Jacob has no real character arc. Hes a black man with daddy issues. Its the same in most rpgs when it comes to black characters. Whats messed is Liam in Andromeda is just as badly written. I'd like an intetesting black character instead of the typical ones you see in literally any movie. Anderson is such a badass though. Dude makes sure they can't take all of earth. Now thats a badass interesting black character.
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle It is, but I pretty much agree with Um No. She is a one night stand, on a par with James, Jaavik and Allers, and I would not even put them on this list. Plus, the trigger is ridiculous. Allers you have to work for, and I think that Jaavik and James are only included in the Citadel DLC to add to the comic tone of the plot where you fight your evil clone. I love the DLC, but it is comic and silly through out. From the overdone French waiter to waking up with a squadmate in what can only be a drunken hook up to the Blasto movie scene with Jaavik and Grunt's wild night out...there are too many comic moments.
Udina is clearly the best romance. Their relationship arc is clearly the best. They are in love in mass effect 1. Their relationship gets put on hold in mass effect 2 due to political reasons. Then Shepard is forced to kill Udina in mass effect 3. 10/10 writing. Very tragic.
"Garrus was not romanceable in ME1 so it's less of an arc" Garrus was only romanceable in ME2 because Bioware didn't think fans would romance someone with mandibles smh. Though the fact that he was only romanceable in ME2 is what makes his romance compelling, to me at least, because it is a relationship that blossomed from a long standing friendship. Also hearing "Garrus' romance is not as well written as Liara's" hurts
Same with Tali--having played through the entire series, I really like that you can't romance her in ME1. While I was playing it the first time, I remember wishing she were...but now I see it would have definitely been a bit of a power mismatch. I like that you have to wait until ME2 to romance her, 5 years later. She's grown, and it comes a little more natural.
@@CreepyBlackDude And the arc is more wholesome that way too. Quarians are generally looked down upon by the galaxy as a whole. Tali experienced it quite often before meeting us. Shepard is the first of pretty much any other species to treat her not only as a valid person, but as a friend and valuable crew member. Pair that with the fact that her own people were turning on her and wanted to blame her for something she was very careful to avoid with Shepard again being the only one to stand with her, no wonder she wants to stay on the Normandy with Shepard.
Femshep-Thane is one of the most rewarding relationships in the game. Two lonely souls, facing death, reaching out to one another in the darkness. Very adult, very human, very relatable.
Yeah man shit had me crying like a baby, you remember when he’s saying that prayer in me 3 and he’s like “it’s not for me, it’s for you siha” shit cut deep
It's an abusive relationship in my opinion. A nagging disappointed. You just are there to listen to his quotes. And it was like a rape thing to me. I didn't want it but it was too late and I had no other options and he would feel worse. It naturally happened to my character in the first playthrough and I was evilly thinking, oh he's gonna die and I can fuck others too lol.
OH MY GOD YES!!!!! The first time I heard that line, I shed so many tears. It really drove home the idea that you're at the very end of it all and there's a very strong possibility that you won't be coming back alive. That line alone really made the romance more than worth it!
and playing a Colonial Shep makes it feel a lot more 'yes my Shepard could very much live on Rannoch' because his home was already ruined as a kid by Slavers, so his home is less WHERE and more.... with WHO.
I like Talis relationship the most because of how much effort she puts into it. Humans and quarians are generally incompatible, and when you factor in the health risks, is almost not worth it. But Tali wants it to work so much that she does necessary research and takes proper precautions, even at the risk that she'll still get sick. Plus her loyalty mission in ME2 hits a lot harder for me if you're trying to romance her. Being there for her when she finds out her father is dead, and being the single person to clear her name during the trial are way more impactful. And the whole conversation about building her a house on her homeworld is one of my favorite scenes in the entire trilogy.
Not to mention the galaxy sees her people as second class citizens, which she experienced firsthand quite often on her pilgrimage before we meet in the alley, and then we treat her like not just a person but a friend. We even get alien skeptics like Pressly and Ashley on the "I would die for them" page. I can see why we wouldn't be able to romance her in ME1, the relationship is still growing, beyond the species barrier.
@@mythmondays6727 I doubt that reasoning. Garrus is certainly not in that same category and you can't romance him. It's more likely the devs just didn't think people would want to date the bird-lizard man and hazmat suit bound knee-bendy-backwardsy chick.
@@Kjf365 The power imbalance and maturity differences would make it uh... questionable if they allowed it. At least with Ashley she's a strong willed woman that will tell you to fuck off if you press too hard. Even if the meta reasoning is that they didn't know Tali would be that popular, it's definitely for the best story wise.
I actually think the Garrus romance is superior BECAUSE you can't start it in ME1. In fact if you didn't recruit Garrus in ME1, you can't romance him in 2 and 5hus can't start one with him in 3 To me, it seemed like you have to get to know Garrus first BEFORE you hop in the sack with hi
I absolutely adore Kaidan's romance in mass effect 3. If you haven't done a playthrough where you stay loyal to him in ME2 it's definitely worth a go. He's kind of a big sweetheart if you play paragon, even with the Cerberus stuff.
Ooooh!! I just started Kaidan never played his romance yet in 3 yet!! 😀 Thank you!! He I'd boring a bit in 1 but 2 her Broke my heart with not believing my Shepard. They were so heart broken when the squad pointed it out aaaaah!!!
@@geckosarecute6304 search on TH-cam for Raphael Sbarge READING that email Kaidan sends you in ME2. it seriously almost made me cry on my first play through. he's just a good VA.
I love the Kaidan romance. I also love the Thane romance. I really like that I can enjoy both on the same run with a paragon femShep. Both are kind and gentle men with good hearts and sometimes you just need that in a story!
gonna be honest, I'd put the Vega "romance" down in D because Femshep literally harasses him multiple times throughout the party into getting drunk enough to sleep with her which..........I shouldn't have to describe why that's bad. it felt like a fuck you from the devs to the people who wanted a James romance.
Exactly. Their banter was great in the main game-very much just two soldiers flirting for the sport of it. The actual romance in the DLC had FemShep acting even creepier than she did every time she talked to Jacob in ME2.
@@ninjasteph9561 I'm glad to see other people noticed this and are outspoken about it. Not only is it so out of character for FemShep, but considering Bioware pride themselves in being a progressive company this was so out of character for them too and I don't know what the writers were thinking. Sexual assault against anyone, doesn't matter the gender, is never a laughing matter. Imagine if they'd made a scene like that were male Shepard starts being all coercive with an uncomfortable looking female companion and then gets her drunk and in bed?
There wasn't a single m/m romance in the trilogy until 3. Before then, only m/f or f/f fanservice. The asari are literally a whole race of sexy blue women who largely work as prostitutes when they are young. Anyway, BioWare is just a husk, it's really EA we're talking about. It wasn't out of character at all. They don't take any of this seriously, they just try to do what sells. EA is a shareholder-controlled company. Vulnerable men are not tolerated by society, so they don't sell. I'm just grateful to at least have Kaidan. Never see a male version of Tali, that's for sure. Of course Vega was a big muscleman, he can't be sexually assaulted, he always wants it, he isn't vulnerable, and if he were he wouldn't deserve to live anyway, etc., etc.
Miranda is an easy S-tier for me, super underrated. I think a lot of people struggle getting past the Cerberus cheerleader aspect of her during ME2, but it's so worth taking the time with her. The added character development she gets through her romance arc is just amazing. Her and Jack are both really similar how they have a cold exterior, but because of their romance with Shepard, they can show their caring side.
@@jaywebster656 Yes, but if you romanced her you hold her in your arms and she tells you she loves you before passing away. It's the only time she does.
Kaidan's romance is so underrated. He is easily A tier, tbh it's kind of unfair to judge his romance without completing it, especially with paragon route.
I agree with putting Kaidan as an A tier. He's the first romance I pursued in my first playthrough, and yes, he's kind of a douche in ME2, but overall I think he's quite a romantic guy 🥰🥰🥰
+1, he's my favourite romance so far, my main (paragon) Shep has been loyal to him throughout all 3 games and it was so rewarding. their love story is so well-developed (starting with him having a crush on Shep and being kinda awkward around her and then coming back in ME3 more sure and confident about his feelings, still caring about Shepard after they parted their ways in ME2) and Kaidan is totally boyfriend goals lol.
@@yutingsooi5691 Kaiden is my buddy. He is a much better Spector then Ashley to me. He is much more reasonable then Ashley. He also questions shepherd less.
I like how Garrus is unromancable in ME1. I would never do that anyway. Can you imagine someone dying on you and then after you are done griefing two years later they come back? Yeah, I wouldn't want Garrus to go through that. I don't believe that such a relationship is in any way salvagable in real life. Ashley/Kaidan's behaviour on Horizon is pretty understandable if you think about it. Liara gets a pass cause she knew Cerberus would be trying ot rebuild Shep, so it's more of a long distance thing for a while. xD
It would absolutely be salvageable. If my husband would have been miraculously brought back to life two years later, you bet your butt I would have taken him back. I didn't start dating again for almost six years after he died. It lasted about one year. Haven't dated again for seven years. If my husband could come back as three years older than me like he was when he died, I would still take him back. Death doesn't stop love. Obviously, I wouldn't want a zombie version, but if they could do what they did with Shepard...
