Shadow Broker

The Shadow Broker is an individual or 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.

The Shadow Broker's identity is unknown, since 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 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 UNC: Hades' Dogs, an agent for the Shadow Broker contacts Shepard aboard the 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. Agreeing earns credits and Renegade points. If Shepard refuses, Paragon points are earned, the Shadow Broker's agent claiming the information will be dug out of the Alliance databases eventually anyway. 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
In Mass Effect: Redemption the Shadow Broker was hired by the Collectors to retrieve Shepard's body and deliver it to them. He sent Tazzik, his personal enforcer, to retrieve Shepards's remains from the Blue Suns on Omega, a task at which he succeeded despite interference from Liara T'Soni and Feron.

Mass Effect 2
In 2185, the Shadow Broker is being pursued by Liara T'Soni, due to the events of Redemption. Its is also heavily implied in-game that the Shadow Broker is an individual.

Known Associates of the Shadow Broker in Mass Effect 1

 * Barla Von
 * Fist (Former Agent)
 * Urdnot Wrex (Hired to assassinate Fist)

Known Associates of the Shadow Broker in Mass Effect: Redemption

 * Feron (Former Agent)
 * Blue Suns (Hired to retrieve Shepard's remains)
 * Tazzik (Personal enforcer)

Known Associates of the Shadow Broker in Mass Effect 2

 * Liara T'Soni (adversarial - investigating the Shadow Broker)
 * Unidentified agent (Hired to obtain information on Cerberus)
 * Nyxeris (Liara's assistant on Illium in Mass Effect 2 - apparently a double agent)