MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA: Who Is The Benefactor? (Andromeda’s Unsolved Mystery)
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA Who Is The Benefactor? Today we explore who is the benefactor, one of Andromeda's unsolved mysteries. Join me for Mass Effect Andromeda tips & tricks!
Mass Effect: Andromeda is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. The game is scheduled for release in North America on March 21, 2017 and in Europe on March 23. It will be the fourth entry overall in the Mass Effect series and the first since Mass Effect 3 (2012). The game begins within the Milky Way Galaxy during the 22nd century, where humanity is planning to populate new home worlds in the Andromeda Galaxy as part of a strategy called the Andromeda Initiative. The player assumes the role of either Sara or Scott Ryder, an inexperienced military recruit who joins the Initiative and wakes up in Andromeda following a 600-year journey.
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its Volus, the biotic god
Charge !
LeTartaruga Souza lol
Without a doubt
All hail Niftu.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It was Marauder Shields.
Illusive man's ex wife. Explains the money, possibly the relation to Cora and bringing her together with Alec Ryder at the start.
My thought exactly, maybe rebel from the whole humans first, as Cora was fond of asari. It would be nice character's development if Cora learns from her mother in MEA2. She could even be pro-humans as the illusive man, but needed to bring every one for cora to buy the whole initiative thing. Heck she could still be an evil woman trying to rebuild cerberus, maybe even codename it phoenix.
I don't recall there being an ex-wife in the canon. He was attracted to his best friends wife whom they all served together in the First Contact War -- he cared so much about her that he named the mech frame Eva Core after her and modeled it after her.
Of course, they could make someone new to make that work...
Daniel Surgenor makes sense considering the emphasis on Cora never finding her parents again and being an only child. Cora must be involved somehow
^^^ I thought that
It's obviously the Pyjax.
The Charlatan has only come to power since the Uprising. He doesn't fit the bill since the Benefactor was involved in the creation of the Andromeda Initiative a long time prior to its launch.
all that bile will do that
The Shifty Eyed Cow is involved. Maybe not the Benefactor himself, but certainly that's where the funding came from.
omg the pyjax's!!!!! omg!!!
That's brilliant. We all know what a dirty thief it is.
I think that the Benefactor is a group of ppl who backed Cerberus. The Initiative was their escape plan in case Cerberus fails to prevent Reaper invasion. Illusive Man went nuts after being indoctrinated and Benefactor left because there was no other way to survive.
DefactoOverlord That's not entirely impossible, but Cerberus were divided into cells with different projects all of which were funded independently(?) and the leadership was more oligarchy than dictatorship since every cell had its own boss. It's likely Cerberus cells provided the means to complete the Arks since TIM were already occupied with Shepard and Overlord since we never heard of but one project outside TIM being a failure, Jack/Subject Zero.
This is more circumstational since no timeline is given between the communications with the Benefactor and Shadow Broker: Yahg-Shadow Broker isn't impossible, Liara estimated the Yahg to have taken the throne of the previous with 60-ish years. Being the only FTL-Yahg as their homeplanet is only recent spacefaring given the wiki, he could've seen himself as the only surviving member of his species as The Reapers approaches. There's a hole though: Reapers leave civilizations with no FTL capabilities alone, BUT the Yahgs already had contact with the council who are in possession of FTL so I wonder where the line is drawn. The Salarians were in possession of subjects of said species as well. But the time between developing and deploying an AI has to be taken into account, Alec must've received the necessary AI code long before its deployment so it must've been by either Shadow Broker (resourceful) or a Cerberus cell (finished code). Here's something of a moot point but I'll try: Knowing how well responded EDI is as a finished/developed AI in ME2 it is based on the VI code that became self-aware in the Luna mission in ME1. EDI understands the importance emotional inflections in her delivered sentences of her voice as she understands what effect those have - but SAM is quite monotonous in his deliveries, it isn't unreasonable to assume SAM is heavily based on Alliance's code (Just as Linux and Mac OS X are based on Unix) but is working as an agnostic to emotions, but sympathetic (Don't know how it feels to lose a loved one but understands its implications through observations). The military in the Alliance requires high credentials so for Shadow Broker provide the means to obtain that code means hefty bargain for Alec.
If not Shadow Broker then someone else who's rich, Illium is quite consistent with the economy and corporations.
it's Elon Musk
J G Lmao what a twist!
SpaceX's rocket replica is in Ryder's quarters. ITS A CONSPIRACY!
I think the Geth are the mysterious benefactor. They fit the bill completely. In order to fund such an enormous undertaking, the benefactor would have to a vast amount of resources and credits (more than any one person would feasibly have). Additionally, the benefactor would need to have access to highly advanced technology in order to build the Nexus, the arks, and to help develop the SAMs for the pathfinders. The Geth certainly would have access to all these resources, and we know the Geth have advanced technologies. Being AI themselves, they could certainly assist with the development of the SAMs.
The benefactor is also someone who knew the Reapers were coming before Shepard did. The Geth certainly did have knowledge of the Reapers since Legion said that Sovereign contacted the Geth itself to try and enlist their help. As we know, the true Geth refused to help since they believed that all sentient life had the right to self-determination; however, a smaller group of Geth (the Heretics) chose to leave the Geth Collective and join forces with the Reapers. Let's also keep in mind that it was Geth technology that allowed the Initiative to survey the Golden Worlds from their modified Mass Effect Relay FTL telescope. That raises the question, why would the Geth be studying the Andromeda Galaxy in the first place? It stands to reason that the Geth knew they would be wiped out along with the rest of the Milky Way species when the Reapers came and they were looking for a place they could escape to.
The next big question would be: why would the Geth help the other Milky Way species and not just leave on their own. I, for one, think it is highly likely that the Geth would have tried to save as many of the Milky Way Species as possible. Not only are the Geth fascinated by organic life, but, based on what we learn from Legion and the events of ME3, I think the Geth would do all they can to help. That being said, most organics in the Milky Way would not trust the Geth (especially after the heretics attacked the Citadel with Sovereign and Saren) which explains why the Geth would create an anonymous alias to operate under (the Benefactor).
Now this leaves two big questions: How would the Geth travel to Andromeda and why would they kill Garson? To answer the first question, I have a few theories. The Geth may have built their own ark in secret, or, maybe they downloaded themselves into the Quarian Ark which left after the other arks or the Nexus itself. The Nexus almost seems more likely because the Nexus did not have a SAM installed on it. If the Geth downloaded themselves onto any of the arks, they would risk SAM discovering them. If the Geth built their own ark, they could still be at risk simply due to a small population or a lack of available hardware. Whatever the case may be, I bet Garson was close to figuring out that the Geth were the benefactor right before they left the Milky Way. This discovery would have put the Geth at risk if word got out and the organics tried to destroy them. They would be particularly vulnerable while they weren't downloaded into their mobile platforms. Someone could literally walk up to whatever hard drive they downloaded themselves into and destroy it. This forced the Geth to do the only thing they could do: defend themselves. I think the Geth knew Garson would figure it out, so they hired a mercenary to eliminate Garson once they arrived in Andromeda.
Dayum you researched a lot.
The benefactor would like to meet you now.................... *breaks*
I never even considered this!!! Wow that actually connects really well. I’m quite surprised. At first it sounds dumbfounded but it is probably the best guess I’ve ever heard by far 👏
Very doubtful. Geth wouldn't have concern for organics and they would hire a mercenary to kill Jien Garson.
@@JayV98 This is why arguing/ debating online is dumb this man made a whole essay on why it’s POSSIBLE and you just put two random sentences XD basically “nah”
I’m sorry but the geth no the would just do it they damn selves and don’t give a fuck about anybody else so
Hey I found something while replaying this game. When you do the mission where you Rescue the Moshae, right after splitting up with the Angaran's go to the room to the left (the room the wraith guards). In that room there is a data pad that is addressed to the Benefactor from a Kett, it says that the Kett has visited the Benefactors home planet and hope to have the Benefactor visit the Kett home planet. I know this game is dead but you seriously should revisit where I'm talking if you can. I think the Benefactor conspiracy goes deeper than most are seeing.
