The Asari are a humanoid species that hold one of three permanent seats on the Citadel council at the start of the game. All Asari are mono-gendered, although they display, from a human point of view, female characteristics, with the ability to bear and nurse children. Their reproductive and dual nervous systems allow them to mate with any species or gender, with whom the offspring is always female and of the Asari race. The Asari are capable of participating in and enjoying physical sexual contact. However, to produce offspring, they form a mental and spiritual connection with their partners, and by doing so, draw genetic material which is combined with their own to produce offspring resulting in an offspring that is primarily Asari in genetic makeup, however it might possess recessive traits from the father species. For example, a child that is the result of a union between a Krogan and an Asari might inherit Krogan disease resistance. Sexually, the Asari could be considered as xenophilic, as not only are they indiscriminate in regards to the races of their mates, but prefer to mate with other races, believing that the genetic and racial traits of other species, when combined with Asari genetic make-up, is of benefit to the Asari race as a whole. Conversely, they tend to attach a stigma to those born "pureblood" between two Asari, as they believe that nothing is gained when two Asari procreate (although most are too polite to openly speak of their prejudices). Their homeworld of Thessia is composed of an interconnected system of city-states, similar to those of medieval Italy.
Of all the species in Council space, the Asari are the most widespread, powerful, and respected, due in part to their being the first species since the Protheans to achieve interstellar flight, to discover and learn how to use the Citadel, and their position as a founding member species of the Citadel Council. Despite this, the Asari are open in their service to others, to the point where there is no cultural stigma attached to performance arts, even sexual ones. This has led to salacious rumors of Asari promiscuity, which they consider unfounded.
Of all the galactic species, the Asari are the most economically powerful; their culture, products and entertainment dominate the galaxy. They are governed by a loose democracy, known as the Asari Republics, and are known to be politically centrist, favoring stability that is conducive to cultural and economic development. Politically, they practice a form of direct democracy that could only be described as an e-democracy, where citizens contribute to the general consensus via a huge interconnected network. However, they also have a matriarchal council that heed the will of the people and make decision for their welfare accordingly. The Asari can live for a thousand years going through three stages in life; the Maiden stage (lasting to 350 years), an energetic phase in life in which an Asari is considered a youth and setting the initial course of her life; the Matron stage (lasting from 350-700 years) where an Asari draws back to a more deliberative phase and begins to lay the foundations of a family and her place in society (though some Asari have been known to start families as early as 100 years old), and finally the Matriarch phase (700-1,000 years) where the Asari takes her place among the elite in society, participating more in cultural and political affairs and generally leading the next generation to fruition.