Commander Shepard may be a legendary Spectre with powerful weapons and cool one-liners, but it’s Mass Effect’s companions that make the sci-fi video games memorable. From the mischievous thief Kasumi to the tried and true Garrus and Tali, these characters are the heart and soul of the trilogy. Offering more than just their colorful personalities, each Mass Effect companion provides a set of biotic, tech, or combat skills that can complement any of Shepard's character classes.
For all three games, a major factor in determining which teammates to bring along is the kinds of enemies present in a given mission. The robotic Geth are weak to tech - one of Mass Effect's three ability categories - whereas area-of-effect biotic abilities like Singularity and Throw Field are more useful against swarms of the zombie-like Husks. On a first playthrough, it can be tough to gauge whether tech, biotics, or combat will be most helpful, so the best approach is to have a squad that blends them all, allowing for the most versatility in encounters.
Weapons are another factor to consider in any Mass Effect game. For example, in Mass Effect 3, although Shepard can use any weapon they like, their companions cannot. James, Javik, and Garrus can all lay down suppressive fire with assault rifles, but Liara and EDI are limited to pistols and SMGs, so prioritizing the best weapon mods for Mass Effect 3's heavy pistols can open them up for more utility as party members.
On top of these, each game has its own intricacies. ME2 and ME3 have more companions than the original Mass Effect, but even the first game has a wide range of companion specializations. Some are better at long-range combat, while others are heavy armor-toting powerhouses. Players will need to consider both Shepard's abilities and their crewmates' to form the most effective team in each game.
Mass Effect 1: Best Companions For Each Class
Mass Effect’s six Shepard classes are comprised of classes that specialize in only one strength and hybrids that combine them. Since Mass Effect 1 starts players off with shaky guns and blocks certain skills until later in the game (some classes can’t even open containers without help from their teammates), choosing the right companions can be especially important in its early hours. In general, though, it’s most effective to bring teammates that specialize in areas Shepard does not. Mass Effect’s best Engineer build, for instance, will never have access to Biotic Powers or high-powered sniper rifles, so Liara and Garrus make for good teammates. The Vanguard, by contrast, combines combat skills with biotics but is completely lacking in Tech Powers, so Tali best rounds out its capabilities.
- Soldier (Combat): As a Sentinel, Kaidan provides the tech and biotics a pure combat class needs. Players can level up his Electronics and Decryption to open the game’s tougher containers, too. Liara also complements the Soldier with biotic stuns and area-of-effect powers, and using Kaidan means players can ignore her Electronics skills.
- Adept (Biotics): The Adept is squishy early in the game, making the tanky Soldier Ashley a good shield. For containers or Geth levels, Tali’s tech can round out the ability triangle
- Vanguard (Biotics/Combat): Since the Vanguard specializes in biotics and close-quarters gunfights, Garrus’ tech powers and sniping complement the class perfectly. As with the Adept, Tali can open any irksome containers and sew mayhem among the Geth.
- Engineer (Tech): Engineers can thankfully open containers on their own and have plenty of abilities to hack and disrupt Geth opponents. For combat and keeping enemies at bay, Ashley and Wrex's Assault Training and biotic shielding skills come in handy.
- Infiltrator (Tech/Combat): Liara and Wrex make a great team for the Infiltrator, since the class is completely lacking in biotics. Besides his biotics, Wrex also rounds out close and mid-range combat.
- Sentinel (Tech/Biotics): Though not the most exciting squadmates, Ashley and Kaidan pair well with the Sentinel. Ashley fills in what Shepard can't offer in gunplay, and fellow Sentinel Kaidan can capitalize on the class' versatile selection of powers, putting points wherever Shepard doesn’t.
Virmire’s conclusion means one of Mass Effect’s saddest character deaths: the loss of either Kaidan or Ashley. Story arcs and personalities aside, Soldiers should sacrifice Ashley, and Sentinels should sacrifice Kaidan. Doing so for gameplay reasons might be cold, but it’s a good idea to save the companion who's better paired with Shepard in Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 2: Best Companions For Each Class
Mass Effect 2 has the widest variety of squadmates in the trilogy. As such, there’s a lot more overlap: Legion and Tali serve similar tech roles, and the same goes for Garrus and Zaeed. There are still reasons to pick one over the other, but it’s not as important as in Mass Effect 1.
- Soldier (Combat): ME2's Soldier has access to more weapons than other classes and doesn’t need to rely on teammates for sniping or shotguns. Miranda pairs well with this, since she can remove shields and barriers with Overload and Warp, and Tali’s Combat Drone makes for a great distraction. Her Hacking ability is situational, but it can be great for levels with Geth or Cerberus mechs.
