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[[WMG:[[center:[-''Franchise/MassEffect'' '''[[Characters/MassEffect Main Character Index]]'''\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect1:''' [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]] ('''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffectJack Jack]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect3:''' [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:''' [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]-]]]]]
!Major[[labelnote:*]]Lieutenant ([=ME1=]), Staff Commander ([=ME2=])[[/labelnote]] Kaidan Alenko
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/KaidanME3_6455.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Mom was right. I should have brought a sweater.]]
-->''"We finally get out here and the 'final frontier' was already settled. And the residents don't even seem impressed by the view. Or the dangers."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RaphaelSbarge
A human biotic Sentinel Marine in the Systems Alliance military who specializes in technology and biotic support powers. If he survives the first game, he can return as a party member in ''Mass Effect 3''. He is a romance option for a female Shepard in ''Mass Effect'', and a Shepard of either gender in ''Mass Effect 3''.
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:A-E]]
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Kaidan has struggled with this ever since he accidentally killed a DrillSergeantNasty [[AssholeVictim in self-defense]] and terrified the girl he was trying to protect to begin with. Kaidan has held back his powers ever since out of fear of hurting someone like that again, which is why, despite being one of the strongest human biotics on record, he turned down the Alliance's offer to train him as an Adept in favor of becoming a Sentinel instead. Eden Prime makes Kaidan realize that he can't afford to hold back anymore.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Dialogues imply that he harbors feelings for Shepard (irrespective of gender) since the first game, but never acts on it because he is mindful of the hierarchy and because he believes that Shepard's MarriedToTheJob. Obviously averted if Shepard choose to romance him, but played straight if they romance anyone but him.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Kaidan rarely talks about it, but it is implied that people frequently give him a wide berth due to his biotics, and he is acutely aware of the fact that human biotics are still considered freaks by most. The outdated implants don't help matters.
* AmicableExes: If he and Shepard had something going in ''1'' and don't get back together in ''3'', he takes it significantly better than Ashley and still gets along well with the commander.
* AngerBornOfWorry: If he's romanced and taken to the final mission of ''Leviathan'', he's not happy about Shepard almost getting themself killed.
-->'''Kaidan:''' Never do that again.
* AnimalWrongsGroup: One of his strategies for distracting the guards at the Silver Coast Casino is to claim to belong to one of these.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I'm with the "Varren Anti-Cruelty Association", and I cannot ''believe'' what I'm seeing up here!
* ArmorIsUseless: [[spoiler: If Shepard is forced to shoot him, they only shoot him once with the Predator, the weakest pistol in the game. Despite wearing heavy armor, having kinetic barriers that have withstood dozens of bullets in cutscenes, a personal ability that makes said kinetic barriers even stronger, and having medigel on hand just in case he gets shot, the bullet goes right through him and he dies a few minutes after]].
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: During the first act of the third game, [[spoiler:he's made a Spectre]]. He also technically ''outranks'' Shepard after getting promoted to Staff Commander in the second game and then Major in the third [[spoiler: provided he lives that long]].
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Kaidan is prone to the occasional non-sequitur and odd, childlike observation.
* BadassBookworm: He is a skilled technician and field medic, which are his official roles in the Alliance. Considering real-world standards for military officers, Kaidan likely has at least one advanced degree.
* BarrierWarrior: In the third game, Kaidan takes this a step above standard biotics. His Barrier power reduces damage until he chooses to dispel it, and Reave temporarily reduces damage anytime it hits an organic enemy. Together, they make Kaidan nearly invincible.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Most of his ''Mass Effect 3'' outfits have a helmet for vacuum conditions, except his From Ashes DLC Palette Swap. The eyepiece apparently overrides it.
* BattleCouple: With Shepard in the first and third games if romanced.
* BeautifulDreamer: Implied if he's romanced in the third game.
-->'''Kaidan:''' You, uh, left without waking me.\\
'''Shepard:''' I didn't have the heart.
* BeehiveBarrier: Reave gives him a temporary one when used on an organic enemy.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Shepard on Horizon in [=ME2=] and Mars in [=ME3=]. Shepard's sex and relationship with Kaidan is irrelevant.
* BerserkButton: Politicians claiming to "support the troops" while using that to further their own cause, as shown if brought along to the meeting with the Terra Firma protestors.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: For such a soft-spoken, easy-going, and nice guy, he can break your neck with a single powerful biotic blast, and is adept at making your weapons blow up in your face. The whole reason he is so self-controlled is because he knows how easily he could kill someone and doesn't want to.
* BizarreBabyBoom: Was one of the first human biotics after his mother was caught downwind of a transport crash in Singapore, exposing him to Element-Zero ''in-utero''. He's reasonably confident that his specific case ''was'' genuinely accidental, but given the influence that [[EvilInc Conatix]] had after human biotics began emerging and their questionable activities at [=BAaT=], he's highly suspicious about subsequent similar "accidents".
-->"No one "knows". Doesn't mean they didn't happen. As big as the exposures were, it was hard to track down accidentals. [...] [[CouldSayItBut I'm not saying they intentionally detonated drives over our outposts]], but in retrospect, they were ''damn'' quick on the scene."
* BleedEmAndWeep: The defining moment of his backstory was when a turian DrillSergeantNasty [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beat the crap out of him]] and tried to kill him with a knife [[DisproportionateRetribution for trying to stand up for his girlfriend after the same turian broke her arm]], causing Kaidan to lash out and snap his neck. Having never killed anyone before, Kaidan was horrified that someone died because he couldn't control himself, [[AssholeVictim even if it was in self-defense]]. He now keeps a tight lid on his biotics to avoid any repeats of that situation.
* BlessedWithSuck: His L2 implants give him more oomph than the average biotic running the stabler and safer L3s, but he has to deal with frequent migraines. And he's one of the luckier ones in terms of side effects. Some of the other party members, such as Wrex and Garrus, argue that the power is worth the side effects.
--> '''Wrex:''' You don't stop using a gun just because the kickback has a little sting.
* BlueIsCalm: Kaidan's default outfit in ''3'' is blue and white, and he is consistently one of Shepard's more level-headed companions.
* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To learn how to use his biotics he was sent to one to undergo TrainingFromHell. It started with the corporation that funded it hiring an ''extremely'' racist turian mercenary to train them, who took an immediate dislike to Kaidan politely pointing out his family hadn't fought in the First Contact War, and ended with Kaidan breaking the jerk's neck in self-defense, which led to the entire thing being shut down and almost causing an interspecies incident.
* BreakTheCutie: Kaidan had a very idealistic view of the world in the first game, but he gets a lot darker in the following two.
* BringIt: After Sanctuary, Kaidan will be seething with utter rage.
-->'''Kaidan:''' ''(TranquilFury)'' Can you feel it, Shepard? Feel the quickening? Illusive Man better say his prayers tonight, because we're coming for him. Murderous asshole. Oh yeah. Tide is turning. ''I can feel it.''
* CelibateHero: If unromanced in ''1'', in ''3'' Kaidan will note that Shepard must have noticed he never dated ''anyone'' in all the time they knew him.
* CharacterDevelopment:
** In the first game, he takes a bit of convincing to loosen up and let himself go more often. Come the third, he has to convince ''you'' to take a "sanity check" with him on the Citadel.
** He completely writes off Cerberus as a terrorist organization in ''2'', seeing Shepard working with them as a betrayal. In ''3'', after the mission with ex-Cerberus scientist Dr. Cole, he asks Shepard if the people in Cerberus were good people and wonders if the Illusive Man was once a good person before he became who he is now.
* CharacterTics: In the first game, is often seen holding the side of his head on elevator rides, from his implant migraines. Depending on what dialogue is playing, it can resemble a FacePalm.
* CommandingCoolness: He's reached the rank of Staff Commander in ''2''.
* ConsummateProfessional: Definitely.
** In the first game, Shepard has to repeatedly tell Kaidan to disregard their rank and speak freely, after he admits to being a little uneasy with the idea of befriending a superior officer.
** Noticeably, whenever he's speaking to those of a lower or similar rank, such as Ashley and Joker, he's far more casual and informal. Dr. Chakwas also mentions he had an OddFriendship with Jenkins.
* CovertPervert: He's surprisingly knowledgeable about extranet fetish sites, approves of [[spoiler:EDI's new body]] once the shock wears off, doesn't think he would survive an encounter with an [[OutWithABang Ardat-Yakshi]], is noted to be working very hard not to stare at Diana Allers, and implies that he was checking out Jacob during the mission on Gellix.
* CrocodileTears: Shows an unexpected talent for this if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I've lost a lot of money. Who can I talk to about getting it back?\\
'''Guard:''' I'm sorry, sir, you can't... get it back... No, no, please, sir, please don't cry.
* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: Kaidan was sixteen when he received his [[FlawedPrototype L2 implants]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as obvious as the others tend to be, but he has his moments.
--> (''after Shepard is asked for a favor in a dangerous situation'') That's very comforting. Certain death for some, fine for us.
* DefensiveWhat: When he has his most notable CovertPervert moment.
-->'''Lorik Qui'in:''' An asari in a pinstripe suit set tongues wagging among the younger male employees. So to speak.\\
'''Kaidan:''' It does sound like something that you'd find on an extranet fetish site... (''{{beat}}'') What?
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first thing he says is him defending Nihlus against Joker saying he hates him solely for being a Spectre (and not being massively impressed with Joker's piloting abilities), proving that not only is he level-headed but also willing to stand up for those he feels are being mistreated.
* EyeColorChange: Normally brown, but in [=ME3=] they turn blue when he uses his biotics[[note]]Briefly when he uses Reave. Indefinitely when he uses Barrier[[/note]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:F-J]]
* FanDisservice: In ''Mass Effect 3'' you get to see plenty of [[ShirtlessScene shirtless Kaidan]]--[[spoiler:while he's lying in a hospital bed, with his face beaten in and bruised. Sure, he gets better in subsequent trips to the Citadel hospital.]]
* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade female Shepard who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
-->'''Kaidan:''' Finally, we're rid of the geth once and for all. ''(suddenly [[TranquilFury quiet]])'' Those murdering machines... I can't help draw the parallel. Know what I mean? Yeah, let's just hope the geth don't have the rachni's playbook.[[note]]In other words, "let's hope the geth don't have a way to return after being eradicated".[[/note]]
* FemaleGaze: A romanced Shepard takes a good, long look at his rear as they return to the ''Normandy'' in ''3''. This took no time at all to go memetic. [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/VivaciousDeimos/tumblr_m0fi5zwTfN1r4nc13.gif A random female NPC]] can also be seen checking him out in the intro.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced. For Female Shepard, she can start romancing him in the first game and carry it to the end of the third. For Male Shepard, he can stay celibate for the first two games and then jump at the chance to be with Kaidan in the third.
* FlawedPrototype: Kaidan's biotic amplifier implants are L2, a model series that was made before humanity really knew what it was doing when it came to biotics. He suffers migraines... and he's one of the lucky [=L2s=]. He decides not to get retrofitted with [=L3s=], because the [=L2s=] let his powers spike higher, the surgery that would be required has a high risk of complications, and he has a deep distrust of any [[EvilInc Conatix]] offshoots.
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: In the second and third games in order to make sure his story arc matches Ashley's, such as on Horizon when he doesn't think to use a biotic barrier to keep the seeker swarms away, or on Mars when he tries to shoot Eva Core instead of sending her flying.
* FreudianExcuse: [[DefiedTrope Defied]]. Out of all of Shepard's human squadmates, Kaidan has the most [[TrainingFromHell justifiable reason]] to struggle with FantasticRacism, especially against turians. But if suggested that this is the case, Kaidan is not amused and pointedly refuses to use his past like that, because of how [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] it would be for a human to do so.
-->'''Kaidan:''' If one ass was enough to judge a whole race, [[HumansAreBastards I'd hate humans too]].
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. After Kaidan reveals his full backstory at [=BAaT=], Paragon Shepard is clearly gearing up for a speech about how not all turians are like Vyrnus and Kaidan shouldn't judge all aliens by his example, only for Kaidan to cut it short by revealing that he has already figured that out for himself before pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of judging other races by one bad example while not doing the same to his own.
* GayOption: In the third game.
* GonnaNeedMoreX: After Virmire, Shepard can try to comfort Kaidan by reminding him that humanity gave the turians a boot in the ass despite how much longer the turians had been around. Kaidan dryly remarks that, for the Reapers, they're going to need a bigger boot. [[GodzillaThreshold How right he was]]...
* GoodCopBadCop: He implies in ''Citadel'' that he prefers playing good cop.
* {{Handgun}}: One of his weapon types in the third game, along with assault rifles. In the first game, he was just slightly less terrible with handguns as he was with every other gun due to small bonuses on his passive class skill.
* HandicappedBadass: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The severe migraines and painful static shocks he gets because of his implants don't slow him down any.
* HealerSignsOnEarly: He is conveniently the first squadmate Shepard gets in the first game and the closest thing the party has to a dedicated healer.
* HeartbrokenBadass: Shepard's death messed him up pretty bad. When the Illusive Man tricked him into thinking his grief was all for nothing, Kaidan was livid. [[spoiler:He gets better in ''3'' though, but only if you talk to him]].
* HiddenDepths: Kaidan initially appears to be just a quiet NiceGuy. Further examination reveals that he is very introspective about his and humanity's place in the galaxy, and he's so reserved because he's terrified of hurting someone if he loses control.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: The in-universe explanation for why Kaidan wasn't a GayOption in the first game is because he didn't think Shepard would, or [[IncompatibleOrientation could]], feel the same way. Gender flipped if he didn't romance anyone in the first two games and female Shepard finally propositions him.
