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Mass Effect 2: All Squad Members & How to Recruit Them

all mass effect 2 squad members

Mass Effect 2 is filled with memorable characters. You’ll become incredibly close with the members that end up joining your squad and fight alongside you to stop the Collectors and unravel the mystery of the Reapers even further. In this guide, we’ll go over all of the squad members you can get in Mass Effect 2 and how to recruit them into your party in the Legendary Edition.

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All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members:

1. Recruiting Miranda – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Miranda, alongside the next entry Jacob, joins Shepard after the opening missions of the game when Shepard is revived by Cerberus. You won’t need to do anything special, nor can you possibly not recruit Miranda. Just play through the game until she’s unlocked.

Miranda is a romance option for male Shepards.

2. Recruiting Jacob – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

As we mentioned just above, Jacob is automatically added to your squad shortly after the beginning of the game. You won’t need to do anything special, and you cannot miss adding Jacob.

Jacob is as romance option for female Shepards.

3. Recruiting Garrus – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Garrus returns and can join your squad once again in Mass Effect 2. His identity, however, is partially concealed. The dossier you need to complete is Dossier: Archangel. Shortly after the intro mission that takes place on Freedom’s Progress, the Illusive Man will leave you with a number of dossiers to look into, Archangel is the one for Garrus. Complete the mission and you’ll be able to recruit Garrus into your squad.

Garrus is a romance option for female Shepards.

4. Recruiting Mordin – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Mordin is one of the most important characters to have in Mass Effect 3 if you want the most positive ending in that game, plus he’s just so amazing, so you’ll definitely want to recruit this Salarian scientist ASAP. Mordin can be added to your squad by completing his dossier, Dossier: The Professor which is in the first batch of dossiers obtained after completing the Freedom’s Progress mission. Complete his recruitment mission and he’ll join your squad.

Mordin is not romanceable.

5. Recruiting Grunt – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Grunt is the token Krogan this time around instead of Wrex who is either off doing bigger and better things or is dead. For your sake hopefully not the latter.

Grunt is actually not the initial target of the Illusive Man but nonetheless can be recruited. The dossier, Dossier: the Warlord, is actually intended to be for someone else but events in the mission lead to Grunt being recruited instead. It’s available in the first batch of dossiers obtained after completing Freedom’s Progress. Wrap that mission up, and Grunt can be recruited if you choose.

Grunt is not romanceable.

6. Recruiting Jack – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Jack is a powerful human biotic that is constantly at odds with “Cerberus cheerleader” Miranda. Her dossier, like the others so far on this list, can be obtained after completing the mission at Freedom’s Progress. Dossier: The Convict, is what will lead to the recruitment of Jack. Be careful, the mission isn’t as it seems at first.

Jack is a romance option for male Shepard.

7. Recruiting Thane – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Thane, everyone’s favorite tragic assassin, is recruitable as a squad member via a dossier after the collectors attack Horizon. Simply complete other missions until the Horizon mission appears. After you’ve completed that, the Illusive Man will offer more dossiers and, Dossier: The Assassin, which unlocks Thane will be one of them.

Thane is a romance option for female Shepard.

8. Recruiting Tali – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Although it takes a little while, Tali can be persuaded to eventually rejoin the Normandy crew as a squad member in Mass Effect 2. You’ll need to first progress to the point where you complete the Horizon collector attack mission. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to complete her dossier, Dossier: Tali and add her to the squad if you wish.

Unlike Mass Effect 1, Tali is indeed a romance option in Mass Effect 2.

9. Recruiting Samara – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Samara is another powerful biotic that can be added to the team. The Mass Effect 2 is really stacked with some biotic gods, huh? Anyway, like Tali and Thane, complete missions until you’ve advanced to the point where you complete the mission on Horizon. You’ll receive Dossier: The Justicar from the Illusive Man and upon completing it you can add Samara to your squad.

Samara is not romanceable.

10. Recruiting Morinth – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Here’s one that works out a bit differently. Morinth can be recruited into your squad but at the expense of Samara. To recruit Morinth, progress in the game, and speak with Samara after each completed mission. Eventually, you’ll be able to take on Samara’s loyalty mission. At the end of the loyalty mission, you’ll need to choose between Samara and Morinth, choose Morinth and she will be added to your squad, again, at the expense of Samara (we won’t spoil exactly what goes down here).

Morinth is a romance option for both male and female Shepard after the completion of the final mission, although we wouldn’t recommend it since she’s an Ardat Yakshi.

11. Recruiting Legion – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Legion can be recruited after completing the mission Reaper IFF. You must complete the mission in its entirety, and, after it’s over, must choose not to turn Legion over to Cerberus and instead keep it on the ship with you.

For reasons we won’t spoil for you in this guide, it’s highly recommended that you do not attempt this mission until after every other mission that you want to do is complete. Recruit every other member and complete all the loyalty missions you can. If you’re curious as to why check out this guide.

Legion, like Mordin, is particularly important to the events of Mass Effect 3, so we recommend adding Legion to your squad and keeping Legion safe.

Legion is not romanceable.

12. Recruiting Kasumi – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Kasumi, once a DLC character, is now obtainable more organically in the Legendary Edition of Mass Effect 2 as all the DLC are included. Still, although you won’t need to pay for it this time, you still have to wait until you complete the Freedom’s Progress mission before Kasumi’s dossier, Dossier: The Master Thief, will be obtainable. Complete that mission (it’s a quick one), and Kasumi will be added to the squad.

Kasumi is not romanceable.

13. Recruiting Zaeed – All Mass Effect 2 Squad Members

Zaeed, like Kasumi, is a former DLC character that can be obtained after complete the mission on Freedom’s Progress. Simply complete his dossier mission, Dossier: The Veteran, and he’ll be added to the squad. Like Kasumi, it’s an easy one.

Zaeed is not romanceable.


That’s all you need to know for how to get all the squadmates in Mass Effect 2 and how to recruit them. For more tips, tricks and FAQs answered be sure to check out our wiki guide that is filled with helpful guides.

About the author

Ed McGlone

Ed McGlone was with Twinfinite from 2014 to 2022. Playing games since 1991, Ed loved writing about RPGs, MMOs, sports games and shooters.

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