It's a common misconception that Jenkins died on Eden Prime. In truth, Jenkins transcended his mortal bonds and is stuck in an everlasting Pazaak game with Trask Ulgo. Although this is still losing a squadmate
Random Cerberus Soldier: "Uh Illusive Man?" TIM: "Yes? What is it?" Random Cerberus Soldier: "I have to report that Commander Shepard was KIA today." TIM: "What? Impossible! How?" Random Cerberus Soldier: "Shepard tried to clap some tainted Asari cheeks and died." TIM: *FACEPALMS* Goddamn it...all those credit. *Reapers Destroy the Galaxy*
I feel like Especially Talis Death is great. As its a great grim moment as were getting closer to the ending of the game. What Thessia thinks it is, essentialy.
For real, I mean my god, all of the deaths are extremely gutwrenching. Hell, one I was just thinking of is how Zaeed just says "Shepard..... look Shepard..... good fight, Shepard....." etc and just completely drops his hardened veteran bounty-hunter act and shows this vulnerable, trusting side that only a true friend like Shepard would ever get to see, and in his final moments after doing something extremely selfless and righteous, no less. A true character arc, from a selfish, infamous mercenary, to being a squadmember/specialist on the Normandy and going down ultimately saving the Volus. Died a hero, just like a majority of the squadmembers who wind up perishing. Good thing I never play squadmember death runs, don't think I could ever handle it!
Yeah the way deaths were handled through that system were pretty dumb to me. Especially Miranda in ME3 dying in sanctuary if you romanced and then broke up with her during the first meeting since after that she will no longer be considered ‘loyal’.
I love that they are possible outcomes in the game though, It gives every decision weight when you know that even your team members can die based on your actions or lack of action.
That’s the only one I could see. I haven’t done it but every time I’m like….welll…I mean….the Krogan are violent, territory devouring space lizards who breed in the billions and trillions….maybe the Genophage really isn’t a bad idea…. The game REALLY goes out of its way to be all “no no they can change ……..probably” the whole time I’m just thinking about the Orkz from 40k.
@virtueofabsolution7641 they were brought up and then used as fodder in a war the rest of the galaxy couldn't handle given tech and weapons they weren't responsible with and then punished for that. They didn't ask to get uplifted before achieving a sense of peace in their world despite there being krogan who could speak with reason. After that war the galaxy then just tried to dismiss them instead of facing what they created. And then further punished them by creating a biological agent to induce forced stillbirths into the population and an insane rate. It was cruel after they were used to save the galaxy.
@@fischy947this is precisely why all my renegade playthroughs expressly support the krogans! itd be easy and simple to play a racist human renegade, but it adds depth imo when an ignorant Shep has a soft spot for the brutalist military lizard people that have been genetically sterilized
Bioware REALLY wanted you to know killing Mordin was evil lol Also, what's even more heartbreaking about Tali's death is that the last Quarian voice she hears before her death (aside from her own) is the voice of her former ship's captain as the ship goes down in flames.
More heartbreaking, you will shoot him with the Carnifex pistol (whatever pistol you have equipped, it will always be a Carinfex in that cutscene), the one pistol Mordin gave to you in ME2 ''in good faith''. In the cutscene you see Shepard throwing the pistol away after killing Mordin.
@@drunkenpumpkins7401 played Mass Effect 2 over 12 times, never noticed that small detail with Mordin being killed by the own weapon he gave as a symbol of good faith ... God bless you and everyone reading, Jesus Christ loves you ! Do you miss the old times? That was like 14-16 years ago ...
Killing Mordin Solus with the Renegade interrupt is so hard to play through. His heroic sacrifice is sad enough when playing a Paragon Shepard, but Renegade Shepard is so brutal during that section.
Longest Renegade interrupt ever. My Renegade Shep may be an asshole but he doesn't shoot a friend in the back. I also just couldn't bring myself to kill Mordin with the gun he gave to Shep.
Yeah. The first time I did a ME3 renegade run, I did this purely out of role-playing. When the interrupt came up on the screen, I literally said out loud "oh man, you're going to make me literally pull the trigger?" And then I did it. Never again.
Many have theorized that Wrex is so easy to take down in ME3 because he wanted to die. Given that his first born son was born stillborn and one of his best friends betrayed him, it's not a stretch that Wrex was essentially committing suicide by cop and hoping to take Shepard with him.
