BioWare is a developer renowned for its role-playing games, from licensed properties like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to its own IPs like the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. While not all of its games have escaped controversy or valid criticism, BioWare has managed to produce some of the most era-defining titles over the past decade and a half, providing players with hours of entertainment and some of video games' most beloved characters. One of the most popular elements of BioWare titles like Mass Effect and Dragon Age is the use of companions who help the playable protagonist on their quest and even sometimes provide romance options for gamers to engage in.
Some friendships and romances are more notorious than others, and a few characters definitely inspire fan affection more than others. But it's indisputable that the sometimes awkward, sometimes touching relationships featured in games like the four Mass Effect installments and the Dragon Age series are some of the best parts of each game. Not only that, but it appears that BioWare likes to follow a certain formula when crafting these companion characters, with many across both franchises showcasing surprising similarities despite the vastly different worlds that they inhabit.
Cullen And Garrus
Both of these characters feature in the first three games of their respective series, starting slightly more on the periphery and becoming an indelible part of the operation by the third game. Cullen and Garrus are popular romance options for fans, inspiring multitudes of fan art, memes, and spin-off stories. While Cullen might be more of a stickler for the rules over Garrus' slightly cavalier attitude, both of them have endearingly awkward moments and sweet, meaningful courtships. They're straightforward and no-nonsense most of the time, so these glimpses into their softer centers only helped to charm fans.
Both have abandoned more structured backgrounds to join the player's cause, and they bring a lot to the table with their militaristic knowledge and various skillsets. If that wasn't enough, BioWare even acknowledged a connection between the two characters when Cullen emulates Garrus' infamous calibrating tendencies with a throwaway line about trebuchets, much to players' delight.
Sera And Peebee
Sera and Peebee are definitely cut from the same cloth. Both play against type and don't fit into what players might expect from their respective cultures, with each character seeming to reject or even make fun of their own races and usually avoiding fraternizing with fellow elves or asari. The asari adventurer in Mass Effect: Andromeda and elven rogue are among the kookier members of their squads, and this has led some players to think of them as annoying and making them less popular as a romance option.
Peebee and Sera are chaotic, with endless amounts of energy and fast-paced dialogue full of irreverent humor and teasing comments. Despite their confident and individualistic demeanors, befriending or romancing them reveals a much more vulnerable side that provides rewarding character arcs if players choose to invest in developing these relationships.
Josephine And Tali
At first glance, Josephine and Tali might not have much in common. While Josephine comes from the noble Montilyet family and serves as the Inquisition's resourceful ambassador, Tali comes from a more humble background on the Migrant Fleet (even if she is the daughter of a quarian Admiral). But both Tali and Josephine are capable, talented, and not to be underestimated. They share an idealistic nature, with strong ties to their families or species respectively, and this forms a large part of their personal missions.
Both of them face problems where their honor needs to be restored, and the player is instrumental in righting the injustice in their lives. If a romantic relationship is pursued with either Tali or Josephine, there's a touchingly sweet aspect to the interactions. Both Tali and Josephine have other characters that look out for them and who tell the player to treat them well as they can be a little naive or inexperienced in matters of the heart.
Cassandra And Liara
Strong, often the voice of reason, and incredibly driven, Liara and Cassandra are both popular companions in Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Their personalities develop across the different entries they appear in, and they become crucial characters as the stories play out. The narratives and personalities of each are partially shaped with the help of a strong matriarch figure, either through respect or betrayal – Divine Justinia in Cassandra's case and Matriarch Benezia in Liara's.
The Liara of the later Mass Effect games, in particular, develops a slightly harder surface to crack and more closely resembles Cassandra during the beginning of Dragon Age: Inquisition. After serving as companions, both Liara and Cassandra can take up roles outside the player's mission as they accept new responsibilities, with Cassandra potentially becoming the new Divine and Liara taking on the mantle of the Shadow Broker. But while both characters have strong principles and their fair share of badassery, their occasional humorous and awkward interactions help to show off the emotional core at their center and endear them to players even more.
Iron Bull And James
The fact that both characters are voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr. aside, there are a few key similarities between the two hulking warriors. Iron Bull and James Vega are some of the more flirty party members and have an endless barrage of comments that would get HR hot under the collar. Both characters come across as cocky and macho, flexing their muscles at any given opportunity and spending large parts (if not all) or their games shirtless.
But behind the obvious physical prowess and penchant for hitting things, Iron Bull and James display moments of emotional empathy, especially as both of them struggle with elements from their past. If the Chargers are sacrificed in favor of saving the Qunari in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Iron Bull's story mirrors James' even more closely as the latter blames himself for the loss of his squad in a mission prior to Mass Effect 3 after he made a hard call. Iron Bull's romance may be more affecting than James' short-lived one, but there's an unexpected depth to both characters beneath their masculine bluster and fondness for nicknames.
Blackwall And Wrex
Every squad needs the blunt, take-no-prisoners combat veteran, and Blackwall and Wrex fill that role admirably. Both characters are battle-hardened fighters with a hit first and ask questions later approach. Their party dialogue is often humorously straightforward, and they're not afraid to make fun of themselves while also taking others down a peg. They both develop touching friendships with other team members – like Blackwall's connection with Sera – despite their initial gruff exterior.
Both Wrex and Blackwall have complicated relationships with a faction that they're involved with – the Grey Wardens for Blackwall and Clan Urdnot for Wrex – and to a certain extent, they're both running from their pasts. Despite this, they're both fiercely loyal to the player's cause and a strong source of support. While Blackwall's romance provides a more intimate potential connection, Wrex's friendship throughout the three Mass Effect games is still much more impactful and provides some of the series' most surprisingly touching moments.
Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 4 are in development.