Salarian

{{Short description|Fictional species from Mass Effect}} {{Infobox fictional race |name= Salarian |image= Captain_Kirrahe_in_Mass_Effect.png |caption= Major Kirrahe as he appears in the first ''Mass Effect'' |series=Mass Effect |first=''Mass Effect: Revelation'' (2007) |creator= BioWare |quadrant = Citadel Space |affiliation = Citadel Council |home_world = Sur'Kesh |sub_races = Lystheni |leader = Dalatrasses <br> Salarian Union |members = Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe }} The '''Salarians''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|l|ɛər|i|ə|n|z}} ''{{respell|seh|LAIR|ee|ans}}'') {{refn|group=Note|In the French translations of the ''Mass Effect'' franchise, the name of the Salarians was changed to '''''galariens'''''.}} are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the ''Mass Effect'' multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. Originally introduced in the 2007 tie-in novel ''Mass Effect: Revelation'', where they are presented as a warm-blooded amphibian species with a hyperactive metabolism that makes them think, talk, move, and act faster than most species in the ''Mass Effect'' universe. Salarians were designed to be ''Mass Effect''{{'s}} version of gray aliens, a common archetypal image of an intelligent extraterrestrial non-human creature and a space exploration trope.

Within the game's setting, their accelerated metabolism limits their lifespan to roughly 40 years, which is short when compared to other alien species in the ''Mass Effect'' universe. Salarians are depicted to be a haplodiploid egg-laying society, in which unfertilized eggs produce males and fertilized eggs produce females. Societal norms lead the Salarians to be over 90 percent male, with females usually depicted as being secluded on their home planet, holding positions of power. In the game's backstory, about 2000 years before the events of the first Mass Effect, the Salarians uplifted the Krogan to combat the Rachni, a hive-minded insectoid race. Following the defeat of the Rachni, the Krogan rebelled against the rest of the galaxy, prompting the Salarians to develop the genophage, a bioweapon that rendered the Krogan nearly sterile.

Critical reception of the Salarians has generally been positive, with praise for their intelligence, technical prowess, and narrative importance within the franchise, while the absence of Salarian females throughout the games has received some criticism. Their creation of the genophage and their relationship with the Krogan has received substantial scholarly analysis, drawing comparisons to colonialism, bioethics, and real world genetic engineering.

==Concept and design==

According to ''Mass Effect''<nowiki/>'s art director Derek Watts, the development of each alien species began with the creation of a brief paragraph that outlined the basic characteristics they wanted to give to them. For the Salarians, the design process began with the gray alien sci-fi archetype, which was then adapted to fit the narrative and style of the ''Mass Effect'' universe. Once this initial phase was finished, the process was divided into a series of phases and passed on to the concept artists.<ref name= "Derek Watts on races"/><ref name= "Matt Rhodes Bonus Disc ME1"/>

Associate art director Matt Rhodes cited Japanese cultural influences as a source of inspiration for the Salarians. Salarians were pictured as "warrior poets", a concept that was emphasized by some big dark gray alien eyes to transmit a sense of calmness and tranquility. This approach led to a softer, less threatening appearance when compared to other species such as the Krogan or the Turians. The final facial design featured many key aspects associated with gray aliens, including a triangular facial structure, an elongated mouth, and the aforementioned large eyes. To differentiate them from the classic version of the gray alien trope, the team decided to add some horn-like protrusions on top of their heads.<ref name= "Matt Rhodes Bonus Disc ME1"/><ref name = "Salarian clothing more convex"/> Additionally, in order to create visual diversity between different Salarians, Watts suggested the use of facial tattoos.<ref name= "Derek Watts on races"/> Due to animation restrictions, the bodies of most alien races were designed to remain humanoid. For the Salarians, artist Sum Kim introduced a concave chest as a defining characteristic. This anatomical feature was later incorporated into Salarian clothing design, which was often made to include tubing or structural elements intended to make their chests appear less concave and more similar to the rest of the species. In an interview with ''Game Informer'', Rhodes made a simile between this practice and "a bald man wearing a toupée". Additional elements, such as hoods and circular chest pieces, were incorporated into Salarian ceremonial dressing design.<ref name="Matt Rhodes Bonus Disc ME1" /><ref name="Salarian clothing more convex" />

