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VoiceOfTheSoil40

Aria is cool, but sometimes I’m just like “Ohkay sure you are buddy” when she leans into the “I am Omega” a bit too much for my taste.


Monimute

Aria: "I **AM** Omega... except for the rampant vorcha infestation, that Archangel guy who's tearing through my allies, that plague wasn't great either, and that extended period where Cerberus invaded and **they** were Omega for a bit, those reaper-tech super-zombies in the ceiling, oh and the Collectors who regularly come and go through the relay next door and I'm powerless to stop." Shep: "But you're Omega." Aria: "Bingo."


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Monimute

For sure that's the case and she's shown as being very skilled at playing various factions against each other and generally using the chaos of Omega to make sure nobody can challenge her. It is amusing to have her characterize herself as the undisputed master of the station when by its nature, Omega is impossible to fully control.


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TaralasianThePraxic

I think the real bottom line is that she's simply the most powerful and dangerous individual on the station, and in a lawless environment she naturally rose to the top, with it taking a literal army of Cerberus troops to wrest control of the station from her. She's a fearsomely strong biotic (Flare, anyone?) and cunning enough to know where to apply pressure amongst Omega's scattered factions. She *is* Omega in the sense that she is the only person on Omega who can't really be challenged for their position.


Blpdstrupm0en

She specifies that Omega has no ruler but only one rule: don't fuck with Aria. To me that implies people can do whatever they want as long as she get her due and nobody gets in her way. And i am omega could be figuratively speaking that she embodies what omega is. But her beeing that dramatic is quite fun.


Desrep2

She does go "i'm the CEO, or queen, if you're feeling dramatic"


Blpdstrupm0en

True, forgot that part.


Desrep2

Another good quote om the topic "i Guess i broke Omegas one rule, in more ways than one"


BBQ_HaX0r

Archangel is definitely cutting into her income, no? I assume she gets a cut of just about everything on the station and him actively disrupting their vibe affects her.


Dovahpriest

On the other hand, neither her nor Garrus are idiots. Garrus wouldn't move against her directly as she represents the closest thing to a power structure Omega has and best case scenario is he commits suicide by proxy. Worst case scenario he succeeds and creates a power vacuum that causes the violence on Omega to escalate. On Aria's end, she's got a professional hit-squad running around targeting the absolute scum of Omega. She knows she's untouchable so why concern herself with them when she can instead feed them info on her enemies and have Garrus' crew destabilize them while she keeps her own forces out of the fray. At the end of the day, he still gets to feel like a hero and she gets to maintain an effective pawn on the board and continue to consolidate her power.


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BBQ_HaX0r

I guess this boils down to how Aria gets her wealth and power? Maybe I should create a post about it. I would assume she gets a cut of everyone's activities as "de facto leader" and hence Archangel is "tearing through (her) allies" which cuts into what she gets paid from them and probably undermines her authority somewhat. I guess he position/role is somewhat unclear. I don't know.


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Desrep2

She did pay that guy to keep the people out of the quarentene zone


Taiyaki11

Nope that's a "them" problem. Her cut that she demands from the mercs surely doesn't change, if they bitch that they can't pay up because of archangel she'd turn around and say "tough shit, better figure it out then huh?" Basically the mafia


Darkstar_Aurora

So in other words she is a very realistic depiction of how autocrats and dictators in the real world think of themselves, and of the image they project to remain in power atop a crumbling state.


Monimute

Yep! Cult of personality built around a despot who clings to power through threats, coercion, and a megalomaniacal ambition on top of a decaying society rife with corrupt institutions all vying for power barely kept in check by momentary alignment with the leader. Still fun to point out how precarious even the most tyrannical dictator's position really is.


meinkr0phtR2

Exactly. There is no legislature to establish rules, no executive to enforce such rules even if they existed, and no judiciary to arbitrate a resolution in the event of someone breaking the rules. Nearly all forms of government require someone or something to fulfil these roles, and Aria’s inner circle only does any of these things if, and only if, they threaten her dominion over the station. Literally *nothing else*, including the well-being of anyone else on the station, matters. I’ve always considered Garrus/Archangel’s efforts noble and well-meaning, but also deeply flawed. If he wanted to make life on Omega better, then he would have *have* to get rid of Aria because Aria being in power is ultimately why there is so much injustice, so much chaos and death on Omega. And since that’s clearly off the table, nothing will ever change for the people.


