Thane Krios

Lore & Background

Thane was raised on Kahje, the ocean planet homeworld of the hanar. Centuries prior, the hanar evacuated the drell from their dying homeworld Rakhana, establishing a symbiotic relationship known as the Compact where drell serve as a client race. Thane possesses eidetic memory, a genetic trait allowing him to recall external stimuli with flawless detail, sometimes mistaking these vivid recollections for reality. Trained as an assassin by his hanar masters since age six, he made his first kill at twelve. He eventually met his wife during a mission when she stepped in front of his target; they settled down until her murder by mercenaries caused him to abandon their young son, Kolyat. Unlike other drell who worship the Protheans, Thane adheres to an old polytheistic religion, praying before each mission and asking for forgiveness from his gods after every kill, believing the body is merely a tool while the guilt belongs to the hirer.

In Their Own Story

Thane was first encountered on Illium, where he had spent two years planning the assassination of asari Nassana Dantius. He joined Shepard pro bono after killing her, hoping to right wrongs before his death. His story arc in Mass Effect 2 focuses on rescuing his son Kolyat from a life of crime; together they stop Kolyat from assassinating a racist turian politician, leading Thane to reconcile with his son and become a loyal team member. In Mass Effect 3, surviving the suicide mission, Thane appears in the Citadel hospital, unable to fight due to his terminal condition. During a Cerberus attack, he assists Shepard in thwarting an assassination on the salarian Councilor but is stabbed by Kai Leng. If reconciled with Kolyat, the boy and Shepard recite a prayer at Thane's deathbed as he passes away from blood loss and disease.

Reader's Guide

Thane serves as a party member utilizing stealth, firearms, hand-to-hand combat, and biotic powers. His eidetic memory is a defining trait, allowing him to describe past events in perfect detail when triggered by stimuli. Players can discuss his religious beliefs in great detail, with the option to be invited to pray with him alongside the deity Amonkira. In Mass Effect 2, he is a possible romantic interest for female Shepard; if pursued, they spend a night together after he admits fear of death despite his earlier lack thereof. For gameplay, while specific combat stats are not detailed in the source beyond his use of stealth and biotics, his narrative utility lies in his loyalty mission regarding Kolyat and his role as a moral compass. His design, finalized after eight or nine phases by art director Derek Watts, emphasizes a mix of aquatic and reptilian characteristics to balance his career assassin persona with attractiveness.

Did You Know?

• Thane was originally intended to have three metal earrings on the sides of his head, but developers forgot to include them in the final model.
• The character's writer for Mass Effect 2, Chris L'Etoile, left the team before development was completed and was succeeded by Chris Hepler for Mass Effect 3.
• Concept artists initially drew inspiration from lizards and birds-of-paradise, but discarded a 'mannequin-like' face design because feedback from office women found it too creepy.
• Writer Trick Weekes attributed an awkward dialogue paraphrase in Thane's romance subplot to tight schedules and the lack of downloadable patches in 2000s game development.
• Thane possesses eidetic memory, a genetic trait typical of his species that allows him to relive memories so vividly he can describe them in flawless detail.