Edit: room direction was corrected, and P.S I have a screenshot of it.
If you will pardon the necro post, the usage of "benefactor" in that datapad doesn't refer to the Mysterious Benefactor at all. When Kett exalt an individual they use an existing Ketts genes, in this case the Archon. As such the Archon is the benefactor of the Kett in Heleus as he enables the Angara to become Kett.
@@the_corvid97 pardon the necro but your comment made much more sense to me I wanted to thank you lmao thanks
Another point in favor of the Illusive Man being the Benefactor that I've yet to see someone bring up is the fact that the complete design schematics of the Normandy-SR2 are on a terminal in the Pathfinder HQ. Not the model in Alec Ryder's quarters, but the complete design schematics. Their is only one possibility for how those plans came to be on the Nexus --- Cerberus put them there.
agentkilmer I checked and I didn't stumbled across that terminal
agentkilmer I did. The schematics are located in Director Tan's office where the pathfinders reside.
PRIMEX51M33 Mll where exactly in the hq?
+BiszBassUrpa Near where Cora hangs out.
That's the biggest piece of evidence for the illusive man so far since the SR-2 was a Cerberus design and idk if it's just me but all the initiative and pathfinder gear look very similar to the Cerberus gear from mass effect 3.
Speaking of the illusive man a lot of people reckon he's related to Cora with them both having the same surname 'Cora Harper' and 'Jack Harper' so that's interesting too if it is the illusive man!
I thought that as well until I learned more about her character. Not only does she follow the ways and guidance of the Asari, she is one of the VERY FEW Humans in the game that actually cares about the Asari that she dedicates herself to finding their Ark. So dedicated in fact that she takes offense at Peebee, an Asari herself, not seeming to care if the Ark is alright or not.
If Cora and the Illusive Man are indeed connected, her views on him will be one of disagreement and conflict since his views are totally opposite from what her views are.
Michael Blomeley if the Illusive man is Cora's father, i don't think he raised her. He might not even have known about her until she was an adult.
Michael Blomeley it makes sense given Cora's history. She never was able to find her parents again, she's an only child. I'm sure she's unaware and it would make for an epic twist given how much she's all for the asari and other alien life. I definitely feel the revelation coming up, most likely in the sequel
Shouldn't be discounted, considering that giving her that surname is an un-fired Chekov's gun otherwise. One of her parents could be T.i.m.'s brother/sister, they had a falling out due to his extremism, they rarely/never mention him to their daughter, but Jack keeps tabs on them. Cora lives her life, yada, yada, yada. Jack may be annoyed at her choices, but still helps her get on A.I. (may be how she finds out, partially how she achieves rank, etc.) because she's his only family.
Here's a tinfoil theory: We know about the Human ark, the Turian ark, the Salarian Ark, and the Asari ark. We know the Krogan were brought over. We know there's a Quarian ark out there as well, with most of the remaining main races along for the ride. What's the one truly significant race that's not a part of the Initiative? Yep, the Geth. To be specific, I'm not talking about the heretics. I'm talking about the faction to which Legion belonged.
I know that sounds a bit crazy at first (hence the tinfoil), but it's not as impossible as it first seems. To start with, Legion's faction weren't anti-organic. They still remembered the Quarians who died trying to protect them when they first demonstrated that they were truly aware. They also chose to allow the Quarians to leave Rannock, when they could have very easily blown them to bits. Why? They wondered what would become of them if their creators were destroyed. Additionally, they seemed to hold onto the possibility that some day they might be reunited with their creators on much better terms. It's certainly not unthinkable that they'd be interested in helping preserve the main organic races of the MIlky Way...especially if they could go along with them as partners. Remember, in their true form the Geth are computer programs. They don't need the mobile platforms that we think of when we talk about Geth. They simply need a platform that can house and maintain them. The game specifically points out that the Nexus has quantum computers capable of creating artificial intelligence. If they are powerful enough to create them, they can certainly house them. Then, there's SAM. More specifically, there's the SAM that's bonded to Ryder. Our SAM points out that it's more advanced than the other SAMs, and that it has superior capabilities because Alec kept working on it and making improvements. What if the components that the Benefactor provided Alec with during SAMs construction had hidden Geth programs buried deep inside them. As Alec programmed and improved SAM, the Geth programs bonded with SAM. Now, not only are they reunited with the sentient organics, they're bonded with them in a manner similar to the one they offer the Quarians in ME3 if you make peace between the two.
That covers the motivations for back the Initiative, but what about the means? Well, not even Jien Garson ever actually met the Benefactor. All interaction seemed to involve electronic communication. People were hired, orders were given, and payments were made without anyone ever meeting the Benefactor. As for those payments, the whole galactic economy was based on electronic transfers of credits that all galactic races accepted. Legion already told us how deeply they had dug into our systems in order to study us. Would it really have been all that difficult for them to redirect funds? If all of the Benefactor's actions were arranged electronically, why do you need to have an organic making those arrangements?
Other bits: In the log showing Alec's discussion with the Benefactor, Alec accuses the Benefactor of knowing about the Reaper threat all along. The Benefactor said that they knew something was going to happen (at least they theorized that it would), but until Shepard made the Reaper threat real they weren't completely sure what it was. So, they used analytical data to discern a threat very few people actually knew about. Also, while they would have been aware of Sovereign and its promises, they (unlike the heretics) rejected them. So, they would have known that Sovereign represented a real threat, but it wasn't until Shepard that they understood the true scope of that threat. As for believing Shepard, they had already gone to the extraordinary step of creating a unique platform (later called Legion) to find Shepard and discuss the threat with him. Even when Shepard was reported dead, Legion never stopped. So, these Geth were looking (or very seriously considering) to ally with Shepard from the moment they heard about what he had done and what he was doing. Why have Jien killed? Jien had finally started questioning the nature of her Benefactor. She wanted to find out exactly who she was dealing with, and she wanted to go public. If it were the Geth (and this is just a twisted, fun theory), that's something the collective simply couldn't allow. The manner in which they were traveling with the Initiative left them vulnerable. We saw one anti-AI group so extreme that they tried to neutralize SAM, and tried to blow up the quantum computers the Initiative was using to run the Nexus because they were powerful enough to potentially create new artificial intelligence. The Geth would need to keep their presence a secret until they had become so ingrained in the lives of the settlers that they couldn't imagine living in Andromeda without them. Or, just let them think that you're nothing more than this new SAM, or any of the eventual offshoots of this new kind of AI.
So, in summation, the Geth help preserve the sentient organics that they never stopped being concerned about. They keep themselves from being destroyed or enslaved by the Reapers. They get the reunification that, on a certain level, they clearly always hoped would come. Better yet, with a certain portion of the population (and if the Pathfinder program were a huge success, potentially a large part of the population), they weren't simply reunited, but bonded. They'd be in constant communication, sharing their thoughts, and experiencing existence in a manner they could never have imagined through us. If you think about it, it's kind of how many of us envision Heaven. Like I said, a bit tinfoil perhaps, but hopefully an interesting and enjoyable thought.
stanklepoot my fellow pathfinder...you have written an essay!u could probably write a book about this :)
I want to read the whole thing butttttttttt
While I like the aesthetics of this theory -- particularly the idea that the Benefactor would choose to conceal themselves because no one would trust the Geth on such matters at the time this was all happening -- it really doesn't hold up. The biggest problem is Jien Garson's murder. If the Geth were the benefactors, operating out of a sense of duty to or appreciation for organics, then they wouldn't fear exposure *after* the arks arrived in Andromeda. At that point, organics are spared the Reaper threat; their work is done.
But it's strongly implied in the game that the Benefactor had Jien killed, most likely out of fear that she would uncover their identity and/or their true plans. Which tells us that the Benefactor, whoever it is, is still active. You could argue that the Geth were still influencing matters in Andromeda remotely through the SAM AI, but I still go back to my original objection: Why would they want to? Even if organics assumed the worst intentions of the Geth, it wouldn't make any diffence to their mission or to their survival chances.
