In the original Mass Effect trilogy, it's rather important to be Commander Shepard's favorite. He/she has a favorite store in the Citadel and perhaps even a favorite weapon, such as the Omni-Blade. How do we know that that one's his/her favorite melee tool? Because it's the weapon that makes him/her eligible for hero poses in the trailers. Shepard just looks way more daring with the Omni-Blade out.
As prevalent as that weapon is in the Mass Effect franchise, it would appear that fans don't celebrate or acknowledge the weapon enough. As such, there might be some facts about the Omni-Blade that are lesser-known or should make the usual Mass Effect player amazed. Because out of all the inventions in the Mass Effect series, namesake structures included, the Omni-Blade is one of the most impressive. Here's why that is.
10 It Was First Introduced In Mass Effect 3
Due to how iconic it was as Shepard's poster weapon, it can feel as though the Omni-Blade has always played a big role in the trilogy. However, the Omni-Blade is a relatively late technology introduced in the franchise, particularly in the third game.
Prior to that, Commander Shepard had to manually bash enemies with the butt end of a ranged weapon which, in a sci-fi setting, is frankly lame and counterproductive. Mass Effect 3 set the record straight by including the weapon and making melee combat look more aesthetically pleasing.
9 It's Part Of The Omni-Tool Tech
With that said, the Omni-Blade has somewhat existed in the previous games as a tamer part of a set of gadgets called the Omni-Tool. The Omni-Tool is more of a compact arm supercomputer that assisted military men and women on the battlefield.
Think of the Omni-Tool as Mass Effect's version of the Swiss Army knife except deadlier. Much like any Swiss Army knife, there's a considerably-sized blade tucked away in one of the compartments. Mass Effect 3 simply made this blade bigger and more as a standout tool of its own.
8 It Has Many Other Applications
Since the Omni-Blade is technically also the Omni-Tool, there are many other uses for it than stabbing aliens or humans too ugly for the Normandy Social Club. One of the most reliable functions of such a device is dispensing medi-gel for quick healing.
Other uses range from the typical computer roles to providing shields that block energy-based projectiles or attacks. The Omni-Tool is thus more versatile than guns and is thus more standard as equipment compared to the typical weapon.
7 It Comes In Many Brands
As with guns though, the Omni-Tool and therefore the Omni-Blade have many different manufacturers. Each manufacturer also has its own perks and drawbacks. As such, even some characters in the Normandy have their own brand preferences for Omni-Tools or Omni-Blades.
Kaidan, for example, prefers Logic Arrest while someone like Tali likes the Nexus brand better. It's not clear what brand Shepard loves the best but the manufacturers are probably lining up to give him a lifetime supply for free advertisement opportunities.
6 Different Classes Have Different Omni-Blades
Speaking of Omni-Blade variety, it doesn't stop at the brands. Different classes in Mass Effect 3 or different combat roles brandish different kinds of Omni-Blades depending on their needs or specializations. Soldiers have it the most straightforward and it appears as a straight blade for them.
For other classes like the Infiltrator, the Omni-Blade can appear more like a forked dagger to reflect their usage. Other alien races also have their own designs for the Omni-Blade; Batarians prefer theirs to turn into gauntlets. Other factions turn the whole thing into Omni-Bows.
5 It's Essentially A 3D-Printed Blade
As for those wondering how exactly does a 3D holographic Omni-Tool actually manifest a solid object that can cut through space armor, it's all thanks to the tool being a 3D printer. The Omni-Tool basically prints out the Omni-Blade whenever the user needs to stab someone.
So no, it's not made out of light like a certain blade from Star Wars. The Omni-Blade is a pure solid object so that it can't be blocked by energy shields most likely. That way, the Omni-Blade can be a weapon for any occasion with the only downside being the melee range.
4 It's Made Of Silicon Or Shell Filaments
Now, for the material with which the Omni-Blade is made, that would be none other than Silicon. It's one of the most common raw materials in the world right now and it appears it still is in the Mass Effect universe. Silicon Omni-Blades are mostly for the early levels.
When it comes to high-level Omni-Blades, however, something sturdier such as Shell Filaments from crab-like creatures can be tougher and more effective. Such was the case in Mass Effect: Andromeda and its more advanced Omni-Blades.
3 It's Disposable
With the Omni-Blade being a 3D-printed weapon, the whole thing is assumed to be disposable especially since the materials it requires can be found almost everywhere in the universe. So it doesn't really matter if an Omni-Blade breaks.
The Omni-Tool can easily and quickly make another one as long as it has a supply of raw materials for the blade. This way, the blade is also retractable and can have a finite amount dependent on the raw material supply. For gameplay purposes though, the resource management was simplified and the number of uses was made infinite.
2 It Has User-Recognition
One thing that makes the Omni-Blade a more impressive tool compared to other weapons is how it can recognize its own user. Since it's embedded in the Omni-Tool, the Omni-Blade likely has DNA recognition for its owner.
Thus, when someone decides to use an assailant's Omni-Blade against them, the weapon can merely retract or not do any damage at all. This way, Omni-Blades can feel personalized and even tailored to individual tastes.
1 It's The Lightsaber/Phaser Equivalent Of Mass Effect
In hindsight, the Omni-Blade or the Omni-Tool is the equivalent of the phaser in Star Trek or the lightsaber in Star Wars. It's a futuristic sci-fi tool that's even more advanced than the guns and has more functions other than killing.
It's that sci-fi device that's worth studying and even replicating in contemporary times because such a tool can be revolutionary. In fact, there are devices that come a bit close to what the Omni-Tool does so it might not be too far-fetched to see some of these in the far future so consider your great-great (to the 10th power) grandchildren lucky.