Summary
TheMass Effectfranchise is known for many things, not the least of which being its dense, thought-provoking world-building. There are a number of different alien civilizations andraces in theMass Effectuniverse, but some of them have gone extinct before the events of the first game, being relegated to distant memory. Although these races may not exist in the worlds that players explore, their legacy lives on, and they can wind up playing rather important roles in the broader story of the series.
Some science-fiction franchises may be accused of putting little to no thought behind the alien species they implement, butMass Effectisn’t one of them. The list of non-human alien races in the series is shorter than that of a series likeStar Wars or Star Trek,with the player only coming into contact with around two dozen or so intelligent races across the original trilogy andAndromeda. Although certain species such as Asari or Turian are morerelevant in theMass Effectstory, a number of distinct and advanced races predate them, with some being a bit more significant than others.
The Alien Races of Mass Effect History
Extinct Mass Effect Races: Protheans
By far the most important extinct alien race and one of the most important alien civilizations overall inMass Effectare the Protheans. This highly intelligent race suffered extinction at the hands of the Reapers more than 50,000 years before the events of theMass Effecttrilogy. They were a significant civilization during their time, leveraging advanced technology, civil engineering, and political planning to form a powerful empire that included almost all advanced organic life.
Although the Prothean Empire managed to resist a hostile machine force for quite some time, it was eventually brought to its knees when it encounteredMass Effect’s main antagonist, the Reapers. True to their name, the Reapers exist with the goal of culling all organic life in the Milky Way every 50,000 years, and the Protheans were helpless against the machines' technological force, as well as their powers of indoctrination. Ultimately, all Protheans except for Javik, a military commander frozen in stasis, were annihilated by the Reapers. However, their legacy lives on, most crucially through the mass effect relays, which the Protheans built to achieve faster-than-light travel.
Extinct Mass Effect Races: Rachni
A highly aggressive, semi-hive-minded race of spider-like creatures, the Rachni were selectively bred by the Protheans for use as advanced weapons. Eventually, they proved too powerful and intelligent to be controlled and turned against the Prothean Empire, spreading across the galaxy.Mass Effect’s famously aggressive, war-obsessed species, the Krogan, ultimately wiped out nearly all the Rachni, and the species was presumed extinct until the events of the firstMass Effect.
Commander Shepard encounters a Rachni Queen on Noveria, an icy planet, in the first game. As it turns out, a corporation called Binary Helix managed to recover an egg holding a Rachni Queen from a stray Rachni ship sometime before Shepard’s arrival on the planet. The Queen eventually matured and began laying eggs, bringing the Rachni back into modern galactic civilization. When Shepard defeats Matriach Benezia, the player can make one of thebiggest choices in theMass Effectseries, choosing whether to spare the Rachni Queen or kill her, effectively wiping out the race once again. In most scenarios, the Rachni wind up extinct, but the civilization can be reborn on Tuchanka if Shepard spares the Queen in bothMass Effect 1andMass Effect 2, while denying Krogans the Genophage cure.
Other Extinct Mass Effect Races
The Rachni and the Protheans are by far the most significant extinct species in theMass Effectfranchise, but there are other intelligent, extinct races mentioned in the series, some of which existed before the era of the Prothean Empire, while others were wiped out alongside it. Some of these less significant species include:
Mass Effectstands out among science-fiction gamesthrough its world-building, and its extinct civilizations play a role in this. The well-crafted alien races that precede the games make theMass Effectworld feel tangible, with a real, complex history.
Mass Effect Trilogy
WHERE TO PLAY
One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs – remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD.RELIVE THE CINEMATIC SAGA: Heart-pounding action meets gripping interactive storytelling where you decide how your unique story unfolds.EXPERIENCE THE LEGEND OF SHEPARD: Create and customize your own character, from appearance and skills to a personalized arsenal then lead your elite recon squad across a galaxy in turmoil.REFLECT ON YOUR CHOICES: Your choices seamlessly travel from one game to the next. Each decision you make will control the outcome of every mission, every relationship, every battle – and even the fate of the galaxy itself.