Pretty accurate. I mean just look at the castaway movie. To his wife he might as well been dead, when he comes back she has a new husband. And it’s very sad, and awkward.
Jessica Chobot or whatever her name is even defended the 3 flavors of ending.... without having ever even played the games..... so yeah... Diana Allers is just there for me to be a reporter and I tell her to stay professional with the romancey-stuff potential happens.
I never thought about that and now I’m mad because it’s so obvious and now I’m gonna be thinking about that every time I see Diana when I get to ME3 here soon
I just finished a Tali romance run for the first time yesterday. Like with Liara, it was great. Obvious the writers put a lot of heart and effort into it.
Tali is also my favorite. That said, I really wish they would’ve included an actual face model, instead of just a stock photo. It’s the one really disappointing thing in an otherwise great romance.
So, I like the playful flirting James and Femshep do during ME3, since it feels more like two friends just trying to one-up each other and basically playing chicken to see who gets uncomfortable first, but not actually taking it seriously. The fling in the Citadel DLC is really bad, though, since James is actually shown as being visibly distressed by what just happened, so it comes across as Shepard basically date-raping him.
Exactly. James and Shep are hilarious together in 3-definitely some needed brevity at times. It’s the “romance” itself in the DLC I have a problem with.
James tries way too hard. He tries too hard to be 'cool', tries too hard to be 'latino', tries too hard to be tough... he's just annoying. I think he comes from Jacob territory. "Kaidan, but he's black, cause token representation. Kaidan, but he's this jacked up latino, cause token representation." He manages to be less annoying as time goes on, but that's probably mostly because he's down in the shuttle bay. I couldn't even imagine how sex would work with him. It would be like screwing a Krogan.
Jack' romance is very underrated. Happy to see it recognized. I put her just behind Liara. Also, have to agree with Liara being tops, not only for how well it's written and how satisfying it is, but it's the only romance that truly feels coast to coast.
Liara was my favorite during my first experiences with the franchise. After playing the trilogy off and on for over a decade, I still like Liara but my tastes have definitely matured. Liara seems too held back, her character is just so boring in contrast to some of the more nuanced romances that lack the same screen time. Tali is my "best girl", her character development is so much more vibrant than Liara's. The inability to romance her to any extent in ME1 is a shame, especially because her dialogue on the Normandy runs out early on and she doesn't have much comment even regarding some of the primary missions in the latter half of the game. Jack is competently the runner up, arguably the most drastic and fulfilling character progression. Just a very "feel good" story, the only detriment is her lack of screen time and interaction in ME3. Miranda is firmly my number 3. Although her character was made for you to be attracted to, her character progression redeems her ice queen barbie vibes. You really get to see who Miranda is beneath her looks and relationship to Cerberus, she suffers from a criminal lack of screen time in both titles she appears. Liara would have to then be number 4, not that her romance is bottom tier to me but the former romances are just more nuanced. With the Shadow Broker DLC, you can romance her in every entry in the trilogy so you get maximum "exposure" 😉. I do agree, she's definitely the best contestant for canon/default romance despite my personal ranking. An honorable mention would be Ashley, if not for her crooked nose and the sickeningly sweet poetry garbage. It MIGHT be bearable, had her voice actress been a little more compelling in her delivery of those lines. They just grate along, I personally couldn't stand the cheese and broke it off by the end of ME1. I've romanced her in ME3, but it just doesn't compare to the others.
@@Let_The_Foolish_Take_The_Lead I thoroughly enjoyed the Tali romance, but I think it might have been out of place in ME1. She was basically a college kid while Shepard was already a grizzled, hardened war veteran by that point. To be honest, Liara's romance (which I ultimately loved by ME3) in ME1 kind of felt awkward to me for that very same reason. Not only was she was considered so young by asari standards, but also she came across as the most naive character in the first game.
Jack is very fun to romance as a renegade Shep, you can really let yourself loose with her. If I had to compare her with another Bioware character I'd say she's the equivalent of Viconia in Baldur's Gate 2. You really get to understand Jack when you romance the character. Other romances are more just to "bang" but Jack's romance story uncovers more about her. It's pretty cool to crack her shell.
@@GalathNoxWell, it’s a good thing for you that Tali’s romance begins in ME2 than? After she’s grown up quite a bit(emotionally, it was only two years after all).
It's been a while since I played ME2, but I remember going after Thane initially then switching over to Garrus. Hearing Thane going on about how much he loved his late wife made it hard to really feel that connected with him (ie awkward segway from hearing about his dead wife to telling him I want him). The "I had reach, but she had flexibility" story sealed it for me with Garrus
I fell in love with Tali's voice and personality lol Thanks to her im expecially nice to Quarians, unless, of course, if they ask for a bullet in the head.
Tali and Liara are my favorite romances by far. Tali is like the sweet wholesome romance whereas the Liara romance is the one which grows and matures over time as each of the character goes through the hardships of life. Both have their places.
But you don't know. I believe that the destroy ending where you see Shepard breathe is canon, so I think both of these things happen (depending on who you romanced obviously)
Those do happen though. They are offscreen, but they happen. BioWare confirmed years ago that if you pick Destroy and Shepard lives, Shepard will eventually reunite with the Normandy crew and whoever Shepard was in a romantic relationship with and have some happily ever after with them.
Am I the only one who think Sha iri was meant to be a bigger part of ME1? She has this whole spot on the Citadel, but it’s only meant for a couple of small quests, and she has a romance scene that kind of comes out of i where. And it’s no like she’s in some obscure area, either - it’s easy to miss a lot of places in the Citadel, but you’re likely to stumble on her office on the way to your objectives. It feels like you’re meant to go there, like it’s supposed to be a place you’ll come back to. I don’t know, just always bugged me.
MShep/Kaidan finally being able to get together in ME3, after everything they've been through--together and apart--actually makes for a beautiful arc on multiple levels. It is criminally overlooked!
Jack and liara are fantastic romance options that go well with the me3 ending. Having Jack find you and recognise the tattoo would be everything. And as for Liara, she found you before and she’d search the ends of the earth to find you again.
There is only one choice for me, and that is Ashley. I have played through the entire series start to finish at least 25 times now, and I have given Maranda and Tali a shot but I always go back to Ash. I just feel like I'm interacting with a real person and not a video game.
Hearing his justification for the romances made my heart start to sink when it finally came to Thane, whose romance is literally *heartbreaking*. I went into it because I thought it was an easier route to continue with Kaidan's romance (which is also underrated btw). Just when I thought Thane couldn't hurt me more, the Citadel DLC came out and oh the pain was intense. Definitely worth the S tier.
Fairly accurate for the most part. The Consort should be on the D list and Kaidan should be on the A list right beside Ashley. He and Ash are on equal terms in the first two games, and he's above her in ME3 as Kaidan gets a lot more cutscenes and dialogue on the Normandy.
My wife (she only plays male Shep) ended her Jack romance to romance Cortez and I was so confused... My wife's first playthrough was kinda funny actually.. she tried to romance Ashley but then let her die on Virmire because she likes Kaidan so much.. then where I totally thought she'd go for Tali she went for Jack. Really unexpected.. she also almost chose Miranda's ass which was another surprise to me.. (I never liked Miranda back then) Then in 3 she cut off her relationship with Jack to be with Kaidan which kind of surprised me but not as much a her suddenly changing her mind to Cortez... Watching my wife play games with choices is really fascinating...
So leaves the most emotionally raw and expressive character for the hammiest one who delivers his lines like a piece of cardboard? Yikes. How did Jack take it? I'm trying to imagine Jack doing a Cortez impression.🤣
Absolutely agree that Liara and Tali are the top two best romances. I played Mass Effect for the first time with the Legendary Edition and just finished it a few days ago and I'm still reeling from Liara's goodbye during the final push to the Crucible. The fact that she is a race that lives up to a thousand years, and despite being so young, pledges herself to you is just incredible and really shows the depth of her feelings for you. I also saw clips of Tali's goodbye and that "I have a home" line is just gut-wrenching. Both are GOAT relationships and definitely worth their S-tier rankings.
Tali is such an epic romance especially with the legendary edition, liara tells you in the shadow broker dlc that tali has been infatuated with Shepard since the beginning and by the end of 3 you really get the vibe that tali and Shepard are very much in love and have postwar plans
For Kelly Chambers to show up in 3, all you need to do be nice (and kinda flirty) and ask her up to your cabin for dinner. No fling required. I actually decided to do this on an Ashley lives play through to unlock her skills in 3 (since I normally save Kaiden), and I didn’t talk to her after having dinner with her, and she still showed up in 3. I also romanced Garrus both games.
Yes your opinion is your own, this is not a judgement. This is my opinion. I would put Garrus at the TOP. He is everything, and the things you go through together is amazing. You respect each other and there’s humour! He’s so funny. He’s tough and sexy, like seriously. Garrus for the win.