* AnIcePerson: Uses Cryo Blast, and the only character in ''3'' who can use it other than Shepard.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Kaidan occasionally implies that, deep down, he wishes he weren't a biotic. He's largely made his peace with it by the time the series starts, with the implication that he would be a red sand addict otherwise.
* IncompletelyTrained: By choice and the reason he's a Sentinel instead of an Adept. He got [=BAaT=] shut down before they could finish training any of the students and had enough residual trauma to turn down the Alliance's offer to finish his training in [=BAaT's=] place. He chose to train as a technician and medic instead.
* InformedDeformity: According to Thane, he has scarring that clearly identifies him as a biotic, but even with all the times Kaidan has had his clothes off, those scars are never seen. Then again, [[AwesomeByAnalysis Thane's observational and memetic prowess is much higher than a human's]], so it might not be readily obvious to others.
* IRegretNothing: [[spoiler:His last words if he dies on Virmire.]]
* ItHasBeenAnHonor:
** [[spoiler:His goodbye if Shepard chooses to save Ashley instead of him on Virmire]].
** [[spoiler:If someone other than Shepard shoots Kaidan, Kaidan will be more forgiving.]]
--->'''Shepard:''' Kaidan, why wouldn't you just stand down?\\
'''Kaidan:''' Man... couldn't defend himself. Shepard... I... ''(dies)''\\
'''Shepard:''' ''(sadly)'' It has been an honor.
* JackOfAllStats: In ''Mass Effect 3''. Decent weapon damage, high biotic and tech power (and the only character aside from Shepard who can use both), extremely tough, and an unparalleled ability to contribute to the expanded power combo system.
* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they weren't seeing the information about Shepard that the Illusive Man was intentionally leaking. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
* JustFriends: Regardless of their history from the first two games or Shepard's gender, Kaidan will confess his love for them in [=ME3=]. Shepard can either reciprocate or invoke this trope. Also applies [[{{Revision}} Retroactively]] with male Shepard in the first two games, as before the third game he was only romanceable if you were female. Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is all about how he wants something more with someone that he's already friends with.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:K-O]]
* KeepingTheHandicap: Kaidan could replace his implant with an [=L3=] model and be rid of all the problems that come with the [[FlawedPrototype L2]], but gives multiple reasons for not doing so. The surgery itself is extremely high risk; in his own words, "one wrong slip of the knife and you can't remember your own name." It is also extremely unusual for an [=L3=] to give as much power as an [=L2=], and Kaidan doesn't think it's worth both the risk and the loss of power when he "only" gets migraines. Perhaps most importantly, getting a retrofit would require going through an offshoot [[EvilInc Conatix]], and Kaidan refuses to go anywhere near them because he blames Conatix for the fiasco that [=BAaT=] turned into, and likely for the various ''other'' abuses they were responsible for in the early days of researching human biotics.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Depending on your choices on Virmire... and midway through the third game]].
* TheLancer: A dual role in the first and third games:
** Shares the role with Ashley in the first game [[spoiler:until one of them is killed off]].
** Back in the part in ''3'', sharing with Garrus[[spoiler:, though one or both of them may be dead at this point]].
* LethalChef: Implied to be this in the Citadel DLC. He offers to cook something, and Shepard worries that they survived Sovereign, the Collector Base, plus everything else during the course of the series, and can't believe that the one thing that will really off them is ''Kaidan's cooking.'' [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Later, Shepard can point out that the meal was actually pretty good,]] or that they were [[{{Troll}} teasing Kaidan about how sensitive he is.]]]] Shepard is much nicer if they are in a relationship with Kaidan.
* LetsGetDangerous: In an elevator conversation with Liara, he mentions that up until Eden Prime he'd been generally keeping his biotic mojo on a tighter leash. Afterward, his determination to stop Saren and the geth means he's holding back a hell of a lot less (which might also function as an explanation for why the supposedly already skilled biotic's skills start out so weak, and get stronger as the game goes on).
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: One of the main reasons why [[spoiler: the reunion on Horizon goes so badly]]. Shepard seems to be the only one to think it might be a good idea for Kaidan to know what the hell is going on. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late since all that left him with were the reports Cerberus itself was leaking to keep Shepard away from their old contacts. In the third game, rectifying this is an essential part of getting back on his good side. The player also has the option of [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential continuing to leave him out of the loop]], [[spoiler: which potentially ends in his death because he can't be convinced that it's NotWhatItLooksLike. However, he does confess in one of the hospital scenes that, in retrospect, he could have handled the Horizon affair better than he did]].
* TheLostLenore: Potentially. [[spoiler: As Kaidan or Ashley will be the SacrificialLion for the first game, they]] can also be considered this if a romance was pursued and they died.
* MagicKnight: [[TookALevelInBadass Grew into one]] by the third game.
* MagikarpPower: He starts weak, but with high levels, no other party member even comes close to competing with him for sheer variety of ways he can screw with the enemy.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: The Feminine guy to [=FemShep's=] masculine girl. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if she's a Paragon. Kaidan also has this dynamic with Ashley.
* MasterOfNone: In the first game[[note]]The first game was less kind to hybrid classes in general. The Sentinel class, and by extension Kaidan, got the short end of the stick[[/note]], [[DownplayedTrope though not nearly to the degree he's typically made out to be]]. Even though he does become more versatile as time goes on and his array of support powers grows, he can never match any of his teammates in terms of combat power. Averted in ''Mass Effect 3'' where his versatility is one of his biggest strengths as well as gaining an assault rifle as a weapon and Barrier, the biotic equivalent of Tech Armor.
* MeaningfulName: "Kaidan" means "shackle" in Ukrainian. In this case, it refers to the mental restraints Kaidan places on himself to avoid losing control and hurting someone by accident.
* TheMedic: Kaidan is the only squadmate in the first game to get the Medicine talent, which decreases the recharge time on the First Aid talent. This also technically makes him a DeadlyDoctor, since Medicine unlocks the Neural Shock ability.
* MightyGlacier: Investing in Kaidan's Barrier power, especially without using his default outfit and choosing the evolution to halve Barrier's recharge penalty, significantly slows down his ability to use his powers in exchange for an enormous boost to his defenses.
* MilitaryBrat: Not as prominent as with Ash, but it is still part of his background and influenced his decision to enlist. If not for Alenko Sr.'s military career, it is very likely that the family would not have been in Singapore when that transport exploded. It is also very likely the reason that Kaidan was identified later than the other biotics created from the Singapore incident.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I think it's commendable to follow in a parent's footsteps.
* MindOverMatter: One of the oldest human biotics. His [[FlawedPrototype L2 implant]] makes him one of the strongest, but at the cost of severe migraines.
* MiseryPoker: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Kaidan tends downplay his own struggles in favor of pointing out how much worse others have it. When it comes to his implant-induced migraines, "I'm one of the lucky ones," borders on his CharacterCatchphrase, since at least his implant hasn't rendered him physically helpless and/or completely insane like it has others.
* MotorMouth: When hopped up on coffee.
* MrFanservice: Like default Male Shepard, Kaidan's face is [[https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-10/30/15/enhanced/webdr03/longform-original-28880-1414696018-6.jpg?downsize=800:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto based on a model]]. Combine that with Raphael Sbarge's voice...
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: With [[spoiler:Ashley after Virmire. One of them ''will'' always die so it's impossible to finish the game with both of them]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Even though Vyrnnus, the turian DrillSergeantNasty Kaidan killed in self-defense had been a violent and abusive thug who'd threatened Kaidan with a knife for standing up for another girl in the program, Kaidan still regrets that someone, no matter how deserving, died because he lost control and lashed out without thinking.
* NiceGuy: One of the outright nicest characters in the series. [[BewareTheNiceOnes It in no way impedes his ability to kill someone with his brain]]. In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
* NoodleIncident:
** In the beginning of the first game, Chakwas mentions that Kaidan has over a dozen special commendations. These are never explained.
** In the third game's ''Citadel'' DLC, Kaidan mentions that he once had a run in with the vorcha Mafia at a casino. His only elaboration is that it involved [[NoodleImplements five-thousand credits and a bottle of whiskey]].
* OfficerAndAGentleman: He's polite, open-minded, and keeps strict control over himself and his biotic abilities. [[BewareTheNiceOnes And he can kick your ass]].
* OldSoldier: Even though he is thirty-six, at most, by the end of the series, [[WarIsHell everything he's gone through by that point]] has made him feel like one of these, especially compared to his students.
* OneManArmy: [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome It was offscreen]], but Kaidan apparently [[spoiler:fought through Cerberus's soldiers completely on his own to reach the Council during the coup]].
* OptionalPartyMember: After [[spoiler:nearly being killed on Mars, he's absent until Udina's attempted coup, wherein he can actually be killed or, barring that, have his request to return to the ''Normandy'' refused, making him a War Asset instead of a squadmate]].
* OutOfFocus: Like Ashley, Kaidan has a central role in ''Mass Effect 1'''s plot, but plays a much more minor role in the sequels compared to the other original party members. The intended subplot about [[spoiler:the Illusive Man turning Shepard and Kaidan against each other was significantly stripped down, most likely because of the number of [[IdiotBall Idiot Balls]] everyone involved needed to grab for the original plan to work.]] Particularly jarring if you romanced him in the first game, though it can be [[DownplayedTrope mitigated significantly]] if the player goes to talk to him when he asks, [[spoiler:especially since he does confess the shock of seeing Shepard again and with Cerberus made him act more rashly than he feels was appropriate]].
* OverrankedSoldier: This applies in the sequels, where he is promoted unreasonably quickly. In the 2 years between ''1'' and ''2,'' he's been promoted twice, from Staff Lieutenant to Staff Commander. Then 6 months later in ''3,'' he's been promoted ''again'' to Major (O-6 in the Alliance's rank structure, equivalent to Anderson's rank of Captain in the first game), and is 2 ranks higher than Shepard, yet still answers to them aboard the Normandy. To anyone who knows modern military ranks, this is the equivalent of an officer achieving about 15 years worth of promotions in 2 1/2 years. This might make more sense in wartime, where attrition and military need can see promotions happen much faster, but the Alliance is at relative peace before the Reapers invade in ''3''.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: By the third game, he's actually been promoted ''over'' Shepard, but he still takes Shepard's orders because... [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership well]].
** Gameplay wise, he suffers from this in the first game. With proper skill point allocation, he can single-handedly render any enemy that's not a thresher maw or the final boss's first form completely helpless, but that's often overlooked in favor of the more exotic and flashy abilities other squad members can use.
** With all the biotics that join the squad in ''[=ME2=]'', it's easy to forget that Kaidan is one of the strongest known human biotics, only behind Jack and [[ExpandedUniverse possibly]] Gillian Grayson, and about even with Biotic Shepard.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:P-T]]
* PermaStubble: In ''3''. The Legendary Edition backports it to the first game as well.
* PlatonicLifePartners: If not romanced with Shepard. Shepard even calls Kaidan a brother to them.
* PrecisionFStrike: Kaidan rarely curses, but after the Sanctuary mission, Kaidan gets so angry, he calls The Illusive Man a "murderous asshole". Before that, in ''1'', when Udina screws Shepard over, Kaidan calls him a bastard for it.
* ProperlyParanoid: When Kaidan appears in ''2'', he warns Shepard that the Illusive Man is using the Reaper threat and Shepard's gratitude to control them. If he is brought to Cronos Station in ''3'', Kaidan is not surprised to find a recording of the Illusive Man laying out his plans to make Shepard sympathetic to Cerberus.
* RealMenWearPink: At the beginning of the second game he comes to Shepard's aid wearing the pink and white Phoenix armor (though he's wearing a black one when you meet him later on Horizon).
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Ashley's red.
* RefugeInAudacity: Second only to [[{{Troll}} Javik]] if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''. He outright threatens a guard when pretending to mistake him for someone who owes him money, loudly claims that he represents the Varren Anti-Cruelty Association and is very unhappy about what he's seeing, and convinces a guard that he's going to cry.
* RelationshipUpgrade: Shepards of either gender can start a new romance with him in ''3''.
* RelationshipValues: Possesses this in ''3'' with Shepard [[spoiler: and it culminates in a MexicanStandoff at the Citadel. A high value will make him side with you, a lower value requires a reputation check, or he'll refuse to budge and either you or a party member will kill him]].
* TheRedMage: Kaidan uses both biotic and tech powers.
* ScarsAreForever: At the point of his examination by Thane, Kaidan has had his implant and the matching scars for roughly twenty years.
* SemperFi: A special operative, like all biotics, but still a Marine.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan
** The sensitive guy to [=MaleShep's=] manly man. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if Shepard is a Paragon. Unlike most examples, they totally avoid the "Manly Man = {{Seme}}, Sensitive Guy = {{Uke}}" implications if they are paired up.
** In the first game, Kaidan and Wrex represent the two extremes of the Paragon/Renegade meter. Kaidan, Shepard's most Paragon squadmate, is the Sensitive Guy while Wrex, Shepard's most Renegade squadmate, is the Manly Man. This is also reflected in their classes, as Sentinels focus on support while Vanguards focus on offense.
* ShockAndAwe: He has Overload.
* SpaceMarine: Again, if you're a soldier in the Alliance military, you're a Marine.
* StarCrossedLovers: With female Shepard in the second game if romanced in the first. With male Shepard in the third game unless a specific ending is chosen.
* StoneWall: When he's fighting organic enemies, the combination of Barrier and Reave can make him harder to kill than [[TheBigGuy James]], even with the health disadvantage.
