How to Romance Tali in Mass Effect 3

Last Updated: June 2, 2021

Tali is one of the original characters from the Mass Effect series, and can be romanced in Mass Effect 3 if you meet a significant number of requirements. The most important is a save file from Mass Effect 2 where you played as a male Shepard and romanced Tali. This is the only way to begin a romance with Tali in Mass Effect 3. If you import a valid save file, you'll be able to romance Tali if you can keep her alive at a critical point in the plot.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making Preparations

1
Romance Tali with a male Shepard in Mass Effect 2. The only way that you can start a romance with Tali in Mass Effect 3 is by starting the romance in Mass Effect 2. Tali will only start a romance with a male Shepard character. It is not possible to romance Tali in Mass Effect 3 if you do not import a file from the previous game.
- To romance Tali in Mass Effect 2, you'll need to complete her Loyalty mission without handing over the evidence at the end. If you hand over the evidence, Tali will be cleared but her father will become hated. This will cause you to fail the Loyalty mission and be unable to start the romance.
- Make sure to tell Tali "I want to talk to you" when prompted. This will lock you in to romantic relationship with her.
- Continue talking to Tali until the Omega IV Relay mission. If you've progressed with the relationship far enough, you'll consummate your relationship at this point.
2
Ensure Tali survives the final mission in Mass Effect 2. Tali needs to survive the final mission in Mass Effect 2. If she does not, she will not appear in Mass Effect 3 when you import your save file.
- Ensuring that you've maxed out your loyalty with everyone is the best way to keep Tali, and the rest of your crew, alive on the final mission.
- You'll need upgraded shields in order for Tali to survive.
- Make sure the leader of First Fire Team is completely loyal, and that Tali is assigned to the Vents. A fully loyal Garrus is the most recommended squad leader.
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3
Import your finished save file into Mass Effect 3. Once you've beaten Mass Effect 2 with Tali alive and romanced, you can import the save file into Mass Effect 3. You are given this option when you start a new game. You can only import files from the same console into Mass Effect 3.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Romancing Tali

1
Talk to Tali after she arrives on the Normandy. Tali will join your crew after the Priority: Geth Dreadnaught mission. Speak to her after she arrives and talk about rekindling your past relationship. Note that this does not yet lock you into starting a relationship with her.
2
Invite Tali to your quarters before Priority: Rannoch. While you're completing various Side Missions during the war between the Quarian and the Geth, Tali will send you a message informing you that she wants to talk. Invite her to your quarters using the terminal in your cabin and reignite your past relationship by using the Paragon conversation options. If you fail to do this before Priority: Rannoch, you won't be able to romance Tali.
3
Talk to Tali at the Normandy lounge. After the Priority: Cerberus Headquarter mission, you can find Tali in the crew lounge. Talk to her here for more romance dialog.
4
Keep Tali alive when it comes time to choose between the Geth and the Quarians. At the end of the Priority: Rannoch mission, you'll be forced to make a choice between the Quarians and the Geth. If you're just worried about keeping Tali alive, choose to side with the Quarians. If you want to keep the Geth around, you can side with them, but you'll need to meet a few requirements in order for Tali to survive the decision:
- You must have activated Legion in Mass Effect 2, as well as completed his Loyalty mission.
- You must have completed the "Geth Fighter Squadron" mission.
- Earned five "points" by completing some or all of the following tasks: Saved the Admiral during the Rannoch mission (1); Completed "Rannoch Admiral Koris" (1); Saved Tali from Exile in ME2 (2); Brokered peace between Tali and Legion in ME2 (2); Destroyed the Heretic Geth during Legion's loyalty mission in ME2 (2).
- You must have four bars of either Paragon or Renegade reputation.
5
Talk to Tali in the Engineering Bay after Priority: Rannoch. If you've met all of the romance requirements up to this point, you will receive a gift from Tali when you talk to her in Engineering. This is a picture of her without her helmet, and you can find it in your cabin.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

Question

Do I need to import an ME2 save?

Community Answer

Yes, as the relationship can only begin in ME2.
Question

How can I make Tali like me in Mass Effect 3?

Community Answer

You will need to use an external means of getting a campaign character to like you. Otherwise, cheats.