If Shepard uses the Crucible to destroy the Reapers...
Admiral Hackett relates how the Reapers were defeated, saying that this victory belongs to every civilization. Even though the galaxy is devastated and the mass relays are severely damaged, Hackett is confident they can rebuild stronger than before. He regrets that so many people will not be able to witness the future that Shepard made possible, but resolves to honor their sacrifices. Eventually, the mass relays and even the Citadel are restored, and the galaxy enters a new era of peace.
- If the player's Effective Military Strength is too low, the Crucible will backfire, and annihilate most life in the galaxy. An alternate narration will be heard from Hackett; his outlook on the galaxy's future is much more negative.
- If the player's Effective Military Strength is moderately high, the Crucible will still cause some collateral damage to the galaxy, including the mass relays. Hackett's speech is mostly the same as in the high EMS, though he adds that it may take years to restore the relays.
- If the player's Effective Military Strength is high enough, Shepard is shown to have survived the Crucible's blast, taking a gasping breath in a pile of rubble.
Earth
Depending on the outcome on
Earth, various scenes of aftermath can be shown:
- If Shepard's Effective Military Strength was low, London will be seen in ruins.
- If Shepard's Effective Military Strength was high, London will be seen damaged, but largely intact.
- If Shepard chose to destroy the Reapers, a restored London will be seen with a new conduit connecting it to the Citadel which has also been restored.
Tuchanka
Depending on the outcome on
Tuchanka, various scenes of aftermath can be shown for the krogan:
If the genophage was not cured:
- A lone female krogan sits on a desolate Tuchanka. If Wrex was the Urdnot leader, another scene will show dead krogan lying amongst the rubble.
- If Synthesis was chosen, it will cure the genophage instead.
- If the rachni queen was saved (the real queen, not the breeder), the rachni settle on Tuchanka.
If the genophage was cured:
-
If Eve survived, she can be seen holding a krogan child.
- If Eve did not survive, another female krogan will take her place.
- If Urdnot Wrex leads the krogan, scenes of krogan reconstruction are shown.
Rannoch
Depending on the outcome on
Rannoch, various scenes of aftermath can be shown:
If peace between the
quarians and
geth was achieved:
- In the Destroy ending, only the quarians appear.
If the quarians destroyed the geth:
- In the Synthesis ending, the quarians are still living in their environmental suits.
If the following characters survived until the end, they are featured in the epilogue sequence
- Miranda Lawson can be seen studying Reaper schematics with Oriana (Control), or planning construction with other technicians (Destroy and if Shepard is dead - or Synthesis). If Shepard's love interest, she will be seen looking at the stars (Destroy and if Shepard is alive).
- Jacob Taylor can be seen working as an instructor (High EMS Control and Destroy), or comforting a female civilian with Brynn Cole (Synthesis or Low EMS Control and Destroy).
-
Samara can be seen visiting Falere at the new Ardat-Yakshi monastery, or resuming her life as a Justicar if she failed to apprehend Morinth.
- Zaeed Massani lounges on a chair by the coast (Destroy).
- Kasumi Goto can be seen reuniting with Keiji Okuda (Synthesis, and if the Greybox was saved), or still holding the graybox in a room (Control and Destroy).
- Jack is seen in a graveyard, laying flowers at tombstones (if her students were sent to the front lines), or working with Kahlee Sanders and her students (if her students were kept in a support role and Kahlee survived). If she was Shepard's love interest, she will be shown looking at the stars instead of Miranda (Destroy and if Shepard is still alive).
- Grunt and Wrex are welcomed back home to Tuchanka. If Grunt is dead, then a helmeted krogan will take his place next to Wrex. Grunt will not appear if Wrex is dead or if Synthesis was chosen.
- Mordin Solus, Thane Krios, Legion, and any other squadmate that wasn't saved in the course of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 will be seen in individual shots, seemingly nodding their approval at Shepard's actions. If Eve did not survive, she too will be included in the montage. If fewer than six characters are dead, then the last image will be that of a charred N7 helmet.
- If Mordin Solus is still alive (which is only possible if Wreav is the Urdnot leader, Eve is dead, and Shepard either Charmed or Intimidated Mordin to not fix the Shroud sabotage), Mordin will be shown near computer monitors studying a datapad in his hand while two krogan, one male and one female, are in glass tubes behind him.
If the Normandy survived the crash landing, the crew will be shown at the memorial wall, honoring the memory of all the people who gave their lives in the war. Shepard's love interest puts Shepard's name on the wall, right above
Anderson's. If Shepard does not have a love interest, Shepard's love interest is dead or does currently not serve aboard the Normandy (such as Kelly Chambers or Miranda Lawson, for example), then the character Shepard interacted with the most will put the Commander's name on the wall (with the exception of EDI, James Vega, and Javik). If that character is dead, then Liara T'Soni will be the one putting Shepard's name on the wall. If Liara is dead, then
Samantha Traynor will take her place.
- Exclusive to the Destroy ending, Shepard's love interest (or Liara, if Shepard does not have a love interest, the love interest is dead or is not a character who is currently aboard the Normandy) hesitates to put Shepard's name on the wall, and instead smiles hopefully. Shepard is later seen taking a single breath in a pile of rubble.
- Depending on how badly damaged the Normandy was, the final scene shows the Normandy either undergoing repairs or taking off from the unknown planet.