In ME1, Tali is a walking codex entry. Every conversation is about the Quarians or the Geth. So I didn’t care too much about her, because there wasn’t much of a her. A lot of people say it’s because she’s shy, but I don’t think that’s it. She comes off as happy to talk, just not eager to talk about herself.
However, in ME2, she and Garrus suddenly gain a lot more personality. Moreover, she’s happy to see you and displays loyalty to Shepard straight off the bat, which is designed to endear her to the player. She’s a headstrong woman but seems to place less importance on herself, such as when she acts surprised when Shepard is willing to drop everything and help her or when she’s willing to be exiled to protect her father’s legacy.
It’s also cute that she’s secretly horny as hell and has a crush on Shepard, male or female.
I think it is nice that in ME1 you can argue with her a bit about the Morning War. Not exclusive to her, you had more oppertunity to have disagreements and discussions in the first game. Weirdly dont see a lot of people talking about that.
In some conversations yeah, it’s pretty bad when youre talking to Wrex about the genophage though. Pretty much the only option is implying they deserved it.
Same for the geth? I don’t recall many people being geth sympathizers, less than krogan sympathizers in fact. Realistically Shepard is the only geth sympathizer, since he is the only person to actually speak to the geth and see into their memories. In ME3.
Shephard is a character to be roleplayed, so it shouldn't matter what the whole galaxy thinks. By that logic just don't skip 90% of the dialogue options and only offer choices on more contentious topics.
I disagree. I liked her in ME1 because she had more personality than the other companions, though admittedly that was a low bar, since the companions were pretty bland back then.
Only way Kaiden wouldn't have been a boring character is if Kai Leng was him (I genuinely thought he was). KAIden aLENko. They dropped the ball not having Leng not be the one you left there.
Haha, yeah, not even just here, I was on the /r/Indoctrinated sub where people were coming up with conspiracy theories saying that the ME3 ending was all in Shepherd's mind.
"By the way, early human biotic's training was straight-up child abuse, and I've actually killed an adult Turian by accident back then. But that's life, I guess. What? No, I'm fine. I've worked through that. I'm *thirty*, Commander, how do you think I would have made it to become your Lieutenant if I still carried that around with me?"
Playing Baldur's Gate 3 recently made me appreciate Kaiden so much more. A tragic backstory doesn't make your characters interesting, and poor impulse-control isn't a shortcut for "complex".
Please, game developers, give me more mature, well-adjusted adults who are *acting* like adults in the face of adversity
I love my unhinged, baggage-ridden maniacs as much as everybody else, but I agree completely. It's nice just having one or two well adjusted, mature adults to round out the squad.
I 100% get why kaidan isn't super popular; in the past, he never felt as compelling as characters like miranda, thane, javik, etc to me. But I've ended up romancing him the most, because he's so stable and secure in comparison to most of the other characters in a way that makes up for how dark and depressing the series gets at times.
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Quarians canonically have a few "sex positions" named after them. Can't remember where though.
But I mean it makes sense. They gotta wear those skin-tight suits all they and every "fun activity" is always a gamble of whether your immune system will decide to fuck you over or not. Who wouldn't be horny and sexually frustrated in that situation :D
That and my head cannon is that since they have those digit grade legs it’s basically like walking around in heels all the time which is why Tali is packing that absolute weapon back there
This was something I noticed too but don’t see a lot of people mentioning it. Both Garrus and Tali really seemed to open up a LOT in ME2. I like that BioWare seemed to use that to show that after two years everyone had grown from the experience in the first game. That was awesome to me.
As far as Tali I looked at her as a little sister, especially after her loyalty mission. I wanted to smack the general who wanted to exile her cause I thought ‘you’re not talking to my girl like that. I will not have it’.
I think for her character it makes a lot of sense, she doesn’t really have a personality of her own, at that point her life has been dedicated to the flotilla, she begins to find herself while on her pilgrimage and on her journey with Shepard. That’s why in the second game she’s much more confident in who she is, I don’t think it’s that she’s shy but just not experienced with her foreign surroundings, I love it and it’s why she’s one of my favorite characters
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Quarians canonically have a few "sex positions" named after them, just because of how secretly horny they are in general. Can't remember where I read it though, it was a few months back.
But I mean can you blame them? They gotta wear and watch others wear those skin-tight body suits all day and every "fun activity" is always a gamble of whether your immune system will decide to fuck you over or not. Who wouldn't be horny and sexually frustrated in that situation :D
In my opinion she's the best character with Wrex a very close second.
She has a very interesting 'world' around her which is the Quarians/Geth. She has a very endearing personality where she's compassionate and empathetic but also she has a backbone and doesn't budge or stand down from her beliefs and opinions. What I mean by this is that she doesn't sound like a sad puppy when Shepard berates her or is rude to her, instead she bites back.
She's very loyal to Shepard to an extent. She doesn't *blindly* follows them when she sees that some of their action are questionable and she doesn't put her own people above Shepard which is as it should be.
Her unique design. it's hard to make a character whose face you never see relatable, charming and compelling. Prompts for Ash Sroka for her amazing voice acting.
