Liara T'Soni
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Liara T'Soni |
| Occupation: | Archaeologist, Information Broker |
| Relationships: | Matriarch Benezia (mother) Matriarch Aethyta (father) |
| Fandom: | Mass Effect |
| Other: | |
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Liara T'Soni is a squad member and a possible love interest for Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect trilogy.
Canon
Dr. Liara T'Soni is an asari researcher who has spent the past fifty years of her life studying Prothean technology and culture, specialising in the Prothean extinction. She was born on Thessia in 2077, making her "only" 106—barely an adult in asari terms. She already has a great deal of insight into the Protheans and is a highly trained user of biotics. She is a potential romance interest for either a male or female Shepard.[1]
Canon characterization
Canonically, Liara is consistently characterized as a misfit. This has been true since she was a child. As the daughter of two asari, she was shunned by her peers as a "pureblood".
An aspect of Liara's misfittedness manifests through her social awkwardness. Her interest in studying people sometimes airs towards objectification[2] or uncomfortable nosiness[3], sometimes causing gaffes with people she speaks with.
Liara is intelligent, reflective, and open-minded, and readily adapts her perspective as she learns.[4]
Liara is often disregarded and distrusted for reasons other than merit. This is a major point of contention in her career, as she is dismissed in her hypotheses about the Prothean extinction because of her age. As a result of the natural separation between her and others, she values solitude and self-reliance.[5] In her first meetings with Shepard she often qualifies her statements to minimize herself relative to what she expects others to think, projecting modesty and abnegation[6][7] and responding positively to assertions of trust and validation.[8]
Fandom
Shipping
As Liara is a potential love interest for Shepard they are primary paired together, and further more she typically paired with the female version of Shepard. This is likely because Liara was the only female love interest a female Shepard could pursue in game until Mass Effect 3. She is sometimes paired with Javik.
Bishoujo Figure Reaction
in 2011 bioware announced it would be working with Kotabukiya and their Bishoujo line of figures to releasing collectible figure of Liara. The reception was mixed due to a number of factors, such as some fans disliking an "anime" version of character from a western RPG. Others criticized the pose of the figure, which some felt was overtly sexuality.
While much of the commentary from fans focuses on the figure's ample assets, others have deigned to look up at a face which - they quite rightly point out - bears little resemblance to Liara's in-game character model. In an effort to make the figure appeal more to the sort of person who collects anime memorabilia in the form of barely-dressed schoolgirls, Kotobukiya appears to have swapped the facial features gamers know and love out for those of a twelve year old."Let us know what you think of Kotobukiya's Bushoujo statue of Liara," BioWare posted on its Facebook page - and fans certainly did. Despite receiving over 3,000 'Likes,' the feedback has been extremely mixed, with many fans writing scathing comments regarding BioWare's direction for the tie-in patnership.
"I thought we were trying to step away from sexism," [...]
"Obviously the message is that when Liara isn't at a dig site, [plot spoiler redacted] or saving the galaxy she's doing soft core porn," another fan joked.
"This is disgusting and so demeaning, bad form BioWare," complained another. "Stick to your own style and stop mimicking anime - not everyone wants a sexualised hentai figurine on their mantelpiece. Epic fail." [9]
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
[Examples illustrating common tropes; gen works; pairings other than those with their own articles]
Fanart
- Baby Liara and.. Benezia by unoobang
- I always get so emotional with this part. by orsane
- kids be kids by synnyi
Liara-centric Communities
- Liara T'Soni fanworks at the Archive of Our Own
- liara-club at Deviantart
- Liara Fans: keep your love blue and true! fextralife forum thread
References
- ^ masseffect wikia
- ^ 8:18 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 10:27 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 9:25 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 5:30 onwards in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 6:16 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 6:33 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ 6:22 in her Mass Effect 1 conversation transcripts
- ^ Mass Effect fans divided over Liara figurine