Jump to content

Thane Krios: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 19: Line 19:
}}
}}


'''Thane Krios''' is a fictional character in [[BioWare]]'s ''[[Mass Effect]]'' franchise, who first appeared in ''Mass Effect 2'' as a [[Party (role-playing games)|party member]] (or "squadmate"). The character is a drell, a race of extraterrestrial [[Reptilian_humanoid#Science_fiction|reptilian humanoid]]s who form a symbiotic relationship with the hanar and integrated into every level of hanar society. He candidly reveals to Shepard during their first meeting that he is dying of Kepral's Syndrome, a genetic respiratory disease that will ultimately lead to lung failure, but willingly joins a suicide missions to stop the abduction of human colonies by the enigmatic Collectors.<ref name="Able"/> The character also appears in ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'', the final game in the trilogy, where his condition has worsened. Thane makes further appearances in two issues of the ''Mass Effect: Foundation'' limited comic series, which take place prior to the events of the trilogy.
'''Thane Krios''' is a fictional character in [[BioWare]]'s ''[[Mass Effect]]'' franchise, who first appeared in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' as a [[Party (role-playing games)|party member]] (or "squadmate"). The character is a drell, a race of extraterrestrial [[Reptilian_humanoid#Science_fiction|reptilian humanoid]]s who form a symbiotic relationship with the hanar and integrated into every level of hanar society. Thane is a highly skilled professional assassin who is recruited by Shepard in the planet Illium for a "[[suicide mission]]" to stop the abduction of human colonists by a mysterious species known as the Collectors. He candidly reveals to Shepard during their first meeting that he is dying of Kepral's Syndrome, a genetic respiratory disease that will ultimately lead to lung failure, but willingly joins the suicide mission.<ref name="Able"/> The character also appears in ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'', the final game in the trilogy, where his condition has worsened. Thane makes further appearances in two issues of the ''Mass Effect: Foundation'' limited comic series, which take place prior to the events of the trilogy.


The character is well-received by critics and fans with regards to his complex characterization and as a positive depiction of an [[Religion and video games|openly religious video game character]]. Thane is considered to be a "poster character" for the game, having featured prominently in promotional art, demo footage, trailers and advertisements for ''[[Mass Effect 2]]''.<ref name="Nine"/><ref name="Trailer"/>
The character is well-received by critics and fans with regards to his complex characterization and as a positive depiction of an [[Religion and video games|openly religious video game character]]. Thane has featured prominently in promotional art, demo footage, trailers and advertisements for ''Mass Effect 2''.<ref name="Nine"/><ref name="Trailer"/>


Thane Krios is voiced by [[Keythe Farley]].
Thane Krios is voiced by [[Keythe Farley]].
Line 44: Line 44:
Once his face had been set, BioWare began work on Thane's body, which Watts recalls as a less "exhausting" experience than designing Thane's head.<ref name="Watts"/> Debates were had over whether Thane should wear tight assassin-appropriate clothing or a loose jacket that evoked the feeling of a professional.<ref name="Art"/> Early on, the developers tried to remove his jacket over animation concerns. However, these attempts were considered to ruin his whole design.<ref name="Art"/> His "balaclava-style" helmets tried to reflect his criminal background by imitating [[ski mask]]s.<ref name="Art"/> Arists experimented with jewellery. The Thane in-game solely has a necklace.<ref name="Art"/>
Once his face had been set, BioWare began work on Thane's body, which Watts recalls as a less "exhausting" experience than designing Thane's head.<ref name="Watts"/> Debates were had over whether Thane should wear tight assassin-appropriate clothing or a loose jacket that evoked the feeling of a professional.<ref name="Art"/> Early on, the developers tried to remove his jacket over animation concerns. However, these attempts were considered to ruin his whole design.<ref name="Art"/> His "balaclava-style" helmets tried to reflect his criminal background by imitating [[ski mask]]s.<ref name="Art"/> Arists experimented with jewellery. The Thane in-game solely has a necklace.<ref name="Art"/>


