Commander Shepard has become one of the most well-known characters in sci-fi video games. Players may visit several worlds and encounter a plethora of new aliens and companions. The Mass Effect trilogy transports players to many settings while depicting the ups and downs of someone in Shepard's shoes. It's not often that you get to spend so much time with a whole new character as engaging and different as Shepard in games these days. It may look like Shepard's adventure is just beginning, but whether you agree with the trilogy's conclusion or not, it appears that continuing on and letting Shepard live on in our memories is in our best interests.
However, with many of these lists, not every fan may be aware of how this hero came to be, as well as other secrets associated with this protagonist — so here are 5 Things BioWare Never Told You About Commander Shepard.
Concept
The concept of Shepard took some redoing, but here are a few interesting things BioWare did to make Commander Shepard a reality:
In most games, the character has evolved into a motion-capture version of the person that voices and performs the role. This isn't always the case with the default male Commander Shepard. Commander Shepard's appearance is not just based on someone other than Mark Meer their voice actor, but also on a real model. Shepard's sculpted male face is modeled by Mark Vanderloo, a professional model from the Netherlands. It's clear to understand why BioWare opted to model Shepard after Mr. Vanderloo, but gamers may change his appearance anyway they like.
However, according to several sources, Mark Vanderloo was never interested in working on the Mass Effect games. The Facebook Mass Effect Cosplay initiative approached him in the goal of encouraging him to dress up as Shepard for conferences and such. Regrettably, he declined. He's declined requests to play Commander Shepard at cosplay conventions all over the world. Vanderloo has also had no connection with any of the publicity materials for Mass Effect. This is an unusual combination of circumstances given that Vanderloo is the face of one of the most popular video game series in recent memory. But, more than likely, it was a normal business arrangement that requested permission to use his picture, and he went on with his life.Still, seeing an actual real-life depiction of Commander Shepard at a cosplay event anywhere in the globe would have been incredible.
Commander Shepard was also known to have armor changes in the beginning concept:
Commander Shepard is well-known for his/her trademark gray armor with touches of red and white, as well as the N7 emblem, which represents all of the training and long hours of combat. Originally, Shepard's armor was only red and white. The character was changed to gray since designers believed he gave off the impression of a medic. It would have been intriguing to see what a red and white Shepard would have looked like in the first Mass Effect. Thankfully, players in Mass Effect 2 have the opportunity to modify their armor. So, if you ever want to see what the original Shepard armor design would have looked like, you have all of the tools you need. It's also depicted that the scarlet on Shepard's sleeve is to symbolize the bloodshed the character has had to perform and experience.
Also, The inspiration for Commander Shepard's name ties very neatly into the setting of Mass Effect.
But why did they choose the name "Shepard" for the character? It's easy to take it as a metaphor for Shepard directing the human species (which it undoubtedly is to some level), but the true inspiration for the name comes from real-life space travel.
The name Commander Shepard was chosen by Bioware in honor of Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr, the first American astronaut to journey into space. Shepard entered space for the first time in 1961, and in 1971, he became one of just a handful persons in history to walk on the moon.
The title seemed ideal for the series. Alan Shepard is not just regarded as a pioneer in space travel, but his name is generic enough to fit practically any player character. And given the extent of customization Bioware provided for us Shepards, the name fits well.
Speaking of significant events in space travel history, Shepard's birthday is linked to another...
On April 11th, 1970, the notorious spaceflight, which was both a near-complete disaster and one of the most incredible stories in history, took off. Shepard's official birthdate is April 11th, 2154, according to Mass Effect canon.
With knowing how this character was created, BioWare also had to come up with the default names for Shepard, known as John & Jane Shepard.
Over the years, BioWare has been quite transparent with a plethora of data relating to the Mass Effect franchise. One of the most interesting bits of information BioWare has given with players is Commander Shepard's name options in Mass Effect 3. The most common names are undoubtedly the default male and female options, John and Jane. But the most popular male and female names that were not the default selection may surprise you. The top five male names in Mass Effect 3 were, in descending order, Jack, James, Chris, Alex, and Michael. The top five female names, in descending order, were Sarah, Kate, Alice, Jessica, and Alex. In most games, naming a character is an afterthought, but the fact that Alex topped both lists is fairly amazing.
Of course, there are many other concepts Shepard went through in order to be made, and I will mention some others later in this video:
Origin Stories
These options, labeled Pre-Service History and Psychological Profile in-game, will provide your version of Commander Shepard with a more extensive backstory that you'll learn about later in the plot. Each background has some distinct side missions and NPCs, and Shepard will occasionally have a unique background based on your decision - therefore, while it isn't absolutely vital, it certainly matters. And as of the start of Mass Effect 1, Shepard is already 29 years old.
The first of two character-based decisions involves Shepard's life and military experience before to the events of Mass Effect. This impacts everything from whether Shepard's family is still alive to where they grew up and what kind of background they have.
