Matriarch Benezia

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This article is about Matriarch Benezia in general. For information and tactics on
fighting her, see  Matriarch Benezia (enemy).

Matriarch Benezia
Matriarch
Race

Asari
Gender

Feminine
Voice Actor

Marina Sirtis
Appearances

Mass Effect
“You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation.
To shape a life… turn it toward happiness or despair….”
Matriarch Benezia is a very powerful asari biotic and spiritual leader among her people. She is
also Liara T'Soni's mother, though the two have not spoken in years. When the evidence that
proved Saren Arterius was responsible for the Eden Prime attack also proved Benezia was working
alongside him, it surprised those who knew her, as Benezia's actions seemed to be completely out
of character.

Contents
 Background
 Mass Effect
 Mass Effect 3
 Trivia

Backgroundedit | edit source
Given her status as a matriarch, Benezia must have lived for almost a millennium. She is renowned
and revered as a teacher of religion and philosophy. During the 'matron' phase of her life, Benezia
had a daughter named Liara T'Soni. Unusually, Benezia mated with another asari, considered a faux
pas in their society. (After discovering their ability to mate with any species, asari consider producing
offspring with their own kind as wasteful because "nothing is gained" from pureblooded asari
offspring.) Liara tells Commander Shepard that she doesn't know who Benezia chose as her partner;
she and her mother never discussed Liara's second parent, and Liara believes Benezia may have
been ashamed of her choices. She raised Liara alone - not an uncommon occurrence in asari
society - and was amused when Liara chose to study Prothean archaeology, a minor rebellion
against her forward-thinking mother.
According to Liara, Benezia feels that the asari should have a greater role in shaping galactic
events. She is Saren Arterius' executor and a fellow Binary Helix investor.

“This mission just got a lot more complicated.” — Spoilers for Mass Effect follow.

Mass Effectedit | edit source

Somehow Benezia discovers Saren's plan to aid the Reapers, and decides to try and guide him
down a less destructive path. Benezia gives her followers a choice - only those who are willing have
to accompany her. Many refuse because they think her plan is too dangerous, but others,
including Shiala, believe in her. With their help Benezia tries to dissuade Saren from his insanity.
But the influence of the Reaper Sovereign is too powerful and Benezia becomes enslaved to Saren's
will, along with her retinue of guards and commandos. Benezia's position becomes something
between Saren's advisor and his second-in-command. Saren knows Benezia's value; even when
she enrages him by bringing the news that Shepard has accidentally used the Prothean Beacon, he
restrains himself from attacking her and orders her to ensure the Commander is eliminated.
Through Binary Helix, Benezia funds a secret project on Noveria to breed rachni from a newly
discovered egg. They are intended to form part of Saren's army, but when Binary Helix removes the
brood from the Rachni Queen's presence, the rachni go rogue. Benezia travels to the lab at Peak
15 to investigate the situation and to access information stored in the queen's genetic memory about
the location of the Mu Relay. She is accompanied by an escort of asari commandos. She causes a
stir at Port Hanshan when she arrives, telling the authorities she is there as Saren's
representative. Lorik Qui'in tells Shepard that "Lady Benezia was dressed for her role. An asari
matriarch in a pin-striped suit set tongues wagging amongst the younger male employees... so to
speak."

Benezia, aware that Shepard is on Saren's trail, brings geth in crates to Noveria with her and leaves
them to guard the garage. She leaves agents such as Alestia Iallis behind and recruits local security
including Captain Ventralis to stop Shepard from reaching her. After fighting geth, rachni and
Benezia's commandos, the squad finds her waiting for them in the labs beside the Rachni Queen.
Even Liara's presence in the squad, if Shepard chose to bring her, doesn't stop Benezia from
unleashing her biotics and her commandos against them.
Finally, Benezia, who has used her incredible mental strength to keep a part of her mind free of
from indoctrination, manages to break from Saren's control very briefly. She describes the horrors of
indoctrination and how it feels to be trapped in your own mind: "beating upon the glass as your
hands torture and murder..." She gives Shepard the coordinates for the Mu Relay, though she
couldn't tell the Commander any more of Saren's plan, and warns of Sovereign's incredible power
before indoctrination begins to overcome her. Benezia manages to tell Liara that her daughter has
always made her proud, but finally turns on Shepard and the squad is forced to kill her. As she lies
dying, she claims not to see the light promised in asari religion.

After Noveria, Shepard can talk to Liara about what happened, but Liara claims she is all right. She
prefers to remember Benezia as she was: a kind, beautiful woman who loved her.