Mass Effect 3 is the last entry in the original trilogy, and regardless of how you feel about its ending, Bioware pulls at every emotional string you can think of. Part of that has to do with the number of beloved companions that could potentially bite the dust, whether they are in Shepard’s team this time around or not.
Depending on Shepard’s actions in certain cases, some characters could die and stay dead for the remainder of the game. A few die in some truly tragic ways that immediately begin the grieving process. Most of these are preventable, making the possibility of a certain character dying all the more tragic and depressing.
10 Mordin
The first squad member that can die is the quirky scientist Mordin. At the end of the genophage storyline in the game, the Shroud facility that will enable the release of the cure is falling apart and the only way to release it to manually release from the facility’s top floor.
Mordin will deem there is no other way to get the cure out and go up there himself, sacrificing himself for the good of all Krogan. Shepard can either let him go up there if they wish to cure the genophage or shoot him to sabotage it, but Mordin will die either way. While there is a roundabout way that Mordin can be saved, it still remains an emotional rollercoaster and the first of many.
9 Ashley Or Kaidan
Depending on who was saved on Virmire, Ashley or Kaidan will establish themselves as an exceptional soldier, a Council Spectre and a good friend. But they too can bite the dust in 3 if certain conditions are met.
If Udina is able to make it seem like Shepard killed the Salarian councilor and Shepard is unable to convince them otherwise, then Shepard will be forced to kill them after Udina plays on Ashley or Kaidan’s feelings for Shepard or Cerberus.
8 Thane
Unfortunately, Thane dies no matter what in Mass Effect 3 if he survived the suicide mission. Thane makes it known from the get-go from when he is recruited in Mass Effect 2 that he is dying from a disease called Keplar’s Syndrome. A disease he succumbs to in the third game.
Thane gets stabbed by Kai Lang while trying to protect the Salarian councilor and loses a lot of blood. When in the hospital, he is going through the final stages of the disease where the blood in his body cannot carry enough oxygen to his body to survive. Shepard can say goodbye to the redemption-seeking assassin in what is easily one of the saddest moments of the entire trilogy.
7 Legion
After defeating the Reaper on Rannoch, Legion will tell Shepard that it is possible for him to upload the Reaper code to his people to make them as smart as they were under Reaper control without siding with them.
Here Shepard can either let him do so to save the Geth but condemning the Quarians to death who are preparing to wipe out the Geth or prevent him from doing it to end the Geth. Regardless of the choice made, Legion will die no matter what.
6 Tali
If seeing Legion die wasn’t bad enough, siding with the Geth without forming peace between the two will result in Tali’s own death.
After seeing the end of the people she sacrificed everything to protect. Tali will take her mask off and fall backwards off a cliff and kill herself. A paragon interrupt will appear for Shepard to try to catch them but it is ultimately futile in the end.
5 Wrex
Never underestimate a Krogan, especially their intelligence. After talking with the Asari councilor about a catalyst clue on Thessia, Shepard will encounter an angry Wrex when they try to leave.
Wrex will then reveal that he had found out about the Dalatrass deal should Shepard had taken it and that they sabotaged the last hope for the Krogan. Wrex cannot be convinced to stand down and you will have to kill an old friend that you had betrayed.
4 Miranda
Throughout the game, Miranda will let Shepard know that she is looking for her sister Oriana who was kidnapped by her father who is now allied with Cerberus. A confrontation will occur at the end of the Horizon mission towards the end of a game with Miranda’s father holding her sister hostage.
If Shepard can’t convince Miranda’s father to release Oriana, then Miranda will sacrifice herself to kill her father and save her sister. Miranda has now finally saved her sister from her father at the cost of her own life.
3 Jack
This is why you should always do as many side quests as you can. Jack finally found the family she never had when she became an instructor at the Alliance backed Grissom Academy. A family she could be forced from depending on Shepard’s actions.
If you attack Cerberus’ base without having rescued Jack and the Grissom students, it is revealed that Cerberus captured her and turned her into a Cerberus phantom. She will be encountered in the assault on the base where you will have to put her out of her misery.
2 Whoever You Bring With You For The Final Push On Earth
War assets are an important to Mass Effect 3 as having a high amount of effective military strength (EMS) will give you the best ending possible whereas have a low amount will have the opposite effect.
This is seen when Shepard tries to push towards the catalyst beam on Earth. Should the player have too low an EMS amount, then whoever they brought with them will be incinerated by Harbinger’s laser. Two companions are now all of sudden gone in the blink of an eye.
1 EDI
The ending of Mass Effect 3 was expanded upon greatly in the extended cut DLC as it now also explored the consequences of whether you chose the synthesis, control or destroy ending. Companions and other beloved characters could die and one of those EDI.
Choosing the destroy ending will result in all synthetic life being wiped out by the Crucible and that includes EDI. While you do not see EDI actually die, her name is on the Normandy memorial wall in this ending meaning that Joker’s lover and a loyal companion is no more.
