447:, which retells his time training at BAaT, an experimental group and a forerunner to the System Alliance's biotic training programs in the present day. The conditions at BAaT are depicted as poor, and he and his classmates have been treated badly by a turian instructor named Vyrnnus who is openly racist towards his human students. He falls in love with a girl named Rahna, but the potential for a relationship dissolves after he accidentally kills Vyrnnus in retaliation for breaking Rahna's arm during a training exercise gone wrong. After BAaT is shut down following the fatal accident, Kaidan enlisted with the Alliance Navy, and he is eventually transferred onboard the SSV
240:
824:: Biotics is the ability of rare individuals to manipulate dark energy and create mass effect fields through the use of electrical impulses from the brain. Intense training and surgically-implanted amplifiers are necessary for a biotic to produce mass effect fields powerful enough for practical use. The relative strength of biotic abilities varies greatly among species and with each individual. / There are three branches of biotics. TELEKINESIS uses mass-lowering fields to levitate or impel objects. Mass-raising KINETIC FIELDS are used to block or pin objects. DISTORTION uses rapidly shifting mass fields to shred objects.
410:
Council, something that pits him against
Shepard when he comes to confront Udina. If Kaidan is unable to be convinced that Udina is guilty, either Shepard or one of his squadmates will shoot him. If Kaidan can be convinced, either he or Shepard will shoot Udina. In the aftermath, Shepard can either offer him a spot on the crew to resume a relationship if Shepard is female or start a gay relationship with a male Shepard, or send him to the Alliance to become a war asset.
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209:. In gameplay terms, Kaidan is a "Sentinel", who combines biotic and technological abilities to manipulate the environment, enhance defensive capabilities, disable and track enemies. Kaidan suffers from infrequent, but debilitating, migraines as a side effect of the controversial L2 implants he was fitted with during his time at Biotic Acclimatization and Temperance Training ("BAaT"), nicknamed "brain camp" by Kaidan.
304:, a voice director on the first two games, for helping him find the right tone for Kaidan to balance his military background along with a solid and straightforward personality, which according to Sbarge has become the character's hallmark. Sbarge said he could relate to Kaidan in that the character is guided by his conscience and tries to do the right thing.
783:, Todd Harper compared Farr's experience to his own when attempting to interpret his version of Shepard as a queer character in a technologically advanced world where a human and an alien can have a relationship unquestioned and unchallenged by the wider society. As a character that can be romanced by either gender, Kaidan has what Harper terms "
521:, Michelle Clough presented a case study which illustrated how Kaidan is an example of the shifting portrayal of male sexualization in the original trilogy. She believed that the character's overall depiction in the series framed him as a good choice for Shepard as a romantic and sexual partner. Kristine Steimer from
293:, and that the presence of the aforementioned coded lines in the first game's files are a combination of technical oversight and human error. Walters further confirmed that the developers had no intention to develop Kaidan as a same sex romance option for the remastered version of the first game, as the
351:
After several missions, the squad is ordered to the planet
Virmire, where Shepard can assign Kaidan or Ashley to work with the salarians or assemble the bomb that will be used to destroy Saren's facility. Shepard will later be given a choice between saving either Ashley or Kaidan, as Shepard's forces
538:
with him in his squad, praising his character development and also his gameplay utility during combat missions because his powers are well balanced. Liana
Ruppert commented that her opinion of the character "changed dramatically" when she played as a female Shepard and commit to his romance arc from
258:
has a blue-and-white theme. The armor design went through multiple iterations as the team was figuring out the
Systems Alliance colors for human male characters before settling on the final color scheme. The character is given a more muscular redesign in order to "show that he's seen a lot of action
409:
Shepard can choose to visit Kaidan following each main story mission and during this time the basis for a romance can be either established or re-established. Following a message from the
Salarian Councilor to Commander Shepard regarding Councilor Udina's betrayal, Kaidan is assigned to protect the
726:
In Clough's case study, she observed that although Kaidan is presented as a love interest for a female
Shepard in the first game who is conventionally attractive and has an appealing personality, there was little acknowledgment of the physical aspect of his appeal, and outside of a sex scene which
717:
reported on negative reception to the game's same-sex relationship content, which consisted of dismissive and homophobic comments which were posted on several websites. He compared the gaming world to the world of sports, which "has been slow and resistant to addressing homophobia or including gay
497:
who is also voiced by
Raphael Sbarge, and he found Onasi to be very obnoxious. As a result, he did not care about whether Kaidan was a nuanced character and paid little attention to him during his playthroughs. Nevertheless, he praised BioWare's dedication to carry the player's decision to save or
380:
demise. He will not appear again until
Shepard's mission to the human colony, Horizon, having been stationed there after an anonymous tip that the colony would be attacked. He will express disappointment and anger that Shepard did not reach out to him during the two years since he/she was presumed
498:
abandon Kaidan on
Virmire through the entire trilogy, calling it "a landmark moment for interactive storytelling" and said that he felt "less of a content consumer and more of a collaborator in their storytelling" as a result. In a later article, he considers Kaidan to be marginally better than
553:. Horowitz went into detail about Kaidan's story arc in the trilogy, and argued that while his subtle characterization and understated nature does not generate as much fan interest as Shepard's other companions, he is "the most developed, well-rounded and fully realized character in the
614:
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trilogy. Kaidan shares the same overall story arc as Ashley in the sequels and while both characters effectively function as opposite-gender placeholders for one another throughout the trilogy, they start off differently in the first game and have distinct personalities and skills.