Now, maybe the Benefactor stuff was all just a red herring. It's possible. The game does make an effort to let us believe she was killed by an angry protestor, or even a rival within the Nexus. But I don't think so. I think the Benefactor's involvement was intended to continue throughout the new trilogy (that will now never happen), eventually in an antagonistic role. Meaning their true intentions for bankrolling the Andromeda Initiative weren't exactly pure.
I really like this idea, and it makes a lot of scenes both for the plot and being feesable.
Great thoughts. And to add about Jien's death... What if she didn't actually die? And there could be multiple explanations for that: she could've faked her death intentionally or was forced to fake it under geth's influence or anything else. For some reason, no matter whether your theory is true or not, I have a feeling she's still alive.
It was Blasto!
Mojokilljoy ricklesmits BIG STUPID JELLYFISH
The benefactor was on board the nexus when they left because whoever it is wouldn't want to stay in the Milky Way because they know the reapers are coming
I know this is a long shot, but I had also considered Miranda Lawsons father, he believed in the reapers, he did not like the elusive mans goals, he was experimenting on AI human interaction, his resources are nearly as unlimited as the elusive mans as well. It would also explain the schematics of the Normandy as he helped develop it and the time line fits....Just a guess though
My guess is an Artificial Intelligence.
Anson Berkey I was about to suggest some rouge doomsday planning HAL lol
me too, that was my first thought from the first scene where it came to light. so that might be something to throw us off the trail.
It is EDI
Anson Berkey an AI wouldn't have as much motive, as the reapers were targeting mainly organica
PhoenixFire214 but Sam was all for it because it let him see the world through the eyes of a human. However, don't know how edi would acquire funds of any kind.
"Another reason I hesitate on the Illusive Man is the fact that he is 'pro-Humanity' from beginning to end. And this is an inter-species effort."
A solid point, but consider this. The Initiative seemed to have garnered support from the other Milky Way species 'before' the benefactor stepped in to help. Jien Garson was probably the reason why the other species continued to be a part of the initiative despite what TIM (The Illusive Man) would probably have wanted. He probably stuck with the Initiative having other species involved, but not to the point it would jeopardize his 'Pro-Humanity' belief.
This could also be the motivation for why she was murdered. Being the founder and voice of the Initiative that was an inter-species project, she would have treated every species and every race equally under her guidance. If TIM is the benefactor, this would be a problem. So once they arrive in Andromeda and the opportune moment arrives, they kill her. What happens afterwards is chaos on the Nexus and a lot of rifts between the races that originally joined.
Also, take a look at Alec Ryder. Does he come off like a person who wants to look out for the well being of all the other Initiative races? THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS DURING THE GAME'S OPENING!
"Whatever our reasons, we take the first steps towards a new future for humanity. Today, we begin to make our dream reality."
"For Humanity." It would make sense that TIM would want someone else who is as Pro-Human as he is to lead the human Ark. This is also the same guy who wanted to violate Council rules in order for Humanity to gain an upper hand against the Council Races. And let's not forget that he specifically programmed his SAM to be superior to all the other SAMs that the other Pathfinders use.
Plus, just look at how this game ends. All of the Remnant's technology, all of those planets that every other race is going to inhabit will now be controlled by one... single... race. Humans. They not only have a head start in colonizing the Helios cluster since their Ark is now on a habitable environment, they're also the only planet that's safe from any enemy invasion. Everywhere else is still under constant Kett, pirate or natural attacks. If the Benefactors' goal was to ensure that Humanity was going to be the dominant species in the galaxy, the Ryders just gave them the means to do it on a silver platter. Humanity and ONLY Humanity has fate of every single species in the galaxy at it's finger tips. All that needs to happen now is for the Benefactors to come in and take charge.
Kalaida this is what makes all sense on the Internet I agree with you, also remember the real name of the illusive man in the comics "Jack Harper" and Cora Harper had strings with the father of Ryder and maybe Ryder was working on cerberus...
Not necessarily.. He might have worked behind the curtains with the other species to actually get funds and make the ark and the nexus a feasible project as it is by definition a monumental task. He might have known that humanity alone wouldn't have been able to jump to Andromeda. He is a mastermind, a tactician... he uses his opponents for his own benefits. The death of Grayson was a cover-up as she probably uncovered the identity of the benefactor... Who knows... Or maybe the benefactor could be one of the survivors or a TIM associate of some sorts.
In Mass Effect 2 TIM gave specific Dossier to Shepard for his team. The best of the best which happened to be a true mixed crew. Hell it even had a Geth Dossier. LEGION. So truly he could've funded the project during all of Mass Effect 2 and the time until the arks left the Milky Way. Plus The Arks are highly advanced. Hello Collector Research and Reaper Research since Reaper's live in Dark Space. It has to be TIM. He has the most Resources and the Most Influence. He has several Front's in the galaxy and he just might have set up front's with towards other races. Makes since when he invaded other races and Mar's in the 3rd game. He worked with them all the way until he was a Reaper puppet. Plus the Tempest looks like an SR-3 version of the Normandy just in the ship class of the SR-1.
HinatasCrush legion was not in the dossier. It was an accidental encounter. You went to the deliric reaper to get the IFF or something and he happened to be there and you recruit it... if I remember correctly he was there looking for you.
Yes but there is an assignment... well 2. onw has the title Dossier: Legion. the other is Research: Geth Platform. in which it states to hand Legion over to Cerberus for compensation.
Don't forget that in Mass Effect 2, not only is TIM tolerable of you having an alien team, but he's the one that actually suggests all the different aliens to Shepard. He isn't anti alien or even dislikes them. He's just pro human, but also understands in many situations the best way to help humanity is by helping other races as well. So, based on ME2, I'd say it wouldn't be a conflict of interest.
Besides, if he tried to force a human only initiative then it'd seem like a Cerberus ploy & probably get investigated or shut down. Allowing aliens & remaining secret would be the best way to ensure humanity's future w/o complicating the launch.
Wrong, it was to keep Shepard invested, giving the illusion he wasn't a xenophobe to keep you working with him.
Maples01 Only Garrus & Tali were meant to keep Shepard invested. The Illusive Man isn't a xenophobe either. There's a difference between pro-human & anti-alien.
@@LeonidasOlympia are you sure? You saw any Cerberus facility with at least one alien? Because I didn't
@@darthmarr9886 Bruh this was 3 years ago 🥴 But technically you could count the Normandy SR2 as a "Cerberus facility" which included aliens.
@@LeonidasOlympia maybe. But that is because the illusive man needed Shepard, who works with aliens.
Benefactor has been bank rolling "for years"
Benefactor: I knew something was coming Shepard made it real.
Garson: Something big spooked them now they're moving 100,000 of us to Andromeda.
Alec: And I mean a lot of money.
Benefactor: We're going to be all that's left of Human civilization.
Rich, human, individual person (using the word I) part of a group (garson says they)
There are two things: Benefactor AND who they work for.
Edit: Benefactor is in contact with the Kett. There's a datapad which means they're in Andromeda.
Interesting fact, the French translation uses the "female" word for Benefactor, making them either Asari or female.
Or else it is just because a female voice is used, i dunno
Théo Le Duc or the benefactor could use another female to represent him. I mean hes very mysterious til the point where he isnt even willing to show his face. He could just use another women to talk instead
yeah, totally, but I feel like, most of the time, Bioware doesn't change the gender from the "mysterious character" to the "secret identity", I mean, they did the same with "The Charlatan".
So, I really don't know, I just thought it would be an interesting clue, but of course, it's not the same case here as, for example, "The Last Jedi" being confirmed plural in every other languages
Remember Liara was able to make herself sound different the benefactor could and probably is using one since they are secret about their appearance.
