Mass Effect 2 Suicide Mission: How to Survive the Reaper Finale and Decisions

This part of the Mass Effect 2 wiki guide focuses on the Reaper Finale stretch of the Suicide Mission, with help for every major combat section and the key decision points that can keep as many Squad Mates alive as possible. It breaks down how to push through the fights and which selections to make so your team doesn’t get picked off at the worst moments.

Heads up: there are spoilers for the Suicide Mission here. The guide doesn’t explain the aftermath until the moment those outcomes actually happen, so if you move carefully through the page, you can avoid learning results too early.

Looking for a specific topic? Jump using the sections below.

• Before We Begin
• Recommended Loadout
• The Approach
• The Final Boss
• The Escape
• Back on the Normandy

Before We Begin

This section is meant to provide practical guidance for the choices you’ll make during the Suicide Mission so both Shepard and their Squad Mates can survive. Whether it’s fully achievable depends on how you prepared up to this point, but the goal here is to help you make the best possible decisions with the situation you already built.

It’s also written with the assumption that you’ve already completed the Tartarus Debris Field, Base Infiltration, and The Long Walk portions of the guide to reach this stage.

Recommended Loadout

Alright—this is the final stretch of the Suicide Mission. There’s no time to waste: you’re nearly at the destination, but the Collectors are positioned outside a blast door and trying to push back in. Shepard has to choose a Squad to escort them toward the ship’s inner area, while everyone else stays back to hold the line, just like Captain Kirrahe would want.

Picking your escort is more important than it sounds, because several big factors affect who lives through what comes next.

Quick facts

• Avoid bringing anyone who isn’t Loyal—Disloyal characters are placed at extreme risk when they’re on the escort Squad.
• If you’ve lost strong Squad Mates such as Grunt, Zaeed, and Garrus, consider bringing “weaker” options like Tali, Kasumi, Mordin, and Jack (as long as they’re Loyal).
• If you can’t stand the idea of losing two specific Loyal Squad Mates, put those two in the escort group.
• Kasumi and Samara are highlighted as strong choices again for the same reasons as before.
• Strong Squad Mates like Grunt, Zaeed, and Garrus should be left behind if you have any Disloyal characters to improve their odds of survival.
• If you’re playing Paragon, choosing Miranda for the escort will trigger special dialogue near the end of the Mission.

After you lock in your escort Squad, you’ll get a chance to talk with your crew and deliver a motivating speech.

• First, if a Squad Mate has already died:
  • Select “We must honor the fallen” for +2 Paragon Points.
  • Select “The galaxy is depending on us” for +2 Renegade Points.

• If you’re in the general case (everyone is still available to choose from):
  • Select “The galaxy is depending on us” for +2 Paragon Points.
  • Select “Feel sorry for the Collectors” for +2 Renegade Points.

• Select “We must honor the fallen” for +2 Paragon Points.
• Select “The galaxy is depending on us” for +2 Renegade Points.

• Select “The galaxy is depending on us” for +2 Paragon Points.
• Select “Feel sorry for the Collectors” for +2 Renegade Points.

The Approach

Your group is launched across a wide chasm onto a polygonal platform, letting you cross the tunnel toward the next objective on the ship. You’ve done this style of sequence before during the Collector Ship segment, so there shouldn’t be any surprise mechanics. Once the platform stops, additional similar platforms arrive automatically—and each one comes loaded with enemies—so you’ll need to fight your way forward platform to platform without losing your footing.

Keep a defensive, controlled pace. Being overly aggressive tends to get you eliminated quickly, so slow down, use cover effectively, and handle each enemy wave as it becomes visible. As the sequence continues and more waves land, the threats escalate—expect Harbinger and Guardians to make the situation much harder.

When the final wave arrives, don’t expect just one special arrival: TWO Scions will join the fight. These units can dish out absurd damage in a short window, so take down the Abominations early, then pour your damage into one Scion at a time—eliminate one as fast as you can before switching to the other.

After clearing the conflicts, you’ll locate a Console on the farthest platform, which gives you access to reach the center of the ship.

The Final Boss

At this point, the game drops you into something truly grim. The Collectors have been constructing a Reaper, and this massive, Terminator-like machine—scaled up thousands of times—is essentially a “Reaper-Human” built using the genetic “paste” taken from countless victims. That’s why the Collectors were abducting humans all across the galaxy: the end goal was to create another machine capable of damaging the galaxy on its own. Your party reacts with disgust, and Shepard commits to destroying it before the Collectors can finish the job. You can ask EDI for her theories, but regardless, you still need to take the monster down yourself.

The fight structure mirrors the earlier platform battles: new polygon platforms fly in to bring more Collector forces that you must defend your target against. This time the roster is tougher; Collector Guardians and Harbinger make up most of what you’ll face. The encounter is also more limiting because you’ll be fairly static during the fight, which means ammunition can run low. If that happens, be prepared to swap weapons mid-combat.

To bring down the Reaper-Human, you have to shoot the large orange tubes. Those openings only appear between Collector waves; when you’re not in a window to attack, the tubes are sealed behind protective plating. Shoot one, then it gets covered again quickly while a fresh wave of Collectors arrives.

Once you destroy all four Conduits, Shepard begins setting up to blow the Collector Base apart. Before you can complete that plan, the Illusive Man urgently calls in and leads with congratulatory remarks. Your response choices are…

• “I didn’t do it alone” for +2 Paragon Points.
• “I’m just getting started” for +2 Renegade Points.

Then he makes a startling request: instead of destroying the Collector ship, he begs you to spare it. The proposal is to use an EMP that will wipe out all Collectors while preserving their technology and the data they’ve stored.