I would say the same for Tali from the male shep perspective. You go thru a lot together, and it organically grows over time, its not forced in ME1, like Liara who is infatuated with you for no reason. And Tali is also super adorable, funny, and badass
I can tell you haven't completed Kaidan's romance just based on the tier list. You really ought to see it all the way through. He was annoying about Horizon and Cerberus, and the cheating dialogue irks me for both Ash and Kaidan, but his dialogue during the romance in 3 is just heartbreaking sometimes. I don't understand people that find him boring. You don't have to give a character mandibles or an enviro-suit to make them interesting. He's a strong character with strong convictions, even if it means taking a step back from how he feels personally. He needs to at least be on the same tier as Ash.
I even liked Kaiden in ME1. Maybe his romance was pretty stale back then but some of his dialogue is genuinely interesting, his awkward attempts at conversation in the Citadel Elevators is funny and I like his down to Earth views and opinions on things. Plus it’s cool that he’s the only main crew mate that Shepard knew before the games begin.
@@tabby6284 there's articles from the dev team that say they cut content to pacify censors, so I might be, but 3 had the best dialogue for all relationships.
Tbh, I didn’t romance Liara all the way through until recently and I was pretty underwhelmed in the end. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still one of the best romances in the game (and she’s my go-to in ME1), but it almost felt that way more through quantity than quality. Particularly in ME3, I just didn’t feel like I was getting that much more from her than I would if she was a regular squad mate. It’s just my opinion though, there’s no need to go spreading it around.
I mentioned in a stream how I accidentally hooked up with Shai'ira the consort on my femshep playthrough and I still was confused how that happened 🤣. Also Tali is S tier
@@theillusiveman2139 I think Ashley's romance is really good, but the worst ones are Jacob's and Morinth. Still think its funny how you can choose to enlist a psychopath and kill her supercop mother.
@@lukebarroso449 really cool decision, it would have been more cool if morinth appeard for more time in Me3 and maybe if she really loved shepard (a renegade shepard, like Aria who kisses shepard if he/she is a renegade), and with a romance scene in ME3, Maybe Morinth could have found a method or something to not kill shepard (a bit like Tali in Me2 but that' s the roles are inverted).
Imo Ash is Tier A or B, i don' t like a lot how she changed in the third game, i would have prefered if she remained the same person from Me1, or at least at the beginning of the game. If she had changed during ME3, she would have been a better character. I remember when shepard met her in Me2 (in my 1st playthrough i romanced her but only in Me1), my first thought was "that' s still the old ash" while Garrus went to Vietnam and got PTSD, Tali ??, Liara became the girl who send you John Wick if you cheat on her and Wrex became more friendly ad basically the sovereign (not the reaper) of Tuchanka.
The kaidan romance with male shep is something I would say is S tier because it’s the first one I was able to do, and the first time I was able to see a gay romance option represented in a major video game.
Representation isn’t always pandering. The Kaidan romance was coded into ME1, even partially voiced, but they blocked it off at some point during development due to backlash about the “sex scenes” from major news sources already, they didn’t need to give them something else to complain about. Happy they finally included it in ME3.
I don't particularly care about "representation" or the ideology you are speaking to. Anyway, Liara and femshep has existed since Mass Effect 1 and didn't require changing existing characters for the sake of pandering like they did with Kaidan and male shep for ME3. So if you are looking for "representation" it was in mass effect 1. Side note - I don't believe a word of what you wrote on his romance being blocked off. People make the same nonsensical claim about Miranda in ME2.
@@zackfair6791 I care about representation because when I was growing up, and even through my teen years, I didn’t see people like me on tv or in films much. It matters to me because that lack can create pretty big feelings of being an outsider or unusual. People think that representation doesn’t matter until they’re not represented, and then they wanna grab their pitchforks. I get that femshep can romance Liara in ME1, which is great, but we have to take into account that our society is a lot more accepting of “omg 2 chicks banging!” than two men. In any event, you can use a save editor to edit a maleshep in ME1 to romance kaidan and see for yourself. He even references the relationship in ME2 if you edit the save from ME1, as well as the beginning of ME3. Representation may not matter to you, but it does matter to a lot of people. If it were pandering, they’d have made everyone romanaceable regardless of gender, and if we’re truly pandering, they’d have removed heterosexual romance altogether. But they didn’t, all they did was add one romance option for male Shepard. If you didn’t want kaidan to be romanced by male shep, you didn’t have to do it. He exists in your game the way you want him to. I’m glad happy he was made a romance option for me, that’s all.
Sounds to me like representation matters to you because the ideology you are repeating says it should. I think a person would be better off without identitarian ideology, but you do you. I can't support drastic changes to existing characters. Whether it be skin color, gender, or whatever else. If people think they need representation then the developers should create a new character instead of altering an existing one.
It's so funny seeing over time the number of Tali Stans grow as more people realize her romance is the most emotionally meaningful. I definitely have liked her from the beginning. Liara was obviously my first romance because you practically don't have a choice, but Tali is definitely my favorite. Liara does have pretty good writing though. Sometimes it does feel like some of these characters do things you wouldn't really expect them to, but that's fairly realistic considering how real life doesn't really work out how you might think it would most times.
I was a Tali stan from the first game and I was a kid when that came out. It was great to find out she was an option in the second game and it turn out to be the most beautiful romance I've seen in a game. Glad to see people are coming around and realizing Tali and Garrus are the best characters this series has.
MShep and Kaidan in the third game is easily my favorite romance of all of them. They managed to make it feel like an overdue revelation as opposed to something random and last minute. Their developement is a really sweet distraction to the bleakness of 3 and does the whole 'it was you the whole time' trope really well. And if you play through the games as MShep with him in mind (saving him on virmire, staying suspiciously single, etc) and kinda do your own roleplaying in your head with it you'll pick up on some really interesting undertones from them, they always felt oddly sincere with each other especially since he was never the designated "best friend" of Shepard. He's an okay romance for FemShep but I definitely highly prefer her with Garrus, her character shines the most there. But yeah Kaidan is easily S tier for me in the right circumstances.
We might be the same person. My first play through I used male Shep, and did not romance anyone because my attention was on Kaidan. It was such a slow burn feeling with them, that it made it that much more loving and endearing to see them together in 3. And I know what you mean with the undertones! Headcanon for me is mShep and Kaidan.
I liked Jacob until 3. It would've been an exciting arc seeing him return to the alliance apart of your crew and become what his father wasn't. Instead, they hit him with the douche canoe and just got written out of the main story.
if you have the original ME3, you can add POEM (Priority Earth Overhaul mod) to your play through, and he comes back during the London run. just as a fighter NPC, but at least he's there, fighting.i think the Citadel DLC hints at him being a "father" to those kids from Gellix, though.
I’d put James’ romance down with Jacob. Love James as a character FemShep is a creeper in that romance. *Creeper in the Citadel DLC, I mean. The jokey, flirting for sport thing they did in the main part of the game was fun, but never actually felt like either were looking for romance-just two soldiers joking around.
When I have Liara as my romance option, she’s easily one of my favorite characters in the entire series, but when she’s not I can’t put her above a D, she’s so prevalent and forced into everything that I feel like I talk to her as much as I talk to romance partner even when I’m not romancing her, like the only reason I willingly enter her room in ME3 is from her emails and to see Glyph, best non-romantic character after Anderson.
I agree with this statement. I almost never actually romance her, which makes it hard to like her since I am forced to interact her, even when I am romancing another character. My go to romances are Ashley, Miranda, Tali, or Garrus.
I have adored Thane's romance since 2013, he has continued to be my favourite mass effect romance since i was 12 years old and i'm now 21. Thane's romance has that emotional factor which heavily draws me to him and to see you put him in S tier has made my day. Big love Big Dan
I love that someone else got the character arc with Jack. She pushes everyone away but, just by being a friend, she starts to show that softer side and it makes me just want to hug her tight. I wish that arc had been able to be continued fully in ME3. She's my girl!
I personally love Garrus' s romance the most and always have. It's sad that you can't romance him in ME1 but it also gives the idea of building friendship. By the time you can in ME2; he respects, trusts and admires you. Which is a good standing to start a relationship. And it shows into ME3.
I tend to go against the grain and I always pick Ashley for my male Shepard. There’s just something about her. And honestly while she may have been harsh, when it came to the way the council handled the Reaper threat they kind of proved her right. She even said she didn’t want to be right about them, but she was.
Can see debate on moving a slot on various companions but also in all being right where they are. Garrus favorite one since goes from smooth to ackward to really ackward to smooth.
Yeah. It's interesting, for heterosexual women Garrus seems to be the favourite, but for us bi/gay guys, Kaidan is It. 😜 That was one thing BioWare definitely got right.
Kaidens and Msheps relationship is probably my favorite in the series and it's only obtainable in the last game, its just so wholesome and cute. Garrus is a really close second.
If I remember correctly, Javiks romance triggers if you took in onto the casino mission and talk to him at the party, i don't think the scene ALWAYS happens, I saw femsheps wake up alone in bed
I love the Garrus romance. One of the more funnier and sweet romances imo. He's my main go to romance. Aside from Thane. I did do a kadian one in my early playthroughs, seemed a lil bland to me.