According to former lead character artist Herbert Lowis, during the development of ''Mass Effect: Andromeda'', the team originally played with the idea of adding secondary sexual characteristics to female Salarians, but ultimately rejected it in order to remain consistent with the already established ''Mass Effect'' lore.<ref name = "Herbert Lowis on Sexual Dimorphism" />

==Fictional attributes== ===Biology=== Within the ''Mass Effect'' universe, Salarians are depicted as a reptilian-looking amphibious species native to the planet of Sur'Kesh. They are characterized by a hyperactive metabolism that allows them to function on as little as one hour of sleep per day and to process information, speak, and make decisions at an accelerated rate.<ref name="Kirk Hamilton on Salarians" /><ref name="PolygonMassEffect" /> This metabolism is also associated with a comparatively short lifespan, depicted as being of 30 to 40 years, when compared to other species in the setting. The species is further described as employing a haplodiploid reproductive system in which unfertilized eggs become male and fertilized eggs become female. Due to strict societal rules surrounding reproduction, Salarian society is portrayed as over 90 per cent male, with females laying clutches of eggs annually in environmentally controlled hatching pools. Salarians are additionally depicted as possessing photographic memory, a characteristic used within the franchise to explain their prominence in intelligence gathering, scientific research, and espionage.<ref name="Kirk Hamilton on Salarians" /><ref name="PolygonMassEffect" /> Physically, the species is represented as largely androgynous, exhibiting minimal sexual dimorphism and few noticeable secondary sexual characteristics between males and females.<ref name="Herbert Lowis on Sexual Dimorphism" />

===Culture and society=== In the context of the series' fictional universe, Salarians are characterized by their pragmatism and unsentimentalism, often prioritizing logic and efficiency over emotion. This mindset is depicted as one of the main reasons why Salarians are more willing to undertake complex decisions or sacrifices when deemed necessary for the greater good. The species is also portrayed as the galaxy's main source of scientific advancement, exhibiting a big reputation as technological pioneers.<ref name = "Kirk Hamilton on Salarians"/><ref name = "PolygonMassEffect"/> Salarians are also shown to experience no concept of love as humans understand it. Reproduction is arranged through formal agreements and negotiations rather than emotional relationships solely for reproduction.<ref name= "Bloomsbury"/><ref name= "GamesIndustry.biz"/><ref name= "Salarian Asexuality"/>

The Salarian centralized government, the Salarian Union, is depicted to work similarly to how noble families distributed land in medieval Europe. Although males constitute the majority of the population, political power is held by an elite of planet cloistered Dalatrasses, which are portrayed as a group of female political clan leaders. This is the main narrative reason why high-level political authority is female-dominated, while other sectors, prominently science, military, and commerce, are depicted as being predominantly male-dominated. The Salarian military is represented as a relatively small yet highly advanced and equipped with modern weaponry, sensors, and cloaking devices. However, instead of focusing on their military, Salarian society is shown to specialize in intelligence and covert operations rather than conventional warfare. Their primary military intelligence service, the Special Tasks Group (STG), is depicted as consisting of highly trained agents operating in small, independent units tasked with missions in fields such as counterterrorism, reconnaissance, infiltration and assassination. The STG is strategically vital to the Salarian society and receives substantial governmental funding and support.<ref name= "PolygonMassEffect"/><ref name= "GamesIndustry.biz"/><ref name= "SalarianSTG"/> ===History=== In the game's backstory, the Salarians are portrayed as the second species to discover the Citadel, a massive space station that serves as the political and administrative center of Citadel space. ToGether with the Asari, they founded the Citadel Council, which functions as the primary governing body of the sector.<ref name="winter"/>

