Shadow Broker

The Shadow Broker is an individual at the head of an expansive organization which trades in information, always selling to the highest bidder. The Shadow Broker appears to be highly competent at its trade: all secrets that are bought and sold never allow one customer of the Broker to gain a significant advantage, forcing the customers to continue trading information to avoid becoming disadvantaged, allowing the Broker to remain in business.

Mass Effect: Foundation
In 2161, the Shadow Broker tasks Brooks, an associate of his, to kill a man named Roth who was funding Cerberus, a pro-human terrorist organisation, and to also transfer funds to Barla Von another associate of the Broker. Though she didn't find Roth, Brooks did manage to find out where Roth was hiding from his decoy before killing him. Brooks then attempted to board a shuttle headed for Earth, where Roth was hiding but was shot and killed by a little girl who she had worked with previously, inadvertently causing the Shadow Broker's plan to not come to fruition.

Mass Effect
In 2183, the Shadow Broker's identity was unknown; the Broker always operates through an agent. Barla Von refers to the Broker as "he" for convenience's sake, but tells Commander Shepard that he believes the Shadow Broker is a group of individuals: it does not seem possible for a single individual to monitor all of the available information and have such a wide sphere of influence.

The Shadow Broker was part of the reason Tali came to the Citadel: the data file she had proving Saren Arterius had gone rogue put her in danger, but was too valuable to waste. She wanted to trade the information for a safe place to hide, so Dr. Chloe Michel put her in touch with the club owner Fist, who worked for the Broker. However, unknown to her, Fist had changed his allegiances to Saren. The Broker was furious at this treachery, hiring Wrex to assassinate Fist.

Cerberus Data
After raiding the Cerberus base on Nepheron as part of a mission, an agent for the Shadow Broker contacts Shepard aboard the SSV Normandy, wanting to buy the Cerberus files the team managed to recover. According to the agent, Admiral Kahoku bought the Broker's services to find Cerberus' location, in return for passing on any files he discovered. However, all the Shadow Broker could find out was that there was Cerberus activity in the Voyager Cluster.

Shepard can agree or refuse to sell the information. If Shepard refuses, the Shadow Broker's agent claims the information will be dug out of the Alliance databases eventually. Either way, the agent assures Shepard that this encounter will not be forgotten by his employer the next time Shepard needs the Broker's assistance.

Mass Effect: Redemption
After the destruction of the SSV Normandy, the Shadow Broker was hired by the Collectors to retrieve Shepard's body and deliver it to them. As Harbinger is talking about the deal to the Shadow Broker, only one voice is responding to the possessed Collector General further hinting that the Shadow Broker is indeed a singular individual. He sent Tazzik, his personal enforcer, to retrieve Shepard's remains from the Blue Suns on Omega, a task at which he succeeded despite interference from Liara T'Soni and Feron. When the two followed Tazzik to the Broker's base on Alingon, they come face-to-face with the Broker, so to speak, as an obscure shadowy figure. Liara talked to him while Feron downloaded all the information on the Broker's dealings with the Collectors. When asked to why he would sell Shepard to the Collectors, who may be working for the Reapers, the Broker answered that it was simply business. He doesn't believe that the Collectors could gain anything from a corpse. When Liara got close enough to get a good look at the Broker, she finds that it is just a machine he's communicating through. But before the Broker could alert his men to their presence, Feron had finished downloading and Liara unleashed a powerful display of biotics, disabling the communications in the room. When they attempt to fool Tazzik and the Collector intermediary into thinking the Broker wanted full payment, the Collector General, who was possessing the drone, accused the Broker of treachery. The Broker assured the Collector that Feron doesn't speak for him. Despite the General's warning, Liara is able to escape with Shepard's body, but is forced to leave Feron behind.

Mass Effect 2
In 2185, the Shadow Broker is being pursued by Liara T'Soni, due to the capture of Feron. In response, the Broker placed a double agent named Nyxeris to monitor her progress and when possible, to kill her. It is also heavily implied by Liara, that the Shadow Broker is an individual.

