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Over its decade of existence,science fiction TV seriesStargate SG-1 developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through theStargate, although there are an equal number of characters from offworld human civilizations. WhileStargate SG-1,Stargate Atlantis andStargate Universe are separate shows, they take part in the samefictional universe, so no character is internally show-specific.
Except for the commanders of the top-secretStargate Command military base (SGC), all main characters ofStargate SG-1 are members of the SG-1 team, the primary unit of the SGC in the show. SG-1's duties includefirst contact,reconnaissance and combat, diplomacy, initialarchaeological surveying, and technological assessment. The composition of SG-1 changes several times during the series run and varies in severalalternative universes.[1]
Jack O'Neill is aUSAF colonel (later brigadier general, major general and then lieutenant general) who led the original mission through the Stargate inStargate. He is played byKurt Russell in the film, and by formerMacGyver actorRichard Dean Anderson in a regular role in seasons 1–8, and in a recurring role in seasons 9–10, alsoMichael Welch played young Colonel O'Neill in episode"Fragile Balance". He also appears inStargate: Continuum, and in seasons 1 and 3 ofStargate Atlantis. Colonel O'Neill is the leader of the SG-1 team in the first seven seasons, and takes charge of Stargate Command after his promotion to brigadier general at the beginning of season 8. He is promoted to major general at the beginning of season 9, and is reassigned to Washington, D.C., then makes sporadic appearances in the final episodes of season one of Stargate Universe.
Dr. Daniel Jackson is a brilliantarchaeologist andlinguist, specializing inEgyptology, whose unusual theories concerning the origin of the Egyptian Pyramids led to his participation in the original mission through the stargate inStargate. He is played byJames Spader in the film and byMichael Shanks in a regular role in seasons 1–5 and 7–10, with a recurring role in season 6. He also appears in both direct-to-DVD films and in seasons 1 and 5 ofStargate Atlantis. Daniel joins the SG-1 team in search of his kidnapped wife (Sha're), until she dies in season 3. However, he decides to remain a part of SG-1, and does so until hisascension at the end of season 5. Following his decision to retake human form, he rejoins SG-1 at the beginning of season 7.
As stated in season 2's "1969", Daniel speaks 23 languages, including Russian, German, Spanish, andEgyptian. Throughout the run of the series, he becomes Earth's foremost expert on theAncients, and also learns many alien languages, such asGoa'uld,Ancient, andUnas.
Samantha "Sam" Carter is an astrophysicist andUSAF captain (later major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, then brigadier general). She is played byAmanda Tapping in a regular role in seasons 1–10, in both direct-to-DVD films and makes an appearance in all seasons ofStargate Atlantis. Captain Carter joins SG-1 under the command of Col. O'Neill in season 1. Following her promotion to major in season 3, she is promoted to lieutenant colonel in early season 8 and assumes command of SG-1. She assists Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell in seasons 9 and 10. After her appearance inStargate: The Ark of Truth, she is promoted to a "full bird" colonel and becomes the new commander of the Atlantis expedition in season 4 ofStargate Atlantis before joining SG-1 again forStargate: Continuum. She is later made the commander of the USSGeorge Hammond, aDaedalus-class Earth ship named after former SGC commander General Hammond, who died in correlation with the actor who played him,Don S. Davis.
Teal'c/ˈtiːəlk/ is aJaffa from the planet Chulak. He is played byChristopher Judge in a regular role in seasons 1–10, in both direct-to-DVD films and in season 4 ofStargate Atlantis. Throughout the entire run of Stargate SG-1, the only episode that the character was absent was Season 8's "Prometheus Unbound". Teal'c states that he is 101 years old in season 4's "The Light", and ages an additional 50 years in season 10's "Unending". His catchphrase is "Indeed". Teal'c's most notable feature is a golden tattoo on his forehead, a sign that he once served the Goa'uldApophis as First Prime, the highest Jaffa rank. His interaction withBra'tac (Apophis' former First Prime) and his own personal experiences led him to doubt the divinity of the Goa'uld.
Teal'c defects from Apophis in the pilot episode and joins the SG-1 team, believing this to be an opportunity to eventually defeat the Goa'uld and bring freedom to all Jaffa.[2] He leaves his wifeDrey'auc and his sonRya'c behind on Chulak. After succeeding in killing Apophis in season 5's "Enemies", Teal'c and Bra'tac make first progress in uniting a sizable group of Jaffa resistance warriors in season 5's "The Warrior". Teal'c and Bra'tac lose their symbiotes after a sabotaged rebel Jaffa summit in season 6's "The Changeling", but theTok'ra drug Tretonin can sustain them and eventually becomes instrumental in liberating Jaffa from physiological reliance on Goa'uld symbiotes,. Teal'c and Bra'tac eventually lead the Jaffa to victory over the Goa'uld in season 8's "Reckoning"/"Threads". Teal'c is chosen as a member of the newJaffa High Council and supports Bra'tac as an interim leader in season 9's "The Fourth Horseman" before a type of government is solidified.
George S. Hammond is aUSAF Major General (later Lieutenant General) who commandsStargate Command in the first seven seasons. He is played byDon S. Davis in a regular role in seasons 1–7 and in a recurring role afterwards. He also appears inStargate: Continuum and season 1 ofStargate Atlantis. Hammond took over fromMajor General West, commander of the Stargate Project in the originalStargate film, and originally intended the Stargate Program to be his last assignment before retirement.[2] In season 2's "1969", General Hammond is shown to have worked at the Cheyenne Mountain complex (the present-day location of Stargate Command) in 1969. Hammond originates fromTexas[3] and became a widower when his wife died ofcancer.
Hammond briefly retires under duress in season 4's "Chain Reaction", where he spends time with his two grandchildren, Kayla and Tessa. He is promoted to the rank oflieutenant general at the beginning of season 8, being placed in command of the new Homeworld Security command, a department in control of Stargate Command, thePrometheus project, and the Atlantian Antarctica outpost. Hammond recurs in the season 1 ofStargate Atlantis and seasons 8 through 10 ofStargate SG-1. Hammond appears in a civilian suit instead of a military uniform in season 9's "The Fourth Horseman", and Carter confirms his retired status in season 10's "The Road Not Taken". In his last appearance in the alternate timeline filmStargate: Continuum, Hammond acts as a military advisor to PresidentHenry Hayes.
Don S. Davis knewRichard Dean Anderson (O'Neill) from Anderson's starring role inMacGyver, in which Davis was a stand-in forDana Elcar (playing Pete Thornton, MacGyver's boss) before making several guest appearances. Davis died from a heart attack at the age of 65 on June 29, 2008, shortly before the release ofContinuum, making this his final on-screen appearance as General Hammond.[4] For his portrayal of Hammond, Don S. Davis was nominated for a 2004Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male" for the season 7 episode "Heroes, Part 2".[5]
Jonas Quinn is an alien from the planet Langara. He is played by formerParker Lewis Can't Lose actorCorin Nemec in a regular role in season 6, and in a recurring capacity in seasons 5 and 7. Jonas leaves his home planet Langara the penultimate season 5 episode "Meridian" after witnessing Daniel Jackson's lethal sacrifice and the following gleeful reaction of his planet's leaders. He is a fast learner and fills Daniel's empty spot on SG-1 in season 6. Following Daniel's return at the beginning of season 7, Jonas returns to his planet and last appears in the mid-season 7 episode "Fallout".
Corin Nemec replaced Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) during season 6 after Shanks had left the show amid controversy after season 5.[6] The producers based Jonas's motivation to join SG-1 on his momentary reluctance to actively prevent Daniel's death and his feelings of responsibility afterwards.[7] Jonas was slowly integrated into the story in a prolonged transition stage over the first half of season 6.[8][9] Nemec was open to continue playing Jonas Quinn after season 6, but a new contract was reached with Michael Shanks for Daniel to return in season 7.[8] The role of Jonas was reduced to recurring status in season 7.
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is aUSAF lieutenant colonel. He is played by formerFarscape actorBen Browder in a regular role in seasons 9–10 and in both direct-to-DVD films. Mitchell is introduced in "Avalon" as the leader of a squadron ofF-302s against the forces of the arch villainAnubis in season 7's "Lost City". Assigned as the new commanding officer of SG-1 at the beginning of season 9, Mitchell struggles to reunite the team's former members under his command. Assisted by Carter (who is of equal rank), he remains in command of SG-1 throughout the series run and both films. He is promoted to the rank of full-bird Colonel inStargate: Continuum.
