Tali'Zorah is one of Mass Effect's most popular characters, and she's by far one of the most important from a story perspective. As a member of the Quarian race, Tali has had to contend with bigotry from other races who perceive her own as second-class. Nevertheless, she always does her duty, and she cares about those within her circle.
This unique character goes through quite a story swing throughout the Mass Effect trilogy, but there are a lot of gamers who probably don't know a whole lot about her. Here are 10 facts that every Mass Effect fan needs to know about Tali'Zorah vas Normandy.
10 Her Original Name
BioWare originally intended for Tali's name to be "Talsi Orah," which is quite mainstream compared to the deeply cultural name she eventually received.
The team believed the name was far too soft and "flowed oddly," which prompted the switch to Tali'Zorah. Initial comparisons seem similar, but the latter rolls off the tongue a bit better, with a perceived history behind it.
9 Her Actual Name
Tali's full name is actually Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, and it's the middle part that truly matters. According to Quarian tradition, the title "nar" essentially labels Tali a "child of" the Migrant Fleet, which is designed to change once a Pilgrimage has been completed.
After returning from a successful Pilgrimage, the individual Quarian's title changes from "nar" to "vas," which means "crew of" their new respective ship. This effectively makes Tali's full new name "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," a reference to Commander Shepard's vessel.
8 Her Intel Could Have Saved Billions
Tali was one of the first to discover evidence of the incoming Reaper invasion based on information she gathered after disabling a Geth unit. She learned of an incoming attack on Eden Prime and the greater threat it posed for the galaxy.
Her attempts to share her information were flatly ignored by everyone, including C-Sec officers who took her into custody after she stowed away on a ship while dodging a Turian mercenary. Bigotry against Quarians was largely to blame, causing her to be thoroughly ignored while she tried desperately to relay her findings to the Citadel Council.
7 She Only Uses Her Knife Once
Tali is clearly seen with a knife bound to her boot in the Mass Effect games, and it was decorative up until the third installment in the series when she uses it to stab Legion after the unit becomes hostile against Commander Shepard.
It's a rare example of a seemingly aesthetic item being used for a functional purpose, and the manner in which it was used was poetic, to say the very least.
6 Her Physical Height
Tali is clearly one of the taller characters in Commander Shepard's group, which explains her rather svelte and sleek appearance. An outdated BioWare Store item known as a Character Key is the only known source for this intel.
According to the Key, Tali stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, which is higher than average for a human female, though the Quarian equivalent isn't known.
5 The Baldur's Gate Connection
Tali's combat drone is a direct nod to Baldur's Gate II, specifically the giant space hamster Boo, a companion of Minsc who shouts "Go for the eyes, Boo!" during battle.
Tali can be heard shouting a similar order to her combat drone Chatika vas Paus in the form of "Go for the optics, Chakita! Go for the optics!" It's a very clever parallel reference that only keen Baldur's Gate fans noticed.
4 The Big Reveal
Tali spent much of the Mass Effect trilogy cloaked behind a semi-transparent bio-mask, leaving audiences to speculate what her true appearance was. This appears to have been done on purpose for the sake of the character.
According to BioWare, there was much debate as to what Tali should actually look like unmasked, not to mention the decision as to whether she should be unmasked at all. After several different designs floated around, one was eventually chosen, perhaps begrudgingly.
3 Tali's Real-World Model
In Mass Effect 3, fans can see a photograph of Tali's unmasked face, which is based on an actual real-world model named Hammasa Kohistani.
Kohistani was the first Muslim beauty contestant to receive the Miss England crown in 2005, a title she won at the age of 18. She was born in Uzbekistan during the Soviet era, but, fter her parents fled Afghanistan when the Taliban seized control, she and her family made their way to England to begin a new life.
2 The Ultimate Ultimatum
Tali was originally not supposed to die if the player sides with Legion in Mass Effect 3, but lead designer Preston Watamaniuk felt it was necessary, which created one of the most difficult choices of the entire game.
In hindsight, this was probably an excellent move that created necessary repercussions for a decision of such magnitude. Watamaniuk found the decision extremely difficult, but managed to convince his team that is was appropriate.
1 She Was Almost Written Out Of Mass Effect 3
According to BioWare Community Coordinator Chris Priestly, Tali was not scheduled to be a full-fledged member of Shepard's squad in Mass Effect 3, but, to perhaps remain in the background, much like Liara T'Soni's character in Mass Effect 2.
Writer Patrick Weekes managed to convince his team that Tali should make a full return as a permanent squad member in Mass Effect 3, which makes sense given the focus on camaraderie and friendship which makes up the bulk of that game.