While it remains unclear whether the next installment of the Mass Effect franchise will continue from the original trilogy, pick up where Mass Effect: Andromeda left off, or begin a new story entirely, Andromeda left fans puzzling over one big mystery in the Mass Effect universe that Mass Effect 5 needs to explain.
The Jardaan are an alien race that used to live in the Heleus Cluster before ostensibly abandoning it. Their presence is felt throughout Andromeda through the many creations they have left behind, ranging from the worker bee-like Remnants to a fully sentient organic species, the Angara. But with their influence on the galaxy clearly running deep, and Mass Effect: Andromeda's steam release seeing a renewed interest in the game after its lackluster launch, BioWare has big questions to answer in Mass Effect 5.
The Jardaan and the Angara
The Angara species, including breakout Andromeda squadmate Jaal, is native to the Heleus Cluster and is later revealed to be one of the creations of the Jardaan when Jaal and the Pathfinder come across the many genetic templates used in the development of the species. The reason why the Angara were created, however, remains a mystery.
Initially, the Jardaan come across as Andromeda’s answer to the Protheans, one of the most powerful species of the original Mass Effect backstory, and another ancient race that has left behind technology and hints of a past civilization throughout the galaxy. The Protheans, however, are never shown to have created organic life, complicating the Jardaan’s potential motivations. Just as the technology they have left behind appears to be centered on planetary maintenance, it is likely that that the Angara have their own purpose in the Jardaan's plans as well.
However, it is unclear whether or not the Jardaan left the cluster before they could communicate that purpose to the Angara, or whether the Angara have in some way been fulfilling their purpose unknowingly. Mass Effect 5 may still be a long ways off, but it will need to expand upon the nature of this relationship, giving players at least some insight into whether the Angara were created to benefit from the fruits of the Jardaan's labor, or, in some way, to continue and contribute to it, potentially at their own expense.
As Jaal says in-game, the “Angara are usually very free" when expressing their feelings. The fact that the Angara appear to have been created with intense emotion in mind puts them in contrast with the Jardaan's synthetic creations. With the Meridian being revealed as a kind of interplanetary data-farm, it seems possible that the Angara were created to perform some kind of emotional operations that the Remnants are not able to process, though exactly to what ends remains to be revealed. Jaal was a favorite squadmate for many Andromeda players, and many players will have finding out about his species' history among their hopes for the companion in Mass Effect 5.
The Remnant
The Jardaan’s presence is first knowingly felt in Mass Effect: Andromeda through the non-sentient machines they have left behind in the Heleus Cluster, the Remnant. Most of the Remnant, like the Architects and the Assemblers, seem designed with maintenance and terraforming in mind, with even the combat-focused Jardaan creations like the Destroyers being deployed defensively.
Mass Effect 5 has some big shoes to fill, and is faced with the challenge of distinguishing the Remnant from synthetics like the Geth of the original trilogy. Some differences have already been hinted at, with Foster Addison saying that the Remnant “think differently” to Prothean technology, despite appearing to be less advanced. While for now the Remnants appear to be non-sentient, it is clear that they are more complicated than meets the eye, and it remains a mystery whether they were abandoned by the fleeing Jardaan or left behind to fulfill some greater purpose, potentially the creation and maintenance of golden worlds for the Angara to inhabit.
The Scourge
SAM’s scans in Andromeda reveal that the Remnant left behind are around 300 to 400 years old, suggesting a time-frame for the departure of the Jardaan. Andromeda does not explain the exact circumstances of their departure, other than that the species was engaged in some kind of conflict which ended in the deployment of the Scourge, a dark energy cloud in the Heleus Cluster that produces Element Zero but interferes greatly with technology. Mass Effect 5 will need to explore this more if it is to overcome Andromeda's disappointing Metascore.
Considering the technology the Jardaan rely upon, it seems possible the Scourge was a weapon deployed against them rather than by them, but if it was created by them, the Scourge may also indicate that the Jardaan feared the Remnant after creating them, or had some other motive for destroying their creation before it got out of hand. Mass Effect 5 will need to explain why, if so, especially if it is to overcome criticism that the Mass Effect: Andromeda's story was underdeveloped. It is also possible that the Jardaan have in fact not left the Heleus Cluster at all, but remain in some other form, perhaps as AI or some kind of hidden manifestation related to the dark energy emanating from the Scourge.
Mass Effect 5 presents BioWare with some huge challenges if it’s to use the next installment of the series to return the franchise to its peak. Players do not yet know whether Mass Effect 5 will take place in the Andromeda galaxy, but no matter the direction of the franchise, some of these mysteries will need satisfying explanations if the Mass Effect universe is to feel fresh and exciting to players. Considering the surface-level similarities between the Protheans and the Jardaan, BioWare will need to figure out a way to tell an original story that says something new about the relationship between synthetic and organic beings in the Mass Effect universe that was not covered in the original trilogy.
Mass Effect 5 is in development.