Urdnot Wrex (MR)

"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

Urdnot Wrex is a famous krogan of Clan Urdnot regarded as a mercenary and bounty hunter. Despite his chosen path of violence and killing for credits, Wrex is deeply concerned with the fate of his people after the genophage, and is one of the few planning for a new krogan future.

Born a few years after the end of the Krogan Rebellions on Tuchanka, Wrex became the youngest krogan to become a leader, and also became the only one to successfully kill a thresher maw during his rite of passage. He became a battle master and urged the tribes to forget all about war and focus on increasing their population. His father, Warlord Jarrod, feigned he would talk to his son, but then ambushed him. Wrex survived, but was forced to kill his own father. Disgusted by how low the krogan had fallen form their roots of courage, honor, nobility, and heroism, Wrex gave up all hope and left to become a mercenary for several centuries.

Early life
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 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.

Mercenary career
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 realize who the turian was until he met Shepard. Tales of his exploits have even made it as far as the quarian Flotilla. Even after many travels, there is little in the galaxy that can still surprise him.

Bounty: Fist
Urdnot Wrex has been hired by one of the Shadow Broker's agents to take out the lowlife Fist. No sooner than he arrived at the Citadel, however, he was accosted by a couple of guards claiming that he had contraband cargo. Wrex denied the accusations and threatened one of the guards when they won't let him pass, but a gang of batarians and turians arrived, mistaking him for someone who messed with one of their own. Wrex expressed annoyed indifference at the turn of events, and proceeded to beat everyone up at once. Wrex threw one officer up, headbutted an eyepatched batarian who served as spokesman of the gang, grabbed a pipe, and left all of them piled up and mewling on the floor.

A volus approached Wrex afterward, indicated his status as the krogan's contact, and explained that the thugs and officers earlier were part of someone's plan to distract Wrex from his target. Wrex flippantly insinuated that this complication mandated an increase to his fees, and the volus assured him they're going to make sure he succeeded. The volus presented him with an armory of high-end weapons, and Wrex concurred that it'll do.

While inspecting the armory's goods, Wrex was notified that there were certain restrictions to his activities. The mooks that were sure to swarm him must be dealt away from the Presidium as it'll draw too much attention and the risk for collateral damage was too high. The volus contact handed him Fist's address, and Wrex headed out taking an ML-77 Missile Launcher and an M-27 Scimitar shotgun with him.

Wrex made explosions in the warehouses near Fist's residence, and took out the mercenaries sent against him. One merc scored a sniper hit against Wrex's armor, and the pissed krogan quickly made his way behind the culprit. The merc was blasted with a point-blank shotgun in the back, and Wrex refrained from killing him, reasoning that a merc with an "expensive" weapon who managed to shoot him must be smart and knew a thing or two. The merc revealed himself to be Jasox, someone Wrex previously worked with. Jasox spilled everything he knew in the hope Wrex spares him, and drew upon the incident where the human saved the krogan's life for added measure. As they walked away from the carnage at the warehouses and nearing a bar, the human of the duo proposed getting some drinks, and Wrex deduced that his friend was just trying to distract him again. He let Jasox walk away but kept the merc's sniper rifle, saying that he originally intended to give the weapon back. Jasox bade him good luck though Wrex disregarded the blessing.

Wrex made short work out of Fist's krogan bodyguards outside the high-rise apartment by lobbing a grenade before charging. He burst into Fist's quarters, though he found it empty. On the elevator down, he shared a ride with a maintenance worker, who empathized with the complications of their long and tiresome day. Wrex grumbled loudly at the sight of C-Sec officers toting their guns at him upon reaching the first floor, and with the help of his mysterious companion he somehow escaped the officers' clutches.

First encounter
"Shepard? Commander Shepard? I've heard a lot about you. We're both warriors, Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you a fair warning: I'm going to kill Fist. [...] My people have a saying. Seek out the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend."

- Urdnot Wrex to Commander John Shepard

At Chora's Den, Wrex is given a final warning to Fist's bouncer before pushing past Commander John Shepard's squad to leave. He is later seen in the C-Sec offices, 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."

He appears to have an interest in biotics and respects the talents of the other biotics in the squad; he describes Liara T'Soni as an asset in combat and thinks the Systems Alliance was foolish to stop using the L2 implant after seeing what Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko can do. Given the culture of the krogan — where females stay at home to focus on breeding — he tells Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams that fighting alongside women is a new and intriguing experience, claiming it gives the battles "a different flavor".

