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Mass Effect/Awesome: Difference between revisions
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* {{spoiler|1=''"Alliance ships, [[Big Damn Heroes|move in]] - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhgdudwYvYo save the Destiny Ascension!]"''}}
** {{spoiler|''"It's [[The Federation|the Alliance]]!" "[[Big Damn Heroes|Thank the Goddess!]]"''}}
* Let us not forget the moment where Shepard [[Super Smash Bros.|Falcon Punches]] a reporter ''on live galactic television''.
** And if you take the option in [[Mass Effect 2]], twice. It's even awesomer.
* Captain Kirrahe's epic "We will [[Hold the Line]]!" speech. Quoted here in all its glory:
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** Very small, but he's even awesome as far as game mechanics go. The official guide for [[Mass Effect 2]] ''strongly recommends'' that if you're going to play on [[Nintendo Hard|Insanity]], Garrus is one teammate you should ''always'' have with you.
* [[Did Not Do the Research|The]] [[Know-Nothing Know-It-All|Cooper]] [[Internet Backdraft|Lawrence]] [[What an Idiot!|wannabe]] returns in Mass Effect 2 for another round! If you punch her with the Renegade interrupt, Shepard says "I should have done that the first time we met!"
** On the flip-side of that, you can also go the diplomatic route, and when she starts winding up to pitch the good ol' "aliens let humans die for their own skins" tripe, Shepard gets a particularly moving CMOA by cutting her off with a powerful, spine-chilling lecture:
{{quote|'''Shepard''': {{spoiler|The turians lost twenty cruisers, figure each had a crew of around 300. The Ascension, the asari dreadnought we saved, had a crew of nearly 10,000.}}
'''Reporter''': {{spoiler|But surely the human cost--}}
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* Remember Conrad Verner? In the second game, he shows up as an "extreme" mercenary. You can try to talk some sense into him, or, if you're a Renegade....
{{quote|'''Shepard''': Conrad, let me make this perfectly clear. {{spoiler|''(shoots Conrad in the foot)'' This is ''not'' acceptable.}}}}
** He gets his own actual moment of awesome if Paragon!Shep talks him down from his little crusade. He starts a charity to help the victims and orphans of Sovereign and the geth attacks called..."Shepards". Well done man.
* Everyone who took a certain Renegade interrupt action in the Urdnot camp said these exact words: "Did...Did I just ''headbutt'' a ''krogan?'' Not to mention, the shocked look on said krogan's face eloquently says "Did... Did a ''Human'' just ''headbutt'' me?"
** A scene just a few minutes prior shows this to be a krogan dominance gesture, so if one is observant, they will immediately understand what the Renegade interrupt prompt is, and it is ''so right'' in context.
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{{quote|'''Tali''': It's fun watching you shout.}}
* The final boss of Mass Effect 2 deserves a mention. Four words: {{spoiler|Human Mecha-Cthulhu Fetus.}}
* During Mordin's mission, while on the krogan homeworld, a krogan gangster with delusions of grandeur starts ranting and raving about how his clan will destroy the forces of the galaxy when they get enough numbers. A Renegade quick time shows up and you give him a ''very'' satisfying version of [[Shut UP, Hannibal]] using a fortuitously-placed gas main and two pistol shots.
* When you get to the Citadel, if you nominated Anderson for Councilor, he puts Udina, the [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]] from the first game, in his place.
{{quote|'''Councilor Anderson''' (in the tone of a parent scolding a child): I don't answer to you anymore, Udina. Why don't you [[Go to Your Room|go to your office]] and think about that?}}
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* During Miranda's loyalty mission, a group of mercs will attempt to get her and Shepard to back off. As the merc talks, Shepard notices a crane moving an explosive cargo container. There is a Renegade interrupt. If taken, Shepard will reach forward and break the one merc's neck with his/her bare hands. Miranda will then shoot another at point blank range as Shepard pulls out his/her handcannon and blasts the container to kill two more mercs. One merc remains, who can only look from the burning fire and back to Shepard in shock.