527:
said in 2010 that she enjoyed her conversations with Kaidan; she praised the character's loyalty as his best quality and looked forward to completing the character's romance arc with her
Shepard in any further DLC content or sequels for the series. Alex Knapp, a staff writer at
661:
prequels may undergo "implausible and abrupt sexual transformations" at the expense of "narrative consistency and integrity". One user comment highlighted by the article specifically claimed that the character is "sometimes nervous with opposite sex but never with men".
385:, but Kaidan refuses, stating he does not trust Cerberus and never will. Following this encounter, he will send Shepard a message at the private terminal apologizing for his harsh words during the exchange only if she is still having a romantic relationship with Kaidan.
549:, said Kaidan was the most overlooked character in the series and generally not marketed well by BioWare; he drew attention to the fact that the trilogy's promo art has historically focused on a male Shepard, and Ashley was featured prominently in promos for the first
282:
and Kaidan for a same-sex romances relationship with Shepard which never made the final cut of the first game, as well as coded lines where Kaidan would address a male Shepard as if he was female. In 2021, project director Mac Walters clarified in an interview about
413:
If Kaidan accompanies Shepard on the final mission to the Conduit in London and the player has not accrued enough war asset points, Kaidan will die. If Kaidan survives and is in a relationship with Shepard, he will place a plaque on the memorial wall on the
778:
series' own evolution of its concept of male same-sex romances is a direct reflection of the real-life world's politics on gender and sexual identity, and that as time progressed, so did the series' sexual politics. In his essay published in the 2017 book
406:. During the mission, Kaidan is critically injured by a high-tech Cerberus mech and is hospitalized on the Citadel. While recuperating in the hospital, Ambassador Udina makes Kaidan an offer to become a Spectre, which Shepard can encourage him to accept.
401:
Kaidan will appear in Vancouver at the Alliance base before the Reaper attack. Following the invasion, Kaidan will accompany Lieutenant James Vega and Commander Shepard on a mission to Mars to find Asari information broker and Prothean scientific expert,
787:", an observation he made that Kaidan's sexuality "exists in a sort of quantum superposition that the player can collapse into observed certainty by choosing to romance or not", and that it is "defined primarily by his relationship to Shepard".
198:
Raised in Canada, Kaidan is a Systems Alliance officer born with the ability to manipulate dark energy, employ telekinesis and create mass effect fields called biotics, after his mother is affected by "Element Zero" during an incident in
557:
universe". Ruppert said players who play as a male Shepard would have had a better context in connecting with the character if the option to romance him was available at the commencement of the trilogy. In an editorial published by
534:, initially had a self-described "irrational dislike" of Kaidan due to his experiences with the character in the first game. Knapp disclosed in a later article that he had completely changed his mind about Kaidan after completing
513:
Jordan Baughman described Kaidan as "The Pile of Grey Sludge (aka The Male Support Character)" character archetype, typically encountered as the most boring companion character in BioWare titles who is "generic to the extreme".
657:'s announcement about the game's incorporation of same-sex romances, reporting that some players have spoken out about their concerns that certain characters that have been established over the course of one or both of
673:
argued that a male Shepard's "friendship, relationship and eventual partnership with Kaidan offers far more depth and reward than the one with Ashley, or arguably any other character in the game by a wide margin".