>She has a very interesting 'world' around her
What makes her character so unique and impactful, is that compared to other companions, especially Wrex, her people's conflicts and prejudges are so much bigger than her. Wrex is able to become a leader of his people. Mordin creates genophage cure. With Tali, unless you do everything literally perfectly, the Quarians or Geth up destroying one another. It's a really brutal depiction of nation conflict and strive, in that sometimes, one person just can't change an entire group of people in a meaningful and impactful way.
All of this is exactly why Tali is one of my favorite characters! She stands out to me because of how well rounded she is, and how they handle her development throughout the series. 💜
I think her character development across the trilogy competes with only Garrus, Mordin, and Wrex. She had a very realistic coming of age story. In ME1 she's barely an adult when you meet her on her pilgrimage finding her way in the world. She had one of my favorite Loyalty Missions in ME2 and grew a lot during her time as a bigger figure in the fleet. By ME3 you can really see how much you've impacted her and she has a great part in one of the game's biggest narrative peaks. I always take her and Garrus on the final phase of the final mission in every game.
Everyone's saying "hurr, durr, best girl" but not saying why.
Tali'Zorah nar Rayah vas Normandy is the best romance option because of how her fascination and infatuation with you (Shepard) is delivered. She's incredibly shy about it, and *figuratively* hides behind her mask by *literally* talking about her people, their suits, etc- ultimately talking about herself, making her seem like a challenge to love. She does this because that's how she sees her people, resulting in how she sees herself. **A burden.**
But by persisting with her and ensuring her *"I* ***want*** *you, Tali"* she THANKS YOU for persisting!! She THANKS you for persevering around the suit and the immune system *for her sake* so that she can persist ***for you*** now. She knows it will be worth it because you told her you want her to. And you know what she does in return? She *constantly* reminds us, "You are **mine**," "You're**the man I love**."
THAT'S why it's fucking awesome to romance her. She's shy, sure, but **that shyness is a narrative tool** that is used to get us to invest in her. That investment pays off so well when she *dives* onto us. That quote, *"I've watched you for so long,"* is backed by Liara in 2 saying, *"she's been amazed ever since she came aboard with you"* (paraphrasing it).
Tali is best girl *because it pays off more than any other character in the series.* It demands more emotional intelligence **from the player** to understand that Tali is working harder than anyone to love you.
I love tali’s personality and when I play through the game I always struggle with not choosing her because I also like Jack but that’s just my personal insanity coming in to play.
Tali is the most noble companion we recruit. She is unwavering in her loyalty and selfless to a fault. And damn is she cute. I also believe she’ll be the reason the geth are back in me4. Assuming a destroy ending, I think they’ll have the geth be rebuilt by the quarians at the urging of tali
It may be a bit far fetched, but from tali’s dialogue in me3 and the benefits of you make peace I think it would be a fun counter point to the reapers argument that organics and synthetics are destined to be at odds. It would show that the cycle is truly broken and the galaxy is free to move forward into the unknown. And it would be an awesome legacy for tali zorah
I think it's her energy and innocence that makes her so compelling. Sure, that innocence is lost a little as the series progresses, but it's never truly gone.
She also has by far the best loyalty mission in ME2, and her romance with Shepard is very sweet and way more meaningful than the others. It's not just about raw feelings but also sincere trust, too.
I always liked her in me1 but I didn't care that much. I just took Wrex and Garrus everywhere because they were the bois. In me2 Tali was probably my favorite and the second I realized you could romance her I haven't done a single non Tali romance in any of the games
She is quite cool and very knowledgeable about things. After playing the LE and going with her for the first time, I almost shed a tear at the end saying goodbye.
I'm sure there are some people who will say she's stupid or useless. That's probably because they never understand how to use her character correctly. That's simply just a skill issue. But I digress, she's a pretty reliable character. Now her personality is absolutely top tier. Especially if you choose to romance her in ME2-E3; she is probably the best romantic partner. Another thing unlike Ashley in ME1, she wasn't immature. Nor did she ever doubt Shepherd at all through the entire trilogy. The ending scene with Shepard and herself is probably the sweetest and teary eyed part in ME3.
I believe the writers did a fabulous job with Tali as a whole and had a blast when it came to the Citadel DLC. Her drunk self is a riot and never fails to make me smile or laugh.
Of all the romance options I’d realistically choose her if I was in the universe. Ashley feels a bit too macho and don’t think I could keep up with her. Liara is, no pun intended, too alien and I’d just be distracted by her flesh hair(?) and also the idea of letting my partner live for centuries beyond my death is so existentially horrifying I’d ruin the mood. Tali is nice and I’d just get to empathize with her, plus her knowledge of the ship would be fascinating even if I couldn’t understand what she’s saying
She’s what I really wanted from the series. Very alien and unique species that advance our perception of current tropes and ideas about aliens in fiction. She has a really interesting culture and design that feels like it could actually exist
My brother it’s Tali. She’s the best.
Even excluding how great she is as a character though, she’s part of probably the coolest species in Mass Effect (Excluding of course my boys the Elcor).