I have really funny experience from when I tried to romance Jacob. It started normally, I was doing the first mission on collectors base when at some point of the mission, my game crashed and computer bluescreened. I tried again, but the problem happened severall times. So eventually I decided to start whole game over and started romancing Garrus, as usual. To my surprise and amusement, the game worked perfectly fine. My own computer refused to go through romance with Jacob.
Kaidan is S for me, this all emotions and story make their job. Sometimes he dont know how to reacting On something. But when you and Kaidan "discover" how to act in relationship is the beast. Sometimes cringe But that how relationship is. Sometimes lovely, sometimes cringe and sometimes heart broke (Dont leave me behind). I love his romance and his character
I appreciate the love for the secret romance of Daddy Udina and Bitcoin Shep in the thumbnail! My favourite romances are: 1. Udina 2. Glyph 3. Fai Dan 4. Private Westmoreland 5. Biotic God
I would also choose Garras or Thane over Kaiden, but that's not possible as male shep. Interestingly, in that category I would rather Steve above Kaiden. I was surprised that Cortez turned out to be more interesting. And, also to my surprise, barring those two characters, I mostly agree with your ratings.
I wish Kelly Chambers had a much bigger romance arc. Her flirtatious interactions in ME2 were amazing. Also, it would have been nice if Diana had a bigger arc too, just cause i think she's hot AF. Lol.
I appreciate you playing FemShep to pursue certain romances… but I have to say as a woman I find the Kaidan romance very sweet. While the Garrus romance is also excellent as is the Liara romance, I especially appreciate the ability to romance Kaidan without having to be “swept off my feet” 😜
Kaidan’s romance just feels so genuine. I’ve always loved it. His reaction on Horizon is justifiable given how terrible Cerberus was in ME1 and FemShep and him in ME3 are so cute
@@ninjasteph9561 And it seems to me like one of the most natural of the romances, with a kind of love that transcends mere desire-sort of like what I would hope for a good marriage
@@edielungreen It really does! Less about lust and more about just being there for each other. Definitely more of what I’d look for in a real life romance than some of the others in the game.
Thane is the most tragic. Also, it is so cool, romanced or not when femShep helps reads the final prayer for Thane, and asks why "she" and is told that the prayer is for her. Not nearly as powerful with a male Shep Jack is the most revelatory. She develops and reveals more than anyone else. Tali is the sweetest. Romancing her makes the scenes on Rannoch in ME3 so much more powerful. The most fun part of the Miranda romance is making her cry in ME3, when you tell her that you have moved on. Liara is my favorite, but I have a twist. Talk to her at the beginning and confirm that you want to restart things. Then, do not talk to her again in her room on the Normandy. If you romance Thane in ME2, you can rekindle with him in ME3, and have your one night stand with Allers, and then still go to Liara on the Citadel and confirm that romance after the other two "scenes." I call it the cheating Shepard scenario.
Hi Dan! I've recently started playing the trilogy and I must say I'm completely hooked on it! I've also been binge watching your videos ever since! ❤️ Although I totally respect your list (it IS yours and yours only), I kinda disagree placing Sha'ira in Tier A... Anyways, great video, as usual! P.s. I don't if it's only me but the background music was a bit too loud, almost overcoming Dan's voice... I don't know if it has to do with editing and uploading process 🤷🏾♀️
Personally, I didn't really like Liara's Lair of the Shadow Broker arc since the whole time it felt like Liara is on a killing spree ignoring everything in her path, Including Shepard.
Hey Dan, love the video. Can you please make the music a little quieter in the future? I feel that it's a bit overbearing at times and it makes it more difficult to concentrate on what you're saying. Cheers. 🍺
Being able to open the prothean ball artifact after Shi-ira (idk if that's how you spell it) gives you the artifact/stone/key is pretty awesome. Great bit of content that's easy to miss
I love the fact that the romance that kills you is higher than Jacob.
Jacob has no real character arc. Hes a black man with daddy issues. Its the same in most rpgs when it comes to black characters. Whats messed is Liam in Andromeda is just as badly written. I'd like an intetesting black character instead of the typical ones you see in literally any movie. Anderson is such a badass though. Dude makes sure they can't take all of earth. Now thats a badass interesting black character.
@Hamzah Bin Saif Ok Groomer.
Also higher is a one night stand that is basically just a hook up with a high class prostitute...
@@fozzilla123 what? I don’t get what you’re implying.
@@sirshotty7689 I think he's implying his brain is infested with culture war brain worms
Hang on...Sha'ira's one off awkward hookup above any full-fledged romances feels so weird and wrong to me 🤣🤣
Even with it being above Jacob's?
It’s better as FemShep
@@shifterzx
Heh, she gets a D. Heh
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle It is, but I pretty much agree with Um No. She is a one night stand, on a par with James, Jaavik and Allers, and I would not even put them on this list. Plus, the trigger is ridiculous. Allers you have to work for, and I think that Jaavik and James are only included in the Citadel DLC to add to the comic tone of the plot where you fight your evil clone. I love the DLC, but it is comic and silly through out. From the overdone French waiter to waking up with a squadmate in what can only be a drunken hook up to the Blasto movie scene with Jaavik and Grunt's wild night out...there are too many comic moments.
@@shifterzx i see what you did there LOL
Udina is clearly the best romance.
Their relationship arc is clearly the best. They are in love in mass effect 1. Their relationship gets put on hold in mass effect 2 due to political reasons. Then Shepard is forced to kill Udina in mass effect 3. 10/10 writing. Very tragic.
😂
Hahahahas shuuut 😂
"Garrus was not romanceable in ME1 so it's less of an arc" Garrus was only romanceable in ME2 because Bioware didn't think fans would romance someone with mandibles smh. Though the fact that he was only romanceable in ME2 is what makes his romance compelling, to me at least, because it is a relationship that blossomed from a long standing friendship.
Also hearing "Garrus' romance is not as well written as Liara's" hurts
I know :((( they’re written so well. It’s literally Jennifer Hales (Femshep va) favorite Femshep ship.
Same with Tali--having played through the entire series, I really like that you can't romance her in ME1. While I was playing it the first time, I remember wishing she were...but now I see it would have definitely been a bit of a power mismatch. I like that you have to wait until ME2 to romance her, 5 years later. She's grown, and it comes a little more natural.
@@CreepyBlackDude And the arc is more wholesome that way too. Quarians are generally looked down upon by the galaxy as a whole. Tali experienced it quite often before meeting us. Shepard is the first of pretty much any other species to treat her not only as a valid person, but as a friend and valuable crew member. Pair that with the fact that her own people were turning on her and wanted to blame her for something she was very careful to avoid with Shepard again being the only one to stand with her, no wonder she wants to stay on the Normandy with Shepard.
@@CreepyBlackDude There is only 2 years between ME1 and ME2, not 5 years. Still, yeah, she's grown a lot since her pilgrimage.
But it's not
Femshep-Thane is one of the most rewarding relationships in the game. Two lonely souls, facing death, reaching out to one another in the darkness. Very adult, very human, very relatable.
Yeah man shit had me crying like a baby, you remember when he’s saying that prayer in me 3 and he’s like “it’s not for me, it’s for you siha” shit cut deep
the video email in the citadel broke me so hard@@RaphaelAmbrosiusCosteau51
It's an abusive relationship in my opinion. A nagging disappointed. You just are there to listen to his quotes. And it was like a rape thing to me. I didn't want it but it was too late and I had no other options and he would feel worse. It naturally happened to my character in the first playthrough and I was evilly thinking, oh he's gonna die and I can fuck others too lol.
@@aleyzeeo-aleyzee2101Cringe opinion.
50% human bro
Romancing Tali, her “I have a home” quote hits so hard in the end if you brought her with you on the final mission in ME3
OH MY GOD YES!!!!! The first time I heard that line, I shed so many tears. It really drove home the idea that you're at the very end of it all and there's a very strong possibility that you won't be coming back alive. That line alone really made the romance more than worth it!
and playing a Colonial Shep makes it feel a lot more 'yes my Shepard could very much live on Rannoch' because his home was already ruined as a kid by Slavers, so his home is less WHERE and more.... with WHO.
@@kinagrill but that goes for spacer too, since he lives the same way as the quarians did, anywhere
@@NotASpyPootis Eh, sorta. with Spacer it is more like 'the posting is home', rather than 'grew up on not-earth'.
@@kinagrill yeah, but i mean that it fits the quarian feel more
I like Talis relationship the most because of how much effort she puts into it. Humans and quarians are generally incompatible, and when you factor in the health risks, is almost not worth it. But Tali wants it to work so much that she does necessary research and takes proper precautions, even at the risk that she'll still get sick.
Plus her loyalty mission in ME2 hits a lot harder for me if you're trying to romance her. Being there for her when she finds out her father is dead, and being the single person to clear her name during the trial are way more impactful.
And the whole conversation about building her a house on her homeworld is one of my favorite scenes in the entire trilogy.
Not to mention the galaxy sees her people as second class citizens, which she experienced firsthand quite often on her pilgrimage before we meet in the alley, and then we treat her like not just a person but a friend. We even get alien skeptics like Pressly and Ashley on the "I would die for them" page. I can see why we wouldn't be able to romance her in ME1, the relationship is still growing, beyond the species barrier.
