Jaal Ama Darav (Official Thread)

This sounds way better and would have liked that more for sara than the hug, cause that was really cringey for me. And the fact that everyone was looking added more to that 😬

I'm late to the party here, but I just did my first playthrough of this game recently and... boy oh boy. Jaal. I'm not even fully sure what to say, except: yes.

Sorry, late to the party but I think when Jaal talks about how open the Angara are with their feelings, that probably should have been a hint that introverts might not like his romance. Or any romance with an Angara, I would think. Because the majority of them probably show affection in the same way Jaal does. That's not a criticism, just an observation. The only exception I could see is maybe Evfra, but even him I could see wanting to snuggle publicly.

My only complaint about the Sara x Jaal romance is that last scene. I really feel like climbing him like a tree and swinging around should have been a reaction move like choosing whether or not to shoot Akksul. I would have liked a more tender moment at the end between them. I understand the desire and need to celebrate, but Jaal could have just picked her up and swung her around in a circle happily before putting her down and kissing her. Would have had the same impact and would have been a much sweeter interaction imo.

But for my Ryder, one of the reasons she came to Andromeda was the desire to meet new species and learn about a new culture. Growing up on the Citadel inspired that fascination.
So immediately upon meeting the Angara she wanted to learn about them. That desire had her adapting to how Angara viewed and expressed emotion. For my Ryder, she was used to keeping a majority of her thoughts and feelings to herself, with the exception of SAM who almost knew her better than the majority of the crew (except perhaps Lexi) and even her family. She was more analytical than sentimental.
Then came Jaal who brought to light a different way of expressing thoughts and emotions. It took a bit for her to open up to a point that was close to Angaran, but how Jaal handled her thoughts and feelings when she expressed them with such care and thoughtfulness- it was both touching and refreshing. I think it was about then that she started to think of him as more than just a friend.

I've always felt that inter-species relationships are just too ludicrous to entertain for a protagonist in these games, making an exception for the Asari because being universally alluring and compatible is kind of their thing. Realistically, it would be too strange, too complicated, too full of uncertainty and dead-ends, and relationships are fragile and difficult enough without all that extra baggage. And a lot of my characters truly care about having children down the line.

Even so, I was seriously tempted to romance Jaal in both of my Sara playthroughs. He's such a good guy, such a badass, and such a caring dork. And probably the closest thing to a real, grown man I've seen romancible in any Bioware game to date. If I wasn't so susceptible to nerdy girls with self-esteem issues and had both Suvi and Peebee to contend with, I'd probably have been on him in a flash.

I've never does this because I'm xenphobic and only romance humans.  That said, I've heard Jaal is one of the most romantic relationships.  Who knows, maybe I'll give it a shot.  It's a little dull when you can't romance a squadmate because your only human love interests are an engineer and a smuggler.   Idk.  Maybe the romance here is worth it.

I started playing Andromeda only last week. This is my impression of Jaal after my second time playing his romance.

At first, it was pretty annoying to see how he flirts with every female available in the vicinity before your romance with him has progressed, but on the other hand, his attitude is understandable. He's a young male who's only had one romantic experience in life - according to him, anyway; he could be lying to your Ryder and you'd be none the wiser -, so he craves some love and affection.
Jaal is overall a pretty average character, with some adorable banter when romanced. Him and Ryder sound like a couple very much in love, thoroughly enjoying each other's company. And his VA did a superb job on him. However, it felt to me his romance lacked a certain something. And curiously, I found that something with Reyes Vidal.

Reyes felt like a real person to me from the start, with interesting dialog and a well-executed plot. You can tell from his interactions with Ryder that he's an experienced man and skilled at problem-solving. Interaction with him feels natural and his romance isn't complicated by things like politics, the exiles' situation, his opinion on the Initiative etc. It's about two people playfully flirting with each other while sneaking around on an adventure. He's down-to-earth, diplomatic, cerebral, but also romantic and flirty. Many people claim he is dishonest, but had he told Ryder his true identity from the beginning, Ryder could have in turn told Sloane to earn favor with the Outcast leader, which would put Reyes' life in danger. Plus, Kadara port is full of bandits, so there was no one Reyes could have trusted with that information without risking execution. At least not until he learned whether he could trust the Pathfinder or not. And judging how some people have no problem shooting him in the back - even when he never betrayed Ryder's trust -, Reyes was right to keep some secrets to himself.
It's also worth noting that, if Reyes was truly dishonest, he would never have attempted to take Sloane down with the Pathfinder as a witness. He would postpone the duel and simply send a sniper to kill Sloane anonymously, thus protecting his true identity from Ryder and forcing the Pathfinder to accept them as the new leader of Kadara. But I guess some people chose to ignore that detail.



Jaal, in contrast, is an enigma.

If you read Gil's notes on poker, he mentions being scared of Jaal. The Angara gives the impression of being someone harmless, naive about the peoples of the Milky Way and eager to befriend everyone. However, the true reason why he boarded the Tempest was to spy for the Angara. There are also several stances which warn the player Jaal - and the Angara - are not what they seem. During a quest, he tells an angara there's no need to manipulate Ryder to get what they want. And in Movie Night, Jaal shows enthusiasm at the idea of seducing the enemy to defeat them. Plus, he's a specialist in infiltration and, according to himself, "killing his enemies before he's seen".

