You get Legion by finishing the Reaper IFF mission, then telling Miranda and Jacob you want to talk to the geth before handing it over, and activating it in the Normandy’s AI Core. Legion has no recruitment mission of its own, and it joins your squad the moment you activate it and agree to take it on.
The one way to lose Legion in Mass Effect Legendary Edition is to say “Cerberus gets the geth.” in that conversation, which sells it permanently. Here are the exact steps, what each option changes, and how to fit in its loyalty mission without losing your crew.
How to Get Legion, Step by Step
- Finish the Collector Ship mission. That unlocks the Reaper IFF mission, and you choose when to start it.
- Do everything else first. The Reaper IFF is the point of no return, so finish your other squadmates’ missions before you go.
- Fly to the derelict Reaper. It is in the Thorne system of the Hawking Eta cluster.
- Play through the mission. A geth helps you against the husks and goes down during the fight, and Shepard brings it back after the mission.
- Talk to Miranda and Jacob back on the Normandy. This is where the choice comes up. Pick “I want to talk to it first.”
- Go to the AI Core. It is on the Crew Deck, past Dr. Chakwas in the Medical Bay. Legion lies at the back of the room. Tell the guard you are activating it, and EDI cuts the ship’s systems off from it as a precaution.
- Accept it into your squad, then talk to it again to start its loyalty mission.
When the Choice Comes Up: Activate or Sell
The decision has two parts: the conversation with Miranda and Jacob right after the mission, and the moment you actually activate it in the AI Core. Picking “Cerberus gets the geth.” ends it there.
| Activate Legion | Sell it to Cerberus | |
|---|---|---|
| Right away | Joins your squad and opens its loyalty mission | 50,000 credits and some Renegade points, plus an email from the Illusive Man |
| Suicide Mission | One more option for tech specialist, and it counts toward your holdout score | Not available |
| Mass Effect 3, Priority: Rannoch | Legion appears, which keeps a peaceful geth and quarian outcome open | A stand-in called the Geth VI appears, and peace is not possible |
| Mass Effect 3, Priority: Cerberus Headquarters | Not there as an enemy | Legion appears there as an enemy |
Activate it. Fifty thousand credits is easy to earn elsewhere, while the loss in Mass Effect 3 cannot be made up. Legion is required for peace on Rannoch, and selling it also costs you a big boost to your war assets.
You Can Also Leave It Off
You do not have to choose at once. If you say you want to talk to it first but never activate it, Legion stays in the AI Core and you can turn it on any time, even after the Suicide Mission. That keeps it off the final mission, so it cannot die there, but it also cannot take a job or add to your score. We would only do this if the crew has already been taken and you have no time left to earn its loyalty.
Fitting In Its Loyalty Mission
The Reaper IFF starts a hidden clock, so timing matters. Legion’s loyalty mission, A House Divided, is the one mission built to fit in that window. Do it this way:
- Before you open the Galaxy Map, go straight to the AI Core and activate Legion.
- Talk to it until it offers the loyalty mission. If nothing else is left in your journal, it explains right away. If you still have recruitment or loyalty missions open, one of those may have to come first. Kelly Chambers tells you when it wants to talk.
- Go to the Phoenix Massing cluster, then the Sea of Storms system, then Heretic Station.
- At the main terminal, choose to rewrite the heretic geth (30 Paragon points) or destroy them (30 Renegade points). Either way you have three minutes to escape, and when you do, Legion becomes loyal and gains Geth Shield Boost.
That choice also moves your Mass Effect 3 war assets. Rewriting makes the geth assets stronger and the quarian assets weaker, and destroying does the reverse. Our guide to how many missions you can do after the Reaper IFF has the full timing and what each extra mission costs your crew.
Once Legion is loyal, watch for one more problem. When both its loyalty mission and Tali’s are done, the two argue in the AI Core the next time you board the ship, and you can lose the loyalty of one of them. The Suicide Mission checklist covers how to get past that.
Is It Worth Using Legion?
Yes, as the third tech option and a solid member of the holdout. Legion is worth 2 points there and can go into the vents if it is loyal. Our guide to who to pick for every Suicide Mission role shows where it fits. It uses assault rifles and sniper rifles, and its powers include AI Hacking and Combat Drone.
Because it arrives so late, a run that saves everyone leaves you only two missions with it: its loyalty mission and the finale. To see its other lines, such as its comments on Tali’s loyalty mission, you have to give up some of the crew, so that is best left for a second playthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you find Legion in Mass Effect 2? On the derelict Reaper during the Reaper IFF mission. After that mission, it is in the AI Core on the Normandy’s Crew Deck, past the Medical Bay.
Can you miss Legion? Yes, but only by selling it. Say “Cerberus gets the geth.” and it is gone for good. Any other path keeps it aboard.
How much do you get for selling Legion? 50,000 credits and some Renegade points. You also lose its loyalty mission and the peaceful outcome on Rannoch in Mass Effect 3.
Is Legion a squadmate in Mass Effect 3? No. It appears as an ally during the Rannoch missions if you kept it alive, but it is not a permanent squadmate there.
Does Legion have to be loyal for the Suicide Mission? Only if you give it a job. A disloyal Legion can survive holding the line, but it dies if you make it the tech specialist, a fire team leader, or the crew escort.
Does Legion count as one of the 12 squadmates? Yes. It is the last of the 12 to join.