Within their background history, the species is primarily associated with their conflict against the Rachni, a hive-minded species of highly intelligent spacefaring insectoids, as well as the uplifting of the Krogan. More than 2000 years before the events of the first ''Mass Effect'', a group of explorers encountered the Rachni after activating a previously dormant mass relay, one of a network of massive space installations that allow spaceships to slingshot themselves from one to another through a corridor of massless space. After their discovery, the Rachni initiated a galaxy-wide conflict with other races known as the Rachni Wars. After nearly a century of losses, the Salarians play an important role in the uplifting of the Krogan, a race of warmongering reptiles that had destroyed their home planet of Tuchanka in a thermonuclear world war. Their initiative was successful, and the Rachni were driven to extinction by the Krogan.<ref name="PolygonMassEffect"/><ref name="Kirk Hamilton on Salarians"/><ref name="Eamon Raid2"/><ref name="PCGAMER"/> In the aftermath of the war against the Rachni, the Krogan’s rapid growth rate led to exponential population growth, which is described as a primary driver of their subsequent aggressive territorial expansion. This expansionism ultimately led the Krogan to attack the Asari colony of Lusia, starting a conflict between them and the Citadel Council known as the Krogan Rebellions. As the war between the Krogan and the Turians lingered, the latter sought help from the Salarians to put a definitive end to the conflict. The Salarians manufactured the genophage, a massive biochemical weapon that would render the Krogan nearly sterile. Although depicted as initially conceived by the Salarians as a deterrent, the Turians ultimately deployed it unilaterally, resulting in a severe population decline and ultimately forcing the Krogan to surrender.<ref name="PolygonMassEffect" /><ref name="Kirk Hamilton on Salarians" /><ref name="Eamon Raid2" /><ref name="PCGAMER" />

The Salarians also play an important role in the setting's broader backstory, particularly in the creation of the Spectre program, an elite group of agents with few limitations to their methods. A few years before the Krogan Rebellions, a Salarian named Beelo Gurji was accused of using civilians as bait; however, instead of being punished, he is depicted as being promoted by the Citadel Council.<ref name="PCGAMER" /> Years before humanity's entrance into galactic society, the aggressive-expansionist Batarians bombed the Salarian world of Mannovai.<ref name="Eamon Raid2" />

===Other=== *The '''Lystheni''', as an offshoot of the Salarians, are mentioned in the novel ''Mass Effect: Ascension''. They are depicted to be unwelcome in Citadel Space and usually live among the Batarians and mercenaries in Omega, a crime-ridden space station built in the crust of a metallic asteroid that appears in ''Mass Effect 2'' and the ''Mass Effect 3: Omega'' DLC. Lystheni Salarians do not make an appearance in any ''Mass Effect'' video game, but modders have discovered and attempted to recover parts of a cut side-quest involving a conflict between the Lystheni and the jellyfish-like Hanar.<ref name = "Mass Effect: Ascension"/><ref name = "Lystheni Cut Dialogue"/>

==Appearances== Salarians were first introduced in the tie-in novel ''Mass Effect: Revelation'' as one of the races that form the Citadel Council, the governing body and authority in Citadel Space. A representative of the Salarian race holds a permanent seat on the Council. The Salarian councilor plays an important role during proceedings against humanity concerning the illegal development of artificial intelligence, which is prohibited in Citadel Space.<ref name="Eamon Raid2"/><ref name="winter"/><ref name= "Revelation"/>

===''Mass Effect''=== In spite of the absence of a Salarian squadmate who can accompany Shepard on missions in the original ''Mass Effect'', members of the species are involved in multiple in-game missions. To progress against one of the game's main antagonists in an early main quest, Shepard has to deal with administrator Anoleis, a Salarian executive in charge of a planet's port known as Port Hanshan.<ref name="Anoleis"/> On the planet Virmire, Shepard must collaborate with Captain Kirrahe, a Salarian STG intelligence officer known for his motivational speeches. There, Saren Arterius, the game's main villain, has conducted experiments on Krogan biology and bioengineered a cure for the genophage. Acting under the authority of the council and in coordination with the Salarian STG, Shepard must assist Kirrahe with destroying a massive Krogan cloning facility that Saren had set up to create a Krogan army, thereby destroying the cure. Kirrahe's fate during the mission depends on the player's actions.<ref name="Eamon Raid"/><ref name="winter"/><ref name="GamesRadar"/>

During Garrus Vakarian's personal quest, Shepard is tasked with locating a Salarian organ trafficker named Saelon.<ref name= "Saelon"/>

===''Mass Effect 2''=== ''Mass Effect 2'' introduces the franchise's first and sole Salarian squadmate, Mordin Solus. Mordin is a Salarian scientist and ex-STG member that worked on a modification of the Krogan genophage to make it more resilient. Through this character, the player is introduced to the genophage perspective from a Salarian point of view, in contrast to the Krogan one that Urdnot Wrex offered in the first ''Mass Effect''. During Mordin's loyalty mission, a specialized side-quest that the player has to complete in order to gain each squadmate's loyalty, Shepard is tasked with locating Maelon, Mordin's former assistant, who had reportedly been kidnapped on the Krogan home world of Tuchanka. Gradually, it is revealed that Maelon had voluntarily decided to work with the Krogan to try to locate a cure for the genophage through the conduct of brutal experiments on voluntary Krogan. The fate of Maelon and the results of his research depend on player choice. Similarly to every other squadmate in ''Mass Effect 2'', Mordin Solus can perish during the "Suicide Mission", the game's final mission<ref name="Eamon Raid2"/><ref name= "MEurogamer"/>