* StopBeingStereotypical:
** He expresses the belief that a lot of humanity's problems are because of people like Udina pushing for too much too soon. This also explains his hatred of Cerberus.
** He is also noted to have zero sympathy for biotic extremists.
* SurvivorsGuilt: [[spoiler:If Ashley dies, though he handles it better than she does in the opposite situation]].
* SympathyForTheDevil: In ''3'', after he reconciles with Shepard, Kaidan will reminisce about a mission wherein you can rescue a group of rogue Cerberus scientists. He comments that they were all good people despite being in Cerberus's employ, and wonders if the Illusive Man himself was ever a good person. Shepard has the option of either being accommodating or dismissive towards this line of thought.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''[=ME3=]'', he went from a [[TheRedMage Red Mage]] focused on crowd control to a MagicKnight with StoneWall tendencies. Storywise, he received a rank up to Major and was declared the second human Spectre; IE, the most badass human in the galaxy after Shepard. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan''': I may be L2, but I've worked very hard, and now I can ''reave''!\\
''[everyone else stares at him]''\\
'''Jacob:''' Really? That's... no.\\
'''Liara:''' That's a bit strange.
* TookALevelInJerkass: A renegade Shepard romancing him can actually push him to become more aggressive, even outright xenophobic, to the point where he demands the Council being sacrificed during the endgame. How bad is it? Every character has a relative renegade/paragon score, which causes characters to give different advice based on who else is in the squad. Wrex, normally your most Renegade squadmate, will actually advocate for the Council to be spared if Kaidan becomes this. It's all gone again in the sequels.
* TrainingFromHell: In his backstory at a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors. Kaidan notes that a significant number of his classmates suffered psychotic breaks, and a few even died.
* TranquilFury: [[BleedEmAndWeep The mess with Vyrnus]] left this as Kaidan's default state when he gets angry, but a particularly extreme case occurs after the mission on Horizon in 3, where [[spoiler:the Illusive Man and Henry Lawson were turning people into husks to try and control them]], Kaidan's seething hatred of the Illusive Man manifests itself in him very calmly wanting to rip the man in half.
-->'''Kaidan:''' After what I saw down there, I have never been more filled with rage.
** Dips into this again when recounting the atrocities committed by the geth if Shepard lets the quarians destroy them, referring to the geth as "murdering machines" in a quiet yet ''intensely'' acidic tone.
* {{Transhuman}}: By nature of being a biotic human. Particularly notable for being one of the very first.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:U-Y]]
* UnresolvedSexualTension: If Kaidan was not romanced in the first game, there will be considerable UST in the third. This applies equally to both male and female Shepards.
* UnwittingPawn: Since Kaidan was unaware of the Lazarus Project, the Illusive Man was able to turn him against Shepard by strategically leaking information about their survival, [[spoiler:something Udina follows up on if Shepard makes no effort to reestablish their friendship with Kaidan.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Basically has this with Shepard in ''2'', carrying over into ''3''.
-->'''James:''' You know the Commander?\\
'''Kaidan:''' [[BrokenPedestal I used to]].
* WhatTheHellHero:
** He's got some things to say about [[spoiler:Shepard apparently faking their death and working with Cerberus in [=ME2=], though he does get better in [=ME3=] once he's no longer LockedOutOfTheLoop.]] He also protests if Ashley [[spoiler:kills Wrex]], regardless of whether it is on your orders.
** If Shepard is forced to shoot him in ''Mass Effect 3'' when trying to arrest Udina, and never even tried to patch things up in the hospital, his last words are a lot less apologetic.
--->'''Shepard:''' You stood up for the wrong man.\\
'''Kaidan:''' Better... better than killing the wrong man.
* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve on. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over being potentially dangerous to others.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
* YouShallNotPass:
** In the first game, [[spoiler:at the same time as Ashley's. It's up to you whether he survives over her]].
** In the third game, [[spoiler:this happens ''again'', when he, as a Spectre, stands between you and Councilor Udina. If you haven't done enough socializing with him beforehand, what Ashley did to Wrex, you do to him]].
[[/folder]]
----
'''VideoGame/MassEffect1:''' [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]] ('''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffectJack Jack]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect3:''' [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:''' [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]-]]]]]
!Major[[labelnote:*]]Lieutenant ([=ME1=]), Staff Commander ([=ME2=])[[/labelnote]] Kaidan Alenko
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/KaidanME3_6455.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Mom was right. I should have brought a sweater.]]
-->''"We finally get out here and the 'final frontier' was already settled. And the residents don't even seem impressed by the view. Or the dangers."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RaphaelSbarge
A human biotic Sentinel Marine in the Systems Alliance military who specializes in technology and biotic support powers. If he survives the first game, he can return as a party member in ''Mass Effect 3''. He is a romance option for a female Shepard in ''Mass Effect'', and a Shepard of either gender in ''Mass Effect 3''.
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:A-E]]
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Kaidan has struggled with this ever since he accidentally killed a DrillSergeantNasty [[AssholeVictim in self-defense]] and terrified the girl he was trying to protect to begin with. Kaidan has held back his powers ever since out of fear of hurting someone like that again, which is why, despite being one of the strongest human biotics on record, he turned down the Alliance's offer to train him as an Adept in favor of becoming a Sentinel instead. Eden Prime makes Kaidan realize that he can't afford to hold back anymore.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Dialogues imply that he harbors feelings for Shepard (irrespective of gender) since the first game, but never acts on it because he is mindful of the hierarchy and because he believes that Shepard's MarriedToTheJob. Obviously averted if Shepard choose to romance him, but played straight if they romance anyone but him.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Kaidan rarely talks about it, but it is implied that people frequently give him a wide berth due to his biotics, and he is acutely aware of the fact that human biotics are still considered freaks by most. The outdated implants don't help matters.
* AmicableExes: If he and Shepard had something going in ''1'' and don't get back together in ''3'', he takes it significantly better than Ashley and still gets along well with the commander.
* AngerBornOfWorry: If he's romanced and taken to the final mission of ''Leviathan'', he's not happy about Shepard almost getting themself killed.
-->'''Kaidan:''' Never do that again.
* AnimalWrongsGroup: One of his strategies for distracting the guards at the Silver Coast Casino is to claim to belong to one of these.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I'm with the "Varren Anti-Cruelty Association", and I cannot ''believe'' what I'm seeing up here!
* ArmorIsUseless: [[spoiler: If Shepard is forced to shoot him, they only shoot him once with the Predator, the weakest pistol in the game. Despite wearing heavy armor, having kinetic barriers that have withstood dozens of bullets in cutscenes, a personal ability that makes said kinetic barriers even stronger, and having medigel on hand just in case he gets shot, the bullet goes right through him and he dies a few minutes after]].
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: During the first act of the third game, [[spoiler:he's made a Spectre]]. He also technically ''outranks'' Shepard after getting promoted to Staff Commander in the second game and then Major in the third [[spoiler: provided he lives that long]].
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Kaidan is prone to the occasional non-sequitur and odd, childlike observation.
* BadassBookworm: He is a skilled technician and field medic, which are his official roles in the Alliance. Considering real-world standards for military officers, Kaidan likely has at least one advanced degree.
* BarrierWarrior: In the third game, Kaidan takes this a step above standard biotics. His Barrier power reduces damage until he chooses to dispel it, and Reave temporarily reduces damage anytime it hits an organic enemy. Together, they make Kaidan nearly invincible.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Most of his ''Mass Effect 3'' outfits have a helmet for vacuum conditions, except his From Ashes DLC Palette Swap. The eyepiece apparently overrides it.
* BattleCouple: With Shepard in the first and third games if romanced.
* BeautifulDreamer: Implied if he's romanced in the third game.
-->'''Kaidan:''' You, uh, left without waking me.\\
'''Shepard:''' I didn't have the heart.
* BeehiveBarrier: Reave gives him a temporary one when used on an organic enemy.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Shepard on Horizon in [=ME2=] and Mars in [=ME3=]. Shepard's sex and relationship with Kaidan is irrelevant.
* BerserkButton: Politicians claiming to "support the troops" while using that to further their own cause, as shown if brought along to the meeting with the Terra Firma protestors.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: For such a soft-spoken, easy-going, and nice guy, he can break your neck with a single powerful biotic blast, and is adept at making your weapons blow up in your face. The whole reason he is so self-controlled is because he knows how easily he could kill someone and doesn't want to.
* BizarreBabyBoom: Was one of the first human biotics after his mother was caught downwind of a transport crash in Singapore, exposing him to Element-Zero ''in-utero''. He's reasonably confident that his specific case ''was'' genuinely accidental, but given the influence that [[EvilInc Conatix]] had after human biotics began emerging and their questionable activities at [=BAaT=], he's highly suspicious about subsequent similar "accidents".
-->"No one "knows". Doesn't mean they didn't happen. As big as the exposures were, it was hard to track down accidentals. [...] [[CouldSayItBut I'm not saying they intentionally detonated drives over our outposts]], but in retrospect, they were ''damn'' quick on the scene."
* BleedEmAndWeep: The defining moment of his backstory was when a turian DrillSergeantNasty [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beat the crap out of him]] and tried to kill him with a knife [[DisproportionateRetribution for trying to stand up for his girlfriend after the same turian broke her arm]], causing Kaidan to lash out and snap his neck. Having never killed anyone before, Kaidan was horrified that someone died because he couldn't control himself, [[AssholeVictim even if it was in self-defense]]. He now keeps a tight lid on his biotics to avoid any repeats of that situation.
* BlessedWithSuck: His L2 implants give him more oomph than the average biotic running the stabler and safer L3s, but he has to deal with frequent migraines. And he's one of the luckier ones in terms of side effects. Some of the other party members, such as Wrex and Garrus, argue that the power is worth the side effects.
--> '''Wrex:''' You don't stop using a gun just because the kickback has a little sting.
* BlueIsCalm: Kaidan's default outfit in ''3'' is blue and white, and he is consistently one of Shepard's more level-headed companions.
* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To learn how to use his biotics he was sent to one to undergo TrainingFromHell. It started with the corporation that funded it hiring an ''extremely'' racist turian mercenary to train them, who took an immediate dislike to Kaidan politely pointing out his family hadn't fought in the First Contact War, and ended with Kaidan breaking the jerk's neck in self-defense, which led to the entire thing being shut down and almost causing an interspecies incident.
* BreakTheCutie: Kaidan had a very idealistic view of the world in the first game, but he gets a lot darker in the following two.
* BringIt: After Sanctuary, Kaidan will be seething with utter rage.
-->'''Kaidan:''' ''(TranquilFury)'' Can you feel it, Shepard? Feel the quickening? Illusive Man better say his prayers tonight, because we're coming for him. Murderous asshole. Oh yeah. Tide is turning. ''I can feel it.''
* CelibateHero: If unromanced in ''1'', in ''3'' Kaidan will note that Shepard must have noticed he never dated ''anyone'' in all the time they knew him.
* CharacterDevelopment:
** In the first game, he takes a bit of convincing to loosen up and let himself go more often. Come the third, he has to convince ''you'' to take a "sanity check" with him on the Citadel.
** He completely writes off Cerberus as a terrorist organization in ''2'', seeing Shepard working with them as a betrayal. In ''3'', after the mission with ex-Cerberus scientist Dr. Cole, he asks Shepard if the people in Cerberus were good people and wonders if the Illusive Man was once a good person before he became who he is now.
* CharacterTics: In the first game, is often seen holding the side of his head on elevator rides, from his implant migraines. Depending on what dialogue is playing, it can resemble a FacePalm.
* CommandingCoolness: He's reached the rank of Staff Commander in ''2''.
* ConsummateProfessional: Definitely.
** In the first game, Shepard has to repeatedly tell Kaidan to disregard their rank and speak freely, after he admits to being a little uneasy with the idea of befriending a superior officer.
** Noticeably, whenever he's speaking to those of a lower or similar rank, such as Ashley and Joker, he's far more casual and informal. Dr. Chakwas also mentions he had an OddFriendship with Jenkins.
* CovertPervert: He's surprisingly knowledgeable about extranet fetish sites, approves of [[spoiler:EDI's new body]] once the shock wears off, doesn't think he would survive an encounter with an [[OutWithABang Ardat-Yakshi]], is noted to be working very hard not to stare at Diana Allers, and implies that he was checking out Jacob during the mission on Gellix.
* CrocodileTears: Shows an unexpected talent for this if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I've lost a lot of money. Who can I talk to about getting it back?\\
'''Guard:''' I'm sorry, sir, you can't... get it back... No, no, please, sir, please don't cry.
* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: Kaidan was sixteen when he received his [[FlawedPrototype L2 implants]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as obvious as the others tend to be, but he has his moments.
--> (''after Shepard is asked for a favor in a dangerous situation'') That's very comforting. Certain death for some, fine for us.
* DefensiveWhat: When he has his most notable CovertPervert moment.
-->'''Lorik Qui'in:''' An asari in a pinstripe suit set tongues wagging among the younger male employees. So to speak.\\
'''Kaidan:''' It does sound like something that you'd find on an extranet fetish site... (''{{beat}}'') What?
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first thing he says is him defending Nihlus against Joker saying he hates him solely for being a Spectre (and not being massively impressed with Joker's piloting abilities), proving that not only is he level-headed but also willing to stand up for those he feels are being mistreated.
