Fans of theMass Effectseries will be familiar with many of the main alien species that populate its universe, like the Asari, Turians, and Krogan. But there’s one sentient species that tends to stay out of the picture for most of the story, only appearing briefly inMass Effects 2and3:the Yahg, enormous red aliens with amazing strength and a penchant for violence.
The Yahg are entirely absent from the main plot of the games, introduced in one DLC plot line forMass Effect 2, yet the creatures made quite an impact on the fandom. Little is known about the Yahg’s homeworld or their customs, but what little information players do get about them indicates thatthey are one of the most dangerous groups in the galaxy.
Meeting The Yahg In Lair Of The Shadow Broker
Entering The Series As A Clandestine Crime Lord
The Yahg were introduced in theLair of the Shadow BrokerDLC, where one Yahg in particular appears in the finale as the titular information trader. While his exact name is never known,this Yahg has apparently been influencing the galaxy behind the scenes for decades, trading secrets to one government or another and running a huge web of spies and informants. The Shadow Broker is mentioned countless times in the first and second games before he is ever met, showing just how influential he is.
Mass Effect 2: How to Start the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC
In Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker, Shepard and Liara fight the Shadow Broker. They should do a few favors for Liara to unlock the mission.
However, this Yahg was not the original Shadow Broker, as Liara T’Soni surmises at the end of the DLC. Rather,the previous Shadow Broker abducted the alien from his home world,likely desiring to make him into an agent. According to the Broker’s logs aboard his ship, theYahg are rarely seenbut notorious for both their incredible strength and amazing intellect, capable of learning new skills and information at a rapid rate. It seems this newly-apprehended agent was more powerful than his abductor thought, and usurped him in order to take power for himself.
The Yahg’s Quarantined Home Planet Illustrates Their Brutality
A Past And Present Of Bloodshed
That’s the story of one Yahg, but the information provided on their planet and species shows that he is not an outlier.The Yahg were apparently contacted byMass Effect’s Citadel racessome time ago, only to massacre the entire delegationsent to meet them and be immediately quarantined to their home planet of Parnack.
The Yahg are apex predators on Parnack, ruling the planet with an iron fist and fighting with one another to secure dominance.
The Yahg are infamous for their violence and depravity, and generally feared by anyone who knows about their existence. The only other time they are seen in the main series is on the Salarian home planet of Sur’Kesh, whereone is being held captive for study, before it escapesand presumably runs off to start another intergalactic crime operation.
The Yahg May Have Run The Next Galactic Cycle If Given The Chance
A Whole Planet Full Of Shadow Brokers
Players familiar withMass Effect’s story will know that the galaxy goes through 50,000-year cycles, where the Reapers come through and destroy all spacefaring life and harvest it before going into hibernation in deep space. At the time in the story when the Reapers arrive, the Yahg have not yet taken to the stars, andlikely would have been skipped over during the Reaper’s galactic purge.This means they would have been around for the next cycle, and given their prowess for conquest and violence, had the potential to create an empire equal to that ofMass Effect’s Protheans.
After 7 Years, I’m Ready To Return To Mass Effect: Andromeda
Plagued by a rushed development and a bug-riddled launch, Mass Effect: Andromeda has a bad reputation, but I’m ready to give it another chance.
Of course,thanks to the efforts of Commander Shepard during the course of theMass Effecttrilogy, that next cycle never came to pass. But it’s scary to consider a galaxy where the Yahg are the apex predators, not only on their own planet, but on all of them. It’s possible that these creatures could even have given the Reapers a run for their money, if given the chance.
