Poll: Does Commander Shepard have to die in Mass Effect 3?

[Mediteral]

With Mass Effect 3 slowly inching it's way to release, I couldn't be more excited to see how the story plays out and to see the end of Commander Shepard's story. That line of thought however led to me to this question: Does Commander Shepard HAVE to die in order to "end" his/her story? I figured that the commander having to make a noble sacrifice would be inevitable but the question isn't "Will Shepard die?" It's "Does Shepard HAVE to die, for the story?"

What do you think fellow escapees? Do you think the Commander should die or not? I personally wouldn't want to leave my dear Garrus but if I have to for the good of the galaxy...

EDIT Note: I had clicked the checkbox for the Poll and I typed in the choices but it still didn't show up and I can't figure out how to fix it. Help?

 

[Tselis]

It all depends on how they choose to play out the main story arc. Shepard is part of something much larger than him/herself. That's part of the appeal of the character.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Since Bioware likes to brag about giving players a lot of choices, I'm sure that he doesn't have to die.

 

[CGAdam]

Have to die? Probably not. Should Shepard die? Mmmm... nah. Then Shep could give your assignments in the Mass Effect MMO Bioware is (probably) making. Also, they could change their mind in a few years and make another one with Shepard.

 

[PrimmaDoll]

I don't think Shepard -has- to die to end his/her story, there are lots of games or stories that has ended heroically and kept the main hero alive. Heroic doesn't always equal martyr, look at Luke Skywalker, his story has ended and he did not die in the end.

 

[.No.]

Taking the previous games into consideration, no. He could have died in ME2 and (possibly) ME. He doesn't have to die, it's just a possibility. It's like the fact that Shepard can lose to the Reapers.

 

[Alaster Angelo]

They'd just put him back together again like Space Marine Humpty Dumpty. It'll be fine.

 

[ZeZZZZevy]

In a word...no?

Stories can end perfectly well without the main character dying.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I hope not. He needs to build tali a home on the homeworld! So we can have backyard BBQ parties with friendly neighborhood geth!

 

[fix-the-spade]

Yes.
Hell yes.
ABSOLUTELY YES.

If you even have to ask why, I direct you to the example of one Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

If Shepard does not die, Shepard will star in Mass Effect 4, made by someone else than Bioware, then you will all, without fail, wish that Bioware had the guts to kill him definitively in Mass Effect 3.

So yes, Commander Shepard does indeed have to die.

 

[Sixcess]

I did think for a while that Shepard should die in a suitably heroic manner, but then I decided that would be too much of a grimdark downer ending. So no, I want my Femshep to save the galaxy and get a happy ending with the LI of her choice. I don't care if it's cheesy. She's earned it and I want an ending that makes me smile.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

Yes.
Hell yes.
ABSOLUTELY YES.

If you even have to ask why, I direct you to the example of one Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

If Shepard does not die, Shepard will star in Mass Effect 4, made by someone else than Bioware, then you will all, without fail, wish that Bioware had the guts to kill him definitively in Mass Effect 3.

So yes, Commander Shepard does indeed have to die.

Master Chief didn't die, and Halo 4 isn't going to be the end of the whole Halo fanbase. It's not going to completely suck. However, I'm pretty sure Bioware has exclusive rights to most Mass Effect stuff and they won't be selling that name for a long time. I mean, the Mass Effect universe will continue, but it will just be about other stuff. Shepard will probably be some sort of cameo to the next games. Hell, they barely even mentioned Shepard in the books and they were all great.

 

[Vonnis]

No. I want him to retire and become a cattle farmer on some backwater planet. That's how a true hero's tale ends. Not in a blaze of glory, but knee-deep in shit.

 

[Zhukov]

I don't know.

It does seem like a fitting end, or at least an end that could be made to fit. And I am absolutely certain that one of the endings for ME3 will involve Shepard biting the dust.

On the other hand...

So no, I want my Femshep to save the galaxy and get a happy ending with the LI of her choice. I don't care if it's cheesy. She's earned it and I want an ending that makes me smile.

Yeah. This.

Over the course of two games, I've become ridiculously attached to my Shepard(s). If there's a way to get her through in one piece then you damn well bet I'm gonna do just that. When all is said and done, I'm just a huge sucker for a happy ending. "Old age, marriage and lots of little blue children" sounds pretty good. Cheesiness be damned.

If you even have to ask why, I direct you to the example of one Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.

If Shepard does not die, Shepard will star in Mass Effect 4, made by someone else than Bioware, then you will all, without fail, wish that Bioware had the guts to kill him definitively in Mass Effect 3.

So yes, Commander Shepard does indeed have to die.

I applaud your motives. However, I doubt that would be sufficient.

Lazarus Project 2.0. Enough said.

 

[IamQ]

I doubt that. But I'm really curious as to how they will end it. The last thing I want from them is a cop-out ending like:

"Oh what luck! The Quarians remembered that they have a super-awesome-Death Ray that they can use to kill all the reapers with!"

And the big moral choice at the end is wether it's right to kill them all or not.

 

[Davih]

He doesn't have to die, just has to be put out of the story permanently, of which the easiest way to perform this would be death.

 

[Wolfhowl the shadow lurker]

in the words of nick from l4d 2

"i have not. come this far. to die now."

no i think he/she should live

 

[souper soup guy]

I think it should be an option for the character, i.e. a paragon Shepard would sacrafise themselves, while a renegade would find another way.
Having Shepard actually die in the main quest would actually be really cool though, kind of like in chrono trigger, we could see all the minor characters squabling, forming alliances, trying desperately to get their commander back.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I applaud your motives. However, I doubt that would be sufficient.

Lazarus Project 2.0. Enough said.

The Lazarus project requires a body to repair. If Shep is nothing but radioactive dust (like the Reapers will be by the time my Shep's done with them) there can be no resurrection...

 

[EHKOS]

Yes. Because years later some company will find him whilst grave digging and wreck the whole thing.