"I'm done saving you! Keelah Se'lai!"
And you saved both geth and quarian fleets🤷♂️
@@Kjf365 you can't romance Tali in ME1 because she is still a teenager by Quarian Law. After her pilgrimage then yeah she is open season
@@mythmondays6727 I doubt that reasoning. Garrus is certainly not in that same category and you can't romance him. It's more likely the devs just didn't think people would want to date the bird-lizard man and hazmat suit bound knee-bendy-backwardsy chick.
@@Kjf365 The power imbalance and maturity differences would make it uh... questionable if they allowed it. At least with Ashley she's a strong willed woman that will tell you to fuck off if you press too hard. Even if the meta reasoning is that they didn't know Tali would be that popular, it's definitely for the best story wise.
I actually think the Garrus romance is superior BECAUSE you can't start it in ME1. In fact if you didn't recruit Garrus in ME1, you can't romance him in 2 and 5hus can't start one with him in 3
To me, it seemed like you have to get to know Garrus first BEFORE you hop in the sack with hi
You are telling me recruiting is optional in me1?
@@SuProcione Only Garrus and Wrex are optional to recruit.
@@livrk8005 tali is optional too
@@thecreed1212 Nah, Tali is mendatory in ME1
@@livrk8005 o you might be right. I remembered only liara being mandatory my b
I absolutely adore Kaidan's romance in mass effect 3. If you haven't done a playthrough where you stay loyal to him in ME2 it's definitely worth a go. He's kind of a big sweetheart if you play paragon, even with the Cerberus stuff.
Ooooh!! I just started Kaidan never played his romance yet in 3 yet!! 😀 Thank you!! He I'd boring a bit in 1 but 2 her Broke my heart with not believing my Shepard. They were so heart broken when the squad pointed it out aaaaah!!!
@@geckosarecute6304 I second that it gets cuter ❤
@@alliekuma4234 😊
@@geckosarecute6304 search on TH-cam for Raphael Sbarge READING that email Kaidan sends you in ME2. it seriously almost made me cry on my first play through. he's just a good VA.
I love the Kaidan romance. I also love the Thane romance. I really like that I can enjoy both on the same run with a paragon femShep. Both are kind and gentle men with good hearts and sometimes you just need that in a story!
If I was romancable... Damn, I would be on top... with countless breeding requests. Heh-heh-heh😄
And Shepards "I love you, Grunt"... would mean it.
Zamn! I have pictures of sharks btw wanna look at them?
@@marco0445 absolutely! Sharks are coooool...
A Shepard and Grunt romance would probably be the a good substitute for that Wrex romance we were denied.
@@electricfeverx976 Have some class. Grunt is Shepard's son.
@@cherrycordiaI only because there is no romance option.
Ain’t no way you put Sha’ira’s romance over Kaiden’s…
I'm more confused how she ranked above Traynor
I surprised Shai'ira made it on the list AT ALL...
gonna be honest, I'd put the Vega "romance" down in D because Femshep literally harasses him multiple times throughout the party into getting drunk enough to sleep with her which..........I shouldn't have to describe why that's bad. it felt like a fuck you from the devs to the people who wanted a James romance.
yeah, it was uber-annoying they decided to go that route, especially the alcohol hookup. but it PO'd me enough to start writing again, so-
Exactly. Their banter was great in the main game-very much just two soldiers flirting for the sport of it. The actual romance in the DLC had FemShep acting even creepier than she did every time she talked to Jacob in ME2.
@@ninjasteph9561 I'm glad to see other people noticed this and are outspoken about it. Not only is it so out of character for FemShep, but considering Bioware pride themselves in being a progressive company this was so out of character for them too and I don't know what the writers were thinking. Sexual assault against anyone, doesn't matter the gender, is never a laughing matter. Imagine if they'd made a scene like that were male Shepard starts being all coercive with an uncomfortable looking female companion and then gets her drunk and in bed?
There wasn't a single m/m romance in the trilogy until 3. Before then, only m/f or f/f fanservice. The asari are literally a whole race of sexy blue women who largely work as prostitutes when they are young. Anyway, BioWare is just a husk, it's really EA we're talking about. It wasn't out of character at all. They don't take any of this seriously, they just try to do what sells. EA is a shareholder-controlled company. Vulnerable men are not tolerated by society, so they don't sell. I'm just grateful to at least have Kaidan. Never see a male version of Tali, that's for sure. Of course Vega was a big muscleman, he can't be sexually assaulted, he always wants it, he isn't vulnerable, and if he were he wouldn't deserve to live anyway, etc., etc.
It isn't the same as getting a girl drunk enough to sleep with you. Not even close. Girls getting guys drunk for sex is fair play all day.
Miranda is an easy S-tier for me, super underrated. I think a lot of people struggle getting past the Cerberus cheerleader aspect of her during ME2, but it's so worth taking the time with her. The added character development she gets through her romance arc is just amazing. Her and Jack are both really similar how they have a cold exterior, but because of their romance with Shepard, they can show their caring side.
Her dying in Mass Effects 3 makes the ending of the game so impactful, it happened to me in my first playthrough and became my canon, I almost cried
@@alexdelarge5703 she doesn't die if you tell her about Kai Lang
@@jaywebster656 Yes, but if you romanced her you hold her in your arms and she tells you she loves you before passing away. It's the only time she does.
Nah for me Miranda is meh face like Michael Jackson
Miranda is the best character and like you said, she's very underrated, I wish femshep could have romance her, but she's bestie with her.
Kaidan's romance is so underrated. He is easily A tier, tbh it's kind of unfair to judge his romance without completing it, especially with paragon route.
I agree with putting Kaidan as an A tier. He's the first romance I pursued in my first playthrough, and yes, he's kind of a douche in ME2, but overall I think he's quite a romantic guy 🥰🥰🥰
+1, he's my favourite romance so far, my main (paragon) Shep has been loyal to him throughout all 3 games and it was so rewarding. their love story is so well-developed (starting with him having a crush on Shep and being kinda awkward around her and then coming back in ME3 more sure and confident about his feelings, still caring about Shepard after they parted their ways in ME2) and Kaidan is totally boyfriend goals lol.
Yeah, I don't romance him, but I find him more tolerable than ashley, so she dies on virmire.
@@yutingsooi5691 Kaiden is my buddy. He is a much better Spector then Ashley to me. He is much more reasonable then Ashley. He also questions shepherd less.
YES! I was fuming when I saw Dan put him in the B tier. Kaidan deserves better 😭
I wish the music was quieter and more in the background - it would make it easier to listen to this as a podcast. Thanks for sharing the list.
Your lists are great I just wish you would turn the music down a little, it's almost louder than you at some points.
yea its kinda hard to hear him with the background sound so high up ^^'
I am glad someone said it. It was overbearing.
Was going to comment the same, otherwise no complaints great speaking voice
Agreed.
Was coming to say this same thing.
I knew the Garrus romance on B in the thumbnail was there just to trigger and I still fell for it
I like how Garrus is unromancable in ME1. I would never do that anyway.
Can you imagine someone dying on you and then after you are done griefing two years later they come back? Yeah, I wouldn't want Garrus to go through that. I don't believe that such a relationship is in any way salvagable in real life.
Ashley/Kaidan's behaviour on Horizon is pretty understandable if you think about it.
Liara gets a pass cause she knew Cerberus would be trying ot rebuild Shep, so it's more of a long distance thing for a while. xD
Liara didn't just know, I believe she said so herself, she gave Shepard's carcass to Cerberus so the Shadow Broker wouldn't get it.
@@electricfeverx976 Yeah it plays out in a series of comics
It would absolutely be salvageable. If my husband would have been miraculously brought back to life two years later, you bet your butt I would have taken him back. I didn't start dating again for almost six years after he died. It lasted about one year. Haven't dated again for seven years. If my husband could come back as three years older than me like he was when he died, I would still take him back. Death doesn't stop love. Obviously, I wouldn't want a zombie version, but if they could do what they did with Shepard...
Pretty accurate. I mean just look at the castaway movie. To his wife he might as well been dead, when he comes back she has a new husband. And it’s very sad, and awkward.
@@jenx5870Depends on the person. Some people move on quicker, some don’t at all.
LOL Not Sha'ira and the healing crystal Dan! You have me rolling.
You're right on Diana should've been Emily. even if they kept it as a fling, having known her through 3 games would have made it satisfying.
I don’t remember seeing her in Mass Effect 2
@@denegwynn2869 she sends an email. That counts as knowing.
Jessica Chobot or whatever her name is even defended the 3 flavors of ending.... without having ever even played the games..... so yeah... Diana Allers is just there for me to be a reporter and I tell her to stay professional with the romancey-stuff potential happens.
I never thought about that and now I’m mad because it’s so obvious and now I’m gonna be thinking about that every time I see Diana when I get to ME3 here soon
Oh yeah I forgot about Wong
Honestly I keep forgetting that Diane isn’t DLC lol
I just finished a Tali romance run for the first time yesterday. Like with Liara, it was great. Obvious the writers put a lot of heart and effort into it.
Tali is also my favorite. That said, I really wish they would’ve included an actual face model, instead of just a stock photo. It’s the one really disappointing thing in an otherwise great romance.
