Urdnot Wrex

'"Anyone who fights us is either stupid or on Saren's payroll. Killing the latter is business. Killing the former is a favor to the universe." '

Urdnot Wrex is a krogan mercenary and bounty hunter, and one of the galaxy's last few krogan Battlemasters. If Commander Shepard goes looking for Harkin in Chora's Den, the squad sees Wrex giving a final warning to Fist's bouncer before pushing past them to leave. Otherwise Shepard meets him in the C-Sec offices on the Citadel, baiting one of the officers.

Wrex initially joins Shepard because he has been hired to kill Fist by the Shadow Broker. After Fist is taken care of, Wrex remains with Shepard either out of gratitude, or because he wants to be in the thick of the action as Shepard seeks out Saren Arterius. As Wrex puts it, "a storm's coming, and you and Saren are right in the middle of it."

If Shepard takes out Fist before joining with Wrex, he can be found in C-Sec next to the Dock 422 elevator and will offer to join the party regardless -- after he pays Shepard for handling Fist, one professional to another.

Urdnot Wrex is voiced by Steven Barr.

Dossier
Wrex says he has heard of Shepard and claims to have some fellow-feeling for the commander, saying that they are both warriors. Through conversations with Wrex on the Normandy, Shepard can learn much about Wrex's personal history and the krogan in general. Urdnot Wrex is one of the last krogan Battle Masters: rare individuals who combine powerful biotic abilities with the devastating firepower of advanced weaponry.

Born into clan Urdnot, Wrex quickly gained fame for his prowess in battle. He became a leader of one of the smaller Urdnot tribes while still a youth - the youngest krogan to be granted the honor in a thousand years. After the Krogan Rebellions ended, most remaining krogan tribes wanted to continue fighting despite the genophage and its devastating effect on their ability to reproduce. The most influential voice calling for a return to arms was one of the few warlords to survive the war, Wrex's father Jarrod.

Wrex had different ideas. He believed that the krogan didn't have the numbers to go to war, and even if they did the genophage ensured they couldn't replenish their numbers quickly enough. Instead of battle, he led his tribe to focus on breeding, for at least one generation, and called for other tribes to follow. Gradually other krogan tribes began to come around to Wrex's ideas. This angered the Warlord Jarrod, who decided to arrange a Crush (a meeting on neutral ground) with all of the tribes. Wrex, sensing it was a trap, reluctantly agreed. He explains this to Shepard by saying "when your father invites you to a Crush, well, there are some laws even we hold sacred."

Wrex and his best warriors met with Jarrod's group in the krogan ancestral burial grounds called the Hollows, a holy place among the krogan where violence is forbidden. When it became clear to Jarrod that Wrex wouldn't agree with him, he signaled his men. They leapt from their hiding places and ambushed Wrex's warriors, cutting them down. Wrex managed to escape the ambush, but not before sinking his knife deep into Jarrod's chest. With his father's betrayal Wrex's eyes were opened to the truth about the krogan: most would rather die in battle than try to rebuild their society. Realizing the proud warrior culture that once valued courage, strength, and honor - values embodied by the Krogan Monument - had now been reduced to glorifying pointless violence, Wrex turned his back on the rest of the krogan and left.

Over the past three centuries he has served no master but himself, working as a bodyguard, mercenary, soldier of fortune, and bounty hunter. Wrex has had some interesting adventures - including an encounter with a fellow merc named Aleena - and he was even hired briefly by Saren Arterius to raid a volus cargo ship, though Wrex didn't realise who the turian was until he met Shepard. Tales of his exploits have even made it as far as the quarian Flotilla. Wrex appears to have an interest in biotics and respects the talents of the other biotics in the squad: he describes Liara as an asset in combat and thinks the Alliance was foolish to stop using the L2 implant after seeing what Kaidan can do. Given the culture of the krogan - where females stay at home to focus on breeding - he tells Ashley that fighting alongside women is a new and intriguing experience, claiming it gives the battles "a different flavor".

However, like many krogan after the Rebellions, Wrex has nothing but disdain for turians and thinks Garrus is naive. He also hates the salarians, dismissing them as scientists who "love to play with bugs", and confronting Captain Kirrahe on Virmire when the captain describes uplifting the krogan as a 'mistake'. Should Wrex be on Noveria at the Rachni Queen's release, he warns Shepard that his people will clean up the mess, "just like we did for the salarians."

After his many travels there is little in the galaxy that can still surprise him. Despite his brutish appearance, Wrex rarely loses his temper. The mere threat of his anger is usually enough to get what he wants. When his fury is unleashed, however, it is a truly terrifying sight. He doesn't speak often, but when he does his words are direct and often shockingly blunt - and people tend to listen.

Confrontation on Virmire
After Wrex finds out that Shepard is going to try to destroy a cure for the genophage on Virmire, he threatens to kill the commander. He is either shot by Shepard, if you choose the Renegade option, or by Ashley (either on Shepard's orders or her own initiative). Alternatively, if your Charm / Intimidate skill is high enough, or if you've done Wrex's side quest to help him recover his family armor (see below), he can be calmed down enough to reaffirm his hatred for Saren and rejoin the squad.

Missions and Assignments
After chatting to Wrex on the Normandy after several mission worlds, Shepard eventually learns that Wrex is looking for his family armor, taken by the turians after the Krogan Rebellions and now owned by a profiteer called Tonn Actus. Shepard can help him get it back, earning Wrex's gruff respect and gratitude.

Mass Effect 2
Wrex appears in Mass Effect 2, provided the player did not kill him on Virmire. If Shepard did kill Wrex, then the Commander will be met with an icy reception on Tuchanka, though his broodbrother Urdnot Wreav thanks you destroying Saren's base and allowing him to assume control of the clans.

If Wrex survives, Shepard finds he has united all the Krogan under Clan Urdnot to combat the genophage and strengthen the Krogan. By proving a neutral ground where discussions and exchanges can take place he has made sure that in return for their loyalty he will protect that clans fertile females, making it unwise for anyone to attack him. He faces opposition from Gatatog Uvenk for disregarding many traditions. When visiting Tuchanka as part of Grunt's Loyalty quest, Wrex greets Shepard warmly and happily chats about their past endevours and his success in reuniting the clans. When Grunt's quest is complete he welcomes him into clan Urdnot. When asked to rejoin the team, Wrex denies under the need of him in halting the Krogan clans from seperating again.

Trivia

 * The distinctive scar across Wrex's face is due to a close encounter with a general of the turian army, not his father, as was previously speculated.
 * Wrex has become a fan favorite because of his dry wit and "direct approach". During elevator conversations, he sometimes asks the other squad members who'd win in a fight between them and Shepard.
 * Wrex also won the "Best Sidekick of the Year" award from Official Xbox Magazine.