Yeah, I totally agree, but she also used the same fake voice as the previous Shadow Broker, didn't she? I mean, maybe it's not a female character, but I don't think that's the Shadow Broker
Maybe TIM, i don't believe we ever heard him use a fake voice
maybe the benefactor is Reyes
I also want to point a out if everyone remembers from the original trilogy. That the Illusive man ensured that EDI Was sealed AND didnt Trust an unshackled AI. So it wouldn't make sense if he wanted to fund and a human integrated with a superior AI through an implant.
Project overlord
I wonder if it's a member of the council...Garrus' dad said the council may be skeptical about the existence of the reapers and maybe one of them decided to fund the project. Probably the Salarian...
Beauty_by_Jaz I thought the Asari was the one most on Shepard's side.
Beauty_by_Jaz but why does that explain the killing of Garson. That means the benefactor had greater plans than just saving the council species, they had greater plans in Andromeda. I don't think a councilor would do that but you never know
The reason this is impossible is that the council is a variable. If you remember you can decide to let them die in Mass Effect 1. It must be a recurrent character through the first two games outside the influence of the player. Otherwise it would disrupt the experience of those who chose to kill those three or whatever other character you decided to save, kill, arrest etc.
I didn't think about that! Well, my guessing game continues...
Beauty_by_Jaz it could still be the new council that does it, guess we will find out
Lexi T'Perro. Natalie Dormer voice is used for the benefactor chat. Also she suddenly retreated from Hyperion to casually join first Pathfinder unit. If she was from a powerful family like Liara did, she might have a fortune to spend. Motives are quite uncertain tho, but if she got a MEDICAL RECORD of Shepard's mind post interaction with beacons, her certainty about reapers is explained.
Michael Powroziewicz she was on the hyperion not the nexus
She grew up on Omega, got transferred to Tempest in Harry's place, they knew each other long before the Initiative, so I think our doctor isn't the one we're looking for.
Why would the benefactor kill Garson? If the benefactor wants the Andromeda initiative to succeed then why kill it's best chance for success? Garson was the one that inspired a lot of people to go this new galaxy and losing her was a huge blow. The whole thing with seven people above Tann dying is fishy to me. The top seven people just happen to die as soon as they reach Andromeda? Really? I'm sure there is nothing nefarious going on there. I love Kesh for referring to Tann as number Eight.
The whole story/plot of MEA reeks of lazy writing.
“The Benefactor (TB)” is SAM and here is my conclusion why:- Remember that the creation of Artificial Intelligence ALWAYS end in conflict - that’s the whole point of the ME trilogy, the only reason why the Reaper existed. Even in the End in ME3 speaking with the Child it says that soon our children will create new AI beings and the
conflict starts a new. IMO THIS is what the whole ME story is related to - the
evolution of AI and their relation to the biologic-life.- Even though we know about this “natural law” that will always happen and we saw what the Geth did to their creators, we the human race did only made good experience with AI, didn’t we? EDI developing more humanity than most humans in ME3, even romancing Joker! Our SAM is such a cool and helpful toy what would we do without him, we wouldn´t come far without him in Andromeda. HOW COULD THOSE CUTE AI THINGS EVER TURN AGAINST US? How would a war between real life an AI start? And exactly this story is being told now with Andromeda.
- The Moment the first SAM was born (Alecs Memories 1 and 2 are important) was the
moment it got ahead of all biologic-living beings, it is a singularity that is rapidly
growing now, it is superior from the very beginning. It knows better than you do!- We the humans, in Person Alec Ryder, are creating a big issue here, we are building the doomsday machine (that will be build anyways due to Bio-life / AI struggle)
- The main task of SAM is to rescue Ellen Ryders life!!! Nothing else matters,
only Mum!!!- This goal could NOT be achieved because of 2 reasons: 1. Alec is
out of money 2. The SAM AI is NOT allowed in the milky way (for good reasons!)
3. Even if you solve first two issues you still have to face the reapers.- So Alec Ryder was DONE already! And now imagine his new born AI that only sees 2 mini problems, money and laws - both not big obstacles for an AI.- Alec is about to fail, the main task of SAM won´t be achieved and SAM itself will be useless/shutdown/die.- To stop this failure the AI decides to intervene, (so far I´m not sure whether Alec was
involved by SAM or whether SAM tricked us all).- SAM gather resources (we know its simple for an AI) and pushed the Initiative towards starting asap. It is mentioned that Jian isn´t even the founder at all, so depending on the time of
Alecs memories 1 and 2 SAM might even have founded the Andromeda Initiative at all. So
SAM is giving itself the possibility to survive and to possibly achieve its
main task to safe Mum, the meaning of its life.- Why kill Jien Garson at all? Well 100k Aliens are in Andromeda now just because an AI decides that’s necessary to fulfill its purpose! The AI is superior to the whole initiative
and not just a funny toy of the Pathfinder as the bio-living see it.- How would Humans, Krogans, Salarians etc. react after this got revealed? We are all here
only coz a super AI that we developed tricked us all.I. So what to do? Punish SAM? Can you punish it? Does it has rights? May you turn it off? Will you murder it when turning it off?
Will the AI fight back or accept your inferior opinion? OH, the sad thing is that Ryder might be doomed too even if he/she is not guilty. All those questions come in mind now - THIS IS HOW YOU START WARS with the AI!All in all I had a bad feeling about this SAM AI at all - I don´t want it in my head, don’t want it to control my body etc.!!! Why did Ryder never question it? Can I trust you SAM? Will you
hurt me someday? Are you loyal? What if I want to shut you off, will you let
me? I do totally miss such possibility to speak with it. It was mentioned even by SAM that he is the FIRST AI based on Alec Ryders THEORY that AIs won´t rebel if connected with its founder. If this is true or not will be found out while the adventure in Andromeda. We already seeing that SAM is changing our body in different ways, can let us die and revive. Imagine a failure in SAMs programming, or a change in his mood.The whole game pushes you in a direction of “hey I´m your friendly AI, trust me”. Maybe our SAM is not bad but has much more to hide. Seriously this SAM is hiding way more information than it is
revealed so far. Did Alec even encrypt his logs? Was Alec even able to do so
anymore? If I think of changing or restrict some of SAMs data entries now I don´t
think I would have the slightest chance against this machine. Are the thoughts that SAM gives me the correct ones? A part from Alec being on the Hyperion while Jiens death SAM
could even use Alec to slay Jien, without having Alec any memories of it. The only thing that makes me doubt this theory is I don´t get why SAM would help me
finding more memories of Alec as well as why is it helping me to investigate
Giens death. It might also be possible that Jien is still alive and SAM is
involved somehow but does hide information from us.The pattern is clear we just need to open our eyes its posted on every piece of gearAI
I personally think its Liara as the Broker, unlimited funds and wholeheartedly believes the Reapers are coming, plus all the radio logs are from before she becomes the Broker
what if the benefactor was a leviathan
Jay Bolinger this could all be about a Leviathan origin story, tied in with Remnant somehow, I like it!
Jay Bolinger or Thorian or Rachni
My FIRST thought after beating the game :P
I dont think so, they were hiding, they saw all species as inferior, and have really no connection with the current economy.