===''Mass Effect 3''=== ''Mass Effect 3'' is set during the Reaper War, an ongoing galactic invasion waged by massive, spacefaring synthetic leviathans against the Milky Way races.<ref name= "PolygonMassEffect"/> In response, Shepard initially seeks to secure an alliance between the Turians, the Krogan, and the Salarians. As part of these negotiations, the Krogan demand the creation of a cure for the genophage as a condition for their participation. This demand is initially rejected by the Salarian leader, Dalatrass Linron. However, intelligence provided by the Krogan leader and an anonymous insider reveals that several Krogan females had survived the experiments conducted by Maelon on Tuchanka and were being contained in a secret facility in Sur'Kesh. Shepard subsequently persuades Linron to grant them access to the facility. If Captain Kirrahe survived the events of the first ''Mass Effect'', he reappears, now holding the rank of Major, and assists Shepard during their mission on Sur'Kesh. At the facility, Shepard will meet the unidentified insider source, who is either Mordin Solus or his replacement, Padok Wiks, depending on whether Mordin survived the events of ''Mass Effect 2''. Together, Shepard then has to repel a concurrent assault by Cerberus, a pro-human xenophobic organization, and rescue the last surviving immune Krogan female.<ref name="Eamon Raid2"/><ref name= "Salarian Colonizers"/><ref name= "MEurogamer"/><ref name= "Galarien"/>

Following the completion of the mission on Sur'Kesh, Shepard travels to Tuchanka to cure the genophage. At this stage, the game presents two possible outcomes: Shepard may collaborate with the Salarian insider and the Krogan leader to successfully cure the genophage, thereby securing Krogan war support; or align themselves with Linron to sabotage the cure, prioritizing Salarian and, depending on the identity of the Krogan leader, potentially retaining Krogan support under false pretenses.<ref name="Eamon Raid2"/><ref name= "MEurogamer"/>

Later in the game, following a Cerberus-led assault on the Citadel, the player's choices in the previous games determine whether the Salarian councilor survives the attack.<ref name= "Galarien"/>

===''Mass Effect: Andromeda''=== The Salarians are one of the races selected to lead their own ark to the Andromeda Galaxy. In ''Mass Effect Andromeda'', arks are a set of gigantic spaceships designed to traverse the distance between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. Similar to the Asari and Turian arks, the Salarian ark never managed to reach the Nexus, an enormous space station that had also been sent on its way to Andromeda. Unlike the aforementioned arks, the Salarian ark is not encountered by the player via side-quests, but after the end of the main quest "Hunting the Archon". Once Ryder boards the ark, they meet the Salarian pathfinder, Raeka, the ark's leader. After fighting off some kett enemies that had also boarded the ark, the player must decide whether they should save the life of Raeka or some Krogan scouts.<ref name= "Ark locations MEA"/>

In ''Mass Effect: Andromeda'', the player also meets Kallo Jath, who pilots the game's main spaceship and hub, the ''Tempest''.<ref name="Kallo Jath"/>

==Reception and analysis== ===Reception=== thumb|right|A ''Mass Effect'' fan at AVA Expo 2013, cosplaying as a Salarian character.Several Salarian characters in the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy, especially Mordin Solus, have received critical acclaim from both journalists and players, and have become popular in fan art and cosplay.<ref name= "RPGamer"/><ref name= "Mordin Solus 1UP"/> Major Kirrahe's speech has been quoted as one of ''Mass Effect'''s most iconic moments.<ref name="Most iconic ME"/> Kallo Jath's appearance in ''Mass Effect: Andromeda'' as the Tempest's pilot received mostly mixed receptions by the audience. He was ranked #7 in Beth Meadows' ranking at HeyPoorPlayer, highlighting that while "it is impossible to think of anyone filling Joker's role", he had done a "pretty good job", expressing a desire for more interaction with him.<ref name= "Heypoorplayer kallo"/> Dr. Saelon was listed as one of gaming's "most magnificently murderous medical practitioners" in David Houghton's list for ''GamesRadar+''.<ref name="Saelon"/>

