In a war as massive and sweeping as the one against the Reapers in Mass Effect 3, it is not usually possible to save everyone. Fans of the Mass Effect series will inevitably find themselves making difficult choices about the fate of those in their squad, and, in some cases, will need to choose one companion over another. The Mass Effect games are well known for giving players difficult moral choices to make, and their decisions determine the morality of Commander Shepard and the actions and lines of dialogue they can use throughout the game to convince or coerce others to do as they say. One of the more difficult moral choices Shepard will face comes from the very start of the series. On the Normandy in Mass Effect, Shepard can learn from their squadmate Wrex that a sophisticated genophage designed by the Salarians and distributed by the Turians is causing the Krogan species to face extinction. Later, in Mass Effect 2, players will recruit Mordin Solus, a Salarian who helped design a new strain of the genophage when they learned the Krogans were rapidly adapting to it.

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In Mass Effect 3, Mordin develops a cure for the genophage and wishes to distribute it on Tuchanka as part of his loyalty mission. During this mission, it is possible and often likely that Wrex and Mordin die, or that only Mordin dies. However, players who choose to play as Renegade Shepard have the option to sabotage the cure and keep Mordin alive. With this option, players will not be able to keep Wrex alive, so no matter what, they will be making a difficult decision. For players disinterested in curing the Krogan genophage, here's how to keep Mordin Solus alive in Mass Effect 3.

How to Save Mordin Solus in Mass Effect 3

Mordin examines a test tube full of research in Mass Effect 3

There are three specific things players must do over the course of the trilogy to make sure Mordin survives in Mass Effect 3. These are:

  • Kill Wrex on Virmire (Mass Effect)
  • Destroy Maelon's data during Mordin's Loyalty Mission (Mass Effect 2). Players should note this action will always result in Eve's death, even if they choose not to sabotage the cure.
  • Tell no one about the STG Sabotage on Shroud tower, and try to stall Mordin from going up the tower during his Loyalty Mission (Mass Effect 3).

Players will need to have a high enough reputation as a Renegade to properly do this as well.

During Mordin's Loyalty Mission in Mass Effect 3, when Shepard tries to deter him from going up the tower and he realizes what has happened, they will need to use the Renegade dialogue option, Why?, to convince him to back down from dispensing the cure.

Mordin Solus in Mass Effect

Once Mordin has resigned himself to this, he suggests letting the Krogan believe they were successful in dispensing the cure to secure an alliance. As a result, players will receive both Krogan and Salarian support. However, because he needs to go into hiding to make the story seem plausible, he will only be available as a War Asset and not a companion.

There are many ways for this to go wrong. If Eve is kept alive, Mordin cannot be convinced to allow the sabotaged cure to dispense, and Shepard will have to shoot Mordin. If they don't, the real cure will be dispersed instead, and it is likely Mordin will still die going up the tower. If Wrex is alive and acting as leader of clan Urdnot, there will not be a way to save Mordin, even when making Renegade choices.

Players should note that they receive the greatest amount of War Assets if they allow Mordin to cure the genophage unobstructed. This results in Wrex and Eve alive, support from the Krogan for the war effort, and access to Krogan Mercenaries.

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Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releases in spring 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.