Man, getting through this video is one hell of an emotional roller coaster. The thought of ever losing a squad mate due to poor planning or bad decision making was an absolute no-no for me.
I remember watching a video on all deaths after ME# came out....Renegade Mordin Solus death is the single hardest, most tearjerking, disgusted death i have seen in gaming still. it just hurts on so many levels. And before that, the way he actually yells at you "I made a mistake" like he never so viscerally yelled at us before (that i had seen) and then watching him crawl, dying, trying to do this last thing, to do good and undo his past. And then the way it happens to be with THE gun that Mordin gives you in ME2, and the way Shepard, as if disgusted at themself, throws the gun away...... Even if i had been playing through as a renegade Shep i would be compelled to delete that character for their crimes after that.
It's also the first time that we hear him using personal pronouns - that was when I first realized he doesn't usually do so. It's him taking personal responsibility for that mistake.
@@YoungMrBlueif you abandon the true Queen, she just bows her head and accepts her death. If you abandon the reaper breeder she drops the facade and screams for her children to kill you.
In my playthroughs Jacob ALWAYS try to catch a rocket with his teeth when the door is closing... there's NOTHING i can do!!! Its like SOMEONE send him to the vents every single time...i think my PC is haunted
The Tali suicide scene will always be a monster gut punch for me. Tali is my favourite squad mate closely followed by Garrus, that scene also hits extra hard as i lost my brother to suicide
Just finished playing the legendary edition through. Crazy how emotional this game can make you and how it can make you feel. @tcrumpen as someone who has tried to do the same thing and was saved by the people around me I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. Here’s to his memory. I’ll always think about him whenever I play through this again 💙 I hope he found peace
It's that you can't save her with the interrupt... That hurts me the most. I almost never play Renegade, I just can't do it. It is like a wall that prevents me from crossing that line. But when it happens... Damn! That is a extremely big moment. You are stuck with your decision, she jumps. You get the interrupt and think: "No way! I will save you!" But ... nothing. I can't remember another interrupt like that in ME1-3. It is unique. And that gives it so much weight. You are given the option to at least try to do something good, but are left powerless. You can't save her, she is gone. She died because of YOU.@@Tcrumpen
It's pretty funny how some characters like Zaeed in ME3 that you don't really care about or become attached too get these memorable goodbyes with sad music, then the only way Liara dies is a super sudden, brutal laser incineration 😬
I mean, if you played through ME3, especially the legendary edition, and you somehow didn't get enough war assets to have her survive that final push, I think that death kind of fits the lack of care the player had lol
I love that everyone can die in ME2 but i feel it also robs characters of good death scenes, hard to explain what i mean but Garrus as beloved as he is doesnt get any sort of unique death in the series, he can only die in the same generic way everyone does in that mission and idk its just weird to me not necessarily a problem. ME3 i feel is the best at giving characters good unqiue death scenes
Being real, if you let Garrus die you fucked up and the game knows you fucked up so the game won't even try to make that death feel worth it. Garrus is always gonna be your best friend.
36:27 I still appreciate the subtlety of Shepard killing Wrex with a Carnifex pistol here. The gun whose lore/branding is that it's advertised with an image of a charging krogan and the words 'Don't you wish a Carnifex was by your side?'
*Just before the abduction mission in Mass Effect 2* Shepard: "Jacob I need you to stay on the Normandy, while everyone else on the squad and Kelly come with us" Jacob: "What? Why am I being left behind" Shepard Thinking: 'That way you die on the collector base melting in place of Kelly when we do one extra mission' Shepard: "I trust you to guard the Normandy while we're gone, and Kelly's coming to provide moral support as a psychologist" Jacob: "Okay... I guess?"
Mordin being shot and Legion, asking with dying breath if he has a soul, are the two strongest moments. Kinda shame that for Legion, his sacriface death is much weaker.
Relooking at Thane's death scene...I don't think I've ever seen a video where somebody doesnt read along with Kolyat when he asks. I don't care how renegade you are, refusing Kolyat is simply not an option.
Soooo, were not going to talk about haw a human managed to coldcock a Krogan with that weak looking hit. Is Wrex actually just made of paper or something.