Ben Browder joined the cast after Richard Dean Anderson's departure fromStargate SG-1 in 2005. From the beginning, producerRobert C. Cooper wanted Mitchell to be a "super fan" of SG-1 who is openly enthusiastic about exploring the galaxy.[10][11] Mitchell is often at the center of the action and fight sequences.[12] The producers did not realize the physical resemblance between Browder and Michael Shanks when Browder was cast, and employed make-up and costuming techniques to make the transition easier for the audience.[13] The writers' decision to put Mitchell in command of SG-1 instead of Carter was met with resistance by some critics and audience members.[14][15] For his portrayal of Cameron Mitchell, Ben Browder was nominated for aSaturn Award in the category "Best Supporting Actor on Television" in 2006.[16]
Henry[17] "Hank" Landry is aUnited States Air Force Major General and the commander ofStargate Command from season 9 onwards. He is played byBeau Bridges in a regular role in seasons 9–10, in both direct-to-DVD films, and in theStargate Atlantis episodes "The Intruder", "Critical Mass", "No Man's Land", and the two-part episode "The Return" of seasons 2 and 3. General Landry is introduced inSG-1's season 9 premiere, "Avalon", having been hand-picked by Jack O'Neill to succeed him. Landry once served as a pilot in theVietnam War[18] and met a Vietnamese woman named Kim Lam.[19] They had a child,Carolyn Lam, but Landry became estranged to them and left them due to his involvement in military intelligence.[20] Carolyn Lam grew up to be a doctor and was assigned to Stargate Command as chief medical officer in seasons 9 and 10. Bridges said that "Landry truly loves his work [but] respects and appreciates his daughter. He wants a real relationship with her and hopes that will happen some day. At the start of [season 9], you're not sure what their relationship is."[20] The late season 10 episode "Family Ties" brings some conclusion to the Landry-Lam enstrangement, showing a reunification between Landry, Carolyn and Kim Lam in a restaurant.
TV Zone's Steven Eramo described Landry as "fair, intelligent, even-tempered and having a good sense of humour".[21] Bridges thought that "[Landry] likes to empower his team. He realizes how challenged they are. It's a huge burden to protect their country from the entire galaxy, but he also recognizes that, like himself, they are human beings. [...] Sometimes he does that with a bark, and sometimes with a bite, but he also has a sense of humor, this man. And he likes to fool with people."[22] According to Bridges, Landry appreciates Carter's knowledge, and needed some patience with the fast-speaking Daniel Jackson to realize "how important a piece of puzzle" he is. He respects Teal'c as a warrior, and is willing to foster the potential he sees in Vala.[21]
TheStargate producers approached Beau Bridges, a self-claimed fan of science fiction,[22] directly to play the role of Hank Landry.[20] Although the producers had some ideas for the characters, they collaborated with Bridges to develop the character's backstory before the writing of season 9 began.[22] Bridges wanted the character to be three-dimensional by revealing a layered backstory over the course of the show.[23] Bridges researched famous US generals fromGeorge Washington toJohn P. Jumper to get a feeling for the role.[20] He accumulated quotes by generals that Landry would respect, and gave the list to producerRobert C. Cooper, who in turn used it as free research.[23] Bridges made no deliberate effort to distinguish his character from General O'Neill, believing that the character could stand on his own.[22]
Vala Mal Doran is a con artist from an unnamed planet and a former human host to the Goa'uld Qetesh. She is played by formerFarscape actressClaudia Black in a regular role in season 10 after having recurred in seasons 8 and 9 ofSG-1. Her 1st appearance in season 8's "Prometheus Unbound" is followed by a recurring role in season 9, where she and Daniel unintentionally set off the newOri threat. She joins SG-1 after giving birth to the new leader of the Ori at the beginning of season 10, and appears in both direct-to-DVD films.
Vala was created byDamian Kindler andRobert C. Cooper as a one-time character, but because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Shanks' character Daniel Jackson, and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9 and joined the main cast in season 10. For her portrayal of Vala, Claudia Black was nominated for a 2006Saturn Award in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television",[16] and won a Constellation Award in the category "Best Female Performer in a 2006 Science Fiction Television" in 2007.[24]
TheStargate Command (SGC) is a fictional military base (and real broom closet[25]) at theCheyenne Mountain complex nearColorado Springs, Colorado. It is the main setting inStargate SG-1 and occasionally features onStargate Atlantis. The base extends many levels beneath the ground and is protected from most forms of attack including indirect nuclear detonations, also serving to contain biological, chemical or alien hazards to the outside world by means of a 'lockdown' status. Stargate Command is typically commanded by a General and is staffed by subject matter experts and military support personnel, several elite special operations teams, and several SG teams, includingSG-1. The majority of the teams areUnited States Air Force with someUnited States Marine Corps, civilians andUnited States Army, but other nations have SG teams operating from the SGC as well after the events of season 5.
Captain/Major Janet Fraiser, the residentChief Medical Officer of the SGC (played byTeryl Rothery, seasons 1–7, 9) – She is responsible for maintaining the health of the SG teams, as well as the SGC's support staff and base personnel. On many occasions, she also cares for the health of alien refugees to Earth, including Goa'uld symbiotes. In her first appearance in "The Broca Divide", Dr. Fraiser holds the rank of captain, and is promoted to major in Season 3. In season 1's "Singularity", Fraiser adoptsCassandra, an alien orphan whose people had been exterminated by the Goa'uldSystem LordNirrti. Dr. Fraiser is killed by a staffweapon blast in season 7's "Heroes" during an off-world medical emergency, but she returns in season 9's "Ripple Effect" as aparallel universe version of Dr. Fraiser, in her reality a regular member of SG-1. Before Fraiser returns to her reality, Carter, Jackson and Teal'c are able to give her a final goodbye. Dr. Fraiser is also shown alive in an alternate timeline in the year 2010 in season 4's "2010", but Fraiser and SG-1 alter the timeline to prevent a catastrophe on Earth involving theAschen race.
Fraiser joined theUnited States Air Force (USAF) after breaking up with her husband; there she got some training withfirearms. Her husband did not want Fraiser to join theUS military which is one of the main reasons for theirbreakup. As adoctor, Fraiser looks for peaceful solutions and is disinclined towardsarmed solutions. In the episode "Serpent's Song", Fraiser is the only one inStargate Command (SGC) who is resistant to the idea to giveApophis over to his enemies. She is eventually forced to give up Apophis.[26][27]
Teryl Rothery was asked by then producer and writer (forStargate)Jonathan Glassner andBrad Wright if she wanted to play the role as Fraiser.[28] In an interview, Rothery was asked what it was like to play adoctor inStargate SG-1. Rothery replied, "just being true to the character. And as far as the medical stuff, knowing what to do and what to say." She got a lot of help from the medical advisor on the set.
In the first two seasons, Rothery did not have a contract and was booked on every episode in which she appeared. Inseason three ofSG-1, she finally got a contract deal with the producers. She also commented on her acting life once, "The life of an actor is always very up and down. So sometimes you work a lot, but sometimes ... So if you're on a series likeStargate SG-1 you have that work for seven years. So that's a gift."[29]
After her character's death inseason 7, there were various rumours which said she would appear in the upcomingStargate film; this never happened. Rothery said it was unlikely since she had not had any contact with theStargate producers since her character's death.[29] Rothery has stated many times that she "admires" the character because of her "strength" and "intelligence".[30]Robert C. Cooper, producer forStargate SG-1, called Rothery about the death of her character. Cooper said, "It is our last year, so we are thinking of killing one of our regulars."[28] Fraiser was killed off in the episode "Heroes" because the producers thoughtseason seven would be the last in the series and felt that a death of the main cast was needed.[30][31][32] Rothery also appeared on theWomen of Sci-Fi calendar produced by fellowStargate castMichael Shanks andChristopher Judge.[28]
Alexandra L. Doig played Dr. Carolyn Lam, the daughter of Major General Hank Landry and chief medical doctor at SGC after Dr. Fraiser was killed.
Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman (also known as the Chevron Guy among others, portrayed byGary Jones, seasons 1–10) joined theStargate Command (SGC) after excelling in navigation and automatic flight control operations during the firstGulf War. General Hammond recruited him as someone with excellent technical ability and a cool head to operate the Stargate under extreme pressure. He specializes in installing, maintaining and repairing bomb navigation, weapons control as well as automatic flight control systems. He is also an expert in radio and navigational equipment, and in maintaining test and precision measurement equipment. He is primarily a Stargate technician, running the dialing computer and other equipment from the Control Room. He also acts as an occasional administrative assistant to the head ofStargate Command, and has manned the flight console on the bridge of thePrometheus.[33] Fromseason 8 to10, Harriman's role is expanded to advisor to the Head of Command of the SGC.