The Salarian species has been well received by critics and media outlets, praised for its intelligence, technical prowess, and importance within the ''Mass Effect'' universe. David Caballero of ''Screen Rant'' ranked the Salarians #5 on his list of the best alien races in the franchise, criticizing their unpopular actions, conceitedness, and somewhat treacherous behavior.<ref name= "David Caballero"/> In contrast, Shubhankar Parijat of ''GamingBolt'' placed them second-to-last on his list, lightly criticizing their appearance, unusual-sounding nature, and superiority complex, yet still describing them as "one of the most formidable and respectable alien races" in ''Mass Effect'', highlighting them as "a culture of geniuses".<ref name= "Parijat"/> The lack of Salarian females in the ''Mass Effect'' series has received some criticism. Kay Shinkle of ''Screen Rant'' justified the absence due to the fact that only fertilized Salarian eggs produce females.<ref name= "Few females"/> Alex Raymond, writing for ''Gamecritics.com'', highlighted that their absence reinforces the notion that the traits associated with the Salarians, such as intelligence and scientific aptitude, are traditionally male-coded. Raymond also compared the seclusion of most Salarian females, who are largely confined to their homeworld, to the outdated notion of women being in the "Salarian kitchen". However, this criticism is somewhat tempered by the lore indicating that most Salarian females hold positions of significant political power.<ref name= "Alex Raymond few females"/> Timothy J. Seppala underlined the relationship between the Krogan and the Salarians as an example of the ''Mass Effect trilogy'''s most rich, nuanced world building, something that wasn't quite present in ''Mass Effect Andromeda''.<ref name= "Engadget"/> Ari Notis of Kotaku criticized the fact that players are forced to kill an apparently innocent and mentally stable Salarian scientist in ''Mass Effect'', arguing that by being forced to leave him behind, the game limits player choice and agency.<ref name= "Ari Notis"/>

===Analysis=== The Salarian background history, including their interrelationship with the Krogan, has been subject of significant analysis. Amy M. Green of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas drew comparisons between the Salarians and colonial powers, arguing that they evade responsibility and attribute the Krogan's suffering to the Krogan themselves, even if Salarians had been the ones who had originally destabilized Krogan society by intervening. M. Green compares this dynamic to historical instances in which dominant powers subdued indigenous peoples in conquered lands.<ref name= "Salarian Colonizers"/> In contrast, in a scholarly article written for De Gruyter, Eamon Raid discussed the involvement of the Salarian Union with the uplifting of the Krogan and the creation of the genophage with real-life bioweapons. Raid reaches the conclusion that "politics in the ''ME'' trilogy cannot be captured only through critiques emphasizing neoliberal, imperialist and colonialist dynamics".<ref name= "Eamon Raid"/> In his PhD thesis, Raid examines the actions of the Salarian council in ''Mass Effect: Revelation'' in relation to artificial intelligence policy within the ''Mass Effect'' universe. Raid draws comparisons between these policies and the works of English philosopher Thomas Hobbes and Croatian-born Canadian writer Darko Suvin. Raid also discusses the Salarian "uplifting" of the Krogan within the context of the use of the term in David Brin's ''Uplift'' universe, arguing that Salarians characterize the Krogan as "culturally primitive" while positioning themselves as "more cultured", though not necessarily as more intelligent. Additionally, Raid draws parallels between Salarian practices and the works of philosopher Charles W. Mills and historical actions associated with the Spanish Inquisition, particularly in the treatment of less technologically advanced civilizations.<ref name="Eamon Raid2"/> In their PhD thesis, Leandro Augusto Borges Lima characterized the Salarian relationship with the Krogan as "their biggest contribution to the game's canon", arguing that by creating the genophage, the Salarians corrupted the Krogan in terms of cultural development.<ref name="Borges Lima"/>

