Quick, name the best characters in the Star Wars movies. There are the obvious ones, like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. Others include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. Dont forget bad guys like Darth Vader and Jabba the Hut. But Star Wars also has stinkers like Mace Windu, Jar Jar Binks, and Qui-Gon Jinn, among many others in the prequel trilogy. Now consider Mass Effect. Youve got Commander Shepard, Garrus, Tali, Liara, Wrex, Thane, Miranda, Mordin, Anderson, Jack, Joker, Grunt, EDI, Legion, and the list could go on. Just in terms of sheer quantity Mass Effects cast takes the cake. But quantity alone doesnt matter; its who they are that counts. And in this regard Mass Effect also beats out Star Wars. Mass Effect has a larger and more charismatic cast of characters throughout its three games than all six of the Star Wars films. Nearly all of the major characters are well-developed and provided with fascinating backstories and motivations. One of the pleasures of experiencing the games is seeing how the characters evolve throughout the series; many of them change drastically by the end. Sure, Mass Effect also has its share of mediocre characters, like Jacob and James, but they are few in number and don't impair one's enjoyment of the story. Even the characters with limited amount of screen time, like Captain Bailey, Dr. Chakwas, and Aria TLoak, are developed just enough to make you like them. And all of them, whether big or small, are written and acted with the same level of care as a film or television show. Despite the vastness of Mass Effects plot, even the smallest characters never get lost in the shuffle. In truth, it's kind of unfair to compare the characters of Mass Effect to the Star Wars films, as it has the advantage of being a game series of 100+ hours. It can devote a lot more time to developing a large cast. Nevertheless, when comparing this relatively new franchise to the untouchable and much beloved classic, its quite apparent that Mass Effect excels in creating a huge cast of consistently interesting, funny, and lovable characters when Star Wars is more hit or miss much of the time. Agree? Disagree? Which sci-fi series do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.
