Many fans of science fiction games and RPGs have played BioWare's Mass Effect games. The original trilogy was an action-packed space opera, and players met all sorts of deep, charming, and engaging characters in the 22nd century. You play as Commander Shepard, a man or woman who is on track to become the galaxy's hero.
Mass Effect 2 takes place two years later, and we meet many more dynamic characters, from Jacob Taylor and Jack to the Illusive Man and Thane Krios. Many old faces return, such as Kaidan or Ashley, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Liara T'Soni, and David Anderson. As of Mass Effect 2, set in 2185, it's fairly easy to calculate how old these major characters are, and we can even determine their Chinese zodiac signs! So, let's see how well (or not) the coolest characters of Mass Effect match their years.
10 Commander Shepard
Let's start with you, Commander Shepard. The Commander was born in 2154, making him/her 31 years of age in Mass Effect 2. Old enough to have serious combat experience, and young enough to still have a lot of potential to unlock.
The Commander was born in the year of the Tiger, and Tigers are brave, confident, and competitive. Well, that sounds just about right! For sure, the Commander almost never doubts him/herself, at least not until the horrifying Reaper invasion. Shepard also shows his/her competitive side more than once, often responding to someone's tough talk with "yeah well, I'm tough, too." You can even do this to Omega's queen, Aria T'Loak.
9 Jacob Taylor
Jacob Taylor was born in 2157, which makes him 28 years old during the events of Mass Effect 2 (when you first meet him). He is a tough young man with a lot to prove, and he feels that Cerberus is the most nurturing place for his potential.
He was born in the year of the Snake, and Snakes are enigmatic, wise, and intelligent. Oops, we just described his boss, the Illusive Man! To be fair, though, Jacob is hardly stupid, and he's got a good head on his shoulders. He's also a bit tight-lipped at first (like Miranda), and he'd rather just get the job done as a soldier. But over time, he will warm up to Shepard, and prove to be a romance option for female Shepard.
8 Kaidan Alenko
Kaidan Alenko was born in 2151, and so, he is 34 years old as of Mass Effect 2. How interesting that he is actually older than the hero of the series!
Kaidan's year of birth makes him a member of the Boar sign. Those born in the year of the Boar are compassionate, diligent, and generous, and all around wonderful people. Kaidan is certainly a big softie under his tough biotic exterior, and he feels deep remorse about killing his biotics instructor by accident as a younger man. Kaidan will also tell you in Mass Effect 3 how he wants to celebrate victory over the Reapers with his mother.
7 Ashley Williams
Lieutenant Ashley Williams was born in 2158, and this means that she is a youthful 27 years old in Mass Effect 2, and probably the same age in the sequel game. She's got a fine career ahead of her.
As for the Chinese zodiac, Ashley is a Horse kind of girl. Horses are energetic, active, and animated, quite lively people overall. This is somewhat accurate to Ashley's personality, given her stubborn determination and her role as a protective big sister (you learn about it through conversations in Mass Effect). She's not really the life of the party, though she does seem comfortable during that huge house party in Mass Effect 3.
6 Jack
Subject Zero, or "Jack," is a young woman born in 2161, making her just 24 years old as of Mass Effect 2, when we meet her aboard a cruel prison ship.
Like the next two characters in this list, Jack was born in the year of the Rooster, and Roosters are known to be hardworking courageous, and observant. Well, kind of! At the very least, we're sure that Jack is very good at reading other people and assessing a situation, which would keep her alive during her rough and lonely lifestyle. With Cerberus agents, bounty hunters, and plain old scumbags everywhere, Jack needs to know how to escape a bad situation, fast. She's also not the least bit afraid to dive right into the action with those biotics!
5 Liara T'Soni
A fan favorite, Liara T'Soni is the oldest character by far in this list, being born in 2077, in the year of the Rooster, like Jack. She is 108 years old during Mass Effect 2.
Liara, according to the zodiac, is also courageous, observant, and hardworking. Yes, that definitely describes this prodigious new Shadow Broker. Liara was once a lonely archeologist with fairly low self-esteem, but no longer. She is a master information broker, and this absolutely calls for hard work and paying close attention to the details. And yes, she's as brave as they come. A fine Rooster!
4 David Anderson
David Anderson is the third and final Rooster on this list, and he was born back in 2137 (48 years old as of Mass Effect 2). Thus, he is the third and final Rooster on this list.
David is a fairly straightforward case, being a model officer, soldier, and good friend in the Alliance navy. He also passed down the original Normandy to Commander Shepard. Until then, he was once a candidate to become the first human spectre, until Saren sabotaged him. Still, we are sure that his hard work, courage, and keen attention to detail mean he earned his high rank 100%. He does Roosters everywhere proud.
3 Steven Hackett
The oldest human to appear on this list, Admiral David Hackett was born in 2134, and thus he was born under the Horse zodiac sign. As of Mass Effect 2, he is 51 years old.
As described above, Horses are animated, energetic, and active, though that doesn't seem particularly fitting here. Maybe Hackett was a headstrong young recruit back in the old days, but now, he's a pretty straight-laced general who draws attention to himself through his impeccable discipline and smarts, not his wild antics. Alas, he's not much of a Horse.
2 Joker
Jeff "Joker" Moreau was born in 2155, meaning he is 30 years old as of Mass Effect 2, and his Chinese zodiac sign is the Rabbit.
Well, doesn't that figure? The goofball Joker is a bunny! But really, according to the zodiac, anyone born in the year of the Rabbit is elegant, kind, responsible, and quiet. Hit and miss, really. Joker isn't terribly elegant (save that for Liara), and he's not quiet, either! Still, he cares deeply about his crew and his ship alike, and he helped EDI discover her metal and plastic humanity. He was also prepared to go down with the original Normandy when the Collector ship blasted it to bits. Now that's loyalty, Rabbit style.
1 Saren Arterius
Turian spectre Saren Arterius was born in 2139, and if he survived the first Mass Effect, he would have been 46 years old. He was born in the year of the Boar.
Boars are compassionate, generous, and diligent, but we don't see that at all, do we? Saren is cruel, pragmatic, ambitious, and quite willing to discard his pawns at a moment's notice. He's also very selfish, and aspired to become the Reapers' #1 tool to attain personal salvation. There's no Chinese zodiac sign for that, let us tell you. But yes, he is diligent, as his sign says, since becoming a spectre and hatching those schemes must take some patience and hard work. Too bad he used that effort for sheer villainy.