His name has been a source of confusion for many fans ofStargate SG-1. Originally, he was simply "Technician" or "Sergeant", listed as such in the show credits.[34] At some point, some of the writers gave him the name "Norman Davis", which came with a name tag, but was never used in dialogue. In the episode "2010",Jack O'Neill refers to him as "Walter". Later, in the eighth season of "Stargate SG-1", the character is addressed as "Sergeant Harriman", with "Harriman" actually based onGeneralGeorge Hammond addressing him as "Airman" what was misheard by fans because ofDon S. Davis's Texan accent, resulting in the final name of "Walter Harriman". Many fans fondly refer to him as "the Chevron guy" as many of his on-screen appearances, especially earlier on in the show, had him saying "Chevron (insert number here) encoded".[33] On several DVD commentaries after the introduction of the name "Walter", producer-directorPeter DeLuise refers to the character as "Walter Norman" and "Walter Norman Davis". The first time he ever says his own name is in theStargate Atlantis episode "Home".[35]
As the series continued Harriman got a heavier role in the series. According to Jones, his role was expanded sinceRichard Dean Anderson wanted him as his personal assistant in the show when his characterJack O'Neill was the leader of the SGC. TheStargate producer and writer staff called 2005,The Year of Walter because the staff evolved Harriman's relationship withGeneralHank Landry.[36] Jones does not have a bindingcontract with theStargate producers.[34]
Charles Kawalsky portrayed byJohn Diehl (in the film) andJay Acovone (in the series), is introduced in the 1994Stargate aslieutenant colonel. He isJack O'Neill'ssecond in command for the first mission through theStargate toAbydos and returns to Earth afterwards. When theGoa'uldApophis attacks the SGC inthe pilot episode ofStargate SG-1, Kawalsky is re-introduced as acaptain and reunites with his former teammates to bring Daniel Jackson back to Earth. Kawalsky is promoted tomajor and becomes the leader of the newly formed SG-2 team, accompanying SG-1 on their mission to Chulak to rescueSha're andSkaara. However, before returning to Earth, Kawalsky is invaded by a Goa'uld parasite from a dead Jaffa warrior. In season 1's "The Enemy Within", thesymbiote starts to take control of him back on Earth. A surgical removal of the Goa'uld is initially successful, but the symbiote turns out to be a dead husk whose intelligence has already taken over Kawalsky's mind. Kawalsky is eventually killed when Teal'c forces his head through theevent horizon and closes the gate, severing most of Kawalsky's skull including the lobes controlled by the symbiote.
Despite the character's death, Kawalsky appears several more times in the series. In season 2's "The Gamekeeper", O'Neill and Teal'c encounter Kawalsky in avirtual reality simulation. In season 3's "Point of View", Kawalsky andSamantha Carter from analternate reality arrive through the gate seeking help in contacting theAsgard. His last appearance is in season 8's "Moebius", in which Kawalsky returns in analternate timeline accidentally created when the destruction of their time machine traps SG-1 in the distant past. Kawalsky accompanies O'Neill, Carter and Daniel to Chulak and again meets his end, although here he is merely shot; it is the alternate Daniel Jackson who is infected with the Goa'uld and killed by Teal'c.
Darren Sumner called Kawalsky "one of the [1994] film's strongest characters". Sumner called the high death numbers of secondary and recurring characters on the show,The Kawalsky Effect.[37] He also has a card in thecard game,Stargate TCG. In the card game he is listed as a good soldier.[38] While only appearing in six episodes in total, actorJay Acovone frequently appears atStargate conventions.[39]
Master Sergeant Sylvester "Sly" Siler, (played byDan Shea, seasons 1–10) – A sergeant at the SGC and one of its primary technicians.[40] First appearing in season 1's "Solitudes", he remains a background character throughout the run ofStargate SG-1 and also occasionally appears in Earth-based episodes ofStargate Atlantis. Dan Shea is primarily thestunt co-ordinator forStargate SG-1, responsible for the budgets and locations of stunts, and the hiring of stunt people before co-ordinating all stunt action.[41][40][42] Siler is subsequently shown to be involved in many accidents at the SGC, which is parodied in dialogue and action in severalSG-1 episodes such as season 4's "Window of Opportunity", season 7's "Heroes" and the milestone episode "200".
Shea firstauditioned for the role as Siler withexecutive producerBrad Wright and directorMartin Wood. Shea commented on his first audition that he tried to be "Funny", thinking he could get the role easier that way. Executive producer Michael Greenberg said that Shea "Blew it". Shea then went for a second audition acting more serious, since according to Greenberg the role was "Serious" and he needed to act that way.[43] Siler also frequently appears in the background of scenes carrying an oversizedwrench,[41] which he sometimes hands to directorMartin Wood as agag prop in the series. Siler's first name is never mentioned in dialogue in the series, although his uniform patch and magazines give his first name as "Sly" several times,[41][44] and his uniform patch in "Entity" reads "Dan". According to producer and writerPeter DeLuise, Siler's name and dialog deliberately contain the letter "S" because Dan Shea lisps.[45]
Shea had previous worked with bothRichard Dean Anderson (who portrayedJack O'Neill) and Greenberg before on the Americantelevision seriesMacGyver in the 80s and early 90s as Anderson's stand-in in stunt scenes.[43] He continued this role inStargate SG-1. Anderson's partner Greenberg gave the job asstunt coordinator and stand-in to Shea inStargate SG-1. The first time Shea was officially double for Anderson was inToronto when they did aMacGyver movie; Anderson had broken his foot so Shea was forced to do a stand-in.[43]
The NID is a shadowyintelligence agency that appears throughout the run ofStargate SG-1 and occasionally onStargate Atlantis. The official mandate of the NID is to provide vital civilian oversight of top secret military operations, but one of their unofficial primary goals is to procure alien technologies. A set of well-resourced illegal cells named the Rogue NID uses unscrupulous methods to achieve the goals of the official NID and is later replaced by The Trust, a shady interplanetary terrorist group. The International Oversight Advisory (IOA) is a civilian oversight committee created after the United States and Russia revealed the existence of the Stargate Program to the other permanent members of the UN Security Council in season 6.[citation needed]
The producers initially wanted to call the NID "NRD" for "No Real Department", but went for "NID" because it sounded better.[46] Although the acronym still stands for nothing in particular,[47] theStargate SG-1 Roleplaying Game says it stands for National Intelligence Department.[48] When the producers came up with story ideas for the Trust, they found thatAlias had used all the names they could think of. It was not until several weeks after they had decided on the name "Trust" that they found out thatAlias had used that name as well. Faced with the choice to either go with the Trust or with what producerJoseph Mallozzi called "The Former Rogue Elements of the N.I.D. Now Working for Private Interests Bent on Global Domination", they chose the first option.[49] The IOA has also been referred to as the "International Oversight Committee" on the show, until producerJoseph Mallozzi realized during the writing of "The Ties That Bind" that the acronym IOC is already used by theInternational Olympic Committee.[50] The writers originally wanted to set up an IOA watchdog character onSG-1 and possibly haveRichard Woolsey on the base all the time, but season 9 already had so many new characters that the writers did not develop this idea.[50]
Special agent Malcolm Barrett, (played byPeter Flemming, seasons 5–7, 9–10) – An NID agent introduced in season 5's "Wormhole X-Treme!". His first significant appearance follows in "Smoke & Mirrors", where he helps uncovering a shadow group behind the NID who tried to attribute Senator Kinsey's apparent assassination to O'Neill. After collaborating with SG-1 in season 7's "Heroes, Part 2" and "Resurrection", Barrett expresses a personal romantic interest in Samantha Carter in season 9's "Ex Deus Machina" and season 10's "Uninvited", but she rejects his advances. His lastSG-1 appearance is in season 10's "Dominion". Agent Barrett also recurs inStargate Atlantis. He warns General Landry in that show's season 2 episode "Critical Mass" of theTrust's plan to destroyAtlantis with a bomb, and aids several Expedition team members to track downRodney McKay's sisterJeannie Miller on Earth in season 4's "Miller's Crossing".[citation needed]
Peter Flemming had a two-line audition for "Wormhole X-Treme" for a "Man in Black" character in a possible recurring role. Every NID character introduced before Agent Barrett "had been very shady, always had an agenda", and Barrett was "the first mainstay in NID who is actually law-abiding[...], honest, [and] a good person".[51]
