Kaidan Alenko is a fictional character in
BioWare's ''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' franchise, who acts as a
party member (or "squadmate") in the first and third games in the series. The character is initially introduced in the original ''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' as a human Systems Alliance
Officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
and primary squad member in
Commander Shepard
Lieutenant Commander Shepard, better known as Commander Shepard, is the player character in the ''Mass Effect'' video game series by BioWare (''Mass Effect'', ''Mass Effect 2'', and ''Mass Effect 3'').
A veteran soldier of the Systems Alliance ...
's team. Kaidan's fate on the planet Virmire is part of a pivotal decision which the player has to make in order to advance the narrative.
If Kaidan survives the events of ''Mass Effect'', by the events of ''
Mass Effect 2
''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
'' he is encountered on the human colony of Horizon after Shepard receives a tip that Horizon will be the next human colony to be abducted by the enigmatic race known as the Collectors. In ''
Mass Effect 3
''Mass Effect 3'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major entry in the ''Mass Effect'' series and the final installment of the original trilogy, it was released in March 2012 fo ...
'', Kaidan initially appears at the Alliance base in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
before taking off on a mission to Mars with Shepard and the crew of the ''Normandy'' SR-2. Kaidan is voiced by
Raphael Sbarge
Raphael Sbarge (born February 12, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka on ''The Guardian'' (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper on ''Once Upon a Time'' (2011–18) and Insp ...
.
Initially presented as a heterosexual love interest for a female Shepard in the first game, the character is reintroduced in ''Mass Effect 3'' as a bisexual love interest, a decision by BioWare which attracted mostly praise as well as some criticism. Kaidan has received an overall mixed reception throughout his appearances in the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy.
Character overview
Raised in Canada, Kaidan is a Systems Alliance officer born with the ability to manipulate dark energy, employ telekinesis and create mass effect fields called biotics, after his mother is affected by "Element Zero" during an incident in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
while he was ''
in utero
''In Utero'' is the third and final studio album by American rock band Nirvana. It was released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their second album, ''Nevermind'' (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini t ...
''.
In gameplay terms, Kaidan is a "Sentinel", who combines biotic and technological abilities to manipulate the environment, enhance defensive capabilities, disable and track enemies. Kaidan suffers from infrequent, but debilitating, migraines as a side effect of the controversial L2 implants he was fitted with during his time at Biotic Acclimatization and Temperance Training ("BAaT"), nicknamed "brain camp" by Kaidan.
Kaidan is cited as an example of the consequences that come with branching narratives in video games.
In the first game the player has to decide whether Kaidan or
Ashley Williams would survive during a late-game mission on the planet Virmire. The squad member who survives will afterwards serve as a constant reminder of the player's choices throughout the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy.
Kaidan shares the same overall story arc as Ashley in the sequels and while both characters effectively function as opposite-gender placeholders for one another throughout the trilogy, they start off differently in the first game and have distinct personalities and skills.
Kaidan is a romance option for a female Shepard in the first game, and their relationship could persist over the entire trilogy depending on the player's choices. He can also be romanced by a male Shepard in ''
Mass Effect 3
''Mass Effect 3'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The third major entry in the ''Mass Effect'' series and the final installment of the original trilogy, it was released in March 2012 fo ...
'', where he would reveal his unrequited feelings for the Commander.
Creation and development
![MCM Once Upon A Time Panel DSC 0619 (8979513625)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/MCM_Once_Upon_A_Time_Panel_DSC_0619_%288979513625%29.jpg)
Kaidan Alenko's face is modeled after Luciano Costa.
BioWare opted to reuse Kaidan's visage from the first game and updated his face model for ''Mass Effect 3''. BioWare decided to overhaul Kaidan's look to make him more memorable: in contrast to his generic outfit in previous games, Kaidan's default armor for ''3'' has a blue-and-white theme. The armor design went through multiple iterations as the team was figuring out the Systems Alliance colors for human male characters before settling on the final color scheme.
The character is given a more muscular redesign in order to "show that he's seen a lot of action and is ready to fight in the biggest war the galaxy has ever seen".
