More than a year after BioWare announced a new title in the Mass Effect franchise, fans are still asking—will Commander Shepard be in Mass Effect 4, or 5, or whatever they ultimately decide to call it?
Personally, I’m going with Mass Effect 4 here—not to put down Andromeda (I actually did enjoy it), but because Andromeda was a standalone story in many ways. In contrast, the next Mass Effect promises to be a direct continuation of the original trilogy.
Why Commander Shepard Might Be in ‘Mass Effect 4’
One obvious reason for Commander Shepard to return for Mass Effect 4 is the vox populi factor. Many people want to see Shep again. This includes the Shepards themselves, Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale, as they mentioned in this year’s N7 Day cast reunion. The simple truth is, the game will probably sell better if our favorite rogue Specter’s face is on the cover.
But there are other, less icky reasons why BioWare might bring Shepard back for Mass Effect 4.
ME3’s “Destroy” ending seems an almost inevitable choice for a canon ending—and the “Perfect” variation on that ending has Shepard survive the incident with the Crucible. If the next ME follows this path, it would actually be pretty frustrating if they don’t bring Shepard back in some capacity—even if only to tie up that loose end.
Cloning is a thing, and we’ve already run into a Shep clone in the Citadel DLC for ME3. Yes, the clone died whether or not your Shepard tried to save them. But the fact remains that if one clone could be made, more could follow. Shep being an intergalactic legend only makes it more likely that someone might decide to bring the Commander back—if not by rebuilding the original, then by creating a copy.
VIs and AIs are also a thing, and exploring the complicated relationship between organics and synthetics is a cornerstone of the series. In fact, one Shepard VI already exists. You can find them in the Citadel in ME3. Shepard also expresses doubt regarding their own humanity at Cronos Station, wondering if they could be a VI who just thinks it’s the real Shepard. Playing as a VI or AI character would impose some unusual restrictions on the player—I don’t think you would be able to use biotic powers—but Shepard doesn’t necessarily have to be a playable character. This brings us to the final point…
Commander Shepard doesn’t have to be the star to appear in the next game. Making them unplayable would no doubt disappoint a lot of players. However, bringing Shep back in the background would be one way for BioWare to offer up an olive branch to players both for and against the commander’s return.
But Should Commander Shepard Return for ‘Mass Effect 4’ (or 5)?
To quote another great sci-fi story (the first movie was great, anyway)—bringing Shep back could be a case of BioWare being “so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Narratively, Shepard’s sacrifice in ME3 is the natural conclusion of their story. By this point, the Commander has already begun to lose their own inner war—as evidenced by the nightmares and other PTSD-like symptoms on display throughout the third game.
Shepard’s death (or loss of humanity) isn’t just a tragic sacrifice—in a way, it’s also their reward for a job well and finally done. And of all the people in the galaxy, it felt like Shepard was exactly the right person for the job—the sort of one-in-a-million hero who would give anything and everything to save the world.
It’s just like Mordin says— “Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.”
To take all of that back would be to undermine the very real sense of loss players experienced in the third game’s finale. But… I’m not totally against Shepard returning, either. As a fan, it’s hard to ignore how much I loved playing as Shepard and how excited I would be to step into those shoes again—if the justification is good enough.
Honestly, though, some of the possibilities for bringing Commander Shepard back for Mass Effect 4 (or 5) strike me as surprisingly fertile ground.
If OG Shepard survived and is still the protagonist: There’s a poignant narrative parallel here between Shepard’s healing process (mentally and physically) and the galaxy rebuilding itself. This option presents an excellent opportunity for the game to dig deeper into the psychological aspects of Shepard’s story and explore what it means to give and lose so much—and be forced to live with it. Prosthetics could be a way to introduce some new skills and customization options. It’s not my favorite option, but I’m not against it, either.
If Shepard returns but is not the protagonist: This is the least interesting option, but it would be kind of cool to be able to import your own Shepard into the game as an NPC. The comedic possibilities here are kind of fun, though the effort that would be required to pull this off likely wouldn’t be worth the reward.
If Shepard’s clone is the new protagonist: This would be an interesting, almost meta way to explore the idea of branching paths and how your choices affect your relationships as well as your own personality. The key here would be to emphasize the contrast (or lack thereof) between this Shepard and OG Shep. Do you try and live up to the original legacy, or do you blaze a new trail? It would also offer a chance to dive into the age-old question of nature or nurture. Are we who we are no matter what, or merely the product of circumstance?
If Shepard’s AI or VI is the new protagonist: This is one of the more problematic options, unless the writers find a good way to give synthetics biotic-adjacent powers. But I’d love to see a Shepard AI go rogue and become their own person. EDI, having learned to be human from OG Shep, could step into a mentor-ish role here. Assuming she is alive or rebuilt, she’d be the ideal person to help AI Shep navigate the peculiarities of being a self-aware android—assuming EDI is alive (or rebuilt) in this timeline. Romances would be nice and fraught here too, with some crew members being more tolerant of synthetics than others.
Likewise, the tension would be high between either a clone or AI Shepard and any returning characters who might find the copy uncanny. It could be interesting to see how these characters learn to love the new Shepard for themselves, and not as a stand-in for the original—or not.
Of course, all of this speculation will be irrelevant the moment BioWare reveals the identity of our new protagonist for Mass Effect 4 (or 5). But in the meantime, it’s fun to dream.
Kim Berkley is a fantasy author and video game writer who also happens to be a huge Mass Effect fan. Check out her published games if you need something new to play while you wait for the next ME. And be sure to sign up for her free newsletter!