Colonel Harry Maybourne, (played byTom McBeath, seasons 1–6, 8) – A USAF Colonel introduced in season 1's "Enigma" as an NID member with ambiguous morals and loyalties. In season 2's "Bane", Maybourne leads an NID attempt to claim Teal'c for study after an alien insect infected Teal'c. After further antagonizing SG-1 through rogue NID operations in "Touchstone" and "Shades of Grey", and helping SG-1 in "Foothold", Maybourne flees to Russia and aids in establishing the Russian Stargate Program. He is caught in season 4's "Watergate", convicted of treason, and placed ondeath row. O'Neill contacts Maybourne in season 4's "Chain Reaction" to help reinstate General Hammond, who was blackmailed into resigning from his position. Maybourne escapes after the mission's success and covertly helps O'Neill in season 5's "Desperate Measures" and "48 Hours" in theAdrian Conrad case. Maybourne tricks SG-1 into taking him off-world in season 6's "Paradise Lost", and is eventually exiled to a far-off planet. When SG-1 meets him again in season 8's "It's Good To Be King", Maybourne leads a life of leisure as the seemingly clairvoyant ruler of the local peoples, King Arkhan I. Although the people later discover the deception, they welcome him to stay as his technological expertise has improved their standard of life, and SG-1 returns to Earth without him. He had ascended to power using an Ancient time-travelers log of his journeys into the future of the planet and ended up facing a Goa'uld invasion, but the soldiers were repelled by Jackson and Teal'c with help from one of the villagers, and O'Neill destroyed in the ship in orbit, killing the System Lord behind the attack. When the team leave, O'Neill and Maybourne part amicably with Maybourne having finally accepted responsibility towards the people he was ruling.[citation needed]
After auditioning for the part as Harry Maybourne, the producers revealed that he "maybe" could get a spot as a recurring character in the show. McBeath called his role as Maybourne at the start of the series "boring", but was glad for the new change in the character's direction in the series after he was convicted for treason. McBeath also commented that the writers and the producers for the show had more "fun" when his character started to "loosen" up.[52] When the portraying actor Tom McBeath was asked about the O'Neill–Maybourne relationship, he explained their rapport as "I can't stand you, but at some level I have a lot of respect for you. And I do actually, grudgingly have a good time when you're around, and things seem to work out."[52] McBeath once stated that the character of Maybourne diminished afterRichard Dean Anderson's departure from the show inseason 8.[53]
Senator Robert Kinsey, (played byRonny Cox, seasons 1, 4–8) – A US senator who first appears in season 1's "Politics". In "Politics", Kinsey ignores warnings of an imminent Goa'uld invasion and instead manages to briefly shut down Stargate Command for budget reasons, only for SG-1 to prove the program's worth and save Earth through defying orders. In season 4's "Chain Reaction", Kinsey and the NID temporarily succeed in controlling the Stargate by blackmailing General Hammond into retirement and appointing a new general to his position, but O'Neill is able to find evidence of the blackmail and get Hammond reinstated. In season 5's "2001", Kinsey aims to gain prestige through an alliance with theAschen, but the alliance fails (However, the alliance went ahead in the alternate but unfulfilled future reality witnessed in season 4's "2010", in which Kinsey also achieved his goal of the presidency; only a warning from that future helped the SGC prevent it). In season 6's "Smoke and Mirrors", a group controlling the rogue NID, known as "the Committee", tries to assassinate Kinsey and frame Col. O'Neill for his murder, but NID agent Malcolm Barret and SG-1 foil this attempt. Kinsey becomesVice-president in season 7's "Inauguration" and tries again to take control of the Stargate Program in "Lost City". Shortly after NID AgentRichard Woolsey presents incriminating evidence against Kinsey to PresidentHenry Hayes in the same episode, Hayes "accepts" Kinsey's resignation. Kinsey makes his last appearance in season 8's "Full Alert", where the SGC convinces Kinsey to go undercover to undermine the hierarchy of the Trust. However, the Goa'uld have completely infiltrated the Trust through their operatives working outside of the solar system, and have already implanted a symbiote within Kinsey to aid in their plans of starting a nuclear war between the US and Russia. After the SGC foil the attempt, Kinsey flees aboard an Al'kesh, but Kinsey's future remains uncertain as the Al'Kesh is destroyed while he operated a transport device, leaving it open-ended if he was able to escape or the ship was destroyed before he could transport away. Kinsey is briefly mentioned as a President in the alternative timeline (with Hayes as Secretary of Defense) in season 8 finale "Moebius".[citation needed]
The producers ofStargate SG-1 askedRonny Cox if he would be interested in a role in one episode, but according to Cox it was "so much fun that they and I decided we would like to do more together". According toexecutive producerBrad Wright, every time they got ascript from an outside editor, Kinsey was included. Cox has been noted for saying that the character has become a "Malevolent force on the show". Because of the collaboration between the producers and himself, Cox described him as a "self-aggrandizing senator who like[s] to throw his weight around", and as "Kinsey feels that theStargate [is] being used in completely the wrong way and one that is endangering American ideals and a way of life that he believes in" and a "Born-again, right-wing, Christian fundamentalist"; Cox played him as a heroic antagonist rather than villainous. Cox was approached by the producers to play Kinsey instead of auditioning himself. Kinsey holds the position of chairman of theSenate Appropriations Committee until season 7 and oversees the national defense budget of secret projects such as theStargate Program.[54][55]
Richard Woolsey (played byRobert Picardo, seasons 7, 9–10) – Woolsey's first appearance is following the death of Dr.Janet Fraiser late in season 7 ofStargate SG-1, Woolsey is brought intoStargate Command in the episode "Heroes" to examine the command decisions and threatens SGC personnel withcourt-martial if they do not cooperate. When Woolsey brings his report toPresident Hayes in "Inauguration", he comes to realizeSenator Kinsey's ambitions and presents incriminating evidence against him,[56] indirectly forcing Kinsey into resigning. Woolsey returns in the season 9 episode "Prototype" and encourages the SGC to take great risks with the captured Goa'uld-human-Ancient hybridKhalek to learn more about theAscension process. When the studies cause injury and death among SGC personnel, Woolsey acknowledges his own error and pleads for forgiveness from the SG-1 team.[57] Being the US's representative on the newly formedInternational Oversight Advisory Committee (IOA), Woolsey and some colleagues are rescued by SG-1 and the crew of theOdyssey after a catastrophe at the Gamma Site in "The Scourge", which he later considers an "eye-opening experience".[58] Woolsey makes two more appearances in "Flesh and Blood" and "Morpheus" and last appears onSG-1 in season 10's "The Shroud". Woolsey remembers the Khalek incident and decides that Daniel, who transformed into aPrior, is too dangerous and must be placed indefinitely into stasis. However, Daniel frees himself before Woolsey's plans can be enacted.[59]
Robert Picardo was in the main cast ofStar Trek: Voyager from 1995 to 2001. He was familiar withStargate SG-1 from his time as aShowtime subscriber. He was offered a one-day guest star as Richard Woolsey for theSG-1 episode "Heroes" in season seven (2004) while he was working onThe Outer Limits inVancouver (whereStargate SG-1 is filmed). He was then brought back for the follow-up episode "Inauguration", which began the rehabilitation of the Woolsey character. With the story introduction of theIOA, the Woolsey character made more regular appearances to "annoy people". Eventually, humor was added to the role, and the character was spun over toAtlantis as a recurring guest character. Picardo later became amain character inStargate Atlantis.[60][61]
Producer Joseph Mallozzi said:
[...] whenever I do interviews, I often draw parallels between [Amanda Tapping and Robert Picardo]. They are both incredibly kind, professional, delightful to work with, and gifted actors who always elevate the performances of anyone they share a scene with.[61]
Colonel Frank Simmons, (played byJohn de Lancie, seasons 5–6) – The NID liaison to Stargate Command after Col.Harry Maybourne's arrest for treason. Simmons is introduced in season 5's "Ascension" and is notorious for claiming to have the best interest of the nation at heart, while really he has his own political agenda. In "Desperate Measures", Simmons shoots O'Neill in the back while O'Neill was attempting to capture aGoa'uld who has takenAdrian Conrad as host. "48 Hours" Simmons' involvement in the disappearance of the Adrian Conrad Goa'uld, whom he now holds captive, is revealed and General Hammond has him arrested. In season 6's "Prometheus", rogue NID agents hijack the unfinished starshipPrometheus and demand that Simmons, along with Adrian Conrad's Goa'uld, be released. It later turns out that Simmons had orchestrated the entire affair. When Conrad is killed, the Goa'uld infects Simmons. O'Neill is able to open an emergency airlock and releases Simmons into hard vacuum, killing both him and the Goa'uld.[citation needed]
