there is still plenty of development for the character, her relationship with her mother was strong when she was a child but eventually the two became stale with one another and now they fight for opposite sides, in the end Liara is forced to kill her own mother and it's that moment when she becomes invested in her cause to prevent further harm and truly becomes a crew member of the Normandy.

Then in Mass Effect 2 she plays a much smaller but equally prominent role in her own development. 2 years have passed since the previous game and being on her own, she has become a successful business woman, but it has also made her cold hearted and cruel, just like her mother without Sheppard there to guide her. In the DLC 'Lair of the Shadow Broker' when her and Sheppard are able to work together like they used to, Liara becomes much warmer and caring, like who she used to be, now having a perfect mixture between the vicious fighter and the caring companion. Also the banter between her and Sheppard is hilarious in this DLC. Her relationship with Sheppard is one of the greatest things in Mass Effect, whether they be friends or lovers, it warms my heart every time, and even though I consider Thane's romance with Sheppard to be the most important, the relationship with Liara is most natural. The two have excellent chemistry and support one another, while most other relationships it's Sheppard supporting the other, there's a clear balance in this case, Sheppard relies on Liara for help as much as Liara relies on Sheppard. The love between the two feels genuine, she sees Sheppard as a noble hero and Sheppard sees her as a brilliant scientist. The two trust each other completely and are always there to protect one another, no matter what.

That being said, I wish her relationship with the other crew members was as strong, though she does have some good interactions with them at times, for the most part she feels rather disconnected from her fellow shipmates (Except for Javik of course). I would have liked to see more interactions between them and have some more individual relationships have developed. It makes sense in the first game because she's so introverted, but by the time the third game came around, I would expected some changes.

Speaking of Mass Effect 3, this is where Liara is made absolutely perfect. She hits the perfect balance between awkward scientist to badass warrior, she's as good with a pistol as she is with a microscope. More so than that, now having taken on the role of the Shadow Broker, she has an army of informants at her finger tips, knowing everything and anything she wants. But her true skills as a warrior come from her Biotics, able to create force fields, singularities, warp, levitation, pull, throw, Liara is the most powerful Biotic on the team and is a force to be reckoned with. All of this in despite of her age, because in Asari years, Liara is barely even an adult, yet she's achieved more than most could dream of. Being part of the crew that saved the galaxy and being there from the very start, always having your back, always there to give you advice, to share the beauty while it lasts and having a back-up plan just in case. She went from someone who was baffled by humans to someone who admired them and their need to appreciate life while they can, a lesson she took to heart and it is how she lives her life everyday. She is one of my top 5 favourite characters in Mass Effect and one of my all time favourites.

-Danny