How many times can a Mass Effect character die?

As you all know, you Mass Effect players, many characters can die during the course of the three games. But not everyone is equal – far from it – when it comes to the number of times they can die or if they can escape death at all.

So, I was wondering who the writers of Mass Effect had killed most often in the trilogy and ended up making the list below. Are only listed Shepard’s squadmates and crew members who can die at least once during the course of the three games.

I may have missed some. If you know of a possibility not listed here, please let me know.

Of course, lots of spoilers below!

So, let’s go ahead:

Ash / Kaidan

  • One of the hardest choice of the trilogy (at least for me): Kaidan/Ashley can die on Virmire in Mass Effect 1 if Shepard chooses to save the other.
  • He/She can be killed during the Cerberus Coup on the Citadel if Shepard fails to convince him/her that Udina is a traitor. Shepard or one of his/her squadmate will shoot him/her.
  • If Kaidan/Ashley is with Shepard during the beam run and EMS is low, he/she will be killed by Arbinger, like any other squadmate in this situation

3 times

  • The only time when Liara can die is if she is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. She then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation.

1 time

Liara

Wrex

  • The first time Wrex can be killed is on Virmire in ME1. If Shepard cannot convince him to follow his/her lead about Saren’s cure for the genophage, Ashley will kill him, either following Shepard’s order or on her own accord.
  • Wrex can also be killed during ME3 if Shepard sabotaged the genophage. Wrex will find out and confront Shepard about it (and he’s really not happy at all). Shepard will have to kill him or let the CSC do it.

2 times

  • Garrus can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • He can also die is if he is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. He then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation

2 times

Garrus

Tali

  • Tali can die during ME2 suicide mission if her loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • In ME3, she will commit suicide at the end of the Rannoch mission if Shepard sacrifices the Quarians.
  • She can also die is if she is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. She then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation

3 times

  • Miranda can die during ME2 suicide mission if her loyalty mission has not been completed
  • In ME3, she can be killed during the Horizon mission by either Kai-Leng or her father if Shepard has not warned her about Kai-Leng, has not given her access to Alliance resources and depending on his/her reactions to Henry Lawson during the confrontation.

2 times

Miranda

Jacob

  • As far as I know, Jacob can only die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.

1 time

  • Mordin can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • He will die in ME3 while curing the genophage or be killed by Shepard if Shepard wants to sabotage the cure and can’t convince Mordin it’s the right thing to do.

2 times

Mordin

Jack

  • Jack can die during ME2 suicide mission if her loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • In ME3, if the Grissom academy quest is not completed in time, she will be captured by Cerberus and transformed into a phantom thrown at Shepard’s squad during the final Cerberus mission.

2 times

  • Samara can be killed during her loyalty mission: if Shepard has enough Paragon/renegade points, he/she will have the possibility to kill Samara and keep Morinth in his/her team.
  • She can die during ME2 suicide mission if her loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • In ME3, she will commit suicide at the end of the Asari Monastry quest to escape the obligation to kill her last remaining daughter, unless Shepard can convince her of another solution.

3 times

Samara

Legion

  • Legion can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • If handed to Cerberus during ME2, he will appear as a foe sent against Shepard’s squad during the last Cerberus mission in ME3.
  • At the end of the Rannoch mission, Legion will sacrifice himself to allow the Geth to evolve as individuals, regardless of the player choice. Like Thane, his death cannot be prevented.

3 times

  • She can die during ME2 suicide mission if her loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • She can die during the hanari mission if she is not loyal to Shepard

2 times

Kasumi

Kelly

  • In ME2, she will die in the Collectors base if Shepard does not start the rescue mission right after the abduction.
  • She will also die with the rest of the crew if Shepard sends them back to the Normandy without a squadmate to escort them.
  • She will be executed by Cerberus during the Coup on the Citadel if Shepard has not convinced her to change her identity when first meeting her.
  • She will commit suicide if Shepard yells at her when she admits she has been spying on the Commander during her time as her yeoman.
  • Finally, since she was on the Citadel when the reapers took it over, she can be presumed dead during the attack though nothing is stated about her fate.

5 times

  • Both of them can be killed during the Collectors abduction if Shepard starts the rescue mission too late.
  • They will also die with the rest of the crew if Shepard sends them back to the Normandy without a squadmate to escort them.

2 times

Gabby & Ken

James

  • He can die is if he is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. He then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation

1 time

  • She can die is if she is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. She then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation
  • She will die along the Geth and other synthetics life form if Shepard picks the Destroy option at the end of the game.

2 times

EDI

Thane

  • Thane can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • In ME3, he will die during the Cerberus Coup. He is one of the few characters whose death cannot be avoided.

2 times

  • During his loyalty mission, if Vido manages to get away, Zaeed puts himlself in danger in his rage and Shepard can let him die.
  • He can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • in ME3, he can die during the volus ambassador mission if he is not loyal to Shepard

3 times

Zaeed

Grunt

  • He can die during ME2 suicide mission if his loyalty mission has not been completed.
  • In ME3, he can die at the end of the Rachni mission if his loyalty mission was not completed in ME2.

2 times

  • He wil die during the crash of the shuttle during the last mission on Earth if Shepard has not taken the time to talk to him and convince him to get over his husband during the game.

1 time

Steve

Javik

  • He can die is if he is with Shepard during the beam run at the end of ME3 and EMS is low. He then will be killed by Arbinger like any other squadmate in this situation

1 time

So the conclusion of this is simple : some characters were definitely safer than others in Mass Effect!

Most characters have 2 or 3 possibilities to die during the trilogy, some ‘generic’ (meaning that many characters can die that way), others specific to the character and his/her story.

The most noticeable exception to this rule is poor Kelly Chambers who ranks first as the character with the most death possibilities: 5 different possible deaths for her, 4 avoidable without too many conditions, one presumed. And she’s not even a squadmate or a field operative! You have to wonder here if the writer who wrote her was a sort of sadist or if the actress has pushed him in the stairs and he’s getting his revenge…

On the other side, Liara, though present as squadmate in 2 games out of the 3, can only die once, and in a generic instance where every squadmate can die. Logically, characters who just arrived for ME3, such as Javik, James and Steve, can die only on 1 occurence as well.

Among the other  squadmates, ME2 squadmates (except Garrus and Tali who are also squadmates in ME3) can all die during the suicide mission and those with some content can also die in ME3 in their most related mission (technically Jack does not die during the mission but if the mission is not completed but you see what I mean). Jack, Miranda and Samara’s death are quite easy to avoid, whereas Thane and Legion cannot be avoided at all, and Mordin’s salvation requires very precise conditions (I just discovered he could be saved very recently). Samara has one more option than the others with the possibility for Shepard to choose Morinth over her.

Just as Liara, Garrus is the only ‘not new ME3 squadmate’ who can only die on generic occurences.

As already said, ME3 squadmates have little ‘opportunities’ to die except during the beam run with low EMS: only Ash/Kaidan and Tali make exception. Tali can commit suicide if Shepard sacrifices the Quarians (but seriously, who could do that??) while Ash/Kaidan can be killed during the Coup. After the infamous Virmire choice between them and their injury at the hand of Eva Core at the beginning of the game, they both endure quite much!

If you notice error or omission in this list, please let me know!!