#harbringer

But when I think about it more – what implications does that have for Shepard and co in ME2?

To Shepard and crew, the suicide mission is critical to the defense of the galaxy. It’s the best lead they have to take the fight to the enemy, stop the eradication of human colonies, and hurt the reapers prior to their mass invasion.

To Harbringer, besides an attack on one of Reapers’ secure bases it’s also the murder of an infant. Or child in the womb. Whatever developmental stage you want to attribute to the human-reaper.

At this stage, the human-reaper hasn’t harmed anyone. It’s in the process of being created. Said process is undeniably an abomination; but can it be held responsible for the circumstances of its birth?

Shepard and co attempt to kill it for existing. It doesn’t fight back until after they destroy the injection tubes and discuss destroying the base or at a minimum everyone in it.

Is it sapient at this point? Difficult to say. Better question – does it matter? Are human babies sapient? At what point is an organic/machine hybrid considered a person?

It’s a reaper made from humans. It’s an abomination. It’s a baby.

Shepard and co invaded the nest of the reapers and slaughtered the adults and the children.

Given that the reapers have a near perfect record of wiping out all sapient life in the galaxy on a regular basis and the sheer horror Shepard and co must have experienced at the sight, I don’t think that can be held against them.

I do think it adds an interesting layer of grey to even the most paragon of Shepards and a new perspective to Harbringer in ME3.

In ME2, Harbringer’s obsessed with Shepard. He personally appears in battle to fight them and wants to capture Shepard’s body.

In ME3, Harbringer’s only appears at the beam. And that’s word of god; there’s nothing in game to indicate it’s Harbringer.

Is he so pissed at Shepard that all he wants is Shepard dead? Or so shaken by the loss of the human-reaper (possibly the first ever loss of a baby reaper?) that he’s deliberately avoiding them?

Out of universe, of course, the reason is that TIM took over the main antagonist role in ME3 so the reapers no longer required a ‘face’.

But in-universe I do think that as the ‘caretaker’ of the human-reaper that its death may have influenced Harbringer’s opinion of Shepard.

I keep forgetting to upload my own shit

No Kaveh, no Dottore, No Kaeya... Maybe Father will win your hearts