* EyeColorChange: Normally brown, but in [=ME3=] they turn blue when he uses his biotics[[note]]Briefly when he uses Reave. Indefinitely when he uses Barrier[[/note]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:F-J]]
* FanDisservice: In ''Mass Effect 3'' you get to see plenty of [[ShirtlessScene shirtless Kaidan]]--[[spoiler:while he's lying in a hospital bed, with his face beaten in and bruised. Sure, he gets better in subsequent trips to the Citadel hospital.]]
* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade female Shepard who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
-->'''Kaidan:''' Finally, we're rid of the geth once and for all. ''(suddenly [[TranquilFury quiet]])'' Those murdering machines... I can't help draw the parallel. Know what I mean? Yeah, let's just hope the geth don't have the rachni's playbook.[[note]]In other words, "let's hope the geth don't have a way to return after being eradicated".[[/note]]
* FemaleGaze: A romanced Shepard takes a good, long look at his rear as they return to the ''Normandy'' in ''3''. This took no time at all to go memetic. [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/VivaciousDeimos/tumblr_m0fi5zwTfN1r4nc13.gif A random female NPC]] can also be seen checking him out in the intro.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced. For Female Shepard, she can start romancing him in the first game and carry it to the end of the third. For Male Shepard, he can stay celibate for the first two games and then jump at the chance to be with Kaidan in the third.
* FlawedPrototype: Kaidan's biotic amplifier implants are L2, a model series that was made before humanity really knew what it was doing when it came to biotics. He suffers migraines... and he's one of the lucky [=L2s=]. He decides not to get retrofitted with [=L3s=], because the [=L2s=] let his powers spike higher, the surgery that would be required has a high risk of complications, and he has a deep distrust of any [[EvilInc Conatix]] offshoots.
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: In the second and third games in order to make sure his story arc matches Ashley's, such as on Horizon when he doesn't think to use a biotic barrier to keep the seeker swarms away, or on Mars when he tries to shoot Eva Core instead of sending her flying.
* FreudianExcuse: [[DefiedTrope Defied]]. Out of all of Shepard's human squadmates, Kaidan has the most [[TrainingFromHell justifiable reason]] to struggle with FantasticRacism, especially against turians. But if suggested that this is the case, Kaidan is not amused and pointedly refuses to use his past like that, because of how [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] it would be for a human to do so.
-->'''Kaidan:''' If one ass was enough to judge a whole race, [[HumansAreBastards I'd hate humans too]].
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. After Kaidan reveals his full backstory at [=BAaT=], Paragon Shepard is clearly gearing up for a speech about how not all turians are like Vyrnus and Kaidan shouldn't judge all aliens by his example, only for Kaidan to cut it short by revealing that he has already figured that out for himself before pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of judging other races by one bad example while not doing the same to his own.
* GayOption: In the third game.
* GonnaNeedMoreX: After Virmire, Shepard can try to comfort Kaidan by reminding him that humanity gave the turians a boot in the ass despite how much longer the turians had been around. Kaidan dryly remarks that, for the Reapers, they're going to need a bigger boot. [[GodzillaThreshold How right he was]]...
* GoodCopBadCop: He implies in ''Citadel'' that he prefers playing good cop.
* {{Handgun}}: One of his weapon types in the third game, along with assault rifles. In the first game, he was just slightly less terrible with handguns as he was with every other gun due to small bonuses on his passive class skill.
* HandicappedBadass: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The severe migraines and painful static shocks he gets because of his implants don't slow him down any.
* HealerSignsOnEarly: He is conveniently the first squadmate Shepard gets in the first game and the closest thing the party has to a dedicated healer.
* HeartbrokenBadass: Shepard's death messed him up pretty bad. When the Illusive Man tricked him into thinking his grief was all for nothing, Kaidan was livid. [[spoiler:He gets better in ''3'' though, but only if you talk to him]].
* HiddenDepths: Kaidan initially appears to be just a quiet NiceGuy. Further examination reveals that he is very introspective about his and humanity's place in the galaxy, and he's so reserved because he's terrified of hurting someone if he loses control.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: The in-universe explanation for why Kaidan wasn't a GayOption in the first game is because he didn't think Shepard would, or [[IncompatibleOrientation could]], feel the same way. Gender flipped if he didn't romance anyone in the first two games and female Shepard finally propositions him.
* AnIcePerson: Uses Cryo Blast, and the only character in ''3'' who can use it other than Shepard.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Kaidan occasionally implies that, deep down, he wishes he weren't a biotic. He's largely made his peace with it by the time the series starts, with the implication that he would be a red sand addict otherwise.
* IncompletelyTrained: By choice and the reason he's a Sentinel instead of an Adept. He got [=BAaT=] shut down before they could finish training any of the students and had enough residual trauma to turn down the Alliance's offer to finish his training in [=BAaT's=] place. He chose to train as a technician and medic instead.
* InformedDeformity: According to Thane, he has scarring that clearly identifies him as a biotic, but even with all the times Kaidan has had his clothes off, those scars are never seen. Then again, [[AwesomeByAnalysis Thane's observational and memetic prowess is much higher than a human's]], so it might not be readily obvious to others.
* IRegretNothing: [[spoiler:His last words if he dies on Virmire.]]
* ItHasBeenAnHonor:
** [[spoiler:His goodbye if Shepard chooses to save Ashley instead of him on Virmire]].
** [[spoiler:If someone other than Shepard shoots Kaidan, Kaidan will be more forgiving.]]
--->'''Shepard:''' Kaidan, why wouldn't you just stand down?\\
'''Kaidan:''' Man... couldn't defend himself. Shepard... I... ''(dies)''\\
'''Shepard:''' ''(sadly)'' It has been an honor.
* JackOfAllStats: In ''Mass Effect 3''. Decent weapon damage, high biotic and tech power (and the only character aside from Shepard who can use both), extremely tough, and an unparalleled ability to contribute to the expanded power combo system.
* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they weren't seeing the information about Shepard that the Illusive Man was intentionally leaking. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
* JustFriends: Regardless of their history from the first two games or Shepard's gender, Kaidan will confess his love for them in [=ME3=]. Shepard can either reciprocate or invoke this trope. Also applies [[{{Revision}} Retroactively]] with male Shepard in the first two games, as before the third game he was only romanceable if you were female. Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is all about how he wants something more with someone that he's already friends with.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:K-O]]
* KeepingTheHandicap: Kaidan could replace his implant with an [=L3=] model and be rid of all the problems that come with the [[FlawedPrototype L2]], but gives multiple reasons for not doing so. The surgery itself is extremely high risk; in his own words, "one wrong slip of the knife and you can't remember your own name." It is also extremely unusual for an [=L3=] to give as much power as an [=L2=], and Kaidan doesn't think it's worth both the risk and the loss of power when he "only" gets migraines. Perhaps most importantly, getting a retrofit would require going through an offshoot [[EvilInc Conatix]], and Kaidan refuses to go anywhere near them because he blames Conatix for the fiasco that [=BAaT=] turned into, and likely for the various ''other'' abuses they were responsible for in the early days of researching human biotics.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Depending on your choices on Virmire... and midway through the third game]].
* TheLancer: A dual role in the first and third games:
** Shares the role with Ashley in the first game [[spoiler:until one of them is killed off]].
** Back in the part in ''3'', sharing with Garrus[[spoiler:, though one or both of them may be dead at this point]].
* LethalChef: Implied to be this in the Citadel DLC. He offers to cook something, and Shepard worries that they survived Sovereign, the Collector Base, plus everything else during the course of the series, and can't believe that the one thing that will really off them is ''Kaidan's cooking.'' [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Later, Shepard can point out that the meal was actually pretty good,]] or that they were [[{{Troll}} teasing Kaidan about how sensitive he is.]]]] Shepard is much nicer if they are in a relationship with Kaidan.
* LetsGetDangerous: In an elevator conversation with Liara, he mentions that up until Eden Prime he'd been generally keeping his biotic mojo on a tighter leash. Afterward, his determination to stop Saren and the geth means he's holding back a hell of a lot less (which might also function as an explanation for why the supposedly already skilled biotic's skills start out so weak, and get stronger as the game goes on).
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: One of the main reasons why [[spoiler: the reunion on Horizon goes so badly]]. Shepard seems to be the only one to think it might be a good idea for Kaidan to know what the hell is going on. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late since all that left him with were the reports Cerberus itself was leaking to keep Shepard away from their old contacts. In the third game, rectifying this is an essential part of getting back on his good side. The player also has the option of [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential continuing to leave him out of the loop]], [[spoiler: which potentially ends in his death because he can't be convinced that it's NotWhatItLooksLike. However, he does confess in one of the hospital scenes that, in retrospect, he could have handled the Horizon affair better than he did]].
* TheLostLenore: Potentially. [[spoiler: As Kaidan or Ashley will be the SacrificialLion for the first game, they]] can also be considered this if a romance was pursued and they died.
* MagicKnight: [[TookALevelInBadass Grew into one]] by the third game.
* MagikarpPower: He starts weak, but with high levels, no other party member even comes close to competing with him for sheer variety of ways he can screw with the enemy.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: The Feminine guy to [=FemShep's=] masculine girl. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if she's a Paragon. Kaidan also has this dynamic with Ashley.
* MasterOfNone: In the first game[[note]]The first game was less kind to hybrid classes in general. The Sentinel class, and by extension Kaidan, got the short end of the stick[[/note]], [[DownplayedTrope though not nearly to the degree he's typically made out to be]]. Even though he does become more versatile as time goes on and his array of support powers grows, he can never match any of his teammates in terms of combat power. Averted in ''Mass Effect 3'' where his versatility is one of his biggest strengths as well as gaining an assault rifle as a weapon and Barrier, the biotic equivalent of Tech Armor.
* MeaningfulName: "Kaidan" means "shackle" in Ukrainian. In this case, it refers to the mental restraints Kaidan places on himself to avoid losing control and hurting someone by accident.
* TheMedic: Kaidan is the only squadmate in the first game to get the Medicine talent, which decreases the recharge time on the First Aid talent. This also technically makes him a DeadlyDoctor, since Medicine unlocks the Neural Shock ability.
* MightyGlacier: Investing in Kaidan's Barrier power, especially without using his default outfit and choosing the evolution to halve Barrier's recharge penalty, significantly slows down his ability to use his powers in exchange for an enormous boost to his defenses.
* MilitaryBrat: Not as prominent as with Ash, but it is still part of his background and influenced his decision to enlist. If not for Alenko Sr.'s military career, it is very likely that the family would not have been in Singapore when that transport exploded. It is also very likely the reason that Kaidan was identified later than the other biotics created from the Singapore incident.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I think it's commendable to follow in a parent's footsteps.
* MindOverMatter: One of the oldest human biotics. His [[FlawedPrototype L2 implant]] makes him one of the strongest, but at the cost of severe migraines.
* MiseryPoker: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Kaidan tends downplay his own struggles in favor of pointing out how much worse others have it. When it comes to his implant-induced migraines, "I'm one of the lucky ones," borders on his CharacterCatchphrase, since at least his implant hasn't rendered him physically helpless and/or completely insane like it has others.
* MotorMouth: When hopped up on coffee.
* MrFanservice: Like default Male Shepard, Kaidan's face is [[https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-10/30/15/enhanced/webdr03/longform-original-28880-1414696018-6.jpg?downsize=800:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto based on a model]]. Combine that with Raphael Sbarge's voice...
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: With [[spoiler:Ashley after Virmire. One of them ''will'' always die so it's impossible to finish the game with both of them]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Even though Vyrnnus, the turian DrillSergeantNasty Kaidan killed in self-defense had been a violent and abusive thug who'd threatened Kaidan with a knife for standing up for another girl in the program, Kaidan still regrets that someone, no matter how deserving, died because he lost control and lashed out without thinking.
* NiceGuy: One of the outright nicest characters in the series. [[BewareTheNiceOnes It in no way impedes his ability to kill someone with his brain]]. In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
* NoodleIncident:
** In the beginning of the first game, Chakwas mentions that Kaidan has over a dozen special commendations. These are never explained.
** In the third game's ''Citadel'' DLC, Kaidan mentions that he once had a run in with the vorcha Mafia at a casino. His only elaboration is that it involved [[NoodleImplements five-thousand credits and a bottle of whiskey]].
* OfficerAndAGentleman: He's polite, open-minded, and keeps strict control over himself and his biotic abilities. [[BewareTheNiceOnes And he can kick your ass]].
* OldSoldier: Even though he is thirty-six, at most, by the end of the series, [[WarIsHell everything he's gone through by that point]] has made him feel like one of these, especially compared to his students.
* OneManArmy: [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome It was offscreen]], but Kaidan apparently [[spoiler:fought through Cerberus's soldiers completely on his own to reach the Council during the coup]].
* OptionalPartyMember: After [[spoiler:nearly being killed on Mars, he's absent until Udina's attempted coup, wherein he can actually be killed or, barring that, have his request to return to the ''Normandy'' refused, making him a War Asset instead of a squadmate]].
* OutOfFocus: Like Ashley, Kaidan has a central role in ''Mass Effect 1'''s plot, but plays a much more minor role in the sequels compared to the other original party members. The intended subplot about [[spoiler:the Illusive Man turning Shepard and Kaidan against each other was significantly stripped down, most likely because of the number of [[IdiotBall Idiot Balls]] everyone involved needed to grab for the original plan to work.]] Particularly jarring if you romanced him in the first game, though it can be [[DownplayedTrope mitigated significantly]] if the player goes to talk to him when he asks, [[spoiler:especially since he does confess the shock of seeing Shepard again and with Cerberus made him act more rashly than he feels was appropriate]].