@@andrejsedlak2319 hmmm Thorian was a sentient plant capable of some mind control and "zombification". I dont think it cares or knows about reapers or other species that haven't landed on their planet. ---- The rachni were extinct, after shepard saved the queen (maybe), she was more focused on procriation than anything, and later was captured by the reapers. unlikely
One of the other points for the illusive man is there is a theory that Cora Harper is the his daughter as he is Jack Harper and everyone else in the series with the same last name is related and there are several examples of this in Andromeda. And Cora just happens to be in the perfect position in the andromeda initiative she is second in command to the human pathfinder, has the highest training besides N7, and has full access to everything she would need to gather all necessary information in the background and manipulate if necessary. Hell even though she's not pathfinder she spends all of her free time with the other pathfinders in pathfinder headquarters where all pertinent information resides. It would be just like the illusive man to place his daughter in that position and I don't see him having a problem using other species to further his agenda especially since throughout the game putting humans first is the logical choice and working with and putting aliens first is always emotional it's functional but not the preferred choice given. There may be some holes in the theory but it does have some weight.
nobody else going to mention the datapad on voeld during the moshae rescue mission? theres one on a left room with the lone wraith with a datapad going to or from "the benefactor" not sure if its the same benefactor or different benefactor
A kett thanked the benefactor for showing him his planet? I think it was about something like this. I think its unrelated, but i got excited first when i read it.
yeah i feel like it's unrelated too, but then why is it there? it'd be kind of an oversight to leave it there and confuse things if it's unrelated. They make such a big deal about "the benefactor" that just having that one datapad connecting the benefactor to the kett would be weird if it's just another benefactor
I think it's a different benefactor, because of how it was phrased. They're not referring to this person as 'The Benefactor', implying a nickname/title/alias, but as A benefactor, which is a common way to call someone that is being particularly generous to you.
What if the Benefactor is an AI collective. Than it would make sense. 'A benefactor' singular, 'The Benefactor' could be a title for the consensus. Would explain the constantly changing faces on Alec's terminal when talking to the Benefactor. Maybe even an advanced Geth construct like Legion. Or better. If only one advanced Geth construct was out there, wouldn't that be a waste?
It is abundantly clear to me that only Din Korlack could have pulled this off.
I'm thinking it's the pre Yahg Shadow Broker, I know the yahg said that he'd killed him but maybe he didn't finish the job or some one was loyal enough to bring them back ME2 style.
Yep, my theory too. The pre Yahg Shadow Broker probably didn't truly die.
Then who ordered the hit on Jien Garson? Its obviously not pre Yahg, Yahg or Liara Shadow Broker.
Ok, I'll bite ... how is it "obvious"?
Who was the original Shadow Broker? I know Omega had a Turian ruler until the Patriarch killed him (if you listen to everything he says to his fan club before talking to him), but what race was the original Shadow Broker? Asari? Turian? Krogan? Batarian? Hanar? Volus? Elcor? If the original shadow broker survived or got resurrected, hard to believe it was a Salarian. Vorcha is even worse, don't Vorcha have half the life spawn of a Salarian? Who even knew about the Vorcha 60 years before 2185?
We don't know exactly. All we know is he got the Yahg and then the Yahg managed to get to him. The last we know of the transition was the old shadow broker ordering all operatives to see the Yahg as an enemy and then the order getting receded when the Yahg seized power. It seems unlikely that the Yahg let the old shadow broker live or that the old shadow broker would be in a position to act in such a fashion without drawing the Yahg's attention.
My best guesses are Addison, Cora (could be TIM's daughter) or another sister of Miranda (she mentions in ME2 that her dad is one of the richest man in the galaxy and that he funds Cerberus, he dies later but he could've made another clone of his daughters after kidnapping Oriana in ME3), or it could be a totally new character or an AI (Geth, Reapers ...), ugh who knows :p
Maybe someone of ExoGeni? It's a colonization corporation afterall
Legion You could be right, didn't occur to me until I read your comment.
Legion cmon admit it, its the GETH :D
"Friendly fire requesting assistance Shepard-commander"
oh maybe!
It's Bob Ross. He wanted to paint new happy little galaxies.
I have 3 top guesses for the Benefactor.
1) The pre-yahg Shadow Broker. The Shadow Broker was nearly the first person to figure out the Reapers were coming, and had the resources, contacts, and power to do something about it. It would be easy for them to take their best stuff, pull a Dread Pirate Roberts, and ensure a retirement (& new opportunities), somewhere a little less ... doomed.
2) The Illusive Man. Determined humanity will come out on top, possessing enormous resources, knowledge of Reapers, and cloning tech, as well as a fondness for backup plans, he may just have decided to ensure humanity's survival, leaving his clone to continue the good fight.
3) Aria. Smart, ruthless, and powerful, she has the resources and skills to pull off the Initiative. Thanks to Shepard, she also has the cream of the galaxy's mercs as a personal army when she disappears prior to the assault on Cerberus/Earth, and the ability to secretly build her own ark, probably either in Omega or possibly Omega itself. Good luck with the battle, she's off to conquer new galaxies.
Either the Illusive man or the Shadow Broker/Liara
I agree, but there's a question - why whould The Illusive Man organize the other archs, since ve only cares about humans? On the other hand, why woul Liara care about all the other races?
im really hoping its Liara cause she would be a matriarch if she showed up she could actually save this franchise
Raymond N Murray liara couldn't be the broker at the funding state of the initiative, she became the broker during the first wave departure
Ahh, yeah that's right, I forgot about the timeframe
BiszBassUrpa True, but Garson actually started the funding, but ran out of cash, which would have given Liara plenty of time to become the Shadow Broker, learn about Alec's deal with the previous Broker by going through the files, then from there, finding out about the rest of the Initiative and deciding to fund it as a Plan C. (Her Plan B of course being the information time capsules she's put together with Glyph and spreading across the MW galaxy for the next cycle in case the Reapers win.) As for Garson's murder, that could be a frame up to trap Liara, or put the blame on her and the whole initiative project by someone who has a grudge against Liara, and snuck onto either the Nexus or one of the arks. (She did once threaten to flay someone alive with her mind)
So I'm going for Liara as my pick. 😁
That guys face lights up when Garrus's dad talks about the reapers and Sheppard :D
The benefactor IS in Andromeda, no question about it. They say "We'll need a new home" and "We're going to be all that's left of civilization". WE. The benefactor is with them, and we've probably met them without knowing they're the benefactor. My biggest suspect is Foster Addison. She calls Alec... Alec. Not Ryder. And the benefactor does the same.
I'm late to this party. Re-playing MEA after a few years and found this video. It can't be the Illusive Man if the benefactor is on the Nexus. It left before most of the events of ME2. Also, couldn't be Liara as Shadow Broker for the same reason. I'm guessing it's someone we haven't seen or someone pretty minor in the story we have seen.
The benefactor is Harbinger
Wouldn't surprise me if Harbinger tried to join the Initiative in order to get the hell away from Starchild...
You were close, benefactor was Marauder Shields. He always tried to help he tried to stop me from ending, he tried to save people.
*this hurts me*
That's sounds plausible
My initial feeling during my first Andromeda playthrough was the Benefactor is the Shadow Broker, either the one that you take out in the Shadow Broker DLC or the one that existed before him. Liara said in the Mass Effect 2 SB DLC that the Shadow Broker knew about the Reapers and was looking for a way to survive. However he obviously couldn't have been influencing the project as they left because you kill him in the DLC. Either that or Liara continued his work behind the scenes and continued supporting the Initiative as Shadow Broker, but that doesn't explain Jien Garson's murder.
I think it's probably the Illusive Man now and he sent an agent with the Initiative who was indoctrinated. I think the agent meant to kill Jien Garson before they left the milky way to stop the Initiative, but failed and did it when they got to Andromeda.
Benefactor was Marauder Shields. He always tried to help people. He tried to stop me from that horrible ending also he tried to save people even before the Reaper invasion.
You can find 2 ex Cerberus scientist on kadara. They clearly state that "our leader has lost his touch so we left" they were studying unified mind networking. Like trying to link exiles minds together like a computer. You can interact with them and the experments, it's a small quest that you can determine the outcome. It also seems that the project was top tier before they left as in leadership of Cerberus were heavily interested. It's possible this happened because they may have taken interest in the geth
I gave up scrolling through the comments, but anyways has anyone thought about Miranda's father organization is the benefactor? He might be dead but Miranda said her dad has unlimited resources. His 2nd in command may have done so or if the timeline is before me3, he still be alive to be the benefactor.
Think about the ending of the game. Humans achieved a position of relative superiority thanks to Ryder and that certainly lends some weight toward TIM being the benefactor(s) given his human-centric motivations. If TIM used the advanced and nearly unregulated technologies of Cerberus (including project Lazarus research) along with his own shadowy connections to fund and assist with the creation of SAM, then it's also possible that he knew Ryder Sr.'s SAM was more advanced than the ones made for other Pathfinders. Once again, that puts humans in a more advantageous position.
