LogFAQs > #895283085

40. Urdnot Wrex (Mass Effect series)

"Shepard."
"Wrex."

It's difficult not to like Wrex. He has the perfect balance of being 'cool' and having more complex underlying motivations. Outside of Garrus, Wrex is probably Shepard's biggest consistent supporter throughout the series. He's barely connected to Shepard in any way through Mass Effect 1, but the bond of respect they form with each other is strangely touching. The whole "Shepard" "Wrex" thing, while kind of funny, is mostly memorable to me because it shows how little they need to communicate with each other to understand each other. A simple greeting is all they need to reaffirm their mutual respect.

Wrex is made vastly more interesting by his connection to the krogan genophage. You learn about the genetic plague wiping out his species from him, and Wrex's mixture of grim acceptance and unwavering determination to find a solution is what instantly made me care about the krogans' plight. And it's a good thing for them, because I'm gonna level with you - the krogans suck. Outside of a few exceptions, the stereotypes of them being aggressive warmongers are totally true. It's easy to see why the rest of the galaxy resorted to such horrible methods to keep them from swarming over everyone else. Wrex is what kept me invested in their plight long after I stopped caring about them as a whole.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Wrex single-handedly saves his species. Despite caring heavily about saving the krogans, he's willing to sacrifice the cure in Mass Effect 1 for the sake of the greater good of the galaxy. He continues to show that combination of intelligence and tough decision-making up until the end, where he becomes the leader of the krogans and leads them into a time of peace and prosperity (you know, assuming your Shepard isn't a heartless monster). In fact, the only way to get a good endings for the krogan is to cure the genophage AND make sure Wrex lives long enough to become their leader. Wrex is just that good.

It's a bit of a shame that he stops being a part member after ME1, but it also makes those future encounters with him that much more memorable. Wrex is good people. Uh...lizard people. Whatever.
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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.