Mordin

The phrase “going out in the blaze of glory” is cliche, but Mordin Solus should get that shit trademarked. The Salarian scientist is exuberant, prone to singing, and also a brilliant doctor with an immense knowledge of different alien biology. But all that whimsical charm is in direct contrast with his actions and beliefs. Mordin is one of the people responsible for modifying the Krogan sterility plague when it seemed the people were adapting to it, and as horrific as that sounds, he’s pretty steadfast in believing that it was the right call no matter how much you poke and prod at his calculus. He mourns dead Krogan who gave their lives trying to help scientists find a cure for the sickness that has haunted their people, all while knowing his work pushed them to this point. It’s not until Mass Effect 3 that the cracks start to show. Mordin becomes a double agent for the Salarian government and Krogan clans, leaking intel about a potential cure his people have been working on, and helping to create and distribute the cure to the Krogan people.

But what sells Mordin beyond his charismatic nature and satisfying about-face is how well BioWare executes the end of his story. The cure must be sent through the Krogan homeworld’s atmosphere at the top of a facility that is crumbling down. Mordin’s fate here is determined by key choices you made over the course of the trilogy. Mordin is ready to die for the cause, and if he heads up to the top of the building, he will sing a Mass Effectified version of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” to calm himself as he dispenses the cure and a new hope to the Krogan race. BioWare mercilessly smothers the final moments of the song under an explosion, and it’s a devastating yet hopeful moment that the trilogy had been building toward.

Conversely, if you choose to sabotage the cure for more Salarian support in the war, Mordin’s story can end with a much more sinister conclusion. Mordin’s guilt for his crimes can be too great to persuade him, as he sees a future for the Krogan race that he helped delay. If he’s unwilling to back down, Shepard can shoot him in the back, and he won’t make it to the console in time. If your choices throughout the trilogy have undermined the growth of the Krogan race, Mordin can be convinced to help you sabotage the cure and disappear to keep the lie consistent, leaving with hope that maybe there might be a way for the Krogans to not repeat their past violence. All of these conclusions are in keeping with the multifaceted character that is Mordin Solus. He’s a calculated person who can see people as statistics, but he also wants to believe that there is a better way than the path he once chose.

Had to be him. Someone else might’ve gotten it wrong.