| “ | Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply... are. | „ |
| ~ Sovereign |
| “ | You represent chaos, we represent order. Every organic civilization must be harvested in order to bring order to the chaos. It is inevitable. Without our intervention, organics are doomed. We are your salvation. | „ |
| ~ A Destroyer to Shepard. |
The Reapers, also known as the Old Machines by the Geth, are an ancient race of gigantic living spaceships and the main antagonists of the Mass Effect trilogy.
Initially thought to be a myth by most of the galaxy, the Reapers hibernate in "Dark Space" for thousands of years and then return to the galaxy every few millennia to destroy all the Milky Way's most advanced civilizations, most recently the "Protheans", who gave them the name "Reaper" once they stopped believing in devils.
History[]
| “ | Before the cycles, our kind was the apex of life in the galaxy. The lesser species were in our thrall, serving our needs. We grew more powerful, and they were cared for. But we could not protect them from themselves. Over time, the species built machines that then destroyed them. Tribute does not flow from a dead race. To solve this problem, we created an intelligence with the mandate to preserve life at any cost. As the Intelligence evolved, it studied the development of civilizations. Its understanding grew until it found a solution. In that instant it betrayed us. It chose our kind as the first harvest. From our essence, the first Reaper was created. You call it Harbinger. | „ |
| ~ Leviathan explains the origin of the Reapers. |
Creation[]
The Reapers were created by The Catalyst, who modelled them after the Leviathans. The first one was known as Harbinger. One Reaper is created from each civilization harvested during a cycle.
Powers and Abilities[]
The Reapers can gradually brainwash anyone who comes into prolonged contact with them, a process known as "indoctrination", and also to directly take complete control of an organism's body. Reapers can also do a moatly unknown process involving "Dragons teeth" to covert biological material with mechanical creating foot soldiers know as Husks. It is also revealed that they were the ones who originally built the Citadel, the main base of galactic civilization, intended as a "trap" of sorts to attract a large number of advanced life forms together in one place.
Major Reapers[]
Before Mass Effect 3, exactly four Reapers are encountered in the series:
- Sovereign: The main antagonist of the original Mass Effect (besides Saren Arterius as the secondary antagonist). Sovereign initially appears as Saren's flagship but is later revealed to be a vanguard of the Reapers who would initiate their eventual return to the galaxy by activating the mass relay at the Citadel for the other Reapers to enter through. However, Commander Shepard killed Saren and installed a defense program in the Citadel's mainframe, delaying Sovereign and allowing it to be destroyed by the Citadel fleet, preventing the return of the other Reapers for the time being.
- Harbinger: The main antagonist of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3(besides Illusive Man as the secondary antagonist), and leader of the Reaper fleet. It is the largest and oldest Reaper in existence and was the controlling force behind the "Collectors"; who were warped versions of the Protheans. It directly possesses the Collector General most of the time and can also take control of any normal Collector at any time to fight Shepard. At the end of the game, it relinquishes the Collectors and is seen in its true Reaper form leading the other Reapers as they slowly travel towards Earth.
- Derelict Reaper: A "dead" Reaper floating in space visited in Mass Effect 2, which holds vital research. Here, a friendly Geth named "Legion" is met. At the end of the mission, Shepard battles the Reaper's still-intact core protected by an army of Husks, after which the Reaper is destroyed completely.
- "Human-Reaper": The final boss of Mass Effect 2, this monstrosity was a new, smaller, humanoid version of a Reaper being made by the Collectors, led by Harbinger, out of processed human DNA. It was discovered in the center of the Collectors' base by Shepard and friends and was destroyed before it could be completed.
Hundreds of currently unidentified Reapers are seen along with Harbinger in the ending sequence of Mass Effect 2 flying towards the inhabited Milky Way, who finally reach it in Mass Effect 3. In this final game, no full-sized Reapers are fought directly, though many do appear as background hazards and chase the Normandy during the space travel sequences. A few "mini–Reapers" known as Destroyers are fought, however.
Known Members[]
Reapers[]
- Harbinger - Leader
- Sovereign - Capital Ship
- Derelict Reaper - Capital Ship
- Human-Reaper - Experiment
Indoctrinated Agents[]
- Saren Arterius - Rogue Spectre
- Illusive Man - Leader of Cerberus
- Collector General - Leader of the Collectors
- Kai Leng - Cerberus Assassin
- Benezia - Asari Matriarch
- Paul Grayson - Avatar
- Amanda Kenson - Scientist of the University of Arcturus
- Rana Thanoptis - Neurospecialist
Soldiers[]
Allies[]
Reaper Types[]
.jpg "Reaper (Mass Effect).jpg (131 KB)")
Husk varients[]
Quotes[]
| “ | It seems you believed Protheans built the mass relays. The Reapers are cunning in their deception. Allowing life to flourish, century upon century, letting us believe ourselves the masters of the cosmos...Then the truth becomes known: there are monsters hiding in the dark spaces. And we are their prey. | „ |
| ~ Javik |
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 Villains
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Reapers and Servants Cerberus Kett Corrupt Party Members Villainous Organizations and Species Mercenaries and other Criminals Other Villains | ||