Mass Effect 4 Proves Just How Important Liara Is

Mass Effect fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months (even years, perhaps) thanks to the announcement of Mass Effect Legendary Edition and the in-development Mass Effect 4. The upcoming remaster is a great way for fans to reconnect with the series with improved graphics and game controls, hopefully making for a more enjoyable playing experience. While players will have to relive all the heartbreaking moments of the trilogy, they’ll also get to fall in love with their favorite characters all over again, including one asari who’s maintained a significant role in the Mass Effect franchise.

Liara T’Soni is probably one of the most well-known Mass Effect NPCs and crewmates on the Normandy. She makes her debut in the first Mass Effect game and though she’s absent from the ship in Mass Effect 2, she’s still got an important place in the overall plot of the Mass Effect franchise. Liara not only makes for an interesting romance option, but she’s also a powerful addition to combat in-game and has an interesting, albeit a little uptight, personality. With what’s been revealed about Mass Effect 4 so far, it’s clear that Liara will continue to play a major role in the Mass Effect universe.

When Commander Shepard meets Liara, they must free her from a Prothean security device that the asari unknowingly trapped herself inside. It’s not too much later until Liara joins Commander Shepard’s crew on the Normandy and becomes a valuable addition to the team. Liara’s knowledge of Prothean history comes in handy throughout much of the game and leads to some major breakthroughs throughout the series.

Liara is noticeably absent from Shepard’s crew in Mass Effect 2, but players still get to interact with her at certain points in the game. Though she was a romance option in the first Mass Effect, the romance does not continue in this part of the trilogy. However, if players carried over the romance from the first game and choose not to pursue another partner, Commander Shepard will not call anyone up to their quarters the night before the Suicide Mission and will instead stare longingly at a picture of Liara.

The asari makes a full return in Mass Effect 3 as both a crew member and romance option. Liara is intelligent and definitely shares a special connection with Shepard, even if players aren’t romantically pursuing her. She’s a valuable asset for the team and her final moments with Shepard are both sweet and heartbreaking at the same time, especially if players have chosen to have a romance with her.

Liara’s story doesn’t end when the Mass Effect trilogy does. Presumably, all characters who survive go on to live their lives and adjust to the ending the player chose. However, asari live for much longer than humans, so even though she was 106 at the start of the trilogy, she was still considered barely an adult in asari society. As long as Liara survives the events of Mass Effect 3, it’s safe to assume she grieves Shepard and moves on with her life.