The Salarian creation of the genophage has been compared to real-world genetic engineering practices. In a video uploaded in April 2012 by GameSpot, which talks about the Fermi Paradox and the possibility of convergent evolution in alien worlds, the Salarian development of the genophage was compared to a gene-therapy technique being developed in order to get rid of mosquitoes. The presenter also compared Salarians to "fish-frogs" and debated about the possibility of the existence of earth-like alien species.<ref name= "mosquitoes"/> Similar comparisons have been made by scientific commentators, who highlighted the similarities between the genophage and genetic interventions tested on mosquitoes in Florida.<ref name="Science"/> In a separate analysis written for Kotaku, Sebastian Alvarado of Stanford University analyzed the Salarian creation of the genophage, suggesting that a similar biological weapon could be created in the real world, given that certain types of enzymes are known to possess the ability to cut DNA. Alvarado also drew parallels between the genophage and historical practices of forced sterilization enforced by colonial powers in the early 20th century.<ref name="Sebastian Alvarado"/>

Salarian asexuality was analyzed by Leandro Augusto Borges Lima in ''The Bloomsbury Handbook of Sex and Sexuality in Game Studies'' arguing that it could provide storytelling opportunities beyond "heteronormativity" in the ''Mass Effect'' universe.<ref name= "Bloomsbury"/> Borges Lima also brought up similar comparisons in their PhD thesis.<ref name="Borges Lima"/>

==References== ===Notes=== {{reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations=== {{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name= "Derek Watts on races">{{cite web|url= https://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/818/interview-derek-watts-art-director-mass-effect|publisher= Dark Horse| title= Interview with Derek Watts, Art Director on ''Mass Effect''.}}</ref>

<ref name= "Matt Rhodes Bonus Disc ME1">{{cite AV media|date= November 20, 2007|title= Art Gallery The Creatures Of Mass Effect|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOGUpfkpKkI|url-status= bot: unknown|publication-place= Mass Effect Bonus Content Disc|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250613090552/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOGUpfkpKkI|archive-date= June 13, 2025|access-date= June 9, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name = "Kirk Hamilton on Salarians">{{cite web|url= https://kotaku.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-the-world-of-mass-effect-1793486450 |first= Kirk |last= Hamilton |title= A Beginner's Guide To The World of Mass Effect |website=Kotaku|date= 21 March 2017 |access-date= May 8, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Salarian clothing more convex">{{cite AV media|date= November 21, 2011|title=Mass Effect - Creating the Salarians, Batarians |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-YqK3s7ivM|website=Game Informer}} [https://archive.org/details/mass-effect-creating-the-Salarians-Batarians? Alt URL] </ref>

<ref name = "Herbert Lowis on Sexual Dimorphism">{{cite book|first1= Mac |last1= Walters |first2= Joel |last2= Macmillan |first3= Botardo |last3= Joseph |first4= Scotty |last4= Brown |first5= Cristopher |last5= Cao |first6= Kenneth |last6= Fairclough |first7= Chris |last7= King |first8= Ben |last8= Lo |first9= Herbert |last9= Lowis |first10= Noel |last10= Lukasewich |first11= Brian |last11= Sum |first12= Ramil |last12= Sunga |title= The Art of Mass Effect: Andromeda |date= 21 March 2017 |publisher= Dark Horse Comics |page= 32 |isbn= 9781506700755 |quote= These heads are early prototypes of the female Salarian. We ended up using the exact same head model as the male since it's been established in ''Mass Effect'' lore that Salarians are androgynous}}</ref>

<ref name = "Mass Effect: Ascension">{{cite book |last= Karpyshin | first= Drew |date= July 29, 2008 |title= Mass Effect: Ascension| publisher= Del Rey Books |isbn= 978-0-345-49852-6|quote = Omega served as a meeting place and interstellar hub of commerce for those unwelcome in Citadel space, like the Batarians and the Salarian Lystheni offshoot, as well as mercenaries, slavers, assassins, and criminals from all races.}}</ref>

