Top 4 heartbreaking moments in Mass Effect
To commemorate the 5 year anniversary of the original Mass Effect, BioWare has announced that November 7th will be known as N7 day. BioWare will be celebrating with a day filled with all things Mass Effect. To celebrate here at Nerd Reactor, we decided to list the most heartbreaking moments of the series. In no particular order, here is our list:
1. Thane’s final prayer
The most skilled assassin in the galaxy is none other than Thane Krios. But Thane’s final moments are absolutely heartbreaking. In Mass Effect 3, Cerberus launched an attack on the Citadel. During your fight with Kai Leng, Thane shows up and tries to help take down Leng. Unfortunately, Thane is stabbed through the stomach during his fight with Kai Leng. Leng escapes and Shepard is able to call medical aid for the Thane as he falls unconscious. His final prayer in the hospital is one of the sadder moments in all of Mass Effect.
2. Ashley or Kaidan’s sacrifice on Virmire
Ashley Williams and Kaidan Alenko become one of the first squadmates to join your team when you first play Mass Effect. During the assault on Virmire, Shepard radios back at the bomb site where Shepard finds out that geth are dropping in all over the place. Both Kaidan and Ashley are in a great deal of trouble and are being overrun. There’s only time to save both so it’s only your job to choose whether or not to save Kaidan or Ashley. Seeing the heroic final moments of the Ashley/Kaidan’s life is truly heartbreaking.
3. Mordin Solus’s sacrifice to save the Krogan from the Genophage
Mordin Solus is the easy-going, quick-talking, and friendly salarian geneticist who is trying to handle the consequences of his dark past. During the mission to save the krogan from the genophage, Mordin discovers that the STG had previously sabotaged the Shroud to prevent the genophage cure. However, if you were playing as a renegade Shepard, then you have the option to shoot him in the back. The heartbreaking part is where Mordin begins crawling to the console in order to save the krogans from the genophage. What’s worse is that Mordin’s paragon death is just as heartbreaking as Mordin sacrifices himself before running tests on those seashells.
4. Tali’s suicide
Tali’Zorah nar Rayya is a young quarian who is on her Pilgrimage to bring back something valuable for the Migrant Fleet. She is one of the original members of Shepard’s crew and is an integral part of the squad through all three games. Which is why when it’s heartbreaking to see Tali commit suicide and fall to her death. During Shepard’s mission to deactivate the Reaper’s signal, you have the decision to either let the Geth get destroyed, Quarians getting annihilated, or conducting peace between both Geth and Quarians. If you choose to upgrade the Geth, Tali listens in horror as she witnesses the entirety of the Migrant Fleet crash and burn in Rannoch’s atmosphere. Hopeless, she removes her mask, says “I’m sorry,” and commits suicide by throwing herself off a cliff. It’s a heartbreaking end to one of the original members of your squad.
Although there are many high moments in Mass Effect, these are the most lowest points in the trilogy (Mass Effect 3 ending aside). What are some of your favorite moments in the entire series? Sound off in the comments section below.