Joe Skrebels from IGN noted that Thane's final design bears a resemblance to [[Abe Sapien]] from the [[Hellboy]] series.<ref name="Influence"/>
Joe Skrebels from IGN was of the opinion that Thane's final design bore a resemblance to [[Abe Sapien]] from the [[Hellboy]] series.<ref name="Influence"/>


==Appearances==
==Appearances==
Thane is a highly skilled professional assassin who is recruited by Shepard in the planet Illium for a "[[suicide mission]]" to stop the abduction of human colonists by a mysterious species known as the Collectors. Thane's story revolves around his son, Kolyat, and his desire to rescue him from a life of crime. Shepard and team must travel to the Citadel to stop Kolyat from following in his father's footsteps and taking up the career of assassination. Kolyat's contracted target is a racist turian politician who extorts human rackets while promising to reduce crime in the Citadel Wards. After the mission is completed, Thane then talks to his son and attempts to make things right with him. Thane will then become a loyal member of Shepard's team.
Thane is first encountered on Illium, where he had been based for the past two years on a mission to assassinate an asari named Nassana Dantius. He will join Shepard following his successful elimination of Dantius. Thane's story revolves around his son, Kolyat, and his desire to rescue him from a life of crime. Shepard and team must travel to the Citadel to stop Kolyat from following in his father's footsteps and taking up the career of assassination. Kolyat's contracted target is a racist turian politician who extorts human rackets while promising to reduce crime in the Citadel Wards. After the mission is completed, Thane then talks to his son and attempts to make things right with him. Thane will then become a loyal member of Shepard's team.


If the player pursues a relationship with Thane, he will tell Shepard that he has not talked of his past to anyone until he met her, and that she is "very kind." As the relationship progresses, Thane will open up his feelings for Shepard and call her "siha", one of the angels in Drell religion. Before the suicide mission, Thane will go up to Shepard's cabin and tell her that before he was diagnosed with his disease, he had no fear of death. But now that he has met Shepard, he is afraid of death and does not want to die. Thane begins to shed tears, but Shepard comforts him, and the two spend the night together.
If the player pursues a relationship with Thane, he will tell Shepard that he has not talked of his past to anyone until he met her, and that she is "very kind." As the relationship progresses, Thane will open up his feelings for Shepard and call her "siha", one of the angels in Drell religion. Before the suicide mission, Thane will go up to Shepard's cabin and tell her that before he was diagnosed with his disease, he had no fear of death. But now that he has met Shepard, he is afraid of death and does not want to die. Thane begins to shed tears, but Shepard comforts him, and the two spend the night together.

Revision as of 01:51, 22 March 2020

Thane Krios
Mass Effect character
Thane as he appears in Mass Effect 2
First appearanceMass Effect 2 (2010)
Last appearanceMass Effect: Foundation (2014)
Voiced byKeythe Farley
In-universe information
RaceDrell
HomeKahje
The Citadel
ClassAssassin
SkillBiotics

Thane Krios is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, who first appeared in Mass Effect 2 as a party member (or "squadmate"). The character is a drell, a race of extraterrestrial reptilian humanoids who form a symbiotic relationship with the hanar and integrated into every level of hanar society. Thane is a highly skilled professional assassin who is recruited by Shepard in the planet Illium for a "suicide mission" to stop the abduction of human colonists by a mysterious species known as the Collectors. He candidly reveals to Shepard during their first meeting that he is dying of Kepral's Syndrome, a genetic respiratory disease that will ultimately lead to lung failure, but willingly joins the suicide mission.[1] The character also appears in Mass Effect 3, the final game in the trilogy, where his condition has worsened. Thane makes further appearances in two issues of the Mass Effect: Foundation limited comic series, which take place prior to the events of the trilogy.

The character is well-received by critics and fans with regards to his complex characterization and as a positive depiction of an openly religious video game character. Thane has featured prominently in promotional art, demo footage, trailers and advertisements for Mass Effect 2.[2][3]

Thane Krios is voiced by Keythe Farley.