<ref name = "Lystheni Cut Dialogue">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/mass-effect-legendary-edition-cut-content-mods|first=Matt|last= Purslow|title= The Mass Effect Cut Content Being Restored for Legendary Edition by Modders|website=IGN|date=June 4, 2021|access-date= May 26, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name= "Ark locations MEA">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/mass-effect-andromeda-missing-arks-location-guide/3/|first=Alex|last=Avard|title=How to find the missing Arks in Mass Effect: Andromeda|website=GamesRadar+|date=2 May 2017 |access-date=May 12, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Kallo Jath">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/mass-effect-andromeda-squadmates-characters-whos-who|first=Tom|last=Philips|title=Who's who in Mass Effect Andromeda|website=Eurogamer|date=31 January 2017 |access-date=May 12, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name="Mordin Solus 1UP">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/mordin-awesome-mass-effect |title=Why Mass Effect 2's Mordin was Awesome |author=Jose Otero |date=February 29, 2012 |website=1UP.com |access-date=May 12, 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140315221835/http://comiccon.1up.com/features/mordin-awesome-mass-effect |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 15, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="Few females">{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/mass-effect-female-aliens-Krogan-Salarian-Turians/|first=Ky|last=Shinkle|title=Why Mass Effect Has So Few Female Aliens|website=Screen Rant |date=16 July 2021 |access-date= May 12, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250613184303/https://screenrant.com/mass-effect-female-aliens-Krogan-Salarian-Turians/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "RPGamer">{{cite web|url=https://rpgamer.com/spoiler-warning/mass-effect-3/|first=Michael A.|last=Cunningham|title=Mass Effect 3 – Mordin's Decision|website=RPGamer|access-date= May 12, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Engadget">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017-03-23-mass-effect-andromeda-jess-tim-discussion.html|first1=Jessica|last1=Conditt|first2=Timothy J.|last2=Seppala|title=What we love and hate about 'Mass Effect: Andromeda'|website=Engadget|date=23 March 2017 |access-date= May 12, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Salarian Colonizers">{{cite book |last= Green | first= Amy M. |title= Storytelling in Video Games: The Art of the Digital Narrative. | date= 21 December 2017 | publisher= McFarland|isbn= 978-1-47666-876-5}}</ref>

<ref name= "Revelation">{{cite book |last= Karpyshyn | first= Drew |title= Mass Effect: Revelation | date= 2 March 2012 | publisher= Del Rey Books|isbn= 9782811206772}}</ref>

<ref name="Most iconic ME">{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-most-iconic-moments-of-the-mass-effect-trilogy-471605422|first=Gergo|last=Vas|title=The Most Iconic Moments of the Mass Effect Trilogy|website=Kotaku|date=10 April 2013 |access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "David Caballero">{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/mass-effect-legendary-edition-alien-races-ranked/|first=David|last=Caballero|title=Mass Effect Legendary Edition: 10 Alien Races, Ranked|website=Screen Rant|date=June 2022 |access-date= May 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Heypoorplayer kallo">{{cite web|url=https://www.heypoorplayer.com/2017/04/09/mass-effect-andromeda-crew-rank/2/|first=Beth|last=Meadows|title=The Tempest Crew Ranked Best to Worst|website=HeyPoorPlayer|date=9 April 2017 |access-date= May 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Alex Raymond few females">{{cite web|url=https://gamecritics.com/alex-raymond/beyond-gender-choice-mass-effects-varied-inclusiveness/|first=Alex|last=Raymond|title=Beyond Gender Choice: Mass Effect's varied inclusiveness|website=GAMECRITICS.COM|date=September 10, 2009|access-date= May 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name="mosquitoes">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/videos/what-mass-effect-taught-us-about-aliens/2300-6369345/|first=Sarah|last=Lynch|title=What Mass Effect Taught Us About Aliens|website=GameSpot|date=April 2, 2012|access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Parijat">{{cite web|url=https://gamingbolt.com/top-10-best-alien-races-in-mass-effect/2|first=Shubhankar|last=Parijat|title=Top 10 Best Alien Races in Mass Effect|website=GamingBolt|date=April 21, 2021|access-date= May 14, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Eamon Raid">{{cite journal|url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/culture-2022-0199/html#j_culture-2022-0199_ref_031|first=Eamon|last=Raid|title= "We've Forgotten Our Roots": Bioweapons and Forms of Life in Mass Effect's Speculative Future"|journal=Open Cultural Studies |date=2023 |volume=7 |article-number=20220199 |doi=10.1515/culture-2022-0199 }}</ref>

<ref name= "Saelon">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-magnificently-murderous-medical-practitioners/|first=David|last=Houghton|title=Gaming's most magnificently murderous medical practicioners|website=GamesRadar+|date=5 February 2013 |access-date= June 25, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Bloomsbury">{{cite book|editor-first1=Matthew|editor-last1=Wysocki|editor-first2=Steffi|editor-last2=Shook|title= The Bloomsbury Handbook of Sex and Sexuality in Game Studies | date= 9 January 2025 |publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn= 9781501394034}}</ref>

