If there’s one thing the Mass Effect franchise is known for besides riveting stories, it’s an assortment of interesting characters with colorful histories.  Not all characters are drawn alike, however.  Some are heavies who throw themselves into the midst of a firefight, while others would prefer focus on the intellectual side of life, given the chance.

Today we’re going to take a look at the 10 most intelligent Mass Effect characters, and why it’s good to have a few eggheads on your side when you’re down for a cause.  Let’s get to it!

10 S.A.M. (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

Short for “Simulated Adaptive Matrix,” S.A.M. was an AI construct designed by Alec Ryder shortly before the Reaper invasion of Earth in Mass Effect 3.

S.A.M. is different from other AIs in that he can grow beyond the limits of his programming to better understand the human condition.  A genius by all standards, S.A.M. may lack the human factor when it comes to adaptability and ingenuity, but these things are not beyond his grasp.

9 LEGION (Mass Effect 2, 3)

So named for the demonic Biblical reference, Legion is a Geth platform that houses a collective of 1,183 geth programs working in unison for a common goal.

Not only does this allow Legion to interact with organics on their level, but it also makes the unit extremely intelligent by magnitudes.  This immense intelligence causes the unit to question the philosophical nature of its own existence, and the calamitous relationship between the Geth and their Quarian creators.

8 ARIA T’LOAK (Mass Effect 2, 3)

To the casual eye, Aria T’Loak might seem like your average thuggish crime boss, but she’s actually a highly intelligent, albeit ruthless tactician. After gaining control of the Omega station, she uses her keen perceptive abilities to get a leg up on her competition and prevent rivals from achieving too much power.

Although she does eventually lose Omega to Cerberus, she utilizes her intelligence to help Commander Shepard unite Eclipse, the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack gangs into a formidable fighting force against the Reapers.

7 ADMIRAL STEVEN HACKETT (Mass Effect 1, 2, 3)

Far from a grunt, Admiral Hackett is a brilliant and intelligent strategist who plays a a vital role against the Reaper offensive.

He uses Commander Shepard’s affiliation with Cerberus to his advantage later in the war, and helps orchestrate the construction of the Crucible against the main Reaper force. His tactical mind helped score the final victory against the Reapers, even if he was forced to make some tough decisions along the way.

6 DR. KARIN CHAKWAS (Mass Effect 1, 2, 3)

Dr. Chakwas might be a secondary series character, but she’s one of the most intelligent. She spent years as an Alliance doctor before unofficially joining Cerberus to assist Commander Shepard against the Reapers.

Later, she is given the opportunity to assist in the building of the Crucible super-weapon.

5 PEEBEE B’SAYLE (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

On the surface, Peebee is brash, juvenile and stubborn.  Underneath, she’s a brilliant Asari with a keen mind for technology.  After reaching Andromeda, Peebee put her skills to the test and quickly figured out how to work with Remnant tech throughout the system.

Her insight into this technology played a key role in accessing the various Remnant vaults on different worlds, the first being Eos.  This led to the first human settlement on a habitable Andromeda planet, paving the way for expansion.

4 MIRANDA LAWSON (Mass Effect 2, 3)

Originally a member of Cerberus working closely with the Illusive Man, Miranda was genetically engineered to pursue the pinnacle of human perfection, including her intelligence.

Her talents eventually made her head of the Lazarus Project, an initiative to bring the deceased Commander Shepard back to life to aid in Cerberus’ offensive against the Reaper threat. Smarty-pants bragging rights, to be sure!

3 THE ILLUSIVE MAN (Mass Effect 2, 3)

Perhaps the most amoral character in the franchise, The Illusive Man is the ruthless, pragmatic leader of Cerberus, an organization dedicated to the ascendancy of the human race over all others.

To this end, he masterminded a brilliant web of planted subordinates, political affiliations and black hat R&D to further his goals.  It would eventually lead to his focus shifting towards the Reapers, and the immense technological benefits they could bring to Cerberus.

2 MORDIN SOLUS (Mass Effect 2, 3)

Mordin is not only one of Mass Effect’s brightest characters, but also one of the most notorious as well. His brilliant mind helped craft the controversial genophage program which was designed to sterilize a large swathe of the Krogan race so they could not muster enough numbers to become a threat to the galaxy.

He joins Commander Shepard to combat the Reaper threat, inadvertently bringing him full-circle back to the Krogan issue. Rationalizing the current situation on a purely logical level, Mordin is given a chance to reverse the genophage affliction so the Krogan can replenish their numbers and aid in the defense of the galaxy.

1 LIARA T’SONI (Mass Effect 1, 2, 3)

Liara lands the coveted top spot on our list due to her incredible intelligence which has been utilized in a number of different ways throughout the series.  She originally pursued her archaeological passions by committing herself to the study of the ancient Prothean race, becoming a foremost authority.  During the Reaper incident, T’Soni put away her tools and picked up a weapon to aid Commander Shepard in the fight.

Following Shepard’s temporary death at the hands of the Collectors, T’Soni becomes an information broker, which eventually leads her to the infamous Shadow Broker.  Following his demise, T’Soni takes over the Shadow Broker’s operations and uses its vast network to help combat the Reaper threat anew.  Liara T’Soni is proof that a little brain matter can take you a long way in life!

NEXT: Mass Effect Andromeda: 10 Best Skills