270:, and that he did work on the extra content that never made it to the final version of the game. He was personally enthusiastic about BioWare's decision to make Kaidan available as a same-sex romance option in
224:
Kaidan is a romance option for a female Shepard in the first game, and their relationship could persist over the entire trilogy depending on the player's choices. He can also be romanced by a male Shepard in
589:
included the Virmire Decision in the first game in their list of 13 Best Mass Effect Moments. The "Virmire Survivor", a role he shares with Ashley Williams in the trilogy, is discussed in the 2017 book
1011:
1409:
1078:
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as a bisexual love interest, a decision by BioWare which attracted mostly praise as well as some criticism. Kaidan has received an overall mixed reception throughout his appearances in the
161:
he is encountered on the human colony of Horizon after Shepard receives a tip that Horizon will be the next human colony to be abducted by the enigmatic race known as the Collectors. In
727:
mostly focuses on a female Shepard's body, little opportunity for the character to be appreciated in a sexual context. This is contrasted with Kaidan's more sexualized presentation in
1971:
Kaidan would justify his belated expression of romantic interest towards a male Shepard by telling him: "You were always so focused on the work back then. The mission was everything".
1445:
216:
would survive during a late-game mission on the planet Virmire. The squad member who survives will afterwards serve as a constant reminder of the player's choices throughout the
42:
1895:
731:, where the character is shirtless in multiple scenes, and more emphasis is placed on the intimacy between him and Shepard. During one scene where Kaidan is reboarding the
1862:
774:, which involves a late blooming romance with Kaidan that was not possible in the game's prequels, was a necessity born out of the series' options. He concluded that the
463:
trilogy have received a mixed response from players and video game journalists. Player statistics released by BioWare in 2013 revealed that Kaidan was the least popular
570:, Kenneth Shepard agreed that Kaidan is one of the series' best written characters, and opined that Kaidan's characterization was intentionally stunted in the original
770:, he was unable to express his avatar character's romantic desires (which matches his own) in the game universe, and that his character's particular journey through
735:
and still in a relationship with Shepard, the camera alternates quick cuts between a close up of Kaidan's buttocks and a close up of Shepard's gaze, indicating that
1118:
340:
detail. He accompanies Shepard on his first mission to Eden Prime where they learn that Saren is leading the attack with the geth. Upon encountering Gunnery Chief
212:
Kaidan is cited as an example of the consequences that come with branching narratives in video games. In the first game the player has to decide whether Kaidan or
1765:
707:
which focused criticism on the presence of gay male sex scenes in the game, as well as its possible correlation with the below-average Metacritic user rating for
1831:
1316:
1703:
1635:
858:
1015:
574:
for players choosing a male Commander Shepard, which was an example of what he called an attempt to "create a heavily-gendered, heteronormative world" before
1476:
467:
squad member who was the choice of 1.5% of the player base. Liana Ruppert commented that Kaidan was one of the widely disliked or divisive characters in the
1508:
2587:
1562:
1225:
2637:
2567:
1289:
493:
601:; while Ashley is statistically more likely to be chosen as the Virmire Survivor by players, Kaidan is preferred by a vocal and influential minority of
254:. BioWare decided to overhaul Kaidan's look to make him more memorable: in contrast to his generic outfit in previous games, Kaidan's default armor for
1256:
2642:
1734:
344:, she joins the mission and following the mission on Eden Prime, he gives his recommendation to Captain Anderson that she should be assigned to the
1399:
1086:
1595:
2632:
1788:
250:
Kaidan Alenko's face is modeled after Luciano Costa. BioWare opted to reuse Kaidan's visage from the first game and updated his face model for
278:
reported that fans have uncovered cut content from the game files of the original trilogy, which reveal entirely voice-acted lines from both
1919:
148:'s team. Kaidan's fate on the planet Virmire is part of a pivotal decision which the player has to make in order to advance the narrative.
1435:
1194:
2607:
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characters from video games of all time, both praising BioWare's decision to allow players to pursue a same-sex relationship with him in
925:
2602:
2127:
2078:
1152:
418:. If enough war points are accrued, Shepard will survive and Kaidan will not place the plaque, but instead will smile in reminiscence.
1046:
784:
2084:
754:
male soldier who show no interest in female or feminine characters throughout the series, alluding his character's experience to the
796:
297:
compilation is only intended to introduce generalized improvements and otherwise stays as close to the source material as possible.