In a 2013 interview, Kaidan's voice actor
Raphael Sbarge
Raphael Sbarge (born February 12, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka on ''The Guardian'' (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper on ''Once Upon a Time'' (2011–18) and Insp ...
claimed that Kaidan was originally planned to be a romance option for both genders in the original ''Mass Effect'', and that he did work on the extra content that never made it to the final version of the game. He was personally enthusiastic about BioWare's decision to make Kaidan available as a same-sex romance option in ''Mass Effect 3''.
In March 2017, Jessica Lachenal from ''The Mary Sue'' reported that fans have uncovered cut content from the game files of the original trilogy, which reveal entirely voice-acted lines from both
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
...
and Kaidan for a same-sex romances relationship with Shepard which never made the final cut of the first game, as well as coded lines where Kaidan would address a male Shepard as if he was female.
In 2021, project director Mac Walters clarified in an interview about ''
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
''Mass Effect Legendary Edition'' is a compilation of the video games in the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy: ''Mass Effect'', ''Mass Effect 2'', and ''Mass Effect 3''. It was developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. All three games were ...
'' that Kaidan was never intended to be a same-sex romance option in the first ''Mass Effect'', and that the presence of the aforementioned coded lines in the first game's files are a combination of technical oversight and human error.
Walters further confirmed that the developers had no intention to develop Kaidan as a same sex romance option for the remastered version of the first game, as the ''Legendary Edition'' compilation is only intended to introduce generalized improvements and otherwise stays as close to the source material as possible.
Sbarge used his natural speaking voice for the character, albeit with a slightly formal manner.
Sbarge credited
Ginny McSwain
Ginny McSwain is an American voice actress, voice casting director, and animation production professional from Los Angeles, CA.
Life and career
McSwain graduated from Stephens College in 1974, before moving to Los Angeles. She has worked as cas ...
, a voice director on the first two games, for helping him find the right tone for Kaidan to balance his military background along with a solid and straightforward personality, which according to Sbarge has become the character's hallmark.
Sbarge said he could relate to Kaidan in that the character is guided by his conscience and tries to do the right thing.
Appearances
In video games
''Mass Effect''
Alenko first appears on the SSV ''
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
'' as a Staff Lieutenant and head of the starship's
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
detail. He accompanies Shepard on his first mission to Eden Prime where they learn that Saren is leading the attack with the geth. Upon encountering Gunnery Chief
Ashley Williams, she joins the mission and following the mission on Eden Prime, he gives his recommendation to Captain Anderson that she should be assigned to the ''Normandy''.
After several missions, the squad is ordered to the planet Virmire, where Shepard can assign Kaidan or Ashley to work with the salarians or assemble the bomb that will be used to destroy Saren's facility. Shepard will later be given a choice between saving either Ashley or Kaidan, as Shepard's forces have only adequate resources to save one of them during the evacuation.
If Kaidan is chosen, he will express
survivor's guilt
Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome and survivor disorder or survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumati ...
over the fact that Ashley was left behind and killed, having prepared to sacrifice his own life for the rest of the team.
''Mass Effect 2''
If Kaidan survives the events on Virmire, he will appear on the ''Normandy'' before it is destroyed by the Collector ship. Shepard will order him to an escape pod before the ''Normandy's'' demise. He will not appear again until Shepard's mission to the human colony, Horizon, having been stationed there after an anonymous tip that the colony would be attacked. He will express disappointment and anger that Shepard did not reach out to him during the two years since he/she was presumed dead and the fact that he/she is now working with Cerberus. Shepard will invite him to join the crew of the new ''Normandy'', but Kaidan refuses, stating he does not trust Cerberus and never will. Following this encounter, he will send Shepard a message at the private terminal apologizing for his harsh words during the exchange only if she is still having a romantic relationship with Kaidan.
''Mass Effect 3''
Kaidan will appear in Vancouver at the Alliance base before the Reaper attack. Following the invasion, Kaidan will accompany Lieutenant James Vega and Commander Shepard on a mission to Mars to find Asari information broker and Prothean scientific expert,
Liara T'Soni
Dr. Liara T'Soni is a fictional character in BioWare's ''Mass Effect'' franchise, who serves as a party member (or "squadmate") in the original ''Mass Effect'' trilogy. She is an asari, a female-appearing species from the planet Thessia who ...
. During the mission, Kaidan is critically injured by a high-tech Cerberus mech and is hospitalized on the Citadel. While recuperating in the hospital, Ambassador Udina makes Kaidan an offer to become a Spectre, which Shepard can encourage him to accept.