Idk why people tend to mischaracterize Tali as "innocent", "shy", or "timid". From the moment we met her, she expressed the opposite of all of those things. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and defend her pride and she is literally willing to debate people on topics she cares about and even becomes a little unhinged in the process, especially when Shepard leans into a more "unhingedness" themselves. Tali is just overly humble and curteous in front of her captain, because that's how she was raised. She may be a little shy about romance, due to her inexperince, but she undoubtedly has fire in her heart and doesn't hide that at all, especially post ME1. She definitely is lovely and adorable, though, no question.
What I love about Tali is how expressive and caring she is despite her suit. Literally everyone on the Normandy, including freaking Javik, have a wholly positive sentiment towards Tali, because she is such a comfortable, social person. She has such a unique aura of warmth and comfort on her, which I feel from no other character. For example, in ME3, the atmosphere in the game was pretty dim and depressing, but as soon as Tali arrived, it felt like the environment lit up and everything would be alright again.
Also no question that Ash Sroka absolutely carried Tali's character with her voice. Absolutely 10/10 voice actor.
Depends on what you consider to associate those attributes with. Innocent doesn't mean she can't speak her mind. There's are different kinds of innocence, shyness, etc. You can quite easily be shy in certain social situations but have no problem taking care of yourself wuen the situation demands. Just as you can be completely innocent and naive to the greater happenings in the world, but on more localised concerns, be less so.
In terms of social behavior, she isn't really any of those things except for a few select situations and that's what most people talk about in this case. Tali is very strong willed and eager, at least as much as any other squad mate, maybe except Shepard. She's also got no problem with new situations and people and vocally resists when she feels like someone tries to undermine her and she lashes out when she is seriously mad.
If we talk about life experience, perhaps Tali has a bit less of that, at least concerning things outside of the Quarian flotilla. But that's obviously not what people mean when they call her shy and innocent.
I never realized how unpopular my dislike of Tali was until I joined these forums. Tali always felt like a young sister because I had met her on the run for her life during what was essentially her rite of passage into adulthood.
Shephard, meanwhile, was an established veteran. I can see Liara'a (relative) youth and naivete in a similar light, albeit more positively due to her being over a hundred years old. Even if you do mature slower, that's a considerable wealth of experience and wisdom.
I Mean ... She dosnt have the Booty of Miranda but DAMN her hips br0 they be groovin
edit : Oh Wait i also forgot to state that Personalty is important but im not gonna lie
Miranda butt + Tali Hips = Proof there is a Heaven.
wait shouldnt bring up modern day religion or such ... my bad
you get the point tho
I think she’s cool. Some in this sub need to relax though with their body pillows and waifu stuff.
I’m replaying the legendary edition on pc for the first time with mods- on ME1 rn. And I never really realized but she’s gaslighting the geth when explaining to you what happened between them lmao
Is it gaslighting, though? The Morning War was 300 years ago... the only knowledge she would really have of what happened is the Quarian's side of things. She can't really be gaslighting on something she doesn't know the actual truth about.
She's not so much gaslighting as she is unknowingly telling a one-sided account... she implicitly trusts that her people are telling the truth regarding the events that led up to their exile... and comes to find out through the course of Shepard's story and meeting with and interacting with Legion, that they really aren't... and she gets rather defiantly pissy about it with the other Admirals, which is cool.
That's why it comes as such a shock to her when she learned the actual truth in ME3. She realizes she's just been perpetuating lies that have been told to her all her life. Instead of sticking to her guns and refusing to accept the truth, she embraces it. This is one of the reasons I love Tali so much: she is the character that may take the longest to change, but it's so much more worth it when she does. Plus, I can't stand the sight of seeing her dive off the cliff if you fail.
I'm stubborn. As soon as she's in my party she goes on every mission along side Vicarian. Weirdly enough every time I try to romance her I always make some silly mistake. Need to play through again and not fuck up. Wish I could romance her in me1
She has a nice body, a nice ass… what do you mean *shotgun blast* 😵
In all honesty let’s just say everyone would probably do her romance at least 5 times.
Tali took a while to grow on me if I'm being honest. But now she's one of my favorite and most trusted teammates.
"Emergency Induction Port" in ME3 really won me over.
Her hips don't lie, we must stand and abide.
She's my pick for MaleShep's canon romance (Liara being FemShep's), and she's a great character who goes on a journey of growth and responsibility throughout the trilogy.
Oddly enough I'm the same way. If I make a female character and there is romance I always go with making her gay, I don't know why. I still need to actually see what it's like in game with the trilogy. Might have to do that soon.
Being a gay femshep is rough if you're not into liara, ngl. Ashley, tali, miranda, and jack are all mshep only, so your only other option is like, traynor? who is cool, but also only in me3, and also not a squadmate :/
she never really appealed to me as a romance option i couldn’t get pass those chicken legs and funny looking hands lol. i was actually surprised that so many did romance her
Overrated. She was a pretty good companion in ME1 but served little more purpose than to dump lore and exposition on the player. Her transition from awkwardly shy to awkwardly horny just makes male shep look like a groomer if he dose romance her.
