Mordin Solus

Mordin Solus is a character from the Mass Effect games.

Mordin is a salarian geneticist, professor, and a former operative of the Special Tasks Group, where he performed reconnaissance and participated in the modification of the genophage.

In 2185, he is recruited by Commander Shepard to assist in a high-risk mission against the Collectors. Mordin has a moral character best described as consequentialistic, believing the ends justify the means, though he dislikes taking life without good cause. His actions are often guided by an impersonal logic, refusing to let his conscience, personal, and emotional connections cloud his judgment of what he believes is truly best in the big picture. Though he is affable, quick-talking and friendly, Mordin bears physical scars of his time in the STG and is still handling the consequences of his past.

Personality
Mordin is shown to be fast-talking and hyperactive even by salarian standards; Kelly Chambers describes him as being like a "hamster on coffee" and he hardly ever uses pronouns during conversation. He is easily distracted by intriguing scientific discoveries and is also prone to burying himself in his work, which he accomplishes with relish and a smile. However, past this outward image of cheerfulness however shows a somewhat more tortured and conflicted soul. Mordin's past involvement with the genophage has left him with feelings of guilt and though Mordin if confronted maintains that the genophage was necessary (and gives several solid arguments as to why) it is clear that he remains conflicted on the matter.

On the way to his clinic, Shepard can hear several people describe Mordin as "not just a doctor". This is due to his days as a member of the Salarian Special Tasks Group, which has made him willing to take a life if he deems it necessary; he killed a squad of Blue Suns who tried to burn down his clinic and went so far as to put their bodies on display as a warning, as well as claiming that he would have killed the batarians who were attacking his assistant, Daniel, if he was in Shepard's position, describing the act of sparing them as risky. This in turn horrifies Daniel, who as a human doctor would have taken the Hippocratic oath, and so deplores the taking of lives regardless of circumstances. Aria describes him as someone who is "as likely to heal you as he is to shoot you", and says this is one of the things she admires about him.

Mordin frequently shows signs of an ends-justify-the means philosophy, but not within some boundary of restraint. For one although Mordin is quite agreeable to killing those he feels are a danger to society and the well-being of others, he also refuses to kill with medicine and has never once done so, not even when being a part of the genophage. He is also very disgusted with the desperate actions taken by his former student Maelon Heplorn to cure the genophage, showing that he does not always believe the ends justify the means. Additionally, despite (or perhaps because of) his great intelligence, Mordin often has trouble seeing evidence that disagree with his preconceptions, as shown by how long it took him to figure out that Maelon came to Clan Weyrloc voluntarily to cure the genophage; Maelon even points this out and says he's had this problem for as long as the two have known each other.

As a salarian, Mordin copes with grief and other emotional issues very quickly, which is shown when he recovered remarkably quickly from the shock of Maelon's brutal experiments (and killing him, if he did so). This is due to the fact that salarians over the age of 40 are quite rare, and so their lives are much too short to waste time reminiscing. But even here, closer inspection reveals that Mordin is not quite as adept at working past old ghosts as he would lead others to believe, and Mordin even admits that salarians are no emotionally healthier than other species and can easily become obsessed with something, like Maelon did with the genophage.

Abilities
Mordin is a highly skilled killer. Weaker than normal humans, and on team composed of mostly of superhumans and psychics. Still managed to kill a krogan with farming equipment.

Performs medical research on ship, on ground Shepard provides in-game medic abilities.

Trivia

 * Mordin sings his "scientist salarian" song in Mass Effect 2 with the melody from The Major-General's Song, possibly because Michael Beattie, Mordin's voice actor, had a chorus role in the 1985 TV production of The Pirates of Penzance.
 * In Mass Effect 3, his "Krogan Queen" song is a modified version of "Pirate King," also from The Pirates of Penzance. While talking to Eve, Mordin can also be overheard singing "Asari-vorcha offspring have an allergy to dairy" to the tune of The Major General's Song.
 * The Bioware Store sells a statue of Mordin Solus that stands "an impressive 20.5 inches tall on a 1/4 scale". This would put Mordin's "official" height at 6 feet 10 inches (208 cm), though it should be noted that Mordin is depicted wearing thick boots in the statue.
 * Early on, Mordin reveals having served under Captain Kirrahe from the Virmire mission in Mass Effect, and makes a comment regarding his habit of giving speeches and using the expression "hold the line". If Mordin dies as the leader of the second fire team in the Suicide Mission, his last words are: "Tell them… I held the line…"
 * Content cut from Mass Effect 2 suggests that Mordin was originally intended to have a confrontation with Grunt, resembling the confrontations between Miranda and Jack, and Tali and Legion.
 * Other dialogue that never made it into the game implies that Mordin was originally intended to be a biotic, apparently able to maintain a biotic field powerful enough to have everyone survive during the final mission when loyal.
 * To date, Mordin Solus is the only major character in the games to be played by multiple actors, with William Salyers replacing Michael Beattie in Mass Effect 3.
 * At some point in Mass Effect 2, Mordin comments about Cerberus implanting cyanide pills in molars of their personnel, saying it's primitive and that ocular nerve flashbangs are harder to disarm. This suggestion might have actually been used, because in Mass Effect 3, based on Alliance logs in Liara T'Soni's computer, a Cerberus operative's face exploded during interrogation.
 * According to Associate Art Director Matt Rhodes, BioWare created the more experienced look for Mordin by referencing the wrinkles and squint seen in more recent pictures of actor Clint Eastwood.
 * With the release of Mass Effect: Foundation 9 either Mordin sustained two major injuries to his cranial horn in two separate missions to Tuchanka, or there are two differing accounts of the mission in which the wound is received, as the comic details one version of events while the Shadow Broker Dossiers detail another.
 * As with all squad members, Mordin has unique dialogue that can be heard at various locations, during missions or assignments, or if a specific squad member is in the selected team.
 * The Shadow Broker has files on Mordin Solus which can be accessed aboard his ship.