- Adept (Biotics): The Adept benefits from sturdier squadmates who can distract enemies and protect Shepard from being flanked. Shotgun wielders like Grunt and Jacob are good for this, and Jacob's Incendiary Ammo especially helps fend off armored enemies. Zaeed’s sniper can take out enemies at range, and his Disruptor Ammo is hugely helpful against synthetic enemies and shields.
- Vanguard (Biotics/Combat): Legion’s tech abilities and long-range sniper pair well with the Vanguard’s biotics and shotgun, but he's a late addition to the party, so it may be safer to stick with Zaeed. Thane's Warp can detonate the biotic field on the Vanguard’s Pull ability, causing extra damage. His sniping can also pick off targets at range while the Vanguard deals with enemies up close.
- Engineer (Tech): The Engineer’s enemy-distracting Combat Drone pairs well with companions who are sneaky or sport ambush weapons. Kasumi can do this, appearing next to a chosen target for a quick attack or blinding enemies with her flashbangs. Grunt and Jack's close-quarters weapons also work well, though Jack is the better choice for crowd control.
- Infiltrator (Tech/Combat): If both the Infiltrator and Mordin use Incinerate, the stacked fire damage quickly eats away at shields, and Mordin’s Cryo Blast is great for dealing with enemies once those shields or armor are whittled away. Samara’s Pull and Throw, meanwhile, can stun and expose groups of enemies to pot shots from the Infiltrator’s sniper rifle.
- Sentinel (Tech/Biotics): Garrus and Jack make the perfect team for the Sentinel, since Garrus mows down enemies at mid-to-long range and Jack deals with them up close. The Sentinel’s tech powers combine well with Garrus’ Concussive Shot to take out armored enemies at long range, while Exploding Tech Armor combos excellently with a follow-up from Jack’s Shockwave. Jack’s Warp Ammo can be also upgraded to assist the whole party.
Mass Effect 2's overlapping characters are part of the reason it feels so different after playing Mass Effect 1. The design choice places more emphasis on picking squadmates for their personalities or their stakes in a mission than on how they can tip the fight in the player’s favor. Mass Effect 3 follows the trend, streamlining characters so their abilities can suit more playstyles than ever before.
Mass Effect 3: Best Companions For Each Class
Mass Effect 3 has just over half the squadmates of Mass Effect 2, but each has branching skill trees, making for more versatile builds and adding to the game’s overall replayability. Like Zaeed and Kasumi in ME2, Javik was originally a DLC companion and can join Shepard on most missions. The Citadel DLC also brings back Wrex as a temporary companion, and the Omega DLC does the same with Asari mob boss Aria T’Loak.
- Soldier (Combat): If he survived the events of Mass Effect 1, Kaidan's biotics and tech once again pair well with the Soldier. Javik is similarly useful, with his Dark Channel ability providing crowd control. EDI is a good alternative, since she can distract tougher enemies while the Soldier lays down flanking gunfire.
- Adept (Biotics): James is a steadfast, reliable Soldier that complements the Adept with his Fortification tanking and heavy-hitting Carnage and Frag Grenade abilities. Liara or Javik can then be useful second picks for comboing high-damage biotic explosions.
- Vanguard (Biotics/Combat): Garrus can snipe faraway targets and strip enemy shields with Overload, clearing the way for the Vanguard's close-up tactics. His Concussive Shot can also stun enemies in a pinch. For biotic combos, Kaidan is best choice, since he also offers Tech Powers, but Liara or Javik can take up the role if he didn’t survive the first game.
- Engineer (Tech): Liara’s area-of-effect Singularity and Pull Field abilities work well with the Engineer’s Incinerate and Cryo Blast. Since her Biotic Powers are muted by enemy shields, the Engineer’s Overload can set her up for success. If she survived Mass Effect 1, Ashley is another good choice; she brings combat expertise and guns, rounding out the ability triangle.
- Infiltrator (Tech/Combat): Liara can lift targets out of cover for the Infiltrator to snipe, and Tali can similarly flank with her shotgun, remove enemy shields, and spook targets out of cover with her drones.
- Sentinel (Tech/Biotics): The Sentinel can work well with many companions, but for heavy-duty missions, Ashley and James are especially good. Both are pure combat characters, which fits well with the Sentinel's tech and biotic abilities. For biotic explosions, Javik or Kaidan are best, as they can use stronger weapons than Liara.
Depending on which of Mass Effect 3’s armor upgrades are equipped, factors like ammo count, shields, health, and damage can also play a role in choosing teammates. If Shepard can tank, for example, it’s more useful to lean into offensive powers and crewmates who can hit hard and rely on biotic detonations. If Shepard is more reliant on high damage and fast movement (perhaps as a Vanguard or Infiltrator), it makes more sense to equip weapons and armor that suit that playstyle and leave defense to the companions.