Reclaiming a family relic
After chatting with Wrex on the SSV Normandy SR-1 after several missions, 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. The Commander helps him get it back, earning Wrex's gruff respect and gratitude.

Standoff on Virmire
On Virmire, Shepard and team discover that Saren may have found a cure for the genophage and is now breeding a krogan army at his base of operations. The salarian STG, tasked with investigating Saren's activities on the planet, plans to destroy the breeding facility. Wrex becomes infuriated by this plan, since he believes the cure could save his species.

Shepard attempts to reason with Wrex but he is adamant not to let the base be destroyed. Miracously, after a tense standoff, Wrex grudgingly accepts the point that Saren would only use the cure to enslave the krogan. Still angry, he stands down, and settles for reaping vengeance on Saren instead.

Uniting the warring clans
"Speak when spoken to, Uvenk! I'll drag your clan to glory whether it likes it or not."

- Urdnot Wrex to Gatatog Uvenk

Shortly after Saren's death and Sovereign's destruction during the Battle of the Citadel, Wrex left the Normandy and eventually returned to Tuchanka, becoming the new leader of Clan Urdnot and looks to be changing the krogan for the better.

Reuniting with an old friend
"You look well for dead, Shepard. Should have known the void couldn't hold you"

- Clan Leader Urdnot Wrex to John Shepard

Two years later, Wrex warmly greets Shepard and happily chats about their past endeavors. Shepard finds he has instituted a number of modernizing reforms, uniting a large portion of krogan under Clan Urdnot to combat the genophage and strengthen the krogan, using the victory on Virmire as a rallying point. By providing a neutral ground where discussions and exchanges can take place, Wrex has made sure that, in return for their loyalty, he will protect those clans' fertile females, making it unwise for anyone to attack him. He also forbade his soldiers to not attack women and children.

This brought him fierce criticism and opposition from traditionalists such as Gatatog Uvenk for disregarding many traditions.

When Grunt, a tank-bred krogan and one of Shepard's companions, completes his rite of passage, Wrex welcomes him into Clan Urdnot. After learning he also killed a thresher maw during the rite, which hasn't been done since Wrex himself, Wrex is impressed by the achievement.

Afterwards, the salarian Maelon states that Wrex refused his offer to research a cure for the genophage, due to the need for krogan subjects for study. This indicates that he knew Maelon was interested in curing the genophage, though it is unclear whether or not Wrex was aware that Maelon began working with Clan Weyrloc.

When asked to rejoin the team, Wrex reluctantly declines, stating that he needs to stay to keep the krogan clans united and in line.

War summit
"The 'krogan' has a name: Urdnot Wrex. And I'm not some junkyard varren you unleash whenever you're in trouble. I've got my own problems. Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka. So why should I care if a few turians go extinct?"

- Urdnot Wrex to Dalatrass Linron and Primarch Adrien Victus

During the Reaper invasion in 2186, Wrex is called to the Normandy SR-2 for negotiations with turian Primarch Adrien Victus and salarian Dalatrass Linron to discuss an alliance. However, Wrex is unable to enter into an alliance due to Reaper scouts assaulting Tuchanka and demands that the genophage be cured, to which the dalatrass objects, leading to a heated argument.

Wrex reminds everyone that it was krogan intervention in the Rachni Wars that turned the tide against the rachni but the dalatrass counters that they exhausted their usefulness, the genophage being the only thing keeping the krogans' "urges" and lust for war in check, enraging Wrex. Victus tries to defuse the argument, pointing out that it would take years just to formulate a cure.

Wrex then reveals that "an inside source" leaked the existence of fertile krogan females, survivors of Maelon's experiments, being kept captive on Sur'Kesh. He demands that his people be returned. Despite the dalatrass' objections, Shepard agrees that the genophage must be cured.

Extracting the female krogan
"These females are the best, and probably last hope for my people."

- Urdnot Wrex

En route to Sur'Kesh, Wrex joins with Shepard and is jovial and amicable with him and the squad. Wrex remains suspicious of the salarians and when the STG refuses to allow their shuttle to land, he impulsively decides to show the salarians what a "krogan airdrop" looks like, causing a brigade of STG operatives to surround him. Wrex stands down when Shepard promises to handle the exchange. Prohibited from entering the facility, he whiles away the time making fun of nearby salarians and entertaining Shepard's queries about the krogan situation.

