Mass Effect has had a rough time of things in recent years, between the controversy over the Mass Effect 3 ending and the lackluster launch of Mass Effect Andromeda. Still, there's plenty for fans to look forward to, since BioWare has announced the series will return with a brand new game.

Based on the teaser at The Game Awards, it seems like the new Mass Effect could finally connect the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, which has huge implications for the series' story. Andromeda may not have reached the heights of the original trilogy, but it was still filled with interesting ideas and characters.

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Chief among those is Jaal Ama Darav, one of Andromeda's six party members, and the absolute best character in the entire game. The new Mass Effect has the chance to bring back the best parts of Andromeda, and fix what might have gone wrong.

Jaal Was the Single Best Thing About Mass Effect Andromeda

Jaal and Ryder talking to each other in Mass Effect: Andromeda

Jaal is a fascinating character in Mass Effect Andromeda because he flips the script of what the series has done. He's a member of the Angara race, natives to Andromeda who are encountering the Milky Way races for the first time. In the original trilogy the humans were the newcomers, which makes it interesting to see humans, and the other Council races,  dealing with the Angara. What makes the Angara such an interesting race is that, as a people, they clearly display their emotions, and don't hide anything. This makes Jaal, as a party member, someone that always speaks his mind, whether it's kindness and appreciation or anger.

As players learn more about Jaal they learn that he's never really excelled at anything, and feels like he doesn't measure up to the successes of his many siblings, thus leading him to become a fighter. This sense of inadequacy is something that players help Jaal work through. Even past that, Jaal has to grapple with the truth about the Angarans, and how they were created. Jaal goes through a wild character arc, but even with everything, he remains positive. A lot of the smaller conversations are absolutely hilarious as well, as Jaal struggles to understand the cultures of the Milky Way. In many ways, Jaal is quite similar to Garrus Vakarian, one of the most well-rounded and popular characters in the series.

Of course, the real question is how could Jaal even appear in the new Mass Effect? Based on the reveal trailer it seems like the new game takes place much later than the original trilogy, as Liara T'Soni looks significantly older. By this point, she may be an Asari Matriarch, which could put the new game in the timeline of Andromeda, which takes place 600 years after the trilogy. A piece of concept art released by BioWare could even indicate the involvement of Jaal or another Angara. The piece, seen below, has four different figures next to a ship. The one furthest on the right is clearly a Salarian, while the one next to it very closely resembles a Drell. Interestingly, the third from the right looks very much like the silhouette of an Angara, with a bulky head. It also looks like the figure could be wearing a Rofjinn, a kind of cape/suspender set as Jaal explains in Andromeda.

A spaceship from the upcoming Mass Effect sequel

Audio logs in Mass Effect Andromeda indicate that Liara had correspondence with Alec Ryder of the Andromeda Initiative. With the fallout of the Reaper attack, it seems likely that Liara would head an expedition to contact Andromeda and reconnect civilization. At the same time, if Liara finds Andromeda Jaal would be the first to sign up for a new crew that explores the universe. The Kett from Andromeda are clearly going to be a threat going forward with the Archon's forces only being a small part of the empire. It's possible Liara and Ryder need to form a new crew to take the fight to the Kett's galaxy, which means a fusing of the crews and races from the trilogy and Andromeda, at least those that are still alive. This would only apply to certain races, of course, like the Asari and Krogan who can both live upward of 1000 years. No matter what, if any characters from Mass Effect Andromeda make it return it needs to be Jaal, especially considering he has unfinished business and so much to learn.

Next: Why Mass Effect's Morality System Was Removed (& How It Could Return)