Mass Effect 3 has players balancing Commander Shepard’s morality with tough decisions that will affect the game’s outcome and character fates. Aside from dialogue options, one of the ways the game does this is with the Paragon and Renegade interrupt system that originated in its predecessor.
Depending on gamers’ playstyles, they can make their Shepard a goody-two-shoes boy scout or the ruthless commander that will stop at nothing to defeat the Reapers. The Renegade options usually have Shepard terrify, knock out, or kill anyone or anything that gets in their way.
31 Put James In His Place
After the first mission, James will argue with Shepard on the Normandy, and demand they return to Earth instead of running away from a fight.
Pick the Renegade interrupt, and Shepard will shut James down and make him see the bigger picture.
30 A Bloody Spar
Following the mission on Mars, Shepard and James will spar on the ship. James will start talking about his former commanding officer and contemplating past choices.
Two Renegade options will appear on the screen. Select them to get a couple of punches in while reassuring James that he made the right decision.
29 A Toast
The player can find James at the Purgatory Bar during the first visit to the Citadel. James tells Shepard about a couple of soldiers he was hanging out with and suggests buying them drinks.
If the player agrees, the soldiers will start a Scottish drinking toast. Trigger the interrupt to finish the toast.
28 Third Time’s The Charm
Mass Effect 3 continues the saga of the pesky reporter, Khalisah al-Jilani.
She will confront the player after Shepard leaves Commander Bailey’s office. Two interrupts allow the player to punch her.
27 Kill Zymandis
During the Citadel: Hanar Diplomat mission, Shepard confronts Zymandis, an indoctrinated hanar diplomat who attempts to upload a virus to the hanar homeworld’s defense system.
If Kasumi Goto is not in the room, a man guarding the room will attack the salarian Spectre that accompanies the player. Shepard can save the salarian, who then kills Zymandis.
26 Shepard’s Outburst
While meeting with Liara’s father, Matriarch Aethyta, at the Apollo’s Cafe in the Presidium Commons, she mentions that Liara would’ve been targeted by other matriarchs if not for her.
The option to interrupt Aethyta has Shepard angrily proclaiming that no one will hurt Liara. This outburst impresses Aethyta if the player is romantically involved with Liara.
25 Forcibly Cut Off Linron
At the start of Priority: Sur’Kesh, Shepard attends a war summit with Wrex, Primarch Victus, and Dalatrass Linron.
After Linron reluctantly agrees to release the female krogans on Sur’Kesh, she warns Shepard of the repercussions. The player can cut her off with an interrupt.
24 Kill Mordin
Toward the end of the Priority: Tuchanka mission, the player can choose to stop Mordin from repairing the Shroud and curing the genophage.
If the player chooses Renegade dialogue, Shepard will pull a gun on Mordin. He isn’t intimidated and walks toward the elevator when the player is given the option to shoot and killed the salarian doctor, which is one of the most shocking decisions in the trilogy.
23 Killing Udina And The Virmire Survivor
Pursuing Udina during Cerberus’ coup of the Citadel will lead the player to confront Ashley or Kaidan, depending on who is alive.
This confrontation can have multiple outcomes: Shepard cannot convince the Virmire survivor to stand down and shoots them, or the player can gain their trust and kill Udina instead.
22 Motivate Kaidan
If Kaidan survives the Citadel coup, he’ll join Shepard on the Normandy.
Locate his quarters and talk to him. Kaidan isn’t sure how to keep going, but Shepard tells him to use Earth as motivation to keep his head in the fight.
21 Killing Falere
While at the Ardat-Yakshi monastery, the player encounters Samara, if she survived the Collectors, and her daughter, Falere.
If Samara kills herself to uphold the Justicar Code or is not present, there is an option to shoot and kill Falere.
20 Punching Gerrel
After escaping the geth dreadnought, Shepard can confront Admiral Gerrel for opening fire on the dreadnought while Shepard and their team were still on board.
While Gerrel is defending himself, players can punch him in the stomach.
19 Support Shutting Down The Geth
During the debriefing before the Priority: Rannoch mission, players can choose Renegade dialogue options that support destroying the geth.
Legion will say the geth want the Reapers dead as much as Shepard does, but players can remind Legion the geth are susceptible to being hacked and must be shut down.
18 Killing The Reaper On Rannoch
After defeating the Reaper on Rannoch, it will tell Shepard that their fight is meaningless because the Reapers will prevail.
Players can use one last salvo from the quarian fleet to finish it off if they trigger the Renegade prompt.
17 Shooting Legion
If the player saves the quarians over the geth, Legion will become hostile and attack Shepard.
Tali will stab Legion in the back and let go of Shepard. Several Renegade options allow the player to shoot Legion.
16 Killing Wrex
If players tricked the krogan into thinking the genophage was cured, Wrex will confront Shepard and attempt to kill the commander.
A C-Sec officer will drop his gun during the scuffle, which players can retrieve with a Renegade interrupt. Use another interrupt to kill Wrex, which will be heartbreaking for those who love the krogan.
15 Shooting Oriana In The Leg
While on Horizon, players confront Henry Lawson, who has his daughter, Oriana, hostage.
Whether Miranda is alive or not, the interrupt is the same: Shoot Oriana in the leg to catch Henry off guard. Shepard, or Miranda, can then kill Henry without harming Oriana any further.
14 Stab Kai Leng
After defeating Kai Leng at Cerberus Headquarters, Shepard will be preoccupied with a terminal, which allows the assassin to sneak up on the commander.
Before Leng tries to kill Shepard, the player can shatter his sword and counterattack with the Omniblade.
13 Cutting Off Vendetta
Vendetta, the Prothean VI, warns Shepard that it is too late to stop the Reapers while at Cerberus Headquarters.
Shepard reassures Vendetta, but it is not convinced. The player can cut off the VI and assert the commander’s confidence.
12 Shooting The Illusive Man
After reaching the Citadel from Earth, the player will have to confront the Illusive Man with Anderson.
A prompt to shoot the Illusive Man will appear after the player intimidates him or has not used all the reputation checks in the conversation.
