This Mass Effect Choices and Consequences guide will explain all the decisions that you can make during the game and what their consequences would be in Mass Effect. The Choices you make in ME 1 can have far ranging Consequences in the whole of Mass Effect trilogy, and to get the ending you want, its best to know what your Choices will reap.
Mass Effect Choices and Consequences
Throughout the course of Mass Effect, you’ll get to make several decisions on Shepard’s behalf. All of your decisions will affect how the story of the game unfolds.
Finding Liara T’SOni
Finding Liara T’Soni is one of the very first missions in Mass Effect. However, it is up to you how many Mission Worlds you complete before going after her.
If you want her to act normal, then find her as your first or second Mission World. However, she still might be distressed a little.
If you find her after Feros and Noveria, she’ll consider Shepard to be her imagination only. However, she’ll eventually realize that she’s wrong when you set her free.
Lastly, if you find her after completing Virmire, she’ll consider Shepard a part of her imagination again, but this time around, she’ll also shiver in fear in the presence of Krogan Battlemaster. She also won’t seem very happy during the Normandy debriefing.
Feros: Fate of the Colony
When it comes to this mission, you can save the colony, or you can shut it down. Saving the colony will open up an assignment in Mass Effect 2, Ilium: Medical Scans. Other than that, if you’ve forgiven Shiala along with saving the colony, the colony will contribute to the war effort in Mass Effect 3. The colony will be saved if you pass the colony check towards the end of the mission.
If you do not pass the colony check at the end of the mission, then the colony would not be saved, and you won’t be getting any unlocks or rewards for other games.
Noveria: The Rachni Queen
If you let the queen go, you’ll get to meet Asari in Mass Effect 2 and the queen herself in Mass Effect 3. This way, you’ll also get help with the war effort.
However, if you decide to kill the queen, you’ll run into her again in Mass Effect 3, but this will be a Genetically-engineered version of her.
X57: Bring Down the Sky
You can either save the hostages or attack and kill Balak. If you decide to save the hostages, then you’ll have to let Balak escape. To save the hostages, you’ll have to disable three explosive charges. If Balak lives, he will make an appearance again in Mass Effect three during the Citadel: Batarian Codes mission.
However, if you don’t want to run into Balak again, then you can let the hostages die and fight Balak. This decision will be more rewarding in terms of XP.
Virmire: Wrex and the Genophage
During your mission on Virmire, you’ll have to choose between letting Wrex live or killing him. Either of these decisions will have their consequences.
If you let him live, it’ll make a return in Mass Effect 2 as well as in Mass Effect 2. Wrex will lead Clan Urdnot in Mass Effect 2 and contribute to the war effort in Mass Effect 3.
However, if Wrex is killed, his brother will take his place in Mass Effect 2 and 3. Wrex’s brother Wreav has less IQ than Wrex himself and can easily be fooled.
Virmire: Kaidan and Ashley
While nearing the end of Virmire you’ll come across another decision where you can save either Ashley or Kaidan, but not both. The consequences would be simple, whomever you decide to push under the bus won’t live, and the one you decide to save will make an appearance in the later games for you to recruit in your team again.
However, if you decide to save Ashley then you’ll eventually realize that she’s not a racist anymore in Mass Effect 3
Conversations with Saren
You’ll have a conversation with Saren twice during the game. The first conversation will take place towards the end of Virmire, and it will affect the second conversation.
For the first conversation, if you end up saying, “It’s already happened!” or “You are indoctrinated”, then your persuasion options will open up.
If you end up saying Join me or Sovereign will betray you, then you’ll be able to pick the option of Charm or Intimidate during your second interaction with Saren. Else, you’ll have to fight Saren.
The Destiny Ascension
You can either save the council or let it be destroyed. If it is saved, it’ll be making a return in Mass Effect 2 and 3. It’ll also contribute to the war effort in Mass Effect 3.
If the council is destroyed, you’ll require another council for Mass Effect 2. You can form one at the end of the game, and it’ll be an all-human council.
The Human Councilor
Here, you’ll get to choose a human councilor, and you can pick either from Udina and Anderson. This choice does not have long-lasting consequences.