Colonel Chekov, (played byGarry Chalk, seasons 5–6, 8–10) –Russia's liaison toStargate Command following the early season 4 events of the short-lived Russian Stargate program. He first appears in season 5's "The Tomb", blaming SG-1 for the death of several Russian SG team members.[62] Chekov collaborates with the SGC several episodes later in "48 Hours", giving them aDHD from Russian possession and allowing the SGC to use the Russian Stargate.[63] Colonel Chekov is appointed as the Russian envoy to the SGC around season 6's "Redemption" and agrees to give the Russian Stargate to the US in exchange for money,X-302 technology, and a Russian SG team.[64] In season 6's "Disclosure", Colonel Chekov supports the US's presentation for the disclosure of the Stargate Program to the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council.[65] In season 8's "Full Alert", Colonel Chekov helps General O'Neill deal with the possibleGoa'uld compromise of the US government and establishes a direct line between O'Neill and the Russian President to avert a nuclear war.[66] Chekov appears in season 9's "The Fourth Horseman" and "Crusade", where he has become a Russian representative of theIOA. He makes his last appearance in "Camelot" as the commander of the Earth shipKorolev to stop theOri fleet from invading theMilky Way, but is killed when his ship is obliterated by the Ori Fleet, though six other crew members are transported from the ship before its destruction.[67]
Garry Chalk was assigned to the role as Chekov byexecutive producer Michael Greenberg and N. John Smith. They asked him if he could speakRussian, Chalk replied "No." Greenberg then replied "No matter!" And gave him his own Russian coach named Alexander Kalugin, who made an appearance in theStargate SG-1 episode "Watergate" as one of the Russian soldiers. Portraying actor Chalk had previously worked withRichard Dean Anderson,Don S. Davis and Greenberg in 1986 onMacGyver and Smith inThe Beachcombers. Greenberg had said to Chalk that they were going to bring him into the show, at first there was no audition or a single phone call, until season 5 of the series. During the shows history, Chalk "Begged" the producers for his character to go through the "Stargate", but they said no, but, eventually they came up with the idea of giving him his ownstarship. Chalk was the only non-Russian actor assigned in "Flesh and Blood".[68]
Catherine Langford, played byKelly Vint (girl in the film and at the very start ofStargate Origins),Viveca Lindfors (elderly lady in the film),Elizabeth Hoffman (elderly lady in season 1), Nancy McClure (young woman in season 1) and Glynis Davies (middle-aged woman in season 2),Ellie Gall (Stargate Origins) – Daughter of archeologist Prof. Paul Langford, who discovered the Stargate, as a girl she acquired an amulet depicting theEye of Ra during the excavation of the Stargate in Giza in 1928.[69] In present-day ofStargate, she gives the amulet to Daniel before his first mission through the Stargate to Abydos. Her fiancé, a scientist namedErnest Littlefield (played byKeene Curtis andPaul McGillion), is the first human to have travelled through the Stargate since the ancient Egyptians buried it. Catherine and Ernest were separated by a gate incident in 1945 and were re-united in the mid-season 1 episode "The Torment of Tantalus", but Ernest is never seen again in the series (although he is mentioned in season 1's "There But For the Grace of God" and season 2's "The Fifth Race"). Catherine Langford appears again in alternate universes and times in "There But For the Grace of God" and "1969". Her death is announced in season 8's "Moebius, Part 1"; she leaves her personal collection of documents and artifacts, including the golden medallion of Ra, to Daniel Jackson.
In the show, Earth's efforts to construct starships of its own using reverse-engineered alien technology begin in the season 4 episode "Tangent", with the less-than-successful X-301. The first spaceworthy Earth fighter, the X-302 (later F-302), is introduced in season 6's "Redemption", and a few episodes later in "Prometheus", Earth's first space battlecruiser, thePrometheus. Squadrons of F-302s are eventually stationed on Earth,Atlantis, the SGC's alternative sites, and its battlecruisers. In season 2 ofStargate Atlantis, theDaedalus-class battlecruiser is introduced, incorporating advancements that were tested on thePrometheus. SixDaedalus-class battlecruisers appeared in the franchise: theDaedalus, theOdyssey, theKorolev, theApollo, theSun Tzu, and theGeorge Hammond (named thePhoenix in an alternate timeline). Except for theKorolev and theSun Tzu, which are operated by the Russians and Chinese respectively, all Earth combat spacecraft are operated by theUnited States Air Force.
Set designer Peter Bodnarus based the design of the F-302 on theF-117A U.S. Air Force stealth fighter and theHL-10 aircraft from the 1970s, while still leaving the Goa'uld glider origins of the design recognizable. He and his team focused on creating a realistic-looking cockpit interior for the X-302 in terms of the headrest with overhead ejection handles and emergency systems.[70] The original concepts for the look of thePrometheus as well as the X-303's interior wereaircraft carriers.[70][71] For thePrometheus, the producers wanted to build something that was exactly the opposite of Goa'uld ships, which, according toPaul Mullie, are basically big empty rooms with nowhere to sit, no screens and no buttons to press.Andy Mikita thought thePrometheus was a fun set to shoot in because "there's lots of layers and textures and flashing lights".[71]
The Abydonians are the people whom Colonel O'Neill's team encounters on another planet in theStargate film. They are the slaves of the alienRa and are descendants fromancient Egyptians brought through the Stargate to mine the fictional mineral naqahdah. The film gives the location of their homeworld—named Abydos inSG-1's pilot episode "Children of the Gods"—as the Kaliem galaxy "on the far side of the known universe" in the film; and as the closest planets to Earth in the Stargate network in "Children of the Gods". In the film, O'Neill and Daniel Jackson inspire the Abydonians and their leader, Kasuf, to rise up against Ra. The military personnel return to Earth, while Daniel falls in love with Kasuf's daughter Sha're and remains behind. In "Children of the Gods", set a year after the film, the Goa'uldApophis attacks Abydos, abducting Sha're and her brother Skaara to serve as hosts for his queen Amonet and son Klorel. In season 6's "Full Circle", the Goa'uldAnubis destroys Abydos, butOma Desala helps its entire populationAscend.
The Ancients are the original builders of theStargate network, who, by the time ofStargate SG-1, haveascended beyond corporeal form to a higher plane of existence. The humans of Earth are the "second evolution" of the Ancients. The Ancients (originally known as theAlterans) colonized the Milky Way galaxy millions of years ago and built a great empire. They also colonized the Pegasus galaxy and seeded human life there before being driven out by theWraith. The civilization of the Ancients in the Milky Way was decimated millions of years ago by a plague and those who did not learn to ascend travelled to the Pegasus galaxy on boardAtlantis. With few exceptions, the ascended Ancients respect free will and refuse to interfere in the affairs of the material galaxy. However, their legacy is felt profoundly throughout theStargate universe, from their technologies such as Stargates and Atlantis to the Ancient Technology Activation gene that they introduced into the human genome through interbreeding.
Oma Desala ("Mother Nature"), played by Carla Boudreau (season 3) andMel Harris (seasons 5, 8) – An Ascended being who goes against the ways of the Ancients. It is unclear if she is an Ancient herself, as the Ancients Orlin and Merlin give different accounts of knowing Oma. Oma is responsible for once helping the fallen System LordAnubis, the mainSG-1 antagonist between seasons 5 through 8, ascend. Although the Ancients banished her for her actions, Oma remains convinced of her responsibility to guide those beneath to the "Great Path" of enlightenment, even if this interferes in the lower planes of existence. Oma therefore only guides individuals, leaving the final decision to travel the great path to them. SG-1 first encounters Oma Desala on their search for Shifu in season 3's "Maternal Instinct". Oma eventually guides Shifu to ascension in season 4's "Absolute Power". Oma is involved in Daniel Jackson's ascension in "Meridian" and forceful de-ascension in "Fallen", and also helps the entireAbydonian population ascend afterAnubis's attack in season 6's "Full Circle". Oma Desala last appears in season 8's "Threads", sacrificing herself to enter an eternal battle with Anubis to prevent him from wreaking further havoc on the galaxy.
Note: Mel Harris's teenage son was aStargate SG-1 fan and introduced her to the series. TheStargate producers offered her the part when she was visiting the set while in Vancouver for another job. The best direction she got for playing this almost "omniscient" character was that she was not like others and was a "being" of her own.[73]
The Asgard are a benevolent race whose former homeworld is the planetOthala. According to the mythology ofStargate, they gave rise toNorse mythology on Earth and inspired accounts of theRoswellgrey aliens. The Asgard can no longer reproduce and perpetuate themselves by transferring their minds into new clone bodies as necessary. Extremely advanced technologically, the threat of their intervention shields many planets in the Milky Way fromGoa'uld attack, including Earth.
The Asgard provide much assistance to Earth in the way of technology, equipment, and expertise. Their main adversaries inStargate SG-1 are the mechanicalReplicators, against which they enlist the aid of SG-1 on several occasions. The entire Asgard civilization chooses to self-destruct in "Unending" (S10E20; series finale) due to the degenerative effects of repeated cloning. A small colony of Asgard still exists in the Pegasus galaxy and they were able to stop cloning's diminishing returns.
