When writers are creating a good support character for their stories, they're looking for strong qualities that will make that character not only stand out, but blend well with the main character. This is no different with great video game stories, where the challenge is magnified to deliver a character that is believable and yet one that you can grow attached to. Say, for example, you have a thrilling space opera where the fate of the galaxy depends on your every decision, for better or worse. You're going to want a character in your corner who has the know-how to aid you in battle and who also knows her way around a shotgun. Enter Tali'Zorah, of the Mass Effect series. Tali is the alien companion who assist the protagonist, Commander Shepard, in their effort to save the galaxy from an all-powerful race known as the Reapers from wiping out every sentient life. Tali does all this and more as she serves not only as the team's resident tech expert, but as a competent fighter who can hold her own in combat. And all this from her hermetically-sealed body suit.
"Think of it like 'Bubble Boy' in space,"
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Tali comes from a race known as the Quarians, who are a bipedal people known for their impressive technological knowledge but also for their weak immune system. Such a weakness is so severe that they must live in air-tight suits to prevent contact with alien bacteria or contamination. Any breach in their suits results in at best a sick day and at worst, death. Because of this, they always live in their suits and rarely if ever take them off. Despite this, the Quarian people are still regarded as one of the most technologically knowledgeable race of the galaxy. Their mastery over technology ranges from expertise in ship mechanics to competency in hacking of virtual systems. If you need to deal with a machine, the Quarians are the people you turn to handle it.
Such tech mastery proves to come in handy as Tali joins Shepard's crew aboard their ship, the Normandy. However, when she first signs onto the ship, she's a timid shadow of the person she will become. She's the quiet space wallflower who feels a bit out of place but urges herself onward for the sake of the galaxy and the good of her people. Using what skills she has to help support Shepard, Tali proves to herself and the whole galaxy the great potential of the Quarian people. Inspired by the deeds of Shepard, Tali also grows in character, becoming a more confident leader in her own right. And she needs all the strength as she can muster for she has an incredibly daunting task: helping her people reclaim their homeworld from the AI race known as the Geth, which they just so happen to create. All the while helping Shepard stop the threat of the Reapers from mercilessly destroying every living thing in the galaxy.
Because of her dynamic growth throughout the series and her natural place as part of Shepard's team, Tali is the one of the best examples of a supporting character in a video game. Her great qualities make her shine independently from other characters but also mesh well into the whole of the team. This all stems from her immense depth of character, driven by her desire to help her people and save every life that she can. So, in summary: Tali'Zorah freaking rocks.
-Tom
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