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

Collectors crop up all throughout the original Mass Effect trilogy, situated as legendary enemies that have long been considered nothing more than myth. Many have heard of strange dealings that go on with the Collectors and agents from other species, of which the Collectors trade advanced technology for living persons that are then never seen again.

Of course, Collectors are largely connected to the Reaper invasion, harvesting humans in an attempt to make the giant Human-Reaper at the end of Mass Effect 2. The species as a whole, however, are far more insectoid than their looming, mechanical, cephalopod-looking bosses however, tying into their massive numbers and hive mind controlled by the Harbinger.

The Collector's design was inspired by electron microscope pictures of insect heads - playing into their bug-like qualities and building around that concept with their wasp-hive of a home world.

As Mordin explains in-gam, Collectors are husks and drones, rather than particularly forward-thinking sentient life, and this emptiness of culture is reflected in their practical, rudimentary design.

At the very least, this is a comment on the fear of what happens when we lose culture and art - turning into working drones controlled by an exploitative force higher-up.

Politics, baby, they're always the enemy.