Best Epic Mass Effect Fanfics
Mass Effect fanfics over 100,000 words — the reader-favorite epics that define the fandom. Curated from AO3 and ranked by kudos.
Top 18 Epic Mass Effect Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. These are the Mass Effect epics readers come back to. Save them for offline reading.
Downtown Eastside
by Lemon (lemon_sprinkles)
There are three rules to a one-night stand: Wear a condom, don't stay longer than necessary, and most importantly, don't get attached. Too bad Shepard was never one for following all the rules. In fair Vancouver, where we lay our scene... Featuring artwork from the amazing Dakotaliar! (Chapter 1)Fea
Break of Dawn
by comefeedtherainn
When Kaidan Alenko met John Shepard, he'd like to say that their eyes met and it was all inevitable from there. The thing was, John was kind of an ass. And Kaidan was kind of stubborn.
The Difference between the Sea and the Sky
by bagog
Commander Shepard is a legend: First Human Spectre, Hero of the Citadel, Savior of the Galaxy. In the middle of the war, he finds he'd rather be less legend and more human. Stealing time between missions to build a relationship, neither he nor Kaidan can imagine how much their time together will aff
What's a Citadel Hero's Motto?
by LawfullyLawless
Garrus and FemShep relationship from the beginning of Mass Effect 1. The story with twists, additions, jokes, loss, and changes. The two move from friends to something more. (If you are here for some smutty action, Chpt. 14. Other smuttiness to be added later.)
Sentinel
by Tovaras
Kaidan’s life has never been easy. BAaT nearly drove him to madness, life after was a struggle, but now… Now he is ready. For whatever life tosses at him. Or so he thinks.
Of Friends and Families : A Shepard and Zorah Story
by Justin_Time
A chance encounter at a Mass Relay shifts Humanities destiny in a tremendous way. With the Alliance coming in contact with the Quarian Board, the Two Species become fast Allies in a Galaxy betting against their success.But beyond the grander politics at play, we delve specifically into how this Firs
lionhearted
by aevallare
"Mordin is the most celebrated geneticist and doctor in the galaxy, and Miranda brought me back to life from scraps. What makes you think there's any good reason that you have to die?""Celebrated? Perhaps. Krogan would argue notorious," Mordin interjects. Miranda crosses her arms, looking Thane dead
Despite You Tomorrow Will Be Another Day
by Desdemonia
She shot the energy conduit. A brilliant burst of light blinded her, and she felt her body burning up in the microseconds it took for the Crucible's energy wave to hit. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. She wondered if her death would be painful. She hoped not; she thought she deserved a little more t
unintended apotheosis
by skittidyne
Commander Shepard and the Normandy have to save the galaxy. (Again.) With said galaxy trying to stand against her, because of course no one would believe the mountains of evidence she's compiled, it's time to cash in a lot of favors and goodwill to ensure she can mount a war effort before the Reaper
The Restoration of a Broken Heart
by DragonDreads
Shepard's heart has been broken since the fatal sword wound to her lover, leaving her lost and feeling alone in the galaxy. Only the thought of destroying the human that caused her so much pain, then destroying the Reapers who brought so much more pain into the lives of those around her, has kept
Life Support: Poetry of Life and Death (Book 1)
by yummysushipajamas
When drell assassin, Thane Krios, came aboard the Normandy, he had one intention: to seek a worthy death. He believed that Shepard had offered him that. He had been spending his final months reviewing his life—his past, his failures, his deeds. He had thought he had nothing left to live for.He would
Ripple Effects
by Cpt_Stumpy
A normal patrol after the war with the Forerunners in 2559 quickly becomes a disaster as the UNSC Infinity finds itself somehow back at Earth... but not the Earth they know.
Shepard vas Normandy
by FalconEcosse
Alexis'Shepard has fought her way through the ranks of the Alliance Navy, proving herself time and time again until she was the candidate they had for the Alliance's chance at a Spectre. How will she balance the demands of the Alliance on Commander Shepard and the expectations of humanity that carri
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live
by Samael61
Commander Shepard, the singular greatest soldier the alliance and the humanity as a whole ever had and ever will. One man army whose mere name envokes fear in the hearts of the enemies of the Systems Alliance. A force of nature protecting the humanity against the galaxy. Or: A crack fic where Comman
The Zhorusian Saga: The Terran Crusade
by donutz992
He built an empire on the bones of worlds. Now he wants theirs.The Commonwealth gave humanity the stars—alien allies, impossible technology, twenty-two years of unprecedented growth. But peace was always an illusion.The Ascendant, Emperor of the Thessian Empire, has discovered the Armory beneath Mar
Mother Knows Best
by TheLivingMyth
Long before the Citadel Council, before the Protheans, even before the mysterious Inusannon, the galaxy was not silent. An ancient, ferocious race emerged - not by chance, but by necessity. Born from the will of nature itself, they were forged to challenge an enemy that had disrupted the natural cyc
Wrath of the collectors
by Hereward_whitehall
The Thrilling sequel in my telling of the Mass Effect trilogy.jump in to see everyone's favourite cast as they glide their way through the events of Mass Effect Two. new characters, races, and factions dot the twin's journey as they race against the clock in an effort to stop the mysterious collecto
[质量效应]第二次复活
by desertbai
官设女薛帕德X克隆人，GL伪水仙HE mod结局，三代薛姐重生到二代复活非常慢热
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About This List
This list of 18epic Mass Effect fanfics spans 5,543,379 total words. Kudos range from 52 on the newest entries to 1,507 on the most established. Most entries are ongoing works, so subscribe on AO3 for update notifications. The most common rating is Mature (7 of 18 fics).
Recurring tags across this list: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence · Romance · Fluff · Slow Burn · Thane Krios Lives.
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