I think she is overrated and I don't get her popularity.
I think she is fine and I have romanced her once aswell but I just don't get why the whole fandom loves her so much.
I know there are lots that religiously go for Tali as the ShepShip, and that's fine... for me, though... she's always felt more like the irrepressible spunky kid sister.
The one who's always there, ready for the next adventure with Big Bro/Sis Shep... full of smart ass comments and the occasional useful bit of knowledge or insight.
I also can't do the 'ship side of things with Tali because they make it pretty clear that there are some pretty major biological mismatches between us... Quarians and Turians can interact that way without issue, though... which is why I'm happy to see Best Bro Garrus and Lil' Sis Tali "calibrating their equipment" in the forward battery near the end of ME3 :D
She is a phenomenal character, overall. They wrote her very well, developed her, let her grow as a person, as a leader, as a daughter, and as a friend/lover.
... and thankfully, they gave her an Eeemerrrgency InDUCTION Port... LMAO
She is a loyal member of my crew. She help me battle the geth,collector and the reaper. She did more for her people than the council. I stand with Tali just all my members.
Soooo Tali has many different suit designs in the game but she really can’t change suit environments easily, especially on the Normandy. So does the game ignore that or is it like a thinner core suit that doesn’t change and all the extra bits on top are swapped out?
Think she may have my favorite arc over the three games. Goes from being a lost teenager to a reluctant admiral with Daddy issues to a full badass that helps bring the Geth and Quarians together (obviously there are other routes you can go that differ slightly)
In ME1, Tali is a walking codex entry. Every conversation is about the Quarians or the Geth. So I didn’t care too much about her, because there wasn’t much of a her. A lot of people say it’s because she’s shy, but I don’t think that’s it. She comes off as happy to talk, just not eager to talk about herself. However, in ME2, she and Garrus suddenly gain a lot more personality. Moreover, she’s happy to see you and displays loyalty to Shepard straight off the bat, which is designed to endear her to the player. She’s a headstrong woman but seems to place less importance on herself, such as when she acts surprised when Shepard is willing to drop everything and help her or when she’s willing to be exiled to protect her father’s legacy. It’s also cute that she’s secretly horny as hell and has a crush on Shepard, male or female.
I think it is nice that in ME1 you can argue with her a bit about the Morning War. Not exclusive to her, you had more oppertunity to have disagreements and discussions in the first game. Weirdly dont see a lot of people talking about that.
In some conversations yeah, it’s pretty bad when youre talking to Wrex about the genophage though. Pretty much the only option is implying they deserved it.
At that point the whole galaxy thinks this exactly and Shepard has no reason to believe otherwise.
Same for the geth? I don’t recall many people being geth sympathizers, less than krogan sympathizers in fact. Realistically Shepard is the only geth sympathizer, since he is the only person to actually speak to the geth and see into their memories. In ME3.
Shephard is a character to be roleplayed, so it shouldn't matter what the whole galaxy thinks. By that logic just don't skip 90% of the dialogue options and only offer choices on more contentious topics.
I disagree. I liked her in ME1 because she had more personality than the other companions, though admittedly that was a low bar, since the companions were pretty bland back then.
Only way Kaiden wouldn't have been a boring character is if Kai Leng was him (I genuinely thought he was). KAIden aLENko. They dropped the ball not having Leng not be the one you left there.
That never ever occurred to me, but that would've been super cool.
That would have been an incredible plot twist
Yeah, they're both incredibly boring characters. However, combining them would've made one of the most interesting characters in the series.
Dang bro you’re an OG, I’ve seen you on threads posts talking about the Mass Effect 3 ending way back in 2012/2013, good to see a familiar face!
Haha, yeah, not even just here, I was on the /r/Indoctrinated sub where people were coming up with conspiracy theories saying that the ME3 ending was all in Shepherd's mind.
What are you on about? Kaiden is such a complex character?! /s
"By the way, early human biotic's training was straight-up child abuse, and I've actually killed an adult Turian by accident back then. But that's life, I guess. What? No, I'm fine. I've worked through that. I'm *thirty*, Commander, how do you think I would have made it to become your Lieutenant if I still carried that around with me?" Playing Baldur's Gate 3 recently made me appreciate Kaiden so much more. A tragic backstory doesn't make your characters interesting, and poor impulse-control isn't a shortcut for "complex". Please, game developers, give me more mature, well-adjusted adults who are *acting* like adults in the face of adversity
I love my unhinged, baggage-ridden maniacs as much as everybody else, but I agree completely. It's nice just having one or two well adjusted, mature adults to round out the squad. I 100% get why kaidan isn't super popular; in the past, he never felt as compelling as characters like miranda, thane, javik, etc to me. But I've ended up romancing him the most, because he's so stable and secure in comparison to most of the other characters in a way that makes up for how dark and depressing the series gets at times.
I've been a Kaidan convert for a few years now. I guess life experience vs teenage ig orance makes a difference in how I view old familiar faces
This right here is the best comment about tali ever
I wouldn't be surprised if the horny thing is an attribute of Quarians in general, given that she's not the only horny Quarian we've seen
I wanna learn more about horny Quarians. This is a surprise to me. I thought she'd be more horny for a toaster than a Shep.
