A Deep Dive Into Mass Effect's Loyal and Dedicated Turian Alien Race
The Mass Effect Trilogy introduced players to a wide range of alien races, and each player can easily pick which race is their favorite to interact with. Sometimes, favorites are influenced by the romance storylines that players can have with their crewmates, though one fan-favorite is the Turians, who were introduced in the original Mass Effect game and have remained prominent throughout the sequels.
The Turian race has a long history in the Milky Way, becoming the third race to join the Citadel Council. Turians are not looked down upon and are often revered within galactic society because of their discipline, work ethic, and devotion to public service. A romance storyline with Garrus Vakarian is also one of the most rewarding in the trilogy, making Turians more than worthy of a deep dive into their culture and customs.
Turians are extremely tall, standing at over six feet. Much like Quarians, they have two long, thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. This similarity is also why Quarians are able to eat Turian food. However, Turians also have talons at the end of their fingers and mandibles around their jaws, leading to a unique look compared to other aliens.
Another defining characteristic of Turians is their voice, which players know has a flanging effect. Some players even choose Garrus as a romance option based on his voice alone. Interestingly, male Turians have distinct crests that extend past their heads, while female Turians do not. The Turian race lives about as long as humans, and their diet is mostly meat-based.
Evolutionarily, Turians developed a metallic carapace that contains small amounts of thulium in order to combat the exorbitant amount of solar radiation on their homeworld of Palaven. Additionally, Turian features are notably avian compared to other aliens, making many regard them as humanoid birds. However, unlike regular birds, Turians give birth to live young and do not lay eggs. Turians have dark blue blood, as opposed to the purple blood of the Asari.
The history of the Turian race is mostly categorized by war, not including their efforts in helping stop the Reapers. The first notable war is the Unification War—a civil war that broke out between Turians and their colonies that moved away from Palaven. This happened around the time that the Asari and Salarians formed the Citadel Council, and though the Turians were able to resolve their issues, many Turians still wear face markings to show allegiance to their home colony. Players might remember Garrus’ blue markings in Mass Effect, or Vetra Nyx’s purple markings in Mass Effect: Andromeda, which highlight this.
The second notable war that the Turians were involved in is the Krogan Rebellions. In fact, the bloodiest battle in Turian history occurred during this war at Digeris. Turians suffered heavy casualties during the war, having only gotten involved because the Citadel Council asked them to. Eventually, the Turians were the ones who deployed the Salarian-made Genophage that stopped the Krogan from being able to reproduce. Because of their efforts in the war, the Turians were accepted into the Citadel Council.
Finally, there was the Relay 314 Incident. This was not a full-blown war, but instead humanity’s first interaction with the Turians. Turians had opened fire on a ship they did not recognize, and in turn humanity took out some Turian vessels. Things escalated quickly, but before an all-out war could come to a head, the Council stepped in and introduced humanity to the other alien races. Though this incident happened long ago, there is still some lingering resentment between some Turians and humans.
Though their facial markings show loyalty to their home colony, there’s no information that determines which markings signify which colony, or if their colors have any meaning. However, Turians without any markings are referred to as “barefaced” and often looked down upon. While Turians are devoted to public service, they are notoriously bad at the business side of things. To combat this shortcoming, they accepted the Volus as a client race, who offer fiscal advice in exchange for Turian protection.
If their history was any indication, Turians aren’t known for violence, but rather a militaristic approach to life. The military is the center of Turian society, but it’s not just an armed force. Though they have a very expansive and impressive arsenal, their society’s military structure also helped create a massive public works organization. There is a tier system that Turians go through during their lives, but the goal isn’t to climb the ranks — it’s settling in an area that is the best for the Turian. There is no shame in finding one’s niche and remaining in the same role as Turians value that over being ambitious and incapable.
The Turian government and military are known as the Turian Hierarchy, or just the Hierarchy. There are no rules or laws that limit things like drinking or drug use, only the understanding that a Turian must complete their duties sufficiently and not inhibit others from doing theirs. If peers begin to notice that a Turian cannot complete their job due to substance abuse, they stage an intervention, and can even help get the Turian in question into rehabilitation. Additionally, the Turian economy is much bigger than that of humanity’s but pales in comparison to the Asari economy.
Turians value the whole over the individual, and are often motivated by decisions that help the whole group, not just themselves. Turian society also values honor above all else, so Turians know to own up to every decision they make, whether it’s good or bad. Beyond any violence or other kinds of crimes, one of the worst things a Turian could do is lie about their actions.
Turians are one of the most prominent alien races in the entire Mass Effect Trilogy and became even more solidified as a fan favorite when players were able to romance them. With the Mass Effect Legendary Edition of the trilogy coming out next year, players are surely excited to see how Turians will look in high-definition.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be available in Spring 2021.
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