Fist’s Fate
You can either kill Fist or let him live. Keep in mind that if Wrex is present, he’ll put him to the grave automatically, without your involvement.
If Fist lives, you’ll get to see him again in the Afterlife Club in Mass Effect 2 and on Citadel in Mass Effect 3.
Killing Fist can be done in 2 ways. Either you can kill him and get a bounty from Wrex, or Wrex can kill him himself. Either way, you won’t get to see him in any of the sequels.
Citadel: Rita’s Sister
If you complete this assignment, then Conrad will get to live at the end of the Citadel: Medi-Gel Sabotage mission. This is only possible if Conrad survives the first two parts of the game.
If the mission is not completed, then Conrad will be lucky enough to live through the first 2 games, but he’ll die in the third sequel.
UNC: Hostile Takeover
If Helena gets to live towards the end of this mission, you’ll get to see her again on Omega in the second game. She’ll then have a choice of becoming a social worker if you plant your moves right.
In case she does not get to live to see another day, that would be it for her character, and she won’t be seen in the later games.
UNC: Rogue VI
Completing this assignment will have far-fetched consequences. If you adopt a hostile attitude towards EDI in Mass Effect 2, your conversation with EDI and Miranda will be prolonged. In Mass Effect 3, you’ll realize that EDI was an AI.
If you don’t complete the assignment, you’ll have a little role to play in letting others know that EDI is an AI.
Hanging up on the Council
If you keep hanging upon them, they won’t be happy, and this habit of yours will be remembered again in the third sequel. However, there won’t be any critical consequences to this behavior.
UNC: Asari Diplomacy
Again, you can either complete the assignment or let it slide. Completing the assignment would result in Shepard and Nassana remembering each other during Dossier: The Assassin mission on Ilium. Otherwise, they won’t remember each other.
Garrus’ Attitude
Garrus will develop two kinds of attitudes in Mass Effect 2, depending on your choices. If you opt for the Paragon option, he’ll have a Lawful attitude. Else he’ll have a Gung-ho attitude.
Tali and the Geth
If Tali is allowed to copy the data, a dialogue “I’ll prove it’s really me” will unlock in Mass Effect 2 during the Freedom’s Progress mission. Otherwise, this dialogue option will not be made available.
UNC: Hades’ Dogs
If this assignment is completed, you’ll be remembered for it in Mass Effect 2 by Marinda and Tali. Otherwise, it won’t be brought up again.
Asari Writings, Data Recovery, and Elkoss Combine License
If all three tasks are completed, then Conrad will have an additional Military Strength in Mass Effect 3, given that he’s still alive.
If the tasks are not completed, Conrad will still get some additional military strength but not as much as he’ll get if you complete the tasks.
Citadel: The Fourth Estate
Talk to Khalisa, and she’ll remember how you treated her later in Mass Effect 2. Nothing of such sort will happen if you don’t talk to Khalisa and the assignment is not started.
Citadel: Family Matter
If this assignment is completed, then you’ll run into the couple in Mass Effect 2, else you won’t see them in Mass Effect 2. Regardless of what you decide to stick with, the couple will make an appearance in Mass Effect 3.
Noveria: Parasini’s Fate
If you blow Parasnin’s cover as an agent, she’ll be dead in Mass Effect 1 along with Anoleis and won’t show up in Mass Effect 2. This way, you won’t be able to complete the Illium: Giana Parasini assignment.
Opting for any other decision will spare Parasini her life, and you’ll be able to take on the Illium: Giana Parasini assignment in Mass Effect 2.
Citadel: The Fan
Opting for the dialogues on the left-hand side will spare Conrad his life, and you’ll get to see him again in Mass Effect 2.
The options on the right-hand side will eventually get him killed, and he won’t show up in the later games.
Virmire: Assisting Kirrahe’s Team
Destroying the flyers will save Kirrahe’s life, paving the way for his appearance in the later games to assist you.
If the flyers are ignored, then Kirrahe will die and will be replaced by Lieutenant Tolan in Mass Effect 3.
Virmire: Rana Thanoptis
If Rana escapes, she’ll make an appearance again in Mass Effect 2. If she is killed, she won’t be mentioned anywhere in the game again.