* OverrankedSoldier: This applies in the sequels, where he is promoted unreasonably quickly. In the 2 years between ''1'' and ''2,'' he's been promoted twice, from Staff Lieutenant to Staff Commander. Then 6 months later in ''3,'' he's been promoted ''again'' to Major (O-6 in the Alliance's rank structure, equivalent to Anderson's rank of Captain in the first game), and is 2 ranks higher than Shepard, yet still answers to them aboard the Normandy. To anyone who knows modern military ranks, this is the equivalent of an officer achieving about 15 years worth of promotions in 2 1/2 years. This might make more sense in wartime, where attrition and military need can see promotions happen much faster, but the Alliance is at relative peace before the Reapers invade in ''3''.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: By the third game, he's actually been promoted ''over'' Shepard, but he still takes Shepard's orders because... [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership well]].
** Gameplay wise, he suffers from this in the first game. With proper skill point allocation, he can single-handedly render any enemy that's not a thresher maw or the final boss's first form completely helpless, but that's often overlooked in favor of the more exotic and flashy abilities other squad members can use.
** With all the biotics that join the squad in ''[=ME2=]'', it's easy to forget that Kaidan is one of the strongest known human biotics, only behind Jack and [[ExpandedUniverse possibly]] Gillian Grayson, and about even with Biotic Shepard.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:P-T]]
* PermaStubble: In ''3''. The Legendary Edition backports it to the first game as well.
* PlatonicLifePartners: If not romanced with Shepard. Shepard even calls Kaidan a brother to them.
* PrecisionFStrike: Kaidan rarely curses, but after the Sanctuary mission, Kaidan gets so angry, he calls The Illusive Man a "murderous asshole". Before that, in ''1'', when Udina screws Shepard over, Kaidan calls him a bastard for it.
* ProperlyParanoid: When Kaidan appears in ''2'', he warns Shepard that the Illusive Man is using the Reaper threat and Shepard's gratitude to control them. If he is brought to Cronos Station in ''3'', Kaidan is not surprised to find a recording of the Illusive Man laying out his plans to make Shepard sympathetic to Cerberus.
* RealMenWearPink: At the beginning of the second game he comes to Shepard's aid wearing the pink and white Phoenix armor (though he's wearing a black one when you meet him later on Horizon).
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Ashley's red.
* RefugeInAudacity: Second only to [[{{Troll}} Javik]] if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''. He outright threatens a guard when pretending to mistake him for someone who owes him money, loudly claims that he represents the Varren Anti-Cruelty Association and is very unhappy about what he's seeing, and convinces a guard that he's going to cry.
* RelationshipUpgrade: Shepards of either gender can start a new romance with him in ''3''.
* RelationshipValues: Possesses this in ''3'' with Shepard [[spoiler: and it culminates in a MexicanStandoff at the Citadel. A high value will make him side with you, a lower value requires a reputation check, or he'll refuse to budge and either you or a party member will kill him]].
* TheRedMage: Kaidan uses both biotic and tech powers.
* ScarsAreForever: At the point of his examination by Thane, Kaidan has had his implant and the matching scars for roughly twenty years.
* SemperFi: A special operative, like all biotics, but still a Marine.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan
** The sensitive guy to [=MaleShep's=] manly man. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if Shepard is a Paragon. Unlike most examples, they totally avoid the "Manly Man = {{Seme}}, Sensitive Guy = {{Uke}}" implications if they are paired up.
** In the first game, Kaidan and Wrex represent the two extremes of the Paragon/Renegade meter. Kaidan, Shepard's most Paragon squadmate, is the Sensitive Guy while Wrex, Shepard's most Renegade squadmate, is the Manly Man. This is also reflected in their classes, as Sentinels focus on support while Vanguards focus on offense.
* ShockAndAwe: He has Overload.
* SpaceMarine: Again, if you're a soldier in the Alliance military, you're a Marine.
* StarCrossedLovers: With female Shepard in the second game if romanced in the first. With male Shepard in the third game unless a specific ending is chosen.
* StoneWall: When he's fighting organic enemies, the combination of Barrier and Reave can make him harder to kill than [[TheBigGuy James]], even with the health disadvantage.
* StopBeingStereotypical:
** He expresses the belief that a lot of humanity's problems are because of people like Udina pushing for too much too soon. This also explains his hatred of Cerberus.
** He is also noted to have zero sympathy for biotic extremists.
* SurvivorsGuilt: [[spoiler:If Ashley dies, though he handles it better than she does in the opposite situation]].
* SympathyForTheDevil: In ''3'', after he reconciles with Shepard, Kaidan will reminisce about a mission wherein you can rescue a group of rogue Cerberus scientists. He comments that they were all good people despite being in Cerberus's employ, and wonders if the Illusive Man himself was ever a good person. Shepard has the option of either being accommodating or dismissive towards this line of thought.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''[=ME3=]'', he went from a [[TheRedMage Red Mage]] focused on crowd control to a MagicKnight with StoneWall tendencies. Storywise, he received a rank up to Major and was declared the second human Spectre; IE, the most badass human in the galaxy after Shepard. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan''': I may be L2, but I've worked very hard, and now I can ''reave''!\\
''[everyone else stares at him]''\\
'''Jacob:''' Really? That's... no.\\
'''Liara:''' That's a bit strange.
* TookALevelInJerkass: A renegade Shepard romancing him can actually push him to become more aggressive, even outright xenophobic, to the point where he demands the Council being sacrificed during the endgame. How bad is it? Every character has a relative renegade/paragon score, which causes characters to give different advice based on who else is in the squad. Wrex, normally your most Renegade squadmate, will actually advocate for the Council to be spared if Kaidan becomes this. It's all gone again in the sequels.
* TrainingFromHell: In his backstory at a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors. Kaidan notes that a significant number of his classmates suffered psychotic breaks, and a few even died.
* TranquilFury: [[BleedEmAndWeep The mess with Vyrnus]] left this as Kaidan's default state when he gets angry, but a particularly extreme case occurs after the mission on Horizon in 3, where [[spoiler:the Illusive Man and Henry Lawson were turning people into husks to try and control them]], Kaidan's seething hatred of the Illusive Man manifests itself in him very calmly wanting to rip the man in half.
-->'''Kaidan:''' After what I saw down there, I have never been more filled with rage.
** Dips into this again when recounting the atrocities committed by the geth if Shepard lets the quarians destroy them, referring to the geth as "murdering machines" in a quiet yet ''intensely'' acidic tone.
* {{Transhuman}}: By nature of being a biotic human. Particularly notable for being one of the very first.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:U-Y]]
* UnresolvedSexualTension: If Kaidan was not romanced in the first game, there will be considerable UST in the third. This applies equally to both male and female Shepards.
* UnwittingPawn: Since Kaidan was unaware of the Lazarus Project, the Illusive Man was able to turn him against Shepard by strategically leaking information about their survival, [[spoiler:something Udina follows up on if Shepard makes no effort to reestablish their friendship with Kaidan.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Basically has this with Shepard in ''2'', carrying over into ''3''.
-->'''James:''' You know the Commander?\\
'''Kaidan:''' [[BrokenPedestal I used to]].
* WhatTheHellHero:
** He's got some things to say about [[spoiler:Shepard apparently faking their death and working with Cerberus in [=ME2=], though he does get better in [=ME3=] once he's no longer LockedOutOfTheLoop.]] He also protests if Ashley [[spoiler:kills Wrex]], regardless of whether it is on your orders.
** If Shepard is forced to shoot him in ''Mass Effect 3'' when trying to arrest Udina, and never even tried to patch things up in the hospital, his last words are a lot less apologetic.
--->'''Shepard:''' You stood up for the wrong man.\\
'''Kaidan:''' Better... better than killing the wrong man.
* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve on. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over being potentially dangerous to others.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
* YouShallNotPass:
** In the first game, [[spoiler:at the same time as Ashley's. It's up to you whether he survives over her]].
** In the third game, [[spoiler:this happens ''again'', when he, as a Spectre, stands between you and Councilor Udina. If you haven't done enough socializing with him beforehand, what Ashley did to Wrex, you do to him]].
[[/folder]]
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to:
'''VideoGame/MassEffect1:''' [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party Members]] ('''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffectJack Jack]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffect3:''' [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]\\
'''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:''' [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]-]]]]]
!Major[[labelnote:*]]Lieutenant ([=ME1=]), Staff Commander ([=ME2=])[[/labelnote]] Kaidan Alenko
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/KaidanME3_6455.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Mom was right. I should have brought a sweater.]]
-->''"We finally get out here and the 'final frontier' was already settled. And the residents don't even seem impressed by the view. Or the dangers."''
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RaphaelSbarge
A human biotic Sentinel Marine in the Systems Alliance military who specializes in technology and biotic support powers. If he survives the first game, he can return as a party member in ''Mass Effect 3''. He is a romance option for a female Shepard in ''Mass Effect'', and a Shepard of either gender in ''Mass Effect 3''.
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:A-E]]
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Kaidan has struggled with this ever since he accidentally killed a DrillSergeantNasty [[AssholeVictim in self-defense]] and terrified the girl he was trying to protect to begin with. Kaidan has held back his powers ever since out of fear of hurting someone like that again, which is why, despite being one of the strongest human biotics on record, he turned down the Alliance's offer to train him as an Adept in favor of becoming a Sentinel instead. Eden Prime makes Kaidan realize that he can't afford to hold back anymore.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Dialogues imply that he harbors feelings for Shepard (irrespective of gender) since the first game, but never acts on it because he is mindful of the hierarchy and because he believes that Shepard's MarriedToTheJob. Obviously averted if Shepard choose to romance him, but played straight if they romance anyone but him.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Kaidan rarely talks about it, but it is implied that people frequently give him a wide berth due to his biotics, and he is acutely aware of the fact that human biotics are still considered freaks by most. The outdated implants don't help matters.
* AmicableExes: If he and Shepard had something going in ''1'' and don't get back together in ''3'', he takes it significantly better than Ashley and still gets along well with the commander.
* AngerBornOfWorry: If he's romanced and taken to the final mission of ''Leviathan'', he's not happy about Shepard almost getting themself killed.
-->'''Kaidan:''' Never do that again.
* AnimalWrongsGroup: One of his strategies for distracting the guards at the Silver Coast Casino is to claim to belong to one of these.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I'm with the "Varren Anti-Cruelty Association", and I cannot ''believe'' what I'm seeing up here!
* ArmorIsUseless: [[spoiler: If Shepard is forced to shoot him, they only shoot him once with the Predator, the weakest pistol in the game. Despite wearing heavy armor, having kinetic barriers that have withstood dozens of bullets in cutscenes, a personal ability that makes said kinetic barriers even stronger, and having medigel on hand just in case he gets shot, the bullet goes right through him and he dies a few minutes after]].
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: During the first act of the third game, [[spoiler:he's made a Spectre]]. He also technically ''outranks'' Shepard after getting promoted to Staff Commander in the second game and then Major in the third [[spoiler: provided he lives that long]].
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Kaidan is prone to the occasional non-sequitur and odd, childlike observation.
* BadassBookworm: He is a skilled technician and field medic, which are his official roles in the Alliance. Considering real-world standards for military officers, Kaidan likely has at least one advanced degree.
* BarrierWarrior: In the third game, Kaidan takes this a step above standard biotics. His Barrier power reduces damage until he chooses to dispel it, and Reave temporarily reduces damage anytime it hits an organic enemy. Together, they make Kaidan nearly invincible.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Most of his ''Mass Effect 3'' outfits have a helmet for vacuum conditions, except his From Ashes DLC Palette Swap. The eyepiece apparently overrides it.
* BattleCouple: With Shepard in the first and third games if romanced.
* BeautifulDreamer: Implied if he's romanced in the third game.
-->'''Kaidan:''' You, uh, left without waking me.\\
'''Shepard:''' I didn't have the heart.
* BeehiveBarrier: Reave gives him a temporary one when used on an organic enemy.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Shepard on Horizon in [=ME2=] and Mars in [=ME3=]. Shepard's sex and relationship with Kaidan is irrelevant.
* BerserkButton: Politicians claiming to "support the troops" while using that to further their own cause, as shown if brought along to the meeting with the Terra Firma protestors.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: For such a soft-spoken, easy-going, and nice guy, he can break your neck with a single powerful biotic blast, and is adept at making your weapons blow up in your face. The whole reason he is so self-controlled is because he knows how easily he could kill someone and doesn't want to.
* BizarreBabyBoom: Was one of the first human biotics after his mother was caught downwind of a transport crash in Singapore, exposing him to Element-Zero ''in-utero''. He's reasonably confident that his specific case ''was'' genuinely accidental, but given the influence that [[EvilInc Conatix]] had after human biotics began emerging and their questionable activities at [=BAaT=], he's highly suspicious about subsequent similar "accidents".
-->"No one "knows". Doesn't mean they didn't happen. As big as the exposures were, it was hard to track down accidentals. [...] [[CouldSayItBut I'm not saying they intentionally detonated drives over our outposts]], but in retrospect, they were ''damn'' quick on the scene."
* BleedEmAndWeep: The defining moment of his backstory was when a turian DrillSergeantNasty [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beat the crap out of him]] and tried to kill him with a knife [[DisproportionateRetribution for trying to stand up for his girlfriend after the same turian broke her arm]], causing Kaidan to lash out and snap his neck. Having never killed anyone before, Kaidan was horrified that someone died because he couldn't control himself, [[AssholeVictim even if it was in self-defense]]. He now keeps a tight lid on his biotics to avoid any repeats of that situation.
