Can you romance Jack in Mass Effect 3 if you didnt in Mass Effect 2?

Shepard can continue a romance with Jack in Mass Effect 3, but interactions with her tend to be brief and limited. Where the romances in both Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 are largely one-night experiences, the romantic relationships between Shepard and a squadmate (or former squadmate) paramour in Mass Effect 3 are generally more complex and mature. Shepard first reconnects with Jack while liberating Grissom Academy, a school for biotic students learning to use their powers, which has been seized by Cerberus. Jack, now a teacher at the Academy, protects her students fiercely, and Shepard can help ensure they make it through the war alive.

Jack is still only available to a male Shepard in Mass Effect 3, and she must have survived the Suicide Mission and Grissom Academy if Shepard intends to romance her. After saving Jack and the students, Shepard can rekindle his relationship with her. Content for the romance beyond this point is limited until the Citadel DLC, during which Shepard can agree to go on an unconventional date and have her attend his big party. Here's how to continue a romance with Jack in Mass Effect 3.

How to Continue a Romance with Jack in Mass Effect 3

To romance Jack in Mass Effect 3, Shepard will need to ensure she is not captured and killed by Cerberus and help her protect her students. Some time after Priority: Palaven, Specialist Traynor will alert Shepard to a situation unfolding at Grissom Academy, in which Cerberus officers have infiltrated the school and attempted to kidnap gifted biotics students training there. Shepard has a limited time to respond to this situation by completing the Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation mission and helping get the students out before Cerberus captures them. Failure to do so within the window will lead to Jack's and the students' deaths.

When Shepard and Jack reunite, she will punch him for leaving her, then kiss him immediately after. When Shepard next speaks with her ahead of the next wave of Cerberus attacks, he should make sure to apologize for leaving without her. After saving the students, Shepard should take Jack's side and suggest the students are needed in support roles, or they will not survive the war with the Reapers. At the end of the conversation, Shepard can use a Paragon interrupt to pull Jack in for a kiss.

Shepard will eventually receive a message from Jack, available at his Private Terminal. She will invite him to join her at the Purgatory bar on the Citadel. During the conversation, Shepard can convince her to either continue taking her job seriously or lighten up, which will affect the tone of the rest of the conversation. Later in the conversation, Shepard must select the dialogue option I still want you to continue pursuing Jack romantically. This will lock in the romance and lock Shepard out of all other romantic options for the duration of the game. Jack and Shepard will kiss, and the two will dance together to close out the cutscene.

Unfortunately, there will not be more opportunities to meet and interact with Jack until players launch the Citadel DLC. Following the main mission, Jack will email Shepard and ask him to join her for an unconventional date, fighting together at the Armax Arsenal Arena combat simulator. During the third round of combat with an Atlas mech, a cutscene will play, during which Shepard and Jack can banter and flirt. As the romance will be locked in, Shepard can safely choose either dialogue option without jeopardizing the relationship. He should be sure to take the Paragon interrupt to pull her in for a kiss as the mech explodes at the end of the round.

Later, Shepard can call Jack up to his apartment, where she will give him a back tattoo. She later admits she did it to make his body identifiable during the war. Shepard should take the Paragon interrupt here to hug and reassure her. Jack can also attend Shepard's party, where she will dance, mingle with the rest of the crew, including Miranda if she is present, and wake up with Shepard the morning after.

During Priority: Earth, Shepard can call Jack from the communication specialist's terminal to say goodbye, marking the end of her romantic arc in Mass Effect 3. If players choose the Mass Effect 3 Destroy ending, and Shepard had built up enough Galactic Readiness and Total Military Strength to keep her alive like the rest of the squad, Jack will be seen during the epilogue looking at the stars.

Next: Mass Effect 3: How to Romance Steve Cortez

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.