Mass Effect 5is bringing the game back to the Milky Way Galaxy, which means that the events of the original trilogy are going to be more important moving forward than they were when the series took a trip to visit Andromeda. However, returning the series to its roots means that the developers will have to choose which ending is thecanon ending ofMass Effect 3, even though many players found this part of the trilogy to be lackluster. Alternatively, there’s a way to continue the story of the original trilogy without having to pick one of the endings.
Mass Effect 3has three primary endings and one extra ending, and each of them would create a completely different set-up forME5.The Destroy ending tends to be considered more likely to be canoncompared to the others, especially with the extra scene that shows Shepard taking a breath in the rubble if the player has enough War Assets. Then, the Synthesis ending combines natural and synthetic life, while the Control ending has Shepard take control of the Reapers. Finally, choosing not to pick an ending results in Shepard watching the Reapers destroy ships from the Crucible.
What Is The Indoctrination Theory?
Mass Effect’s Contested Fan Theory
The short answer is thatthe Indoctrination Theory is the idea that Shepard is in the process of being indoctrinated by the Reapersto join their side, and that the ending sequence is where the indoctrination culminates to the point of either being successful, or Shepard manages to overcome the Reapers' influence. Players created the Indoctrination Theory as an ending that feels more fitting for the series, and make sense of the multiple plot holes and strange moments that don’t feel like they fit into the story. A lot of details make the theory seem intended to an extent.
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Since indoctrination has been part of the trilogy from the first game, and theCrucible was added inMass Effect 3without being mentioned at any point before that, the Indoctrination Theory isn’t an idea that came from nowhere. Saren, the first main antagonist, is revealed to be indoctrinated, and The Illusive Man inMass Effect 2is likely in the process of being indoctrinated, or has already succumbed to the Reapers' influence. So, it’s already been a theme that Shepard has encountered multiple times during their journey.
Signs Shepard Could Be Indoctrinated
How This Theory Fills Plot Holes
In general, indoctrination isn’t well understood by the races in the Milky Way, which makes sense considering that they were unaware the Reapers existed at all until it was time for another cycle of harvesting to begin. However, various characters who have been subjected to indoctrination or witnessed others affected by it have put together common signs. The residents on Eden Prime reported that they heard a horrible noise when Sovereign descended. Rana on Virmire describes it asa subtle whisper that makes somebody obeywithout question, which gradually turns those affected into mindless slaves.
The Rachni Queen showed some resistance to indoctrination, but the Rachni around her succumbed to the Reapers' songs, and she described them as being filled with oily shadow figures. Other characters, such as Saren, try to keep control of their minds by proving themselves invaluable, but Shepard accuses Saren of being fully indoctrinated without realizing it. All together, it looks like indoctrination wears away at the target’s mind,making them hear sounds, whispers, see hallucinations, and believe that they are still in control of themselves, at least from what characters who have experienced indoctrination say.
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Having been exposed to a lot of Reaper technology, it’s surprising that Shepard doesn’t show many signs of indoctrination untilMass Effect 3. However, there are multiple moments from the beginning ofME3that build a case for the Indoctrination Theory. First is the boy that Shepard sees during the escape from Earth sequence, which many players believe is a hallucination, but one that could be due to the psychological stress of the situation. However, the boy reappears multiple times as a dream or image, andhe always speaks for the Reapers, which seems like part of indoctrinating Shepard.
Additionally,Shepard has multiple dreams that fit the Rachni Queen’s description of oily shadow figures. If the dreams are due to trauma or stress, there’s no need to fill them with oily shadow figures for them to be effective. However, the biggest argument for the theory is in the final sequence, where The Illusive Man is at the Crucible’s controls for an unexplained reason, and Anderson somehow beat Shepard to the location. Finally, the last choices flip the morality colors. Control – the worst and most reckless option – has the Paragon color (blue), while Destroy is the safest option, but it’s Renegade’s color (red).
How The Indoctrination Theory Could Set Up Mass Effect 5
Creating An Unexpected Journey
There are actually a few benefits that come from using the Indoctrination Theory as the canon ending ofME3. First, it avoids making one of the three main endings canon, butit comes with the perks of the Destroy endingwhile allowing the use ofMass Relays inMass Effect 5. Instead, it could be explained as the Milky Way coming together with enough strength to defeat the Reapers, even if that took years to accomplish. It also raises the question of what happened to Shepard and where they might be, considering they were on the verge of being indoctrinated.
The Indoctrination Theory has been debated a lot in theMass Effectcommunity, and it seems to be either loved or hated. Even if it doesn’t seem believable, it’s tough to deny that the theory doesn’t fill in some of the many plot holes inME3. Because of this, it would be unexpected to see it become canon, but it comes with some storytelling benefits that the developers could capitalize on inMass Effect 5.
