Samara

Justicar

Following my code, I will serve you, Shepard. Your choices are my choices. Your actions are my actions. Your desires are my Code.

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Samara, an asari justicar, approximately one thousand years old, a member of an ancient monastic order adhering to a strict code of honor. While she possesses excellent weapon skills, Samara typically relies on her powerful biotic abilities. Justicars rarely leave asari space, but Samara's quest for justice has brought her to Ilium.

Dossier

Like most asari, Samara's Maiden period was marked by adventure and excitement. Once, she ran away with a group of mercenaries and discovered her talent for fighting. She left the gang immediately after learning that the hijacked ship she was piloting was transporting not weapons or technology, but slaves destined for sale to the Collectors. Samara attempted to turn the ship around, but met resistance from her crew and was forced to kill them. The Collector ship arrived right after the fight, but fortunately, the transport was near a relay, allowing her to escape. After she reached safety, Samara conducted a short self-defense course among the slaves and disposed of the credits, weapons, and armor belonging to her former gang members, then dropped all the slaves off at the Citadel.

After that, Samara left her mercenary career and paused her travels, eventually finding stability with her asari partner and began to build a family. Samara gave birth to three daughters, but to her horror, she discovered that all of them were Ardat-Yakshi, suffering from a genetic defect that compelled them to kill their partners during physical love. As Samara later explains, she is pure-blooded and believes that the intense disdain for her kind is partly due to the fact that pure-bloods have an increased chance of birthing Ardat-Yakshi daughters.

Two of Samara's daughters, Falere and Rila, chose a life of isolation and convenience. Her third daughter, Morinth, whom Samara describes as “the smartest and bravest” of the trio, refused to live in seclusion and fled, beginning to revel in the thrill of murder and violence. Upon discovering that her daughter was addicted to murdering her partners, Samara renounced her former life, dedicated herself to the Code, and became a justicar.

Samara hunted her daughter across the galaxy for centuries. One day, Samara discovered that Morinth had corrupted the minds of an entire settlement, causing the inhabitants to worship her and offer young asari as sacrifices. When Samara arrived, Morinth fled again, sending waves of her admirers at her, buying herself time to escape at the cost of their lives. When Samara finished the cleanup, only a small girl remained alive, whom she placed in the care of local authorities before continuing her hunt. Another time, Samara's path crossed with Specter Nylus Kryik after she witnessed him kill an unarmed civilian. She had no choice but to begin pursuing him. They fought for days across the planet, chasing each other through the wilderness. Eventually, Nylus outsmarted Samara, putting her in a situation where she had to save an innocent life and allow the Specter to escape. While she missed him, she was astonished at how Nylus adapted to the situation and managed to turn the Code against her.

By 2185, Samara caught up with Morinth outside asari space on the planet Ilium. Following reports that Eclipse mercenaries helped Morinth escape the planet, Samara attacked one of the mercenary groups and interrogated the sole survivor, seeking the name of the ship Morinth took. When the mercenary refused to answer, Samara killed her, just before the arrival of Captain Shepard, who had come to Ilium hoping to recruit the justicar for his mission. She expresses interest in Shepard's mission but is forced to go into custody with Detective Anaya for a time.

Samara asks Shepard for assistance in finding the name of the ship – an urgent task, considering that under the Code of Justicars, having been imprisoned for one day, Samara is obligated to escape, possibly killing many police officers in the process. When Shepard returns with the name of the ship (Demeter), Samara makes the Third Oath of Loyalty, binding herself to Shepard and promising to fight the Collectors until the end. However, the hunt for Morinth remains her most important pursuit.

Loyalty

Samara's loyalty mission revolves around her hunt for her daughter Morinth. With Shepard's help in uncovering the name of the ship, Samara traced Morinth to Omega and learned that she had just committed another murder. After Samara and Shepard investigated the victim's room on Omega, Samara proposed that Shepard act as bait for Morinth to lure her into a trap. After obtaining access to the VIP section of the Afterlife club, they split up at the entrance and Shepard ventures alone from there. Shepard must perform at least two aggressive actions in the club to attract Morinth's attention. Once Shepard has her focus, she invites him to sit with her at a private table, where Shepard attempts to seduce her by discussing their “common” interests. When she becomes fully enthralled with Shepard, she takes him back to her apartment. Finally, when Morinth tries to seduce Shepard, Samara bursts in and engages her daughter in a fight. Ultimately, their struggle becomes a deadlock, as both possess powerful biotic abilities that cannot overpower each other. This allows Shepard to choose whom to assist – Morinth or Samara. If Shepard chooses Samara, Morinth is killed, and the Captain gains the justicar's loyalty. However, if Shepard sides with Morinth, the Ardat-Yakshi kills Samara and takes her place in the squad. Regardless of the choice, the mission is accomplished.

Romance

“You are unlike anyone I have ever met. I believe I could find even more than happiness beside you.”

Through conversations, Shepard has the opportunity to express romantic interest in Samara. However, due to Samara's connection to the Code, she chose to serve the code above romantic impulses, though the code does not forbid them, thus rejecting Shepard's advances. Still, she notes that she highly values his interest. However, through subsequent conversations, Shepard may continue to press for a romantic relationship, leading to Samara nearly reciprocating his feelings and giving him a kiss, but she stops him at the last moment and asks for time to be alone. After these conversations, she can be found observing the engine from the crew quarters. If spoken to, she simply replies, “Please ...” She will return to her cabin on the observation deck when Shepard leaves the area. However, if Shepard is a Renegade, Samara will respond that she does not feel a connection with him and that she has seen too many horrific acts from Shepard, for which had she not been under the Oath, she would have killed him.

Interesting Facts:

• Samara is voiced by Maggie Baird, and her likeness is modeled after Rana McAnear.

• In Arabic, the name “Samara” translates to “guardian,” making it a fitting name for a justicar.

• Samara's armor and jewelry were designed in a distinctly feminine style and did much to create her archetypal “mystical warrior” image.

• Interestingly, the holo-projector in the 28th level of the Zakera Ward, which mentions the names of possible romantic interests if they are in the party and pass by it in Samara's presence names her, despite the impossibility of romancing her.

• If Shepard is a Renegade, Samara tells him that if she were not under the Oath, their meeting would have ended in bloodshed. If the Captain is a Paragon, she simply notes that if Shepard forces her to do anything against the Code, she will kill the Captain when their mission is complete.

• Like all other crew members, Samara has unique dialogues that we can hear in numerous locations, during missions or assignments, or if a special crew member is selected to be in a squad with her.

• The Illusive Man has files on Samara, which can be accessed aboard his ship.