Classes & Character Types - Mass Effect Guide

The character creation options in Mass Effect leave you with a staggering amount of combinations available to you. In fact, there are 108 combinations that can be created, making your character unique. Our walkthroughs cover all the outcomes and situations you can expect to run into, including some rather obscure ones!

The character creation options in Mass Effect leave you with a staggering amount of combinations available to you. In fact, there are 108 combinations that can be created, making your character unique. Our walkthroughs cover all the outcomes and situations you can expect to run into, including some rather obscure ones!

Your first option is to choose between jumping in as Commander John / Jane Shepard, a Soldier Class with the Earthborn Origin and Sole Survivor Reputation, or to Enter New ID:

  • Quick Start: If you pick this (or John / Jane Shepard), you'll enter their first name before starting the game as that selected gender, automatically picking the Earthborn orign, the Sole Survivor reputation, and be given the Soldier class.
  • Enter New ID: This lets you craft your own custom Commander Shepard via Custom Male or Custom Female. This is detailed below.
  • Select Existing ID: If you have one or more Profiles that have completed the story, you can pick this option to use it to start the game over again in New Game +. You cannot customize these.

If you pick Enter New ID, you can customize four important categories for your Commander Shepard: Gender, Pre-Service History, Psychological Profile and Military Specialization. These affect the story as well as various gameplay factors. You can also choose a unique first name, however this will only appear in your profile; all characters in the game will use your last name, Shepard, or your rank, Commander.

Gender and Appearance

John and Jane Shepard - Legendary.png

One of the first choices you'll make is your Shepard's gender, between Male and Female. Your gender is locked through all three games: it's impossible to have Shepard transition between Male and Female when starting Mass Effect 2 or 3. As well, the pronouns will be traditionally aligned: Male Shepard will be given he/him, and Female Shepard she/her.

Your choice of gender will primarily affect which characters will be sexually aligned with your Shepard, and thus are receptive to being Romanced by them. Each gender will have roughly the same amount of romance options in each game.

As well, your choice of gender will have minor alterations to the script, although nothing that truly influences the direction of the story.

Original Femshep Face Code

Original FemShep Reconstruction.png

In the Legendary Edition, the default Female Shepard face has been replaced with the bespoke design created for Mass Effect 3. While the template that the original FemShep design lives on as the first Custom Preset, the more refined design is not available in the Legendary Edition.

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