Miranda Lawson

Miranda Lawson is a fictional character in the role-playing video game series Mass Effect by BioWare. In it, Miranda is an officer of the pro-human group Cerberus, first appearing in the 2009 iOS game Mass Effect Galaxy, and then serving as a squad mate in Mass Effect 2. In addition to these, the character also makes an appearance in the Mass Effect: Redemption comic series, in Mass Effect 3 if she survived the events of the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2, and in issues 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the Mass Effect: Foundation comic series. She is revealed to have been genetically designed by her father, Henry Lawson, to be perfect, and ran away from home to join Cerberus.

Miranda was modelled after Yvonne Strahovski, who also provided the voice for Miranda. Like Strahovski, Miranda was originally blonde but the character was changed to have black hair to complement her "femme fatale" look. Camera angles and shots were employed to emphasise her sexuality. David Kates composed her theme for Mass Effect 2. Miranda was featured prominently in promotional art, demo footage, trailers and advertisements for Mass Effect 2.

The character has received a generally positive reception, though several commentators have discussed the numerous camera shots of her buttocks in Mass Effect 2, a creative decision then-marketing director of Bioware, David Silverman, has defended as an integral part of her character.

In Mass Effect 2, Miranda Lawson is revealed to be a high-ranking operative of the pro-human organization Cerberus, and has been genetically designed for superior intelligence and physical traits. She is sterile and unable to have children due to genetic manipulation and resulting damage from a benign neoplasm. She is shown to be a capable leader, exemplified with her being one of the few members of the squad who can successfully lead a fireteam in the final mission without anyone dying, despite feeling she does not command respect like Shepard does. Lawson is leader of Cerberus' Lazarus Cell, tasked with reviving Commander Shepard. Aboard the Normandy, the player's spaceship, she is Shepard's second-in-command and Executive Officer, and files mission reports directly to the Illusive Man.

Miranda was the artificially created daughter of Henry Lawson, a rich and powerful businessman from Earth. Rather than give her a human mother to randomize her genetic code, Henry took his own DNA and doubled his X chromosome, hoping to create a dynasty. Unhappy with his attempts to exert control over her life, Miranda joined Cerberus and secretly sent her sister, who was created in the same way she was, into hiding to protect her from their father. Provided the player completes a mission to prevent her sister's abduction, she ultimately becomes loyal to Shepard. In one of the story's possible endings, she proves her loyalty when the Illusive Man gives her an order to prevent Shepard from destroying the Collectors' Space Station by refusing and announcing her resignation before ending the communication abruptly.

Early concept art for Miranda focused on balancing her sex appeal with a uniform suitable for her position as a Cerberus officer. Originally conceived as blonde, after her uniform was designed, it was decided black hair would fit better with her "femme fatale" look. Casey Hudson has said her uniform was made tight due to her being designed to be "perfect" and "beautiful". For her role as Miranda Lawson, Yvonne Strahovski spoke in her natural speaking voice and native Australian accent.

Miranda is an example of a character who is defined by the quality of physical attractiveness. In Mass Effect 2, camera angles and shots such as a close-up of her buttocks were employed to focus on "her curves and sexuality", identified as key parts of her character, her being someone genetically engineered to be "perfect". David Kates composed Miranda's musical theme, intending to "demonstrate her strength, but also her vulnerable side, and a sadness that is deep inside her". Mac Walters and Patrick Weekes wrote her character for Mass Effect 2. Jay Watamaniuk wrote her for Mass Effect 3.

Miranda is one of Shepard's squad members in Mass Effect 2. She's one of the top agents of the pro-human organization Cerberus, assigned to supervise the "Lazarus Project", which was the project that brought Shepard back to life. When Shepard's sent by Cerberus' leader, the Illusive Man, to stop the main antagonists, the Collectors, Miranda joins as the new Normandy's executive officer, giving mission reports to the Illusive Man. Through conversations with her, Shepard learns of Miranda's background. She tells Shepard that she was genetically "created" by her father, Henry Lawson, who is one of the wealthiest humans in the galaxy. She tells Shepard that she was created to be the genetically "perfect" human, able to heal from injuries more quickly, and with more powerful biotic abilities, as well as exceptional schooling, all as part of her father's desire to have a "dynasty" to follow him. Her father's persistence in making Miranda as "perfect" as possible resulted in her not having a normal childhood, forbidden from having any friends or relations with anybody else, and forced to enhance her abilities constantly. At an old enough age, Miranda was able to escape from her father, hinting that "shots were fired", and fled to Cerberus, who she had learned her father was an investor to. Cerberus gave her asylum, and her father cut off his support of Cerberus.