@@JurzGarz Oddly enough, I like the stock photo more than the face pic they put in to the legendary edition.
@@Barkit I didn't know they did that! I just looked it up and like the new version a lot better. Still wish we got a proper in-game model though.
To be honest I wish both her and Garrus would be romance options in ME1
@@BanishedSilentShadow3318 Garrus sure, but Tali? She's just a kid in ME1. She matures a LOT by ME2.
So, I like the playful flirting James and Femshep do during ME3, since it feels more like two friends just trying to one-up each other and basically playing chicken to see who gets uncomfortable first, but not actually taking it seriously. The fling in the Citadel DLC is really bad, though, since James is actually shown as being visibly distressed by what just happened, so it comes across as Shepard basically date-raping him.
Exactly. James and Shep are hilarious together in 3-definitely some needed brevity at times. It’s the “romance” itself in the DLC I have a problem with.
@@ninjasteph9561 femshep is a sexual predator in citadel dlc
James tries way too hard. He tries too hard to be 'cool', tries too hard to be 'latino', tries too hard to be tough... he's just annoying. I think he comes from Jacob territory. "Kaidan, but he's black, cause token representation. Kaidan, but he's this jacked up latino, cause token representation." He manages to be less annoying as time goes on, but that's probably mostly because he's down in the shuttle bay. I couldn't even imagine how sex would work with him. It would be like screwing a Krogan.
Jack' romance is very underrated. Happy to see it recognized. I put her just behind Liara. Also, have to agree with Liara being tops, not only for how well it's written and how satisfying it is, but it's the only romance that truly feels coast to coast.
Liara was my favorite during my first experiences with the franchise. After playing the trilogy off and on for over a decade, I still like Liara but my tastes have definitely matured. Liara seems too held back, her character is just so boring in contrast to some of the more nuanced romances that lack the same screen time.
Tali is my "best girl", her character development is so much more vibrant than Liara's. The inability to romance her to any extent in ME1 is a shame, especially because her dialogue on the Normandy runs out early on and she doesn't have much comment even regarding some of the primary missions in the latter half of the game.
Jack is competently the runner up, arguably the most drastic and fulfilling character progression. Just a very "feel good" story, the only detriment is her lack of screen time and interaction in ME3.
Miranda is firmly my number 3. Although her character was made for you to be attracted to, her character progression redeems her ice queen barbie vibes. You really get to see who Miranda is beneath her looks and relationship to Cerberus, she suffers from a criminal lack of screen time in both titles she appears.
Liara would have to then be number 4, not that her romance is bottom tier to me but the former romances are just more nuanced. With the Shadow Broker DLC, you can romance her in every entry in the trilogy so you get maximum "exposure" 😉. I do agree, she's definitely the best contestant for canon/default romance despite my personal ranking.
An honorable mention would be Ashley, if not for her crooked nose and the sickeningly sweet poetry garbage. It MIGHT be bearable, had her voice actress been a little more compelling in her delivery of those lines. They just grate along, I personally couldn't stand the cheese and broke it off by the end of ME1. I've romanced her in ME3, but it just doesn't compare to the others.
@@Let_The_Foolish_Take_The_Lead I thoroughly enjoyed the Tali romance, but I think it might have been out of place in ME1. She was basically a college kid while Shepard was already a grizzled, hardened war veteran by that point. To be honest, Liara's romance (which I ultimately loved by ME3) in ME1 kind of felt awkward to me for that very same reason. Not only was she was considered so young by asari standards, but also she came across as the most naive character in the first game.
Jack is very fun to romance as a renegade Shep, you can really let yourself loose with her. If I had to compare her with another Bioware character I'd say she's the equivalent of Viconia in Baldur's Gate 2. You really get to understand Jack when you romance the character. Other romances are more just to "bang" but Jack's romance story uncovers more about her. It's pretty cool to crack her shell.
@@GalathNoxWell, it’s a good thing for you that Tali’s romance begins in ME2 than? After she’s grown up quite a bit(emotionally, it was only two years after all).
@@natebox4550 Yeah. I think that was the point of my comment.
Bro, the music is too loud.
It's been a while since I played ME2, but I remember going after Thane initially then switching over to Garrus. Hearing Thane going on about how much he loved his late wife made it hard to really feel that connected with him (ie awkward segway from hearing about his dead wife to telling him I want him). The "I had reach, but she had flexibility" story sealed it for me with Garrus
Liara has so many scenes in all 3 games even if you don’t romance her, she might as well be the canon romance, but I just like tali so much more 💜
Liara definitely seems like someone the devs WANT you to romance, but Tali/Garus will always be top-tier for me.
I fell in love with Tali's voice and personality lol
Thanks to her im expecially nice to Quarians, unless, of course, if they ask for a bullet in the head.
@@JayTohab Fr, the dextros are the canon romances in my heart ✊
Tali and Liara are my favorite romances by far. Tali is like the sweet wholesome romance whereas the Liara romance is the one which grows and matures over time as each of the character goes through the hardships of life. Both have their places.
yeah no, I find her so annoying thanks to that 😭😭 stop shoehorning her up my face I would've adore her way more
Liara and Tali for life
I’ll never forgive BioWare for not letting my Shep have little blue children with Liara or building a home on rannoch for Tali
But you don't know. I believe that the destroy ending where you see Shepard breathe is canon, so I think both of these things happen (depending on who you romanced obviously)
Those do happen though. They are offscreen, but they happen. BioWare confirmed years ago that if you pick Destroy and Shepard lives, Shepard will eventually reunite with the Normandy crew and whoever Shepard was in a romantic relationship with and have some happily ever after with them.
Am I the only one who think Sha iri was meant to be a bigger part of ME1? She has this whole spot on the Citadel, but it’s only meant for a couple of small quests, and she has a romance scene that kind of comes out of i where. And it’s no like she’s in some obscure area, either - it’s easy to miss a lot of places in the Citadel, but you’re likely to stumble on her office on the way to your objectives. It feels like you’re meant to go there, like it’s supposed to be a place you’ll come back to.
I don’t know, just always bugged me.
>Garrus in B tier in the thumbnail
My guy I was about to throw hands
MShep/Kaidan finally being able to get together in ME3, after everything they've been through--together and apart--actually makes for a beautiful arc on multiple levels. It is criminally overlooked!
Yes I totally agree! the MShep romance with Kaiden was a pretty good arc imo and it's sad it's overlooked a lot. Definitely an S tier for me
Jack and liara are fantastic romance options that go well with the me3 ending.
Having Jack find you and recognise the tattoo would be everything.
And as for Liara, she found you before and she’d search the ends of the earth to find you again.
There is only one choice for me, and that is Ashley. I have played through the entire series start to finish at least 25 times now, and I have given Maranda and Tali a shot but I always go back to Ash. I just feel like I'm interacting with a real person and not a video game.
Hearing his justification for the romances made my heart start to sink when it finally came to Thane, whose romance is literally *heartbreaking*. I went into it because I thought it was an easier route to continue with Kaidan's romance (which is also underrated btw). Just when I thought Thane couldn't hurt me more, the Citadel DLC came out and oh the pain was intense. Definitely worth the S tier.
Fairly accurate for the most part. The Consort should be on the D list and Kaidan should be on the A list right beside Ashley. He and Ash are on equal terms in the first two games, and he's above her in ME3 as Kaidan gets a lot more cutscenes and dialogue on the Normandy.
My wife (she only plays male Shep) ended her Jack romance to romance Cortez and I was so confused...
My wife's first playthrough was kinda funny actually.. she tried to romance Ashley but then let her die on Virmire because she likes Kaidan so much.. then where I totally thought she'd go for Tali she went for Jack. Really unexpected.. she also almost chose Miranda's ass which was another surprise to me.. (I never liked Miranda back then)
Then in 3 she cut off her relationship with Jack to be with Kaidan which kind of surprised me but not as much a her suddenly changing her mind to Cortez...
Watching my wife play games with choices is really fascinating...
So leaves the most emotionally raw and expressive character for the hammiest one who delivers his lines like a piece of cardboard? Yikes. How did Jack take it? I'm trying to imagine Jack doing a Cortez impression.🤣
@@mikicerise6250 Jack was pretty chill about it and they stayed friends as I recall
I am indifferent with Liara, but this is most agreeable. Bravo.
Absolutely agree that Liara and Tali are the top two best romances. I played Mass Effect for the first time with the Legendary Edition and just finished it a few days ago and I'm still reeling from Liara's goodbye during the final push to the Crucible. The fact that she is a race that lives up to a thousand years, and despite being so young, pledges herself to you is just incredible and really shows the depth of her feelings for you.
I also saw clips of Tali's goodbye and that "I have a home" line is just gut-wrenching. Both are GOAT relationships and definitely worth their S-tier rankings.
Ugh I love Kaidan romance. He's definitely S tier for me.
Agreed! It’s one of my favorites.
Same.
Me too. I love Kaidan.
and Botulism-free.
