Krogan
The krogan are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Mass Effect multimedia franchise developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. A member of the species is first introduced in the 2007 novel Mass Effect: Revelation. The krogan are typically depicted as large reptilian bipedal humanoids who are physically tenacious, favor mercenary work, and thrive on conflict and violence. The krogan are native to the planet Tuchanka, which is presented as a post-apocalyptic wasteland as a result of the krogan's global thermonuclear civil war in the distant past. The krogan are presented as having a complicated relationship with the rest of the Milky Way galactic civilizations, especially the salarians; a past conflict led to the other interstellar species unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called the genophage on the krogan, drastically reducing their population and potentially driving the species to a slow and inevitable extinction.
From a design perspective, krogan faces are inspired by bats. Their bodies are covered in a thick exoskeleton which is expressive of their battle-hardened nature. Animation limitations meant that krogan's design had to be tweaked in order to fit into human animation skeletons, which prompted the developers to increase the size of their back area in order to maintain the species' intimidating image. The krogan have appeared in most Mass Effect games and media, and are available as playable characters in the multiplayer modes for Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect: Andromeda. Major characters include Urdnot Wrex, Urdnot Wreav, Grunt, Urdnot "Eve" Bakara, and Nakmor Drack.
The krogan are the central figures of the krogan genophage storyline, which spans most of the original Mass Effect trilogy and is referenced in Mass Effect: Andromeda. The storyline has received a very positive critical reception and is praised for its moral complexity and nuanced writing, in particular for its effectiveness as a plot device to create friction between alien species as well as a method to develop several characters of the series.
Background
Within the series, the krogan are described as having warred over dwindling habitable land on Tuchanka thousands of years before the events of the Mass Effect trilogy. Nuclear weapons were deployed in such numbers that the krogan created a nuclear winter and transformed their planet into a radioactive wasteland. The krogan were reduced to primitive, warring clans as a result. Two thousand years before the events of the original trilogy, the salarians "culturally uplifted" the krogan by intervening in their development. The krogan were given faster-than-light technology by salarians, rather than discovering or developing it on their own, and were relocated to a new habitable world to live on. This was motivated by the salarians' desire to manipulate the krogan as soldiers to combat the rachni, who were winning a war against the Council at the time. Within two krogan generations, the krogan had the numbers to not only defeat the rachni for the council, but also push them back to their home world and commit genocide on the species. As reward for their efforts, the krogan were awarded former rachni worlds and several other planets in Citadel space to settle. Their fallen were even honored with a monument in the Citadel, which still exists in the trilogy's timeline.However, the salarians' gambit backfired when the krogan population, uncontrolled by natural predators or harsh environments, exploded. Facing a population crisis, the krogan forcefully extended their dominion to other planets The krogan eventually founded a colony on the asari world of Lusia and refuse to leave. In response, the Council ordered the Spectres, special forces personnel originally founded to keep the krogan in check, to strike at the krogan, who retaliated and sparked the Krogan Rebellions. The Citadel Council also made first contact with the Turian Hierarchy, who eventually join the war against the krogan.
The Krogan Rebellions continued unabated as the krogan were able to persist due to their high birth-rate. The turians eventually deployed the genophage, a biological weapon developed by salarian scientists, on the krogan. This forced the krogan to accept the turian terms of surrender. Once hailed as the saviors of the galaxy from the rachni, their role at the center of the Citadel military has been replaced by the turians, and are a shadow of their former prominence by the events of the original trilogy. Due to the genophage, which causes near-total sterilization of the krogan, their birth rate have plummeted with only 1 in 1000 krogan births being viable.
