Depends on my romance. Kaidan feels a lot more useful and fleshed out in ME3, at least that’s how I feel, so if I’m not doing an Ash romance she usually dies, but that’s also my preferred romance so she survives more often than not.

I have never once saved Kaidan. Ashley was my favorite companion for the longest time.

Kaidan because Ashley is racist and useless once you get James.

Ash because she is the only soldier for me.

I like Kaiden a lot more because he isn’t racist and lowkey annoying, but since I play femshep it’s hard to get to know him without romancing him. So I usually leave Kaiden on virmire just to have a squad mate I can talk to more.

What is about Ashley that makes straight guys cream their pants? Her voice grates on the nerves like nails on chalkboards. She tries to project her inferiority complex on to everyone else. claiming that aliens will never accept humans as equals. And when push comes to shove they'll throw humans under the bus. If it means saving themselves.

She's too nationalistic and isolationist to me. Yet it seems like men like her more than Liara or Tali. So weird.

I prefer Kaidan tactically speaking he has a wider range of combat skills since he's a biotic and tech specialist. Ashley is an average soldier.

Ashley for story.

+ means why I leave them

- means why I save them.

Kaidan;

+Shepard’s second until the end of ME1. Replaced by garrus.

+Loyal and never disobeyed an order. Until Shepard said “just meet us here” and Kaidan said “I activsted

the bomb. Get out of here.” first order disobeyed and it’s heroic AF.

+Has emotional attachments to Anderson, Joker, and Chakwas, which also leads to exclusive dialogue in 3.

+was an amazing person and for a storyline, starting off kind and amazing and ending kind and amazing…there just isn’t as much story and growth with him. He gets more confident but that’s it.

-He deserves to live. Such a good guy. But this is a story, it SHOULD hurt.

Ashley:

+Tali and her friendship, but that pales in comparison to Kaiden’s with everyone.

-She is one of the few crew mates with healthy familial relationships and it’s refreshing

-Character growth. She actually has an arc post death.

-Kaidan considering the Normandy squad aliens and all his family in 3 is cute. But for Ashley it shows tremendous development.

-Actually makes up for her wrongdoings.

-Changes the history of the Williams name. A small plot point in ME1 that is tied off if she lives.

-Ny playthrough of course; but I only use M Shepard. This makes Ashley the first female human spectre

-In addition, she can have a relationship with Vega. This means Ashley = Soectre and Vega = N7. L

Akso, remember

Anderson:Shepard as Shepard:Vega

As in Anderson meets Shepard when they’re older but becomes a father/brother and a mentor into their N7 program. meanwhile Ashley’s growth is primarily on Normandy. So two of Shepard’s “students” take over his 2 big roles. Them two together can be the new humanity icon (a duo this time)

Kaidan all the way