As fans eagerly await more details about races in the Mass Effect universe.

Playing as different alien species in Mass Effect offers some fun varieties of play styles. Krogans can recklessly charge into battle, while Asari can use telekinetic abilities for damage or crowd control. Having a diverse crew also allowed players to learn more about the history and cultures of the game’s unique aliens, adding depth to the world of Mass Effect. Mass Effect 5 could even throw a curveball and let players choose the race of their main character, opening up more possibilities for customization similar to games like Baldur's Gate 3.

10 Asari Are A Mass Effect Mainstay

There Have Been Asari Crew In Every Game

Whether as a protagonist or playable crew member, an Asari seems like a shoo-in for Mass Effect 5. Not only did the first three Mass Effect games all feature at least one Asari crew member, but the teaser for Mass Effect 5 also featured one of them. Back in 2020 at the Game Awards, the teaser for ME5 seemingly gave players a look at Liara T’Soni, one of the major crew from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 3. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think she will be a part of the new N7 crew.

The original Mass Effect trilogy also gave players a look at several different kinds of Asari that would make sense as playable classes in Mass Effect 5 if it opts for full RPG-style customization. There are the Justicars, Asari who give up all possessions and dedicate themselves to fighting for justice. Alternatively, players could be an Ardat-Yakshi like Morinth, able to gain power by melding minds with others and killing them. Options like this make Asari a solid choice for a playable race.

9 Turians’ Military Prowess Makes Them Perfect For Combat

Turian Society Is Heavily Focused On Military Strategy

As Mass Effect games typically follow soldiers and involve combat, the military-minded Turians seem like a good choice to be on the new crew. Turians are part of the Citadel Council and also played a major role in the creation of its defense force, C-Sec. The Turians also fought against humans in the first war they had with an alien race, and there is some lingering animosity in the original Mass Effect trilogy. This dynamic could be good for creating drama between crew .

Mass Effect 5 could also give players a chance to play as a new Turian. As great of a character as Garrus was, he was also a consistent crew member across all three original games. It could be interesting to play as a new Turian and learn a bit more about them from a different character’s perspective, similar to what Samara and Morinth did for the Asari in Mass Effect 2.

8 Salarians Are Brilliant Scientists With A Unique Perspective

Salarians Experience Life More Quickly Than Other Races

Salarians were one of the earliest races in Mass Effect to the Citadel. Thanks to their overly-fast metabolism, Salarians can think faster than most races, making them skilled scientists and researchers. It can also make them a bit stuck up since they perceive other races as operating far too slowly to keep up. Salarians also tend to be skilled at concealing information, making them good spies.

Unfortunately for Salarians, “live fast, die young” is less of a motto and more of a biological reality, as their life expectancy is about 40. Depending on how far in the future Mass Effect 5 takes place, every Salarian from the original game might be dead. While it would be sad to say goodbye to characters like Mordin, this does open up some exciting storytelling possibilities. Players could see the world of Mass Effect 5 from the perspective of a character for whom the previous games’ events didn’t even affect their generation, giving them a unique outlook.

7 Drell Have Unique Abilities

Drell Have A Unique Physiology That Would Allow For Interesting Mechanics

Drell are an interesting group because, by the time of the main Mass Effect series, their culture had been largely erased. The Drell homeworld was dying, and the remaining of the race were rescued by the Hanar. Much of Drell culture now revolves around either being loyal to the Hanar who rescued them or wandering the galaxy and assimilating to other cultures. Mass Effect Andromeda offered little additional information on Drell customs, as they were largely used as a plot device in the game more than anything else.

This gives Mass Effect 5 an interesting opportunity to explore more of how the Drell are independent from other races. Drell also have a unique physiology that makes them stronger than other humanoids of similar stature and allows them to secrete poison from their skin. This means they could present some unique mechanical advantages, as well as being an interesting subject for storytelling purposes.

6 Quarians Would Offer An Interesting Environment To Explore

Quarians Live Aboard A Series Of Spaceships Instead Of On A Planet

Mass Effect’s Quarians are nomadic people who live aboard a series of starships called the Migrant Fleet or the Flotilla. They were forced to flee their homeworld after it was taken over by the Geth, a race of AI that the Quarians created. After living in spaceships for so long, Quarians have developed weak immune systems, so they typically wear full head-to-toe sealed suits to keep them safe.

Allowing Quarians to be a playable race, or including a Quarian crew member, could open Mass Effect 5 up to some cool possibilities. For one, it would be nice to explore the Migrant Fleet more than the brief loyalty mission from Mass Effect 2 allowed. It would be interesting to see how an entire society lives in spaceships.