** What makes it even better is this troper always got ''PARAGON'' points for that interrupt.
* The Paragon ending to Zaeed's loyalty mission. After saving a factory full of slaves and costing Zaeed his revenge against his arch-nemesis of twenty years as a result, Shepard puts a gun to Zaeed's head, tells him he's damn well going to work as part of a team, pulls the man out from under the girder that's fallen across his legs - thus proving her point that no one can go it alone all the time - and through sheer force of will and badassery manages to gain Zaeed's admiration and loyalty ''anyway''.
** In fact, I can say without reservation that a female Paragon Shepard is a Crowning ''Character'' Of Awesome. This editor was ''so'' happy to see a franchise that does not present the "good" path as self-righteous, [[Lawful Stupid]] or less [[Badass]] in any way, and [[Jennifer Hale]]'s voice acting is absolutely fantastic.
** While Paragon Shepard is indeed awesome-tastic, one should mention the Renegade ending of that mission. It may follow a serious [[Moral Event Horizon]], but Zaeed getting his vengeance with nothing but an ejected bullet is insanely cool.
*** More accurately it's an ejected heat sink, but that's not important.
** {{spoiler|Leaving Zaeed to die}} is also a surprisingly awesome and fulfilling outcome of his mission. The guy is just too much of an asshole.
*** For some. For others, he's the [[Sociopathic Hero|perfect kind of asshole.]]
** Its also worth noting that in the Paragon ending of that mission, {{spoiler|Zaeed manages to headshot the [[Mook]] sitting right next to Vido, causing Vido to [[Oh Crap|crap his pants]].}}
* Both Paragon ''and'' Renegade solutions to Legion and Tali's argument over her Omni-tool. Renegade Shepard will squash both of them flat while backlit by the hall light.
{{quote|'''Shepard:''' What the HELL were you thinking!? Are you trying to undermine ''this entire operation?!'' You can either fight by ''my'' side, or get ''crushed under my heel'', but you will NOT stand in my way!}}
** Paragon Shepard will actually get Tali to say a few friendly words to Legion; probably the only ones ever uttered between the two species in 300 years.
* If you bring a nonhuman party member into the plague zone on Omega, they get sick. When you reach Mordin's clinic, he looks up, notes they're sick, and casually makes the infection go away with a press of a button. Beforehand, you knew Mordin was a hell of a doctor, but the fact that he developed a cure ''specifically for each species'' that works ''that'' fast immediately proves his awesome scientist cred.
* An option most people probably missed shows up during Samara's loyalty mission. {{spoiler|When hunting for Morinth in Afterlife's VIP lounge, Shepard comes across two would-be turian muggers. With a bit of Intimidation, Shepard provokes both of them into attacking (as actually throwing the first blow would get the Commander thrown out too early to lure the target) and promptly crushes each of them with two blows in a total of five seconds. Proving that sometimes a bit of Renegade really does go to the greater good}}.
** Not as... badass, but a Paragon can just talk them out of the mugging. In under a minute.
** Speaking of Samara's loyalty mission, when you manage to {{spoiler|convince Morinth to take the bait and start seducing you, she will gaze into your eyes and tell you to tell her that she owns you, and can do whatever she wants with you -- clearly about to do with you what she did with her previous victims. If his/her scores are high enough, both Paragon ''and'' Renegade Shepard can essentially tell her, "Nope. Sucks to be you." The dawning moment of "[[Oh Crap]]..." on her face as Samara walks in the door and blasts her is ''priceless'', and the idea that Shepard has so much [[Heroic Willpower]] that s/he is able to resist the brainwashing of an ''Ardat-Yakshi'' is yet another checkmark for his/her awesomeness.}}
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** Unless you miss. You're going to hate yourself if you do this when fighting the last boss, who doesn't really inhabit a confined space.