2098:
2622:
2617:
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1885:
762:
policy. He noted that he has to accept a willful suspension of belief concerning the gender and sexual politics of the world of
1854:
1999:
1673:
1351:
992:
900:
182:
Initially presented as a heterosexual love interest for a female Shepard in the first game, the character is reintroduced in
639:
generated significant coverage about the sexuality of the aforementioned characters, and a broad discussion on the issue of
499:
2265:
539:
the first game. A few sources have commented that much of the fanbase missed out on Kaidan's growth as a character during
356:
over the fact that Ashley was left behind and killed, having prepared to sacrifice his own life for the rest of the team.
1114:
594:. Lynda Clark, who wrote the Virmire Survivor's entry in the book, observed that Kaidan's backstory is reminiscent of a
1757:
1821:
1312:
2592:
1693:
1625:
1530:
850:
669:
release, Kaidan's inclusion as a romance option for a male Shepard was mostly well received. Horowitz's article for
2162:
430:
was released by Raphael Sbarge as a sound file on November 24, 2011. Intended to be a Thanksgiving Day present for
134:(or "squadmate") in the first and third games in the series. The character is initially introduced in the original
1468:
2627:
2612:
2557:
2113:
1498:
1558:
1217:
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dead and the fact that he/she is now working with Cerberus. Shepard will invite him to join the crew of the new
300:
Sbarge used his natural speaking voice for the character, albeit with a slightly formal manner. Sbarge credited
2572:
2325:
483:
staff do not approve of the character. Wes Fenlon explained in an article written shortly after the release of
1279:
475:, and his perceived lack of characterization for players who do not follow his romance story arc in the first
426:
A fully voice acted version of the apology email Kaidan sent to Shepard following their meeting on Horizon in
2647:
2577:
2562:
2348:
2202:
2063:
352:
have only adequate resources to save one of them during the evacuation. If Kaidan is chosen, he will express
341:
285:
279:
213:
766:: prior to the introduction of same-sex romance between male characters and openly homosexual characters in
1826:
676:
1726:
1248:
585:
Kaidan's involvement in the narrative as a potential survivor of the "Virmire Decision" is well received.
1793:
759:
682:
640:
635:
BioWare's decision to offer Kaidan as a same-sex romance option for a male Shepard player character in
131:
1585:
1371:
502:
and called him "a boring male starter companion". Fenlon's colleague Ben Griffin and Alex Walker from
2582:
2285:
2133:
2036:
1992:
703:
noted in its positive coverage of the topic that there were some negative user-generated comments on
517:
Other sources have been more positive in their evaluation of the character. In Chapter 1 of the book
506:
were both in agreement about Kaidan being their least liked BioWare character and called him "dull".
1798:
2245:
2140:
2056:
755:
325:
266:
claimed that Kaidan was originally planned to be a romance option for both genders in the original
239:
136:
61:
566:
in order to highlight the actual quality and depth of game writing for the character. Writing for
2316:
2259:
2238:
2224:
2195:
2091:
443:
376:
before it is destroyed by the Collector ship. Shepard will order him to an escape pod before the
2475:
2292:
2252:
2231:
2170:
2154:
2105:
1186:
1039:"Fans Discovered Mass Effect Trilogy Same-Sex Romance Options Sadly Left on Cutting Room Floor"
332:
141:
2465:
2444:
917:
1144:
2536:
2449:
2403:
2393:
2147:
1985:
1890:
1694:"Mass Effect Fans Worry That Expanded Gay Options Will Create Inconsistencies, Alter Canon"
1038:
630:
8:
2429:
2338:
948:"[Interview] Rana McAnear & Luciano Costa, Samara et Kaidan dans Mass Effect"
438:
and that he would receive an overwhelming amount of praise from fans all over the world.
353:
947:
2470:
2388:
2188:
2333:
1669:
1347:
988:
984:
896:
145:
1937:
582:
ranked Kaidan as the third on their list of the sexiest male video game characters.
713:
1962:
The article's author, Destin Legarie, implied a preference for Kaidan over Ashley.
