“Whenever you’re about to kill him he’s saved”: The Worst Character in Mass Effect 3, Kai Leng, Ruined the Franchise

SUMMARY

• Mass Effect 3 is one of the most hated games in the Mass Effect franchise.
• This is due to the fact that the game's ending and other aspects didn't satisfy gamers.
• However, the game's problems can also be traced to a character that BioWare should've never introduced.

There’s no denying the fact that gamers have a lot of love for the Mass Effect franchise. It’s quite fun to play and one of the most recognizable gaming franchises out there. However, one of the most controversial entries in the series is undoubtedly Mass Effect 3.

Gaming fans loved Mass Effect 3 but hated its ending (Image via EA)

Many in the community believe Mass Effect 3 ruined the franchise with its terrible ending, game mechanics, and whatnot. However, one proper playthrough of this game will make you realize there is another problem that harmed the series in unimaginable ways: Kai Leng.

Kai Leng doesn’t have a place in Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 has many problems including Kai Leng. (Image via EA)

If you’ve forgotten already, Kai Leng is one of The Illusive Man’s hired killers and is supposed to be the most crucial one, although we only meet him in the third game.

In the Mass Effect trilogy, we’re presented with a number of characters we genuinely care about, and gamers have always felt that Kai Leng is a flat villain whose only motivation is to do whatever The Illusive Man asks him to do.

The problem is that Kai Leng is not too important. He doesn’t have a huge impact on the story because he doesn’t do anything without orders, which makes him a character with no real narrative. The fact that he showed up out of nowhere and murdered Thane felt cheap.

What’s even worse is that whenever you’re on the verge of defeating Kai Leng, the game intervenes for no reason with pointless plot armor that allows him to escape or gain the upper hand. BioWare shouldn’t have pushed for his constant survival just due to “plot reasons” that make him feel unnatural in Mass Effect 3.

It’s true that Mass Effect Foundation, one of the tie-in comic book series, does do a good job of fleshing out Kai Leng. However, it still doesn’t change the fact that Mass Effect 3 failed to do so. He’s not a good character and deserves the spot as one of the worst in Mass Effect history.

Will there be another Mass Effect game?

The next installment in the franchise is coming sometime soon. (Image via EA)

Considering the huge failures the last few entries have been in the Mass Effect series, many have been wondering if EA and BioWare will give it another shot with a brand-new entry. Fortunately, the developers are working on something new.

Back in 2020, BioWare dropped an official trailer for the next chapter in the Mass Effect series. Ever since the initial teaser video, developers have been dropping bits of information about the game here and there. Rumors suggest that Mass Effect 5 might be a direct sequel to the original trilogy and could feature Liara T’Soni, the Asari squadmate from Thessia.

The next Mass Effect game will be made by a “veteran team” at BioWare, as the studio doesn’t want to take more chances with one of its most iconic IPs. However, the game is still years away from release as BioWare is still in the early stages of development, as it just wrapped up Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

With that said, what do you think about Kai Leng in Mass Effect 3? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by Dhruv Bhatnagar

Articles Published: 670

Dhruv has been an avid gamer all his life, with an emphasis on multiplayer titles. After switching to PC, he has dabbled in the world of GTA Online ever since its release. He aims to spread his passion for gaming through his writing.