The original Mass Effect trilogy featured dozens of iconic planets for Shepard and their crew to explore during the fight against the Reapers. They provide varied and interesting settings to explore, and since the fifth game in the franchise will likely return to the Milky Way, there's a chance that some of these locations will return as well.

It's not yet known how long after the end of the Reaper war this next game will be set, but it should provide a chance to see how some of these planets are faring after Shepard's actions. The player gets to make massive decisions concerning many of them and their people, so getting an update on their current state would be satisfying for returning veterans. At the least, these ten planets should show up on the new game's galaxy map to provide a look at how they're doing after the war.

10 Eden Prime Kicked Off The Franchise

This Human Colony Is Incredibly Important To The Series

Eden Prime has already been a visitable location twice within the Mass Effect series, most notably as the setting of the trilogy's first mission. Eden Prime is a human colony where Sovereign and Saren get their introductions, and it's also where Shepard loses the first of their squates. It shows up again in Mass Effect 3 as the location where Javik the Prothean is recovered.

Eden Prime has massive importance to the series as a whole, both as a setting and a representative of the human role in the galaxy. It's a colony built on the edges of Citadel space, a powder keg that blows the first game's conflict into being. It's also the site of very helpful Prothean ruins, meaning it could still hold more secrets for future protagonists to discover. Eden Prime deserves a spot in the next game's story.

9 Earth Should Get Some Screentime After The Reaper War

Our Home Planet Deserves Some Attention

Speaking of human planets, Earth is another very important one in the Mass Effect series, though it doesn't get much screen time until the last game in the trilogy. This makes sense; after all, in a game where players can explore the far reaches of the galaxy, landing on Earth doesn't seem very appealing. But after Mass Effect 3, Earth was left in tatters as a result of Reaper occupation, and it was nearly destroyed during the final mission.

The glimpses of Earth players get in ME3 are fairly colorless and dismal, so getting some more vibrant looks at a futuristic human world could be neat.

Earth should appear in some capacity, even if it's just a cutscene, so that players can see what happened to our home planet. It would be good to see how humans have bounced back from the Reaper War, and what the world looks like in the wake of this awful conflict. Plus, important characters like iral Hackett and Captain Bailey might be found on Earth, and visiting the planet could mean an appearance from them.

8 Illium Was A Fan-Favorite Location In Mass Effect 2

A Great Location For Top-Level Gear

Mass Effect 2 centered around a few planets in particular during its squate-heavy plot, and Illium was one of the main planets players spent time on. The asari-controlled trading hub was a beacon of both wealth and corruption, with shiny new upgrades and dangerous criminals found around every corner.

Illium included a few memorable side characters, like an asari bartender whose parents fought one another during Mass Effect's Krogan Rebellions. Getting to go back, take in the sights, and relish in ME2 nostalgia would be a nice treat for people who played the original trilogy. Additionally, Illium's expansive markets could provide a great opportunity to let players buy fancy upgrades for their ship and weapons.

7 Feros Hasn't Been Seen In Far Too Long

An Update On The Thorian And Its Victims

Feros featured as an early mission site in the first Mass Effect game, the home planet of the horrifying and grotesque Thorian. This plant-like alien is among the more memorable non-Reaper villains of the franchise, an eons-old organism spread beneath the planet's surface that controls those nearby with spores.

The Thorian supposedly died during Shepard's time on Feros, though its colonists remained tertiary characters throughout the following games. Returning to Feros could not only allow the Thorian to make a comeback, but it could also give players the chance to meet up with some familiar faces. It's an iconic planet that deserves an updated look.

6 Horizon Could Bring Back Bits Of Collector Technology

The Disgusting Antagonists Of The Second Game

Horizon is another site of horrific alien activity in the Mass Effect franchise, as the human colony where players witnessed people being abducted by the Collectors. The Collector's bug-like drones and weaponry made the mission there particularly memorable, and the serene environs of Horizon clashed perfectly with the atrocities committed there.

Horizon was also where Kaiden or Ashley would show up in Mass Effect 2, if only briefly, before refusing to Shepard's new crew.

