Mass Effect Fans Think They Know the Villain of the Next Game

A new theory about the next Mass Effect game has been floated and is making the rounds, and it suggests the villain of the next installment in the series -- tentatively dubbed Mass Effect 4 by many -- could be the Leviathans, an ancient aquatic race that dominated the Milky Way Galaxy before the time of the Reapers, which they created. All of this is revealed in Mass Effect 3 DLC, and the case that the ancient and powerful species will return in the future is a compelling one. 

The theory has been floated by popular YouTuber, MrHulthen, a well-known figure in the Mass Effect community. As MrHulthen points out in the video below, the teasers for the new game so far suggest it's a follow-up to the trilogy in some capacity and there are even hints at some type of galactic civil war, though the latter is less clear. 

Tying into this, it's pointed out that the aforementioned Mass Effect 3 DLC not only confirms the Leviathans are alive and regrouping, but that they still view themselves as the apex species. In fact, one Leviathan refers to the current Milky Way species as "lesser." Classic villain talk.

The video doesn't go into this, but if the Leviathan are just forgotten about it's going to be an odd narrative hole. They are very much still alive, very powerful, and there's no reason to expect them not to try to return to the top of the food chain. Further, we fully expect the villain to be a species or person already established after Mass Effect Andromeda tried to introduce the Kett and failed in creating not only a compelling baddie race, but a baddie that compared to the Reapers. Who does compare to the Reapers? Well, the species that created them. 

For now, take everything here for what it is, a theory. In fact, we have theories on top of theories. Unfortunately, that's all we are going to have for a while as everything currently indicates that this game is still years away. If this is the case, Mass Effect fans are going to continue to get vague teasers and inconsequential updates for a while.