2368:
2353:
2021:
1923:
403:
2518:
2508:
2378:
263:
243:
176:
73:
1626:"With the Galaxy in Flames, My Video Game Hero Finally Came out of the Closet"
2551:
2363:
2121:
2072:
1079:"BioWare Says Kaidan's Male Shepard Romance Wasn't Cut, It Was Never Planned"
396:
367:
301:
227:
163:
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48:
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that Kaidan was never intended to be a same-sex romance option in the first
2503:
2498:
2413:
2383:
2373:
976:
747:
654:
598:
472:
337:
2513:
2398:
2358:
2008:
1115:"Interview With Raphael Sbarge, The Voice Of Mass Effect's Kaidan Alenko"
854:
736:
618:
545:
488:
435:
126:
31:
1941:
The International Journal of Computer Game Research, Volume 20, Issue 1,
171:
before taking off on a mission to Mars with Shepard and the crew of the
2408:
1590:
704:
508:
653:
published an article on May 16, 2011, less than a day after developer
595:
563:
200:
168:
88:
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fandom, Sbarge said he did not anticipate that the sound file would
259:
and is ready to fight in the biggest war the galaxy has ever seen".
2307:
1252:
1221:
1190:
890:
751:
613:
231:, where he would reveal his unrequited feelings for the Commander.
605:
fans who primarily favor the female version of Commander Shepard.
441:
Kaidan is the protagonist of the fourth issue of the comic series
41:
2439:
2026:
1886:"Mass Effect 3 goes gay: Lesbian and gay sex scenes spark debate"
1503:
699:
579:
122:
372:
If Kaidan survives the events on Virmire, he will appear on the
2434:
1698:
1630:
1440:
1404:
1284:
891:
Jaime Banks; Robert Mejia; Aubrie Adams, eds. (June 23, 2017).
649:
530:
205:
1977:
1855:"Watch: Mass Effect 3 Gives Gamers An Intergalactic Gay Tryst"
687:
92:
1920:
Kaidan Alenko profile on the official Mass Effect 2 website
1663:
1535:
1376:
523:
1758:"That's Underrated: Commander Shepard and Kaidan Alenko"
1218:"The Mass Effect companions, ranked from worst to best"
1664:
Bonnie Ruberg; Adrienne Shaw, eds. (March 28, 2017).
1173:
The Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 Ebook
625:, which is only available to a male player character.
1466:
1400:"Alas, Poor Kaidan: Further Thoughts On Mass Effect"
617:
A potential response to Kaidan as part of a romance
1313:"Recycled characters you see in every BioWare game"
167:, Kaidan initially appears at the Alliance base in
1789:"13 of the best queer characters from video games"
1786:
1727:"To Be Gay in Mass Effect Is An Act of Rebellion"
1559:"Mass Effect Trilogy 15 Toughest Story Decisions"
336:as a Staff Lieutenant and head of the starship's
2549:
1938:Sick, Slow, Cyborg: Crip Futurity in Mass Effect
1036:
954:. Official Gentlegeek Channel. November 26, 2014
851:"The Right Choice In Mass Effect: Kaidan Alenko"
459:Kaidan Alenko's characterization throughout the
1724:
1142:
1112:
848:
1883:
1583:
1528:
1341:
1240:
1993:
1556:
1076:
1718:
1344:Digital Love: Romance and Sexuality in Games
1280:"What's The Worst Character In Mass Effect?"
562:, Bryony Stewart-Seume drew a comparison to
519:Digital Love: Romance and Sexuality in Games
246:in May 2013. He voiced Kaidan for all media.
2588:Fictional military personnel in video games
1819:
1277:
975:
915:
746:, who identifies as openly gay, decided to
234:
2638:Video game characters based on real people
2568:Fictional characters from British Columbia
2000:
1986:
1755:
1691:
1623:
1436:"Mass Effect 3: The Return of the Shepard"
1433:
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1337:
1335:
1333:
1246:
1215:
1184:
1138:
1136:
886:
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262:In a 2013 interview, Kaidan's voice actor
40:
1852:
1619:
1617:
1615:
1613:
1469:"Kaidan Alenko: A 22nd Century Jane Eyre"
1108:
1106:
1104:
1072:
1070:
1068:
1066:
1064:
940:
737:she enjoys looking at him in a sexual way
2643:Video game characters introduced in 2007
1877:
1813:
1787:Deirbhile Brennan (September 12, 2019).
1687:
1685:
1659:
1657:
1655:
1653:
1550:
1522:
1460:
1369:
1342:Heidi McDonald, ed. (November 2, 2017).
1310:
1304:
612:
238:
1846:
1565:from the original on September 27, 2020
1467:Bryony Stewart-Seume (April 25, 2012).