* BlessedWithSuck: His L2 implants give him more oomph than the average biotic running the stabler and safer L3s, but he has to deal with frequent migraines. And he's one of the luckier ones in terms of side effects. Some of the other party members, such as Wrex and Garrus, argue that the power is worth the side effects.
--> '''Wrex:''' You don't stop using a gun just because the kickback has a little sting.
* BlueIsCalm: Kaidan's default outfit in ''3'' is blue and white, and he is consistently one of Shepard's more level-headed companions.
* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To learn how to use his biotics he was sent to one to undergo TrainingFromHell. It started with the corporation that funded it hiring an ''extremely'' racist turian mercenary to train them, who took an immediate dislike to Kaidan politely pointing out his family hadn't fought in the First Contact War, and ended with Kaidan breaking the jerk's neck in self-defense, which led to the entire thing being shut down and almost causing an interspecies incident.
* BreakTheCutie: Kaidan had a very idealistic view of the world in the first game, but he gets a lot darker in the following two.
* BringIt: After Sanctuary, Kaidan will be seething with utter rage.
-->'''Kaidan:''' ''(TranquilFury)'' Can you feel it, Shepard? Feel the quickening? Illusive Man better say his prayers tonight, because we're coming for him. Murderous asshole. Oh yeah. Tide is turning. ''I can feel it.''
* CelibateHero: If unromanced in ''1'', in ''3'' Kaidan will note that Shepard must have noticed he never dated ''anyone'' in all the time they knew him.
* CharacterDevelopment:
** In the first game, he takes a bit of convincing to loosen up and let himself go more often. Come the third, he has to convince ''you'' to take a "sanity check" with him on the Citadel.
** He completely writes off Cerberus as a terrorist organization in ''2'', seeing Shepard working with them as a betrayal. In ''3'', after the mission with ex-Cerberus scientist Dr. Cole, he asks Shepard if the people in Cerberus were good people and wonders if the Illusive Man was once a good person before he became who he is now.
* CharacterTics: In the first game, is often seen holding the side of his head on elevator rides, from his implant migraines. Depending on what dialogue is playing, it can resemble a FacePalm.
* CommandingCoolness: He's reached the rank of Staff Commander in ''2''.
* ConsummateProfessional: Definitely.
** In the first game, Shepard has to repeatedly tell Kaidan to disregard their rank and speak freely, after he admits to being a little uneasy with the idea of befriending a superior officer.
** Noticeably, whenever he's speaking to those of a lower or similar rank, such as Ashley and Joker, he's far more casual and informal. Dr. Chakwas also mentions he had an OddFriendship with Jenkins.
* CovertPervert: He's surprisingly knowledgeable about extranet fetish sites, approves of [[spoiler:EDI's new body]] once the shock wears off, doesn't think he would survive an encounter with an [[OutWithABang Ardat-Yakshi]], is noted to be working very hard not to stare at Diana Allers, and implies that he was checking out Jacob during the mission on Gellix.
* CrocodileTears: Shows an unexpected talent for this if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I've lost a lot of money. Who can I talk to about getting it back?\\
'''Guard:''' I'm sorry, sir, you can't... get it back... No, no, please, sir, please don't cry.
* DangerousSixteenthBirthday: Kaidan was sixteen when he received his [[FlawedPrototype L2 implants]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Not as obvious as the others tend to be, but he has his moments.
--> (''after Shepard is asked for a favor in a dangerous situation'') That's very comforting. Certain death for some, fine for us.
* DefensiveWhat: When he has his most notable CovertPervert moment.
-->'''Lorik Qui'in:''' An asari in a pinstripe suit set tongues wagging among the younger male employees. So to speak.\\
'''Kaidan:''' It does sound like something that you'd find on an extranet fetish site... (''{{beat}}'') What?
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first thing he says is him defending Nihlus against Joker saying he hates him solely for being a Spectre (and not being massively impressed with Joker's piloting abilities), proving that not only is he level-headed but also willing to stand up for those he feels are being mistreated.
* EyeColorChange: Normally brown, but in [=ME3=] they turn blue when he uses his biotics[[note]]Briefly when he uses Reave. Indefinitely when he uses Barrier[[/note]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:F-J]]
* FanDisservice: In ''Mass Effect 3'' you get to see plenty of [[ShirtlessScene shirtless Kaidan]]--[[spoiler:while he's lying in a hospital bed, with his face beaten in and bruised. Sure, he gets better in subsequent trips to the Citadel hospital.]]
* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade female Shepard who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
-->'''Kaidan:''' Finally, we're rid of the geth once and for all. ''(suddenly [[TranquilFury quiet]])'' Those murdering machines... I can't help draw the parallel. Know what I mean? Yeah, let's just hope the geth don't have the rachni's playbook.[[note]]In other words, "let's hope the geth don't have a way to return after being eradicated".[[/note]]
* FemaleGaze: A romanced Shepard takes a good, long look at his rear as they return to the ''Normandy'' in ''3''. This took no time at all to go memetic. [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/VivaciousDeimos/tumblr_m0fi5zwTfN1r4nc13.gif A random female NPC]] can also be seen checking him out in the intro.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced. For Female Shepard, she can start romancing him in the first game and carry it to the end of the third. For Male Shepard, he can stay celibate for the first two games and then jump at the chance to be with Kaidan in the third.
* FlawedPrototype: Kaidan's biotic amplifier implants are L2, a model series that was made before humanity really knew what it was doing when it came to biotics. He suffers migraines... and he's one of the lucky [=L2s=]. He decides not to get retrofitted with [=L3s=], because the [=L2s=] let his powers spike higher, the surgery that would be required has a high risk of complications, and he has a deep distrust of any [[EvilInc Conatix]] offshoots.
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: In the second and third games in order to make sure his story arc matches Ashley's, such as on Horizon when he doesn't think to use a biotic barrier to keep the seeker swarms away, or on Mars when he tries to shoot Eva Core instead of sending her flying.
* FreudianExcuse: [[DefiedTrope Defied]]. Out of all of Shepard's human squadmates, Kaidan has the most [[TrainingFromHell justifiable reason]] to struggle with FantasticRacism, especially against turians. But if suggested that this is the case, Kaidan is not amused and pointedly refuses to use his past like that, because of how [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] it would be for a human to do so.
-->'''Kaidan:''' If one ass was enough to judge a whole race, [[HumansAreBastards I'd hate humans too]].
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. After Kaidan reveals his full backstory at [=BAaT=], Paragon Shepard is clearly gearing up for a speech about how not all turians are like Vyrnus and Kaidan shouldn't judge all aliens by his example, only for Kaidan to cut it short by revealing that he has already figured that out for himself before pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of judging other races by one bad example while not doing the same to his own.
* GayOption: In the third game.
* GonnaNeedMoreX: After Virmire, Shepard can try to comfort Kaidan by reminding him that humanity gave the turians a boot in the ass despite how much longer the turians had been around. Kaidan dryly remarks that, for the Reapers, they're going to need a bigger boot. [[GodzillaThreshold How right he was]]...
* GoodCopBadCop: He implies in ''Citadel'' that he prefers playing good cop.
* {{Handgun}}: One of his weapon types in the third game, along with assault rifles. In the first game, he was just slightly less terrible with handguns as he was with every other gun due to small bonuses on his passive class skill.
* HandicappedBadass: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The severe migraines and painful static shocks he gets because of his implants don't slow him down any.
* HealerSignsOnEarly: He is conveniently the first squadmate Shepard gets in the first game and the closest thing the party has to a dedicated healer.
* HeartbrokenBadass: Shepard's death messed him up pretty bad. When the Illusive Man tricked him into thinking his grief was all for nothing, Kaidan was livid. [[spoiler:He gets better in ''3'' though, but only if you talk to him]].
* HiddenDepths: Kaidan initially appears to be just a quiet NiceGuy. Further examination reveals that he is very introspective about his and humanity's place in the galaxy, and he's so reserved because he's terrified of hurting someone if he loses control.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: The in-universe explanation for why Kaidan wasn't a GayOption in the first game is because he didn't think Shepard would, or [[IncompatibleOrientation could]], feel the same way. Gender flipped if he didn't romance anyone in the first two games and female Shepard finally propositions him.
* AnIcePerson: Uses Cryo Blast, and the only character in ''3'' who can use it other than Shepard.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Kaidan occasionally implies that, deep down, he wishes he weren't a biotic. He's largely made his peace with it by the time the series starts, with the implication that he would be a red sand addict otherwise.
* IncompletelyTrained: By choice and the reason he's a Sentinel instead of an Adept. He got [=BAaT=] shut down before they could finish training any of the students and had enough residual trauma to turn down the Alliance's offer to finish his training in [=BAaT's=] place. He chose to train as a technician and medic instead.
* InformedDeformity: According to Thane, he has scarring that clearly identifies him as a biotic, but even with all the times Kaidan has had his clothes off, those scars are never seen. Then again, [[AwesomeByAnalysis Thane's observational and memetic prowess is much higher than a human's]], so it might not be readily obvious to others.
* IRegretNothing: [[spoiler:His last words if he dies on Virmire.]]
* ItHasBeenAnHonor:
** [[spoiler:His goodbye if Shepard chooses to save Ashley instead of him on Virmire]].
** [[spoiler:If someone other than Shepard shoots Kaidan, Kaidan will be more forgiving.]]
--->'''Shepard:''' Kaidan, why wouldn't you just stand down?\\
'''Kaidan:''' Man... couldn't defend himself. Shepard... I... ''(dies)''\\
'''Shepard:''' ''(sadly)'' It has been an honor.
* JackOfAllStats: In ''Mass Effect 3''. Decent weapon damage, high biotic and tech power (and the only character aside from Shepard who can use both), extremely tough, and an unparalleled ability to contribute to the expanded power combo system.
* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they weren't seeing the information about Shepard that the Illusive Man was intentionally leaking. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
* JustFriends: Regardless of their history from the first two games or Shepard's gender, Kaidan will confess his love for them in [=ME3=]. Shepard can either reciprocate or invoke this trope. Also applies [[{{Revision}} Retroactively]] with male Shepard in the first two games, as before the third game he was only romanceable if you were female. Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is all about how he wants something more with someone that he's already friends with.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:K-O]]
* KeepingTheHandicap: Kaidan could replace his implant with an [=L3=] model and be rid of all the problems that come with the [[FlawedPrototype L2]], but gives multiple reasons for not doing so. The surgery itself is extremely high risk; in his own words, "one wrong slip of the knife and you can't remember your own name." It is also extremely unusual for an [=L3=] to give as much power as an [=L2=], and Kaidan doesn't think it's worth both the risk and the loss of power when he "only" gets migraines. Perhaps most importantly, getting a retrofit would require going through an offshoot [[EvilInc Conatix]], and Kaidan refuses to go anywhere near them because he blames Conatix for the fiasco that [=BAaT=] turned into, and likely for the various ''other'' abuses they were responsible for in the early days of researching human biotics.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Depending on your choices on Virmire... and midway through the third game]].
* TheLancer: A dual role in the first and third games:
** Shares the role with Ashley in the first game [[spoiler:until one of them is killed off]].
** Back in the part in ''3'', sharing with Garrus[[spoiler:, though one or both of them may be dead at this point]].
* LethalChef: Implied to be this in the Citadel DLC. He offers to cook something, and Shepard worries that they survived Sovereign, the Collector Base, plus everything else during the course of the series, and can't believe that the one thing that will really off them is ''Kaidan's cooking.'' [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Later, Shepard can point out that the meal was actually pretty good,]] or that they were [[{{Troll}} teasing Kaidan about how sensitive he is.]]]] Shepard is much nicer if they are in a relationship with Kaidan.
* LetsGetDangerous: In an elevator conversation with Liara, he mentions that up until Eden Prime he'd been generally keeping his biotic mojo on a tighter leash. Afterward, his determination to stop Saren and the geth means he's holding back a hell of a lot less (which might also function as an explanation for why the supposedly already skilled biotic's skills start out so weak, and get stronger as the game goes on).
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: One of the main reasons why [[spoiler: the reunion on Horizon goes so badly]]. Shepard seems to be the only one to think it might be a good idea for Kaidan to know what the hell is going on. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late since all that left him with were the reports Cerberus itself was leaking to keep Shepard away from their old contacts. In the third game, rectifying this is an essential part of getting back on his good side. The player also has the option of [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential continuing to leave him out of the loop]], [[spoiler: which potentially ends in his death because he can't be convinced that it's NotWhatItLooksLike. However, he does confess in one of the hospital scenes that, in retrospect, he could have handled the Horizon affair better than he did]].
* TheLostLenore: Potentially. [[spoiler: As Kaidan or Ashley will be the SacrificialLion for the first game, they]] can also be considered this if a romance was pursued and they died.
* MagicKnight: [[TookALevelInBadass Grew into one]] by the third game.
* MagikarpPower: He starts weak, but with high levels, no other party member even comes close to competing with him for sheer variety of ways he can screw with the enemy.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: The Feminine guy to [=FemShep's=] masculine girl. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if she's a Paragon. Kaidan also has this dynamic with Ashley.
* MasterOfNone: In the first game[[note]]The first game was less kind to hybrid classes in general. The Sentinel class, and by extension Kaidan, got the short end of the stick[[/note]], [[DownplayedTrope though not nearly to the degree he's typically made out to be]]. Even though he does become more versatile as time goes on and his array of support powers grows, he can never match any of his teammates in terms of combat power. Averted in ''Mass Effect 3'' where his versatility is one of his biggest strengths as well as gaining an assault rifle as a weapon and Barrier, the biotic equivalent of Tech Armor.
