Mass Effect 5: Solving the Mystery of the Benefactor

Mass Effect Andromeda had several unanswered questions and with no sequel in sight, I do think the next game will address some of the major mysteries. So in this video we do a deep dive into the Benefactor, every detail, every theory and how the next game could answer this!
If you're interested in more Mass Effect content check out my twitter or my other videos!
Andromeda Wil Continue: • Mass Effect 5: Androme...
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kalaelizabeth
#Masseffect #masseffectlegendaryedition #masseffectandromeda #masseffect4 #masseffect5

[@kalaelizabeth]

0:50 GARSON FOUNDED THE INITIATIVE IN 2176 IDK WHY I KEEP SAYING 1976 MY BAD!!!!!!!!!!

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

WHOOPS!

[@MysticFL1-Beth]

In ME3 at the citadel hospital there was also a someone who hid their identity plus had the hospital name change.

[@PACKYCSONE80]

Good year...I was born

[@Raster1989]

I was about to question my entire memory about my playthroughs xD

[@iSuperVamp]

@@PACKYCSONE80 Yeah thats about four years before mine, I was like "huh?"

[@SpectreSaunders]

Kala really is our universes Shadow Broker.

[@chareltonstrand6443]

Plot twist. It Alec and his wife. He could of used proto Sam to get credits. He was an n7 so he would of had contacts to keep up with shepherd and the reapers. There seems to be several other reasons it could have been him plus even if he is dead, his wife isn't! She is in cryo. And that could have been why the benefactor could be introduced later in the game. Idk my own theory.

[@HustleMan31]

💯

[@prophetmaster4997]

Its Alec Ryder's SAM unit. I swear to god it has to be (in my opinion). The fact that the SAM unit can kill the other Ryder twin you play as is huge (technically both Ryders died on Habitat 7) The AI wanted to live. Its sentient and is a super computer. It could easily acquire large sums of money, figure out that the Shepard theory about the Reapers is tangible and hire someone to kill the major heads of the program to eventually and gradually implement their own plans. The biggest thing is that Ryder dad removed the safeguards from his SAM unit to gain an edge as a Pathfinder vs the other SAM units. This story reminds me a lot of the movie called "Upgrade" (which is really good if you havent watched it). It is free to go and do as it pleases. Even Alec said that SAM was much more advanced than he ever thought possible. Many warnings throughout the game about trusting A.I. I just now played through this game TWICE in the course of a month. Anyone saying that Mass Effect Andromeda had bad writing is full of shit. Most of the ppl talking about it negatively either barely played it (i had a 95% and 99% cmp rate in those playthroughs) or started the game with a negative mentality because of all the bad press around it. The game isnt perfect and could be better (the Archons end was kinda of weak) but most of the complaints i hear about it are petty and baseless. This was the Mass Effect game we wanted and needed that died way too soon. Was really interested to see life after they found Meridian. The planets that were affected by the terraformers, how it changed them over time and the growth of the outposts as time went on. The Quarian Ark and the futures of the species on board (also who was the enemy they were facing especially if it was the Geth) What happens in their fight vs the Kett after they defeat the Archon? Who is the Jardaan and what is the purpose/potential of the Remnant? Also who killed Garson and the main leaders? How was the Scourge created? I swear to god that AI unit in Ryder's head is their impending doom of the Andromeda initiative rather than the savior that it is perceived to be. Wanted to see what the choices you make in the game and how it impacted the future. Poor writing my ass. This game was very underrated, especially the goddamn combat and what you could do with it. I really enjoyed it and hope to see a sequel of it one of these days..... EDIT: I wrote this before hearing your theory on who is the benefactor? The fact that "Andromeda Initiative" is A.I is the cherry on top. YES his dialogue is very suspicious and the mf has an attitude problem if you ask stupid questions. SAM definitely can emulate the voice of a female human with ease by recording human conversations and creating a voice that is acceptable and comforting. There is NO ONE else that fits the profile of a mysterious benefactor that doesnt want to be seen besides the SAM unit. It sucks that all we can do is speculate. Had fun with this game. The first game to reveal what female Turians, Salarians, and Krogans looked like is huge.

[@SeverusHunt]

It's not SAM for some reason. Here's one of the reasons. The MEA Code states that the Benefactor has the political influence to protect the Initiative from the Citadel Council. Question: Where does a newly born and not upgraded AI have the political influence to influence the Citadel Council?

[@prophetmaster4997]

@@SeverusHunt ok...what are the other reasons? 💀

[@RangerJosey]

The question to put to Mike Gamble is a simple one. "Have we at any point in any game, comic, or book, met the Benefactor?"

[@ryanhampshire7042]

My money is on it being Liara after she took on the role of Shadow Broker, She knew of the reaper threat, had the ability to acquire funding/resources, had been in contact with Allec and it just makes the most plausible story no matter how you look at it.

[@nazimuddin5122]

​@@ryanhampshire7042 she became shadow broker several years after the arcs had left. She can't be the benefactor as prior to that she was as innocent as a maiden.

[@lennywebb274]

​@@nazimuddin5122Maybe the original shadow broker was the benefactor and Liara ran across the information after she took over?🤔

[@ginrummyjm87]

The illusive man I think the one we killed is a clone cause he died 3 years after the reaper wars if I remember correctly

[@lennywebb274]

Liara was the Shadow Broker when the arcs left for Andromeda. So is she the benefactor?

[@nikitakononets_1064]

Ok, I solved the mystery. The mysterious benefactor is that A.I. from ME 1 which stealing credits from the gambling machines in the Flux.

[@brianschwarm8267]

Compounding interest is crazy

[@RangerJosey]

I want more about the Kett and Jardaan. The Kett Empire is apparently massive. Covering a not insignificant portion of Andromeda. And the Jardaan could very well still be out there. Terraforming worlds and seeding them with life. Not to mention their great enemy.

[@saqwana25]

ugh i wish they never had the kett they ruined the pacing Andromeda.

[@RangerJosey]

@@saqwana25 The detachment in the Helius Cluster under the Archon could have been better written I'll admit. But he was a rogue. Ignoring orders from the Empire and obsessing over the Jardaan. Dealing with the Empire itself would be considerably different.

[@ddsjgvk]

I think it was supposed to be like the covenant from Halo or the Council of Andromeda

[@saqwana25]

@@ddsjgvk maybe but i just found then to be a less interesting version of the reapers. what think would have been a better story and removing the kett and focusing on the scourge and the jaardan and maybe the kett could have been saved for another game in the Andromeda line for when we explored further out.