** Or you blow yourself up.
*** Then it's awesome ''and'' [[Amusing Injuries|hilarious]].
** Special mention to using it on the {{spoiler|Geth Colossus. Remember that hard slog of a fight to kill the fucking thing? You can end it ''five seconds after it reveals itself'' by blowing up the damn thing with the Cain, along with ''every geth in the vicinity''.}}
*** That's nothing. Bring it along on the final mission. [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|Did you just]] [[Nuke'Em|nuke a]] [[Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever|thirty-story-tall]] [[Eldritch Abomination|Mecha-Cthulhu]][[The Terminator|-T-800]]? Why yes. Yes, I did. In '''[[Curb Stomp Battle|less than a MINUTE.]]'''
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* Learning from Samara that she faced off against Nihlus, the Spectre in the first game who was offed by Saren. Nihlus had killed some civilians for some Spectre related mission, Samara's Justicar code demanded that she kill him. Nihlus not only managed to avoid her initial assault, but in the end actually managed to escape her by pulling a [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]] on her by making her choose between saving an innocent or catching him, basically using her own rules against her. Keep in mind Nihlus was probably only a Spectre at that time for maybe a little long than Shepard was, and Samara is a centuries old warrior with massive biotic powers as well as extensive training. The galaxy lost a DAMN good Spectre on Eden Prime. (Also, I like to think as an added bonus Nihlus gave Shepard posthumous advice on 'What to do if you have to deal with a Justicar' as well...which might be VERY useful if you're playing a Renegade and Samara ends her oath with you.)
* An understated one on Tuchanka, after completing Grunt's loyalty mission {{spoiler|and killing the Thresher Maw on foot}} Grunt is inducted into Clan Urdnot. The shaman starts listing off the things Grunt can do now that he's an adult, the last of which is 'you may now serve under a battlemaster'. Grunt's reply: "Shepard is my battlemaster, (s)he has no match." The Shaman's response? A semi-grudging "Indeed." Think about it.
** If {{spoiler|Wrex}} is still alive, this is more meaningful, given Shepard's role in the rise of Clan Urdnot. Given that {{spoiler|Wrex is a krogan battlemaster himself, who was the last to destroy a Maw and served under Shepard}}...
* Renegade Shepard staying calm and completely dominating Grunt after opening his tank, even while he has him/her pinned to the wall.
{{quote|'''Shepard''': "My enemies threaten galaxies. Everyone on my ship has earned their place."}}
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'''Cop:''' Son of a .... }}
*** Able to be seen in all its glory [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awLZQMnH5nY starting at 3:00] and resuming to the end of it at 8:00. If you prefer Femshep, see [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4-NWOL6H6Y here.]
*** It's even better if you aren't expecting it. If you always picked the top-right dialog choice in the first game, Shepard almost seemed impossible to anger. The shock of seeing a Paragon Shepard just ''lay into'' those two is surprising and satisfying.
* Shepard's speeches (s)he is able to give during the suicide mission are suitably epic, including some powerful music and dramatic finger pointing. Additionally the speech can focus on giving the Collectors some serious payback or focusing on saving lives, depending on if the player is going for Renegade or Paragon.
** I gotta give it to the Paragon here:
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{{quote|'''Shepard:''' No more running, and no more waiting. Let's hit them where they live.}}
** There are two or three segments to each speech, and you can independantly choose Paragon or Renegade segments of each speech. Starting with Paragon (i.e. Why We're Here) and crescendoing with Renegade (i.e. 'Now let's go ''kick some ass''!') is immensely satisfying.
* If you're a Renegade who saved the Council in the first game, during their little chat with you in Anderson's office (because, come on, [[Even Evil Has Standards|who picked Udina for Councilor]]?) they dismiss everything you stirred up in the first game and then condescendingly offer to reinstate you as a Spectre, clearly meant to placate Shepard and remove her as an annoyance by sending her back into the Terminus Systems. You can say that you'd be honoured, or tell them to go fuck themselves. Political ramfications be damned, that was easily one of the most satisfying moments of the game, especially when you seem them sputter in outrage.
{{quote|'''Shepard''': The Council offered to reinstate me as a Spectre. I told them where they could stick it. }}
** [[This Troper]] did. He looked at the horrific mess that galactic politics ought to be and thought, "I can't do that do good ol' Anderson!" That was before he learned of the sequel.