Character Overview

Thane was raised on the ocean planet of Kahje, the homeworld of the hanar, a species of jellyfish-like entities known for their strict adherence to polite speech and proper etiquette. About a century before the events of the original Mass Effect trilogy, the hanar evacuated a portion of the drell species from their dying homeworld Rakhana and transported them to Kahje.[4] In gratitude to the hanar for saving them from extinction, the remnants of the drell people pledged their loyalty and service to the hanar as a client race, the two races establishing a symbiotic cultural relationship known as the Compact[4]. The drell usually assist with many tasks the hanar may find physically difficult to perform even with mechanical aid, such as combat or assassinations, and they consider their service to the hanar an honor regardless of the nature of the task[5]. Thane possesses eidetic memory, a genetic trait typical of the drell species. An external stimulus may trigger an involuntary memory recall, which are so vivid and detailed that some drell may mistake it for reality. Thane occasionally loses himself reliving the perfect recall of some of his memories and can describe them in flawless detail.[6]

Thane was first trained by his hanar masters as an assassin since he was six, making his first assassination by the time he reached twelve.[7] He met his wife during an assassination mission when she stepped in front of Thane's target in order to stop him. Thane's wife was murdered many years ago by mercenaries attempting to capture him. This event caused him to abandon his young son, Kolyat, a decision that still haunts him.

Instead of adopting the hanar worship of the Protheans like some of his brethren, Thane is a devotee of the old polytheistic religion of his species, and spends much of his time in prayer and meditation, even within his work. Thane prays before each missions and asks for forgiveness from his gods after each kill. The player can discuss with him in great detail about his beliefs, and may even be invited by Thane to pray with him.

Thane is a possible romantic interest for a female player character, Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 2. While the relationship itself does not carry forward into Mass Effect 3 as a result of the conclusion of his subplot, the player has the choice to spend time with him at the Citadel hospital as his health deteriorates.

Creation and development

In a forum post by Thane's writer Patrick Weekes, which is inaccessible after EA permanently shut down Bioware's forums on August 26, 2016[8], he noted that, “in many ways, the description for Kepral’s Syndrome is similar to the real-life disease cystic fibrosis.”[1] The comparison provided by Weekes resonated with Elizabeth Rogers from The AbleGamers Foundation, who explained in her article "The Problems and Joys of Thane from Mass Effect" that she suffers from the condition Weekes had mentioned: a life-threatening genetic disorder that fills her lungs and pancreas with mucus, and that like Thane, her lungs will inevitably no longer work.

During the developmental cycle, the writing team discussed and debated whether Thane should be cured or not for his appearance in Mass Effect 3. Ultimately the decision was made to provide closure for the character as the conclusion of his story.[9]

Visual Design

According to art director Derek Watts, Thane was the toughest Mass Effect 2 character to design.[10] BioWare started with a written description of Thane, and wanted to emphasise him as a "career assassin" while keeping him attractive as a possible romantic interest for female players.[10] They asked the women in the office what they "liked" in their aliens.[10] Concept artists began by drawing on lizards and birds-of-paradise for inspiration.[11]It was considered giving Thane's face a "mannequin-like, 'perfect human' appearance",[11][10] and a red mark was considered as a possible key feature for the character.[10] Feedback was received from the women in the office who found the character "creepy",[10] and as the character was a romantic interest the mannequin-face was decided to be too "off-putting".[11] The team went "back to the drawing board"[10], with Thane later becoming a mix of "aquatic" and "reptilian" characteristics.[11] Thane ultimately went through eight or nine "phases" before his design was finalised.[12]The character was originally intended to have three metal earrings on the sides of his head, but the developers forgot to include this in his model.[10]

