Jacob Taylor

"So much for peace."

Jacob Taylor is a human biotic, the main protagonist of Mass Effect Galaxy and a squad member in Mass Effect 2. A former Alliance Marine under the command of Major Derek Izunami, he resigned after surviving the geth attack on Eden Prime.

Jacob is a highly experienced fighter, and is skilled in the use of assault rifles, biotic abilities, heavy weapons and tech attacks. He works professionally alongside Miranda Lawson, who functions as his informant. Jacob is also a potential romance option for a female Shepard.

Jacob Taylor is voiced by Adam Lazarre-White.

Timeline

 * 2157 - Birth Year.
 * 2170 - Separation from father.
 * 2173 - Father disappears on survey mission.
 * 2178 - Enlists in the Alliance Marines.
 * 2181 - Volunteers for the Corsairs.
 * 2183 - Resigns from the Alliance. Enlists in Cerberus as an operative in Lazarus Cell.
 * 2185 - Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect Galaxy
Jacob was on vacation aboard the passenger liner Arcturian Jade when the ship was attacked by batarian terrorists. After taking out the batarian attackers, and saving the crew and passengers, Jacob arrived at the Citadel and met his former CO, Major Derek Izunami. Izunami told Jacob there was a batarian plot to attack the Citadel, and that it originated in the lawless Nemean Abyss, where few humans ever went. However, Izunami knew an informant who could help Jacob, and sent him to Cartagena Station.

When Jacob arrived, he met Miranda Lawson, who explained that batarian extremists planned to assassinate their own ambassador, Jath'Amon, currently working to heal relations between batarians and the Citadel. Miranda had several leads that might uncover this plot; a turian arms dealer, Illo Nazario on the planet Tortuga who had worked with the batarians for years; the planet Bekke where a batarian army was reportedly gathering; and a rumor that the batarians had kidnapped several scientists who were being held on the Ahn'Kedar Orbital Platform.

As Jacob investigated these leads, he discovered the kidnapped scientists -- including an asari scientist named Batha -- had been convinced to work on a cure for a batarian plague, a cure which required large amounts of element zero. Jacob found the batarians' eezo stockpile on Bekke, improperly shielded -- causing Jacob to suffer sickness but also briefly gain increased biotic ability -- and protected by an army of batarians. He also managed to find Illo Nazario, who had been infected with this batarian plague. Illo revealed the plague was a biological weapon that the batarian terrorists meant to unleash on the Citadel, and that Ambassador Jath'Amon was actually the terrorists' ringleader. The target was not Jath'Amon, but the Council.

Jacob raced to the Citadel, only to find the batarians had already infiltrated C-Sec and were putting their plans into action. He managed to reach Jath'Amon during his audience with the Council; Jath'Amon tried to talk his way out of it, but when confronted he released the plague and attacked Jacob. After fighting off Jath'Amon's forces, the batarian ambassador was taken into custody, and Batha began work on a cure for those who were exposed. Jacob and Miranda returned to their ship, and celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

Cerberus Operative

 * Rank 1
 * Health: +10.00%
 * Weapon Damage: +6.00%


 * Rank 2
 * Health: +20.00%
 * Weapon Damage: +12.00%


 * Rank 3
 * Health: +30.00%
 * Weapon Damage: +18.00%


 * Rank 4 Unlocks choice between Cerberus Veteran or Cerberus Specialist
 * Cerberus Veteran: Jacob's experience surviving gunshot wounds and other traumas increases his health.
 * Health: +40.00%
 * Weapon Damage: +18.00%
 * Cerberus Specialist: Jacob's expertise in neutralizing hostiles increases his weapon damage.
 * Health: +30.00%
 * Weapon Damage: +25.00%

Dossier


Originally Jacob was part of an Alliance sponsored group called the Corsairs, which was a program that contracted free-lance captains and ships to handle jobs outside of Alliance jurisdiction, giving the Alliance plausible deniability and the Corsairs free reign to act as they saw fit, theoretically at least, in reality they were still tied down by constant red-tape and regulations. After the attack on Eden Prime and later the attack on the Citadel, Jacob became disillusioned with the continuing bureaucracy of the politicians and quit the Alliance. Later that year, after the events of Mass Effect Galaxy, Jacob enlists with Cerberus for a chance to serve humanity without too much to hold him back, although he remains cautious of some of the organisations more ruthless measures.

Shortly after the destruction of the first Normandy, Miranda hires Jacob as her 'lieutenant' in the Lazarus Cell which is tasked with resurrecting Commander Shepard in the Lazarus Project. Over the two years of the project duration he was technically in charge of security on the Lazarus project station. At this time it is implied he and Miranda had some form of relationship although it didn't work out, Jacob believes he wasn't the right person for her, though they remained effective colleagues. Later, fellow project director Wilson betrayed the organization and hacked the security mechs, during the firefight Shepard was awoken earlier than scheduled and Jacob becomes the first character to join Shepard's squad. Of the original members of the first Lazarus Cell, Jacob and Miranda are the only survivors. They later aided the Commander on a mission to the recently attacked colony of Freedom's Progress where they discover the Collectors are behind the mass abductions.

After this mission's completion, Jacob becomes a member of the second Lazarus Cell aboard the Normandy SR-2 where he serves as the Armory Officer, charged with maintaining and stockpiling the armory. During missions he is a calm and collected voice of reason, often siding with Shepard's decisions and trying to defuse conflicts. He later reveals a distrust of mercenaries and believes that assassins are just "precise mercenaries", leading him to recommend caution when dealing with Thane Krios, though no arguments ever develop between them.

Loyalty: The Gift of Greatness
After talking to Jacob several times aboard the Normandy, he will inform the Commander that his father went missing twelve years ago. Jacob will then say that a distress call has been detected from his father's ship within the past week. He will give the coordinates to the Commander. These coordinates locate the missing ship on a planet in the Alpha Draconis system. This will unlock the mission Jacob: The Gift of Greatness.

Romance
Jacob is a possible romantic partner for the female Commander Shepard.

Trivia

 * Mass Effect Galaxy was originally titled "Jacob's Story".
 * When Jacob uses Pull, he will sometimes yell "Get over here!" This is a possible reference to Mortal Kombat's Scorpion, who yells the same thing when pulling enemies towards him.
 * Jacob is notable in that he is the only character other than Joker to reference the Illusive Man's artificial eyes, asking "is there anything human in them?"
 * It would appear that Jacob is a very friendly character outside of combat. In Joker's words: "Jacob is way too nice a guy for all the ways he knows how to kill people."