Shepard can choose to visit Kaidan following each main story mission and during this time the basis for a romance can be either established or re-established. Following a message from the Salarian Councilor to Commander Shepard regarding Councilor Udina's betrayal, Kaidan is assigned to protect the Council, something that pits him against Shepard when he comes to confront Udina. If Kaidan is unable to be convinced that Udina is guilty, either Shepard or one of his squadmates will shoot him. If Kaidan can be convinced, either he or Shepard will shoot Udina. In the aftermath, Shepard can either offer him a spot on the crew to resume a relationship if Shepard is female or start a gay relationship with a male Shepard, or send him to the Alliance to become a war asset.
If Kaidan accompanies Shepard on the final mission to the Conduit in London and the player has not accrued enough war asset points, Kaidan will die. If Kaidan survives and is in a relationship with Shepard, he will place a plaque on the memorial wall on the ''Normandy''. If enough war points are accrued, Shepard will survive and Kaidan will not place the plaque, but instead will smile in reminiscence.
In other media
A fully voice acted version of the apology email Kaidan sent to Shepard following their meeting on Horizon in ''Mass Effect 2'' was released by Raphael Sbarge as a sound file on November 24, 2011. Intended to be a Thanksgiving Day present for ''Mass Effect'' fandom, Sbarge said he did not anticipate that the sound file would
go viral
Viral phenomena or viral sensation are objects or patterns that are able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them. Analogous to the way in which viruses propagate, the ter ...
and that he would receive an overwhelming amount of praise from fans all over the world.
Kaidan is the protagonist of the fourth issue of the comic series ''
Mass Effect: Foundation'', which retells his time training at BAaT, an experimental group and a forerunner to the System Alliance's biotic training programs in the present day.
The conditions at BAaT are depicted as poor, and he and his classmates have been treated badly by a turian instructor named Vyrnnus who is openly racist towards his human students.
He falls in love with a girl named Rahna, but the potential for a relationship dissolves after he accidentally kills Vyrnnus in retaliation for breaking Rahna's arm during a training exercise gone wrong. After BAaT is shut down following the fatal accident, Kaidan enlisted with the Alliance Navy, and he is eventually transferred onboard the SSV ''Normandy''.
Reception
Kaidan Alenko's characterization throughout the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy have received a mixed response from players and video game journalists. Player statistics released by BioWare in 2013 revealed that Kaidan was the least popular ''Mass Effect 3'' squad member who was the choice of 1.5% of the player base.
[ Liana Ruppert commented that Kaidan was one of the widely disliked or divisive characters in the ''Mass Effect'' series due to his "by-the-book" personality, and his perceived lack of characterization for players who do not follow his romance story arc in the first ''Mass Effect''.] Notably, ''PC Gamer'' staff do not approve of the character. Wes Fenlon explained in an article written shortly after the release of ''Mass Effect 3'' that Kaidan sounded very similar to Carth Onasi, a character from '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' who is also voiced by Raphael Sbarge, and he found Onasi to be very obnoxious. As a result, he did not care about whether Kaidan was a nuanced character and paid little attention to him during his playthroughs. Nevertheless, he praised BioWare's dedication to carry the player's decision to save or abandon Kaidan on Virmire through the entire trilogy, calling it "a landmark moment for interactive storytelling" and said that he felt "less of a content consumer and more of a collaborator in their storytelling" as a result. In a later article, he considers Kaidan to be marginally better than Jacob Taylor and called him "a boring male starter companion". Fenlon's colleague Ben Griffin and Alex Walker from ''Kotaku'' were both in agreement about Kaidan being their least liked BioWare character and called him "dull". ''GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
's'' Jordan Baughman described Kaidan as "The Pile of Grey Sludge (aka The Male Support Character)" character archetype, typically encountered as the most boring companion character in BioWare titles who is "generic to the extreme".