Most Asgard characters on the show are directly named afterNorse gods. Prominent one-time characters include Aegir (voiced byMichael Shanks in "New Order", named afterAegir), Heimdall (voiced byTeryl Rothery in "Revelations", named afterHeimdallr) and Loki (voiced byPeter DeLuise in "Fragile Balance", named after and based onLoki).Stargate SG-1 had several Asgard puppets, and six puppeteers were necessary to make the different parts of the main Asgard puppet work.[74]
Thor, voiced byMichael Shanks (seasons 1–8, 10) – The Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet.SG-1 first encounter him as aViking holographic recording (played byMark Gibbon) on the planetCimmeria in "Thor's Hammer". They meet the real Thor one season later when they enlist him to save Cimmeria fromHeru-ur's invasion. After O'Neill manages to make friendly contact with the Asgard in their galaxy, Thor includes Earth in theProtected Planets Treaty to safeguard it from a direct Goa'uld attack. Late in season 3, SG-1 helps to destroy Thor's ship, theBeliskner, which had been overtaken by theReplicators, in "Nemesis". Impressed by SG-1's primitive but effective tactics, Thor requests SG-1 to help fight the Replicators in his Asgard homeworld soon after, in "Small Victories" Anubis captures Thor and probes his mind for Asgard technology, and Thor's body lapses into a coma in "Revelations". SG-1 retrieve Thor's consciousness from the ship's database a while later, and transfer it into a new body.
Thor asks for SG-1's assistance after his people's plan to trap the Replicators inside a time-dilation field on the planet Halla backfired. Thor personally makes an appearance at a secret meeting between the permanent members of Earth'sUN Security Council taking place inthe Pentagon, to ensure thatSGC retains control over the EarthStargate. As the time-dilation device on Halla cannot keep the Replicators bottled up forever, Thor collapses Halla's sun into ablack hole, but some Replicators escape. Some weeks later, Thor and Carter modify their Replicator Disruptor, but as the Replicators quickly adapt, they use theDakara superweapon to destroy all Replicators in one strike. Thor gets a new clone body soon after. Thor summons theOdyssey to the Asgard homeworld Orilla and installs the entire knowledge base of the Asgard race on the ship. As attempts to save the Asgard civilization from their genetic difficulties have failed, he informs Lt. Col. Carter that the Asgard consider people of Earth the fifth race, heirs first to the Ancients and now the Asgard, and that it is their turn to safeguard the future. Thor perishes along with the rest of the Asgard race when their planetself-destructs before theOri can attack. Carter later programs the Asgard data core's interface to look and behave like Thor, but admits that it is not the same as talking to the god that became her friend.
Thor originally speaks more slowly in the first season, but Michael Shanks, who voiced him since the beginning, joked that he was not getting paid by the hour but by the amount of dialog, when he commented on the increased dialog speed in later episodes. As the Thor puppet is able neither to walk nor stand, the puppet is often put in a chair.[75]
The Goa'uld are the dominant race in the Milky Way and the primary adversaries from seasons 1 to 8 ofStargate SG-1. The most powerful Goa'uld in the galaxy are collectively known as the System-Lords. They are a parasitic species that resembles finned snakes, which can burrow themselves into a humanoid's neck and wrap around the spinal column. The Goa'uld symbiote then takes control of its host's body and mind, while providing longevity and perfect health. In their fictional backstory, the Goa'uld invaded and ruled over Earth thousands of years ago, masquerading as gods from ancient mythologies. The Goa'uld transplanted humans throughout the galaxy to serve as slaves and hosts, and created the Jaffa to serve as incubators for Goa'uld larvae.
Anubis, played byDavid Palffy (seasons 5–7, hooded), Dean Aylesworth and Rik Kiviaho (season 8's "Reckoning"), andGeorge Dzundza (season 8 as "Jim") – A half-ascended Goa'uld System Lord who replacesApophis as the main enemy in season 5. Based on the godAnubis ofEgyptian mythology, the character is first mentioned by name in season 5's "Summit" (although is alluded to in the earlier episode "Between Two Fires"), and makes his first appearance in "Revelations". It is revealed that like all the other Egyptian "gods", he is in fact a Goa'uld—one so vicious and cruel that he was banished by the other Goa'uld. Earth is eventually able to annihilate Anubis's fleet above Antarctica in "Lost City", but Anubis survives in energy form ("Lockdown"). Anubis regains his power throughout season 8 and develops a plan to destroy all life in the galaxy and then repopulate it to his own designs ("Reckoning"). Just as he prepares to use the weapon in "Threads",Oma Desala, who aided in his ascension thousands of years ago, engages him in an eternal battle.
David Palffy was cast to playSokar before he got the part of Anubis.[76] Since Anubis is cloaked all the time, Palffy had to express the character's weight through the voice and movements. Mainly because of the severe time-restraints of filming television, the producers gave Palffy no background on the character and encouraged Palffy to experiment and find the character's tone himself.[77] What was under Anubis' cloak became a main question among fandom.[76] Anubis was received as an over-the-top-character,[77][78] but Palffy pointed to what the character represents, saying "Anubis is a god – he's not fully ascended, he's basically an outcast. And as I say, this resulting displacement of energy that's evil, that has been temporarily harnessed under a hood to give him physical form. He's the image of death, the figure of death incarnate, and he's surrounded by a black robe. That symbol in itself has been around since the dawn of time. That in itself is over the top. [...] His whole existence is basically predicated on living up to that theme, and that's a theme that's time immemorial. And of course, as an actor, you've got to work with that. To do otherwise, to underplay that, will work against the idea of what he represents."[78] Palffy was open to continue playing Anubis beyond season 7, but other actors played the character in season 8.[78]
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Apophis, played byPeter Williams (seasons 1–6, 8) – A System Lord and the main villain for most of the first four seasons ofStargate SG-1. Based on the godApep ofEgyptian mythology, the character gained power afterRa's death in the film and commands a raid on Earth andAbydos in "Children of the Gods", leading to the restart of the Stargate Program. His then First Prime, Teal'c, defects from his army afterwards. Apophis's standing amongst the System Lords is severely diminished after a failed full-scale assault on Earth in season 2's "The Serpent's Lair". Apophis is killed and eventually revived by the Goa'uldSokar in season 3. After defeating Sokar's massive fleet and army in season 3's "The Devil You Know", Apophis becomes the most powerful Goa'uld in the galaxy. Despite his death aboard hisReplicator-infested ship in season 5's "Enemies", Apophis appears in visions and alternate timelines in season 6's "The Changeling", season 8's "Moebius" andStargate: Continuum. In the latter, he is the last System Lord to resist the rule of Ba'al who kills Apophis shortly before his attempted takeover of Earth.
The astronomersDavid J. Tholen andRoy A. Tucker enjoyed the character so much that they named anear-Earth asteroid that they co-discovered in 2004,99942 Apophis.[79]
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Ba'al, played byCliff Simon (seasons 5–10) – A System Lord based on theBaal ofCanaanite religion. Introduced in season 5's "Summit" and recurring until the end of the show, he is the longest-running villain inStargate history. After Anubis' fleet is destroyed in season 7's "Lost City", Ba'al gains substantial power and wages a war against all other System Lords, driving them to the brink of defeat in early and mid-season 8. Anubis' return in "Reckoning"/"Threads" forces Ba'al back into his service. Ba'al secretly collaborates with SG-1 andJacob/Selmak to thwart Anubis' plan of overtaking the galaxy with the Dakara Superweapon, but flees when the Jaffa storm his mothership. With his traditional power base gone, Ba'al exiles to Earth and takes over theTrust, posing as a wealthy businessman in season 9's "Ex Deus Machina". Having made multiple clones of himself, Ba'al begins a campaign to battle the invadingOri for control of the galaxy in "Stronghold" and tries to gain power through various means in "Off the Grid", and season 10's "Insiders" and "The Quest". Ba'al capturesAdria in "Dominion" and implants one of his cloned symbiotes within her, massacring most of his other clones with symbiote poison. The symbiote is extracted and killed, but he fatally poisons Adria first, forcing her Ascension to survive. TheTok'ra extract the symbiote from the last Ba'al clone inStargate: Continuum. However, the real Ba'al travels back in time to 1939 and alters history by intercepting the Stargate as it is transported by the ocean freighterAchilles, creating a timeline in which Ba'al gains dominion over the System Lords and lays siege to Earth with Teal'c as his First Prime and Qetesh, the Goa'uld who used Vala as a host, as his queen. Cameron Mitchell manages to travel back in time to 1929 and set an ambush for Ba'al when he boards theAchilles. The real Ba'al is shot and killed by Mitchell, restoring the original timeline. With Ba'al gone, the extraction of the last Ba'al clone proceeds as planned and the symbiote dies, ending the reign of the System Lord forever. Ba'al's host survives the extraction and Vala plans to help him adjust to life after over two thousand years under Ba'al's control.
