Mass Effect Legendary Edition. However, despite these changes, after over 100 hours of building a team, fighting enemies, and preparing to face the Reapers, the war's outcome still comes down to a single choice.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Mass Effect 3.]
At the end of Priority: Earth, a badly injured Commander Shepard boards the Crucible and confronts the Catalyst. Depending on the Total Military Strength score, based on their assembled War Assets, Shepard will be presented with between one and three options. A hidden fourth ending also exists, alongside a "perfect" ending that still has potentially devastating consequences. Below, every possible ending to Mass Effect 3 is detailed, along with how to get the desired outcome and which ending players should choose.
What Affects Mass Effect 3's Endings?
Breaking Down The Factors That Affect Ending Availability
In Mass Effect 3, Shepard will gather War Assets by completing missions and scanning planets. War Assets contribute to the galaxy's Total Military Strength, reflecting how Shepard is recruiting old friends and new allies and rallying the disparate races of the Milky Way Galaxy under their banner. Choices players made in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 can translate to War Assets in Mass Effect 3, contributing to the overall score.
If the Total Military Strength score is too low, it is possible the Catalyst will only give Shepard a single option, based on what they did with the Collector base in Mass Effect 2. A low total military strength may also result in Earth being badly devastated by the Crucible, and it has the potential to get Shepard's squad and the Normandy crew killed.
Mass Effect 2: Destroy The Collector Base or Not? All Pros & Cons
One of the largest decisions in Mass Effect 2 comes with Shepard either destroying or preserving the Collector Base, and both have ramifications.
In contrast, high Total Military Strength opens up more endings for Shepard to choose from. Shepard's team is also more likely to survive, and the devastation to Earth is minimized. Crucially, a high Total Military Strength also sets up the Perfect Ending.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition rebalanced the Military Strength system, and Mass Effect 3's Galactic Readiness modifier has been removed. Players will ultimately need more War Assets for a good outcome.
Players should aim for a War Asset score of 7,400 or higher as their target Total Military Strength score. This is the requirement for unlocking the Perfect Ending and should ensure every possible ending is available.
In summary, playing through all three games will allow Shepard to assemble a much bigger force to oppose the Reapers at the end.
Based on my experience, in a full playthrough of all three games, Shepard will typically collect enough War Assets that at least two endings are available by default. However, choices such asbrokering peace between the Geth and Quarians can lead to massive War Asset gains, so players should keep this in mind in a full saga playthrough.
Every Mass Effect 3 Ending
All Five Endings Discussed.
There are five possible endings to Mass Effect 3. Total Military Strength will determine which are available:
War Asset Score |
Endings Available |
Color |
Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
0 - 3199 (Collector Base was destroyed) |
|
Red |
At this level, Shepard can activate the Crucible and destroy the Reapers, along with all other synthetic life, including the Geth, EDI, and even destroying Shepard's cybernetics. The Crucible's energy blast will also devastate Earth and wrecks the mass relays, rendering long-range interstellar travel impossible for a time. |
0 - 3199 (Collector Base was preserved) |
|
Blue |
Shepard activates the Crucible, sacrificing themselves to merge with the Reapers, becoming the governing intelligence that commands the Reaper fleet. Shepard uses the Reapers to rebuild the galaxy and continues controlling their existence. Control always results in full squad survival, and Earth will still be ravaged but not totally devastated. |
3200 - 4199 |
|
Red/Blue |
At this level, both Destroy and Control endings are available, regardless of the Collector Base's fate. The damage caused to Earth by activating the Crucible will be reduced. |
4200 - 5199 |
|
Red/Blue |
Both Destroy and Control endings are available, with damage to Earth reduced further. |
5200 - 6199 |
|
Red/Blue |
Both Destroy and Control endings are available, with damage to Earth even reduced further. |
6200 |
|
Red/Blue/Green |
The third ending, Synthesis, is unlocked. Shepard can sacrifice themselves to merge organic and synthetic life into a new DNA framework. This alters everyone in the galaxy, changing their DNA to include organic and synthetic elements. This grants new understanding and effectively solves the issue of conflict between organic and synthetic life, preventing the Reapers from needing to continue the cycle. Earth and Shepard's squad all survive. |
7400+ |
|
Red/Blue/Green |
All three options are available, but the Perfect Ending is also unlocked. This is an offshoot of the Destroy ending. If Destroy is chosen with over 7,400 Total Military Strength, a scene will play at the end of the game where Shepard's love interest refuses to put Shepard's name on the Normandy's Memorial Wall. Shepard is briefly seen buried in the wreckage of the Crucible and takes a breath. This is the only ending in which Commander Shepard survives. |
The fifth ending is known as the Refuse ending. After the Catalyst explains the possible ending choices, Shepard has the option to refuse to make a choice via dialogue and walk away or shoot the Catalyst.