Additionally, if Mass Effect 5 allows players to choose a Quarian as their protagonist, it could offer some unique traits for the playable character. It would be cool to see the game offer some benefits from the Quarians’ ability to see a wider spectrum of light than humans, including UV rays. Alternatively, there would likely be some drawbacks players would experience due to their weaker immune systems.

5 Krogan Are Wrecking Balls Who Are Fun To Fight With

Krogan Have Been Forced To Fight For Most Of Their Existence

Krogans are a warrior race whose hostile homeworld led to their culture’s emphasis on conflict. Unfortunately, this also led to the Krogans destroying their own homeworld with a nuclear war. The Krogans were later recruited by the Citadel races to help fight a race of bug-like aliens called the Rachni. Though this helped the Krogans recover, they soon became a target of the Citadel races when they began to gain more power. The Turians eventually caused a massive decline in the Krogan population by infecting them with the Genophage, which reduced their capability to reproduce.

Due to their existence in near-constant conflict, Krogans are tough as nails and skilled at combat. This makes them a perfect playable race for players who enjoy tankier builds and like fighting on the front lines. Krogan crew in the previous Mass Effect games were great for this type of combat, and it would be exciting if Mass Effect 5 allowed players to build their own Krogan character with similar skills.

4 Batarians Have Never Been Playable In Mass Effect

Batarians Were Usually Enemies In The Original Games

In the original Mass Effect trilogy, most of the Batarians that players encountered were enemies. This is because the Batarian government forbids its people from leaving their homeworld, so any found outside of it are likely outlaws. Because there were no Batarian crew during the Mass Effect trilogy or Mass Effect: Andromeda, Mass Effect 5 could offer players a chance to play as a Batarian for the first time.

Having a Batarian crew member or allowing players to play as a Batarian in Mass Effect 5 could lead to some interesting scenarios. Players would get to see how citizens of the Terminus Systems act toward Batarians, given their bad reputation. This would allow Mass Effect 5 to tell a meaningful story about stereotypes and prejudice without having to stray too close to real-life events that might be a bit too sensitive for some players to confront.

3 Collectors Are A Mysterious Race That Could Be Fleshed Out More

Collectors In The First Three Mass Effect Games Were Mostly Mindless Drones

Collectors in the original Mass Effect games were only antagonists, never of the crew. Although it could be difficult to make a playable one - Collectors are largely mindless drones controlled by a hive mind - having one onboard the Normandy could offer more background on this mysterious group. Mass Effect 2 did something similar with Legion, who gave players a better appreciation for the Geth after having fought them in the first game.

It wouldn’t be too hard to retcon a culture for the Collectors in Mass Effect 5. Not much was known about them in the originals, and any seeming contradictions could be handwaved away, as the Citadel races and humans simply may not know the more nuanced side of the Collectors. This could give Mass Effect 5 a new species to dive into now that many of the others have been thoroughly explored.

2 Many Mass Effect Players May Not Know About The Angara

The Angara Only Appeared In The Much Maligned Mass Effect: Andromeda

The Angara are a uniquely expressive race, wearing both positive and negative emotions freely on their sleeves. Unbeknownst to the Angara, they were not a naturally developed race, instead created by a mysterious race of aliens known as the Jardaan. Once the Angara learned this truth, there were likely some strange emotions attached to it. This type of existential revelation could be the perfect source for dramatic storytelling involving an Angara character in Mass Effect 5.

Right now, some players may be scratching their heads and wondering why they don’t anything about the Angara. This is because they aren’t present in the mainline Mass Effect games, only in Mass Effect: Andromeda. This is another reason why it would be nice to see an Angara crew member in Mass Effect 5. The race has an interesting backstory, but not everyone will want to play Mass Effect: Andromeda to learn about it.

1 The Synthetic Geth Are Unlike Any Other Race

The Geth Are Robots And Programs Created By The Quarians

The Geth are a synthetic race, made up of programs instead of individuals. Hundreds of these programs are stored in a single mechanical body, giving it life. While Geth’s robotic personality may make them seem uninteresting at first, the previous Geth crew member Legion showed hints at some hidden depths of the Geth. Giving players a new Geth crew member to play could help the series show even more development in them.

While talking to Legion, the Geth hints that it made something like an emotional decision to include Shepherd’s armor in its repairs, something that shouldn’t be possible for the Geth. It could be interesting to explore the process by which Geth begin to form more of a consciousness and grow more like organic beings. This could allow Mass Effect 5 to further the franchise’s lore in an interesting way.