While the majority of the abducted colonists were likely killed by the Collectors, the colony remains, and it could potentially be a site where resilient Cerberus agents have put down roots. It works symbolically for their human-centric organization, especially after Cerberus's apparent collapse. Giving players the chance to return here only to have these old enemies show up unexpectedly could be a neat way to keep the themes of the planet alive.

5 Thessia Suffered Greatly During The Reaper Invasion

A Demolished Planet With Eons Of History

Thessia, the asari homeworld, suffered extensive damage during the Reaper War on the same level as Earth. Previously, it was the center of knowledge and culture in the Milky Way, as the asari's society had thrived there for thousands of years. Though it could only be visited in the middle of the Reaper attack on its surface, players still get to see a good bit of historical information on Thessia while searching for an archive there.

Given that Liara will almost certainly be a main character in the fifth game, it would make a lot of sense to at least see parts of Thessia during the story. Not only would it provide another great view of how these alien societies are rebuilding after the Reaper's invasion, but it would also be a chance to show how her character has changed between games.

4 Ilos Still Holds Some Prothean Secrets

A Potential Way To Get The Galaxy Back On Its Feet

Going back to Mass Effect 1 and the Protheans, Ilos was another very important planet containing information about the near-extinct empire. It was where players met Vigil, the damaged Prothean VI system, and where they found the Conduit, that game's MacGuffin.

Given that Javik, an actual Prothean, appeared in ME3, much about this long-gone culture will likely have been documented since the end of the third game. Still, places like Ilos will undoubtedly continue to contain important information about past galactic cycles. Depending on what Liara has been up to between games, it's possible she has returned there at points to continue her research.

3 Omega Is An Iconic Setting In The Series

Not Quite A Planet, But Still Worth Seeing

Technically speaking, Omega is not a planet, but a station built into an asteroid. Nonetheless, it's just as big of a setting in Mass Effect 2 as full planets like Illium or Tuchanka, and it's probably one of the most beloved locations in the franchise. It's a gritty station where illegal activity is rampant and the crime boss Aria T'loak reigns supreme.

The Mass Effect 3 DLC Omega showed that Aria remains in charge there after the Reaper War and that it survives the Reaper's invasion mostly intact.

Returning to Omega would not only provide a chance for Aria to appear again in the series, but also create an opportunity for the station itself to act as an important hub. With the Citadel damaged and possibly destroyed after the events of ME3, the fifth game in the franchise will need a new hub area for players to stop by and return to. Depending on the tone of ME5, Omega could be the right place.

2 Tuchanka Will Possibly Be In A State Of Growth — Or Stagnation

Shepard's Choices Here Dictated The Krogan's Future

It's hard to understate how much Shepard's actions in the original trilogy affected the trajectory of Tuchanka and its people, the Krogan. The player's choices are important in most aspects of Mass Effect, but rarely do they have impacts as large as deciding whether the Genophage is cured. That decision, as well as whether Wrex survives the events of the first game, drastically change how this planet might be doing in the next game.

With Wrex at the helm of a newly-cured Tuchanka, the Krogan might finally be able to recover from the centuries of war that have left their people living in squalor. On the other hand, having someone like Wreav in charge might lead the Krogan towards the path of war once again, especially if they discover the Genophage cure was a sham. It will be interesting to see how the next game in the franchise handles this issue.

1 Rannoch Could Be Host To Two Important Races

The Geth And Quarians Should Make A Return

It could be said that Shepard's actions had an even bigger impact on the planet Rannoch, whcih is home to two different species: the Quarians and the Geth. The Quarian-Geth war is a highlight of the entire trilogy and culminates in a series of fierce battles in ME3. Depending on the player's choices, the Quarians or Geth could be eliminated entirely or be working together to rebuild their planet.

That last option seems the most interesting, as it would see some of the first instances of synthetic and organic life working together in harmony. The franchise has always featured the conflict between the two, but Rannoch could potentially be where that conflict is solved. It could also be where a certain Quarian engineer is now living, and catching back up with Tali would be great for many fans of the Mass Effect series.