10 Video Game Villains Who Switched Sides (To Fight Something Worse)

Cerberus is one of the major factions in Mass Effect, consisting of human supremacists who seek to separate humanity from the System Alliance and build an independent empire that will dominate all the other species.

The group serves as reoccurring antagonists throughout Mass Effect 1, but then, in a shocking twist of events, ends up saving and recruiting Shepard in the sequel.

After the game begins with Shepard seemingly dying in a disaster, Cerberus extracts their body and then brings them back to full health in order to recruit them. Shepard even gets to meet the organization's mysterious leader, known as the Illusive Man, who holds out a personal invite for the commander to join them.

Now, it may seem like Cerberus' plan here is to make Shepard advance their cause, but in reality, their main concern is aiding Shepard in stopping the encroaching Reaper fleet.

Of course, given how ambiguous and sketchy Cerberus is, it's likely that the Illusive Man has an ulterior motive, but throughout the game, the organization actually remains a loyal ally.

Well, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially when the galaxy is about to be eradicated by ravenous Reapers.