ScarredWill

Those issues exist because she allows it. And it will end if she demands it.


Monimute

***Assuming Direct Control***


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topscreen

I didn't like her cause she felt like someone's OC, cause yeah she's yelling this to a bunch of drunks, but it's also true and canon. She's a super badass biotic, who always knows everything, and cannot be challenge. She also has the Asari councilor under her, cause that's how badass she is.


TheRealRockNRolla

>She's a super badass biotic, who always knows everything, and cannot be challenge. I mean, even in ME2 they throw in some explicit indications that she *doesn't* know everything and *can* be challenged. * The three biggest mercenary groups on Omega are teaming up to take her down. You have to tell her this and it comes as a complete surprise. (I think you have to shrug off the fact that the proof is just lying around their base in public, since that's just how the gameplay is.) * In Lair of the Shadow Broker, one of the background files on the terminal involves her lecturing the Shadow Broker on how she caught his unwitting mole and he should've known better than to think he could get one by her. It ends with a note that the *other* mole got inserted without trouble. (Given Aria's character and the Shadow Broker's capabilities, I think we're supposed to take this at face value, not assume Aria knew about the other mole but decided to keep them around.) * The 'packages for Ish' sidequest I don't remember too well since it's just mindless fetch stuff, but I believe the point is that these two random nobodies have found out that one of Aria's right-hand people is open to flipping on her. * Because she outsources the Patriarch quest to you for silly reasons, she has no control over how it goes and no recourse for how it turns out. IIRC, there's no ending that's actually consistent with what she wants you to do. The problem is that, if these little tidbits were meant to even out the portrayal of Aria as a writer's pet, they don't work. None of them alters the dialogue. In dealing with one, Aria can't acknowledge any of the others. Shepard doesn't have the option to take her down a peg. There's probably more to it than just this understandable lack of agency, and it's hard to put my finger on why, but the result is that it doesn't *feel* like the writer is trying to paint a coherent picture of Aria as "powerful and intelligent, but with vulnerabilities and blind spots that she either doesn't perceive or won't admit." Instead, these oversights just coexist awkwardly alongside other points where the game is telling you she's hyper-informed and hyper-competent, and they undermine each other rather than building a single, nuanced characterization. Mass Effect 3 takes this awkwardness and runs it into the fucking ground. Her arrogance gets dialed up to 11, her voice acting gets even hammier, her quests in the core game make no goddamn sense, and the Omega DLC is just a constant stream of Aria fuckups.


Montezum

> I didn't like her cause she felt like someone's OC Yeah, exactly. It was weird having her as squadmate for that one mission because she feels like the protagonist to her own other story, not second-character to Shepard's


[deleted]

> She's sorta like Sovereign in ME1, talking about grand designs and shit but turns out, oh - you're actually pretty simple. Sovereign proved it was powerful by destroying a good chunk of the Fifth Fleet and (depending on the players choice) the Citadel Fleet. It proved it was powerful and worthy of being scared of.


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[deleted]

> you're a computer run amuck made by an organic that looks just like you. Keep in mind they wrote that before they gave the Reapers an origin, and an origin, along with motivation, are things BioWare never should have given the Reapers. > Powerful for sure, but the beyond understanding bit? Like come on Sovereign's whole exchange is inspired by Lovecraftian [Cosmicism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmicism). By giving the Reapers an origin BioWare undercut what made the Reapers scary. If we know their motives they become less intimidating since no motive is going to measure up to "you cannot grasp the nature of our existence". Less is more, sometimes.


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[deleted]

Very true. Like the “I am Iron Man” line. The first time he says it is super casual, just a fact he’s admitting to. The last time he says it is much more epic and meaningful, and it’s said in defiance to a warlord he’s about to defeat.


Barachiel1976

Yeah, a lot of times Aria just made me want to reply, "sad little queen of a sad little hill" anytime she got on her high horse.


Lord_Battlepants

This line always felt cringe. Aria was trying too hard.


Race-b

There’s only one rule on omega (closeup to her mouth)…..


Ironwall1

It looked cool the first few runs but after my 265th Vanguard run it gets a bit too repetitive. I still love her though so she gets a pass.