[@markrobert9981]

The Reaper/Kett villain switch It seemed to me they went from one kind of indoctrination type of threat to another from mechanical to organic

[@larbearskitchen3990]

By far the most in depth and best video I’ve watched on the Benefactor. Truly well done!

[@DepressionShaman]

I still believe the Benefactor is the Shadow Broker. Liara tells Shepard that he knew about the Reapers even before they did and that he was scrambling for a way to survive what was coming. He knew about the Prothean beacon on Thessia. He knew about Javik's mission. There's entirely too many people from different worlds like Kar'shan (the Batarians discovered that derelict Reaper and denied all knowledge it even existed) that knew about Reaper artifacts and Prothean technology way even before the Citadel was discovered. The Shadow Broker had hundreds of years worth of top-secret data at his disposal. If it only took one human coming in contact with a prothean beacon to know the Reapers were coming, surely someone else before Shepard would know. Possibly even hundreds of years before the Asari discovered the Citadel. People like Aria (Aleena?) and Urdot Wrex have been around for centuries, and they don't openly share their knowledge of the past. And that's just two people. It has to be the Shadow Broker.

[@manofwarb]

If it was the Shadow Broker, why didn't Liara warn the Initiative through Alec that there will be an attempt on Garcon's life? She would certainly have stumbled onto that plan after having killed the Shadow Broker.

[@DepressionShaman]

@@manofwarb Not Liara. She didn't become the Shadow Broker until 2186. Jien Garson ran out of money in 2185. And her contact with Alec was way before she herself knew about the Reaper threat. By the time she became Shadow Broker, the Arks had already left the Milky Way.

[@manofwarb]

@@DepressionShaman she sends Alec a message while on the Normandy during the Reaper invasion, so she would have been able to warn him. Alec also has audio logs of a Reaper attacking Palaven.

[@DepressionShaman]

@@manofwarb Well that punches a hole in the theory that Liara is the Benefactor... but not the Yahg who was the Shadow Broker before her, which was my point. As I said in my original post, Liara tells Shepard he knew what was coming, but that doesn't mean Liara knew he was the benefactor. She misses key things as the Shadow Broker, telling you that while she has a vast network of spies and informants, she doesn't know everything. She didn't know about the Catalyst data from the Prothean VI, but at this point, we're kind of splitting hairs in a place that doesn't really matter. Remember that the Shadow Broker deals in espionage, not research. Liara didn't know about the Prothean VI simply because no one at the Mars Archives knew about it until a sleeper agent for Cerberus did. Alec was approached by the Benefactor even before Jien Garson. That's the kicker. A spy on the Citadel or an informant working for the Council who also was an agent of the Shadow Broker could have known easily about Alec's desire to create an AI to cure his wife, Ellen.

[@manofwarb]

@@DepressionShaman remember, Liara demands a status update on ALL ongoing operations ass soon as she takes over as broker and reestablishes communication with all agents. If some wet work was being planned against Garcon, she'd have been informed of it.

[@MassEffect1988]

I'm glad you and Mr Hulthen are keeping the buzz for the next Mass Effect 👏🙏 p.s I genuinely don't see the new Mass Effect releasing before 2026 😫😫😫

[@dorottyapapp]

It crossed my mind, what if they plan to release the next game on its 20th anniversary? They would celebrate with Shepard's return. Assuming that's what they're going for. Especially if they can keep the protagonist identity secret till then. The internet would explode. It would be quite a long suspense but the reward at the end? Finding out from the game, after a well done intro, I would definitely jump out of my chair.

[@eodyn7]

Big Dan Gaming?

[@craigharris41]

@@eodyn7 I think they should all do a Podcast together once Mass Effect 5 Goes Gold. What do you think.

[@EJD339]

Yeah, that’s what it seems like. It’s so weird they released a trailer for it so early

[@toastyboy94]

2026 damn I'll be glad if we get it by 2030

[@SeverusHunt]

I was revisiting Alec Ryder's memories. And he drew attention to one phrase that Benefactor said in a conversation with Alec. "Where WE're going." It sounds like Benefactor was going to fly with everyone to Andromeda. That is, everyone who remained in the Milky Way can be deleted from the list of candidates for Benefactors

[@MrHorsepro]

I finally watched this all the way through, and I must say, you have clearly worked very hard at analysing these theories and your findings, while clearly not definitive they are well thought out and easily conceivable. Thank you so much for all your hard work and detailed presentation.

[@parthingle3872]

50 min video about solving a mystery from an 8 year old video game I love the modern internet so much

[@ryanhampshire7042]

Pisses me off that in 8 years not one gaming company has come close to making a more engaging/entertaining game series

[@cagednephilim3967]

Great video, Kala. Dang, you put in a lot of hard work. I'm with you on your closing arguments. I don't think BioWare had a concrete idea who the benefactor was and they left everything about the benefactor so ambiguous they can do anything they want with it now.

[@GB-sh9st]

Legion-lead Geth off-shoot is my favorite theory. Awesome video!

[@intalek305]

When I heard the Benefactor's voice I immediately thought "wait.....Miranda?" Which would make sense Miranda somehow managed to get her hands on both The Illusive Man's fortune AND her father's fortune, she would be one of the few people financially capable of doing this AND have ties to Cerberus AND have firsthand knowledge of the Reaper threat. Then I realized there is no definitive proof that Miranda actually DIED.

[@SeverusHunt]

Are you kidding? The Benefactor began funding the Initiative before the events of the trilogy. Miranda didn't have the resources

[@intalek305]

@@SeverusHunt Could have been her father and she took it over, or could be some sort of time distortion due to wormhole travel, but even if not, don't be so sold on timeline stuff when they are playing with the idea of Andromeda characters potentially meeting Milky Way characters. After all, it's Jack Harper's DAUGHTER who is a major part of the Initiative. Allegedly.

[@SeverusHunt]

@intalek305 Miranda's father is a xenophobe. He wouldn't build Arks for aliens. As for Miranda and Benefactor's voices being similar. They were voiced by different actresses. Miranda was voiced by Yvonne Strahovski. Benefactor was voiced by Deborah Moore. It's also worth adding that Benefactor had political influence that allowed him to influence the Citadel Council. Neither Miranda nor her father had political influence.

[@intalek305]

@SeverusHunt sure that's fair

[@March-of-Time]

The geth being involved with or being the benefactor, could in a neat way explain why the geth are in the next games posters/concept art. Regardless, awesome video.