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** At the end of the first mission, Shepard and his/her team destroy the satellite dish to prevent the VI from uploading itself off-world by destroying its supports from the ''inside''. This unbalances the entire dish and causes it to slowly start tipping over. To get out, Shepard and his/her squad ''run up the inside of the dish and leap from the edge onto a narrow walkway''. Did I mention all this is taking place on a cliffside, very high above the ground?
* Ahh, where to begin with '[[So Cool Its Awesome|Lair of the Shadow Broker.]]'
** Liara T'Soni, formerly a meek, quiet asari scientist, [[Took a Level In Badass|taking about seven levels in badass.]] When you first meet her, she's threatening a recalcitrant client by channeling Matriarch Benezia. It only gets better from there on out, culminating in her [[Shut UP, Hannibal]] to the Shadow Broker himself, transitioning seamlessly into a [[Hannibal Lecture]] of her very own.
{{quote|'''Broker:''' It's pointless to challenge me, asari. I know your every secret, while you fumble in the dark.
'''Liara:''' Is that right? You're a {{spoiler|yahg, a pre-spaceflight species that was quarantined to their homeworld for massacring the Council's first contact teams.}} This base is older than your planet's discovery, so I'm guessing you killed the original Shadow Broker 60 years ago, then took his place. I'm guessing that you were taken from your homeworld by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave - *smirks* or a pet. How am I doing?
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** Shepard's punches do more damage than bullets. Let that sink in for a moment. Firing away with a pistol is the harder method, [[Badass|(biotically) charging in and beating them to death is easier.]]
* When Joker makes his way to the A.I. Core to flush the airlocks & clear the Normandy of the Reapers. If you talk to Zaeed afterwards, he not only says that he's impressed with Joker for managing to do that, but that if he had Joker's "glass bones" & had to do that, he'd literally be in pieces right now. That's right, ''the badass mercenary says that Joker is more of a badass than he is''.
* Jacob's loyalty mission has a particularly awesome and powerful moment if you choose to go with the Renegade approach to bringing {{spoiler|Ronald Taylor}} to justice. After spending several minutes chewing him out for his crimes, Jacob hands him a pistol, at half-charge. At his incredulous response, Jacob simply says " {{spoiler|My father owned his mistakes.}}" Nothing else needs to be said.
** Given what Ronald Taylor did (as pointed out straight out of a Richard Laymon novel) the neutral option; leaving him to be torn apart by the people he'd had poisoned and hunted down, works a treat as well. As do the replies from the third squadmate at his protests.
{{quote|'''Ronald:''' You can't do this, you don't know what they'll do to me.
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== Mass Effect 3 ==
* The entire turian species gets one if you read the Codex page for the Battle of Palaven. With only fifteen minutes warning the turian admiral in charge came up with a plan to defend his homeworld. They used the Reapers' size against them by using a precision FTL jump to land behind the Reaper fleet. The codex says that they managed to destroy several of the Reaper capital ships, the kind of dreadnoughts that took the combined Alliance 5th fleet and Citadel Defence Fleet to bring down even after Sovereign had lost much of his power when you killed robot-Saren.
** Gets even bigger when you read the section about the ground war. The Reapers arrive at Palaven in full force, destroy cities with their capital ships and land hordes of husks. All the codex has to say is that "Much of the turian fleet is still operable, and the citizenry is heavily armed. The turians refuse to be intimidated."
* Every time one of your Paragon decisions from the earlier games pays off.