Kaidan should be S tier at least. he is husband material to the end 😤
Tali is such an epic romance especially with the legendary edition, liara tells you in the shadow broker dlc that tali has been infatuated with Shepard since the beginning and by the end of 3 you really get the vibe that tali and Shepard are very much in love and have postwar plans
For Kelly Chambers to show up in 3, all you need to do be nice (and kinda flirty) and ask her up to your cabin for dinner. No fling required. I actually decided to do this on an Ashley lives play through to unlock her skills in 3 (since I normally save Kaiden), and I didn’t talk to her after having dinner with her, and she still showed up in 3. I also romanced Garrus both games.
Yes your opinion is your own, this is not a judgement. This is my opinion. I would put Garrus at the TOP. He is everything, and the things you go through together is amazing. You respect each other and there’s humour! He’s so funny. He’s tough and sexy, like seriously. Garrus for the win.
Probably he isn't at the top because this tier list was made by a straight man, I never saw Garus like this before I read your comment. Haha
Simp
@@deosdethe I'm straight but I prefer Thane's one
@@alexdelarge5703 thane is awesome, I prefer Garus, but Thane is amazing his last scene on ME3 made me tear.
I would say the same for Tali from the male shep perspective. You go thru a lot together, and it organically grows over time, its not forced in ME1, like Liara who is infatuated with you for no reason. And Tali is also super adorable, funny, and badass
I can tell you haven't completed Kaidan's romance just based on the tier list. You really ought to see it all the way through. He was annoying about Horizon and Cerberus, and the cheating dialogue irks me for both Ash and Kaidan, but his dialogue during the romance in 3 is just heartbreaking sometimes. I don't understand people that find him boring. You don't have to give a character mandibles or an enviro-suit to make them interesting. He's a strong character with strong convictions, even if it means taking a step back from how he feels personally. He needs to at least be on the same tier as Ash.
Ash gets nuked cus she's a hater, lol.
She never has a chance at romance cus she's reduced to ashes every playthrough, ha.
I even liked Kaiden in ME1. Maybe his romance was pretty stale back then but some of his dialogue is genuinely interesting, his awkward attempts at conversation in the Citadel Elevators is funny and I like his down to Earth views and opinions on things. Plus it’s cool that he’s the only main crew mate that Shepard knew before the games begin.
Can't argue with Liara being #1 but Jack will always have a special place in my heart. Her glow up is insane too
Kaidan in 3 was the best one for me. Felt like he had always been intended to be an option but then cut.
I am sure you are right. The lines were recorded for the first game.
@@tabby6284 there's articles from the dev team that say they cut content to pacify censors, so I might be, but 3 had the best dialogue for all relationships.
absolutely. Kaidan is canonically bi. the VA is all there. it's annoying that they didn't fix that in MELE.
Tbh, I didn’t romance Liara all the way through until recently and I was pretty underwhelmed in the end. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still one of the best romances in the game (and she’s my go-to in ME1), but it almost felt that way more through quantity than quality. Particularly in ME3, I just didn’t feel like I was getting that much more from her than I would if she was a regular squad mate. It’s just my opinion though, there’s no need to go spreading it around.
I mentioned in a stream how I accidentally hooked up with Shai'ira the consort on my femshep playthrough and I still was confused how that happened 🤣. Also Tali is S tier
ME1 charchaters are all s Tier, even in romances (except for kaidan and Ash)
@@theillusiveman2139 I think Ashley's romance is really good, but the worst ones are Jacob's and Morinth. Still think its funny how you can choose to enlist a psychopath and kill her supercop mother.
@@lukebarroso449 really cool decision, it would have been more cool if morinth appeard for more time in Me3 and maybe if she really loved shepard (a renegade shepard, like Aria who kisses shepard if he/she is a renegade), and with a romance scene in ME3, Maybe Morinth could have found a method or something to not kill shepard (a bit like Tali in Me2 but that' s the roles are inverted).
Imo Ash is Tier A or B, i don' t like a lot how she changed in the third game, i would have prefered if she remained the same person from Me1, or at least at the beginning of the game. If she had changed during ME3, she would have been a better character. I remember when shepard met her in Me2 (in my 1st playthrough i romanced her but only in Me1), my first thought was "that' s still the old ash" while Garrus went to Vietnam and got PTSD, Tali ??, Liara became the girl who send you John Wick if you cheat on her and Wrex became more friendly ad basically the sovereign (not the reaper) of Tuchanka.
Poor jacob. he couldve been cool, his romance couldve been cool... they really gave him the short end of the stick when it came to writing
The kaidan romance with male shep is something I would say is S tier because it’s the first one I was able to do, and the first time I was able to see a gay romance option represented in a major video game.
And it exists solely because of pandering.
Representation isn’t always pandering. The Kaidan romance was coded into ME1, even partially voiced, but they blocked it off at some point during development due to backlash about the “sex scenes” from major news sources already, they didn’t need to give them something else to complain about. Happy they finally included it in ME3.
I don't particularly care about "representation" or the ideology you are speaking to. Anyway, Liara and femshep has existed since Mass Effect 1 and didn't require changing existing characters for the sake of pandering like they did with Kaidan and male shep for ME3. So if you are looking for "representation" it was in mass effect 1.
Side note - I don't believe a word of what you wrote on his romance being blocked off. People make the same nonsensical claim about Miranda in ME2.
@@zackfair6791 I care about representation because when I was growing up, and even through my teen years, I didn’t see people like me on tv or in films much. It matters to me because that lack can create pretty big feelings of being an outsider or unusual. People think that representation doesn’t matter until they’re not represented, and then they wanna grab their pitchforks. I get that femshep can romance Liara in ME1, which is great, but we have to take into account that our society is a lot more accepting of “omg 2 chicks banging!” than two men.
In any event, you can use a save editor to edit a maleshep in ME1 to romance kaidan and see for yourself. He even references the relationship in ME2 if you edit the save from ME1, as well as the beginning of ME3.
Representation may not matter to you, but it does matter to a lot of people. If it were pandering, they’d have made everyone romanaceable regardless of gender, and if we’re truly pandering, they’d have removed heterosexual romance altogether. But they didn’t, all they did was add one romance option for male Shepard.
If you didn’t want kaidan to be romanced by male shep, you didn’t have to do it. He exists in your game the way you want him to. I’m glad happy he was made a romance option for me, that’s all.
Sounds to me like representation matters to you because the ideology you are repeating says it should. I think a person would be better off without identitarian ideology, but you do you.
I can't support drastic changes to existing characters. Whether it be skin color, gender, or whatever else. If people think they need representation then the developers should create a new character instead of altering an existing one.
It's so funny seeing over time the number of Tali Stans grow as more people realize her romance is the most emotionally meaningful. I definitely have liked her from the beginning. Liara was obviously my first romance because you practically don't have a choice, but Tali is definitely my favorite. Liara does have pretty good writing though. Sometimes it does feel like some of these characters do things you wouldn't really expect them to, but that's fairly realistic considering how real life doesn't really work out how you might think it would most times.
I was a Tali stan from the first game and I was a kid when that came out. It was great to find out she was an option in the second game and it turn out to be the most beautiful romance I've seen in a game. Glad to see people are coming around and realizing Tali and Garrus are the best characters this series has.
MShep and Kaidan in the third game is easily my favorite romance of all of them. They managed to make it feel like an overdue revelation as opposed to something random and last minute. Their developement is a really sweet distraction to the bleakness of 3 and does the whole 'it was you the whole time' trope really well. And if you play through the games as MShep with him in mind (saving him on virmire, staying suspiciously single, etc) and kinda do your own roleplaying in your head with it you'll pick up on some really interesting undertones from them, they always felt oddly sincere with each other especially since he was never the designated "best friend" of Shepard. He's an okay romance for FemShep but I definitely highly prefer her with Garrus, her character shines the most there. But yeah Kaidan is easily S tier for me in the right circumstances.
We might be the same person. My first play through I used male Shep, and did not romance anyone because my attention was on Kaidan. It was such a slow burn feeling with them, that it made it that much more loving and endearing to see them together in 3. And I know what you mean with the undertones! Headcanon for me is mShep and Kaidan.
I liked Jacob until 3. It would've been an exciting arc seeing him return to the alliance apart of your crew and become what his father wasn't. Instead, they hit him with the douche canoe and just got written out of the main story.
if you have the original ME3, you can add POEM (Priority Earth Overhaul mod) to your play through, and he comes back during the London run. just as a fighter NPC, but at least he's there, fighting.i think the Citadel DLC hints at him being a "father" to those kids from Gellix, though.
I’d put James’ romance down with Jacob. Love James as a character FemShep is a creeper in that romance.
*Creeper in the Citadel DLC, I mean. The jokey, flirting for sport thing they did in the main part of the game was fun, but never actually felt like either were looking for romance-just two soldiers joking around.
When I have Liara as my romance option, she’s easily one of my favorite characters in the entire series, but when she’s not I can’t put her above a D, she’s so prevalent and forced into everything that I feel like I talk to her as much as I talk to romance partner even when I’m not romancing her, like the only reason I willingly enter her room in ME3 is from her emails and to see Glyph, best non-romantic character after Anderson.
Liara is a cool character, but a very boring romance.
I agree with this statement. I almost never actually romance her, which makes it hard to like her since I am forced to interact her, even when I am romancing another character.