1424:
1391:
1365:
1363:
1330:
1259:from the original on September 24, 2014
1249:"The best and worst BioWare companions"
1209:
1187:"I hate Kaidan Alenko, but that's okay"
1133:
873:
274:. In March 2017, Jessica Lachenal from
2550:
1768:from the original on November 28, 2020
1610:
1448:from the original on September 8, 2012
1101:
1061:
1030:
909:
808:
494:Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
2633:Telekinetic characters in video games
1981:
1682:
1650:
1638:from the original on October 23, 2020
1577:
1479:from the original on October 23, 2020
1271:
1049:from the original on October 31, 2020
1006:
1004:
971:
969:
849:Daniel Horowitz (February 13, 2013).
711:at the time. Craig Takeuchi from the
193:
1749:
1725:Kenneth Shepard (January 10, 2019).
1360:
1178:
844:
842:
840:
838:
836:
834:
832:
797:Gender representation in video games
487:that Kaidan sounded very similar to
1898:from the original on March 20, 2020
1834:from the original on March 15, 2019
1780:
1598:from the original on March 21, 2020
1197:from the original on August 4, 2020
1121:from the original on March 20, 2020
981:The Art of the Mass Effect Universe
979:; Watts, Derek (February 2, 2012).
861:from the original on March 21, 2020
814:
13:
2608:Fictional special forces personnel
1930:
1865:from the original on July 30, 2021
1412:from the original on July 28, 2021
1077:Liana Ruppert (February 9, 2021).
1037:Jessica Lachenal (March 1, 2017).
1001:
966:
928:from the original on July 16, 2019
895:. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.
893:100 Greatest Video Game Characters
631:Mass_Effect_3 § Controversies
592:100 Greatest Video Game Characters
14:
2659:
2603:Fictional soldiers in video games
1913:
1737:from the original on May 10, 2020
1706:from the original on July 1, 2022
1292:from the original on May 13, 2021
1228:from the original on June 1, 2022
829:
421:
312:
151:If Kaidan survives the events of
2532:
2531:
2306:
1884:Craig Takeuchi (March 9, 2012).
1820:Jacob Ogles (February 2, 2018).
1584:Yannick Lejacq (June 25, 2012).
1529:Destin Legarie (June 16, 2014).
1499:"The 20 Hottest Video Game Hunk"
1216:Wes Fenlon (December 14, 2016).
388:
359:
330:Alenko first appears on the SSV
2007:
1965:
1956:
1822:"25 LGBT Video Game Characters"
1756:Aimee Hart (January 20, 2019).
1557:Lisa Granshaw (June 16, 2017).
1511:from the original on 2017-02-23
1491:
1319:from the original on 2014-05-20
1311:Baughman, Jordan (2011-05-03).
1247:Andy Kelly (November 7, 2018).
1166:
1155:from the original on 2020-08-09
1113:Jennifer Kibble (Mar 3, 2012).
543:. Daniel Horowitz, writing for
2623:Male characters in video games
2618:LGBT characters in video games
2598:Fictional spies in video games
1668:. U of Minnesota Press, 2017.
1372:"Falling In Love With An Idea"
1370:Marc Nix (November 20, 2015).
1278:Alex Walker (March 30, 2017).
1143:Kenneth Shepard (2020-04-22).
1014:. May 18, 2013. Archived from
317:
307:
1:
2203:Mass Effect Legendary Edition
1926: (archived June 23, 2011)
1531:"13 Best Mass Effect Moments"
1398:Alex Knapp (April 23, 2012).
1185:Wes Fenlon (March 26, 2012).
918:"Mass Effect 3 romance guide"
916:Matt Hughes (March 9, 2012).
802:
686:named Kaidan one of the best
286:Mass Effect Legendary Edition
750:his version of Shepard as a
454:
144:and primary squad member in
140:as a human Systems Alliance
121:is a fictional character in
7:
1853:Dan Avery (March 6, 2012).
1692:Drew Cohen (May 16, 2011).
1624:Denis Farr (May 14, 2012).
1434:Alex Knapp (May 14, 2012).
