10 Iconic Moments That Defined Mass Effect As A Series

5. Saren's Suicide

Saren's behaviour in the first Mass Effect is odd to say the least. The respected Spectre starts behaving erratically, killing an old friend and in cold blood and goes on to leave countless numbers of corpses wherever he goes. It turns out that he has been indoctrinated by the Reaper Sovereign - who is gradually bending Saren's will to match his own. Saren believes he is acting for the good of the galaxy by aligning with the Reapers, even when the Citadel is being attacked and countless innocent lives are being extinguished. This all comes to a head in a final confrontation with Shepard at the climax of the game, where depending on the player's choices the situation can either take the form of a boss fight or something far more sinister... Shep has the power to make Saren see that he has been indoctrinated and no longer in control of himself, prompting him to take matters into his own hands and commit suicide. It's a powerful scene that managed to change Saren from the game's primary antagonist into a somewhat sympathetic figure. Seeing him wrestle for control over his mind long enough to pull the trigger shows just what kind of evil Shepard and the rest of the galaxy are up against, as well as cementing the notion that your choices can have huge repercussions specific to just your playthrough.