Jacob Taylor (Mass Effect)
Jacob Taylor is a male video game character who features in Mass Effect.
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Biography
Jacob Taylor was a former Systems Alliance soldier who is re-recruited to investigate the Batarians and discover why they have sent Jath'Amon, who claims to be an ambassador seeking peace with the Citadel Council. With the help of "Alliance" (actually, a pro-human terrorist group Cerberus) informant Miranda Lawson, he uncovers and thwarts Jath'Amon's scheme to assassinate the Council.
Afterwards, he became a full member of Cerberus and is Miranda's lieutenant. He joined Cerberus after seeing the Alliance sweep his exploits during Galaxy under the rug. Taylor is highly respectful of Shepard due to their shared background in the military. Thirteen years before, he had cut ties with his father, who was the XO (Executive Officer) of a lost spaceship, the Hugo Gernsback. Taylor joins Shepard early on in the game on the Cerberus space station where Shepard first awakens after his/her revival. Taylor's loyalty quest involves a search for his missing father after a distress beacon activates. His father's ship, the Hugo Gernsback, had crashed ten years ago, but the beacon was only sent out just recently. Shepard and Taylor journey to the crash site and find the survivors of the crash deranged from toxic food harvested from the planet's environment. Taylor locates his father and realizes horrible truths regarding his father's abuse of power. Shepard and Taylor may either call the Alliance to send aid to the survivors and arrest Taylor's father for his crimes against his men, leave him unarmed to be killed by those he hurt, or leave him with a pistol with little ammunition so that he'll take his own life.
After defeating the Collectors, he became disillusioned with Cerberus and left the organization. Jacob turned down a formal reinstatement into the Alliance marine corps, feeling that his past with Cerberus disqualified him from their company. Instead, he became a consultant, advising the Alliance on Cerberus tactics and defenses, as well as participating in missions that target the Illusive Man's holdings. Later, after the Cerberus coup on the Citadel, Jacob is encountered with a group of defecting Cerberus scientists, including Brynn Cole, who he began a relationship with and is about to bear his child, at a secret location. However, Cerberus discovers the location of the scientists and attacks the base. He declines Shepard's invitation to return to the Normandy, preferring to stay and protect the scientists and their families. After a successful evacuation, Jacob and the scientists assist in the war effort. If a female Shepard romanced him previously, it will not continue.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Jacob is a very honest and straightforward person; unlike some members of the Normandy's Cerberus crew, he has no illusions of how shady and checkered Cerberus is, and has never fully trusted the Illusive Man. The only reason he's with Cerberus in the first place is because he admires them for their tendency to act when faced with problems, in contrast to the Alliance and Council, who often worry over politics and bureaucracy. Cynical where intergalactic authority is concerned, Jacob joined Cerberus in large part because he wished to make a difference and felt this was the only way to do it. However, even as a member of Cerberus, he considers his routine to be rather dull, usually only using his gun for target practice. It's because of this that he sees working with Shepard as "a great opportunity to do something that matters."
Jacob is described by Joker as too nice a person to be a member of Cerberus; he is very polite and respectful and often serves as a voice of reason, particularly to Renegade-Shepard; if told by Shepard that they did not trust him, he takes it in stride and says that he'll simply have to earn that trust. Similarly, if Shepard objects to being cannon fodder for mechs while Tali, Prazza and the other Quarians grab Veetor, he points out that he, Shepard and Miranda are better equipped for a frontal assault than the Quarians are. He also stands up for Shepard when Miranda is testing his/her memories and personality. Additionally, he is highly sympathetic towards the people of Omega, saying that no-one should have to live the way they do. Like Miranda and Kelly, he lacks the xenophobia that most members of Cerberus have, attempting to be friendly to Tali when she's first recruited, and never disparaging or expressing any contempt for aliens.
Jacob's strong morals sometimes cause friction with others; however, he is hostile to and suspicious of Thane Krios due to his past as a drell assassin, considering assassins to be nothing more than "precise mercenaries", and being unconvinced by a Paragon Shepard's reassurances. Also, while he and Miranda have a mutual respect for one another, Jacob's higher level of idealism and preference for non-ruthless behavior leads him to sometimes criticize or object to some of Miranda's actions, such as her not telling Shepard right away that they work for Cerberus, pointing out to her that lying to Shepard is a poor way to get them to join their cause.
Powers and abilities
Notes
- Jacob Taylor was created by BioWare where he was voiced by actor Adam Lazarre-White and featured in the setting of the Mass Effect universe.
Appearances
- Mass Effect 2:
- Mass Effect 3:
External Links
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