The Mass Effect Legendary Edition did a stellar job of introducing the beloved science fiction trilogy to a brand new generation of gamers. Series veterans understand how rich and interesting the lore is, but those hopping in for the first time may become a bit overwhelmed.
Between the major events taking place during the games, and stuff that happened long before, there’s plenty to dive into. The Krogan genophage that took place at the hands of the Turians is one such event and had ramifications long after the Krogan Rebellions ended.
10 Whose Idea Was It?
If Krogans were asked who was responsible for the genophage they’d likely land on either the Turians or the Salarians. The Turians were the ones who deployed it during the Krogan Rebellions, but it wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t developed by the Salarian race’s most brilliant minds. Applying blame to an entire race seems unfair considering most people in those alien races had no involvement, but when the Krogan numbers are dwindling, the level of hate and aggression that’s created from desperation and fear needs to be placed at someone’s feet.
9 The Krogan Rebellions
The Krogan Rebellions are the very event in which the Turians deployed the genophage. It was a conflict between the Citadel Council and the Krogan race. It started in 700 CE and lasted for decades, it started after around 300 years in which Krogan expansion and aggressiveness exponentially grew. The Council employing the Turians as a last resort is what ultimately led to the genophage, as Turians believed once an enemy is defeated they should be prevented from ever rising to power ever again.
8 The Genophage’s Real Purpose
It can be a bit confusing to understand the true ‘purpose’ of the genophage, but in its most basic terms, it is focused on lowering the probability of viable pregnancies and not on lowering the fertility rate of Krogan females.
These may sound one and the same, but if Krogan weren’t so violent and lacking in focused breeding, the population decrease wouldn’t be as large of an issue. The genophage just hit the perfect race in terms of it being dangerously more effective than anyone, including the Turians, thought it would.
7 Shiagur, Female Warlord
The genophage did a lot of harm to the Krogan race, but it did empower fertile women to take control of their lives with this gift. One of the more notable examples was a female Krogan warlord by the name of Shiagur. She was capable of carrying a child to term and because of this, she was considered invaluable. She knew this and used her fertility to seek out the strongest and most capable male Krogan and have them join her ranks. It was quite a bargaining chip, but one that needed to be utilized to preserve the Krogan race.
6 Saren’s Cure
Saren, the main villain of Mass Effect , was many things, with liar being among the most prominent and accurate of labels. It was believed that his science facility on Virmire had developed a cure and as a result, he was able to build an army of Krogan warriors. Commander Shepard then finds out via Cerberus that Saren’s base on Virmire was a cloning facility. That’s how he was able to reproduce soldiers for his army without finding an actual cure for the genophage.
5 New Genophage Variant
When Commander Shepard comes across Dr. Mordin Solus in Mass Effect 2 it opens up a lot of new evidence and information regarding the genophage. Mordin goes as far as to explain that the Krogan had begun to naturally evolve into a resistance for it and that he and his colleagues were tasked with making a new variant of the genophage. This was done in an effort to make sure that the Krogan population wouldn’t rise and would adjust to what they believed to be were ‘controllable’ numbers.
4 Maelon’s Moral Exchange
Maelon is a name that comes up during Mordin Solus’ loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2. He was the scientist’s former student and was working on a cure for the genophage for a Krogan mercenary group called Blood Pack. When Commander Shepard and Mordin discover Maelon was killing test subjects to find a cure under his own free will.
It painted a picture of how far some people are willing to go if the ends justify the means in their eyes. Maelon’s data can be kept or destroyed, but the lives lost to obtain it will always have it stained with their blood.
3 The Citadel Archives
In the time that followed the release of Mass Effect 3, Bioware released a large piece of DLC called Citadel that added a good amount of additional content to the end of the game. The Citadel Archives was home to plenty of records, and among them, players can find a document dated 710 CE that displayed the moments in which the genophage was activated. This scene features three Turian officers and a single Salarian scientist. They’re arguing about who’s responsible for activating the genophage and whether or not it’s fair to the Krogan race.
2 Genetic Mutation
Evolution is fascinating since it is capable of developing mutations in living creatures that help them overcome disease and danger. Krogan colonists who joined the Andromeda Initiative in Mass Effect: Andromeda began their journey as afflicted individuals of the cruel Genophage. Right before departure, though, they discovered that the Krogan race had developed a mutation that fought off the genophage. By the time the 600-year slumber was over and they had arrived in the Andromeda Galaxy, that mutation had grown stronger and increased offspring survival rates.
1 Increased Survival Rate
Due to the genetic mutation, the Krogan race developed, discussed in the last entry, some surprising things developed. The survival rate of the offspring belonging to Krogans who were part of the Andromeda Initiative featured in Mass Effect: Andromeda had increased from 0.1% to a staggering 4%. This increase of almost 4% may not sound like a lot, but the difference in those two numbers is the difference between Krogans struggling and them maintaining healthy populations.
NEXT: Mass Effect Trilogy: The Best Jack Quotes In The Series