<ref name= "Ari Notis">{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/oh-so-mass-effect-forces-me-to-kill-an-innocent-salari-1847050410|first= Ari|last= Notis|title=Oh, So ''Mass Effect'' Forces Me To Kill An Innocent Salarian|website=Kotaku|date=June 9, 2021|access-date= June 8, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "PolygonMassEffect">{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/mass-effect-andromeda-guide-walkthrough/2017/3/21/14311292/mass-effect-lore-story-beginners-guide-explainer-recap|first=Susana|last=Polo|title=The lore of Mass Effect: A complete guide|website=Polygon|date=March 21, 2017|access-date= June 16, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "GamesIndustry.biz">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-alien-races-of-mass-effect|title=The Alien Races of Mass Effect|website=GamesIndustry.biz|date=October 10, 2007|access-date= June 16, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Salarian Asexuality">{{cite video game |title=Mass Effect: Legendary Edition |developer=BioWare |quote= '''Codex - Aliens: Council Races - Salarians - Government:'''Sexuality is strictly for the purpose of reproduction.'''}}</ref>

<ref name= "SalarianSTG">{{cite video game |title=Mass Effect: Legendary Edition |developer=BioWare |quote= '''Codex - Aliens: Council Races - Salarians - Special Tasks Group:'''STG operators work in small, independent cells, performing dangerous missions such as counter-terrorism, espionage, infiltration, reconnaissance, assassination, and sabotage.}}</ref>

<ref name= "winter">{{cite book|last=Winter|first=Jerome|title=Bioware's Mass Effect|isbn=978-3-031-18878-7|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|date=2023}}</ref>

<ref name= "PCGAMER">{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/major-events-in-the-mass-effect-timeline/|first=Jody|last=Macgregor|title=Major events in the Mass Effect timeline|website=PCGAMER|date=February 6, 2021|access-date= June 22, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name= "Galarien">{{cite book|last=Domingue|first=Nicolas|title=Mass Effect: À la conquête des étoiles: création, univers, décryptage|trans-title=Mass Effect: To the conquest of the stars: creation, universe, decryption|language=french|isbn=979-1094723678|publisher=THIRD ED|date=June 8, 2017}}</ref>

<ref name= "MEurogamer">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/mass-effects-best-mission|first=Tom|last=Philips|title=Mass Effect's best mission: Curing the genophage|website=Eurogamer|date= March 17, 2017|access-date=June 25, 2025}}</ref>

<ref name="Sebastian Alvarado">{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/heres-how-mass-effects-biological-warfare-is-scientific-505699114|first=Sebastian|last=Alvarado|title=Here's How Mass Effect's Biological Warfare is Scientifically Possible|date=May 15, 2013|access-date=April 1, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name="Science">{{cite web|url=https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/13527-nycc-the-science-of-mass-effect-thresher-maws-shouldn-t-exist|title=According to Two PhDs, Scientists Already Have the Genophage from ''Mass Effect''|first=Chris|last=Mahon|date=May 10, 2012|work=The Escapist|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204042237/https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/13527-nycc-the-science-of-mass-effect-thresher-maws-shouldn-t-exist|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eamon Raid2">{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/401194866|first=Eamon|last=Raid|title=Rhizomatic Contractarianism and Sapient Rights: Liberal Politics Across Mass Effect's Transmedial Universe|date=February 23, 2026|access-date=April 2, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name="GamesRadar">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-mass-effect/2/|title=Everything you need to know about Mass Effect|first=Joe|last=McNeilly|website=GamesRadar+|date=January 23, 2010|access-date=April 3, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name="Borges Lima">{{cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/42997152/Gaming_Politics_Gender_and_Sexuality_on_Earth_and_Beyond|title=Gaming Politics - Gender and Sexuality on Earth and Beyond|first=Leandro Augusto|last=Borges Lima|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=May 29, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name="Anoleis">{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-countless-characters-of-mass-effect-471593279|title=The Countless Characters of Mass Effect|first=András|last=Neltz|publisher=Kotaku|date=April 10, 2023|access-date=May 29, 2026}}</ref> }} {{Mass Effect}}

Category:Mass Effect species Category:Video game characters introduced in 2007 Category:Fictional extraterrestrial humanoids