Other sources have been more positive in their evaluation of the character. In Chapter 1 of the book ''Digital Love: Romance and Sexuality in Games'', Michelle Clough presented a case study which illustrated how Kaidan is an example of the shifting portrayal of male sexualization in the original trilogy. She believed that the character's overall depiction in the series framed him as a good choice for Shepard as a romantic and sexual partner. Kristine Steimer from ''IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' said in 2010 that she enjoyed her conversations with Kaidan; she praised the character's loyalty as his best quality and looked forward to completing the character's romance arc with her Shepard in any further DLC content or sequels for the series. Alex Knapp, a staff writer at ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'', initially had a self-described "irrational dislike" of Kaidan due to his experiences with the character in the first game. Knapp disclosed in a later article that he had completely changed his mind about Kaidan after completing ''Mass Effect 3'' with him in his squad, praising his character development and also his gameplay utility during combat missions because his powers are well balanced. Liana Ruppert commented that her opinion of the character "changed dramatically" when she played as a female Shepard and commit to his romance arc from the first game. A few sources have commented that much of the fanbase missed out on Kaidan's growth as a character during ''Mass Effect 3''. Daniel Horowitz, writing for ''VentureBeat
''VentureBeat'' is an American technology website headquartered in San Francisco, California. It publishes news, analysis, long-form features, interviews, and videos.
History
The ''VentureBeat'' company was founded in 2006 by Matt Marshall, a ...
'', said Kaidan was the most overlooked character in the series and generally not marketed well by BioWare; he drew attention to the fact that the trilogy's promo art has historically focused on a male Shepard, and Ashley was featured prominently in promos for the first ''Mass Effect''. Horowitz went into detail about Kaidan's story arc in the trilogy, and argued that while his subtle characterization and understated nature does not generate as much fan interest as Shepard's other companions, he is "the most developed, well-rounded and fully realized character in the ''Mass Effect'' universe". Ruppert said players who play as a male Shepard would have had a better context in connecting with the character if the option to romance him was available at the commencement of the trilogy. In an editorial published by ''This Is My Joystick'', Bryony Stewart-Seume drew a comparison to Jane Eyre
''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...
in order to highlight the actual quality and depth of game writing for the character. Writing for ''Fanbyte'', Kenneth Shepard agreed that Kaidan is one of the series' best written characters, and opined that Kaidan's characterization was intentionally stunted in the original ''Mass Effect'' for players choosing a male Commander Shepard, which was an example of what he called an attempt to "create a heavily-gendered, heteronormative world" before ''Mass Effect 3''. In 2015, Logo TV
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...
ranked Kaidan as the third on their list of the sexiest male video game characters.
Kaidan's involvement in the narrative as a potential survivor of the "Virmire Decision" is well received. ''IGN'' included the Virmire Decision in the first game[The article's author, Destin Legarie, implied a preference for Kaidan over Ashley.] in their list of 13 Best Mass Effect Moments. The "Virmire Survivor", a role he shares with Ashley Williams in the trilogy, is discussed in the 2017 book ''100 Greatest Video Game Characters''. Lynda Clark, who wrote the Virmire Survivor's entry in the book, observed that Kaidan's backstory is reminiscent of a superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
origin story
In entertainment, an origin story is an account or backstory revealing how a character or group of people become a protagonist or antagonist, and it adds to the overall interest and complexity of a narrative, often giving reasons for their intent ...
; while Ashley is statistically more likely to be chosen as the Virmire Survivor by players, Kaidan is preferred by a vocal and influential minority of ''Mass Effect'' fans who primarily favor the female version of Commander Shepard.
Same-sex romance option
BioWare's decision to offer Kaidan as a same-sex romance option for a male Shepard player character in ''Mass Effect 3'' generated significant coverage about the sexuality of the aforementioned characters, and a broad discussion on the issue of LGBT themes in the ''Mass Effect'' series. ''Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
'' published an article on May 16, 2011, less than a day after developer Casey Hudson
Casey Hudson is a Canadian video game developer, known for his work on several of BioWare's video games, and mainly the ''Mass Effect'' trilogy as game director.
Biography
After obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering, Hudson began his car ...
's announcement about the game's incorporation of same-sex romances, reporting that some players have spoken out over their concerns about characters that have been established over the course of one or both of ''Mass Effect 3's'' prequels may undergo "implausible and abrupt sexual transformations" at the expense of "narrative consistency and integrity". One user comment highlighted by the article specifically claimed that the character is "sometimes nervous with opposite sex but never with men".
Following ''Mass Effect 3's'' release, Kaidan's inclusion as a romance option for a male Shepard was mostly well received. Horowitz's article for ''VentureBeat'' argued that a male Shepard's "friendship, relationship and eventual partnership with Kaidan offers far more depth and reward than the one with Ashley, or arguably any other character in the game by a wide margin". ''The Advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law.
