Mass Effect Actor Comments on Return of Their Controversial Character

Everyone wants to know what Mass Effect characters are returning in the new game and which aren’t. So far, Liara T’Soni has been confirmed, but that is it. The primary focus of the speculation is whether or not Commander Shepard will return, and if so, whether they will be the protagonist again. Shepard isn’t the only protagonist of the series, though; there is also Ryder, the protagonist of the controversial Mass Effect: Andromeda. By extension, the character divides the fandom, and so would any potential return.

It feels like a pipe dream that Commander Shepard will return in any meaningful capacity, let alone Ryder, given that Andromeda was a contentious release, not of the same quality as the trilogy, and ultimately abandoned by BioWare. However, promotional art for the new game features Angara, a species not found in the Milky Way, only in the Andromeda galaxy, so Andromeda clearly plays a part in the new game, which opens the door for Ryder to be in it, which would be narratively easier to achieve than Shepard.

To this end, Tom Taylorson was recently interviewed and asked about the prospect of Ryder returning in the series’ future. Of course, Taylorson didn’t say whether or not Ryder is in the new game, but noted what he would like to see from the character in the future.

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Ryder’s Future

“I’ve always said this, but I’d love for the canon Ryder to have been on the Gil Brodie path. Just the opportunity to explore being The Pathfinder but also being a parent would be great, from a narrative standpoint, but also as an actor,” said Taylorson, speaking to We Are Mass Effect. “This said, now there are A TON of games out there now doing “adventure but you’re a Dad!” So maybe we have Sara as a mother for a change? That’d be even better to play with. Maybe work as The Pathfinder wears him down, and the humor is gone. Scott/Sara has been ground down by the job and is now more Shepard-like. Or perhaps things have settled, and things have gone well. The Angara have helped the Ark species to settle in, and their cooperation has been great. No need for The Pathfinder. BUT THEN – something happens, and The Pathfinder is called back into service, but they’re too old for this, like Fryda and I very much are right now. That would be fun too.”

As you can see, Ryder does not divulge any actual information, only his personal hope and idea for the character. That said, if Ryder were in the new game, in a prominent role, Taylorson would be under NDA and almost certainly would not be taking this interview. So while Taylorson doesn’t reveal anything juicy in the quote above, the fact that he took this interview is interesting, and it may indicate Ryder is not in the new game.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversations happening on the ComicBook Forum.