There are a whopping eleven different characters who you can choose to romance in Mass Effect 3, each of whom will have different requirements and requests if you opt to pursue their hearts. Some, like Specialist Traynor, will be simple one night affairs that can be completed far before the end of the game, while others, such as Liara, you will have to wait until the end of the game to truly see through. This guide will cover each character, the requirements for winning their hearts, and which genders they are available to. Next up is…
Liara T’Soni:
Available Genders: Both male and female Shepards
Requirements:
There are several ways to romance Liara T’Soni successfully. First, and easiest, of all is to simply pick up your romance where it left off at the end of the first Mass Effect. It does not matter if you romanced someone else during Mass Effect 2. This choice will present itself to you fairly early on in the game, just like it would if you were romancing Garrus. To do this, and to romance Liara for the first time, you should speak with her after every mission you complete. During the first conversation, you can commit to a long term relationship. Speak with her in the Presidium Commons during the time of relative peace on the Citadel, and encourage her to take a break from her work now and then. After this, keep checking your personal email log. It won’t always be at the same time for every player, but you should receive an email from Liara asking for your input on a project she has been working on. Head up to your personal quarters and invite Liara to join you.
She will ask you about a computer that she has been making in case the Reapers win the war. This computer will contain all of the data yet known to the galaxy, and it will be planted on numerous planets across the galaxy. Liara will include data on you, but she will want to know what you want her to include about yourself. Allow her to choose her own way of presenting you by sticking to the Paragon conversation options, and she will write a flattering description of you. This will be your first opportunity to tell Liara that you want to be more than just friends, but it won’t always be available to every player. It’s more likely to appear if you romanced her in the first Mass Effect, as well. Don’t worry if you don’t get the prompt, as you’ll have another chance. Keep checking your computer to find another email after the Citadel attack asking you to come visit her in the Presidium. Find her on the bottom floor of the Commons and ask her to be more than friends. She will accept the offer with a kiss. Now you will be able to see Liara’s romance scene before the Priority: Cerberus Headquarters mission. Note that if you speak with her again before talking to Anderson in the Priority: Earth mission, you can see another brief scene.
Miranda Lawson:
Available Genders: Only male Shepard
Requirements:
In order to romance Miranda in Mass Effect 3, you will have to have started a relationship with her in Mass Effect 2. Check your email frequently to receive an invitation to meet on the Citadel. You can find her where the Normandy usually docks before the Citadel is attacked. After you fend off Cerberus from the Citadel, you will receive another email asking for your help. Meet her in the Presidium Commons apartments, and choose to begin your relationship again.
Specialist Traynor:
Available Genders: Only female Shepards
Requirements:
Traynor’s romance is one that occurs fairly early on in the game, so it is one that you have to be sure to find all of the correct beats for, or you may lose the option to romance her. Speak with her every chance you get. Each time you finish a critical mission, you should definitely talk to Specialist Traynor. You should also be warm and welcoming when she arrives on the Normandy, not cold and distant. After a few conversations, Traynor will mention her love of chess. After this, you should be able to find an email in your private terminal asking to play chess sometime. From this point, you can head up to your private quarters and invite Traynor up to join you for a game. When she arrives, she will spend an unusual amount of time admiring your shower. Offer to let her use it and then, when she is bathing inside, accept her offer to join in to view the romance scene.
Steve Cortez:
Available Genders: Only male Shepards
Requirements:
To romance Steve Cortez, just talk with him in the Engineering Bay as much as possible. When you first explore the Normandy, don’t neglect to head down and talk with him for the first significant conversation. In a second conversation, you will find him crying over a recording. Speak with him to discover that the recording is the last from his ex-husband, who died during the Collector attack. Suggest that he take some time to relax on the Citadel. Later, you can find Cortez in the Docking Bay on the Citadel. Speak with him here, as well as in the refugee camp later on. After speaking with him in both the Docking Bay and the refugee camp, he will then head over to Purgatory. Speak with him here to commit to a relationship.
Tali’Zorah
Available Genders: Only male Shepards
Requirements:
First things first, you must have started a relationship with Tali in Mass Effect 2 in order to continue it here. For whatever reason, although females could romance her in the last game, only male players can do so this time around. After the Priority: Geth Dreadnought mission, talk to Tali and ask her to begin your relationship anew. This won’t be the clincher, though, as you can still romance other people at this point. You will have to wait for a very specific moment before Priority: Rannoch to close the deal. Complete some side missions (Legion and Tali will both give you missions to complete in this section) and wait for an email to pop up in your terminal. Head up to your private quarters and invite Tali to join you. Ask her to be your girlfriend. This is the only chance in the entire game that you will have to make Tali your girlfriend, so if you asked earlier but failed to commit, you had might as well start working on someone else.
You will still have to complete a few more requirements to see the romance scene, though. Speak with Tali on the Citadel, again before Priority: Rannoch, and then make the choice favoring the quarians during the Rannoch mission (if you don’t, a grim fate awaits Tali.) Then, wait until you complete the Priority: Cerberus Headquarters mission, and speak with Tali, who will be accompanied by Garrus, in the Normandy’s Crew Quarters lounge. This scene will become a romance scene in and of itself if you choose to leave Tali or Garrus hanging, as they will drunkenly try to romance each other. Otherwise, you should be able to obtain a picture of Tali without her mask on.
Thane
Available Genders: Only female Shepards
Requirements:
You will have to have romanced Thane in Mass Effect 2 in order to do so in 3. Since he doesn’t really spend any time aboard the Normandy, this is a relatively fast romance. Simply accept the email offer that you will receive early in the game to meet with him on the Citadel. If you romanced Thane in Mass Effect 2, you will have to option to interrupt his greeting with a kiss. You will be able to speak with Thane a few more times after this, but be sure to do so before the beginning of Act 2.