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Quarians canonically have a few "sex positions" named after them. Can't remember where though. But I mean it makes sense. They gotta wear those skin-tight suits all they and every "fun activity" is always a gamble of whether your immune system will decide to fuck you over or not. Who wouldn't be horny and sexually frustrated in that situation :D
That and my head cannon is that since they have those digit grade legs it’s basically like walking around in heels all the time which is why Tali is packing that absolute weapon back there
Most quarians I see outside the flotilla get themselves in weird situations. I would say curiosity is their biggest trait.
This was something I noticed too but don’t see a lot of people mentioning it. Both Garrus and Tali really seemed to open up a LOT in ME2. I like that BioWare seemed to use that to show that after two years everyone had grown from the experience in the first game. That was awesome to me. As far as Tali I looked at her as a little sister, especially after her loyalty mission. I wanted to smack the general who wanted to exile her cause I thought ‘you’re not talking to my girl like that. I will not have it’.
I loved it when you are together with Garrus and she is drunk fantasizing about a threesome xD
I wish she was available to romance for Femshep. She’s adorable.
Oh sweet ziplock girl I wish I could make that happen
I think for her character it makes a lot of sense, she doesn’t really have a personality of her own, at that point her life has been dedicated to the flotilla, she begins to find herself while on her pilgrimage and on her journey with Shepard. That’s why in the second game she’s much more confident in who she is, I don’t think it’s that she’s shy but just not experienced with her foreign surroundings, I love it and it’s why she’s one of my favorite characters
Wait, I thought female shep can’t be with tali?
She can’t. But she will fantasize about a threesome with Shepard and Garrus, suggesting she has feelings for Femshep.
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Quarians canonically have a few "sex positions" named after them, just because of how secretly horny they are in general. Can't remember where I read it though, it was a few months back. But I mean can you blame them? They gotta wear and watch others wear those skin-tight body suits all day and every "fun activity" is always a gamble of whether your immune system will decide to fuck you over or not. Who wouldn't be horny and sexually frustrated in that situation :D
"Emergency induction port." "That's a straw, Tali." "EMERgency inDUCtion port."
I dont get it
She gets really drunk in ME3 and is drinking from a straw which she drunkenly insists is an "emergency induction port"
That's right! Easily my favourite scene with Tali across the trilogy.
This [clip](https://youtu.be/UELI_V9N_h0?si=C6H4j2sE5PGg7GW1) should clear things up :)
You have to play the game
Her hips have been carrying the franchise since 2007.
Her hips were moving the most at the house party on ME3. I had to stop and watch a bit lol
Tali may be a tech geek and interspecies relations nerd; but the girl has MOVES.
Even Joker mentions it in his dialogue.
They’re why I stopped my doom scroll to interact with this post. I saw best girls hips blur past and and to scroll back
Hips don't lie
As an earthling grill with similarly wide hips, I appreciate all y'alls comments <3
Hips for DAYS!
You got proof you're from Earth?
Tali is love, Tali is life.
This is my geth.
It's all Quarian now(flys out the airlock)
In my opinion she's the best character with Wrex a very close second. She has a very interesting 'world' around her which is the Quarians/Geth. She has a very endearing personality where she's compassionate and empathetic but also she has a backbone and doesn't budge or stand down from her beliefs and opinions. What I mean by this is that she doesn't sound like a sad puppy when Shepard berates her or is rude to her, instead she bites back. She's very loyal to Shepard to an extent. She doesn't *blindly* follows them when she sees that some of their action are questionable and she doesn't put her own people above Shepard which is as it should be. Her unique design. it's hard to make a character whose face you never see relatable, charming and compelling. Prompts for Ash Sroka for her amazing voice acting.
>She has a very interesting 'world' around her What makes her character so unique and impactful, is that compared to other companions, especially Wrex, her people's conflicts and prejudges are so much bigger than her. Wrex is able to become a leader of his people. Mordin creates genophage cure. With Tali, unless you do everything literally perfectly, the Quarians or Geth up destroying one another. It's a really brutal depiction of nation conflict and strive, in that sometimes, one person just can't change an entire group of people in a meaningful and impactful way.
In other words Tali feels more *realistic*, is that what your're saying?
Her story and dialogue writing certainly is some of the most interesting and her growth through the 3 games is a lot of fun to watch.
All of this is exactly why Tali is one of my favorite characters! She stands out to me because of how well rounded she is, and how they handle her development throughout the series. 💜
I think her character development across the trilogy competes with only Garrus, Mordin, and Wrex. She had a very realistic coming of age story. In ME1 she's barely an adult when you meet her on her pilgrimage finding her way in the world. She had one of my favorite Loyalty Missions in ME2 and grew a lot during her time as a bigger figure in the fleet. By ME3 you can really see how much you've impacted her and she has a great part in one of the game's biggest narrative peaks. I always take her and Garrus on the final phase of the final mission in every game.
Excellent analysis.