Once his face had been set, BioWare began work on Thane's body, which Watts recalls as a less "exhausting" experience than designing Thane's head.[10] Debates were had over whether Thane should wear tight assassin-appropriate clothing or a loose jacket that evoked the feeling of a professional.[11] Early on, the developers tried to remove his jacket over animation concerns. However, these attempts were considered to ruin his whole design.[11] His "balaclava-style" helmets tried to reflect his criminal background by imitating ski masks.[11] Arists experimented with jewellery. The Thane in-game solely has a necklace.[11]

Joe Skrebels from IGN was of the opinion that Thane's final design bore a resemblance to Abe Sapien from the Hellboy series.[13]

Appearances

Thane is first encountered on Illium, where he had been based for the past two years on a mission to assassinate an asari named Nassana Dantius. He will join Shepard following his successful elimination of Dantius. Thane's story revolves around his son, Kolyat, and his desire to rescue him from a life of crime. Shepard and team must travel to the Citadel to stop Kolyat from following in his father's footsteps and taking up the career of assassination. Kolyat's contracted target is a racist turian politician who extorts human rackets while promising to reduce crime in the Citadel Wards. After the mission is completed, Thane then talks to his son and attempts to make things right with him. Thane will then become a loyal member of Shepard's team.

If the player pursues a relationship with Thane, he will tell Shepard that he has not talked of his past to anyone until he met her, and that she is "very kind." As the relationship progresses, Thane will open up his feelings for Shepard and call her "siha", one of the angels in Drell religion. Before the suicide mission, Thane will go up to Shepard's cabin and tell her that before he was diagnosed with his disease, he had no fear of death. But now that he has met Shepard, he is afraid of death and does not want to die. Thane begins to shed tears, but Shepard comforts him, and the two spend the night together.

Thane returns in Mass Effect 3 provided he survived the events of Mass Effect 2. Thane appears in the Hospital on the Citadel, and tells Shepard he is now in the terminal stages of his illness and cannot join Shepard in the fight against the Reapers. Later on in the game Cerberus attacks the Citadel and Thane, if he was interacted with beforehand, assists Shepard in thwarting an assassination attempt on the salarian Councilor and is stabbed by assassin Kai Leng whom escapes. If neither Thane nor Kirrahe (who may serve as Thane's placeholder in the story arc) are alive, Kai Leng will be successful in his assassinating the salarian Councilor.

After the remaining Cerberus forces have been routed, Shepard visits Thane in the hospital where doctors tell Shepard that due to his blood loss and his illness is in the final stages, there is nothing else they can do but to comfort him during his final moments. If Thane has reconciled with Kolyat in Mass Effect 2, he will be present by his father's deathbed, and Thane asks him and Shepard to recite a prayer. As Kolyat and Shepard recite the prayer, Thane passes away. Kolyat will reveal that Thane's prayer was not meant for himself, but for Shepard. Thane's name will be added to the Normandy SR-2's memorial wall on the Crew Deck area after his passing in either Mass Effect 2 or 3, alongside other crew members who have fallen.

In the Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC, Shepard may hold a memorial service for Thane at their apartment. Following the service, Shepard could also view some video recordings made by Thane addressed to Shepard.

Reception

"His religion basically says that the body and soul are separate. So the body can be used as a tool by someone else, and thus his assassinations aren’t anything he bears guilt for — the person who hired him bears the guilt. But Thane still feels guilty. He thinks about his victims, he prays for his victims. So is the religion violent here?"

—Greg Perreault, Study: Video games depict religion as violent and problematic (interview). [14]

Thane has been mostly well received. Writing for GameZone, Dakota Grabowski listed Thane as the fifth best BioWare companion. Grabowski praised the character's design as well as how much was how parts of him were "open for interpretation".[15] IGN's Steven Hopper listed him as the sixth best Mass Effect companion, saying he had "one of the most engaging story arcs" in Mass Effect 2 and crediting his complexity.[16]GamesTM called him one of BioWare's eight most memorable companions, drawing attention to his "emotionally crippling" ending.[17] An IGN reader poll, to determine the "Ultimate RPG Party", had Thane be the eleventh-most voted in character.[18] The character was nominated for IGN's best overall character of 2010,[19] and won the award for best Xbox 360 character.[20] IGN called him "easily the most fully realized character in the supporting cast".[20]