@@michaelandreipalon359 My basic theory is that the shields have something that lets it know its in a combat situation and activates (Perhaps the shields have to be turned on, or it detects when the person thinks they are going to be shot at like a hormone detector, meaning that Wrex in that situation fully thought Shepard wouldn't shoot them). Why this would exist from a tactical POV is probably to save power, as having your shields run out of power during a combat situation would be a very, very bad situation.
@@randomintrovertedspider7510 The lore on shielding states that they are activated when the armor detects sufficient velocity of a projectile; that way you can sit down on a chair even when your shields are up. They also extend a certain distance away from the person and their suit, allowing for a point blank shot to only have to deal with the physical armor of the suit.
Damn, even after all the times I've played this game thru, AND with the cowardly treacherous Shepard shooting him in the back, my throat chokes up when Mordin tries to crawl to the control dashboard. THATS how a hero goes out !!
Morinth got the death she deserved in 2, both Ashley and Kaidan needed better job to them in ME2 and Ashley still has many of her conversations locked in ME3. At least modders rescued those, again.
Agreed. Well, since they're a bit too loyal to the Alliance... Believe me, a bunch of mod stuff should have become ascended canon in the LE. Alas, we still got narm like the Cortez death screams from the Virmire Survivor.
@@michaelandreipalon359 I would say one of two options: make something similar to Lair of the Shadow Broker for the Alliance squad mates. Arrival could have been worked in that sense or something at the end.
The fact that Than's last wish was for commander Shepard to be forgiven of his sins. He wasn't even worried about his own life anymore. It's so sad, man.
I actually had no idea that everyone on the Normandy can die during the final cutscene, as I could have never played the game with a low galaxy readiness. Now that I saw it, it was so painful to watch. I guess what made ME2 finale better than ME3 finale was the fact that even though you made all the upgrades to the Normandy, to your squadmates and their loyalty missions, you could still lose some of them during the final mission if you didn't choose the right specialists. That is the very definition of being a Commander: know your squadmates better than yourself. I don't think we will ever get such a perfectly complex franchise like the Mass Effect Trilogy. I am so happy that Bioware brought all 3 games together into the one and only Legendary Edition, because this will forever have a special place in my heart.
Funny thing, I just recently decided to play a kind of "kill all squadmates" playthrough, and I must say it's actually requires more thinking than one with everyone lives. Basicly the it was like: ME1: - kill Wrex on Virmire; - save Ashley (wanted to kill b*tch myself in ME3); ME2 (you can actually make most of loyalty missions): - Don't upgrade ship. That solves the Thane, Jack and Kasumi problems; - Sell geth (profit!). - Jacob as tech. specialist (well, he voulonteered himself); - Miranda as biotic specialist (goodbuy Garrus), Grunt as teamleader (farewell too); - Loyal Mordin and unloayal Zayeed for final fight; - Unloyal Samara, Tali and Miranda holding the line (you can make Tali and Miranda unloal even doing their missions). Only Samara makes it. - can Kill Morinth after suicide mission; ME3: - Kill Mordin on Tuchanka; - Samara takes care of herself; - Shoot Ashley; - Don't even bother digging out Javik; - With galactic readiness low enough Liara and James would be killed in final battle; - Red color blow killes EDI; To think of it it would be better to kill Wrex in ME3 to even lower the galactic readiness, but already done.
I remember doing this years ago, except I wanted Ashley, Wrex, Miranda, Mordin, Tali, Jack, and Morinth to live to ME3 so they would be horribly betrayed (extra dramatic effect) It was so hard plotting out the Suicide Mission to ensure that only those exact people lived. I think Miranda died anyway, so I just let it go and then let her sister die too. Also made sure Kirrahe died in ME1
Hey Dan! Have you done a video on squad mates rejections? Like how Steve Cortez can reject FemShep, Samantha Traynor can reject MaleShep, etc. I think it’d be really cool short video to have a compilation of all those
If you’re truly mentioning everyone whoever fought alongside Shepherd, DLC and all, then I do feel obliged to mention Amanda Kenson from the arrival DLC in 2, who has no way to survive through it.
Wrex's death on the Citadel in ME3 is so heartwrenching. That scene alone is why I never go full renegade. I can do mostly renegade runs but can't go true renegade.
Since we're including the "technically a squadmate for 5 minutes/DLC squadmates" group, you forgot Dr. Amanda Kenson from the Arrival DLC. But otherwise, outstanding video as always.
They just don't make games like this anymore. Thanks for brining back some fond memories. Although I did several renegade playthroughs, I never could bring myself to kill Mordin.