Thane Krios also mentions that some years ago, batarian mercenaries employed the Shadow Broker to learn Thane's identity, and later used this information to murder his wife, Irikah.

Lair of the Shadow Broker
Commander Shepard and Liara T'Soni team up to confront the Shadow Broker, after obtaining information from Cerberus.

Identity
After tracking down and infiltrating the Shadow Broker's ship, Shepard and Liara break into the Broker's intel center and confront him in person. The Shadow Broker is revealed to be a member of a pre-spaceflight race called the yahg. Liara surmises that because the yahg were not discovered until 2125 CE and the Broker's ship is considerably older than that, this yahg usurped the original Shadow Broker years ago and has been running the organization ever since.

In the Dossiers terminal found in the intel center, a personal file about the Shadow Broker can be read. The file's messages reveal that after the yahg's homeworld Parnack was discovered and then declared off-limits in 2125 CE, the original Shadow Broker had his operatives abduct a yahg for him to study. The captured yahg proved highly intelligent and adaptable. With the Shadow Broker's support, the yahg killed the operative that was monitoring him and assumed the operative's identity, attaining a high rank within the organization as "Operative Kechlu". Sometime later, the Shadow Broker became aware that "Operative Kechlu" was a threat and attempted to eliminate him, but was beaten to the chase by "Kechlu". The yahg seamlessly took on the role of Shadow Broker and maintained the organization for the next six decades.

Future Plans
At some point during his reign, the Shadow Broker became aware of the Reapers and the true nature of the Collectors. Liara T'Soni suggests his dealings with the Collectors were a selfish and ill-conceived attempt to ensure his own survival from the Reapers' coming genocide. Ultimately, the Shadow Broker was never given the chance to further his plans.

Aftermath
After the Shadow Broker is dead, Liara T'Soni steps into the role of Shadow Broker herself. As Shepard and Liara had killed the few operatives aware of the Broker's true identity, Liara could take over without anyone else in the organization suspecting a transition. Liara is well aware of the power at her disposal, telling Shepard she can use the information network to start a war in ten minutes if she wanted to, but vows to not abuse her position and to help Shepard find a way to combat the Reapers.

Troop Varieties
As befits such an influential and well-funded criminal figure, the Shadow Broker has a private army at their disposal to carry out operations that require the application of force. All Shadow Broker troops wear black and white armor, and bear the Shadow Broker's insignia: a triangular red emblem that strongly resembles a yahg's maw.


 * Shadow Broker Agent
 * Shadow Broker Engineer
 * Shadow Broker Heavy
 * Shadow Broker Vanguard
 * Rocket Drone

Known Associates

 * Agents
 * Barla Von
 * Brooks (Deceased)
 * Kechlu (Deceased)
 * Nyxeris (Deceased)
 * Tazzik
 * Tela Vasir (Deceased)
 * Unidentified agent
 * Wilson (Deceased)
 * Former Agents
 * Feron
 * Fist (Deceased)
 * Hirelings
 * Blue Suns
 * Urdnot Wrex

Trivia

 * The Shadow Broker has classified personal files about himself which can be accessed aboard his ship.
 * The Shadow Broker will make a short comment dependent on Shepard's progress through the game, as well as decisions. Prior to completion of the Suicide Mission, the Broker will state that his deal with the Collectors for Shepard's body is still open. After the suicide mission, the Broker will state that he will take the Normandy's Reaper IFF in order to travel beyond the Omega 4 Relay to take the Collector Base or salvage the remains of it, depending on Shepard's choice.
 * The Shadow Broker makes a short comment about getting use out of whoever Shepard brought as a third teammate. This comment varies based on who is brought along, but he has a unique comment for all squad members.
 * According to concept artist Matt Rhodes, the design brief for the Shadow Broker was "He's basically Ares, in space."