To save everyone in the Suicide Mission, recruit every squadmate and earn their loyalty, buy the three key Normandy upgrades, go through the Omega 4 Relay as soon as the crew is taken, and put the right people in the right jobs. Do all four and your whole squad and the whole Normandy crew survive.
Most of the work happens long before the final mission. In Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Mass Effect 2 includes Kasumi and Zaeed, so the full squad is 12. Here is the checklist in the order you need to do it.
The Checklist at a Glance
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruit every squadmate and finish every loyalty mission except Legion’s | Before the Reaper IFF mission |
| 2 | Keep loyalty through the two big arguments | Before the Reaper IFF mission |
| 3 | Buy Heavy Ship Armor, Multicore Shielding, and the Thanix Cannon | Before the Reaper IFF mission |
| 4 | Activate Legion and do its loyalty mission first | Right after the Reaper IFF mission |
| 5 | Go straight to the Omega 4 Relay once the crew is taken | No missions in between |
| 6 | Assign the right people during the final mission | The Suicide Mission |
Step 1: Earn Everyone’s Loyalty
Loyalty is the biggest single factor. A disloyal squadmate dies in nearly any job you give them, and also lowers your score in the final holdout. Finish all recruitment and loyalty missions before you start the Reaper IFF mission, because that is the point of no return. The one exception is Legion, who only joins during that mission.
Some loyalty missions can end without the loyalty you came for:
- Tali: Presenting the evidence against her father at her trial, against her wishes, costs you her loyalty.
- Thane: Keep him updated on his target’s position during the mission.
- Zaeed: If you choose to save the factory workers, you need a persuasion check at the end to keep him loyal.
- Samara: Her mission can also fail, so save before you start it.
Step 2: Survive the Two Arguments
Two pairs of squadmates fight once both of their loyalty missions are done: Miranda and Jack, and Tali and Legion. In each case, a high enough Paragon or Renegade score unlocks a line that keeps both loyal. Without it, you side with one and the other loses loyalty.
You can restore lost loyalty later by talking to them again, if your Paragon or Renegade score is high enough by then. To give yourself the best shot, do those loyalty missions late, once your score has climbed.
Step 3: Buy the Three Ship Upgrades
Talk to Jacob, Tali, and Garrus on the Normandy until each one offers an upgrade, then buy it at the research terminal in the Tech Lab. Skip one and you lose someone on the way in:
| Upgrade | Who suggests it | Cost | Who dies without it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Ship Armor | Jacob | 15,000 Palladium | Usually Jack |
| Multicore Shielding | Tali | 15,000 Palladium | One of Kasumi, Legion, Tali, Thane, Garrus, Zaeed, or Grunt |
| Thanix Cannon | Garrus | 15,000 Platinum | One of Thane, Garrus, Zaeed, Grunt, Jack, Samara, or Morinth |
The other Normandy upgrades are nice to have, but only these three affect survival.
Step 4: Handle Legion and the Reaper IFF
Start the Reaper IFF mission only when everything above is done. Afterward, do not open the Galaxy Map. Go to the AI Core, activate Legion, and talk to it until it offers its loyalty mission, then do that mission. Opening the Galaxy Map first triggers the Collector attack and takes the crew, which can cost you that mission.
Step 5: Go Straight to the Relay
The next Galaxy Map opening after Legion’s mission triggers the attack on the Normandy. From that point, missions count against you:
- No missions before the relay: The whole crew survives.
- 1 to 3 missions: About half the crew dies, including Kelly Chambers.
- 4 or more missions: Everyone dies except Dr. Chakwas.
Shopping, probing planets, and research do not count, so you can still top up materials. Your squadmates are not affected by this timer, only the crew.
Step 6: Put the Right People in Each Job
These are the jobs the final mission asks you to fill, and the people who can do them safely. They must all be loyal:
| Job | Safe picks | What goes wrong otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| Tech specialist, in the vents | Tali, Legion, Kasumi | The specialist dies |
| Second fire team leader | Garrus, Jacob, Miranda | The tech specialist dies |
| Biotic specialist | Samara, Morinth, Jack | One random member of your squad dies |
| Diversion team leader | Garrus, Jacob, Miranda | The leader dies |
| Crew escort | Any loyal squadmate, ideally Mordin | A disloyal escort dies. Send no one and the crew dies |
| Final fight, two squadmates | Any loyal pair, ideally Jack, Kasumi, Tali, or Mordin | A disloyal squadmate dies |
Everyone left over holds the line at the end, and that group needs to average above 2 points each. Garrus, Grunt, and Zaeed are worth 4, so keep at least two of them there. Thane, Legion, Jacob, Miranda, and Samara or Morinth are worth 2. Jack, Kasumi, Mordin, and Tali are worth 1, which is why they make better picks for the escort and the final fight. A disloyal squadmate is worth one point less.
Destroying or keeping the Collector Base at the very end has no effect on who survives.
What You Get
Keep everyone alive and you earn the No One Left Behind achievement, and every survivor can return in Mass Effect 3. If fewer than two of your squadmates survive to the end, Shepard dies too, and that save cannot be imported into Mass Effect 3. Our guide to what carries over between games explains the import, and the romance guide is worth a look too, because a romance ends if that squadmate dies.
If you are planning a run from the start, the best class guide covers which Shepard makes the whole trilogy easiest, and Mass Effect 1’s biggest call is covered in saving the Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you save everyone in the Suicide Mission on your first try? Yes. Nothing requires a second playthrough. It takes full preparation before the Reaper IFF mission and the right picks during the final mission.
Do you need to recruit all 12 squadmates? No. Several recruits are optional, including Legion, Kasumi, Zaeed, and Grunt. But more squadmates means more safe options for each job and a better score in the final holdout.
Do your squadmates die if you wait too long after the crew is taken? No. Waiting costs crew members, not squadmates. Squadmates die from low loyalty, missing upgrades, or the wrong job picks.
Who is the most likely to die in the final holdout? Disloyal squadmates go first, then Mordin, Tali, Kasumi, Jack, Miranda, Jacob, Garrus, Samara or Morinth, Legion, Thane, Zaeed, and Grunt.
Does Legion have to be loyal to survive? Only if you give it a job. A disloyal Legion can survive holding the line, but it dies as a tech specialist, fire team leader, or escort.
Is the Suicide Mission different in the Legendary Edition? The rules are the same, and the upgrade costs, picks, and crew counts above all apply. The main difference is that Kasumi and Zaeed come included, so everyone has the full squad of 12 available.