Even Larian sucks with it's boring LGBT Gayts 3 (BG3), the plot and characters are awful compared to good old Bioware in ME1 and ME2 God bless you and you family, Jesus Christ loves you ! Miss our childhood times ...
The fact that Shepard kills Mordin with the pistol, Carnifex, that Mordin gave him when they first met... Then he throws it away saying like "God damn it."
Thane’s death made me tear up, Mordin’s heroic sacrifice was heartwenching, Legion apologizing before shutting it’s body down to upload the code, and then me making my Male Shep say “I love you” to Kaidan before reaching the Crucible knowing he won’t fulfill his promise to go back to him was devastating and Kaidan holding his name in front for the Normandy memorial was my last straw. I love the ME games so much but the ending to the games is just hard to take in
I was gonna hurt myself watching his death scene but knowing you can only kill Gar bear if your stupid or heartless enough not to do his loyalty mission is comforting.
I played ME3 blind as FEM Shep and when thane died I was so shocked at the dialogue. It really was a beautiful scene. I didn't betray Tali or Mordin but those scenes are heartbreaking, Talis cry breaks me every time especially since shes my romance option.
I’ve played so many play throughs now and all I wanna do after watching this is go and do another one. They just don’t make games like this anymore with such in depth story telling and character building. It’s crazy how a single player game in the modern era of gaming can capture the hearts of so many and make people genuinely emotional. I always say to all of my fellow gamers if you’ve not played mass effect you must give it a go simply a life changing experience.
Honestly Legion’s death if you side with the quarians is underrated. Its raw as hell and he is absolutely justified in trying to save his people, but you still kill him. My favourite part is that you dont have to shoot him and then he can ask “ does this unit has a soul”? , finally nailing in the coffin and making you feel for dooming an entire race. I feel the morality system robs people of tragic moments like this, because everyone just chooses the peace ending. But because they were already dead, the destroy ending seemed the right one in the end
For my ME Trilogy: I chose Kaidan and let Ashley die in ME1. I didn't kill Wrex. In ME2, I messed up on Zaeed's loyalty mission and didn't gain his loyalty. Then I chose him to escort the crew back to the Normandy and he ended up dying. I was cool with it because I didn't like him anyway lol. In ME3, Thane got stabbed and died in the hospital. I thought Kasumi died but it was a fakeout. Mordin sacrificed himself to cure the genophage. Nyreen died and I smoked Brooks. The rest of my squad was safe. I had no idea the squad could even die in these scenarios.
Nyreen’s death always felt so contrived and pointless. If they were to kill her off no matter what, they should’ve killed her off during the section where Shepard’s rerouting Omega’s power to prevent civilians being killed or have her sacrifice herself against the Adjutants if you did kill the civilians to get Aria and Nyreen out
Literally the first time we ever see a female Turian (and also a very well written character) they kill her. I was so mad about that. She has such a cool design, too.
The deaths i ABSOLUTLY CANNOT STAND, are Tali, Grunt, and Mordin, all the others pain me, but i can trick myself into beliving there is nothing that i could do .... but in reality i consider the crew my firends and i hate to see them die
you did sort of miss one. Mordins death if you do everything correctly he will start to single a few lines of scientist salarian as he fixes the sabotage.
As much as I hate fighting Donovan Hockicopter and the Hockettes, I realized I've never failed to complete Kasumi's mission. I had no idea she could dies in ME3.
Thank you for showing what happens to them in the bad ending. I've played ME so many times and i never have the stomach to let my teammates die by not doing their loyalty missions and upgrades.
Hackett: "Shepard, are the fleets ready for the final assault?" "Yes, admiral, i have the Normandy, a volus freighter and an Elcor weather satellite, we're ready to kick some Reaper's asses!"
10 years later and hearing that Carnifex shot still makes me tear up immediately. The IDEA of shooting Mordin in the back is just so completely terrible. And recently I saw something pointed out to me that it’s like Saren and Nihlus, shooting him in the back. That Shepard has become the very thing they swore to fight. A villain. At least Saren had the decency to kill Nihlus instantly. Shepard shot Mordin in the upper body. They’d know about his armor and shields and they’d know he wouldn’t go down immediately. Shepard lets someone who considered them a friend and ally bleed out on the floor. And doomed an entire race to extinction for it. It’s beyond renegade, it’s pure Fuckin evil. Renegade is supposed to be “Don’t give a shit, got the job done” and I think some wires got crossed in ME3 writing that turned Renegade from that into “I’m an absolute bastard, my decisions consistently make the Galaxy a worse place and someone should absolutely stop me.”