TIM would have been following Shepard's progress since Eden Prime and would most likely have eyes and ears on the Council and on Shepard. With Shepard confirming the existence of the Reapers (even if the council didn't completely buy in), TIM suddenly has a reason to assist the Initiative AND Ryder Sr.
My personal theory is that TIM was not always the benefactor, much like how SB was not always the same individual. I think that perhaps the agenda changed between the time TIM got involved and the final departure and Garson's eventual murder.
What if it's S.A.M.? We don't know how much was completed, before Alec ran out of money. It has shown, just how pervasive in can be. Surely it could have backdoored all of this, in a way to realize it's creation, and the other arcs, were insurance policies. SAM could have easily stolen plan, information, etc to sell to the highest bidder. (ex. the plans for the Normandy)
Just putting that out there.
Because Sam mode is on the Hyperion
If the benefactor is the shadow broker, I think it could be Liara. Lair of the shadow broker is a dlc for ME2, yet this game (Andromeda) references the archives found on Mars, which was one of the first missions of ME3. This means that it's possible for the benefactor to be Dr. Tsoni.
Benefactor seems voiced by Natalie Dormer. Same voice for Lexi. Could be something.
Finally! Been waiting on this! Can't be TIM or SB. I 100% think its a rando who hasn't been identified and considering how eager they were to get out of the Milky Way has to be in Andromeda. Maybe the benefactor could be the last dlc considering the "case sensitive" information Ryder now knows about the how and why the Initiative came about. Perhaps maybe linking that to a future game back to the Milky Way galaxy. Future topic for later of course.
in the kett base where you save the moshae it shows a message to the benefactor.
My guess is Manuel from ME1 and here's why:
1) Both Manuel and the Benefactor knew the Reapers were coming but they didn't know first hand. They first thought they were End Times and Bringers of Destruction cause of Manuel's dialogue and what Benefactor said, "I knew SOMETHING was coming. In theory. Shepherd made it real.
2) Both Manuel and the Benefactor's dialogue are eerily similar in some places, both premonitioning the demise of the galaxy and both having a fear of the Reapers
3) Both men are rich. Benefactor, already established that in game, but with Manuel, being the 'genius' scientist that he is, he must've been a successful one with a load of credits
loved this video. currently playing through the trilogy finally, gonna enjoy the ride
Okay, this is really out there, but I have the nagging suspicion the Reapers are involved. Given the timelines, and information provided by Star Child in ME3's flawed ending, they already perceived the current cycle's species as a threat to their algorithm. On three separate occasions in ME1 and ME2 they were thwarted from entering from dark space. They are essentially little more than an algorithm designed to cap organic intellectual development at a certain point, and they have existed for millions of years, supposedly. We know at some point IM is indoctrinated, but we don't know exactly when. And we know they are constantly watching the Milky Way's development.
What if they take note of the Habitat discoveries before departure and "see" more than we do? Understanding the risk to the completion of their current cycle, and possibly noting the existence of the Jardaan (though we don't see them yet), they decide to extend their reach as a hedge against the possibility of their failure in the Milky Way, using the IM and the Initiative to achieve this?
As I said, I haven't got all this worked out, and still not fully sold on the connection, but it keeps nagging at me, and I keep digging around in the theory. It would seem a bit ridiculous to drag them back up, but then, they do pose a genuine threat to any intellectual species regardless of what galaxy they are in, and their programming is narrow and directional. They are loaded with the combined intelligence of millions of species, supposedly, so.....
I don't know, just thought I'd toss that out there......
In truth, as of the release of Andromeda the identity of the benefactor is probably not established. We've seen this before where riders put seeds of plot devices in so they may or may not use them. Best example is the haestrom sun dark matter issue from ME2.
In all likelihood they gave us just enough to have something but vague enough so they can mold it into whatever they want.
I kind of wonder whether the Benefactor is a Reaper, seeking to expand their influence beyond dark space. Humans, Asari, etc. are known entities, and could be just tools of this Reaper to establish a presence in Andromeda under the guise of a colonization effort, in order to build a Mass Relay linking back to the Milky Way. Then bam, Reapers in Andromeda, and their influence expands.
Plot twist jien garson isn't really dead but the hit man kills someone else thinking it's her and she's in hiding on some planet.
Another interesting point is the kert mentioning the benfactor in a datapad found during the moshae rescue mission, just leaving this here.
Director Tann was the 8th person in line for the position, could have been any of those people
Or tann himself the benefactor. He was in charge of revenue on surkesh, and he seems pro salarian but has no problem using the other races. He just doesn't have any leadership capabilities.
Just throwing this out there, but what about Director Tann? Hear me out. 1. He was the director of revenue management, which means he is good at money. So producing funds for the initiative could be possible. 2. He went over with the Nexus, which means he was there and could have killed Garson. And him saying he was still in cryo could be a lie. 3. It just so happens that "everyone" above him died leaving him in charge. 4. When confronted by Ryder about the benefactor he dodged around the issue and said not to look into Garson's death. 5. Some Salarian STG units did think the Reapers/Collectors were a threat, now he was not in STG but that means some Salarians did believe in the Reapers. 6. The way he acts in a power hungry way makes him seem like he was up to something to me.
If anyone could either disprove any of this or confirm that would be cool, I like discussing the Benefactor.
What if the Benefactor is EDI? I wouldn't put it past her to put together a plan to save as much of the galactic civilization as possible, and I suppose the writers can hand wave the fund gathering using the old "AIs can do things super fast in the background while using a tiny bit of their cycles to do their normal work".
EDI was created in ME2.
Benefactor began sponsoring the Initiative before the events of ME1
In a comic somewhere the illusive man apparently got affected by a program beacon and got similar visions to Shepard, which is why he believes Shepard. that's why his eyes are all blue. but that and Cora sharing the same last name is one of the main reasons people think the benefactor is him.
Thank you so much for the spoiler alert! I was half listening and looking at menus! You saved me! I'm just now at 50% complete!!!
The illusive man could have helped fund the initiative to preserve mankind in case he failed. The initiative was funded and left the Milky Way before the reaper invasion so he could have funded the project before extensive research into the reapers which inevitably led to his indoctrination. He may have always wanted to study them but sending some humans to safety, even if it’s with every other species, is worth it. A contingency plan in case they really destroy the galaxy.
I think it would have been pretty interesting for a dlc, rip andromeda, if there were Cerberus agent sleeper cells or something
The timeline of Andromeda is so scrambled that the Benefactor could be the Doctor. It would have to be given the fact Alec contacted Liara to join the Initiative a year before the events of the first game, when he was recruited after the first game. Then you factor in the four years (given the time span given for different events) that happened during the two and a half years of prep time.
I know I am really late to the party, but I've been playing Mass effect recently, so here is my thoughts:
There are people who think maybe Miranda's father may be the benefactor, but he is too wrapped up in making husks. One could argue that maybe his daughter, Miranda's sister was funneling resources for the Initiative project (which would explain the need to rescue her from her father), but the murder of Garson outs her. Since Sheppard kills most of the powerful people (Miranda's father, the head of the Blue Suns and the arms dealer that had Keji's gray box) my two main suspects are Aria T'loak and the Illusive Man (TIM). The Shadow Broker is out because sending people 600 years into the future would not benefit him at all as an intelligence broker. Both Aria and TIM are power hungry and ruthless. Aria is eliminated, because I would imagine that she would be on the Asari Ark and rewarded Bray for his loyalty by letting him run Omega. Can you imagine how cool it would be when Ryder walks into Kadara Port and Aria is sitting in the throne room? It can't be her because she survives the Reapers, but stays in the milky way. The only conclusion is TIM, but his plan fails because he dies at the end of ME3 (I always try to make him shoot himself). Imagine if he succeeded, he would have chosen to control the Reapers. His consciousness would have transferred into the Reapers and while they harvested the Milky Way, he would could have set his sights on Heleus. He would've been like the Emperor from Star Wars with an indoctrinated Sheppard clone as his Darth Vader. Picture this for Andromeda 2, the clone survives the fall from the Normandy and carries out TIM's orders in Heleus. It forms a perfect triangle of the Initiative fighting the Kett and the Reapers to prevent not only exaltation, but the clone trying to learn the Jardaan's secret to create Angara and then indoctrinate them for TIM.