Unfortunately, Cerberus begins assaulting the STG base, and worse, Wrex learns that there is only one surviving female. He demands that Shepard get the female to safety to ensure their alliance. Wrex then "requests" control of Steve Cortez's shuttle to draw off Cerberus' fire.

Soon enough, Shepard carves a path through heavy Cerberus resistance while assisting in the female's transport. Wrex meets up with Shepard at the STG facility's top floor, pushes off his "inside source" who was helping the female at the time, and tries to assist the female from her containment tank. The female is less than impressed, grabbing his M-300 Claymore shotgun and blowing away two Cerberus troopers before returning it, saying she can take care of herself and leaving the Urdnot leader bewildered.

Synthesizing a cure
Though the female, nicknamed "Eve" by her salarian doctor, was moved to safety aboard the Normandy, Wrex refuses to honor his end of the bargain until the genophage cure is spread to all krogan. While the salarian gets to work using both Eve and Wrex's DNA to properly form a cure for the genophage, Wrex remains in the War Room with Victus.

When asked about what Wrex intends to do if the genophage is cured, he answers that he intends to focus on rebuilding. Though many krogan clans will desire revenge against the turians and salarians, Wrex won't let them, seeing that war has brought them nothing but suffering.

Wrex later winces after Shepard bids him goodbye in one of their conversations, revealing that the salarian doctor used scalpels to cut in places never meant to be cut to obtain "samples", his contribution to the cure. Ever jocular if he was pals with Shepard way back, he still manages to remark that he likes what Shepard has done to the Normandy. According to Wrex, he hopes the food on the Normandy has gotten better since the days of chasing Saren across the galaxy.

Missing scouts
While aboard the Normandy, Wrex hears of news from his contacts regarding krogan problems better discussed "somewhere else" while Primarch Victus also wants to discuss some turian problems "in private". Shepard hears both out, and Wrex reveals that some of his scouts have gone missing while investigating suspicious activity in former rachni territory. Upon following through with investigating the scouts, Wrex feels miffed on missing a hell of a fight, restless that he's stuck talking and keeping the peace while there's a war going on, disapproving of Shepard cutting a deal with the Rachni Queen, telling Shepard that if the rachni get out of line again the consequences are on his head.

Discovery of a bomb
"I've got Reapers on my planet, a bomb that almost blew up my planet, and if those two fail, the genophage to ensure we all go extinct anyway! I don't want to hear who has it hard!"

- Urdnot Wrex

Victus' turian problems are of import to Wrex since the knowledge may kill any possible hope of an alliance. When Shepard takes care of the situation, Wrex learns there and then that the ancient turians actually planted a bomb on krogan soil, nearly exploding when Cerberus tampered with it. He personally gives Victus an earful, unmindful of the sacrifice the latter's son Lieutenant Tarquin Victus took to disable the bomb.

Formation of a krogan-turian alliance
"Tell the turians that I'll be deploying troops to Palaven immediately. And when you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The krogan are back in business!"

- Clan Leader Urdnot Wrex to Commander John Shepard, after the genophage is cured

Eventually Mordin proclaims Eve ready for travel to Tuchanka, to complete the last leg of the genophage cure on-site. Shepard and company also learn that a Destroyer-class Reaper guards the site where the cure is supposed to be dispersed, the Shroud. Wrex is undeterred by the odds, his anticipation of curing the genophage fueling his drive and driving off any lingering discomfort from his "procedure". Shepard is then secretly contacted by the salarian dalatrass, who offers a deal: sabotage the cure and receive full salarian support, with the method of dealing with Wrex and the salarian doctor being the Commander's problem.

Wrex orders the clans to assemble at the Hollows, riding with Shepard down to the planet. His brood brother Wreav radios in to say that Reapers have begun attacking the Hollows. Wrex orders Shepard to keep the Reapers away from Eve while he sorts out what's happening with the other clans, reemerging later bloodied but positively beaming. Wreav questions the presence of a salarian on krogan ground, and Wrex responds that the doctor is with him. Traditionalist Wreav doesn't buy Wrex's authority leading to a brief standoff, but Eve intervenes in the nick of time. She agitates the krogan present into fighting for their future, and Wrex is the first one to support her sentiments. The gathered clans set off in their tomkahs and make their way toward the Destroyer, intending to attack the Reaper on foot to divert its attention from the Shroud while Victus' turians provide air support.