Another thing that's worth mentioning is how he always says such sweet things to Ryder, but none are directed specifically at them. Things like "You make my heart sing", "I want to devour you", or "Wherever you go, take me with you" could be said to literally anyone, regardless of who you're dating. He resorts to flattery quite easily and is skilled at complimenting people, even those he has no real intimacy with. Matter of fact, I fail to remember something Jaal said to Ryder that mentions him adoring Ryder for something that Ryder did or said specifically. It's as if his lines came straight out of a dating guidebook.

His interactions with Ryder are also mostly about the Angara, the Resistance and the political status quo of Andromeda in general. If you're not talking to Jaal about his people or the war, then there's not much to talk about at all. For Ryder, I see this as a toxic relationship, since this can unconsciously tie Ryder's need for Jaal's attention to helping him solve his people's problems.

And lastly, he confesses having been extremely unhappy with his role in the Resistance and how he "found his place" in Ryder's team. So one reason why he stays with Ryder is because he was running away from something he disliked, not necessarily because he does enjoy his new role. Plus, staying wit Ryder gives him access to many benefits: travelling the galaxy in an advanced starship and having access to top tier technology, for example, all things the Resistance could never provide.

Add to this his flirtatious nature and, to me, he's a spy working for the Resistance in his own terms who happened to find a female with whom to spend some time and have some fun. All in all, comparing Reyes' romance with Jaal's, Reyes feels more real and accessible to me as a person. He witnesses Ryder's hard time trying to negotiate with Sloane, a ruthless leader who's inflexible and unwilling to let Ryder establish an outpost and comes offering solutions. He corresponds to Ryder's advances, shows concern about them by asking if they thought Andromeda is what they expected it to be and the game lets you know he cares about your opinion of him and has a soft spot for you.
Let's not forget the rooftop scene, where Ryder and Reyes share a special bonding moment. When they tell each other their thoughts about coming to Andromeda, we are reminded they are two sides of the same coin. Much like Ryder, Reyes is also a human being who volunteered to be part of what turned out to be a failed project and had to curb his expectations for the future. The fact that they share a common background and are facing similar difficulties settling in Andromeda makes Reyes more relatable and easier for the player to connect with him on an emotional level. No wonder he felt so real to me.


Going back to Jaal, he has no problem flirting with other females even when Ryder is present (complimenting Peebee, Vetra and Cora aboard the Tempest; flirting with them aboard the Nomad). His banter with other characters reveals how much he enjoys playing with people's emotions, making me question the sincerity of his feelings toward Ryder...and whether his sweet words are truly from the heart. His dialog revolves mostly around his own life - the Angara, the Kett, the Resistance blah blah blah -; not once does Jaal have a full conversation with Ryder about how they feel after having lost their father, about their sibling being in a coma, about them missing home, missing Earth etc, questions that would be natural to ask your beloved one. It's as if, by being with Jaal, you're constantly reminded of the situation with the Angara rather than being in a private relationship with an individual you care about. Even one of his romance scenes is of him taking you to meet his family and you're yet again surrounded by Angara everywhere. When it comes to romance, I don't care about to what species my LI belongs. I care about getting to know them and creating special moments together.

Anyway, this is just my take on Jaal's romance and why, although I enjoyed it at first, after taking all these facts in consideration, Jaal has lost his appeal to me a bit. Maybe if they had included a scene where Jaal confronts the Resistance or the Angara about something and defends Ryder - confronting the Roekkar to urge them to give Ryder a chance doesn't count, since the mission's goal was to save his family; again, the focus is on Jaal and not Ryder - plus another scene where he helps Ryder deal with the loss of home, family or other personal matter, the character would feel more real to me. Makes me wonder if Jaal will still be interested in Ryder if the Pathfinder stops trying to please the Angara in the future.

All things considered, both relationships are born from interest (Jaal wants to spy on you for the Resistance; Reyes needs your help dealing with Sloane) with both characters using you for their personal agenda. The difference lies in how Reyes is honest from the start, even when it seems he's not. Every task he gives you helps Ryder in some way: to help get information on the Kett, to show the Pathfinder how Sloane isn't beneficial to Kadara and also show the exiles how Ryder can help make a difference; he even gives you advice on how to set an outpost in Kadara. And in the end, he tells you everything, keeping no more secrets (now that Sloane's dead and he's finally safe). As for Jaal, he's shady from the start, never revealing how much info he sent to the Resistance about Ryder, never confronting the Moshae for suggesting blowing up the Kett facility -choosing to blame only Ryder instead -, and never showing any consideration toward Ryder about their family's tragic situation and how difficult it must be for them having to be the Pathfinder all on their own despite the hardships they face.


It goes without saying I'm not bashing the character, merely pointing out how he can give the impression of not coming across as genuine or of not being what he seems.