The Reapers are one of the most frightening galactic threats humanity has ever faced, and they feature prominently in the original Mass Effect trilogy. As bringers of all-things doom, death, and destruction, the Reapers are seemingly unstoppable, completely unmerciful, and overwhelmingly tenacious.
If you're ready for another Mass Effect playthrough, make sure to stock up on some of this wise intel about the galaxy's most heinous bio-mechanical genocidal squids.
10 They're Old As Dirt
The Reapers have taken more than a few spins around the galaxy, waking up every 50,000 years to wipe it clean of all organic life in a twisted vision of compassion. They're projected to be billions of years old, and modeled directly from the machinations of the ancient Leviathans, the original apex galactic race.
The Leviathans created a Reaper AI to deal with a problem of organics and synthetics waging war on one another, but it quickly pulled a SkyNET on its creator, turning on them and forming the original Reaper force. For untold eons, the Reapers have been doing their thing, leaving each new race oblivious to what came before.
9 That's Not Their Real Name
Although the name "Reapers" has become synonymous with these terrifying harbingers of cyclical destruction and mass extinction, that's not their true name. Such a title has never been truly uncovered, perhaps due to how many cultures have been destroyed over the course of countless millennia.
The Reaper title was created by the Protheans in order to name their most deadly foe, and it stood as a symbolic and altogether fitting moniker for these hulking killers. It would also be the first and last time they were given a known official title, with humanity eventually triumphing over the Reaper threat, once and for all.
8 They Reside In Dark Space
The term "Dark Space" may conjure images of an alternate dimension wedged within time and space, but it's actually the empty space between galaxies where the Reapers reside in hibernation. This Dark Space contains almost no light, eclipsing the Reaper force in total darkness.
In so doing, they avoid discovery and destruction in their vulnerable state, while preparing for the moment when they will once again awaken to wage a campaign of death and destruction across the galaxy.
7 The Harvesting Process
It turns out that being harvested by a Reaper is only slightly less horrific than Mass Effect 2 suggests. According to removed dialogue from the game, the Reaper harvesting process can break down a human body to the atomic level in a sort of "rebirth."
This has a number of advantages, including the Reapers being able to absorb the knowledge and essence of each victim. While this may create the illusion that the Reapers are attained an incredible level of intelligence in this way, it could also be argued that since they destroy civilizations who have reached a certain level they never actually learn anything new.
6 The Lovecraft Connection
Yes, there's something quite Lovecraftian about the Reaper design, and that may have been done on purpose. In a scene that takes place on the derelict Reaper, one of the researchers makes reference to Cthulhu with the phrase "even dead Gods can dream."
Eagle-eyed Lovecraft fans will recognize the parallel quote "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming." The Lovecraft connection doesn't stop there, but it's one of the most obvious nods.
5 Curiosity Killed The Batarian
According to Mass Effect lore, the principle Reaper AI known as Sovereign made its first appearance near the Perseus Veil, when it was stumbled upon by Edan Had'dah, a Batarian entrepreneur specializing in archaeology. He hires Dr. Shu Qian to investigate Sovereign and discover what secrets may lie within.
It isn't long before Sovereign's powerful Reaper indoctrination field begins affecting Qian, who becomes obsessed with researching the new find. Eventually, news of Sovereign reached the ears of rogue Spectre Saren Arterius, who kills them both and claims Sovereign for himself... or so he thought.
4 Harbinger Is King
The Reaper known as Harbinger is the main antagonist of Mass Effect 3, and the one responsible for largely crushing the resistance movement against the Reaper invasion. This particular Reaper is unique in the fact that it is modeled directly after its predecessors, the Leviathan race that once ruled the galaxy.
Harbinger is so iconic, in fact, that a new version is birthed at the end of each harvest, signaling the start of the cycle, all over again. The original Harbinger was the very first Reaper ever created, and therefore second in line only to Sovereign when it comes to notoriety.
3 The Manchurian Candidate, Squared
The Reaper process of indoctrination is one of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal, and far more devastating and far-reaching than even their most powerful technology. This form of brainwashing works its dark magic through an electromagnetic field (theorized) which implants directives into the host's mind, overtaking it while tricking the victim into believing they are still in control of their own thoughts and actions.
By using this subtle form of manipulation, the Reapers are capable of enacting their harvests with far greater efficiency by inserting sleeper agents into different governments, triggering a downfall from within. The effect is almost complete and does not seem to dissipate even across great distances.
2 Harvesting Is Slow
If you thought the Reaper invasion meant a quick death, guess again. It turns out they like to take their sweet time when it comes efficiency, to make sure they've thoroughly wiped a planet clean of all life.
In Mass Effect 3, 400 Processors were sent to oversee the harvesting of Earth. These Processors worked tirelessly to harvest nearly 2 million inhabitants per day, which means the entire process of cleansing Earth would take upwards of a decade. Not nearly enough time to repopulate, but perhaps long enough to learn how to play the guitar.
1 The Reapers Triggered The Andromeda Initiative
Many Mass Effect: Andromeda players (or those who didn't bother giving it a shot) may not have progressed far enough to unlock all the secrets of the story. The biggest one comes later in the game, when it's revealed that the Andromeda Initiative was spearheaded on the back of the Reaper threat.
Fearing that the Milky Way galaxy would be completely overwhelmed and decimated by the Reaper threat, the Andromeda Initiative was designed to allow humanity a chance to escape and start a new life in another galaxy where the Reapers would not follow. It was an expedition based on fear, not adventure.