BioWare's sci-fi game series Mass Effect is the RPG/shooter story of Commander Shepard, an Alliance hero who becomes the first human Spectre, or super-agent. The Commander has plenty of fierce enemies to face, from the Reapers and Saren to the geth, the Illusive Man, the collectors, and the Shadow Broker, too. And Shepard finds a way to vanquish them all.
These are some of the most compelling villains in recent gaming history, and two particular standouts are Sovereign and the Shadow Broker. Sovereign is the menacing ambassador of the Reapers, who indoctrinated Saren as a means to unlock the Citadel's mass relay powers. The Shadow Broker, meanwhile, knows all and sees all, and has a private army. Which villain is the bigger and cooler bad guy, and why?
10 Sovereign: Sheer Size
One thing can be said for sure about Sovereign: it's literally one of the biggest bad guys of all video game history. This behemoth is a sizeable two kilometers long, or about 1.24 miles, and nothing else in Mass Effect (outside of stations and planets) is quite that big.
Commander Shepard actually sees Sovereign in the distance during the fateful Eden Prime mission, and it's more like a natural feature than a proper vehicle. But despite its mind-boggling bulk and thick armor, Sovereign can move just fine, and it soon rockets into the sky and out of sight. Quite intimidating.
9 Shadow Broker: Heavy Reputation
Shepard learns about the Shadow Broker long before he/she even begins the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC at all. In the very first game, on the Citadel, the Commander meets a Volus operative named Barla Von, who works for the Broker.
In a polite and intriguing conversation, Shepard can learn all about this mysterious but influential figure, and it's vaguely menacing even then. The Broker buys and sells secrets to absolutely everyone, and it seems that no one can get the edge on the Broker. This is a good way to forshadow the confrontation later.
8 Sovereign: Indoctrination
The Shadow Broker can hire nearly anyone, but Sovereign can take the task of minion recruitment a few steps further. Sovereign doesn't even bother with bribes, threats, or blackmail; it uses an untraceable signal called indoctrination.
This process alters the target's will gradually but thoroughly, and they become a Reaper slave before they know it. This is how Sovereign got Saren on its side, and Reapers can do this to turn a population's citizens against each other to speed up the harvesting process.
7 Shadow Broker: Perfect Balance
Barla Von is in awe of the Shadow Broker, and he will gladly give Shepard the basic details on the Broker without giving away anything incriminating. He also shares his opinions and insights into the Broker's activities.
What's remarkable is that no matter what the Broker's clients do, no one ever "wins" the game of galactic chess, and no one can use the Broker to achieve total dominance. Somehow, the Broker keeps everyone happy and in the game, while ensuring that equilibrium is maintained. That requires a steady hand indeed.
6 Sovereign: Alien Appearance
Sovereign really stands out during the battle for the Citadel, and not just because of its aforementioned size. Sovereign is big, but it's also unique in design. Many fans have commented that looks like a cuttlefish or a squid.
Some fictional vehicles in various media franchises are modeled after animals, but it's rare for Mass Effect to do that. Sovereign is a giant, black, robotic space squid, and this makes it so alien and terrifying that it can chill the blood without firing a shot. Everything about its nature screams "invader."
5 Shadow Broker: Shepard's Story
The Shadow Broker is at the center of a web of information, secrets, and blackmail, but sometimes, one particular person or event will capture his attention. For example, Commander Shepard's death caught the Broker's eye (all eight of them, probably).
The Broker wanted to sell Shepard's recovered body to the Collectors, until Liara and Feron ensured that the Commander was kept out of Collector hands. It's chilling to think that the Commander came this close to being a Collector toy, and it's satisfying to get revenge on the Broker for that.
4 Sovereign: Ambassador For Reapers
It was mentioned earlier that Sovereign is like an unofficial ambassador for the Reapers. Sovereign doesn't want to expose itself to the organic races of the galaxy carelessly, but Shepard winds up meeting Sovereign's hologram on Virmire, and they have a chat.
Sovereign is surprised to see someone other than Saren seeing its face, but it adjusts and explains the basics of what the Reapers do and why they are so (supposedly) superior. Shepard learns that Sovereign is not a Reaper vessel, but a Reaper itself. A race of sentient machines bigger than anything that could oppose them.
3 Shadow Broker: Cool Hideout
Sovereign is too big to have a proper hideout. More like, it is a hideout. By contrast, the Shadow Broker operates from a unique and distinct-looking ship in the upper atmosphere of the planet Hagalaz. It's not a sight to forget.
The ship hovers in the vicious equator storms of this planet, using churning clouds and lightning as cover. It's a scary and cool visual, and the Commander must battle the Broker's minions on the windswept hull while trying to find a way inside.
2 Sovereign: Destructive Power
No discussion about Sovereign is complete without mentioning its outrageous firepower. For the most part, Sovereign would rather hide in the dark corners of the galaxy and operate through the geth and indoctrinated agents like Saren, but it can certainly fight its own battles in person.
Sovereign demonstrated the use of its red beam gun during the battle of the Citadel, and this weapon was a death sentence for any Council or Alliance ship it touched. Nothing could withstand its concentrated power, and Sovereign takes a big bite out of the Alliance fleet before it's finally destroyed.
1 Shadow Broker: New Species
Commander Shepard meets aliens of all differences races while touring the galaxy, from the many Council races to Batarians, Vorcha, Krogan, and even Collectors (which are really Prothen husks). Don't forget the Yahg.
Just what as a Yahg? This is the Shadow Brokers' species, a burly race of apex predators that very few people have seen in person. This is a dramatic and fascinating peek at a previously unknown race, and the Broker benefits from having eight eyes with sharp vision. It can read a person's face and spot any liar.