Cliff Simon met withexecutive producersRobert C. Cooper andBrad Wright and auditioned eight months before the character Ba'al was created for the series. Simon, Cooper and Wright came to an agreement to wait until they found the right character for Simon in the show. Simon said "I was very lucky," when talking about his character in an interview with The Sci Fi World.[80] According to portraying actor Simon, Ba'al was the most "interesting" character he had done, because of Ba'al's character development and diversity. Simon felt that he needed to diversify the character to make it more exciting. As he put it, "if you're always bad, it gets pretty boring." He wanted to change the development of the character. The writing staff eventually agreed with him and started fleshing out his character.[81]
The Jaffa are an offshoot of humanity, genetically engineered by theGoa'uld. They have an abdominal pouch which serves to incubate larval Goa'uld. The infant Goa'uld provides strength, longevity, and good health, at the cost of supplanting the Jaffa's natural immune system, making them dependent on the Goa'uld for more symbiotes. The Jaffa have a warrior culture and form the armies of the Goa'uld. In season 8 ofStargate SG-1, theJaffa Resistance wins their race's freedom from Goa'uld oppression, resulting in theFree Jaffa Nation.
Bra'tac, played byTony Amendola (seasons 1–3, 5–10) – A Jaffa warrior, formerFirst Prime of theGoa'uldSystem LordApophis, and Teal'c's former teacher and closest friend.[82] His surviving to an age of retirement as First Prime is a noted rarity, and affords him a significant amount of respect among Jaffa. Bra'tac is over 133 years of age at the beginning of the series, a fact he reminds SG-1 of on multiple occasions.[83] He is introduced in season 1's "Bloodlines" and is one of the most frequently recurring characters onStargate SG-1. Bra'tac, having been one of the first Jaffa to doubt the Goa'uld as gods, has been an outcast among the Jaffa since at least season 1. Bra'tac was also the one who initially influenced Teal'c to doubt the Goa'uld as well. Bra'tac helps Teal'c and SG-1 on many missions. He is initially suspicious of the humans, particularly O'Neill. This dynamic is played out somewhat comically, but Bra'tac slowly learns to trust and respect humans.[84] In seasons 1 and 2, Bra'tac helps to save Teal'c's son,Rya'c from several threats and becomes a guardian to him. During a mission to find theHarcesis child (Shifu) on Kheb in season 3's "Maternal Instinct", Bra'tac is presented with the idea ofAscension but in the end decides against this possibility for himself. At the end of season 6, Bra'tac and Teal'c are both badly wounded during a Jaffa meeting and lose their symbiotes, surviving only by taking the new drug Tretonin. Bra'tac is the primary instigator of theJaffa Resistance, a rebellion aimed at overthrowing the Goa'uld and establishing the freedom of all Jaffa. At the end of season 8, Bra'tac and Teal'c convince the other members of the Jaffa Rebellion to attack Dakara in an ultimately successful mission. The Jaffa obtain freedom, and Bra'tac receives a position of honor. He becomes a member of the High Council, the governing body of the newFree Jaffa Nation but still stays loyal to Stargate Command. Some time after the destruction of Dakara by theOri, leaders of the Free Jaffa Nation meet to consider the future, but Bra'tac and Teal'c are badly injured during an ambush by a former enemy of Teal'c. When they get nursed back at the SGC, Bra'tac tells Teal'c that he is like a son to him.
The Lucian Alliance is an interstellar group of human smugglers and mercenaries that have joined together from many different human-settled worlds across the Milky Way Galaxy to fill the power vacuum created by the demise of theGoa'uld, and have obtained and modified Goa'uld technology for their own use. When their trade partnerVala Mal Doran does not keep an agreement in their first appearance in season 8's "Prometheus Unbound", she and Daniel are placed on a Lucian Alliance wanted list. The Lucian Alliance is first referred to by name in season 9's "The Ties That Bind" and reappears as a recurring foe in seasons 9 and 10. The Lucian Alliance story arc is continued inStargate Universe. ProducerJoseph Mallozzi explained in retrospect, "Much of the Lucian Alliance we saw inSG-1 was inept and, dare I say it, a bit goofy. They fit in withSG-1's lighter, more high adventure-driven tone but would have stood out (and not in a good way) in the new series [Stargate Universe]. As a result, I was initially leery at the prospect of introducing them toSGU but, as so often happened over the course of my many years in the franchise, I trusted in Brad [Wright] and Robert [C. Cooper] and, in the end, that trust was rewarded with a terrific story element that not only succeeded as planned [...] but offered up plenty of interesting story material for future episodes [ofStargate Universe]. The Alliance was always envisioned as a loose coalition of mercenary groups so it made sense that certain factions would have been more capable and threatening than others."[85]
The Ori are Ascended beings who use their infinite knowledge of the universe to force lesser beings to worship them. In essence, they used to be Ancients, however they split into separate groups due to different views of life. The Ori are religious while the Ancients prefer science. The Ori sway lesser-developed planets into worshipping them by promising Ascension through an invented and empty religion called "Origin". This religion states that they created humanity and as such are to be worshipped by their creations. It also promises its followers that, on death, they will Ascend. However, Origin was designed to channel energy from the human worshippers to the Ori. As such, the Ori never help anyone else Ascend because then they would have to share the power that they sap from their worshippers. Their ultimate goal is to completely destroy the Ascended Ancients, who they know as "the Others". All of their efforts, including their technology, are for the purpose of garnering worshippers. As Ascended beings, the Ori do not interfere directly in the mortal plane. Instead, they use humans calledPriors, which they artificially evolve so that they are one step from Ascension, giving the Priors godly powers. Because the Ori have worshippers across the entire home galaxy of the Ancients, and using their knowledge to spread, they are nearly unstoppable.
Adria, played byRobert C. Cooper's daughter Emma (season 10, age 4),Jodelle Ferland (season 10, age 7),Brenna O'Brien (season 10, age 12),Morena Baccarin (season 10, adult) – The primary antagonist in season 10. Adria is the Orici, a genetically advanced human infused with Ori knowledge. The Ori had impregnatedVala Mal Doran with Adria against her will in season 9 to circumvent the Ancients' rules in theMilky Way galaxy, and as such Vala named the child after her "witch of a woman" stepmother. Losing contact with young Adria in "Flesh and Blood", Vala meets her daughter again as an adult in "Counterstrike". In "The Quest", Adria tricks SG-1 into obtaining the Sangraal for her and captures Daniel before he can complete the device. Adria attempts to convert Daniel to the path ofOrigin and makes him a Prior, but he betrays her in "The Shroud" and uses the weapon on the Ori galaxy. Adria is briefly implanted with the Goa'uldBa'al in "Dominion", but the removal of the symbiote almost kills Adria and she ascends. She nevertheless continues the Ori's assault on the Milky Way inStargate: The Ark of Truth, where the AncientMorgan le Fay engages her in an ascended battle, "eternally distracting her from being able to continue her evil ways".[86] • The producers created Adria's character to give Vala a story and personality arc as a new member of the SG-1 team[87] and offered the role of adult Adria to Morena Baccarin, as they were fans of her former TV series,Firefly.[88] The character initially has orange contact lenses, but they irritated Baccarin's eyes so much that the lenses were dropped during the shooting of "The Quest".[89]
Tomin, played byTim Guinee (seasons 9–10) – A devoutOri follower of the village of Ver Isca, who becomes an Ori commander in Season 10. Tomin is intended as a representation of the Ori warriors,[90] and Cooper described Guinee as a "fabulous actor who instantly creates that humanity and empathy ... while he's mass-murdering people"[87] Tomin is introduced in flashbacks in season 9's "Crusade", having found Vala after she was transported to the Ori home galaxy. Tomin had been crippled since childhood, and was therefore looked down on by his fellow villagers. Tomin married Vala and accepted her pregnancy as his child, not knowing that it was an immaculate conception set by the Ori. A little later, a Prior visited the village and cured Tomin of his limp, allowing him to become a warrior for the Ori. The prior also told Tomin the truth about the child as "the will of the Ori", who would later be theOrici. Tomin is later able to forgive Vala.[91] As seen in "Camelot", Tomin and Vala depart aboard the first wave of Ori vessels entering the Milky Way, and they go separate ways in season 10's "Flesh and Blood". Tomin rises to the rank of commander within the Ori warrior armies, and he and Vala meet again in "Line in the Sand". Because a Prior twists the words of the Book of Origin, Tomin begins to doubt the Priors and their interpretations of Origin's teachings, and helps Vala escape. Despite his betrayal, Tomin survives and remains an Ori commander by the time ofStargate: The Ark of Truth, leading the Ori forces in the ruins of Dakara. After the Prior he serves is killed by Mitchell, Tomin finally loses his faith in the Ori and surrenders to SG-1. Tomin helps Daniel decipher his visions of the Ark of Truth and accompanies SG-1 back to the Ori galaxy where Tomin is instrumental in finding the Ark and ending the Ori threat for good. After the defeat of the Ori, Tomin becomes the new leader of his people, but Vala declines Tomin's offer to return with him, feeling that her place is with SG-1.