[@tickleboi6581]

Geth just makes sense If i recall legion dossier from shadow broker dlc correctly😂

[@john01112]

Found your channel thanks to youtube's weird algo. I never knew I was missing ME lore/news in my life but now its satisfied. Really like the videos

[@MrHorsepro]

Mass Effect Andromeda 2023 After over 4135 hours of playing this game, I finally realized why I enjoy it more than all the other Mass Effect games. It’s because of the multitude of diverse quests, projects, and personal interactions that one is presented with. None of these must be completed in any specific sequence to achieve an outcome. And many can be skipped altogether, which will not adversely affect the game overall. As a result, I find the game very relaxing and non-stressful to play. I will say, however, that my game is very heavily modified with 30+ Nexus mods, which overcomes many of those complaints from those playing an unmodified version of the game. As a longtime ME player and fan with over 4135 hours of MEA single-player play. And still with only 99% completion of the game. I am left with many storyline questions. Questions that BioWare should be willing to follow up on at some point. Such as 1: Why didn’t every Pathfinder get a scout ship? (Update, I found the answer to this in one of the books). I.e., Mass Effect Andromeda: Nexus Uprising Book 1 Mass Effect: Initiation Book 2 Mass Effect Andromeda: Annihilation Book 3 2: Who is this Benefactor, and where are they now? (I have no definitive proof, but I know who this is and why they are not showing up in Andromeda.) Remember Project Overlord from ME2LE, if you will. 3: Who killed or ordered Jian Garson killed and why? (Update, I THINK I know who did this from the book). 4: Why didn’t the Kogan people get their own Pathfinder? 5: Why is the Tempest not at least armed with defensive weapons? 6: Does the Quarin Ark Keelah se’lai ever overcome the pathogen onboard and regain control of their ark? UPDATE, I now know the answer to this one after finishing the book. But I will let the most dedicated fans find that answer as I did. (Spoiler alert), Cora Harper could never have become the Pathfinder when Alec Ryder died because to do so required that his replacement be one of his children for reasons that will be revealed when all the memory blocks are removed. That is why Sarah or Scott were the only options for this transfer. That is NOT the case with the other pathfinders. And finally, who ultimately becomes the leading member of the Initiative ruling body, replacing the current incompetent group? As well as other less essential story tracks left hanging with no way to pursue them. I love this and all the other ME games, but this one has always held my attention. And I am currently on my umpteenth playthrough. I am dedicated to reaching 100% completion of the game. PS for the channel owner and others that find several things about this game that they do not like. Try modding the game with Nexus Mods. I am running 30 mods with mine, and none is cheating. IMHO, modding is both fun and allows one to make the game more personal.

[@its_an_echo]

If only I could get mods for my console versions.

[@MrHorsepro]

@@its_an_echo That is prercisely why I never pursued a console for my gaming.

[@its_an_echo]

@@MrHorsepro I've been debating on getting it for my laptop, but I have no idea where I would start for modding games. I stick with gog.

[@juleswoodbury58]

What kind of mods are you running

[@ddsjgvk]

I can answer 5 because people are stupid and overlook things. A real life example is the Titanic sub which just happened

[@Vhardamis]

This is my first time watching one of your videos (I think, I'm old I forget things lol). This was well thought out and presently professionally. No wild speculation so insertions, just methodically thought out data. Well done.

[@deviija]

You did a ton of work, Kala. I'm sure it is A LOT for anyone that hasn't lived through these ME years and heard info, lore, tweets, and theories over time. It must be like pulling constant all nighters for college exam finals week on repeat. Fantastic job on finding and presenting everything! Like you mention, I think it was written on purpose to be open-ended for future writers to nail down and flesh out (if they ever wished to pick up the plotline again). I don't think they had anyone set in stone yet for the Benefactor. That said, I *do* think it likely that it is one of the many others aboard the Ark. Or even multiple someones... The Benefactor could always be a coterie; a small group of people that worked together to get this massive endeavor off the ground. Also, one of my favorite things is hearing Kala say 'suspicious.' It comes with the full weight of squinting scrutiny, doubt, and accusation of guilt each time she says it.

[@Jaxom35x]

The benefactor is the geth. Legion was not a singularity and was actually quite young. In the few weeks/months with Shepard, Legion actually grew more 'human' like. At the end, Legion even referred to itself as "I" instead of 'We'. Imagine another Legion type geth or a few even that coalesced into a very human like entity. Legion imprinted on Shepard. All emerging and growing sentient life imprints on something or someone. This new Legion type geth imprinting on Garson at some point, with or without Garson's knowledge. Shepard didn't know about Legion's imprinting at first. Then this new entity then helps Garson, with or without Garson knowing. I could go more and more into it, but I have to go to work.

[@SeverusHunt]

Not Geth. The Legion said that Shepard and his crew were the first organics the Geth had peaceful contact with. The Benefactor began sponsoring the Initiative before the events of ME1

[@ivanpetrov5255]

​@user-wr7mb3ic7m I do think it's some sort of very advanced AI (possibly ancient). After watching this video and reading Jaxom's comment, an idea popped up in my head - what if the Benefactor is a Reaper version of Legion? A rogue element, that split off the main concensus. This can explain why the Geth could build that telescope (I haven't seen that video yet) and how they got the Reaper tech to do it. This could be an orchestrated chain of events, that would lead to the Initiative using that info for the trip to Andromeda. Creating funds out of thin air - child's play for an advanced hive mind. But I don't know how that would tie to Garson's death. Maybe she was killed by the Benefactor's representative-on-site - an actual living person, that would communicate with Garson.

[@SeverusHunt]

@@ivanpetrov5255 то что это древний ИИ я согласен. Вполне вероятно что это ИИ от прошлых Циклов. Но это не Жнец. Перед релизом Андромеды сами разрабы говорили что Жнецам не интересны другие Галактики. Кстати, в комиксе-приквеле МЕ: Дискавери показывается что когда Кварианец вернулся к телескопу перепроверить данные, то Геты старались убить его и двух его спутников Турианца и Саларианца. В итоге Саларианец совершил героическое самопожертвование чтобы спасти Кварианца и Турианца и дал им сбежать с телескопа

[@ivanpetrov5255]

@@SeverusHunt Yes, normal Reapers might not be interested in other galaxies, but a rogue one could be. I also have not read any of the books or comics, so all that was just a wild speculation.

[@SeverusHunt]

@@ivanpetrov5255 read it, there is a lot of interesting things ;)

[@nickplays6420]

i just wanted to encourage you to keep going! you're doing really well and i've watched and shared your vids for the last couple of months. we need more content on this fandom for when the (hopefully) inevitable comeback of mass effect happens.