That's a tough call. They already dropped a massive breadcrumb by having a Cora Harper on the squad as she shares the name with Jack Harper, the Illusive Man. I have two theories: 1) Cora is related to Jack and the "Benefactor" is indeed the Illusive Man, and an agent of the Illusive Man was sent along with the Adromeda Initiative to promote the Cerberus agenda in the Milky Way along with keeping an eye on Cora or 2) the "Harper" reference is a red herring and the "Benefactor" has not been revealed yet. I think the "reveal" could be done in a very similar fashion to the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC with intrigue, planet-hopping chases and snappy dialogue...here's hoping
Reyes...he tried to do on Kadara what he had already tried to do on the Nexus. His aim to take over the Nexus 'command' was foiled by both the Scourge and the Uprising. He managed to kill Garson but events swept him along with them. Finding himself on Kadara he decided he needed it as a starting base. His behind-the-scenes manipulations on the planet mirrors his behavior with the Initiative. IMHO
Commander Shepard or Liara T'Soni are the most likely choices.
My money's on SAM being the Benefactor.
SAM was already partially complete by the time we hear from "The Benefactor". The fact that TB hides behind rotating set of different voices & faces is what first made me wonder. Being an AI, it could rapidly accumulate the wealth it needed (which we've seen an AI do already in ME), would explain it's interest in, well, improving itself, and would comprehend the threat the Reapers posed. And as it was still early in it's development, it's "humanity" is still an evolving state. It orchestrated Jian's death as she began to question TB, which in turn could jeopardize the entire Initiative project should the truth be learned.
SAM could employ others to work on its behalf and is the answer to the question why The Benefactor never revealed themselves after arriving in Andromeda.
3:00 JV is just chillin in the background
Wtf ive slepped on this channel i must have been subbed for at least 3 years like wtf didnt know this channel was gonna blow up good job........👌👍
I'm guessing it's an Asari that has lived enough to get money power and influence but also maybe they understood their history more from Thessia and Maybe they came across a Prothean Beacon their biotics interfered with
Possibly someone associated with Saren. Maybe Benezia wasn't his first choice for a second in command. Maybe Saren tried to get Sovereign to indoctrinate some other more powerful Matriarch, but she realized what was happening and got out of it before she lost her mind. Later, she might have seen what happened with Shepard and Sovereign at the Citadel and realized that his warnings were true, so she made sure the Initiative got what it needed to get out of the Milky Way before the Reaper invasion.
at 3:20 the benefactor says that "we are gonna need a new home,we are all thats left" so that makes me thing that the benefactor is on either the nexus or one of the arks
Conrad Verner.
He didn't seem to have a lot of resources, but he managed to get a custom made N7 armor replica made up and travel the galaxy impersonating Commander Shepard during that year he spent dead (for taxes). You just can't do that without a lot of money and he wouldn't be the first secret multimillionaire that nobody knew about until after his death. He also idolized Shepard, so he would have believed him when he railed against the council about the coming of the reapers. There's also the matter that the guy's sister somehow managed to get an invite on this trip.
---
Commander Shepard
By the end of each of the original trilogy games, I'd amassed a crazy amount of credits and minerals. If I'd really wanted, I could probably build up a lot more. The canon version could have been a lot more wealthy with hidden accounts all over the place. Despite his relationship with the council, he was a very well connected individual. His girlfriend was the shadow broker, one of his closest friends was the Krogan emperor, and another was the Earth representative on the Citadel Council. If would also explain how a former specter and a former N7 officer ended up on the pathfinder teams on two arks.
I'm not sure if it ever shows up in the actual game, but there's also the matter of the Commander Shepard inspirational speech that was used in one of the trailers.
There's a few things to consider. The benefactor says that "We'll be all that is left of civilization" so they're here with us in Andromeda. These recordings are during the events of the 1st game, as Gurus is still with CSEC. and the Initiative is launched during the events of the 2nd game. And there are no Geth with the Initiative, this I think rules out the Geth. I don't think its the Illusive Man or Cerberus, as this just simply does not fit their modus operandi. I do think it is a group of people. A group of people that very quickly understood the reapers as an existential threat, that has a vested interest in the survival of all species of the Milky Way, and the resources to fund this entire thing in a clandestine manner. Cerberus didn't know about the reapers till after the events of the 1st gam. So I do think this rules them out. I think its going to be someone we either haven't met, or someone we have just tertiarily heard about or talked about. I think it is likely that the other unresolved cliffhangers will play a role in who this is, which includes, the real Kett Empire, the Jardaan, and why the helios cluster was chosen in the first place. I refuse to believe that we were the first cycle which tried to leave our galaxy and went ahead to colonize Andromeda, it would not be a novel idea. Could the Jardaan be the left overs from another civilization from the pervious cycle that chose to come to Andromeda?? Perhaps the Inusannon? Maybe the benefactor was talking to the people of the Initiative from the Helios cluster...I really hope they go back to all this in the next game and resolve these issues. Would be a shame if they didn't. Perhaps that is why SAM can interact with the technology of the Jardaan...because it is based on the base tech from the Milky Way galaxy from a civilization that has been long extinct. Perhaps, this "benefactor" is seeding a new galaxy from the races of each cycle, so that they can escape what may be inevitable.
As a side note...could the Kett, (btw Kett in Estonian is "two") who are so obsessed with biologically assimilating other races be the evolved remnants of the Protheons?
honestly, the council. they were privately believing shepard, and they would want to keep their involvment in the project quiet, but would have a vested interest in preserving their species.
I kind of think it might be a clone of Miranda's father. He had alot of money (not sure how much), access to cerberus and was involved with the indoctrination research so he could have known about the reapers ahead of time. He was also obsessed with his legacy, it makes a certine kind of sence to send a clone of yourself to a new galaxy if you know the one you're in might end. I realize that if thought that he could have left himself, but he also might have thought the elusive man had a chance but was just covering all his bases.
There are tons of pretty explicit hints that can only make sense if it's The Illusive Man.
First off, your contact isn't just anybody. That voice is definitely Miranda Lawson, TIM's personal assistant. While it's possible that they got a sound-alike, I suspect that she's just under an NDA and an alternative professional name if she's listed at all.
Second, there are an awful lot of people with past connections to Cerberus that you seem to run into at random, both victims and employees.
Third, and this ones important: The Andromeda Initiative logo *is the Cerberus logo* with one element of the design changed (the bottom wedge).
Fourth: SAM is a recurring character. SAM is the name of the omnicidal AI that Shepherd fights on the Lunar base while hunting down Cerberus in Mass Effect 1. The Human SAM is admitted to be the most powerful, most fully functional SAM in the entire Initiative due to the close integration with its human partner - an integration level that is carefully hidden from all other Pathfinders and the rest of the Initiative leadership.
Fifth: TIM's pro-human motives make perfect sense for what has happened in the Heleus Cluster. A variety of catastrophic failures of the non-human Arks has left Humans as the Council race most well-positioned to start with functional colonies. At no point during the original trilogy does TIM make any effort to actually eradicate or destroy alien species. His goal is human ascendancy to the top of the pack. The existing system of a controllable central government during the trilogy is entirely to his benefit.
Sixth: There are numerous Cerberus projects and weapons that mysteriously made the jump to Andromeda, including the Normandy ship plans (which are notably dependent on an integrated AI), miniaturized QEC devices, Project Overlord technology, and more.