* MeaningfulName: "Kaidan" means "shackle" in Ukrainian. In this case, it refers to the mental restraints Kaidan places on himself to avoid losing control and hurting someone by accident.
* TheMedic: Kaidan is the only squadmate in the first game to get the Medicine talent, which decreases the recharge time on the First Aid talent. This also technically makes him a DeadlyDoctor, since Medicine unlocks the Neural Shock ability.
* MightyGlacier: Investing in Kaidan's Barrier power, especially without using his default outfit and choosing the evolution to halve Barrier's recharge penalty, significantly slows down his ability to use his powers in exchange for an enormous boost to his defenses.
* MilitaryBrat: Not as prominent as with Ash, but it is still part of his background and influenced his decision to enlist. If not for Alenko Sr.'s military career, it is very likely that the family would not have been in Singapore when that transport exploded. It is also very likely the reason that Kaidan was identified later than the other biotics created from the Singapore incident.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I think it's commendable to follow in a parent's footsteps.
* MindOverMatter: One of the oldest human biotics. His [[FlawedPrototype L2 implant]] makes him one of the strongest, but at the cost of severe migraines.
* MiseryPoker: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Kaidan tends downplay his own struggles in favor of pointing out how much worse others have it. When it comes to his implant-induced migraines, "I'm one of the lucky ones," borders on his CharacterCatchphrase, since at least his implant hasn't rendered him physically helpless and/or completely insane like it has others.
* MotorMouth: When hopped up on coffee.
* MrFanservice: Like default Male Shepard, Kaidan's face is [[https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-10/30/15/enhanced/webdr03/longform-original-28880-1414696018-6.jpg?downsize=800:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto based on a model]]. Combine that with Raphael Sbarge's voice...
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: With [[spoiler:Ashley after Virmire. One of them ''will'' always die so it's impossible to finish the game with both of them]].
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Even though Vyrnnus, the turian DrillSergeantNasty Kaidan killed in self-defense had been a violent and abusive thug who'd threatened Kaidan with a knife for standing up for another girl in the program, Kaidan still regrets that someone, no matter how deserving, died because he lost control and lashed out without thinking.
* NiceGuy: One of the outright nicest characters in the series. [[BewareTheNiceOnes It in no way impedes his ability to kill someone with his brain]]. In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
* NoodleIncident:
** In the beginning of the first game, Chakwas mentions that Kaidan has over a dozen special commendations. These are never explained.
** In the third game's ''Citadel'' DLC, Kaidan mentions that he once had a run in with the vorcha Mafia at a casino. His only elaboration is that it involved [[NoodleImplements five-thousand credits and a bottle of whiskey]].
* OfficerAndAGentleman: He's polite, open-minded, and keeps strict control over himself and his biotic abilities. [[BewareTheNiceOnes And he can kick your ass]].
* OldSoldier: Even though he is thirty-six, at most, by the end of the series, [[WarIsHell everything he's gone through by that point]] has made him feel like one of these, especially compared to his students.
* OneManArmy: [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome It was offscreen]], but Kaidan apparently [[spoiler:fought through Cerberus's soldiers completely on his own to reach the Council during the coup]].
* OptionalPartyMember: After [[spoiler:nearly being killed on Mars, he's absent until Udina's attempted coup, wherein he can actually be killed or, barring that, have his request to return to the ''Normandy'' refused, making him a War Asset instead of a squadmate]].
* OutOfFocus: Like Ashley, Kaidan has a central role in ''Mass Effect 1'''s plot, but plays a much more minor role in the sequels compared to the other original party members. The intended subplot about [[spoiler:the Illusive Man turning Shepard and Kaidan against each other was significantly stripped down, most likely because of the number of [[IdiotBall Idiot Balls]] everyone involved needed to grab for the original plan to work.]] Particularly jarring if you romanced him in the first game, though it can be [[DownplayedTrope mitigated significantly]] if the player goes to talk to him when he asks, [[spoiler:especially since he does confess the shock of seeing Shepard again and with Cerberus made him act more rashly than he feels was appropriate]].
* OverrankedSoldier: This applies in the sequels, where he is promoted unreasonably quickly. In the 2 years between ''1'' and ''2,'' he's been promoted twice, from Staff Lieutenant to Staff Commander. Then 6 months later in ''3,'' he's been promoted ''again'' to Major (O-6 in the Alliance's rank structure, equivalent to Anderson's rank of Captain in the first game), and is 2 ranks higher than Shepard, yet still answers to them aboard the Normandy. To anyone who knows modern military ranks, this is the equivalent of an officer achieving about 15 years worth of promotions in 2 1/2 years. This might make more sense in wartime, where attrition and military need can see promotions happen much faster, but the Alliance is at relative peace before the Reapers invade in ''3''.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: By the third game, he's actually been promoted ''over'' Shepard, but he still takes Shepard's orders because... [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership well]].
** Gameplay wise, he suffers from this in the first game. With proper skill point allocation, he can single-handedly render any enemy that's not a thresher maw or the final boss's first form completely helpless, but that's often overlooked in favor of the more exotic and flashy abilities other squad members can use.
** With all the biotics that join the squad in ''[=ME2=]'', it's easy to forget that Kaidan is one of the strongest known human biotics, only behind Jack and [[ExpandedUniverse possibly]] Gillian Grayson, and about even with Biotic Shepard.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:P-T]]
* PermaStubble: In ''3''. The Legendary Edition backports it to the first game as well.
* PlatonicLifePartners: If not romanced with Shepard. Shepard even calls Kaidan a brother to them.
* PrecisionFStrike: Kaidan rarely curses, but after the Sanctuary mission, Kaidan gets so angry, he calls The Illusive Man a "murderous asshole". Before that, in ''1'', when Udina screws Shepard over, Kaidan calls him a bastard for it.
* ProperlyParanoid: When Kaidan appears in ''2'', he warns Shepard that the Illusive Man is using the Reaper threat and Shepard's gratitude to control them. If he is brought to Cronos Station in ''3'', Kaidan is not surprised to find a recording of the Illusive Man laying out his plans to make Shepard sympathetic to Cerberus.
* RealMenWearPink: At the beginning of the second game he comes to Shepard's aid wearing the pink and white Phoenix armor (though he's wearing a black one when you meet him later on Horizon).
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Ashley's red.
* RefugeInAudacity: Second only to [[{{Troll}} Javik]] if he helps infiltrate the casino in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''. He outright threatens a guard when pretending to mistake him for someone who owes him money, loudly claims that he represents the Varren Anti-Cruelty Association and is very unhappy about what he's seeing, and convinces a guard that he's going to cry.
* RelationshipUpgrade: Shepards of either gender can start a new romance with him in ''3''.
* RelationshipValues: Possesses this in ''3'' with Shepard [[spoiler: and it culminates in a MexicanStandoff at the Citadel. A high value will make him side with you, a lower value requires a reputation check, or he'll refuse to budge and either you or a party member will kill him]].
* TheRedMage: Kaidan uses both biotic and tech powers.
* ScarsAreForever: At the point of his examination by Thane, Kaidan has had his implant and the matching scars for roughly twenty years.
* SemperFi: A special operative, like all biotics, but still a Marine.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan
** The sensitive guy to [=MaleShep's=] manly man. Particularly prominent if Shepard is a Renegade, but still present if Shepard is a Paragon. Unlike most examples, they totally avoid the "Manly Man = {{Seme}}, Sensitive Guy = {{Uke}}" implications if they are paired up.
** In the first game, Kaidan and Wrex represent the two extremes of the Paragon/Renegade meter. Kaidan, Shepard's most Paragon squadmate, is the Sensitive Guy while Wrex, Shepard's most Renegade squadmate, is the Manly Man. This is also reflected in their classes, as Sentinels focus on support while Vanguards focus on offense.
* ShockAndAwe: He has Overload.
* SpaceMarine: Again, if you're a soldier in the Alliance military, you're a Marine.
* StarCrossedLovers: With female Shepard in the second game if romanced in the first. With male Shepard in the third game unless a specific ending is chosen.
* StoneWall: When he's fighting organic enemies, the combination of Barrier and Reave can make him harder to kill than [[TheBigGuy James]], even with the health disadvantage.
* StopBeingStereotypical:
** He expresses the belief that a lot of humanity's problems are because of people like Udina pushing for too much too soon. This also explains his hatred of Cerberus.
** He is also noted to have zero sympathy for biotic extremists.
* SurvivorsGuilt: [[spoiler:If Ashley dies, though he handles it better than she does in the opposite situation]].
* SympathyForTheDevil: In ''3'', after he reconciles with Shepard, Kaidan will reminisce about a mission wherein you can rescue a group of rogue Cerberus scientists. He comments that they were all good people despite being in Cerberus's employ, and wonders if the Illusive Man himself was ever a good person. Shepard has the option of either being accommodating or dismissive towards this line of thought.
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''[=ME3=]'', he went from a [[TheRedMage Red Mage]] focused on crowd control to a MagicKnight with StoneWall tendencies. Storywise, he received a rank up to Major and was declared the second human Spectre; IE, the most badass human in the galaxy after Shepard. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''[[{{DLC}} Citadel]]''.
-->'''Kaidan''': I may be L2, but I've worked very hard, and now I can ''reave''!\\
''[everyone else stares at him]''\\
'''Jacob:''' Really? That's... no.\\
'''Liara:''' That's a bit strange.
* TookALevelInJerkass: A renegade Shepard romancing him can actually push him to become more aggressive, even outright xenophobic, to the point where he demands the Council being sacrificed during the endgame. How bad is it? Every character has a relative renegade/paragon score, which causes characters to give different advice based on who else is in the squad. Wrex, normally your most Renegade squadmate, will actually advocate for the Council to be spared if Kaidan becomes this. It's all gone again in the sequels.
* TrainingFromHell: In his backstory at a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors. Kaidan notes that a significant number of his classmates suffered psychotic breaks, and a few even died.
* TranquilFury: [[BleedEmAndWeep The mess with Vyrnus]] left this as Kaidan's default state when he gets angry, but a particularly extreme case occurs after the mission on Horizon in 3, where [[spoiler:the Illusive Man and Henry Lawson were turning people into husks to try and control them]], Kaidan's seething hatred of the Illusive Man manifests itself in him very calmly wanting to rip the man in half.
-->'''Kaidan:''' After what I saw down there, I have never been more filled with rage.
** Dips into this again when recounting the atrocities committed by the geth if Shepard lets the quarians destroy them, referring to the geth as "murdering machines" in a quiet yet ''intensely'' acidic tone.
* {{Transhuman}}: By nature of being a biotic human. Particularly notable for being one of the very first.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:U-Y]]
* UnresolvedSexualTension: If Kaidan was not romanced in the first game, there will be considerable UST in the third. This applies equally to both male and female Shepards.
* UnwittingPawn: Since Kaidan was unaware of the Lazarus Project, the Illusive Man was able to turn him against Shepard by strategically leaking information about their survival, [[spoiler:something Udina follows up on if Shepard makes no effort to reestablish their friendship with Kaidan.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Basically has this with Shepard in ''2'', carrying over into ''3''.
-->'''James:''' You know the Commander?\\
'''Kaidan:''' [[BrokenPedestal I used to]].
* WhatTheHellHero:
** He's got some things to say about [[spoiler:Shepard apparently faking their death and working with Cerberus in [=ME2=], though he does get better in [=ME3=] once he's no longer LockedOutOfTheLoop.]] He also protests if Ashley [[spoiler:kills Wrex]], regardless of whether it is on your orders.
** If Shepard is forced to shoot him in ''Mass Effect 3'' when trying to arrest Udina, and never even tried to patch things up in the hospital, his last words are a lot less apologetic.
--->'''Shepard:''' You stood up for the wrong man.\\
'''Kaidan:''' Better... better than killing the wrong man.
* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve on. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over being potentially dangerous to others.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
* YouShallNotPass:
** In the first game, [[spoiler:at the same time as Ashley's. It's up to you whether he survives over her]].
** In the third game, [[spoiler:this happens ''again'', when he, as a Spectre, stands between you and Councilor Udina. If you haven't done enough socializing with him beforehand, what Ashley did to Wrex, you do to him]].
[[/folder]]
----
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-->'''Kaidan:''' I'm with the "Varren Anti-Cruelty Association", and I cannot ''believe'' what I'm seeing up here!
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* ComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
-->'''Kaidan:''' I've lost a lot of money. Who can I talk to about getting it back?\\
'''Guard:''' I'm sorry, sir, you can't... get it back... No, no, please, sir, please don't cry.
'''Guard:''' I'm sorry, sir, you can't... get it back... No, no, please, sir, please don't cry.
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* FemaleGaze[=/=]EatingTheEyeCandy: A romanced Shepard takes a good, long look at his rear as they return to the ''Normandy'' in ''3''. This took no time at all to go memetic. [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/VivaciousDeimos/tumblr_m0fi5zwTfN1r4nc13.gif A random female NPC]] can also be seen checking him out in the intro.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced.
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* FemaleGaze[=/=]EatingTheEyeCandy: FemaleGaze: A romanced Shepard takes a good, long look at his rear as they return to the ''Normandy'' in ''3''. This took no time at all to go memetic. [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/VivaciousDeimos/tumblr_m0fi5zwTfN1r4nc13.gif A random female NPC]] can also be seen checking him out in the intro.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced. For Female Shepard, she can start romancing him in the first game and carry it to the end of the third. For Male Shepard, he can stay celibate for the first two games and then jump at the chance to be with Kaidan in the third.