** Either seeing it in person, or reading about it like {{spoiler|hearing that Shiala is leading the Zhu's Hope semi-hive mind colonists in a successful pushback, hearing that the guy you had Jack spare in Pragia did a suicide attack keeping husks from attacking transports with fleeing children, the list goes on and all of it is fist pumpingly awesome.}}
** Hell, anytime a ''Renegade'' decision pays off, from a previous game or from this one. Bioware understands that [[Good Is Not Nice]]. {{spoiler|Rewriting the geth heretics, not destroying them? Makes it difficult to end the Rannoch mission without genocide. Didn't go full Paragon when you encountered Kelly Chambers again in [[Mass Effect 3]]? Good for you, you saved her life. Killed Rana Thanoptis? Congrats, now she won't gun down asari officials on Reaper orders.}}
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*** Tying into that is if you take the Renegade interrupt after your own (successful) fight with Kai Leng - Shepard '' {{spoiler|shatters}}'' {{spoiler|Kai Leng's sword with his left fist as the Omni-Blade pops out, stabbing into Kai's side. Cue Shepard saying "That was for Thane, [[Kick the Son of a Bitch|you son of a bitch]]".}}
**** This scene is all the more satisfying if you romanced Thane. The killer of Shep's lover has been brought to justice at last.
*** If you play as a biotic or vanguard Shepard, the same scene follows... which means that {{spoiler|your psychic Shepard always had the omni-blade and prefered to [[Megaton Punch|punch out]] their enemies: in other words, Shepard ''deliberately'' decided to [[Karmic Death|gut Kai Leng the way he gutted Thane]] }}
**** The Codex states that everyone '''always''' had Omni-Blades, it was just considered a rather useless weapon, and never used by anyone until the Reapers invaded (with their melee-oriented Husks).
** Oddly enough, {{spoiler|if Thane didn't survive 2,}} someone else takes the shot for the Councilor... {{spoiler|1=[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8w07S1lbCA#t=1m05s Major Kirrahe.]}} Not as flashy, but just as poignant. [[Tear Jerker|He held the line.]] {{spoiler|[http://youtu.be/O7ZW_59dYQw Also gets his own revenge line later].}}
* Grunt, if you choose to save the {{spoiler|rachni queen again}}, will choose to do an epic [[You Shall Not Pass]] moment to hold off a small army of Ravagers by himself. He charges into them, shooting and punching and kicking and beating, before {{spoiler|falling off a cliff into darkness, followed by more Ravagers}}. Weep those [[Manly Tears]] for the greatest krogan warrior ever to live. {{spoiler|Then he comes out of the cave, covered in blood but still alive, and asks for something to eat}}. The best part of it all is the music during this scene: while Grunt is fighting off the Ravagers, the music is quiet and sad, a piano solo that confirms that our hero is fighting his final, doomed battle. And when {{spoiler|Grunt survives, the music is a reprise of the triumphant, rising orchestral crescendo at the ending of the first game when Shepard crawls out of the wreckage, battered but alive.}} [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9z2TkVNWlM Needs to be seen to believed.]
** Adding to that {{spoiler|the requirement for him surviving is that next to saving the Rachni Queen in 1 you had finish his loyalty mission in 2. Which was to help him gain maturity and a clan, essentialy giving him a "family" and to learn how to control his rage. This means he survives because he learned how to use his rage when necessary and have something to come back for. He must have had a major determination moment down there.}}
** From the same mission, you can see Grunt's squad pinned down by a group of Husk's. Grunt proceeds to grab a Ravenger, lift it completely over his head, and fling it into a chasm. What does he saw while doing this?
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** Awesome? Try ''horror''. But, from a gamer's perspective, yes. BioWare is certainly going to conclude the trilogy with a [[Grand Finale|bang]]. Or [[Stuff Blowing Up|several]]. [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|How many Reapers are there, anyway?]]
{{quote|'''Sovereign:''' We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world.}}
*** The last few seconds of the trailer are pure win. Shepard looks out over Earth under siege, he turns towards the screen and as he walks towards it and the N7 logo lights up, his theme kicks in, and you know that asses are about to be kicked. Pure, Epic, Win.