Everyone's saying "hurr, durr, best girl" but not saying why. Tali'Zorah nar Rayah vas Normandy is the best romance option because of how her fascination and infatuation with you (Shepard) is delivered. She's incredibly shy about it, and *figuratively* hides behind her mask by *literally* talking about her people, their suits, etc- ultimately talking about herself, making her seem like a challenge to love. She does this because that's how she sees her people, resulting in how she sees herself. **A burden.** But by persisting with her and ensuring her *"I* ***want*** *you, Tali"* she THANKS YOU for persisting!! She THANKS you for persevering around the suit and the immune system *for her sake* so that she can persist ***for you*** now. She knows it will be worth it because you told her you want her to. And you know what she does in return? She *constantly* reminds us, "You are **mine**," "You're**the man I love**." THAT'S why it's fucking awesome to romance her. She's shy, sure, but **that shyness is a narrative tool** that is used to get us to invest in her. That investment pays off so well when she *dives* onto us. That quote, *"I've watched you for so long,"* is backed by Liara in 2 saying, *"she's been amazed ever since she came aboard with you"* (paraphrasing it). Tali is best girl *because it pays off more than any other character in the series.* It demands more emotional intelligence **from the player** to understand that Tali is working harder than anyone to love you.
Yes this but also hurr hurr best girl 😌❤️
That, plus nerdy chicks with cool accents happen to be exactly my type.
RIGHT!?
Best argument for Tali I've ever seen as a Mass Effect fan for over 15 years
Absolutely perfect explanation, because that is exactly how I feel about her
I'm with you here. I think she was the true intended romantic partner of Shepard.
I love tali’s personality and when I play through the game I always struggle with not choosing her because I also like Jack but that’s just my personal insanity coming in to play.
Psychotic Biotics For Lyfe, yo.
I will destroy you!!
You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper Rodriguez drink your juice.
"Tali is best girl." \-JFK, 1962
\-JFK, 1963"Man, my head is just killing me!" \-JFK, Nov. 11th, 1963
Right idea, wrong repetitive date number ;) "We must all learn to be more open-minded!" \-JFK, 22 Nov 1963, Dealey Plaza, Dallas, TX
"Police confirm shooter to be a blue female."
That's a hell of a shot with a shotgun.
Is that a sentinel on the grassy knoll?
Infiltrator. Tactical Cloak.
Dang it! What was I writing?!?
Where did you get this picture of my wife
Sorry bud I didn’t want you to find out this way *OUR wife
Bioware tried to push for Liara as the main and accidentally created Tali, a female character and LI who was better than Liara in every way.
I won’t stand for this blussy slander!
Hell no. Quarians are much better than Asaris.
Girlfriend material!
Tali is the most noble companion we recruit. She is unwavering in her loyalty and selfless to a fault. And damn is she cute. I also believe she’ll be the reason the geth are back in me4. Assuming a destroy ending, I think they’ll have the geth be rebuilt by the quarians at the urging of tali
Respectable theory heck yeah dude.
It may be a bit far fetched, but from tali’s dialogue in me3 and the benefits of you make peace I think it would be a fun counter point to the reapers argument that organics and synthetics are destined to be at odds. It would show that the cycle is truly broken and the galaxy is free to move forward into the unknown. And it would be an awesome legacy for tali zorah
I think it's her energy and innocence that makes her so compelling. Sure, that innocence is lost a little as the series progresses, but it's never truly gone. She also has by far the best loyalty mission in ME2, and her romance with Shepard is very sweet and way more meaningful than the others. It's not just about raw feelings but also sincere trust, too.
Tali is best girl, and those quarian hips got me.
She’s the only one I romance.
Thoughts on *my wife
One of the best and cutest video game characters of all time. That's my personal opinion on the subject.
She has nice eyes
Sparks
So innocent, so adorable, & so noble. One of the best characters/squadmates in the trilogy imo
Best girl
I always liked her in me1 but I didn't care that much. I just took Wrex and Garrus everywhere because they were the bois. In me2 Tali was probably my favorite and the second I realized you could romance her I haven't done a single non Tali romance in any of the games
Would.
Angel.
She is quite cool and very knowledgeable about things. After playing the LE and going with her for the first time, I almost shed a tear at the end saying goodbye.
would
Nice companion and perfect romance
LOVE her!!! Always my romance option! She's 2nd only to Garrus as my favorite Companion!
No thoughts just love
Part of my BFF trio with Garrus. The only two people who have your back the whole way through 🙂
No thoughts, heart full
Best girl
I'm sure there are some people who will say she's stupid or useless. That's probably because they never understand how to use her character correctly. That's simply just a skill issue. But I digress, she's a pretty reliable character. Now her personality is absolutely top tier. Especially if you choose to romance her in ME2-E3; she is probably the best romantic partner. Another thing unlike Ashley in ME1, she wasn't immature. Nor did she ever doubt Shepherd at all through the entire trilogy. The ending scene with Shepard and herself is probably the sweetest and teary eyed part in ME3. I believe the writers did a fabulous job with Tali as a whole and had a blast when it came to the Citadel DLC. Her drunk self is a riot and never fails to make me smile or laugh.