My go to romances are Ashley, Miranda, Tali, or Garrus.
I always hear this but she never felt forced to me heh.
10:05 Miranda is like if Frankenstein fell in love with the monster. 😐
14:03 Tali made it to S tier 😇
I have never bothered with a romance in MA, I'd only be interested in an Elcor because the romance dialogue would be hilarious.
Kaiden should be A tier based on 3 alone. Otherwise, a solid list.
I have adored Thane's romance since 2013, he has continued to be my favourite mass effect romance since i was 12 years old and i'm now 21. Thane's romance has that emotional factor which heavily draws me to him and to see you put him in S tier has made my day. Big love Big Dan
“I’ll tell the galaxy what we’ve done… they could use some good news” 😅
I love that someone else got the character arc with Jack. She pushes everyone away but, just by being a friend, she starts to show that softer side and it makes me just want to hug her tight. I wish that arc had been able to be continued fully in ME3. She's my girl!
Honestly there should have been a special tier below D called J for Jacob-tier, just for Jacob, because he's that bad.
I personally love Garrus' s romance the most and always have.
It's sad that you can't romance him in ME1 but it also gives the idea of building friendship. By the time you can in ME2; he respects, trusts and admires you. Which is a good standing to start a relationship. And it shows into ME3.
Kaiden is so underrated his gay romance is super cute and kinda wholesome since it makes it so he has had a crush on shep since me1
I tend to go against the grain and I always pick Ashley for my male Shepard. There’s just something about her. And honestly while she may have been harsh, when it came to the way the council handled the Reaper threat they kind of proved her right. She even said she didn’t want to be right about them, but she was.
Can see debate on moving a slot on various companions but also in all being right where they are. Garrus favorite one since goes from smooth to ackward to really ackward to smooth.
I completely agree, but Jacob just needs to have a shirt that says I'm a cheater
Tali and Garrus: S Tier.
Liara: C Tier, for “canon.”
Everyone else: A Tier, for “acceptable.”
Jacob: J Tier, for “joke.”
Are you including Morinth in "acceptable"?
@@Jedi_Spartan - Some people like murderers.
And this is tier list that actually matters
Morinth : M for "Murder"
Hot take: Garrus' romance is overrated and kinda weird.
I just wanna say the right man loving shepherd needs is being with Kaidan he’s perfection
Yeah. It's interesting, for heterosexual women Garrus seems to be the favourite, but for us bi/gay guys, Kaidan is It. 😜 That was one thing BioWare definitely got right.
@@mikicerise6250 but took then 2 goddamn games to give us a male romance option for mshep, give them half credit they really dragged their feet
Traynor is B tier? B TIER?? B TIER????
That means Red ending for you, my friend...
Interesting takes, thanks for sharing these ! The music is quite loud though, it's hard to hear you from time to time !
Kaidens and Msheps relationship is probably my favorite in the series and it's only obtainable in the last game, its just so wholesome and cute. Garrus is a really close second.
For male Sephard it's either liara or tali or Even Ashely kaiden don't come to question for female Sephard may be .
@nibbles5007 basic ass, didn't even bring up Jack, the actual best Mshep romance.
If I remember correctly, Javiks romance triggers if you took in onto the casino mission and talk to him at the party, i don't think the scene ALWAYS happens, I saw femsheps wake up alone in bed
All I have to say is Tali supremacy.
I actually really like Udina so seeing him in S tier for the image gave me a giggle
I was shook.
Ngl you got me with the thumbnail cause I flew here enraged that Garrus was in B... Never been happy to be clickbaited lol
I love the Garrus romance. One of the more funnier and sweet romances imo. He's my main go to romance. Aside from Thane. I did do a kadian one in my early playthroughs, seemed a lil bland to me.
Kaidan below Ashley. Ooof.
Kaidan is far more understanding of Shep than Ashley is about Cerberus. And his romance in 3 is leagues above Ash’s.
I have really funny experience from when I tried to romance Jacob. It started normally, I was doing the first mission on collectors base when at some point of the mission, my game crashed and computer bluescreened. I tried again, but the problem happened severall times. So eventually I decided to start whole game over and started romancing Garrus, as usual. To my surprise and amusement, the game worked perfectly fine. My own computer refused to go through romance with Jacob.
“So your telling me I can’t romance my Geth homeboy(s) Legion?!?!”
Kaidan is S for me, this all emotions and story make their job. Sometimes he dont know how to reacting On something. But when you and Kaidan "discover" how to act in relationship is the beast. Sometimes cringe But that how relationship is. Sometimes lovely, sometimes cringe and sometimes heart broke (Dont leave me behind).
I love his romance and his character
Me: there's no way this video could trigger me lol
*Shaira gets placed higher than Kaidan*
Me: Triggered
I appreciate the love for the secret romance of Daddy Udina and Bitcoin Shep in the thumbnail!
My favourite romances are:
1. Udina
2. Glyph
3. Fai Dan
4. Private Westmoreland
5. Biotic God
The traynor romance was a lot better than I expected.
She seems more interesting than Kelly Chambers at least.
I would also choose Garras or Thane over Kaiden, but that's not possible as male shep. Interestingly, in that category I would rather Steve above Kaiden. I was surprised that Cortez turned out to be more interesting.
And, also to my surprise, barring those two characters, I mostly agree with your ratings.
I wish Kelly Chambers had a much bigger romance arc. Her flirtatious interactions in ME2 were amazing. Also, it would have been nice if Diana had a bigger arc too, just cause i think she's hot AF. Lol.
I appreciate you playing FemShep to pursue certain romances… but I have to say as a woman I find the Kaidan romance very sweet. While the Garrus romance is also excellent as is the Liara romance, I especially appreciate the ability to romance Kaidan without having to be “swept off my feet” 😜
Kaidan’s romance just feels so genuine. I’ve always loved it. His reaction on Horizon is justifiable given how terrible Cerberus was in ME1 and FemShep and him in ME3 are so cute
@@ninjasteph9561 And it seems to me like one of the most natural of the romances, with a kind of love that transcends mere desire-sort of like what I would hope for a good marriage
@@edielungreen It really does! Less about lust and more about just being there for each other. Definitely more of what I’d look for in a real life romance than some of the others in the game.
my very first playthrough as femshep a picked Kaidan to romance and then virmire happened...broken shepard heart
Yeah, I'm a Talimancer all the way, but you can tell that Liara is the "canon" romance, for a given value of canon of course.
My top 5 romances for each Shepard
Maleshep:
1. Tali
2. Jack
3. Miranda
4. Liara
5. Kaidan
Femshep:
1. Garrus
2. Thane
3. Liara
4. Kaidan
5. Traynor
im surprise jack is s tier she is very bad and lonely
Jack is my mommy, I would wipe out the whole galaxy for that woman
@@renderlifestyle Understandable
Fun fact: There is Dead Romance at first Mass Effect 1. You have few minutes with him till he dies.
Sha'ri's love scene is literally:
Shepherd: Astrology? That's it?
Sha'ri: We'll bang ok
Thane is the most tragic. Also, it is so cool, romanced or not when femShep helps reads the final prayer for Thane, and asks why "she" and is told that the prayer is for her. Not nearly as powerful with a male Shep
Jack is the most revelatory. She develops and reveals more than anyone else.
Tali is the sweetest. Romancing her makes the scenes on Rannoch in ME3 so much more powerful.
The most fun part of the Miranda romance is making her cry in ME3, when you tell her that you have moved on.
Liara is my favorite, but I have a twist. Talk to her at the beginning and confirm that you want to restart things. Then, do not talk to her again in her room on the Normandy. If you romance Thane in ME2, you can rekindle with him in ME3, and have your one night stand with Allers, and then still go to Liara on the Citadel and confirm that romance after the other two "scenes." I call it the cheating Shepard scenario.
Hi Dan!
I've recently started playing the trilogy and I must say I'm completely hooked on it! I've also been binge watching your videos ever since! ❤️
Although I totally respect your list (it IS yours and yours only), I kinda disagree placing Sha'ira in Tier A...
Anyways, great video, as usual!
P.s. I don't if it's only me but the background music was a bit too loud, almost overcoming Dan's voice... I don't know if it has to do with editing and uploading process 🤷🏾♀️
Personally, I didn't really like Liara's Lair of the Shadow Broker arc since the whole time it felt like Liara is on a killing spree ignoring everything in her path, Including Shepard.
I wish we could do a romance with Gabby.
Good video the music is super loud tho
Liara is the face and will always be the #1 romance of Mass Effect
You need to romance Tali or Jack. They are my fav by a mile
Sorry, but nothing will ever beat Tali for me.
S tier. Liara.miranda.
No others exist.
Hey Dan, love the video. Can you please make the music a little quieter in the future? I feel that it's a bit overbearing at times and it makes it more difficult to concentrate on what you're saying. Cheers. 🍺
Being able to open the prothean ball artifact after Shi-ira (idk if that's how you spell it) gives you the artifact/stone/key is pretty awesome. Great bit of content that's easy to miss
First romance I ever pursued was Kaidan, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.
Same Ashley in my case
Blueberry in first place in S, as it should be.