Ashley Williams
Human Marine and potential squadmate for Commander Shepard.
Ashley Madeline Williams is a human Systems Alliance Marine and a party member in the first and third Mass Effect games. She is a potential romance option for a male Commander Shepard and becomes part of his squad during the first observed Reaper attack. The player must choose between saving her or Kaidan Alenko on Virmire, a decision that determines which character survives.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Mass Effect
- First
- Mass Effect (2007)
- Voice
- Kimberly Brooks
Facts from the source article.
Development
Ashley appeared in the earliest demo footage for the first Mass Effect game; a 2006 video showed director Casey Hudson highlighting her fully voiced interactions with Shepard and Garrus Vakarian, where she expressed cynicism about his alleged ethnic loyalties. This was intended to create a seamless cinematic experience rather than requiring the player to read extensive dialogue text. Her default appearance in the first two games features her hair tied in a bun and bubblegum pink and marshmallow white battle armor. For Mass Effect 3, she was redesigned to showcase sex appeal, with her hair down and a stylish blue-and-white officer's uniform. An unused early idea involved Ashley confronting a Shepard corrupted by Reaper technology, echoing Saren's arc. Another cut scene had her asking whether Shepard recalled an afterlife after dying and being revived by Cerberus.
Appearances
Ashley is the sole survivor of her squad after a geth attack on Eden Prime, and joins Shepard's squad following the death of Corporal Richard L. Jenkins. On Virmire, she and Kaidan assist a salarian commando unit in assaulting Saren's laboratory to destroy genophage cure data. Before the assault, she may fatally shoot Urdnot Wrex from behind if he draws a gun on Shepard during a confrontation about the genophage cure. During the assault, the player chooses whether to save her or Kaidan; if she is sacrificed, the salarian and turian governments award her their highest medals. In Mass Effect 2, if she survived, she appears as an Operations Chief on Horizon, defending colonists from Collector seekers. After being rescued, she disapproves of Shepard's alliance with Cerberus. If romanced, she later sends an apologetic email expressing desire to reunite.
Critical reception
Ashley has received a generally negative reception from fans and journalists. PC Gamer called her one of the most annoying characters and ridiculed her pink and white armor, though her Mass Effect 3 cobalt blue armor was seen as an improvement. GamesRadar+ criticized her abrasive personality, comparing her to Ana Lucia Cortez from Lost. Daniel Horowitz of VentureBeat described her as harsh and brash, with an attitude out of line compared to Kaidan. Alex Knapp of Forbes criticized her Mass Effect 3 redesign, claiming she looks like a stripper. Although she is statistically more likely to be chosen over Kaidan at Virmire, some sources attribute this to Kaidan being perceived as less palatable; she is considered one of the least popular characters in the trilogy. Several critics expressed personal preference for Kaidan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Ashley Williams?
Ashley Williams is voiced by Kimberly Brooks.
Where did Ashley Williams first appear?
Ashley Williams first appeared in Mass Effect (2007).
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