This handy guide will tell players everything they need to know about the decision to kill or spare Garrus, Sidonis' teammate in Mass Effect 2.
Garrus Vikarian is one of the most popular party members in Mass Effect. By partially clearing Mass Effect 2, Shepard is able to help Garrus kill the treacherous former teammate known as Sidonis. This event is an important step in his character development, and some players may not know whether to help or hinder his quest for revenge. In this guide, we'll cover some of the things players need to know before making this choice in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
The decision is made during Garrus's "Tit for an Tat" loyalty mission. Completing the task guarantees his loyalty, regardless of the result. The mission will also unlock his Armor Piercing Ammo ability regardless of the outcome. So those are two things that players don't need to consider when making a decision.
Like most decisions in Mass Effect 2, Shepard will receive Paragon or Renegade points. As you might expect, helping to kill Sidonis is the act of a renegade, and saving him is the act of a paragon. So if a player is going to 100% with a Paragon/Rogue or is trying to score enough points to pass a difficult reputation check later, this should be kept in mind.
Meanwhile, the mission plays an important role in the Garrus trilogy. In the first Mass Effect, Garrus is very cavalier about upholding the law. In many ways, he's the archetypal cowboy cop who thinks rules only get in the way. Commander Shepard may or may not encourage this attitude in both games. The loss of his squad between games pushes Garrus in an even more extreme direction. Other returning characters, such as Normandy pilot Joker, will comment on his changed attitude. This happens during a mission where it's easy to see Garrus' anger getting the better of him.
Of course, he has good reason to be angry. Team Garrus died between games because Sidonis betrayed them to the Blue Sun mercenaries. But if Shepard decides to talk to Sidonis, he will learn some important details that could influence his decision. It turns out that the Blue Suns forced Sidonis to betray Garrus after they captured him on Omega. He also feels guilty about his actions and turns himself in to C-Sec if Shepard lets him go. In any case, he will not appear in Mass Effect 3.
At the end of the mission, Shepard discusses the outcome with Garrus. If Shepard convinced Garrus not to kill Sidonis, Garrus admits that there is still some good left in his former teammate. He then talks about how not everything is black and white and perhaps concludes that he has a healthier mindset. The subsequent conversation on the Normandy remains unchanged. In general, the effect of the decision is negligible outside of role play. So the main factor is how the player wants Garrus' story to play out in Mass Effect 2.