790:
721:
10:
2664:
628:
394:
365:
323:
175:SR-2. Kaidan is voiced by
130:franchise, who acts as a
2527:
2491:
2458:
2422:
2324:
2315:
2304:
2277:
2216:
2180:
2099:Lair of the Shadow Broker
2051:
2044:
2035:
2017:
1145:"An Ode to Kaidan Alenko"
473:"by-the-book" personality
106:
98:
84:
79:
69:
56:
39:
29:
24:
2593:Fictional navy personnel
1949:
756:United States government
326:Mass Effect (video game)
235:Creation and development
2196:Mass Effect Infiltrator
785:Schrödinger's sexuality
609:Same-sex romance option
444:Mass Effect: Foundation
80:In-universe information
2628:Mass Effect characters
2613:Fictional war veterans
2558:Fictional bisexual men
2085:Kasumi – Stolen Memory
1012:"Video Game Sophistry"
626:
247:
2573:Fictional lieutenants
1936:Jerreat-Poole, Adan,
760:Don't ask, don't tell
616:
242:
2648:Video game sidekicks
2578:Fictional commanders
2563:Fictional bodyguards
2128:Downloadable content
2079:Downloadable content
1891:The Georgia Straight
1801:on February 19, 2020
1473:This is my Joystick
1346:. CRC Press, 2017.
641:LGBT themes in the
560:This Is My Joystick
491:, a character from
155:, by the events of
19:Fictional character
16:Fictional character
2189:Mass Effect Galaxy
1794:Gay Community News
1666:Queer Game Studies
781:Queer Game Studies
683:Gay Community News
627:
471:series due to his
248:
194:Character overview
2545:
2544:
2487:
2486:
2334:Commander Shepard
2302:
2301:
2212:
2211:
1675:978-1-45295-463-9
1353:978-1-35164-473-0
1117:. Game Fanatics.
994:978-1-59582-768-5
985:Dark Horse Comics
902:978-1-59582-768-5
295:Legendary Edition
146:Commander Shepard
116:
115:
2655:
2583:Fictional majors
2535:
2534:
2374:The Illusive Man
2322:
2321:
2310:
2064:Pinnacle Station
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1817:
1811:
1810:
1808:
1806:
1797:. Archived from
1784:
1778:
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1716:
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1586:"Love and Chaos"
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1128:
1126:
1110:
1099:
1098:
1096:
1094:
1085:. Archived from
1074:
1059:
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1056:
1054:
1034:
1028:
1027:
1025:
1023:
1018:on April 9, 2016
1008:
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888:
871:
870:
868:
866:
846:
827:
826:
812:
742:Denis Farr from
714:Georgia Straight
694:as progressive.
354:survivor's guilt
57:First appearance
44:
22:
21:
2663:
2662:
2658:
2657:
2656:
2654:
2653:
2652:
2548:
2547:
2546:
2541:
2523:
2483:
2454:
2418:
2354:Garrus Vakarian
2349:Ashley Williams
2311:
2298:
2273:
2208:
2176:
2114:Suicide Mission
2031:
2022:Electronic Arts
2013:
2006:
1976:
1975:
1970:
1966:
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1957:
1952:
1933:
1931:Further reading
1924:Wayback Machine
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1090:
1089:on June 6, 2021
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822:Codex - Biotics
813:
809:
805:
793:
724:
667:Mass Effect 3's
659:Mass Effect 3's
633:
611:
457:
424:
399:
393:
370:
364:
342:Ashley Williams
328:
322:
315:
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237:
214:Ashley Williams
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111:
52:
20:
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12:
11:
5:
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2543:
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2528:
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2519:Patrick Weekes
2516:
2511:
2509:Drew Karpyshyn
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2018:
2015:
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1990:
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1973:
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1954:
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1914:External links
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1649:
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1549:
1521:
1507:. 2015-12-16.
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1352:
1329:
1315:. GamesRadar.