[@AviorEC]

It's been 6 years already and it was great to dive back into the story of Andromeda that way. 🤓 Thanks for the video! I would imagine it was a lot of work.

[@SeverusHunt]

Before the release of Andromeda, the developers themselves in one of the interviews said that Cerberus is not related to the Andromeda Initiative

[@kalaelizabeth]

I looked and looked for this comment but for the life of me I could not find it because I remember seeing this same comment elsewhere but never finding the actual source on it which is why I didn't include it.

[@SeverusHunt]

@@kalaelizabeth I have a link to the site

[@kalaelizabeth]

@@SeverusHuntcan you link it? 😮

[@SeverusHunt]

@@kalaelizabeth I'll try to post the link in the next comment. But KZbin does not like links and often removes comments with links.

[@SeverusHunt]

@@kalaelizabeth Yes, as I thought. KZbin deleted my comment with the link

[@michaelribeiro5777]

One AI could be Vigil assuming he hid from the council after ME. Apparently his only programming was to stopping the reapers, he may believe that populating the other galaxy with it's direction could over a long time defeat the reapers.

[@SeverusHunt]

The Benefactor started sponsoring the Initiative before the events of ME1. At that time there was no connection with Ilos

[@michaelribeiro5777]

@@SeverusHunt was there a definitive date given when the benefactor came in? Was it for sure before mass effect? I thought it was a undefined time after initiative started and when funding ran out, googling now but out of luck on my end.

[@SeverusHunt]

The Benefactor hired Alec Ryder for the Andromeda Initiative. Alec Ryder began preparations and contacted Liara in 2182. The ME1 events were in 2183. That is, the Benefactor began sponsoring the Initiative even before the events of ME1

[@Raster1989]

Allow me to propose another theory. Matriarch Benezia. She would have known about the Reapers before Shepard having been Saren's lieutenant. Having potentially lived for over 1000 years, I believe that is more than enough time to accure a vast amount of "unlimted" wealth. As for why she would help but then have Garson killed, she was fighting indoctrination. She could have had a lapse and sent another indoctrinated person with them. She would have also wanted her identity hidden to prevent Saren from discovering of her involvement with the Initiative while also showing that she herself was resisting Sovereign's indoctrination. Her death in sometime of 2183 also fits with the estimated 2181 of when Garson was approached for assistance. Ryder as well. Her motivation could have been to genuinely been to save as many people/races as she could, knowing that if she couldn't steer Saren completely into a less destructive path, that the Andromeda Initiative would have been her best hope to save people. "Why not tell Shepard?" Her indoctrination was considerably stronger by this point in time in 2183 and the little control she had left, she would have chosen to tell Shepard only the most important information before her death. The location of the relay Shepard was looking for. Being only two years before Andromeda's launch, I feel even with her death, she could have set things in motion.

[@yadirasiqueiros8777]

I’m making this my headcannon because matriarch benezia’s death was just meh, they didn’t even allow her to die with dignity.

[@VerluxUA]

Really enjoying your long-form content! I know it's a whole lot of work but I'm excited to see more :D

[@beaver6d9]

Wow, we went super deep on this one, just the way we like it! And as always, thanks for showing Andromeda some love. It still had meaningful additions to the greater story.

[@br61499]

Cerberus was originally a alliance black op which went rogue a few months before the admiral kahoku side quest.

[@happythoughts4553]

Amazing Detecitve work here makes for an excellent video. Thanks for putting all of this together

[@wraithspawn]

Wow that was awesome and thorough. I love videos like this because I can’t remember all the lore and names across all the games even though I’ve played the trilogy several times including the Legendary version. Also got all trophies (except the hang ten in Andromeda-glitched and vehicle doesn’t get enough speed). For that reason I love to hear possibilities I never would have thought about. Your hard work shows and you do have an amazing voice for story telling. Soothing and draws you in. Keep up the great work. This was my first video of yours. I switched to the telescope video then back to finish this one and it too was awesome.

[@kalaelizabeth]

Thank you so much!!

[@wraithspawn]

@@kalaelizabeth you are very welcome.

[@GMALEON]

Great analysis! Great video in general. Probably your best one yet! Keep it up please! Really enjoying your channel so far.

[@ChevroN7]

Love the video, and really appreciate all the research that went into it! I had only ever considered a couple people to be the benefactor, never imagined sooo many other options were possible. When I originally played Andromeda, I just assumed it would probably be the Illusive Man or some rival/associate of his. Even though it wouldn't make sense for him to want to save other species, not to mention the timeline not working. I didn't put much thought into it back then as I assumed we'd get DLC and/or sequels. Anyways, I really hope they don't retcon the lore to make Liara the Benefactor (even though that seems like the direction they're teasing). I really like your idea of it being an AI though, so much potential for storylines. Assuming we do find out more in ME5, my guess is as (it seems like) it'll take place hundreds of years post-ME3 then the Benefactor will likely either be an Asari or an AI 🤔

[@Kenny4753]

Finally able to watch this whole video and I really loved all the work you put into it. While my own theory is kind of busted now you brought up some possibilities that I never even considered. Also love seeing somebody talk about Andromeda and it’s unanswered questions. I personally loved the game and want MEA2 vs ME5.

[@HolloVVpoint]

TLDR: has to be TIM, only person who makes sense and fits the bill. Power, finance, motivation, belief in Shepard, prior knowledge of Reapers work with AI, expansionist, clandestine, similar portfolio of projects. Has to be TIM no one else in the Mass Effect universe (that we as players know off) has that kind of money or power. Additionally this type of project fits his profile when you look at the other projects he’s overseen (Lazarus, Overlord, the Colector ship, Human Reaper, the safety world where they put millions into cryo and experimented on etc…). I’ve seen people say it could be Liara but she wasn’t the shadow broker when the Initiative started or when it took off. Plus even the original Shadow broker didn’t have the resources it would take to fund this kind project. I know it’s not the most exciting theory, and people are grasping at straws for it to be someone else but unless they pop out some rando or create a whole new back story for a character (which is weak sauce) TIM is the only person who makes sense. Liara referring to the benefactor having knowledge of the Reapers and believed they would be back, his work with AI (which plays a major role in andromeda) and it isn’t far fetched that this would be part of a contingency plan if Shepherd fails. As the only person who believed Shepard was TIM. I don’t buy the whole Cerberus was racist spiel that’s why they wouldn’t fund Andromeda Argument, if he believed that the other races would be necessary for Human advancement or survival then he would have no two ways about it, ends justifying the means is their M.O, secondly, the whole “limited funds” is a weak point because in ME2 EDI says that Cerberus has lots of companies which act as fronts, secondly we can clearly see the scale of Cerberus might in third game which basically rivals not just the alliance but the council as well. Thirdly the whole voice doesn’t sound like TIM is ridiculous, disguising his voice and cadences etc… would be bread and butter for someone as illusive as TIM, considering that Shepard is one of the “lucky” few who ever get to directly interact with him. Most likely everyone else would of only heard what Alec would of heard. The indoctrination theory also doesn’t hold look at Kahlee Sanders for example she doesn’t flip on Shepard and is adamantly against the reapers up until the last 24 hours before arrival. And she was in close contact with the Reaper device for over 6 months. It’s possible TIM started the project way before he was too far gone. Finally, the benefactor being in Andromeda can also easily be worked around as there was a Shepard clone so it’s possible their could of been a TIM clone or he could of uploaded part of him self into an AI. Good video. But all the arguments against TIM aren’t strong, and as it stands he’s still the only individual who we know of that could spearhead and fund this kind of project.

