Garrus

Did You Know?

• Garrus appears in the third issue of Homeworlds, which tells how he ends up on Omega.
• Brandon Keener agreed to record a voice mail message as part of a Mass Effect-themed silent auction for Child's Play.
• Two variant editions of a polyresin statue of Garrus were released in mid-2021 to commemorate Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

Character overview

Garrus is a turian, an alien species with avian features resembling humanoid birds or raptors, from a society that values discipline and honor. He wears a visor and a blue-and-black armor theme. In Mass Effect 2, he is seriously injured by a gunship, leaving scars and cracked armor. Initially a C-Sec officer, Garrus despises rules and regulations, leading him to join Commander Shepard's crew. Executor Pallin calls him a very good officer but impatient, while Harkin describes him as a hothead who still thinks he can change the world. Garrus can be influenced to become more receptive to rules or encouraged to continue his loose cannon style. Voice actor Brandon Keener attributed Garrus' reticence to C-Sec's demoralizing bureaucracy, noting he becomes more open through interactions with the Normandy crew.

Creation and development

Mac Walters, a lead writer for Mass Effect 2 and 3, focused on Garrus as a senior writer for the first game and wrote for him in the second, handing the character to John Dombrow for Mass Effect 3. Garrus initially had no concept art for his armor; associate art director Matt Rhodes created several pieces on short notice. The team chose a blue-and-black theme and a visor, which were retained as important visual cues. For his scars, they wanted something heroic without excessive redness, ensuring he remained recognizable.

Early head models included a medical bandage. Alternate appearances include undamaged armor and slight color variation. In Mass Effect 3, silver was added to reflect his new rank, with heavier armor and increased detail. Brandon Keener used his natural speaking voice with slight formality and a reverb effect; voice direction was by Ginny McSwain.

Garrus was not given a romance in the first game due to uncertainty about alien characters' emotional appeal, but a romance was added in Mass Effect 2 due to popular demand.

Appearances

Garrus first appears in Mass Effect as a squadmate. After the first mission, his case against Saren is dropped by C-Sec, and he can be found in the Med Clinic after speaking to Harkin. There, he shoots thugs threatening Dr. Chloe Michel after Shepard distracts them. If not recruited there, he appears later and asks to join the Normandy; the player may refuse.

If recruited, he is found in the storage bay and can be talked to after each main mission. He eventually informs Shepard about Dr. Saleon, a salarian geneticist using employees for spare organs, who may be hunted down. In Mass Effect 2, Garrus returns regardless of first-game recruitment. On Omega, the player discovers Archangel is under attack by mercenary groups; rescuing him reveals Archangel is Garrus.

He is shot by a gunship and scarred. He can be talked to on the Normandy and brought on missions. He reveals information about Sidonis, the turian who betrayed his team; the player can help kill Sidonis or convince Garrus to spare him. A romance with female Shepard is possible after this mission. During the final mission, Garrus may die, with likelihood increased if the Sidonis mission is not done.

Reception

Garrus has received near-universal acclaim from critics and fans, consistently placed at the top of reader polls and critic rankings. Eurogamer's Robert Purchase noted his character arc is defined by his relationship with Shepard. He is considered one of the franchise's most recognizable characters and one of the best video game characters. GamesRadar's Lorenzo Veloria called him a favorite RPG party member.

Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace considered him one of the best BioWare characters. PC Gamer's Phil Savage named him his personal favorite BioWare companion, highlighting a scene in Mass Effect 3 where Garrus shoots cans with Shepard. Game statistics for Mass Effect 2 show Garrus was one of the most commonly selected squadmates. IGN's Steven Hopper selected him as top teammate.

GamesRadar's Charlie Barratt described his second appearance as a total unapologetic badass. However, 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish criticized his personality shift between games, noting his character suffered from Mass Effect 2's over-edginess. US Gamer called him iconic and more than just another squadmate.