* '''[[Cool Versus Awesome|Reaper vs. Thresher Maw.]]''' They are riding out to complete another mission but have to contend with a Reaper tank, all hope seems lost. Shepard is forced to go on foot when the Krogan convoy is taken out, travelling through an ancient Krogan city talking about the Thresher Maw to end all THRESHER MAW's on Tuchanka. When conversing with Wrex about it, they realize that Tuchanka is its' home too and won't like a Reaper stomping around. So, as shown during Grunt's rite of passage, they decide to summon the Thresher Maw and point it at the Reaper. [http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-2011-mass-effect/724830We The end result is insane.] Shepard is literally running underfoor of the giant sentient spaceship trying to hit him with a beam of molten metal fired approaching the speed of light. He dodges and weaves through the incoming fire, avoids things that pop out of the ground too fast for you to even get a good look at them, and then narrowly avoids being stepped on by the Reaper. Then the drums are sounded, and you know the Maw is angry. The Maw ''lunges'' out of the ground and tackles the Reaper, wrestling for a minute before the Reaper gets an angle to shoot at it, only to miss because it went under ground again. Then it resurfaces and wraps itself around the Reaper, crushing it and dragging the thing underground. James Vega gets it right pretty early in the video: "Holy shit!"
** ...''[[Dune|Shai-Hulud]]''.
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{{quote|'''Shepard:''' I'm sorry.
'''Mordin:''' {{spoiler|I'm not. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.}} }}
** {{spoiler|Gets even better if you try to stop him. Shouting "I MADE A MISTAKE!", and then if you shoot him, he dies literally trying to ''crawl'' to the control panel. It was supposed to be his moment of redemption.}}
* Conrad saving the life of Shepard, could wind up as a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] or a subtle [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment when the Cerberus contact tries to kill Shepard (who no longer travels across the citadel in armor but rather casual outfits).
* Lieutenant Victus, son of the Turian Primarch, gives his life to disable the Cerberus bomb {{spoiler|that they stole from the Turians}} threatening to destroy a high population center in Tuchanka. His sacrifice gives Shepard valuable time to solidify an alliance between the Turian and Krogan states.
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*** Is there such a thing as Fridge Awesome? Because... if she was Joker's sister, she might have had Vrolik syndrome just like he does. She does end up breaking her leg... And nobody ever says she doesn't have it. Just makes her accomplishment this much more badass. Though Vrolik's syndrome is supposed to be extremely rare, so it's not likely.
* When {{spoiler|Cerberus attacks the Citadel and Shepard is having a standoff with the council and the Virmire Survivor}} everyone is slow to believe Shepard's claims that {{spoiler|Udina is staging a coup.}} Then, after three games of apathy and condescending bullshit, the Asari councilor ''finally'' points out that [[The Cassandra|they haven't trusted Shepard before]] and each time it has come back and bitten them in the ass. I don't care how small the moment was, ''I fucking earned it''.
** To make it even better, if you've talked things out with Ashley/Kaidan, she/he will make the decision to trust you and {{spoiler|turn on Udina.}} Hear that? That was the sound of all the leftover trust issues from Horizon shattering.
*** Even if you have not spoken to them, you can still pull out the charm, provided [[Relationship Values|you still have some clout with them.]] A Renegade choice will have you tell them you would regret shooting them for the rest of your life, but you would do it if you had to, and that the ball is in their court. Paragon, however, will have Shepard tell Ashley/Kaidan that they know in their heart Shepard is right, that they always do the right thing, no matter what, and they need to trust their own instincts. And either way, they put the gun down.
{{quote|'''Shepard:''' You've always stood true to what you believe in. I admire that most about you. Trust your gut, Kaidan. }}
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== Expanded Universe ==
* From ''[[Mass Effect: Retribution|Retribution]]'', Kai Leng may be an incredibly [[Politically-Incorrect Villain|xenophobic]] and [[The Sociopath|sociopathic]] [[Jerkass|asshole]], but there is no denying that he is a [[Badass]]. Before the story, the man killed a krogan with a knife in a [[Bar Brawl]] and during the story's events, he kills six turians, by himself, and again with only a knife.
* In the second game Kasumi will mention she got Shepard into Badass Weekly. The writer for the real life [[Badass of the Week]] thought this was the crowning moment of his career and was so flattered he had to write an entry for the site. [http://www.badassoftheweek.com/shepard.html Guess who.]
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