[@SeverusHunt]

Before the release of Andromeda, the developers said that Cerberus was not related to the Andromeda Initiative

[@PACKYCSONE80]

One of the best mass effect KZbin channels

[@Soulie81]

One of the posters for ME5 is a crater in the shape of a Geth. I think they will play a big role in the next game. They most likely knew of the Reapers for years, since that array was looking into dark space (where the reapers lay dormant) I have a feeling you get enough geth together as a hive mind and they could very well imitate a human, and not speak like Legion. Legion speaks of the Heretics, but there could also be other "factions" of the Geth who have other objectives. I guess we'll see.

[@SeverusHunt]

In the comic about the array, it is said that it is connected by an unknown technology. That is the technology of the Reapers. Reaper technology could only be owned by Heretics

[@sheparian9981]

Amazing video!Thank you.I have wondered if the Benefactor could be Mirandas father,Henry Lawson.He is/was extremely rich and would have no scrouples having Garson killed. He could simply have thought of the Initiative as an escape plan in case they lost the war against the Reapers. He could have a ship ready to take him to Andromeda.The benefit of arriving a few years after the rest of the Initiative,would be that hopefully the new colonies would be up and running. This is not a well thought out theory,just an idea.(hope you guys understood what i wrote here.English is not my native language)

[@SeverusHunt]

The Andromeda Initiative was originally a human initiative. The Benefactor insisted that the Initiative be expanded to include non-human races. Henry Lawson supported Cerberus and held pro-human views. He wouldn't add non-human races to the Initiative

[@sweargaming666]

This is a very cool video...really enjoyed the timelines and the text drops sprinkled in. It does seem to me like they wanted to at least strongly intimate that Liara was either the benefactor or involved, if only peripherally or even indirectly, in some way.

[@jl-nz7gh]

I'm betting Addison died, and the Addison we see is actually Garson

[@kalaelizabeth]

We know what Garson looks like though, there's a video of her on the nexus and the cultural center has a hologram of her. Don't think she'd be easily replaceable when everyone knew who she was and what she looked like

[@TV22011980]

What I found a bit odd was an observation you can make in the Pathfinder Centre on the Nexus. You can find three holographic ship models in here. One of them is of the Normandy SR-2. If you examine it closer though you learn that it's not a simple 3D-model: It's the complete blueprints to build the ship.

[@monkeysk8er33]

You know who'd easily have that information? The Shadow Broker, who was a long time passenger on the Normandy.

[@girlinvt]

I don't think it was an AI or Geth. Could have been the Asari they had the prothean VI, they used to get ahead in technology/advancements after Thessias falls the Counselor states she had to see to the continuity of life? Not sure how that fits in the time line of rushing the Initiative to launch, or making it her job to get them launched. The Asari always played a long game, planning in the long term, they also tended to see themselves as the keepers/guide of the Milky Way species.

[@FLASK904]

It has to be the Geth. There are a few important things that have to be true with regards to the benefactors identity. 1. Must know the threat of the Reapers before ME:1. 2. Have access to a LOT of money/resources. 3. Be removed enough from the day to day politics of Council space to be able to remain anonymous. 4. Have a vested interest in the expedition to Andromeda. We know the Geth already supplied intel in terms of the Helios cluster. It is also suspicious that it was the Helios cluster where technology that requires organic/ai harmony to access is present. Perhaps the person speaking isnt Geth, and an intermediary, but the benefactor in terms of who is actually providing the resources, is Geth.

[@SeverusHunt]

The geth provided information against their will. A Quarian entered there and stole data on Andromeda. He transferred this data to the Initiative. By the way, these Geth were Heretics. In the MEA Code you can find information that Benefactor, with his political influence, protected the Initiative from the Citadel Council. Where does the Geth get their political influence? The Legion itself said that Shepard and his team were the first organics with whom the Geth had peaceful contact in ME2. Benefactor began contacting the Initiative before the events of ME1

[@viperswhip]

We met the benefactor in ME1, it was the AI stealing money on the Presidium, it let Shepard think that he/she killed it, but escaped.

[@StevenMorganN75]

This was an amazing break down and it does make me wonder if they'll actually acknowledge it in the new Mass Effect. Your videos are top notch, keep 'em coming Kala 👍

[@kalaelizabeth]

Thank you very much!

[@seanlyons2938]

No to the Shadow broker Liara theory. FACTS: Alec Ryder's logs in Ark Hyperion. Liara wasn't the shadow broker yet. NO the Illusive man, as he's already made and wouldn't need a new alias. No to the original shadow broker as he was shaking down Alec Ryder for giving AI codes to Alec. My benefactor theory is someone high up the alliance, as we don't know what secrets they have in their closet, or asari high command. Afterall, the asari were able to hide away aprothean beacon. I would also say maybe the benefactor is quarian. They have firsthand knowledge of AI, have insights to SAM, they have vast resources. Those are my theories on the benefactor.

[@TheMbangel]

Imagine the Benefactor is Alec's wife????? She was frozen and in a pod on the Ark. Don't know how she got the money or kept it from Alec, but just a crazy theory.

[@masamune..]

Ooh you're onto something

[@bobyjoe493]

This shits like a documentary kala. Love it

[@Gildra]

I'm sure the Yahg mentions he is not the first Shadow Broker, I'm sure he mentions killing the broker before him and taking their place (or Liara mentions something about this). It is plausible the Benefactor is still the Shadow Broker, but in title not the current person filling the role. That being said, I think it was someone we haven't met yet in the games.

