Thane Krios

A dying assassin seeking forgiveness through service to others.

Thane Krios is a fictional Drell character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise who first appeared as a squadmate in Mass Effect 2. A notorious professional assassin, he joins Commander Shepard on a suicide mission to stop the Collectors from abducting human colonists. Voiced by Keythe Farley, Thane candidly reveals during his first meeting that he is dying of Kepral's Syndrome, a genetic respiratory disease leading to lung failure. Despite this terminal diagnosis, he willingly serves the crew until his final moments in Mass Effect 3. Critically acclaimed for his complex characterization and positive depiction as an openly religious video game character with disabilities, Thane has featured prominently in promotional art and trailers for the second game.

Quick Facts

Series: Mass Effect
First: Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Last: Mass Effect: Foundation (2014)
Voice: Keythe Farley
Creator: BioWare
Spouse: Irikah Krios
Children: Kolyat Krios (son)
Race: Drell

Lore & Background

Thane was raised on Kahje, the ocean planet homeworld of the hanar. Centuries prior, the hanar evacuated the drell from their dying homeworld Rakhana, establishing a symbiotic relationship known as the Compact where drell serve as a client race. Thane possesses eidetic memory, a genetic trait allowing him to recall external stimuli with flawless detail, sometimes mistaking these vivid recollections for reality. Trained as an assassin by his hanar masters since age six, he made his first kill at twelve.

He eventually met his wife during a mission when she stepped in front of his target; they settled down until her murder by mercenaries caused him to abandon their young son, Kolyat. Unlike other drell who worship the Protheans, Thane adheres to an old polytheistic religion, praying before each mission and asking for forgiveness from his gods after every kill, believing the body is merely a tool while the guilt belongs to the hirer.

Reader's Guide

Thane serves as a party member utilizing stealth, firearms, hand-to-hand combat, and biotic powers. His eidetic memory is a defining trait, allowing him to describe past events in perfect detail when triggered by stimuli. Players can discuss his religious beliefs in great detail, with the option to be invited to pray with him alongside the deity Amonkira. In Mass Effect 2, he is a possible romantic interest for female Shepard; if pursued, they spend a night together after he admits fear of death despite his earlier lack thereof. In combat Thane uses a mixture of stealth, firearms, hand-to-hand techniques and biotic powers, and his loyalty mission concerns his son Kolyat. His design, finalized after eight or nine phases by art director Derek Watts, emphasizes a mix of aquatic and reptilian characteristics to balance his career assassin persona with attractiveness.

Did You Know?

Thane was originally intended to have three metal earrings on the sides of his head, but developers forgot to include them in the final model.
The character's writer for Mass Effect 2, Chris L'Etoile, left the team before development was completed and was succeeded by Chris Hepler for Mass Effect 3.
Concept artists initially drew inspiration from lizards and birds-of-paradise, but discarded a 'mannequin-like' face design because feedback from office women found it too creepy.
Writer Trick Weekes attributed an awkward dialogue paraphrase in Thane's romance subplot to tight schedules and the lack of downloadable patches in 2000s game development.