Concept and design
During the initial concept stage for the krogan's visual design, the writing team for Mass Effect provided a short written paragraph to the design team, which contains a basic description of the species, lore background, and specific but concise details on what they require for the race. Associate art director Matt Rhodes chose the wrinkle-faced bat as his basis for krogan faces, as he felt that their faces look alien to him. He refined the concept by creating more drawings of different animal species, and then blending the disparate designs he has seen for the final design. As a battle-hardened race, something akin to a thick chitin exoskeleton was given to the race. The heavy skin of an Indian rhinoceros was used as the reference for the krogan's body.Originally, the eyes of a krogan were located on the sides of their heads; as they were being modeled, the modeler noted that this was a typical trait of prey animals. Rhodes agreed with his colleague's assessment, and so the eyes of the krogan were moved to the front to match their predatorial nature. This had the benefit of both making their design more believable, and worked better in conversation. The team faced limitations when texturing and preparing the krogan character model for inclusion into the game as it still had to fit into a humanoid skeleton for animation purposes, which results in the deprecation of some early concept of large, apelike creatures. As the back area of a race was considered a "safe" area, which allow designers to play with the silhouette without negatively impacting combat animation and conversations, the team resolved to increase the mass of that area for the krogan, which led to their characteristic large humps.
The writing team would normally collaborate on top-level ideas and then individually take charge of specific characters and story arcs. The genophage story arc, which dominates the opening third of Mass Effect 3, was written by senior writer John Dombrow, in collaboration with Patrick Weekes who wrote Mordin Solus in Mass Effect 2. The krogan concept as a tragic species waiting for redemption was heavily influenced by the 1992 space game Star Control II and referenced multiple races found in the game's plot. The krogan's troubled backstory resemble the brutish Thraddash, including their nuclear self-destruction and later weaponization against an arachnoid race. Krogan biology is also influenced by the fast-breeding Shofixti, which informed their story arc of being uplifted into space following their self-destruction, depopulation in the aftermath of the Krogan Rebellions, and are ultimately repopulated as part of a potential story arc in Mass Effect 3.
The krogan land vehicle is repurposed from an unused early design of the Mako. Watts recalled that when the vehicle was driven around a level in the first Mass Effect during preliminary testing, the team found that the vehicle was too big and it was too so hard to spot the enemies or even try to shoot them. It proved to be a perfect fit in Tuchanka, where its oversized tires are a sensible asset for driving over rubble and war-torn terrain.
One of the enemy types introduced in Mass Effect 3 are brutes, designed as a repulsive synthesis of the body of a krogan and the head of a turian; the homeworlds of both species are closely linked in the invasion plan of the Reapers within the narrative. Brutes are large, tough enemies armed with oversized claws that can pick up enemies and mash them into the ground, though their abdomens and vital organs are protected by armor plating which can be blown off with sustained attacks.
Attributes
Biology
In terms of physical appearance, the krogan have been variously described as a horny toad crossed with a stegosaurus, or "toads with sharp teeth". Krogan are usually more than 7 feet tall; the large shoulder humps on a krogan individual store fluids and nutrients, which enables them to survive for extended periods without food or water. Krogan naturally reproduce and mature at an extremely high rate, and are also capable of living for centuries, sometimes well over a thousand years, before dying a natural death. Biotic individuals are rare, though those who do possess the talent are typically quite strong in their abilities. Battlemasters such as Urdnot Wrex are elite warriors who combine biotic abilities with advanced weaponry and tactics.Krogan possess a thick and nearly impervious hide, which is extremely hardy and very resistant to cuts, scrapes, and contusions. A mature krogan's skin is similar to a tortoise's in quality, whereas a younger krogan has finer skin, which looks softer and is scaly like a lizard. Similar to a newborn baby's skull with soft bones, a young krogan's crest consists of many smaller segments that have yet to form into a solid plate. Male krogan who reach an older developmental age has a full crown with large spikes. Krogan also possess multiple secondary and tertiary organs for all of their major bodily systems, which serve as backups should the primary organ be damaged. Krogan have four testicles which reside in distinct sacks. Krogan are also highly resistant to radiation, poisons, and extreme temperatures. Krogan can enter a “blood rage” in which they become impervious to pain, and are said to be virtually impossible to paralyze.