Every background is also basically comparable; each includes a side mission and will be mentioned in passing throughout all three games. However, if you want to know how each Pre-Service History background impacts things in-game, here's the scoop:
If you pick Spacer: Shepard's mother, Hannah Shepard, is alive. You never see her across all three games, but she'll appear in voice-over here and there, and in ME1 offers a unique side quest, "Citadel: Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things", which involves a soldier that Shepard's mother used to serve with.
If you pick Earthborn: In ME1, Shepard will be approached by members of a gang they were part of when they were younger, on Earth. This triggers the side quest "Citadel: Old Friends". This background is for a more rugged Shepard who came from a difficult background.
If you pick Colonist: This background went through a major traumatic event - and a unique sidequest called "Citadel: I Remember Me" in ME1 will see you meet another person who suffered the same event.
The psych profiles, like the backgrounds, are also basically similar, however, instead of a separate plot quest, each gives some special perks based on the game's morality system. Choosing the appropriate backdrop is important if you want to play the game as a Paragon (or good, somewhat) or Renegade (dark, sorta). Furthermore, you'll get access to exclusive speech in missions that are directly related to your selected psychological profile.
Sole Survivor: This background means Shepard went through a disastrous event involving a Thresher Maw attack. This is the 'middle ground' option, where this background starts you with an equal amount of both Paragon and Renegade alignment points.
War Hero: In this background, Shepard is a highly decorated War Hero who was instrumental in a major Alliance Military victory. They've even been awarded with the highest ranking of medals. As you'd expect, this Shepard will begin the game with bonus Paragon alignment points.
Ruthless: The Ruthless psychological profile did something befitting of the name, sending much of their unit to their deaths - and even comitted a war crime by murdering surrendering enemy forces. Naturally, this Shepard begins the game with bonus Renegade alignment points.
If “Spacer” background is chosen, you learn, through Shepard’s mother, Shepard is living the adventurous life they’d always dreamed of.
Shepard’s mother’s name is Hannah Shepard. In 2183 she serves as the executive officer aboard the Alliance dreadnought SSV Kilimanjaro.
Interesting Player Stats
Bioware, over the years, has been pretty transparent about how players have interacted with the Mass Effect series.
For example, following the release of Mass Effect 2, Bioware announced that 82% of all gamers selected to play as a Male Shepard, while just 18% picked the female version. Furthermore, 83% of gamers designed their own Shepard rather than using Bioware's pre-defined models. (take that, Mark Vanderloo!).
And According to the same survey, the Soldier class was more popular than all other classes combined (65%), whereas the Engineer class was scarcely used.
A comparable study for Mass Effect 3 discovered that Male Shepard was the most popular, with 82% of gamers opting for that variant. According to the same study, most gamers choose to make their Shepard a virtuous Paragon rather than a villainous renegade: 64.5% picked the Paragon route, while 35.5% chose the Renegade option.
One of the most essential components of the Mass Effect trilogy has to be the Paragon/Renegade system, which BioWare built and refined over the course of three games. Many players appear to be there only to create and build their own unique experience. This should come as no surprise, given that most individuals play the good guys from the start. And it'd be fascinating to know how many of those 36% Renegade saves came as a result of finishing the additional achievements and trophies.
However, according to John Ebenger, they state that
Something like 92% of Mass Effect players were Paragon.
And we put a lot of work in to the Renegade content too :(
As we've already established, over 80% of players still chose to play as Male Shepard.
However, Jonathan Cooper, who worked at Bioware on ME1 and 2 before moving to Naughty Dog, stated in a Tweet way back in 2015: "Ten years ago this month, my very first anim test for Mass Effect. Yup, Commander Shepard was originally a woman."
The tweet is accompanied by a video of wireframe model of Commander Shepard running, and it's quite clearly the female variant.
When it came to Mass Effect 3, Bioware responded to its fans who were clamoring for more FemShep and let them vote on and choose a reversible cover of the game that showed the female protagonist instead.
Still, it would be fascinating to see if Bioware had pushed the female version from the beginning to see whether more players would have selected that version instead.
Indoctrination & The Catalyst
Okay, so you were probably too busy being outraged with Bioware's botched conclusion to notice, but there is a pretty nice Easter egg that Bioware included in it.
If you think back to the finish, you'll come upon a mysterious artificial intelligence inside the Citadel. This renegade AI, known as the Catalyst, is responsible for the Reapers in general; it was initially built by the ancient civilization Leviathans, who always saw that their synthetic creatures overthrew organic life. To prevent this, they tasked the catalyst with annihilating all life before it could occur, hence the Reapers.
If you pay careful attention while the Catalyst talks, you'll notice some very recognizable tones. It's really voiced by both Jennifer Hale (Female Shepard) and Mark Meer (Male Shepard), with both of their voices resonating through the Catalyst's speech as it talks.
This is most likely due to the AI's desire to appeal to Shepard's nature; it also assumes the shape of a little child slain during the Reaper invasion of Earth in the beginning of ME3 in order to further tug at Shep's emotions. I mean, I want to punt the damn child, but that's just me...