Inside a tomkah, Wrex rambles on his plans for the future, saying that for starters he'll demand the Citadel Council to return some of the old krogan territory as the krogan will need room to expand and recapture the glory of the ancients. Additionally he wants a new homeworld (or ten) on the basis that he'll not have his children suffocate in Tuchanka's harsh environs, wanting them to witness a resurgent krogan empire. He has enough decency to ask the Council for permission first, and while Eve and Mordin temper his opinions with their own, Shepard lapses back to dalatrass Linron's deal and informs Wrex and the others of the dalatrass' insidious offer.

A series of unfortunate disasters later reduces Wrex's convoy into just his vehicle and Wreav's, so they try to come up with an alternate plan of attack. Shepard's squad, separated from the survivors, make their way through an underground city trying to rendezvous with Wrex on the other side. Just when they're nearing the meet-up point a thresher maw of colossal proportions beelines for the vehicles, causing Wrex and Wreav to scram and try outrunning the creature before Shepard's squad can be picked up. Eve comes up with the idea of summoning the giant thresher maw, thought to be Kalros, to the Reaper, and Wrex radios her idea to Shepard while looking for another rendezvous point. Eventually the separated forces do come together, with Wreav's vehicle eaten by Kalros at the last moment. Wrex spares little thought for his brother, remarking that Wreav was always a pain in the ass.

Before setting off to summon Kalros to the Reaper, Wrex proclaims Shepard to be a champion to the krogan, a friend to Clan Urdnot and a brother to him. He promises that to all newborn krogan, the name Shepard will mean hero. A bunch of rachni Ravagers show up nearby and Wrex heads off to crush them, shotgun in hand and screaming "I AM URDNOT WREX, AND THIS IS MY PLANET!"

Wrex mops up the Ravagers fairly quickly while Shepard's squad is still busy tending to their own enemies, so he volunteers to do the first part of summoning Kalros: raising the giant maw hammers so they come crashing down when activated. Wrex manages to do his job, and later Shepard activates the hammers. In short order, Kalros demolishes the Reaper, leaving Shepard and Mordin open to do their parts.

After the cure has been dispersed, albeit with Mordin's sacrifice, Wrex returns to the Hollows, reflecting on how he killed his father centuries ago and how the genophage reduced the krogan to little more than animals. He sarcastically states that perhaps they may name one of the kids after Mordin, "maybe a girl". With hope returned to the krogan people, Wrex agrees to help the turians push the Reapers off Palaven. Along with the hordes of Tuchanka, Wrex's exploits draw krogan mercenaries from far and wide into the cause, urged by their clans to join Shepard's forces against the Reapers.

Foiling an assassination attempt
"Where do you think YOU'RE going, Princess?"

- Urdnot Wrex to an unnamed CAT-6 mercenary

Wrex plays an active role in hunting down the people behind the plot against Shepard: he makes his dramatic entry by literally crashing—or body slamming to be more accurate—onto an ambushing shuttle that has Shepard pinned. He then temporarily serves as squadmate while the Normandy crew unravels the conspiracy, during which he states his joy working with Shepard and crew, stating "Why shoot something once when you can shoot it 46 more times".

After Shepard defeats the Mysterious Figure and retakes the Normandy, Wrex is invited to the party thrown at Shepard's new apartment. At the party, he initially hangs out with his fellow warrior personalities. He and Grunt exchange barbs over who is the stronger one and is goaded into a headbutt contest by Zaeed Massani untill Shepard intervenes and requests them not to trash the furniture. He is later found at the bar with Cortez and Joker, along with Garrus and Javik. When the subject of the harshest planet to life comes up, he proudly puts forward Tuchanka as his natural choice and dares the others to survive there for just one day. Wrex also encourages Joker to go for shooting practices. On that subject, he tells the group that krogan parties involve lots of violent deaths and that he feels the need to shoot something then and there.

After the party, Shepard meets up a very exhausted Wrex at the casino's bar, who calls for a drink and a bag of ice. It turns out that with the krogan fertile again, Wrex was hounded by just about every female krogan on Tuchanka to sire their firstborn due to his pivotal role in curing the genophage. Even on the shuttle to the Citadel, Wrex was allowed no respite, as he got "attacked" by two more females. The worst of it is that Urdnot Bakara encourages it. While Wrex shoves the requested bag of ice into his armor to relieve his overworked quad, a somewhat embarrassed Shepard looks the other way. Once Shepard turns back, the two of them talk about how far they have come to today and drink their drinks with Wrex shouting "Korbal", which means victory or death roughly. Shepard then reminds Wrex that he can't die since he's now "got a family. A really... big... family." This leads to Wrex pounding his head on the table in disappointment and calls for more ice.