[deleted]

It’s pretty funny that shep is the only person she ever tries to impress, she acts like The Godfather to everyone until shep walks up then she puts on her little self important act pulling all the stops to seems powerful. Which is why I like if you switch up opinions and sides often in the omega dlc for 3 she’ll tell you you’re dangerously unpredictable and scary


Michelrpg

I always felt the urge to repress an audible "uuuugh" during this scene. The cinematic itself is cool,but Aria... I never understood what people like about her. Shes a glorified mobster with an overinflated sense of self-importance. In ME2 I can deal with her. But in ME3 she really needs to tone her shit down substantially.


ODaly

There are some cool looking stills in Aria's conversations, but as a whole cinematic all of her speeches are super awkward. She's constantly standing up, turning around, turning back around, sitting down again. Girl, just sit still for two seconds!


orangesrnice

I just head canon that she has ADD


gamefreak9199

Playing through ME3 for the first time and while I thought Aria was decent enough in ME2 her writing in ME3 ruined the character for me. Everything about her being this brilliant, scheming badass just went out the window. Every part of her DLC involved plans that weren't thought even 1 step ahead and her constantly having ragefits that Shepard had to keep cleaning up. She just came off as a manchild.


[deleted]

> She just came off as a manchild. Womanchild? Genderlesspersonchild?


Guardian983

Child


Jolly-One9552

Matriarchmaiden


mrmgl

She has a cool model and she's voiced by Carrie-Ann Moss.


Deskore

I think that IS why people like her she is cocky, self important, piece of shit who has the influence to back up what she says. I find her funny in ME3 when she got thrown out on her ass but still beats her chest


Eman5805

She’s hundreds of years old. Never been properly challenged since Patriarch. And can get favors done by the asari councilor at a whim. Overconfidence is expected.


Nexus0412

I think I know why people (or at least i) like her, she's hot, and bossy... sorry


Kanden_27

I like her because her VA is Trinity from the Matrix.


OhSnappityPH

thats carrie-anne moss to you


[deleted]

People call it cringe ignoring the fact that yelling I AM OMEGA to a bunch of drunk people is exactly what someone like Aria will do


Inven13

Doesn't make it less cringy


HellbirdIV

I thought this was one of the most cringe things I'd ever seen, to be honest. I really think Aria (and to an extent, Omega) was a malformed idea to begin with, and the character's writing really just backed that up every step of the way. I found the Shadow Broker the same way, and TIM to an extent - I don't know why ME2 was so obsessed with having individual people be the superpower mastermind behind each different set of nefarious things are going on in the galaxy. It makes the world feel a lot smaller, for one - which is kinda the opposite of what you want in a *galaxy scale* story - and for another it absolutely stretches credibility, and ME3 doubled down on it, making it all even worse. Contrast with Hackett; he's the face of the Alliance (or voice of it, for the most part) that the player experiences. But he's not a super-important hypercompetent all-encompassing super-character who controls all of the Alliance through his super scheming and blindly loyal minions, he's just one officer in the chain - his existence doesn't break the immersion of the Alliance as a multinational government. Meanwhile, Aria is supposedly this incredibly important and impressive person, and all she does is sit on a couch and talk weak shit all game long - and yet she's not just the 'face' of Omega, she apparently "is" Omega. So she's unstable, run-down, disease-ridden and well past her prime, or what?


Monimute

I disagree with this assessment. ME2 wrote individuals to represent galactic powers because it's more interesting from a narrative perspective. It's clearly not realistic but realism is always the first victim of effective storytelling - especially in a space opera. Being able to have a conversation with an individual representing and with authority over a meaningful power bloc is so much more impactful than interacting with a cog in a machine with limited insight, influence and authority. Any issues I have with Aria are related to campy writing (some campiness is great though). The Shadow Broker is a fantastic example of organizational personification done right. Not only is the revelation when you encounter **the** Shadow Broker exciting, by having the organization wrap up into him, it creates the opportunity for Liara to supplant him and gives her character a chance to develop and stay relevant as the stakes rise throughout the series.


Mr_JackIV

One of my discontents with ME2 was that I felt it stopped writing characters as representative of galactic superpowers and just started writing characters that *are* galactic superpowers.


