Mass Effect: Paragon Lost

Mass Effect: Paragon Lost

Year: 2012

Runtime: 84 mins

Language: English

Director: Atsushi Takeuchi

AnimationAction

This installment in the Mass Effect universe explores the early career of Alliance Marine James Vega. Vega leads a squad of elite special forces into combat against a perplexing alien threat: the Collectors. Deployed to a remote colony, Vega and his team strive to defend the inhabitants from a deadly insectoid invasion, as the Collectors seek to gather the population for their unknown agenda. When Vega’s commanding officer is killed, the young officer must rise to the challenge, embracing leadership and making difficult decisions that impact the lives of his squad and the entire colony, all while striving to protect them.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

2183–2185

The events unfold in the mid-2180s. It begins in 2183 with Fehl Prime under siege, followed by a tense period of defense improvements in 2185 as a new threat from the Collectors emerges. The era is defined by frontier warfare, advanced alien tech, and the high stakes of protecting a vital colony.

Location

Fehl Prime, Citadel, Collector Ship, Underground Labs Beneath Fehl Prime, Fehl Prime Surface

Fehl Prime is a fortified human colony known for pharmaceutical production essential to the Systems Alliance. It endures a brutal assault by Blood Pack mercenaries led by Archuk, triggering a desperate defense by Delta Squad. The colony contains underground labs and defensive installations that become central to the battle against the Collectors later in the story.

🌌 Sci-Fi 🗺️ Space Colony 🧭 Fehl Prime

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:36

Main Characters – Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012)

Meet the key characters of Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

James Vega (Freddie Prinze Jr.)

Delta Squad's decisive and protective leader who rises to command after Captain Toni is incapacitated. He demonstrates tactical grit, steadiness under pressure, and a willingness to risk himself for the squad and the colonists. His choices drive the final confrontation with the Collector threat and reveal his capacity to bear heavy losses.

🛡️ Leader ⚔️ Courageous 🧭 Strategic

Kamille (Laura Bailey)

A capable ally within Delta Squad, Kamille contributes to the defense and plays a key role in understanding the alien device. She is resourceful and determined, standing firm amid chaos and adversity, even as danger escalates around her.

🗺️ Loyal 🧪 Analytical 🗡️ Courageous

Nicky (Jessie James Grelle)

A young squad member whose presence embodies the squad’s camaraderie and resilience. She faces the brutal frontline dangers and ultimately pays the ultimate price, leaving a lasting impact on Vega and the mission.

💔 Loss 🛡️ Loyal

Milque (Todd Haberkorn)

Delta Squad’s steady fighter, who contributes to tactical maneuvers and keeps the group focused under fire. He provides practical support and shows resilience as the squad pushes through heavy resistance.

🧭 Steady 🪖 Veteran

Essex (Eric Vale)

A biotics-equipped member who defends the lab doors and helps counter the Collector assault, ultimately sacrificing himself to ensure the squad’s escape.

⚡ Biotic 🛡️ Protector

Mason (Marc Swint)

Brave and selfless, Mason sacrifices himself in a rescue attempt to save Kamille, epitomizing the squad’s dedication and willingness to pay the ultimate price.

🛡️ Loyal ⚔️ Brave

Treeya (Monica Rial)

An alien ally who helps interpret the mysterious device and holds crucial intel about the Protheans and the Reapers, playing a key role in the climactic data sequence.

👽 Ally 🧠 Intelligent

Dr Liara T'Soni (Jamie Marchi)

A scientist who analyzes alien tech and theorizes potential links to Reaper technology, collaborating with Treeya to secure critical data.

🧪 Scientist 🧠 Knowledgeable

Messner (Vic Mignogna)

A Cerberus double agent whose manipulation drives the conflict and leads to the death of key figures. He embodies treachery and self-interest, fighting to advance his agenda.

🗡️ Treacherous 🧬 Tech-Savvy

Brood (Justin Cook)

Held as a subject and ally, Brood guides Delta Squad to his hidden ship and offers aid before being killed by Messner, symbolizing the cost of survival in a broken war.

🧭 Helpful 🗡️ Sacrificial

Captain Toni (Travis Willingham)

Captain Toni commands before being incapacitated, and his loss propels Vega’s leadership and the squad's resolve in the line of duty.

🧭 Commanding 🛡️ Sacrificial

Captain David Anderson (Patrick Seitz)

A stabilizing figure on the Citadel who commends Vega for preserving vital intel and hints at a fresh path forward for the squad within the N7 program.

🧭 Mentor 🗡️ Strategist

Admiral Hackett (Bruce Carey)

A commanding officer who orders Delta Squad to defend Fehl Prime and later acknowledges Vega’s actions as pivotal in the wider war against Cerberus and the Collectors.

🗺️ Authority 🛡️ Strategic

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:36

Major Themes – Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012)

Explore the central themes of Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🛡️ Leadership

When Captain Toni is incapacitated, James Vega steps up to lead Delta Squad, coordinating defense, making hard calls, and carrying the burden of protecting survivors. The theme focuses on duty, courage, and the burden of command in a collapsing frontier war. The squad's cohesion and Vega's ability to improvise shape the mission's outcomes.

🗡️ Betrayal

Messner is revealed as a Cerberus double agent, manipulating events to access technology and advance his agenda. His treachery undermines trust within the team and the mission’s safety, driving the need to uncover motives and protect critical intel. The betrayal intensifies the sense that not all allies can be counted on.

🕯️ Sacrifice

Delta Squad endures heavy losses, including Nicky and Kamille’s fates, highlighting the personal costs of war. Vega experiences sorrow and a moment of crisis at April’s doll, fueling resolve to honor the fallen. The conclusion sees the remaining survivors continue fighting in memory of those who died.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:36

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Military Sci-Fi Survival Horror movies like Mass Effect: Paragon Lost

Desperate soldiers fight overwhelming alien threats in a last-stand scenario.If you enjoyed the desperate fight for survival in Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, you'll find similar intense experiences here. This list features movies with gritty military action, overwhelming alien threats, and stories of squads pushed to their absolute limits in last-stand scenarios.

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Movies about costly leadership like in Mass Effect: Paragon Lost

Stories where a leader's triumph is shadowed by profound sacrifice and loss.For viewers who appreciated the heavy leadership themes in Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, this collection features films where commanders and heroes achieve their goals but at a great personal cost. Explore stories focused on moral choices, sacrifice, and the bittersweet reality of winning a battle but losing much in the process.

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Narrative Summary

A protagonist, often inexperienced or reluctant, is thrust into command. The plot forces them to make increasingly difficult strategic and moral decisions to achieve a larger objective, resulting in the loss of comrades or innocent lives. The story concludes not with pure celebration, but with a somber reflection on the price of success.

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These films are united by their exploration of leadership's emotional toll. They prioritize the psychological aftermath of command decisions, creating a coherent experience defined by a bittersweet ending feel and heavy emotional weight, rather than just the action that precedes it.

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Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Summary

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Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Timeline

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Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Timeline

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