Many gamers fondly look back on the Mass Effect series. Its incredible character writing, high-stakes plot, and immersive role-playing mechanics helped players imagine themselves in the shoes of Commander Shepard. They embark upon an epic journey across multiple worlds and planets to secure the fate of the galaxy from many powerful threats. Shepard also gains some powerful companions along the way.
Mass Effect 2 features a unique companion named Morinth — a character that only comes into the party at the expense of her mother, Samara. Choosing the Renegade path and sacrificing Samara can be a vile act. But for what its worth, Morinth is a unique and useful party member, and an interesting person to interact with aboard the Normandy. Here are ten things about her that most fans might not be aware of.
10 Morinth & Samara's Faces Are Based On The Same Model
Morinth and her mother Samara look almost identical. This is part of what allows Morinth to wear Samara's clothes and emulate her voice on the ship without anyone on the Normandy noticing that one of their crewmates had been replaced.
The developers based both characters' faces on the American model Rana McAnear. This continues the trend of Bioware basing the looks of some of their characters on real-life inspirations.
9 Her Real Name Is Mirala
Once she was pegged as an Ardat-Yakshi, Morinth was forced to live life on the run due to an insatiable appetite when she became, essentially, a sci-fi succubus. Before these events though, Morinth actually used to go by a different name.
Morinth's real name is Mirala, a name she uses to reach out to her sisters in Mass Effect 3 as well. The player learns this detail about their companion in Mass Effect 2's DLC The Lair of the Shadow Broker.
8 The Shadow Broker Doesn't Have Any Information On Her
Speaking of The Lair of the Shadow Broker, this DLC also reveals that the Shadow Broker was also keeping tabs on Shepard and all squadmates aboard the Normandy in Mass Effect 2. However, there was one exception.
Curiously enough, the Shadow Broker has no information on Morinth, though he does on everyone else. Either this means that the Ardat-Yakshi was extremely good at covering her tracks, or...
7 The Game Makes Errors When Referring To Her
It's not a stretch to state that most players probably never realized Morinth could've been taken as a squad member. It seems that Bioware understood this as well, given the errors that the game makes when it comes to Morinth.
For starters, the game states that she's an expert with Heavy Pistols when her actual specialty is Assault Rifles. Leveling up her Ardat-Yakshi skills all the way to Level 4 reverts the name back to Asari Justicar — Samara's identity. Along with this, the game has the odd habit of referring to Morinth as Samara.
6 Like All Ardat-Yakshi, Morinth Is Sterile
Given how Morinth keeps on talking about how the Ardat-Yakshi are the "genetic destiny of the Asari", fans could be forgiven for forgetting this detail. However, nothing she says can negate the fact that all Ardat-Yakshi are sterile.
This certainly would throw a wrench into Morinth's ideologies. However, depending on the player's choices, the character might not even be alive all that long to be corrected anyway.
5 Kelly & Kasumi Notice Something "Different" About Samara
Morinth might do a pretty great job of convincing everyone on board the Normandy that she's actually Samara. Still, two people onboard manage to notice something off about her presence. These two — Kelly and Kasumi Goto — communicate the same to Commander Shepard.
In fact, after the Suicide Mission, Kasumi outright mentions Morinth by name. She warns Shepard not to trust her, regardless of how helpful she might seem.
4 She Always Pretends To Be Samara…Barring One Exception
While Morinth never drops the act when it comes to imitating Samara in front of the squad, there's one exception in this regard. Morinth reverts back to her own voice and personality in Fortack's lab on Tuchanka.
During this event, a prompt will allow Shepard to talk to Morinth normally in front of the third squadmate as well. In fact, Morinth can even have a unique conversation with either Mordin or Grunt. This is rather odd, since both team members are oddly fine with the idea of Shepard murdering one of their comrades and replacing her with her evil daughter.
3 If Shepard Romances Her, Consequences Are Deadly
If gamers play their cards right with a potential romance option, then they have the chance to consummate the relationship by the end of the game. Morinth is also a candidate in this regard, but she's a romance option that players should decline from pursuing.
An Ardat-Yakshi ends up killing any person they mate with. Thus, if Shepard does decide to go forward with the foolhardy notion of sleeping with Morinth, then the consequences will be literally deadly.
2 She Wanted To Be Close To Her Family
Morinth might not sound like the most pleasant human being around. Still there's no denying the fact that she was still deeply attached to her family, regardless of her tenuous relationship with her mother.
She tried her hardest to reach out to her sisters in the Ardat-Yakshi monastery, only for her messages to be detected and deleted by the higher-ups. This effort is proof that she really did want to rekindle her childhood bond with her sisters.
1 If Left Alive, She Appears As A Banshee In Mass Effect 3
Ultimately, Morinth never manages to get a good ending to her tale — not that she deserved one. Even if Shepard rescues her in Mass Effect 2, she disappears for the majority of the next game, only to make a rather horrifying cameo.
During the assault on Earth in Mass Effect 3, a unique Banshee enemy by the name of Morinth will attack the player. Suffice to say, the Reapers got their hands on Morinth and turned her into a tool for their own purposes. It's a rather sad yet fitting end to the life a unique character with dubious morals.