Who is your favorite character in the beloved Mass Effect game series? This isn't just a sci-fi shooter on strange planets; the franchise is packed with memorable, deep, funny, heartfelt, and fascinating characters of all types. You get the lovable rogue Garrus Vakarian, the timid archeologist turned warrior Liara T'Soni, the sarcastic Joker, and many more in this series.
But let's talk about Liara T'Soni. You meet her in the first game, where she's trapped in Prothean ruins. From there, this young asari learns to become a hero rather than a downtrodden academic, and her rise to glory is inspirational. She becomes the new Shadow Broker and an essential member of Commander Shepard's team, and if you play your cards right, she will also be your soul mate (that's possible for Shepards of any gender). So, let's browse a gallery of ten fan art pieces starring our favorite asari!
10 The New Shadow Broker
Courtesy of farv. Liara is looking pretty confident in this first piece of fan art, and not without reason. This rendering of her is highly realistic and well shaded, and her blue skin contrasts nicely with the faded orange background.
Not to mention how shiny she looks, from the gleam on her forehead to her armor plating. What is Liara thinking about at this moment? We can only guess!
9 Sculpture
Courtesy of VisualPhase. Now, Liara is posing for a tasteful artistic nude piece, and why not? She is lovely, and her coy expression rounds out this image nicely. This time around, the lighting is dark and moody, and Liara's blue skin as a rich hue.
We can't even see the background at all, and she could be anywhere from a studio to her private quarters. She looks perfectly vulnerable and confident at the same time, an interesting combination.
8 Biotic Power
Courtesy of Eromaxi. (Note: profile contains R-rated material.) A game is no fun without a magic system, and fantasy doesn't hog it all. In the Mass Effect game, some gifted individuals (and all asari) can access the physics of the universe to warp the space around them. It's like the Force, minus the midichlorians.
That includes Liara, and she joins Shepard's team as a powerhouse biotic. While Kaidan is a regular biotic soldier and Jack is a blunt force of destruction, Liara's biotics are refined and elegant, fitting for an asari. And in this fan art, we love that strong blue glow of her biotics, combined with her calm and serious expression. Biotic power has never looked so good.
7 Don't mess with me
Courtesy of EvaKosmos. Does Liara look a bit like Jack in this picture? We think so, with her tough and defiant look and those richly colored, pouting lips. Liara isn't a meek archeologist for long; soon, she takes on the biggest baddies the galaxy has to offer, and like Commander Shepard, she will never back down.
This time, we see the full destructive power of Liara's biotics, and she's had more time to practice them than Jack, Miranda, and Kaidan put together. Someone must have threatened Liara's friends because it takes a lot to make her this angry. But if you do... watch out!
6 Evening Drink
Courtesy of Leo-Fina. Did you play the Citadel DLC in Mass Effect 3? If you do, you probably remember Anderson's huge and museum-like apartment, and the moody views you could get of the world beyond. With those harsh orange hues outside the window, this could easily be set on Omega, too.
Liara is doing just fine, though, and she's unwinding with an evening inside. Why not have a drink after a long day? If you think about it, this also kind of looks like a whiskey or scotch ad, Mass Effect style. In these games, Shepard visits more than a few bars, after all.
5 Never Forgotten
Courtesy of DragonConcept. Here is a moody piece, but not a sad one. Liara is a sentimental person, and she is a popular romance option for Commander Shepard. In the third game, we have to say a bitter goodbye as the Commander plunges right into the heart of danger to save the galaxy.
Liara is left behind, and it must hurt her deeply. She's not given to despair, but then again, she will fondly remember her lover for all time, during all of her 1,000 years alive. It's a nice touch how the text's font matches that of in-game dialogue, too.
4 Mom and Mom
Courtesy of magicalzebra. That last Liara picture was pretty dark... so let's cheer up with this one! Remember: all asari are the same sex, and they can mate with each other or aliens of any sex to start a family. Asari have mated with humans, salarians, humans, and even batarians and krogan. You can find love anywhere!
But for Liara, there is only one: Commander Shepard. In this lovely fan art, they have a happy family together, and Shepard is looking good, with her dog tags, N7 shirt, and toned body. Now we wonder what they named the children...
3 The biotic
Courtesy of muju. Whoa, it looks like a paintbrush was used to make this Liara fan art, and we love it 100%. Just look at those bold colors and hazy aura! You would definitely look twice if you saw this in a physical museum.
In a way, this has a "street art" feel to it, and that's appropriate, given how often Liara and Shepard and the others roam the mean streets of the galaxy to fight evil. Liara is looking calm and serious here, with a soft gray tone and splashes of color (not unlike glowing biotics). The red lines probably allude to all the action Liara sees in the line of duty.
2 In the thick of action
Courtesy of Hitokirisan. A lot of Liara fan art explores her vulnerable and beautiful side, and that's what we love about her. But there's more to this package: the warrior inside! We've mentioned it before, but Liara is a heck of a fighter.
This looks like a scene from the Mass Effect comics, and we love it. Liara isn't scared nor bloodthirsty, but simply willing to fight a good fight and stand up for justice. We like that orange and white armor and the calculating look on her face. Someone is really in for it now!
1 Space librarian
Courtesy of Natmonkey. We conclude this list with a reminder of Liara T'Soni's academic background, and she really owns it in this piece of fan art. Liara's tough, but also well-read, and we love to see her enthusiasm for a fine book.
She wears the armor she wore when we first met her, and those glasses are a fine fit. And what's that in her arms? A book all about Protheans. Feel free to check it out, but you'd better not return it late.