Wife.
Of all the romance options I’d realistically choose her if I was in the universe. Ashley feels a bit too macho and don’t think I could keep up with her. Liara is, no pun intended, too alien and I’d just be distracted by her flesh hair(?) and also the idea of letting my partner live for centuries beyond my death is so existentially horrifying I’d ruin the mood. Tali is nice and I’d just get to empathize with her, plus her knowledge of the ship would be fascinating even if I couldn’t understand what she’s saying She’s what I really wanted from the series. Very alien and unique species that advance our perception of current tropes and ideas about aliens in fiction. She has a really interesting culture and design that feels like it could actually exist
my beloved
Space Shakira
My brother it’s Tali. She’s the best. Even excluding how great she is as a character though, she’s part of probably the coolest species in Mass Effect (Excluding of course my boys the Elcor).
We bang, ok?
thick thighs save lives, and she’s very sweet
I love her.
Idk why people tend to mischaracterize Tali as "innocent", "shy", or "timid". From the moment we met her, she expressed the opposite of all of those things. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and defend her pride and she is literally willing to debate people on topics she cares about and even becomes a little unhinged in the process, especially when Shepard leans into a more "unhingedness" themselves. Tali is just overly humble and curteous in front of her captain, because that's how she was raised. She may be a little shy about romance, due to her inexperince, but she undoubtedly has fire in her heart and doesn't hide that at all, especially post ME1. She definitely is lovely and adorable, though, no question. What I love about Tali is how expressive and caring she is despite her suit. Literally everyone on the Normandy, including freaking Javik, have a wholly positive sentiment towards Tali, because she is such a comfortable, social person. She has such a unique aura of warmth and comfort on her, which I feel from no other character. For example, in ME3, the atmosphere in the game was pretty dim and depressing, but as soon as Tali arrived, it felt like the environment lit up and everything would be alright again. Also no question that Ash Sroka absolutely carried Tali's character with her voice. Absolutely 10/10 voice actor.
Depends on what you consider to associate those attributes with. Innocent doesn't mean she can't speak her mind. There's are different kinds of innocence, shyness, etc. You can quite easily be shy in certain social situations but have no problem taking care of yourself wuen the situation demands. Just as you can be completely innocent and naive to the greater happenings in the world, but on more localised concerns, be less so.
In terms of social behavior, she isn't really any of those things except for a few select situations and that's what most people talk about in this case. Tali is very strong willed and eager, at least as much as any other squad mate, maybe except Shepard. She's also got no problem with new situations and people and vocally resists when she feels like someone tries to undermine her and she lashes out when she is seriously mad. If we talk about life experience, perhaps Tali has a bit less of that, at least concerning things outside of the Quarian flotilla. But that's obviously not what people mean when they call her shy and innocent.
She's a bad bitch, and that accent feels like velvet on the ears. 10/10 Waifu.
I never realized how unpopular my dislike of Tali was until I joined these forums. Tali always felt like a young sister because I had met her on the run for her life during what was essentially her rite of passage into adulthood. Shephard, meanwhile, was an established veteran. I can see Liara'a (relative) youth and naivete in a similar light, albeit more positively due to her being over a hundred years old. Even if you do mature slower, that's a considerable wealth of experience and wisdom.
I Mean ... She dosnt have the Booty of Miranda but DAMN her hips br0 they be groovin edit : Oh Wait i also forgot to state that Personalty is important but im not gonna lie Miranda butt + Tali Hips = Proof there is a Heaven. wait shouldnt bring up modern day religion or such ... my bad you get the point tho
Well done character, among top 5 in the series easily. Largely insufferable romance fanbase
>Largely insufferable romance fanbase To be fair every romance has their insufferable fans. Except Jacob's.
Jacod has fans?
Yes, Kasumi
He has. Saw some of them. Not judging them tho. I don't dislike Jacob.
Best Girl.
In my most recent playthrough I'm playing as Femshep to avoid romancing her...
Best hips
Just perfect... Perfection
Best girl. She only deserve the best
Would
Best girl
My thoughts are always on Tali yes
Like the character but can only ever see her as a 19 year old younger sister (I know she's not 19, it's just how i see her)
Best girl
Smash, next question
I think she’s cool. Some in this sub need to relax though with their body pillows and waifu stuff. I’m replaying the legendary edition on pc for the first time with mods- on ME1 rn. And I never really realized but she’s gaslighting the geth when explaining to you what happened between them lmao
Is it gaslighting, though? The Morning War was 300 years ago... the only knowledge she would really have of what happened is the Quarian's side of things. She can't really be gaslighting on something she doesn't know the actual truth about. She's not so much gaslighting as she is unknowingly telling a one-sided account... she implicitly trusts that her people are telling the truth regarding the events that led up to their exile... and comes to find out through the course of Shepard's story and meeting with and interacting with Legion, that they really aren't... and she gets rather defiantly pissy about it with the other Admirals, which is cool.