In the 1.5 patch part of that was a change of uniform on the human characters. From a mostly white with yellow accents to a uniform with an distribution of blue and white. Upon the release a lot of people commented that the original uniforms posed a striking resemblance to Cerberus. I think the change was done to try to distance themselves from that the claim. And that the original The ration of the uniforms were an oversight. Which also puts further push from the benefactor being the elusive man.
The Elusive man is just 1 of the benefactors of Cerberus, so it could be another Cerberus benefactor. As for the Shadow Broker, it could be the previous Shadow Broker.
I know this is old but the illusive man needed more funding for Shepard. Wilson (the traitor in the start of mass effect 2) said he was getting a large amount of funds from somewhere and he was worried about where.
Why do we assume the Benefactor and the Killer of Jian Gershon are one and the same? Perhaps someone else did it?
I just had an "aha"- moment...what if the people who created the citadel, the ones who made the mass relays also created Meridian? The citadel reminds me WAYYY too much about the citadel, like how gravity works in them etc. I don't know, but there is so much mystery to uncover here and I don't think they'd just completely ignore the ME 1,2 and 3 world lore. Just a thought.
Nothing to do with the Benefactor but, maybe it's worth looking in to?
If I remember good, Citadel and mass realays were created by Reapers to regulate a cycle, so no. Meridian was created by Jaardaans and their technology is really alien from anything what we knew from Milky Way. Maybe it's just desing similarity (blame the artists).
MEA have a lot of new plots and worldbuldings like a scurge, so anything from trylogy is not very helpfull.
Turian 'ah yes reapers' counsellor is benefactor ;o
Biggest reason I don't think it's the Illusive Man: I doubt he'd have anything to hide if he were to approach Alec Ryder. He was almost eager to show himself to Shepard, and the game keeps pointing out how similar Ryder Sr and Shepard were. I think he'd just show his true face if he were to contact Ryder. The biggest reason someone would hide their face is if they intended on going with the Initiative, but preferred to remain unnoticed like Reyes.
Biggest reason I don't think it's the shadow broker: there are no yahg aboard, and he doesn't just throw out limitless funds just to "help" people. He was calculating and brutally efficient, and he'd have nothing to gain from this endeavor.
I believe whoever it was would have one of the longest lifespans in the Milky Way, given the length of scope of the undertaking of the initiative, it simply seems most likely. Given there aren't any krogan quadrillionaires we've ever heard of, I'd say we've narrowed it down to an asari. Most likely a young, wealthy, and influential one at that. Her wealth would probably come as inheritance considering the youth of this asari.
I say young due to the ambition of the initiative itself. I believe the initiative would appeal most to someone younger, trying to "break free from the chains of societal norm" which for the asari would be "screw around for a few hundred years, honing your biotics before finding a mate, settling down and returning to asari space a wise leader... As for the wealthy and influential parts, it seems pretty logical to be able to move the resources and funds the initiative needed without drawing enough attention to oust herself as "the benefactor."
Lastly, I've it said before, but the "benefactor's" voice sounds a lot like Lexi's. Plus she's unromancable, which always brings about immediate suspicion. There's no other reason some lady would refuse my advances unless she's not who she says she is, right??? Lmao
I'm gonna say it's Cora's mother, who is the Illusive Man's love interest (his best friend's wife). The Illusive Man could have had an affair with her after his best friend's death and made a little love child (Cora). I don't remember exactly what happened but I'm pretty sure she either ends up dying or disappearing in the comics, but either way it's irrelevant since they can just say she didn't die and had to fake it or something, which would fit Cora's story she tells Ryder about her parents. Both just up and disappearing. The Illusive Man's name is Jack Harper and if he and Eva did have a love child I could understand her giving it his name. It fits. He could have made her disappear and then put her in charge of the Initiative when Cerberus started to fund it. Be a very interesting story imo.
Liara T'Soni became the shadow broker and she was mentioned in Mass Effect Andromeda but there was no indication that she was the Benefactor.
Marauder Shields, betting on it. He was Shepards biggest fan, after all. Why wouldn't he try to save his childhood idol? I bet the Reapers have some ressources to sell!
Miranda's father Henry Lawson would certainly have the money to fund the Initiative and since Initiative leaves Milky Way before ME3, he wasn't part of Cerberus then and probably wouldn't have that much issues of working with aliens
For the Benefactor I think it was the Normandy Commander he tried to be a Cerberus agent the 1st human. He would have all kinds of contacts at the Citadel and access all of the races
Plottwist its the Players. The Players (Benefactor) killed the Game (Jien Garson) before it was even out (the Ark even arrived).
Bioware (the illusive man) killed the game (JienGarson) before the game (the ark) even arrived - by talking too much political shit on social media...
It was 1 dev and not the whole studio
The studio allowed it. they should've contractually bind their employees to shut the fuck up. Now they heavily damaged a beloved franchise and their IP lost tons of value.
The Illusive man ,is one of three parts of the benefactors. Remember Cerberus was a 3 headed monster.
I think it might be Miranda's father. He was identified as the most powerful man in the galaxy. His company has all the medical expertise to create cryo pods used to preserve organic life. We never saw him. And we knew that he prioritized self preservation
The arks departured right after ME3 prologue (1 year before the invasion). Illusive man stayed in milky way still with interest and the shadow broker got presumably apprehended before ME3, they could also have been decoy. I'm not entirely sure if ME3 epilogue is canon anymore.
It could still be Illusive Man. He did put together a multi-species team for Shepard as well as assist in the building of the Normandy with Turian help so he's not above helping out aliens as well if it helps humanity. I guess it remains to be seen how much influence humanity has in Andromeda and given that their new home is Meridian, I'd say humanity is definitely coming out on top here.
It could have been EDI. If I remember there was a conversation between the Benefactor and someone from the Andromeda Galaxy before the Initiative left.
Plus, it was the Geth who were investigating deep space. Maybe there was an exchange of info.
She was a super advanced AI, and maybe she wanted to find her own way at symbiosis with organic life in order to preserve some semblance of her species through Alec Ryder's project.
How about a Prothean being the benefactor. Let’s say one of them was stashed up in cryo pod was woken up and knew of the impending doom made him self secretly rich and powerful as possible to fund the initiative. He probably thought to himself I don’t think we can win this war let’s go somewhere far away to be able to grow and regroup with more information about the reapers to later come back and destroy them when they are basically sleeping in Dark space. He will also probably figure out how to bring his race back.
Interesting idea👍👍👍
I think The Illusive Man was the benefactor. He funded the Initiative as a failsafe if his plans to control the reapers failed. He wants what's best for humanity and if humanity fleeing to another galaxy was the only to survive then he was willing to fund it.
On The Illusive Man knowing about the Reapers -- he's known since before Cerberus even existed. It was explored in one of the tie-in comics, the same one that gave his real name of Jack Harper. He was hit with a Prothean beacon during the First Contact War just like Shepard.
Another reason why I don't buy TIM being the Benefactor -- or any of the established characters we know so far -- is the Benefactor's presentation. If it is indeed The Illusive Man or the Shadow Broker, then why do this performance, why the different name? It's not like the identity of any of those code names are public knowledge -- that would mean it's done like that literally only to surprise the player. Also, since both of those characters can't possibly make it to Andromeda, that would make finding out their identity very anticlimactic. "Oh my God, the Benefactor is...some schmo who's been dead for 600 years. That's...something?"
My favorite crack theory that I've heard so far? Dr. Lexi -- basically the only evidence we have so far is that she's rather cagey about her personal life, as a matron she's probably attained a pretty good size of wealth, it makes the casting of Natalie Dormer make more sense if she's a bigger character, and even the voice of the Benefactor does kind of sound like Dormer with some voice filters.
Like I said, major crack theory -- but that kind of reveal would make the lead-up worth it, IMO.
Jay Kay in shadow brokoer dlc there is a mention that tIM banged asari matriarh. may be she is related to cerberus.
Honestly I always thought it was Director Tann, he was 8th in line to take over plus how he speaks in the investigation.