Doing so results in the extinction of all life, and the cycle continues, with the Reapers destroying everything. A scene will then play in which a damaged recording of Shepard's companion Liara plays from one of the time capsules she scattered across the galaxy. This implies that future cultures can use the information she left behind to finally defeat the Reapers.
Total Military Strength values are slightly different between Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Values above are for Legendary Edition, but they will be somewhat lower for the original non-remastered game.
Unless players have enough Total Military Strength and go for the Perfect Ending with Destroy, Shepard will always be killed in action. Even if chosen with high Total Military Strength, Commander Shepard will not survive the Control or Synthesis endings.
Players who want to get a quick look at each ending can check out the video above from YouTuber Heuster 101.
The Best Ending To Get For Mass Effect 3
How To Choose A Mass Effect 3 Ending
The question of which ending is best is still a matter of debate. All five endings, including the Perfect Ending, still have drawbacks and consequences.
The Refuse ending is perhaps the worst ending, as it essentially means the Reapers win, and all of Shepard's sacrifices and efforts across all three games amount to nothing. The lack of meaningful payoff for Shepard, their friends, and the wider galaxy means Refuse is best avoided. That ultimately leaves a contest between Destroy, Control, and Synthesis.
Control is also less popular as it implies that the Illusive Man was correct, even if Shepard spends most of Mass Effect 3 opposing him and Cerberus.
Given that the objective throughout the entire Mass Effect trilogy is to defeat the Reapers and end the extinction cycle, the Destroy ending is regarded by many fans as the most thematically and narratively accurate choice. It remains one of the most popular options, as it is the only ending where Shepard completes their original mission and survives. However, Destroy still has difficult, sometimes heartbreaking consequences, such as sacrificing all synthetic life, including the Geth and EDI.
Destroy is also at odds with choices Shepard can make throughout the saga, particularly if they advocated for the equality of synthetic life and spoke up for EDI and the geth.
Alternatively, the trajectory of the series, particularly when dealing with the Geth and Quarian conflict and the Krogan genophage, can be seen as pushing the player toward Synthesis. The Catalyst will advocate for Synthesis if it is available, claiming it is the only way to permanently resolve the conflict between organic and synthetic life. However, the narrative logic of this is undercut if Shepard brokers peace between the Geth and Quarians, proving that peaceful coexistence is possible without Synthesis.
There are also several drawbacks and moral and ethical consequences of Synthesis that some players don't care for. Choosing an ending to Mass Effect 3 is quite a personal choice. Players should bear the benefits and consequences of each possible ending in mind.
Each Shepard is unique, so players should carefully consider their Shepard's moral alignment, actions, and choices throughout the series, especially when dealing with synthetics and organics. Some fans also like to consider other aspects of their playthrough, such as Shepard's background, their closest friends, and who they romanced. That will help them select an ending that best fits their saga.
Mass Effect 3’s Ending Is Better Than You Think
Albeit flawed, Mass Effect 3's ending is redeemed by having one of the most complex choices in the trilogy that sets up the story for the next game.
Ultimately, the main takeaway is that none of the endings are objectively correct or "best" endings. There are many possible endings to Mass Effect 3, and each will resonate with different segments of the fanbase for different reasons. All endings also arguably have good points that the others lack, and all are imperfect in one way or another.
Given the number of possible choices and outcomes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, players can also try multiple endings on multiple playthroughs. This will allow them to experience each outcome and decide which one resonates most with them.
Source: YouTube/Heuster 101
