Harbringer

Harbringer



Harbinger is arguably the main antagonist of Mass Effect 2. Harbinger is a Reaper, and directs the actions of the Collector, an insectoid race serving as the Reapers' slave caste. Harbinger's primary avatar is an arachnid-like creature with 4 glowing yellow eyes (referred to as Collector General in captions). However, his true form shares the basic design of Sovereign, the exception being glowing eyes similar to his thrall. Implants within each Collector drone enable Harbinger to control them directly, increasing their power, and enabling him to speak through them. When engaged in battle with Collectors, Harbinger will frequently use this ability to possess Collector drones. Harbinger develops an interest in humans after Shepard kills Sovereign, as they are one of the few species to defeat a Reaper. Harbinger directs the Collectors to abduct human colonists and use their genetic material to create a Human-Reaper hybrid. Harbinger expresses an interest in acquiring Shepard alive, instructing his troops to preserve Shepard's body if possible. After Shepard destroys both the Collector Base and the prototype hybrid, Harbinger tells Shepard that their victory is meaningless, and all that humanity has accomplished has been to acquire the full attention of the Reapers. He then abandons the Collectors, berating the General for his failure before releasing his control over him seconds before he is killed. This is likely to avoid making the same mistake that Sovereign made by not releasing control of Saren at the end of the first Mass Effect game, which ultimately led to its demise. Harbinger asserts that the Reapers will "find another way" to invade the galaxy. Harbinger is later seen alongside countless other Reapers, slowly approaching the Milky Way Galaxy. Harbinger also makes a brief appearance at the conclusion of the final DLC pack "Arrival" via hologram, in which he ridicules the futility of Shepard's actions and mocks that "Your leaders will beg to serve us". He ends the contact by remarking that the galaxy should prepare itself for their arrival. If the pack is completed before the suicide mission is undertaken, Harbinger will appear in hologram form as the Collector General, otherwise he will appear in his Reaper form. He will likely return Mass Effect 3, though to what capacity is unknown.

Harbinger is voiced by Keith Szarabajka.