[@SeverusHunt]

Liara in the DLC says Yahg killed the old Shadow Broker in 2125

[@reksraven]

OMG finally someone who doesn'tsee the same VA for 2 characters where one is a mystery and comes to the conclusion "hurdur they must be related" I swear to god this happens so often in theory videos. Good job

[@quintyss1290]

*Throws ideas out the window* Thank you once again for your thorough research! I guess we will have to see who the AI benefactor is in the next ME installment :).

[@darkbeach72]

I love the longer format content and just wanted to say great job. I hope to see more of this type of in depth analysis from you in the future. I had a hard time getting through Nexus Uprising. I felt like every millimeter of story development was padded with pages and pages of internal conversation. While it's good to understand a character's motivations, it felt like filler at times.

[@ZeepDr]

Fantastic analysis! Very interesting :)

[@kpacubo.]

Fantastic. Appreciate the work you put into this analysis

[@barkasz6066]

I think the three most likely scenarios for the Benefactor are: 1. The Geth. 2. Another AI / organic-AI hybrid 3. A person or group like Jaavik. The victims of a previous cycle who survived through integration with AI and want to help the new cycle and possibly return themselves

[@SeverusHunt]

Not Geth. The Legion said that Shepard and his crew were the first organics the Geth had peaceful contact with. The Benefactor began sponsoring the Initiative before the events of ME1

[@ArthurTesta]

@@SeverusHunt i think Legion referred to his unit, not the entire Geth consensus

[@peppermint1349]

wonder why Sam would not be just able to do this and considering so many pathfinders had sam..

[@SeverusHunt]

@@peppermint1349 Because a lot of Pathfinders only appeared after the Benefactor started sponsoring the Initiative

[@peppermint1349]

@@SeverusHunt but sam already existed

[@basilbrush6995]

Great VT 👍 thanks for putting in the hard work 😊

[@aizensama9141]

I still think that The Illusive Man was the one bank rolling The Initiative behind the scenes. Cora being his daughter just makes me believe that he's still got some more cards up his sleeve. Even though he died in Mass Effect 3.

[@SeverusHunt]

Before the release of Andromeda, the developers said that Cerberus was not related to the Andromeda Initiative

[@bwalker77]

Such a long video and you miss the most obvious suspect: .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Conrad Verner! In this essay, I will

[@Voltage256]

Andromeda was really over hated tbh. Sure it had a rocky launch but after they fixed it it was a great game with a solid story. It wasn't the best by any means but it did not deserve the amount of hate it got. It makes me really sad knowing there were DLCs planned for this game that were scrapped bc of everyone just continuously hating on it. But I am hoping that the new ME answers at least some of the burning questions we have for Andromeda as well I can't wait for it its to far away 😭

[@joke839]

I feel Goyle is the most compelling of the selection, in light of the fact she has presence in both the original novels and Andromeda's storyline. [Meta, I know, but from the narrative built around her, she was a fairly influential and savvy politician throughout her career, which itself was ended without much information. Apparently she generated enough clout to get a prospective specter within a decade of humanity's formal induction into council space.] Goyle's motivations for anonymity could simply be as a result of public knowledge of her person, and general backlash from the former council (As there is no council in Andromeda) races. Second to this, but bothers me a bit, where'd the stasis pods come from? Who made them and how? Like, I don't remember anyone using them besides the Protheans in any of the games, and even that was like "Whoa, those are some advanced ice boxes, wonder how they work." Side note: I'd love to read a novel about how Goyle came to power, Udina was a goober who lacked her initiative and foresight.

[@SeverusHunt]

There is such a Cerberus news network. This is the text news of the ME universe that Bioware released in 2010-2012. So, it is mentioned there that in 2070, earthlings sent a ship with stasis pods to Alpha Centauri.

[@alarictheredboi276yearsago4]

Me and the boys building intergalactic space craft in the late 20th century before the discovery of mass effect tech

[@Superpique]

I love YOU and your VIDEOS..... Keep it up QUEEEN

[@Mark-zo1hs]

I had a cool theory where I thought the Benefactor was a Leviathan. Why is that you may ask? 1) Well, the Leviathans knew about the Reapers before Shepard did. Just like the Benefactor told Alec about the "salvation" (aka the Reapers). 2) We know that early on, the Initiative ran out of money but was then suddenly boosted thanks to this mysterious benefactor. The Leviathans are/were the apex race of the galaxy. They could have easily and secretly provided the Initiative with the technology, knowledge, and resources they were lacking. 3) In Mass Effect 3, we find out that the Leviathan-controlled people act like robots. When the Leviathans reached Jian, they did not control her so that she could advertise the Initiative without acting like a robot. Since they are very secretive and Jian was aware of their presence, an assassin was told to kill Jian to preserve the Leviathans anonymity. 4) The Initiative was a one race project which then expanded to include the other major races. We know that the leviathans control the thrall races so having a bunch of them in Andromeda beforehand would be a benefit for them as they likely didn't want some unknown super race in Andromeda to wipe them out early. 5) It would be sad if this so called apex race continued to hide on a random water world. They wanted to escape and return in force and the Initiative is the best way to do that without making it obvious. Which we found out in Andromeda that the Initiative was in fact, an escape plan. 6) Alec received resources from the benefactor to finish SAM, an advanced AI connecting both organic and synthetic. Wait a minute, who created the most advanced AI in the galaxy? That's right, the Leviathans did. Why did they help Alec to create a synthetic ai? Cause that's something the Catalyst wasn't and it rampaged across the galaxy for millions of years. Of course there are holes in the theory but this is the best that I could come up with.

[@SeverusHunt]

One question, why didn't the Leviathans themselves fly away in 1 billion years?

[@Guiemar]

I have always thought the Leviathans were the "Benefactor" for several of the reasons you listed, also the memory where benefactor's "disguise" shifted between various races reminded me of the conversation between Sheppard and the Leviathan. Whether it was just one Leviathan or a group of them I figure they were seeding a new galaxy with suitable slave races to start again away from the Reaper threat, and they either travelled with the Arks (hidden inside or separately) or plan to arrive after the colonists are established. Jien Garson could have discovered this and been murdered to prevent her preparing the colonists to resist or otherwise disrupt the plans

[@geckosarecute6304]

Maybe EDI? But then again I'm not sure about that too for so many reasons we all know. Guess we will see if they mention it in the new game. Also very nice video! I was so confused while playing Andromeda but this channel helped! Thank you!! 😊

[@SeverusHunt]

As EDI, she realized herself in ME2. Benefactor started sponsoring before ME1

[@Joshuanjtg2]

Is Conrad Verner

[@MisfortunateJustice]

I am halfway through and you've made valid enough discrediting that I will put my money on Hackett and the Alliance military. Will finish tomorrow to hear your deduction. Oh also. I am subscribing now. 😎

[@brogarrus]

Appreciate and enjoy your Mass Effect videos keep it up 😊

[@MrGabyGaming]

I am sure as you said that it has been very hard to find and put together so much info and thanks for the hard work. As for andromeda i did enjoy the game to some % and i agree that it has/had a lot of potential story wise if done right. As for the next game i hope story wise they will find the right balance but none the less priority nr 1 for me is still wanting to see shepard back alive and the next game heaving the carry over decisions system that will include the cannon ending or if they dare take on such a big challenge as making it work with all of the 3 endingsi would go for that too but the ammount of info and scenarios + consequences its so big that i don't think bioware can make. To include all endings of the Trilogy and all endings of the Andromeda project its too big of a challenge even if andromeda does not heave too many changes in endings.

