Summary
The Asari are among the most recognizable and intriguing alien races in theMass Effectseries. The species is characterized by beauty, intelligence, and a natural proclivity for biotic powers. A handful of Asari even join the player ascompanions in theMass Effectgames, driving home their status as an ally species. However, there is reason to believe that they could be harboring a dark mystery.
Asari are mono-gendered, with Liara T’Soni, the most prominent Asari in the series, stating that they do not adhere to strict masculine or feminine traits, although they appear as conventionally feminine and are often referred to using female pronouns as well as other feminine terms like “matriarch”. Aside from their inherent lack of gender conformity, the most notable aspect of Asari society and biology relates to their mating practices. Asari can live for hundreds of years, and will thus bond with a number of different partners. Asari are considered viable asromantic partners forMass Effect’s many different alien races, including humans, as they can produce offspring with any species. It is within this element of Asari tradition that a dark secret might lie.
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Asari May Use Psychic Powers to Trick Their Mates
InMass Effect 2, the player can eavesdrop on a bachelor party on Ilium. The party consists of three male coworkers. One is a Salarian, one is a Human, and one is a Turian. The trio is observing an Asari dancer, and at one point they all take turns commenting on how members of the Asari race most resemble the females of their own race. This is a comedic, minor piece of side content, but upon further consideration, these comments open the door to a greatMass Effectmystery.
TheAsari are amongMass Effect’s most powerfulsocieties, but they have one great weakness. Not only are they able to reproduce with other species, but they strive to do so, as breeding with their fellow Asari can be problematic; pureblood Asari have a chance to develop the Ardat-Yakshi trait, which causes them to kill anyone they attempt to mate with, rendering them deadly and sterile. As such, it is frowned upon for Asari to mate with one another, as it could cause their birth rate to plummet. On top of this, Asari value reproducing with other species as it allows them to diversify their gene pool, adopting favorable traits from other species.
Considering this fundamental social practice in conjunction with the aforementioned bachelor party comments makes fora somewhat darkMass Effecttheory. The Asari are known to have innate mastery of biotic powers, able to access psychic abilities that other species can’t, even with the help of advanced technology. To help achieve their goal of spreading their genes through the galaxy, perhaps they could be leveraging these powers to trick the minds of other species, making themselves seem like more appealing mates in the process.
This would explain the comments made by the bachelor party, but it would also explain their humanoid appearance. Asari are far and away the most human-like alien species in the series, but all theMass Effectgames are from the human perspective, so this fits the theory. It’s never suggested that Asari and humans are particularly compatible, as all races seem to be equally attracted to Asari. But this wouldn’t make sense if they objectively looked like humans. An issue with this interpretation is the fact that Asari can wear human armor, as seen in the first and thirdMass Effectgames, but this could be explained as another illusion; perhaps Asari can somehow repurpose the human armor to fit their actual form, or simply trick those around them into thinking they are wearing the armor.
If the Asari truly are using a form of mind-control on their partners, it paints their interspecies relationships in a very different light. They are not forthcoming about this information, so it could be a long-kept secret, or perhaps even part of a greater, more insidious plan. There is still plenty to berevealed aboutMass Effect 4, so it’s possible that the upcoming game will further illuminate or refute this theory.
