It's been a few months now since the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the grand remaster of BioWare's epic sci-fi trilogy. The original Mass Effect series holds a place atop the pantheon of narrative RPGs, and the Legendary Edition has given fans old and new a chance to experience the story once again. One of the most praised aspects of Mass Effect is its well-written companions, who players get to know over the course of the three games.
A particularly popular squadmate from Shepard's crew is Jack, who first appears in Mass Effect 2. Formerly known as Subject Zero, Jack is a human criminal with incredible Biotic abilities. Jack represents a radical departure from the rest of the Normandy crew, who mostly follow rank and authority, with her anarchical outlook. As such, she has plenty of awesome moments scattered across the trilogy.
Escape From Purgatory in Mass Effect 2
Many Mass Effect fans'Â love of Jack began with the psychotic Biotic's very first scene. During Mass Effect 2, while Shepard is recruiting for the mission against the Collectors, they are sent to collect Jack from a Turian prison ship. Shepard is quickly betrayed by the warden, and in escaping frees Jack from cryo-stasis.
Although many of Shepard's squadmates express surprise that the legendarily violent Jack is a young, slim girl, she quickly lives up to her reputation. Within seconds of waking, Jack breaks open her metal restraints. She then throws herself at three heavy security mechs, resulting in an explosion that shakes the room.
Erasing the Past of Subject Zero in Mass Effect 2
Not every great Jack moment in the Mass Effect series sees her being violent, however. Learning about her origins during Jack's loyalty mission is one of the story highlights of the second game, as it really helps players to understand her personality. Jack was abducted as a young child and brought to a secret Cerberus facility on the planet Pragia. She was brutally experimented upon in an attempt to massively increase her Biotic potential. What's poignant about returning to the facility with an adult Jack is how she comes to realize that not everything was as she remembered it.
It's revealed that Jack was the core of this Cerberus project, and no procedure was performed on her until it was proven safe by using it on other children. Jack was kept separate from these others, and while a window in her cell looked out over their living space, it was a two-way mirror. Jack's only interaction with the other child test subjects was when she was forced to kill them in gladiatorial combat. She was punished for holding back, and rewarded with drugs for acts of particular violence, creating a biological drive to kill in her young mind. This all culminated in her eventual escape during a riot started by the children, with Jack killing everyone in the facility before she left. By the end of the loyalty mission, Jack is forced to consider whether some of the children she killed just wanted to escape with her.
Romancing Jack in Mass Effect
As you'd expect of such a hot-tempered, chaotic character, winning Jack's heart in Mass Effect 2 is no easy feat. She is available as a romance option for male Shepards only, but it's easy to lock out her deeper romance. Early-on, Jack will suggest that she and a male Shepard have casual sex, however, agreeing will cause her to ignore Shepard for the rest of the game.
Instead, if players turn her down, they'll get the chance to get closer to Jack as she softens and reveal more of her traumatic past. Over the course of Jack's Mass Effect romance, it quickly becomes clear that she harbors a lot of survivor's guilt, and is keen to avoid entanglements for that reason. With love and patience, Shepard can overcome this fear, and finally give Jack the emotional stability and protection she craves.
Grissom Academy in Mass Effect 3
Like many of the fan-favorite characters in Mass Effect 2, Jack returns in the third title for an extended cameo. A lot has changed for her between the two games, and she seems to have matured a lot as part of the Normandy's crew. It's revealed that the Alliance offered her a teaching position at Grissom Academy, and she accepted to help train a new generation of Biotics.
Despite agreeing to tone down her language for her new job, Jack has lost none of her attitude or punk style, punching Shepard in the face when they're reunited. What makes this a great Jack moment, however, is her relationship with her students. Jack's young Biotic students clearly idolize her, repeating her best Mass Effect quotes and giving her the nickname "The Psychotic Biotic." In return, Jack has developed a real mother-bear protectiveness toward them, which seems to be the new defining feature of her character. Although it's not stated outright, it's pretty clear that with her students Jack has finally found the family she never had. As such, her appearance in Mass Effect 3 serves as a terrific example of the franchise's strong character development.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.