Rumors surrounding the next game in the Mass Effect franchise are swirling after N7 day, qhwn the game developers revealed what appeared to be a ship in production. This has gotten fans majorly excited about a return to the game's universe and the characters they love so much.
Mass Effect is known for having players make tough calls, many of them resulting in the deaths of certain characters. However, given that the player's choices can radically alter how things end at the trilogy's conclusion, there are certain characters whose lives players will want to save to increase their chances of better outcomes.
Jack
There are several points in the games at which Jack may die, but it's important to ensure her survival for better war assets in Mass Effect 3. Assuming the players ensure she survives Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission, Jack becomes a teacher at Grissom Academy, which comes under Cerberus attack.
Shepard can travel to Grissom and save the students and Jack at the same time, which leads to both the students and Jack being added as separate war assets. However, if he does nothing, Jack will be captured and brainwashed by Cerberus and will appear as an enemy toward the end of the game. To avoid this sad fate, players will want to do the Grissom Academy mission as soon as it becomes available.
Rachni Queen
The fate of the Rachni Queen is one of the most important choices to make in the Mass Effect games, but her survival is crucial to gain the maximum amount of war assets. By saving the Rachni Queen in the original Mass Effect, players will encounter her again and have another chance to save her in Mass Effect 3.
Doing so grants more assets than leaving her to die, while her death in the first game results in a Breeder taking the queen's place, which will die a few missions later, taking all of its war assets with it. When it comes time to choose whether the Rachni Queen lives or dies, players should ensure her survival to gain the maximum amount of war assets.
Eve
Once again, while Eve's survival may not seem all that important, her death causes Krogan support to wane, lessening their war assets throughout the game. To make sure Eve lives, Maelon's data must be saved during Mordin's loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2. Otherwise, she will die when Mordin finished the cure to the genophage in Mass Effect 3.
If she lives, however, she will be able to help unite the Krogan much better, though the effectiveness of this unification does depend on who is in charge of the Krogan civilization. Maelon's data may have seemed brutal and insignificant when it first appeared, but it can be the difference between life and death for Eve.
Kirrahe
Kirrahe is one of the best NPC characters in Mass Effect, and his survival can be of great help to Shepard later on in the game. Should Shepard ensure Kirrahe's survival in Mass Effect, he will appear in Mass Effect 3 and will instantly give his support to Shepard, granting him a small amount of war assets.
His survival is more important should the character Thane be dead. If Thane is dead, Kirrahe takes his place protecting the Salarian councilor from Kai Leng. However, should Kirrahe also be dead, Leng kills the councilor, and convincing Kaidan/Ashley and the rest of the Council of your truthfulness becomes even harder.
The Council
At the end of the first game, players are given the option of either saving the Council from Saren or leaving them to die. While it's tempting to leave them to die due to your fragile relationship with them, saving them does end up being the better option down the road.
By saving the Council, they will be more trusting of Shepard in later portions of the trilogy, especially when saving them from Udina's coup. If the Council is left to die, the new Council will be far less trusting of Shepard, and it will be harder to convince them of your sincereness when warning them about Udina. While sacrificing the Council does grant you future war assets in Mass Effect 3, it ultimately doesn't make up for getting the Council fully on your side.
Tali
Tali's not just one of Mass Effect's best romance options for Shepard; her survival is crucial to gain peace between both the Quarians and the Geth. If Tali survives the Suicide Mission, she will appear again in Mass Effect 3. This will allow her to try to broker peace with the Geth, letting Shepard gain both Quarian and Geth forces as war assets.
Should she not be there, only one side can survive. Even if she is there, if talks fail and Shepard chooses the Geth to live, Tali will throw herself off a cliff, denying players a chance to bring her along for the rest of the game and ending the life of one of the most popular characters in the franchise.
Legion
The choice between Quarian and Geth is one of the hardest choices to make in Mass Effect, but a third option is available as long as Legion is alive. If Shepard keeps Legion alive, the option of getting peace between both the Quarians and the Geth in Mass Effect 3 is possible.
If Legion is dead, that option it off the table, and Shepard will be forced to choose between one of the groups, which leads to the complete annihilation of the other. This makes Legion's survival in Mass Effect 2 even more important, especially when it comes to getting more war assets in Mass Effect 3 for the final fight against the Reapers.
Kaidan/Ashley
No matter who the player picks to survive Virmire, be it Kaidan or Ashley, it's vital to keep them alive and happy in Mass Effect 3. The only point at which Kaidan/Ashley could die before the end of the game is during Udina's attempted coup at the Citadel.
If Shepard fails to convince Kaidan/Ashley that they're on the side of the Council, they will be forced to shoot them. However, if Shepard keeps them alive, Kaidan/Ashley has the option of becoming a squad mate and potential romance option. Even if the player doesn't want this, they can send them to help the war as a war asset, giving players an even better reason to keep Kaidan/Ashley.
Thane
While Thane can't become a squad mate again in Mass Effect 3, his appearance and thus his survival in Mass Effect 2 is critical for things to turn out okay during Udina's coup. If Thane is alive and in the game, he will come to the aid of the Salarian Councilor when Kai Leng tries to kill him.
If Thane died during the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2, however, Kai Leng kills the councilor and then fakes evidence that shows Shepard doing it, making it harder for the player to convince the remaining councilors of Udina's treachery. While Thane dies protecting the councilor (and there's no way to prevent it), his survival until that point is crucial for a swift end to Udina's coup.
Wrex
Wrex's biggest opportunity for death comes on Virmire, but players are advised to ensure that he lives through that and the rest of the trilogy. Wrex's leadership of the Krogan is far more stable than that of Wrev, his replacement should he die.
After the genophage is cured, Wrex leads the Krogan with even more power and offers support for Shepard. However, if the player sabotages the genophage cure, Wrex discovers it and Shepard is forced to gun him down, which loses more Krogan support. No matter what, the Krogans are much stronger when they have Wrex leading them into battle.