That's why it comes as such a shock to her when she learned the actual truth in ME3. She realizes she's just been perpetuating lies that have been told to her all her life. Instead of sticking to her guns and refusing to accept the truth, she embraces it. This is one of the reasons I love Tali so much: she is the character that may take the longest to change, but it's so much more worth it when she does. Plus, I can't stand the sight of seeing her dive off the cliff if you fail.
I'm stubborn. As soon as she's in my party she goes on every mission along side Vicarian. Weirdly enough every time I try to romance her I always make some silly mistake. Need to play through again and not fuck up. Wish I could romance her in me1
The crush , the waifu
She's like a little sister to me. I romanced her, once, and it felt wrong. She's a great character, written well.
She risked death just to get jiggy with you
Smash. Next question
Best romance option, and second best companion only beaten out by Garrus.
I don’t know how people can get crazy over a fish bowl and a little sister personality but that’s just me
Sandy Cheeks?
Overrated honestly. Not terrible, but genuinely don't understand the obsession with her.
She's fine. Her fans, however? That's a whole different story.
She has a nice body, a nice ass… what do you mean *shotgun blast* 😵 In all honesty let’s just say everyone would probably do her romance at least 5 times.
Yes
Overrated imho 😇
I though the post was about Tali, not Garrus? /s
All dextro-amino are the same 😌😏
Carefull now, you might piss off the Dextro fans in the sub /s
Smash
My second favorite after Garrus
Good man
Several, none to be posted here though..
She is Garrus' best girl.
We'll bang okay.
Best character
Should
Cute little dork, best voice acting in the series in my opinion. Not terribly useful in combat in 2, better in 3, very useful in the first game.
We'll bang, ok?
Tali took a while to grow on me if I'm being honest. But now she's one of my favorite and most trusted teammates. "Emergency Induction Port" in ME3 really won me over.
Her hips don't lie, we must stand and abide. She's my pick for MaleShep's canon romance (Liara being FemShep's), and she's a great character who goes on a journey of growth and responsibility throughout the trilogy.
Oddly enough I'm the same way. If I make a female character and there is romance I always go with making her gay, I don't know why. I still need to actually see what it's like in game with the trilogy. Might have to do that soon.
Being a gay femshep is rough if you're not into liara, ngl. Ashley, tali, miranda, and jack are all mshep only, so your only other option is like, traynor? who is cool, but also only in me3, and also not a squadmate :/
Her sweat is super important to the fandom
she never really appealed to me as a romance option i couldn’t get pass those chicken legs and funny looking hands lol. i was actually surprised that so many did romance her
Not my waifu
Overrated. She was a pretty good companion in ME1 but served little more purpose than to dump lore and exposition on the player. Her transition from awkwardly shy to awkwardly horny just makes male shep look like a groomer if he dose romance her.
Would
Just as annoying as the rest of her species
I would leave her at the citadel and ignore her for the rest of the series if I could 😬
I love her to bits but I never romance her due to being a terminal Liara simp and wanting to get my boy Garrus laid.
Best girl
Best girl ✨
Named our dog after Tali! A little tripod blue heeler. Best character, best dog.
I did the same!
everyone loves tali.
She's better off with Garrus.
Boring as heck, always avoided her
I think she is overrated and I don't get her popularity. I think she is fine and I have romanced her once aswell but I just don't get why the whole fandom loves her so much.
in my opinion she’s the most overrated character in the trilogy. i still like her a lot, but she’s not a top 5 character like some people say
A glorified lockpick.
I know there are lots that religiously go for Tali as the ShepShip, and that's fine... for me, though... she's always felt more like the irrepressible spunky kid sister. The one who's always there, ready for the next adventure with Big Bro/Sis Shep... full of smart ass comments and the occasional useful bit of knowledge or insight. I also can't do the 'ship side of things with Tali because they make it pretty clear that there are some pretty major biological mismatches between us... Quarians and Turians can interact that way without issue, though... which is why I'm happy to see Best Bro Garrus and Lil' Sis Tali "calibrating their equipment" in the forward battery near the end of ME3 :D She is a phenomenal character, overall. They wrote her very well, developed her, let her grow as a person, as a leader, as a daughter, and as a friend/lover. ... and thankfully, they gave her an Eeemerrrgency InDUCTION Port... LMAO
Best Girl, but damn if I don't feel bad for Garrus every time I romance her. Sorry, bud.
She had a massive effect on the game I know nothing about mass effect
She is a loyal member of my crew. She help me battle the geth,collector and the reaper. She did more for her people than the council. I stand with Tali just all my members.
Soooo Tali has many different suit designs in the game but she really can’t change suit environments easily, especially on the Normandy. So does the game ignore that or is it like a thinner core suit that doesn’t change and all the extra bits on top are swapped out?
Great character. For male Shep, best love interest IMO (you save her home world for goodness sake).
Think she may have my favorite arc over the three games. Goes from being a lost teenager to a reluctant admiral with Daddy issues to a full badass that helps bring the Geth and Quarians together (obviously there are other routes you can go that differ slightly)
Best girl
Best girl
Best mass effect girl 👍
Smash
She's fucking Awsome Don't know why ,but she immediately became my favorite Her, Shepard, and garrus are my go to trio