Thane is ranked the fifth best Mass Effect companion by PC Gamer staff.[21]. Tom Marks cited the internal conflict present in Thane which makes him compelling as a sidekick, calling him the "personification of Shepard’s own Paragon and Renegade choices, and is the literal representation of their team marching slowly toward almost certain death". He also praised Thane's "gravelly voice", while another staff member rated the character for his perceived sex appeal.[21] Ben Griffin's of PC Gamer considered Thane one of his favourite BioWare companions, calling everything about the character "fascinating". However, Tim Clark, also writing for PC Gamer, considered Thane one of his most hated and called him "just a big green cloud of glum".[22] Tina Amini from Kotaku claimed that she reloaded an earlier save and spent at least another 40 hours making alternate decisions for her Mass Effect 2 playthrough just to ensure that Thane, whom she find compelling as a love interest for her Shepard character, survives the suicide mission and that their romance story arc would be continued for Mass Effect 3.[23]

The depiction of Thane's religious piety and spiritual outlook has been positively received. Cassidee Moser, writing for Gamesradar, called Thane's prayer to the drell god Amonkira[24] a nice summation of his humble and loyal personality.[25] Greg Perreault, a Journalism doctorate student at the University of Missouri, examined Mass Effect 2 as part of his research on the depiction of religion as violent or problematic in video games. He observed that Mass Effect 2 does not portray its religious and spiritual themes in a positive light, though he considered Thane to be an interesting case because the violence he commits is not informed by his religion, "although it allows for it."[26] GamesRadar's Jordan Baughman cited Thane as an example of BioWare's "The Honor-bound Psychotic" character archetype, specifically a religious zealot who "adheres to a special code that dictates his murder frenzies".[27] Joshua and Ita Irizarry, co-authors of "The Lord is My Shepard - Confronting Religion in the Mass Effect Trilogy" published as part of the Religion in Digital Games anthology publication, noted Thane's openly religious behaviour and expressed a bemusement that the character is embraced as a fan favorite by Mass Effect fandom. They contrasted Thane's positive reception as a unambiguously pious character to the broad negativity many players have shown towards human squadmate Ashley William's faith in the original Mass Effect, where the player may engage in thorough discussions of faith and religion with her. Comparing player responses to Ashley and Thane, the authors surmised that unlike Ashley, Thane never prompts the player to consider their (or Shepard's) views about religion. The authors posited that in the alternative, Thane and his religion are clearly seen as alien, which do not invite comment on the real world religions and spirituality, wheres the same cannot be said of Ashley and her religiosity.[14]

Elizabeth Rogers from the The AbleGamers Foundation appreciated that not only did the writers of Mass Effect presented Thane as "one of the few chronically ill characters to play a significant role in any video game" which she could identify herself with, they did not give Thane a cure narrative as part of his story arc. She expressed a view that under another writer who actually identifies with being chronically ill, may create a space for Thane to exist without death, "to be disabled and kicking ass well into the end of the series", but is content that he represents an overall positive representation of characters with disabilities in a video game.[1]