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422:In other media
420:
395:Main article:
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366:Main article:
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324:Main article:
321:
316:
314:
313:In video games
311:
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264:Raphael Sbarge
244:Raphael Sbarge
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177:Raphael Sbarge
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2344:Kaidan Alenko
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2122:Mass Effect 3
2119:
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2073:Mass Effect 2
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977:Hudson, Casey
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776:Mass Effect's
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772:Mass Effect 3
769:
768:Mass Effect 3
765:
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734:
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729:Mass Effect 3
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362:
361:Mass Effect 2
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305:
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302:Ginny McSwain
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272:Mass Effect 3
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222:
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210:
208:
207:
203:while he was
202:
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184:Mass Effect 3
180:
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164:Mass Effect 3
160:
159:
158:Mass Effect 2
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133:
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119:Kaidan Alenko
109:
105:
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97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
78:
75:
72:
68:
64:
63:
59:
55:
51:
50:
49:Mass Effect 3
43:
38:
34:
33:
28:
25:Kaidan Alenko
23:
2504:Casey Hudson
2499:Manveer Heir
2477:
2414:Steve Cortez
2384:Mordin Solus
2369:Liara T'Soni
2343:
2291:
2286:Paragon Lost
2284:
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2104:
2097:
2090:
2083:
2071:
2062:
2055:
2009:
1967:
1958:
1944:
1940:
1900:. Retrieved
1889:
1879:
1867:. Retrieved
1858:
1848:
1838:February 29,
1836:. Retrieved
1827:The Advocate
1825:
1815:
1805:February 20,
1803:. Retrieved
1799:the original
1792:
1782:
1770:. Retrieved
1761:
1751:
1739:. Retrieved
1731:IntoTheSpine
1730:
1720:
1708:. Retrieved
1697:
1665:
1640:. Retrieved
1629:
1600:. Retrieved
1589:
1579:
1567:. Retrieved
1552:
1540:. Retrieved
1534:
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1513:. Retrieved
1502:
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1481:. Retrieved
1472:
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1450:. Retrieved
1439:
1414:. Retrieved
1403:
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1381:. Retrieved
1375:
1343:
1321:. Retrieved
1306:
1294:. Retrieved
1283:
1273:
1261:. Retrieved
1242:
1230:. Retrieved
1211:
1199:. Retrieved
1180:
1172:
1168:
1157:. Retrieved
1148:
1123:. Retrieved
1091:. Retrieved
1087:the original
1083:Gameinformer
1082:
1051:. Retrieved
1043:The Mary Sue
1042:
1032:
1020:. Retrieved
1016:the original
980:
956:. Retrieved
951:
942:
930:. Retrieved
921:
911:
892:
863:. Retrieved
821:
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2399:Thane Krios
2359:Urdnot Wrex
2278:Other media
2246:Retribution
2057:Mass Effect
2045:Video games
2010:Mass Effect
1762:Gayming Mag
1483:October 21,
1296:October 10,
855:VentureBeat
817:Mass Effect
764:Mass Effect
671:VentureBeat
643:Mass Effect
603:Mass Effect
572:Mass Effect
555:Mass Effect
551:Mass Effect
546:VentureBeat
489:Carth Onasi
479:. Notably,
477:Mass Effect
469:Mass Effect
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308:Appearances
291:Mass Effect
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2552:Categories
2459:Technology
2409:James Vega
2364:Tali'Zorah
2326:Characters
2260:Foundation
2239:Redemption
2225:Revelation
2134:From Ashes
1591:Killscreen
1515:2017-02-22
1323:2014-05-19
1159:2020-09-27
922:Gamesradar
803:References
758:'s former
718:content".
705:Metacritic
665:Following
629:See also:
619:event tree
509:GamesRadar
378:Normandy's
112:Technology
2293:New Earth
2267:Andromeda
2253:Deception
2232:Ascension
2171:Andromeda
2141:Leviathan
1902:March 19,
1869:March 19,
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748:role-play
596:superhero
564:Jane Eyre
455:Reception
201:Singapore
190:trilogy.
169:Vancouver
123:BioWare's
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70:Voiced by
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2537:Category
2478:Normandy
2471:M35 Mako
2317:Universe
2092:Overlord
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1561:. Syfy.
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1263:March 6,
1257:Archived
1253:PC Gamer
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1222:PC Gamer
1201:March 6,
1195:Archived
1191:PC Gamer
1175:, p. 74.
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926:Archived
859:Archived
791:See also
752:closeted
733:Normandy
722:Analysis
481:PC Gamer
449:Normandy
436:go viral
416:Normandy
383:Normandy
374:Normandy
346:Normandy
333:Normandy
206:in utero
173:Normandy
102:Sentinel
2492:Related
2445:Reapers
2440:Quarian
2155:Citadel
2106:Arrival
2027:BioWare
1922:at the
1859:Queerty
1149:Fanbyte
1093:June 9,
952:YouTube
700:Queerty
580:Logo TV
568:Fanbyte
142:Officer
110:Biotics
2450:Turian
2435:Krogan
2404:Legion
2394:Samara
2163:Ending
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338:marine
280:Ashley
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2430:Asari
2423:Races
2339:Joker
2217:Print
2181:Other
2148:Omega
2037:Media
1950:Notes
1943:2020.
688:queer
107:Skill
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