I’m glad you were able to be as unhinged as you wanted to be in the ME franchise. All other games nowadays have such minor choice mechanics that it seems like the only decisions you make are different dialogue options. This game let you recruit an entire different alien species, genocide another all the while killing one of your best friends you’ve known from different games in the franchise. How’s that for impactful decisions
I cant even begin to express how down bad I am for Brooks. How someone that evil that irredeemable and that small a role could awaken so much in me is just baffling.
Grunt actually survives either way what you choose in ME3, if you did his loyalty mission in me2, regardless of your decision with the Rachni Queen from ME1 or the new breeder, he wont die.
Jacob was sus in the collector base vents and harbinger voted him out I would love to see Jacob melt im a collector pod also i wish if you done mordins loyalty mission he survives maybe malons research says something about the sabotages shroud and legion it idk why but his death always makes me cry its just so sad
2 deaths were forgotten (maybe 3). 1st is in the arrival dlc. We save the dr. kenson in the batarien prison. Figthing along side her. Then, she kamikaze herself with explosive trying in vain to sabotage shepard's plan to destroy a mass relay, to delay the reapers. 2nd is when morinth and shepard decide to have some fun together, killing shepard in a cutscene (since his death in the suicide mission was shown, it's only fair to count this one to). The "maybe" 3rd is in the arrival dlc. On shepard make it to the dr. Kenson's base, there's a timer. The timer is greatly shorten once we make it to the part where shepard wake up. If the timer get to zero, a cutscene start, ending with a game over screen, like for the morinth-shepard scene. Also, once outside the base, there's no more timer, but shepard can still get killed in a cutscene where the asteroid collide with the mass relay, if we take too much time getting off the asteroid. The "maybe" is for the timer death, since it doesn't show shepard dying. The asteroid death, definitely should count. On a side not, since we can control joker when the Normandie is boarded by the collectors, I think is multiple death cutscenes should also have been shown.
I was able to get 5 squadmates out Garrus, Tali, Grunt, Jacob, and Samara Not many but at least I got the 2 most important ones although I went back to get everyone out because I have to see how they all fit into the game like that Sadly I accidentally sided with the geth 🤬 those paragon traps but I went back to side with the quarians but the guilt still hasn’t left me
So many "I gotta stop this person right now" moments leading to gut shots that give the person time to do the thing you're trying to stop... but somehow they never do.
Dan I will never understand how you keep finding entertaining videos to make of the ME trilogy, and will never stop being delighted to see every new upload from you. So thrilled to have you carrying the flag for ME fans and making so much excellent content. You rock, Dan!
I have watched like 5 different videos of squad deaths (because I wanted to see if there was unique dialog or something depeing on who dies when) and EVERY SINGLE ONE has grunt dying to the seeker swarm. No matter the configuration of order of deaths before hand, grunt always dies to seeker swarms
The ME3 sequence at the Shroud if Shepard sabotages the cure and shoots Mordin contains the best writing/directing/acting in the entire series. Goosebumps and tears. Every time.
There is a very funny mod out on nexus called Last Person Standing that lets Shepard live if you get everyone killed in ME2. It even let's you do missions post suicide mission with ONLY Shepard, although that aspect is a bit buggy since they had to do some mod shenanigans to make that work. So if you wanted to you could import the worst save of all time going into ME3.
The fact that very first thing you can do after taking control of shepherd for the first time is kill a squad mate with a bad order is hysterical to me 😂
Ive never actually scene the Wrex confrontation in ME3 I could never bring myself to betray my buddy Wrex like that...ir subject the krogan to thay fate... Unless wreave is in command
I was very shocked the first time I chose Miranda as the biotic bubble and got thane killed when she’s supposed to be “perfect” and have incredible biotic powers. Idk I feel like that was inconsistent on biowares part about who she is supposed to be no?
During the Suicide Mission, I had all loyalties done. I assigned Garrus as second squad leader, as I've done times before... He died. I was flabbergasted. ME3 was weird without him. The current run I'm recording, if this happens again, I will be inconsolable, as it will be on vid for all to see lol