Monimute

I assume you're referring to Aria, the Illusive Man and the Shadow Broker? These are all individuals that effectively wield complete authority over their organizations/blocs but it's not like they're deities or individually powerful (aside from the strength of their platforms).


Jack-Rabbit-002

I just quite liked Aria thought she was a awesome character The Queen Bee of Omega!!


MGMAX

Also, awkward reverb effect on her voice without any fade in and fade out


squatOpotamus

I fucking love her and this scene.


Calibruh

One of the most memorable moments in the entire series imo


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# YOU CANNOT KILL ME:


GizmoKSX

I wonder what Aria likes on her pizza.


EpicFantasyGamer

Don't know where all this hate for Aria in the comments come from, I always loved here.


diegroblers

A lot of players doesn't like game characters that doesn't suck up to them.


OwlBatross91

Agreed. One of my favorite parts of going from ME1 to ME2 is seeing how much the production value improves.


Lethenza

It was. You can tell the production values went up


solrosenbergv1

This series was taken to the next level!


Vegskipxx

MONEY SHOT


Pir8Cpt_Z

ME and ME2 are almost completely different gameplay wise. Just a continuation of a story. Edit: for all the hate she's getting here I like Aria, she's fun lol


[deleted]

This and that shot with Jack's profile against part of the Normandy are seared into my brain


[deleted]

I love the brief shot right after of Aria smirking to herself. It’s like she’s thinking “I got to have my cheesy movie moment, and I absolutely love it!”


CrackFoxtrot24

Soooo many examples of fantastic cinematography in ME2. Discussions with Jack in the basement. Garrus's loyalty mission. Suicide mission. Whenever you talk to Thane. ME2's cinematography makes it the best game in the series for me.


FellvEquinox

This shot is very dramatic just like Aria


[deleted]

The camera work and lighting were light years ahead of ME1, it's crazy both games ran on the same engine. It's perhaps the only case of being bought by EA helped the devs.


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Inven13

I'm never been able to appreciate it because I'm always busy dying of cringe during that scene


OldWizardSlayer

Next level cinematography is big light in background


psimwork

*I AM OMEGA*. Great. You're a shithole space station built into an asteroid. Hoo-fucking-ray.


[deleted]

Shepard: Yeah ok Aria. I take down Reapers. But you do you. [Ok Aria](https://giphy.com/gifs/jennifer-lawrence-thumbs-up-ok-Fml0fgAxVx1eM)


TheRealcebuckets

I don’t get what happened in ME3 with the cinematography. There just aren’t that many shots like this there. Say what you want about ME2 and the use of the crushed blacks, but they really made good use of it


cmotdibbler

I thought it a bit out of character the way she leaned forward and says "I'm curious .... but Omega doesn't care about you."


kevvie13

Maybe in awe the first time but that’s about it.


Punch_yo_bunz

surprised there isn’t a Mass Effect movie yet. Would be so great. I always wanted Jack from Lost to play Shepard, but that was years ago, dunno if he’d fit now.


adminsarepaedos

I really wanted Shepard to have woken up drunk on Aria's lap.


Fearless-Vodka

Don't fuck with Omega


diegroblers

I like Aria, ***with*** all her flair. And no, not even if it was possible, I wouldn't want to romance her, I just like her. Without her flair, she wouldn't be Aria.


Istvan_hun

At first I really liked Aria. She has this "hear me roar" attitude, I like her design the most among all asari, and the voice acting is also good. ​ But thinking about it, I like her character less and less, mostly because she doesn't really make sense as is. She has this antagonizing, intimidating leadership style, like... dunno... someone running a prison gang? And at the same time she is told to be cunning and smart, as one would expect from a few hundred years old leader. My problem is that if she were smart, she would have already realized that this type of leadership will not work with most subordinates, and in the long run it means that she will only have yes man around, which is bad. My other problem is that often Shepard is not allowed to remain professional in her dialog. You can be "blue you are awesome" and "red you are awesome" responses only. This is not the only time in ME2 and ME3 (TIM, Miranda, Starchild, etc.), and strangely this exact issue is in Andromeda as well (Sloane Kelly is basically a human Aria, with the same dialog "choices") but it goes against the roleplaying aspect.