The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to:
Magazines
* ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States
*''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...
'' and '' Gay Community News'' named Kaidan one of the best queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
characters from video games of all time, both praising BioWare's decision to allow players to pursue a same-sex relationship with him in ''3'' as progressive. Conversely, ''Queerty
''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay-oriented lifestyle and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors.
History
''Queerty'' was founded by David ...
'' noted in its positive coverage of the topic that there were some negative user-generated comments on Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
which focused criticism on the presence of gay male sex scenes in the game, as well as its possible correlation with the below-average Metacritic user rating for ''Mass Effect 3'' at the time. Craig Takeuchi from the ''Georgia Straight
''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
'' reported on negative reception to the game's same-sex relationship content, which consisted of dismissive and homophobic comments which were posted on several websites. He compared the gaming world to the world of sports, which "has been slow and resistant to addressing homophobia or including gay content".
Analysis
In Clough's case study, she observed that although Kaidan is presented as a love interest for a female Shepard in the first game who is conventionally attractive and has an appealing personality, there was little acknowledgment of the physical aspect of his appeal, and outside of a sex scene which mostly focuses on a female Shepard's body, little opportunity for the character to be appreciated in a sexual context. This is contrasted with Kaidan's more sexualized presentation in ''Mass Effect 3'', where the character is shirtless in multiple scenes, and more emphasis is placed on the intimacy between him and Shepard. During one scene where Kaidan is reboarding the ''Normandy'' and still in a relationship with Shepard, the camera alternates quick cuts between a close up of Kaidan's buttocks and a close up of Shepard's gaze, indicating that she enjoys looking at him in a sexual way.
Denis Farr from ''Kotaku'', who identifies as openly gay, decided to role-play
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...
his version of Shepard as a closeted
''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...
male soldier who show no interest in female or feminine characters throughout the series, alluding his character's experience to the United States government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
's former Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December ...
policy. He noted that he has to accept a willful suspension of belief concerning the gender and sexual politics of the world of ''Mass Effect'': prior to the introduction of same-sex romance between male characters and openly homosexual characters in ''Mass Effect 3'', he was unable to express his avatar character's romantic desires (which matches his own) in the game universe, and that his character's particular journey through ''Mass Effect 3'', which involves a late blooming romance with Kaidan that was not possible in the game's prequels,[Kaidan would justify his belated expression of romantic interest towards a male Shepard by telling him: "You were always so focused on the work back then. The mission was everything.".] was a necessity born out of the series' options. He concluded that the ''Mass Effect's'' series' own evolution of its concept of male same-sex romances is a direct reflection of the real-life world's politics on gender and sexual identity, and that as time progressed, so did the series' sexual politics. In his essay published in the 2017 book ''Queer Game Studies'', Todd Harper compared Farr's experience to his own when attempting to interpret his version of Shepard as a queer character in a technologically advanced world where a human and an alien can have a relationship unquestioned and unchallenged by the wider society. As a character that can be romanced by either gender, Kaidan has what Harper terms " Schrödinger's sexuality", an observation he made that Kaidan's sexuality "exists in a sort of quantum superposition that the player can collapse into observed certainty by choosing to romance or not", and that it is "defined primarily by his relationship to Shepard".
See also
*Gender representation in video games
The portrayal of men and women in video games, as in other media, is a subject of research in gender studies and is discussed in the context of sexism in video gaming.
Although women make up about half of video game players, they are significant ...
References
External links
*
Further reading
*Jerreat-Poole, Adan
Sick, Slow, Cyborg: Crip Futurity in Mass Effect
''The International Journal of Computer Game Research, Volume 20, Issue 1,'' 2020.''
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alenko, Kaidan
Fictional bisexual males
Fictional bodyguards
Fictional characters from British Columbia
Fictional lieutenants
Fictional commanders
Fictional majors
Fictional military personnel in video games
Fictional navy personnel
Fictional secret agents and spies in video games
Fictional soldiers in video games
Fictional special forces personnel
Fictional telekinetics
Fictional war veterans
LGBT characters in video games
Male characters in video games
Mass Effect characters
Video game characters based on real people
Video game characters introduced in 2007
Video game sidekicks