• Choose “This place is an abomination” for +2 Paragon Points.
• Choose “You think it can help?” for +2 Renegade Points.
• Choose the middle option, “How would you use it?” to open a follow-up branch:
  • Select “How can I trust you?” for +2 Paragon Points, then continue with:
    • “This doesn’t feel right” for +2 Paragon Points.
    • “Are you sure?” for +2 Renegade Points.

• Pick “How can I trust you?” for +2 Paragon Points, then follow with:
  • “This doesn’t feel right” for +2 Paragon Points.
  • “Are you sure?” for +2 Renegade Points.

• Pick “This doesn’t feel right” for +2 Paragon Points, then follow with “Are you sure?” for +2 Renegade Points.

In the end, you still have to decide whether to destroy or spare the base. This is framed as a difficult decision, and the outcomes reflect that.

• Choosing “No. We don’t need it” will ignore the EMP plan and still have the Illusive Man plant the explosives, earning +15 Paragon Points. If Miranda is present, the Illusive Man orders her to stop you; she refuses, resigns, and makes the situation public.
• Choosing “OK, let’s take it and use it” goes with the EMP route instead, allowing Cerberus to study the base and earn +15 Renegade Points.

Either way, you’re not done. The Reaper-Human returns behind you, and you must finish the enemy for good. Shepard mentions a ten-minute window to leave, but in gameplay you can take as long as you need—so the guidance here is to take your time and get it right so you don’t have to replay the fight.

The Reaper-Human Larva doesn’t have normal health; it has Armor, and the only damage you can apply comes from its giant glowing eyes. Focus on the right-hand eye socket because it contains two optics, which makes it the bigger target. Use everything you’ve got—don’t hold back or hesitate with your strongest tools—because if you’re not planning to carry into post-game content, this is effectively your final fight in Mass Effect 2. Also, don’t waste time sprinting around; patiently fire at the creature, dodge its attacks, and repeat the process.

The Escape

After the final boss is defeated, the game transitions into its long ending sequence and the consequences start unfolding. First, the Human-Reaper collapses into the platforms, which then slam into each other. Shepard rescues your second Squad Mate pick from sliding off the side, but eventually all of them crash, leaving Shepard waking up with the Squad piled in debris.

• If the Squad Mate involved here is Loyal, they survive the collision.
• If the Squad Mate involved here isn’t Loyal, they die in the crash.

Next comes a check-in for the ground team holding off the Collectors at the door. The internal math is complicated, but the practical result is that the average strength of that group determines how many of them die, up to a maximum of four.

• If the team is weak—especially if they’re Disloyal and/or outnumbered—they’re more likely to suffer casualties.
• If the team is strong—Loyal members and a larger roster—they’re far less likely to take losses.
  • You’ll be able to tell if anyone died because the camera cuts to their bodies as Collectors step past them.

• You’ll know if you had casualties because the camera cuts to the dead bodies while Collectors walk past.

The last check happens when Shepard attempts the final leap to the Normandy. This outcome depends on how many Squad Mates are still alive by the end of the Mission.

• If two or more Squad Mates survived, Shepard jumps successfully and survives the Suicide Mission.
• If one or fewer Squad Mates survived, Shepard doesn’t make the jump and dies while urging Joker to keep fighting. In that case, you cannot continue into the post-game or import the save into Mass Effect 3.

After that, the Normandy escapes once Harbinger relinquishes control of the Collector General. The ship manages to get out because the Collector Base is either blown apart or neutralized by the EMP, and the Normandy flies away.

Then a call goes out to the Illusive Man—either from Shepard or from Joker if Shepard died. If you spared the Collector Base, the Illusive Man is pleased; if you destroyed it, he’s furious. After that, the Normandy representative departs, heading to the Cargo Bay—dramatic in Shepard’s case. In the Cargo Bay, fallen Squad Mates are placed in coffins, and Shepard studies a Datapad containing information about their next enemy: Harbinger, head of the Reapers, the individual who personally led the Collectors.

Back on the Normandy

Now you’re back on the Normandy, with lots of opportunities for post-Mission conversations with surviving Squad members and the crew. Start on the CIC and talk with Kelly Chambers to pick up where you left off.

• If you ask Kelly “Are you okay?”, you earn +2 Paragon Points.

In the tunnel leading to the bridge, you’ll also get a new exchange, plus a fresh comment from Joker. Jacob and Mordin each add their own remarks too.

Down on the Crew Deck, you can listen to new dialogue in the bedroom quarters and the Mess Hall. You’ll hear new comments from Miranda, Mess Sergeant Gardner, Garrus, Dr. Chakwas, Legion, Samara / Morinth, and Thane. Oddly, Kasumi has nothing new to say, but you may still want to talk to Legion since you can learn more about them now.

On the Engineering level, Grunt, Gabby and Ken, and Tali have new commentary. As with Kasumi, Zaeed and Jack oddly don’t have anything additional to say.

Finally, if you’re in a romance with someone on the ship, visit the captain’s office in the Captain’s Cabin. Use the Intercom computer to invite your partner up, where you can spend time on either the couch or the bed. If your romance is with Kelly, you must speak with her on the CIC first, then check your Private Terminal for a message from her. After you invite her, she has a third interaction where she dances provocatively on the Armor Locker.

Want more Mass Effect 2 coverage? Check out the following pages:

• Legendary Edition Changes
• How-To Guides
• Key Choices and Consequences
• Romance Options
• Walkthrough
• Side Quests

Up Next: How the Suicide Mission Works

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