[@zachthurston9933]

There's a datapad in the Kett facility on Voeld that references a "Benefactor" that is also interacting with the Kett. Could just be a coincidence, but given how meticulous the lore of the Mass Effect games, it seems like maybe the Benefactor wanted the Kett to win for some reason and was bringing more genetically different species to the Kett for the purpose of making them stronger.

[@PrincessGoose]

WOW MY FAVORITE MASS EFFECT KZbinR UPLOADED AGAIN

[@clarissarochellekent9746]

Thank you for the cohesive brake down

[@Sto1c1]

Super interesting video and great research

[@vidiagamara]

love this video, just wish there were labeled chapters

[@kalaelizabeth]

ahh yeah I should have, for longer videos in the future I will for sure

[@juleswoodbury58]

Fans of the og trilogy: "Haha this game is weird, so many mysteries... ah well better not dwell on it." Fans of Andromeda: "why does every species look so similar eventhough they are from another galaxy? What does the Archon want? Who are the Jardaan? Who created the scourge? AND WHO TF IS THE BENEFACTOR?" *gif of Charlie Kelly in the mailroom

[@mobunagathevoiceofresistan801]

I’m glad someone did this. I kinda gave up on it when I started it

[@dorottyapapp]

The Virtual Aliens crossed my mind too, but I think it's someone we don't know yet.

[@Kenny4753]

I’ve been really looking forward to this video. Won’t be able to watch it yet but my own theory is that The Benefactor is Cerberus. Not The Illusive Man though. Cerberus = 3 headed dog. TIM is Head 1, Benefactor is ahead 2. Head 3 is still a mystery.

[@SeverusHunt]

Before the release of Andromeda, the developers themselves in one of the interviews said that Cerberus is not related to the Andromeda Initiative

[@Kenny4753]

@@SeverusHunt interesting. I never heard that before. While plans could always change as they develop the future of the series my theory doesn’t seem so possible now. I haven’t been able to watch the video yet but hopefully it’ll give me some better clue as to who it is.

[@MuffinManins_Cider]

Think it would be interesting if the the benefactor was just a collective of crazy rich people under the same Alias.

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

Arguably that would be the polar opposite of interesting.

[@digimaster0024]

In the main Mass Effect series (ME 2, and 3 to be precise), Cerberus makes it quite clear that they are organized into independent groups within the main Cerberus organization and that they have many front businesses. It could be possible that the money issues were just about the group that was working on the Lazarus Project. If that is the case, the pre-established Mass Effect lore would seemingly point to Cerberus being the benefactor, using Mirada as the figurehead. It could be possible that the reason why a Cerberus-backed project would allow non-human participation would be to attract actual participants, as the in-game Mass Effect lore shows that not many are fond of Cerberus. Also, if the funding shortage of Cerberus was organization-wide, what better way to hide the Andromeda Initiative funds, than by hiding them within another secret project (the Lazarus Project). The only other option for the benefactor that I can see based on Mass Effect lore would be the Geth.

[@SeverusHunt]

Before the release of Andromeda, the developers said that Cerberus was not related to the Andromeda Initiative. Not Geth. The Legion said that Shepard and his crew were the first organics the Geth had peaceful contact with. The Benefactor began sponsoring the Initiative before the events of ME1

[@r.katiekane252]

Plus, it is possible that Liara "took over" for the original benefactor, who may NOT have been a shadow broker at all...when she discovered the Andromeda Project. Maybe that's what the line about human defiance was REALLY about. If she discovered this AFTER becoming the shadow broker, which would also explain the changes made to the initiative. All I'm saying: I wouldn't be so quick to rule her out.

[@22bubi]

The best video about the subject I have seen! Amazing work! That said, I have a very hard time believing that any induvidual or a single organization could have that that amout of capital...ever.I mean I had to google how many 0s was in a quintillion. It's 18 btw, so even if The Alliance, Cerberus and Garson pooled their money together it would not be nearly enough. It's definitely not Cerberus, Alliance, Council, old or new Shadow Broker. And when I played this questline recently it didn't seem that this Benefactor cared at all about the cost. The bigest concern was to leave the Milky Way before the Reapers attack at any cost. When Alec spoke to them it seemed that Benefactor new something was coming, but Shepard confirmed the exact nature of the threat during the events in ME1. I could think of just a few reasons for the murder: - To take control of the AI away from Garson. - To keep their identity hidden at all cost. - To make sure no one from the AI ever learns about the potential destruction of the Milky Way people by the Reapers. - All of the above.

[@kalaelizabeth]

18 0s is hard to compute 😂

[@KnightofGaming1118]

Watching this while my phone slowly dies since I lost power from a tornado.

[@kalaelizabeth]

Oh no I hope you're okay and that you get power soon!

[@9threalmbattlereports22]

Lets not forget there are full SR-2 blueprints on the pathfinder lounge.

[@TheBitishDragon]

One theory I always thought held a possible way to explain it all was that the Benefactor was part of or working for the Asari Matriarchs or at least the ones behind the hiding of the Beacon and essentially ruled from Thesia's shadows like the head of their church or something, because the Asari are the oldest of the council races its possible they have much much deeper access to the money and rescourses of the Galaxy they basically rule.

[@retajansevanvuuren5173]

There is a side quest where you find ex Cerberus scientists that says they left because Cerberus started doing research in to bringing back people from the dead.

[@EdgeofAwesome]

ALSO: In a mission to rescue Angarans from Kett ascension, you can find a message on a terminal from “The Benefactor” to the Kett regarding ascension. 😮🤯

[@ldoc3988]

i saw you were theorising on twitter a while ago and actually went looking for any theory vids lmaoo, bless u for feeding the very starved mass effect fandom

[@Quadnt]

I always thougt the Benefactor would be a Reaper who rebels against the other Reapers.

