Background
Set in the Mass Effect universe, KEI-9—nicknamed “Sophie”—is the robotic dog aboard the Normandy and one of the franchise’s more playful companion characters.
This project turned KEI-9 and Commander Shepard into a physical collectible, capturing an iconic interaction between the two characters in a hand-painted resin statue. Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide, the product was designed as a display collectible for Mass Effect fans, with particular attention to character recognition, sculpted details, and the interaction between Shepard and KEI-9.
Challenge
The biggest challenge was making the interaction between Shepard and KEI-9 feel natural. Shepard needed to maintain a kneeling, forward-leaning pose while KEI-9 raised its body toward him. The height of Shepard’s pose, his body angle, the position of his hands, and the angle of KEI-9’s head and body all had to work together. If the two characters were too far apart, the interaction would feel disconnected; if they were too close, the pose could look stiff. Finding the right distance, posture, and contact points was critical to making the scene feel like one complete interaction rather than two separate models placed together.
Another challenge was securing both Shepard and KEI-9 to the base. Their poses created relatively limited and unusual support points, especially KEI-9 with its narrow mechanical legs. The fixing structure therefore needed to provide enough stability to prevent the figures from loosening during handling or movement, while remaining hidden after assembly so it would not affect the overall appearance of the statue.
What I did
For the pose, I worked with the factory to refine the contact between Shepard’s hands and KEI-9’s head, including the hand positions, arm angles, Shepard’s forward lean, and the angle at which KEI-9 raised its head and body. The final arrangement allowed Shepard’s hands to rest naturally on KEI-9, creating physical contact between the two characters while keeping the interaction visually natural.
For the fixing structure, I reviewed KEI-9’s small support area and the overall stability of the figure with the factory. We added a slim cylindrical metal locating pin that inserts into a corresponding hole in the base, providing additional mechanical support beyond KEI-9’s small feet. Magnets were also integrated into the connection, helping with positioning and stability during assembly. The fixing point was kept hidden once the statue was fully assembled, so the added support did not interfere with the overall appearance.
Outcome
The final statue received a strong positive response from collectors after unboxing. One reviewer initially had reservations about the product and even considered putting it back in the box if the final result was disappointing. However, after assembling the statue, he specifically praised the level of detail on KEI-9, the textures and small details on Shepard, and how naturally the two figures came together as one scene.
Most importantly, the finished interaction between Shepard and KEI-9 became one of the strongest parts of the product. The reviewer described the assembled statue as both “adorable” and “awesome,” and ultimately decided to make space on his shelf to display it alongside his other Mass Effect companion collectibles.