However, another part of Shepard's design that was cut from Mass Effect was Shepard using Reaper technology. According to Matt Rhodes, Concept Artist for Mass Effect-
They show two art pieces in their blog that were supposed to be Shepard stating:
This was a very, very early idea for Shepard. In this image he has been forced to turn to Reaper technology to accomplish his goals (*cough* Saren *cough*) and he’s being confronted by the new human Specter, Ashley.
So of course, this was obvious cut content in their pre-production phases, but it would of been cool to see this concept within the story of Mass Effect. Especially because it would have paralleled Saren & the Illusive Man's motives. There was also a cut option that would have enabled Shepard to succumb to the Reapers, dooming mankind to the same destiny as the Collectors. Alternatively, they could destroy them entirely. This was dubbed 'Dark Energy,' giving off major Half-Life 2 vibes. So it's completely possible there are some elements of Indoctrination within the last moments of Mass Effect 3, but of course, that will never be stated and rather be dismissed by BioWare. Most of the theme at the ending was probably meant for player interpretation anyways, *sigh*.
Outside Inspiration
Mass Effect is known to either being celebrated by other video games, or even potentially inspired by the thread of fans through democratic voting:
Some fans remember the FemShep vote: where a tweet was stated by David Silverman during June 2011:
'there will be a #FemShep trailer. We actually had a meeting on her yesterday. We are working on the look now.'
A couple of weeks later, from a Comic-con Livestream, Bioware announced six potential appearances of female Shepard, and fans could vote for the best one through social media. The winner would become the default female Shepard, and be featured on the marketing material for ME3.
As shown, you can see that fans could vote on which would be the default and marketed face for female Commander Shepard. With 6 to choose from, the winner was Shepard #5 by a far margin, ending with around 31,000 votes.
And even after the event, many fans could get a lithograph of their favorite female Shepard autographed by Jennifer Hale after the streaming event.
However, some people were not happy with this choice, specifically articles popped up about the fans decision making for the blonde female Shepard looking basic, or of course, falling into the favorite stereo-typical Aryan look, blonde hair female with blue eyes.
An article writes: Commander Shepard deserves better than this. You're talking about a woman who brought down a teched-up Saren. A woman who survived being brought back to life after being blown out into space. The woman who punched that damn annoying reporter right between her lying eyes. Just look at Shep 5, then back to these words. Now look at Shep 5 again – that is the face of a woman who cares more about her glue-on nails and handbag Chihuahua. She's not the saviour of the goddamn universe.
Don’t get me wrong. What BioWare has done with the FemShep vote is, either on purpose or serendipity, pure brilliance. With one simple contest, they’ve absolved themselves of any responsibility for perceived prejudice for FemShep’s appearance, i.e. Hey, don’t blame BioWare for the Aryan nation’s collective fantasy that walks upright on your Mass Effect 3 cover, it’s what the fans wanted.
But some fans speculated that one of the reasonings to the public and journalistic eye for the marketing of FemShep's look made BioWare decide on making fans vote once again on hair colour.
It says, the face-type for the pre-built female Shepard in Mass Effect 3 has been voted and decided on - now BioWare needs your help with hair colour.
The choices are blonde, brown, black, and red.
It was blonde hair that helped the new FemShep face to its original victory. And that face-type lead from the off, but suggests red hair will go on to win this time around with another far-margin vote of 12,814.
The new pre-built FemShep of Mass Effect 3 will co-exist with the returning pre-built FemShep of Mass Effect 2. And like always, you would still also be able to customise your own FemShep face either way.
So whether is was up to a couple of reactions that made the change, or it was BioWare's plan all along, that discussion is really up for debate on what pivoted the votes. But hey, I think every fan can agree that the redhead female Shepard is one of the best female default protagonists we have out there, so no one is really complaining at the end of the day...
(add why?) Commander Shepard’s likeness makes surprise appearances in multiple games. Some of these include, MySims SkyHeroes, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Dead Space 3 and as an alternative Shepard skin DLC for both Serah and Noel within Final Fantasy XIII-2 and of course, with the Legendary Edition coming out, Commander Shepard appears as weapon charms in Apex Legends during Season 9.
And apparently, like Mass Effect, Dragon Age was going to have an N7 inspired armour. Also, according to the same artist we mentioned before, Matt Rhodes, states:
Here’s a nice segue image. I had just polished up the ME2 armor when we heard about the crossover armors. It was never built, but I forget why. Maybe it was a little too Mass Effect to fit into Dragon Age)
If this concept art ever happened, it was supposed to be in Dragon Age 2, as well, a bummer, but hey, at least Mass Effect is referenced in a lot of video games beyond what BioWare makes, and maybe that's because its a popular franchise that inspired the gaming industry for all.
I also wanted to thank the creator who made this thumbnail for this video, I commissioned them to make the default female shepard and they did tremendously well. They have other amazing pieces like this on their Instagram, so please be kind enough to give a follow, because they definitely deserve it!
But with that, we are going to wrap up, 5 Things BioWare Never Told You About Commander Shepard. Which on this list did you never know? And if you did know all of them, I wanna see that comment down below, cause damn, I sensing a hardcore fan within my views, I can just sense it. Anyways, thank you for watching, and I will see you in the next video.
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