[@kitwood4610]

One note on The Geth which could possible lend to it. We have seen ME5 art of a bar similar to Purgatory featuring goth Geth and the aliens from Andromeda. We also know that the Destroy ending is the most common choice for ME3. It could (and this is very loose) possibly point to the destroy ending being made cannon, which would have destroyed the Geth in the Milky Way, but allowing those that went to Andromeda to return and rebuild.

[@oliviawilliams6204]

I’m pretty sure it was meant to be an original character we have not meet yet. It has to be someone in the project.

[@adinu_rjay95]

I think the mysterious benefactor is someone who we never would have known personally, but someone whose organisation is someone we are all familiar with: the CEO of ExoGeni Corporation. ExoGeni Corporation is an interstellar company specialising in "planetary exploration and colonisation". ... Like come on, it is so obvious that if there was a secret plan to colonise new worlds with the Andromeda Initiative, ExoGeni would be very keen to invest. Imagine the worth of any resources traded back into the Milky Way. They would make a killing in Profits. But obviously it is all secretive because given the iminant arrival of the Reapers being a closely guarded secret... several races within the Milky Way Galaxy would be keen to leave. I also think the whole idea was to keep it secret from the Galactic Council catching wind of the projects true intentions.

[@VAustin89]

the council is an interesting theory, with a heavy backing from the Asari. Illium is dominated by the Asari and talking with Liara's mother some matriarch were not agreeing with how their civilization would move forward. Since the Asari were a favorite of the protheans and that massive beacon in Thessia they are way ahead of any species for doing long-term cotingency plans and some matriarchs might have banded together to get this started. The only one I can think of that can make this possible and would want anonimity would be a Reaper, mayube a far-fetched but everytime I hear Sovereign say that each of them are a nation in ME1 and Legion with a piece of a Reaper code in him that made him a true individual makes me conclude that maybe some reapers got tired of doing the harvest over and over again and splintered from Harbinger and indoctrinated some to start the Initiative, to run their own experiment on how to achieve synthesis since that is one of the choices that the Catalyst seems to like.

[@Dominic-sp9zp]

Seeing the cerberus come back would be awesome.

[@Crashthefool]

the out there theory i thought was it's the reapers, eventually andromeda would make a mass relay to connect to mily way giving reapers more to harvest to accomplish goal.

[@SeverusHunt]

The Reapers have been around for 1 billion years. Why didn't they fly to other galaxies before?

[@Crashthefool]

@@SeverusHunt probably wasn't sure if it had life I doubt even reapers would have had tech that good. So instead of sending other reapers they might need for the milky way get organics to build a relay so it's easier for you to get to and scout around. Or maybe they did send a small force and got asses kicked by the jaardan saw chance where they could swarm with Numbers with Andromeda initiative building a relay

[@SeverusHunt]

1. The Geth built a super telescope out of 3 Relays. With their help, representatives of the Initiative were convinced that there were golden worlds in Andromeda, suitable for the life of the planet. Habitable = Life. Let me remind you that the Relay is the technology of the Reapers. That is, the Reapers could at any moment look into Andromeda and find life there; 2. Arks flew to Andromeda in 600 years. The Reapers have more advanced technology. They can fly to Andromeda in about 100 years. There are 50,000 years between Harvests. All this time, the Reapers are in intergalactic space. For 1 billion years, during every 50,000 year interval between Harvests, the Reapers could fly to Andromeda and back millions of times. 3. Reapers thousands of thousands. The loss of a couple of Reaper Scouts will not affect the Harvest. Even if the Logic does not work, then I will lay out the trump) Before the release of Andromeda, the developers themselves said that the Reapers are not interested in other Galaxies.

[@captainhybrid4045]

"The council was against AI, and had been for quite some time." Hiding Prothean tech results in among the harshest punishments in council space at least, certainly at the hands of the council. Then you find what the Asari had been doing on Thessia for centuries. So I wouldn't put it past the Asari to do the opposite of what they tell others via the council. Do as I say, not as I do. Seriously though, I think that the Asari are some way linked to it all, including the Benefactor.

[@j.r.ceballosiii574]

Who would know about the reapers before Shepherd? Who could gather all the funds and resources, through indoctrination? A Leviathan. One who was sympathetic to the last cycles organics. It is a Leviathan

[@dwanpol-lovesdonuts]

I wasn't aware that the benefactor was in the Andromeda Galaxy. My bet had been Sha'ira. The Asari Consort makes a cryptic comment 'One does not leave the heart of the galaxy in desperate times because of some scoundrel with a video camera." It is easy to dismiss this as just being personal, but Sha'ira leaves the citadel during the time when Shepard is dead but comes back when they are found alive. She did not leave because she had faith that the reapers could be beaten, but that doesn't mean that she wouldn't hedge a bet. I realize she is a long shot, but based on her gift to Shepard in ME1 she knew about the reapers and might have been working to save the races in the Milky Way. She has the means, motive, and opportunity to be the benefactor.

[@kalaelizabeth]

Someone else mentioned her as well and I hadn't thought of it but I really do like the theory!

[@siennahartle9069]

Ok hear me out: Barla Von. As an agent of the shadow broker he would be adept and information gathering and have access to the early knowledge of the reapers. He specializes in moving large sums of money without detection so he could easily keep providing funds without raising suspicion. As to him not being in the andromeda galaxy I could see three possibilities. 1) since we only know what Volus look like by their suits he could have switched places with another volus and that’s who we meet in ME3, 2) He has an agent who he sent in his place, 3) He chose to stay in the Milky Way because that’s where all his power and money was and/or he believed that Shepard could win

[@B.N.Marian]

What about: a rogue Reaper (corrupted AI), or Leviathan? They had ability to indoctrinate / control. A the theory of an AI, no matter from when it was created (maybe from previous cycles) can do it also, could have manipulated more than one race for this purpose, reason for Geth telescope, or maybe the telescope was made to watch the Reapers when they wake up and ready to invade. And an AI could have used agents to speak for it, rather than interacting directly. Or something still unknow to us that used agents to interact.

[@JHS270694]

leviathans are inherently very selfish (fish, heh). They wouldn't help the 'lesser' races unless it benefited them somehow. I see them being quite antagonistic in the next game actually.

[@almostfaceman]

Yeah the whole background story about the AI, Benefactor, the twins mom, that was the most interesting part of Andromeda's story, though I did like the concept of the world builders. Stargate Universe was also going into that world-builders direction, that's a fun direction to go in.