Phil Savage remarked that Thane's ending in Mass Effect 3 is brilliant, calling it a "quiet, sad triumph"; he's surrounded by family and friends at his deathbed, content with what he's achieved.[28] Savage observed that "this isn't a fate experienced by many major game characters". He likes that BioWare still made an effort to remind players to cherish the things that matter to them as individuals, such as their life goals and loved ones, even if Mass Effect is a game series that resolves around big, galaxy-shifting decisions and impossible odds.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Elizabeth Rogers (March 20, 2019). "THE PROBLEM AND JOYS OF THANE FROM MASS EFFECT". AbleGamers.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  2. ^ "9 Things We'd Like To See In Mass Effect 3". Videogamer.com. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Mass Effect 2 : Cinematic Trailer". YouTube. Official EA UK Channel. January 21, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Jody Macgregor (November 18, 2018). "Major events in the Mass Effect timeline". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  5. ^ BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Scene: Talking To Thane. Level/area: Normandy. Thane: Every species trains assassins. The hanar are only unusual in that they need other species to do the killing for them. They have a strong grip, and natural toxins. But have you ever seen one move quickly outside of water, or fire a gun?
  6. ^ BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Scene: Talking To Thane. Level/area: Normandy. Shepard: The last time we talked, you started speaking about a past event as if you were watching it. / Thane: Drell have perfect memories. We can relive any moment in our life with perfect clarity. It's difficult to control at times. Some of us disappear into... well, let's call it "solipsism."/ Shepard: What do you mean, solipsism? / Thane: When a memory feels as real as life, it's as valid as life. Thinking about a moment brings back the smell of cut grass, the warmth of another's hand on yours, the taste of another's tongue in your mouth. Wouldn't you rather lose yourself in such a memory then spend the night alone, staring at walls of metal and plastic?.
  7. ^ BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Scene: Talking To Thane. Level/area: Normandy. Thane: The hanar trained my body for this role since I was six years old. / Shepard: You've been killing since you were six? / Thane: Of course not. I didn't make my first until I was 12. They were training me. I was not to be used and thrown away. I was an investment.
  8. ^ Andy Chalk (July 29, 2016). "The BioWare forums are closing down forever". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  9. ^ "Mass Effect interview: BioWare leads pick their toughest death, and more!". Official Xbox Magazine. April 19, 2013. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Watts, Derek (February 9, 2010). "Drawing Mass Effect 2: The Creation of Thane". Game Informer. Interview by Ben Reeves. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek (February 2, 2012). "The Squad: Thane Krios". The Art of the Mass Effect Universe. Dark Horse Comics. p. 72-74. ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5.
  12. ^ "Interview with Derek Watts, Art Director on Mass Effect". DarkHorse.com. February 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  13. ^ Joe Skrebels (May 3, 2017). "The 11 Sci-Fi Influences That Made Mass Effect". IGN. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Irizarry, Joshua; Irizarry, Ita (February 14, 2014). "The Lord is My Shepard - Confronting Religion in the Mass Effect Trilogy". University of Heidelberg. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ Gfrabowski, Dakota (January 28, 2010). "Top Ten BioWare-created Squadmates". GameZone. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  16. ^ Hopper, Steven (January 5, 2012). "10 Best Mass Effect Teammates". IGN. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  17. ^ "BioWare's 8 most memorable companions". Gamestm. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  18. ^ Davis, Justin; Thomas, Lucas (December 17, 2014). "The Ultimate RPG Party Revealed". IGN. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  19. ^ "Best Character (Overall)". Best of 2010. IGN. n.d. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Best Character (Xbox 360)". Best of 2010. IGN. n.d. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Wes Fenlon (December 14, 2016). "The Mass Effect companions, ranked from worst to best". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  22. ^ "The best and worst BioWare companions". PC Gamer. May 22, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  23. ^ Tina Amini (April 17, 2012). "I Sunk 40 Extra Hours Into Mass Effect 2 To Salvage My Relationship With Thane". Kotaku. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  24. ^ BioWare. Mass Effect 2. Level/area: Citadel. Thane Krios: Amonkira, Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift. And, should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness.
  25. ^ Cassidee Moser (April 21, 2014). "The most badass video game mottos and speeches". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  26. ^ Stefanie Vogel (February 29, 2012). "Study: Video games depict religion as violent and problematic (interview)". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  27. ^ Baughman, Jordan (May 3, 2011). "Recycled characters you see in every BioWare game". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  28. ^ a b Phil Savage (July 1, 2015). "Mass Effect 3's endings". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 20, 2020.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Thane_Krios&oldid=946731927"