Battle for Earth
"When the rachni laid waste to the galaxy 2,000 years ago, when all seemed lost and the end was near, one word delivered the final blow! One word beat the monsters back to the abyss, and one word brought death to an enemy none dared fight! That word was 'krogan!' And today the krogan rise again! Today we forge a new path and join the galaxy as allies in victory! Today... we win our future!"

- Urdnot Wrex, rallying his species

Wrex later joins the fight to take back Earth, and is seen during the final battle in London rallying his troops where Shepard can have a final word with him. Here Wrex reveals that Eve is pregnant, saying that "being clan leader has its benefits" and that she insists on naming the first child "Mordin". Wrex also says that no matter what happens, Shepard did what no one else could: unite an entire galaxy, which is "a victory right there."

After Shepard's activation of the Crucible and the destruction of the Reapers, Wrex returns to Tuchanka with Grunt and beholds the adulation of the krogan masses along with his companion.

List of characters killed by Wrex
The following is a list of characters Urdnot Wrex has killed:
 * Jarrod
 * Finch

Personality and traits
Wrex is much different than the average krogan. He is determined to prevent the krogan race from going extinct no matter the cost and usually won't care on the methods, which could result in his death at Virmire. He is also highly caring and respectful to others, as shown when he respects John Shepard for his battle prowess and also has a friendly rivalry with Garrus Vakarian. He also is far less sexist and chavanistic than other males, frequently including females when making decisions and also finds fighting with females makes it different, indicating he is more inclusive.

He doesn't speak often, but when he does his words are direct and often shockingly blunt – that tends to get people to listen.

However though, he possess a fierce temper and plenty of arrogance, though unlike most krogan, Wrex is capable of keeping it in check and merely threatens to use it to get what he wants. When his fury is unleashed, it is truly a terrifying sight. He also knew that the Reapers would return after Sovereign's attack on the Citadel and became determined to rally the krogan to fight them with the rest of the galaxy. He believed that the current mood of gaining revenge on the galaxy for nearly sending his species into extinction wouldn't work, as he knew that they would create another way to keep his species in check. Overall, Wrex is the exact opposite of the normal krogan, embodying their normal traditions: nobility, honor, courage, and heroism.

Comic Series

 * Mass Effect: Foundation
 * "Take The Galaxy By The Quad!"

Video Games

 * Mass Effect (First appearance)
 * Bring Down the Sky
 * Pinnacle Station
 * Mass Effect 2
 * Mass Effect 3
 * Extended Cut
 * Citadel

Novels

 * Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy

Mass Effect

 * (to General Septimus) "So this is the famous turian general? How did your kind ever defeat us?"
 * "Sometimes crazy is the best way to go."
 * "Just because I like you doesn't mean I won't kill you."
 * (to Shepard) "Really? Saren created a cure for my people. You want to destroy it. Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand. I've been loyal to you so far, hell you did more for me than my family ever did. But if I'm going to continue following you, I need to know we're doing this for the right reason!"
 * "We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be as generous."

Mass Effect 2

 * (about Grunt) "There's nothing wrong with him. He's becoming a full adult."

Mass Effect 3

 * "Tuchanka may be a pile of radioactive rubble, but it's our pile, and we'll fight to the last krogan to keep it that way."
 * "Now we can get back to doing what krogan do best: saving everyone else from giant monsters."
 * "Suck it up, princesses!"
 * (about female krogan) "Our females don't lack for spirit. For males, a good show of force usually sorts things out. But women like to talk about it... then, think about it... [sighs] Then talk about it some more."
 * "Now hold your heads high like real krogan! There's a Reaper that needs killing!"
 * (to Shepard) "I want you to know that no matter what happens, you've been a champion to the krogan people, a friend of Clan Urdnot and a brother to me! To every krogan born after this day, the name Shepard will mean 'hero'! Now let's show them why!"
 * (after the genophage is cured) "A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place. His own son. He tried to kill me... so I had to kill him, right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to; animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."

Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy

 * "Clever little pyjack."

Trivia

 * He is voiced by Steven Barr.
 * Mordin Solus claims Wrex has a fear of needles when he's eager to leave his lab and donate tissue samples later.
 * One of the first things Wrex usually suggests when confronted by a problem is to eat the individual responsible.
 * Wrex knew his friends John Shepard and Ashley Williams' son Kaidan since infancy and asked him call him "Uncle Urdnot."