Mass Effectis a series defined by fascinating, character-drivenstory beats and relationships. Since theBiowareseries hit shelves in 2007, players have spent countless hours building up their squads and diving deep into the hidden backstories of the characters that make up theMass Effectuniverse.
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However, not all characters have had the same impact as others, with many remembered for their uninteresting storylines, annoying side quests, or frustrating AI. With rumors of an unannouncedMass Effect Remastered Trilogycoming out later this year, it seems like the perfect time tojump back into the seriesto see which character arcs missed the mark. Here are 10 of the least likable companions in all 4Mass Effecttitles, from bad to even worse.
Updated on June 20, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Mass Effect is one of the most popular sci-fi RPG franchises of all time, with the series featuring some of the most memorable characters of all time. In fact, the squadmates that Shepard interacts with over the course of the games are excellent and make for some of the best parts of the overall experience. Of course, not all of Shepard’s teammates are all that memorable, with some of them being major duds. Theworst Mass Effect companionsto have ever joined the player’s squad are mentioned below. Each character’s available games as a playable squadmate have also been listed, although this does not include those available in Mass Effect 3’s Armax Arsenal Arena.
13Kasumi Goto
Kasumi is one of the many characters that suffer from being tied to a DLC. As a result, she doesn’t have many powerful moments throughout the story, given that the entire game was constructed without her in mind anyway.
Kasumi does havea memorable recruitment missionbut that’s about it. She has a few interesting lines of dialogue and has memorable moments during theCitadelDLC… but that’s about it for this intergalactic thief with a heart of gold.
12Javik
It’s puzzling as to why Javik was included in the third entry as paid DLC when his existence was integral to the plot. Perhaps an inclusion from the get-go would’ve allowed players to have more engaging and memorableconversations with him aboard the Normandy.
Unfortunately, there’s only so long that players can stand in one spot while listening to Javik talk before it loses its luster. Even the slightest decoration around these discussions could’ve played a major role in making these scenes more interesting.
11Grunt
While Grunt’s origins as a tank-born Krogan are pretty interesting, this character fades to the background after a point. It was cleat that BioWare constructed the entire story ofMass Effect 2without keeping him as a major focus, which is a shame.
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However, Grunt does have his moments to shine throughout the series, although they can be fairly limited. His return in the third game was still a surprising and welcome moment that many fans appreciated.
10James Vega
When the player meets James Vega inMass Effect 3, he comes across as a typical, clichéd soldier type. As the game goes on, however, James starts to show more of a likable, funny attitude that players can relate to.
By the end ofMass Effect 3, it feels as if James is being set up as a protege for Shepard. Despite this, James can still be forgettable, as many human characters inMass Effectare. However, James makes up for this with a combat style that packs a punch, making him a pretty good choice for missions.
9Kaidan Alenko
When players weregiven the choiceto save either Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko inMass Effect, many felt more of a connection to Ashley’s character, leaving Kaidan’s sacrifice a distant memory as the series went on.
However, when players are given the chance to run back into Kaidan inMass Effect 3, many were surprised to discover a character with an interesting backstory and enhanced biotic abilities. In many ways,ME3showcased a charming side of Kaidan that should have been more presentin the first game.
8PeeBee
PeeBee is a polarizing character inMass Effect: Andromeda, with many players finding her interactions annoying and her story decisions downright dangerous. However, PeeBee does grow as the game progresses, which is fitting for such a young Asari character.
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Much of PeeBee’s character feels refreshing due to her placement as the antithesis of everything players have learned about the Asari culture. Although PeeBee is an obvious genius, her bubbly attitude makes her different from any Asari players have encountered previously in the series. She’s also still a teenager, so we can give some of her corny lines a pass.
7Zaeed Massani
Although Zaeed makes appearances in bothMass Effect 2and3, he leaves little impression. Like most DLC characters, the bounty hunter is given far less time to integrate into the team and relate a backstory that can enrich the main plot of the series.
Zaeed’s revenge mission might be fun, but it doesn’t give the player much of a reason to stay interested in his character. He plays the part of the rugged loner, so players are given few opportunities to learn much about him. It’s not until players dig a bit deeper that they can learn a bit more, but by that point, the DLC’s story is already coming to a close.
6Liam Kosta
Liam Kosta isn’t necessarily a bad character, but he isn’t a memorable one. Many of the interactions that players have with Liam leave him feeling like an uninspired character who isn’t given many chances to stand out from his squadmates.
By the end of the first mission with Liam, many players have already found other squad members that stand out as ideal companions. In spite of this, Liam does offer players one of the better side missions inAndromeda, so he’s certainly not the worst.
5Ashley Williams
Ashley Williams is the character opposite Kaidan that players can choose to save in the firstMass Effect. For some players, this decision was made harder due to Ashley’s generally racist and xenophobic attitudes toward alien races.
Like most racists, Ashley insists these opinions are backed up by her real experiences, and it does make many of her interactions with the player a tougher pill to swallow. She also returns inMass Effect 3with a new, glamorized look, which seemed to only be added for fanservice andher romance option.
4Jacob Taylor
Unfortunately, Jacob Taylor didn’t avoid the stereotype of overshadowed human characters inMass Effect. While Jacob does bring the player on a fairly interesting loyalty quest inME2, he never comes across as a worthwhile character to interact with or bring on missions.
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In a game full of fascinating personalities, Jacob comes across as a generic soldier archetype, and his combat abilities leave a lot to be desired. Ironically, Jacob’s claim to fame inMass Effectfandom has always been based on how unremarkable he is.
