Mass Effect: 8 Weirdest Enemies (And What They Represent)

Though Cerberus might seem like a weirdest choices for this list considering they're a human-fronted task force, their name is notable, as it's one with origins way back in the past.

Cerberus is the name of the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades in Greek mythology, and considering he spends most of his time in the underworld, we've instantly got a parallel to the game organisation's own shifty heritage. The whole three-head deal is also a nice nod to Cerberus's own evolution as three distinct entities to deal with in each game in the trilogy, too.

Cerberus's primary job in-game (as detailed in a manifesto) is to protect humanity from entities beyond the Charon Relay, the device being a metaphor for the gates of hell that the hellhound stops undead creatures from escaping from, and living souls breaking into.

Much in the same way, Mass Effect's Cerberus utilises any horrific means at their disposal to make sure they defend humanity regardless of cost. In another interesting parallel, Charon is the name of the Ferryman that delivers souls to Hades in other Greek mythology, too.

With this in mind, their increased role in Mass Effect 2 makes way more sense, as your Shepard continues to walk the line between paragon and renegade; their own soul not being truly evil or redeemed until the climax.