* FirstGuyWins: If romanced. For Female Shepard, she can start romancing him in the first game and carry it to the end of the third. For Male Shepard, he can stay celibate for the first two games and then jump at the chance to be with Kaidan in the third.
* KeepingTheHandicap: Kaidan could replace his implant with an [=L3=] model and be rid of all the problems that come with the [[FlawedPrototype L2]], but gives multiple reasons for not doing so. The surgery itself is extremely high risk; in his own words, "one wrong slip of the knife and you can't remember your own name." It is also extremely unusual for an [=L3=] to give as much power as an [=L2=], and Kaidan doesn't think it's worth both the risk and the loss of power when he "only" gets migraines. Perhaps most importantly, getting a retrofit would require going through an offshoot [[EvilInc Conatix]], and Kaidan refuses to go anywhere near them because he blames Conatix for the fiasco that [=BAaT=] turned into, and likely for the various ''other'' abuses they were responsible for in the early days of researching human biotics.
* MiseryPoker: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Kaidan tends downplay his own struggles in favor of pointing out how much worse others have it. When it comes to his implant-induced migraines, "I'm one of the lucky ones," borders on his CharacterCatchphrase, since at least his implant hasn't rendered him physically helpless and/or completely insane like it has others.
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** He's got some things to say about [[spoiler:Shepard apparently faking their death and working with Cerberus in [=ME2=], though he does get better in [=ME3=].]] He also protests if Ashley [[spoiler:kills Wrex]], regardless of whether it is on your orders.
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** He's got some things to say about [[spoiler:Shepard apparently faking their death and working with Cerberus in [=ME2=], though he does get better in [=ME3=].[=ME3=] once he's no longer LockedOutOfTheLoop.]] He also protests if Ashley [[spoiler:kills Wrex]], regardless of whether it is on your orders.
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* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic as he is in the games, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over that fact.
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* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve. improve on. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic as he is in the games, biotic, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over that fact.being potentially dangerous to others.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
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* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The first thing he says is him defending Nihlus against Joker saying he hates him solely for being a Spectre (and not being massively impressed with Joker's piloting abilities), proving that not only is he level-headed but also willing to stand up for those he feels are being mistreated.
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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup. TRS Thread
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* CanadaEh: For all the Canadian accents on humans (and the occasional alien), Kaidan is the only confirmed example - his parents come from Vancouver (though Kaidan was born in Singapore due to his father's military career). Lampshaded in his ''Citadel'' DLC scene.
-->'''Shepard:''' What are we having? Canadian delicacy of some sort?\\
'''Kaidan:''' Uh, sure, exactly. We have beef, bacon, we have beer... the foods of my people.
-->'''Shepard:''' What are we having? Canadian delicacy of some sort?\\
'''Kaidan:''' Uh, sure, exactly. We have beef, bacon, we have beer... the foods of my people.
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* DisabledLoveInterest: Kaidan is one of Shepard's main love interests, and his [[FlawedPrototype implant]] forces him to live with migraines and chronic pain via electric shocks.
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* NiceGuy: One of the outright nicest characters in the series. [[BewareTheNiceOnes It in no way impedes his ability to kill someone with his brain]].
** In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
** In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
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* NiceGuy: One of the outright nicest characters in the series. [[BewareTheNiceOnes It in no way impedes his ability to kill someone with his brain]].
**brain]]. In fact, he is actually the nicest squadmate in the first ''Mass Effect'': in the first ''Mass Effect'' game, during any major Paragon/Renegade choice, one squadmate will always advise you to take the Paragon option, and the other will always advise you to take the Renegade option. If Kaidan is one of your squadmates, Kaidan will ''always'' advocate the Paragon option, no matter who the other squadmate is (so even the normally Paragon Liara will advocate the Renegade option if Kaidan is the other squadmate). The one exception is [[spoiler:the rachni queen]] if Liara is present, and even then he only pragmatically points out that the acid tanks are not there to be capricious.
**
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* TheLostLenore: Potentially. As Kaidan or Ashley will be the SacrificialLion for the first game, they can also be considered this if a romance was pursued and they died.
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* TheLostLenore: Potentially. [[spoiler: As Kaidan or Ashley will be the SacrificialLion for the first game, they they]] can also be considered this if a romance was pursued and they died.
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'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\
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'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party Members]] ([[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]]) Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffectJack Jack]]) | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Non-Council Space NPCs]]\\
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* OvershadowedByAwesome: By the third game, he's actually been promoted ''over'' Shepard, but he still takes Shepard's orders because... [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking well]].
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* OvershadowedByAwesome: By the third game, he's actually been promoted ''over'' Shepard, but he still takes Shepard's orders because... [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership well]].
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[[center: [- [[Characters/MassEffect Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party 1 Members]] | '''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Mass Effect 1 Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs Mass Effect 1 NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Non-Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party 3 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 3 Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Andromeda Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Andromeda Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]]]-]
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'''VideoGame/MassEffect1:''' [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party
'''VideoGame/MassEffect2:''' [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party
'''VideoGame/MassEffect3:''' [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party
'''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:''' [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party
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[[center: [- [[Characters/MassEffect Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party 1 Members]] | '''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Mass Effect 1 Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs Mass Effect 1 NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Non-Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party 3 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 3 Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Andromeda Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Andromeda Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]]]-]
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[[center: [- [[Characters/MassEffect Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/MassEffectCommanderShepard Commander Shepard]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1PartyMembers Party 1 Members]] | '''Kaidan Alenko''' | [[Characters/MassEffectAshleyWilliams Ashley Williams]] | [[Characters/MassEffectGarrusVakarian Garrus Vakarian]] | [[Characters/MassEffectLiaraTSoni Liara T'Soni]] | [[Characters/MassEffectTaliZorah Tali'Zorah]] | [[Characters/MassEffectUrdnotWrex Urdnot Wrex]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Antagonists Mass Effect 1 Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect1Npcs Mass Effect 1 NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2EarlyPartyMembers Early Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectMirandaLawson Miranda Lawson]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2LatePartyMembers Late Party 2 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecretPartyMembers Mass Effect 2 Secret Party Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2MainAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Main Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2SecondaryAntagonists Mass Effect 2 Secondary Antagonists]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NormandyCrew Normandy Crew]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2CouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect2NonCouncilSpaceNPCs Mass Effect 2 Non-Council Space NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3PartyMembers Party 3 Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3AntagonistsAndNpcs Mass Effect 3 Antagonists and NPCs]] | [[Characters/MassEffect3MultiplayerCharacters Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPathfinderRyder Pathfinder Ryder]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaPartyMembers Party Andromeda Members]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaCrewOfTheTempest Crew of the Tempest]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAndromedaInitiative The Andromeda Initiative]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheKett The Kett]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaTheAngara The Angara]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaOtherCharacters Andromeda Other Characters]] | [[Characters/MassEffectAndromedaMultiplayerCharacters Multiplayer Characters]]]]-]
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Asskicking Leads To Leadership is the new name of the trope.
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* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: During the first act of the third game, [[spoiler:he's made a Spectre]]. He also technically ''outranks'' Shepard after getting promoted to Staff Commander in the second game and then Major in the third [[spoiler: provided he lives that long]].
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* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: During the first act of the third game, [[spoiler:he's made a Spectre]]. He also technically ''outranks'' Shepard after getting promoted to Staff Commander in the second game and then Major in the third [[spoiler: provided he lives that long]].
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* WillfullyWeak: The incident in his past where he accidentally killed his biotic teacher caused him to slightly fear his biotic potential, so instead of developing further he instead focused on other fields to improve. It's commented a few times that he is a pretty strong biotic as he is in the games, suggesting if he were to sit down and really focus on it, he could be really powerful, but he decides not to due to his concerns over that fact.
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* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Kaidan has struggled with this ever since he accidentally killed a DrillSergeantNasty [[AssholeVictim in self-defense]] and terrified the girl he was trying to protect to begin with. Kaidan has held back his powers ever since out of fear of hurting someone like that again, which is why, despite being one of the strongest human biotics on record, he turned down the Alliance's offer to train him as an Adept in favor of becoming a Sentinel instead. Eden Prime makes Kaidan realize that he can't afford to hold back anymore.
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Characterization Tags clean-up.
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* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade Fem!Shep who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade Fem!Shep female Shepard who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: The in-universe explanation for why Kaidan wasn't a GayOption in the first game is because he didn't think Shepard would, or [[IncompatibleOrientation could]], feel the same way. Gender flipped if he didn't romance anyone in the first two games and Fem!Shep finally propositions him.
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* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: The in-universe explanation for why Kaidan wasn't a GayOption in the first game is because he didn't think Shepard would, or [[IncompatibleOrientation could]], feel the same way. Gender flipped if he didn't romance anyone in the first two games and Fem!Shep female Shepard finally propositions him.
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* JustFriends: Regardless of their history from the first two games or Shepard's gender, Kaidan will confess his love for them in [=ME3=]. Shepard can either reciprocate or invoke this trope. Also applies [[{{Revision}} Retroactively]] with Male!Shepard in the first two games, as before the third game he was only romanceable if you were female. Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is all about how he wants something more with someone that he's already friends with.
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* JustFriends: Regardless of their history from the first two games or Shepard's gender, Kaidan will confess his love for them in [=ME3=]. Shepard can either reciprocate or invoke this trope. Also applies [[{{Revision}} Retroactively]] with Male!Shepard male Shepard in the first two games, as before the third game he was only romanceable if you were female. Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is all about how he wants something more with someone that he's already friends with.
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** With all the biotics that join the squad in ''[=ME2=]'', it's easy to forget that Kaidan is one of the strongest known human biotics, only behind Jack and [[ExpandedUniverse possibly]] Gillian Grayson, and about even with Biotic!Shepard.
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** With all the biotics that join the squad in ''[=ME2=]'', it's easy to forget that Kaidan is one of the strongest known human biotics, only behind Jack and [[ExpandedUniverse possibly]] Gillian Grayson, and about even with Biotic!Shepard.Biotic Shepard.
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* BewareTheNiceOnes: For such a soft-spoken, easy-going, and nice guy, he can break your neck with a single powerful biotic blast, and is adept at making your weapons blow up in your face.
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* BewareTheNiceOnes: For such a soft-spoken, easy-going, and nice guy, he can break your neck with a single powerful biotic blast, and is adept at making your weapons blow up in your face. The whole reason he is so self-controlled is because he knows how easily he could kill someone and doesn't want to.
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* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To learn how to use his biotics he was sent to one to undergo TrainingFromHell. It started with the corporation that funded it hiring an ''extremely'' racist turian mercenary to train them, who took an immediate dislike to Kaidan politely pointing out his family hadn't fought in the First Contact War, and ended with Kaidan breaking the jerk's neck in self-defense, which led to the entire thing being shut down.
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* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: To learn how to use his biotics he was sent to one to undergo TrainingFromHell. It started with the corporation that funded it hiring an ''extremely'' racist turian mercenary to train them, who took an immediate dislike to Kaidan politely pointing out his family hadn't fought in the First Contact War, and ended with Kaidan breaking the jerk's neck in self-defense, which led to the entire thing being shut down.down and almost causing an interspecies incident.
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* ComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics.
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* ComesGreatResponsibility: To an almost excessive degree regarding his biotics.biotics, stemming from an incident where he actually did kill someone without intending to.
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* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade Fem!Shep who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade Fem!Shep who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. This is completely ignored in the next two games. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they don't receive misinformation from Cerberus unlike Kaidan. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
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* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they don't receive misinformation from Cerberus unlike Kaidan.weren't seeing the information about Shepard that the Illusive Man was intentionally leaking. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
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* FantasticRacism: He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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* FantasticRacism: He can become this if persuaded by a renegade Fem!Shep who is in a romance with him. He'll go from saying aliens are saints and jerks like the rest of humanity to calling them damn aliens by the end. He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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Changed line(s) 72 (click to see context) from:
* FantasticRacism: He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races.]]
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* FantasticRacism: He hates the geth with a passion, being very happy if you let the quarians destroy them. Justified in that, after everything he went through against them, having a personal grudge would be understandable. [[spoiler:If the quarians are destroyed instead of the geth and Tali commits suicide, Kaidan will not only blame them for it but admit he still blames them for Ashley's death on Virmire - and that even if Shepard can forgive them for it, Kaidan never will. This trope is subverted however, if peace has been brokered between the two races.races, which he shows approval and amazement.]]
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Changed line(s) 102 (click to see context) from:
* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption''. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
to:
* JerkassHasAPoint: As harsh as he was about it, Kaidan was correct that the Illusive Man was using Shepard's gratitude about the [[BackFromTheDead Lazarus Project]] to manipulate Shepard, that he was blatantly feeding Shepard false information, ''and'' that he lured the Collectors to attack Horizon (TIM defends this as [[DirtyBusiness necessary]] though). The Illusive Man throws off all pretenses when Shepard decides to destroy the Collector Base, and he was using Shepard for more than just fighting the Collectors, with utterly horrifying results. The jerkass part was born from Kaidan being [[LockedOutOfTheLoop left in the dark on several essential details]], since Liara didn't tell him about the events of ''Redemption''.''Redemption'' and their other squadmates from the first game believe Shepard without a word because they don't receive misinformation from Cerberus unlike Kaidan. [[spoiler:However, he does actually backtrack on this a bit when talking to Shepard in the hospital in ''Mass Effect 3'', feeling in hindsight that he was actually harsher than necessary since he didn't know all the details. This is also one of the few times he significantly differs from Ashley in conversation, as the latter never really seems to doubt her reaction on Horizon wasn't justified, in order to keep consistency over their [[RedOniBlueOni respective personalities.]]]]