The Replicators are a potent mechanical life-form who use a quiron-basednanotechnology. They strive to increase their numbers and spread across the universe by assimilating advanced technologies. They are hostile to all other life and are opposed primarily by the Asgard. In the episode "Unnatural Selection", the Replicators had used technology extracted from their Android creator to make shapeshifting, human-form Replicators. While standard Replicators are resistant to energy weapons but can be destroyed by projectile weapons, human-form Replicators are resistant to projectile weapons as well, thanks to the change in their nature from large blocks to smaller units the size of organic cells (cell blocks). In the episode "New Order (Part 2)", anAncient weapon called the Replicator Disruptor was developed by O'Neill while he still had the knowledge of the Ancients in his mind. It works by blocking the cohesion between the blocks that make up the Replicators. The Replicators in the Milky Way galaxy were wiped out by the Dakara Superweapon in the two-part episode "Reckoning" at the climax of Season 8. It has been indicated that the Asgard used the same technology to defeat the Replicators in their own home galaxy as well.
Fifth, played by Patrick Currie (seasons 6, 8) – A human-form Replicator introduced in season 6's "Unnatural Selection". He is the fifth human-form to be created on the Asgard planet Halla, and unlike the others he lacks the programming flaws of the android Reese, on which the human-forms are based. This makes him more "human" than the other Replicators, who consider him "weak" as a result. After SG-1 is captured by the Replicators, Fifth becomes fascinated by them, especially Carter, and attempts to help them, but SG-1 break their promise and leave Fifth behind in a time dilation field. Fifth has escaped the time dilation field in the season 8 episode "New Order", and en route to the new Asgard homeworld of Orilla, he captures Samantha Carter and tortures her in revenge. He eventually relents when she appeals to his humanity again, and professes his love for her. He lets Carter go but creates a Replicator duplicate of her to serve as his consort. Fifth appears for the last time in "Gemini", conspiring with Replicator Carter to obtain data from the SGC that would immunize them from the Replicator Disruptor. Replicator Carter however never returned his feelings, believing him unfit to command the Replicators. She ultimately betrays him, taking the data for herself while manipulating him into being destroyed by the Disruptor.
Patrick Currie had auditioned for the show about 15 times before being cast, according to Currie, because the producers always short-listed him and waited for the perfect episode to use him in. When preparing for the role of Fifth, Currie was unsure where to take the innocence and vulnerability of the character, and later figured that the key to this character is to know "what it's like before we learn to play games and pretend". He thinks Fifth is a misunderstood character and not a villain; Fifth believes he loves Carter, but lacks comparisons.[93]
Replicator Carter (also known as RepliCarter), played byAmanda Tapping (season 8) – A human-form Replicator created by Fifth. She first appears at the end of "New Order", and becomes a major adversary in the eighth season of the series. Fifth intended her to be a duplicate of the real Samantha Carter, but one who would return his affections. Replicator Carter seemingly defects from Fifth to the SGC in "Gemini", but in fact abandons him to be destroyed while she develops a means to immunize herself from the Replicator Disruptor. In "Reckoning", Replicator Carter launches a full-scale invasion of the Milky Way and personally eliminates the last of theGoa'uldSystem Lords. She abducts Daniel and probes his mind to find the location of the Dakara superweapon, the only thing in the galaxy capable of stopping her. She also sends Replicators to fight the forces ofBa'al, theJaffa Rebellion, and Stargate Command on Earth. Daniel Jackson is able to exploit his connection to the Replicator network at a critical moment, buying enough time to finish calibrating and activating the Dakara weapon. The resulting energy wave breaks Replicator Carter and all her brethren into their constituent parts.
The Tok'ra (literally "againstRa", the Supreme System Lord) are a faction of Goa'uld symbiotes who are opposed to the Goa'uld culturally and militarily. Spawned by the queen Egeria, they live in true symbiosis with their hosts, both beings sharing the body equally and benefitting from each other. The Tok'ra have fought the Goa'uld for thousands of years, favoring covert tactics and balancing the various System Lords against one another. Since season 2 ofStargate SG-1, the Tok'ra have become valuable allies of Earth.
Jacob Carter, played byCarmen Argenziano (seasons 2– 8) – A retired United States Air Force Major General and the widowed father of Samantha Carter and Mark Carter. Jacob Carter is introduced in season 2's "Secrets" as aUSAF general dying ofcancer, and after becoming a willing host of aTok'ra named Selmak who would cure his illness ("The Tok'ra") he frequently recurs as the Tok'ra liaison to Earth. As a member of the Tok'ra High Council, Jacob/Selmak engages in Tok'ra covert operations and provides help to Stargate Command when problems arise. He goes on off-world missions with SG-1, and frequently provides valuable knowledge and expertise, including the ability to use aGoa'uld healing device. When the Earth-Tok'ra relations deteriorate, Jacob/Selmak remains the strongest link between the allies despite his loss of influence in the Tok'ra High Council. In season 7's "Death Knell", Jacob helps his daughter devise the Kull Disruptor as an invaluable weapon in fighting the army ofKull Warriors ofAnubis's creation. He also plays a key role in returning the Dakara Superweapon to the right pattern to attack theReplicators in season 8's "Reckoning", but Selmak dies of old age one episode later in "Threads", along with Jacob who would not let go of him a few weeks earlier knowing by keeping Selmak alive he would help in the fight against the replicators but would ultimately die with Selmak due to release of a poison when a Symbiote dies. Selmak fell into a coma shortly after the Dakara Superweapon was activated thus preventing him from saving Jacob.
Martouf, played byJR Bourne (seasons 2–4, 9) – A leader in the ranks of the Tok'ra. Martouf had been the mate of Rosha, host toJolinar, for almost a century. SG-1 first meet Martouf during their first encounter with the Tok'ra in season 2's "The Tok'ra", and since Jolinar was once blended with Samantha Carter, Martouf develops an interest in her. Some episodes later in "Serpent's Song", Martouf recommends thatApophis, who sought asylum at the SGC, should be handed over toSokar. In the season 3 two-parter "Jolinar's Memories"/"The Devil You Know", Martouf joins SG-1 on a mission to rescueJacob Carter, the host of the Tok'ra Selmak, fromNe'tu. They are captured and tortured, but Martouf, Selmak and SG-1 can escape when a new Tok'ra weapon destroys Ne'tu. However, Martouf is unwittingly subjected to Goa'uld mind control, turning him into a zatarc. His attempt to assassinate the President of the United States in season 4's "Divide and Conquer" ends in failure, and Carter is forced to kill him. Martouf's symbiote, Lantash, survives and is placed in a Tok'ra stasis chamber, which is destroyed in a Goa'uld attack in season 5's "Last Stand". The new SGC recruit Lieutenant Elliot (played by Courtenay J. Stevens, season 5) blends with Lantash after a severe injury, but they give their lives to save the rest of SG-1 and the Tok'ra, eliminating the entire Goa'uld invasion force with a vial of symbiote poison. An alternate version of Martouf arrives at the SGC when many SG-1s from alternate realities start coming through the Stargate in season 9's "Ripple Effect". That universe's Martouf had joined the SGC to be closer to Carter, but their relationship did not last.
According to portraying actor Courtenay J. Stevens, the first draft for the character was that he was supposed to be a youngJack O'Neill in the then newspin-off showStargate Atlantis. The producers dropped Elliot and minimized his role so that he was never even mentioned inStargate Atlantis. Many fans ofStargate thought that Elliot and his team would replaceSamantha Carter,Teal'c,Daniel Jackson and O'Neill as themain characters of the show. Stevens has stated that the producers took much time to look at new "Options", for the series and further stated that he knew "they were looking at it". But the plans were changed and actor Stevens left theStargate set inVancouver after the shooting of "Last Stand". When shooting the episode, "Summit"J.R. Bourne was booked, so he was replaced with Stevens. Before being cast in the episode "Summit", the producers told the history behind theTok'ra symbioteLantash. Stevens was later cast as Keras in theStargate Atlantis episode "Childhood's End".[94]
The Tollan are an advanced human civilization who are introduced in season 1's "Enigma" when the SGC helps a group of them relocate from the original Tollan homeworld that had undergone catastrophic volcanic activity. TheNox take the Tollan in while they continue to search for a new home, later revealed to be named Tollana. The Tollan have a strict policy against sharing technology with more "primitive" races, instituted after such a transfer caused the civilization of their neighboring planet Serita to destroy itself in a single day.[95] Teal'c notes in season 3's "Pretense" that despite the Tollans' technological superiority, they "do not think strategically". The Tollan are wiped out by the forces of the Goa'uldTanith in season 5's "Between Two Fires" after the Goa'uldAnubis developed shields impervious to Tollan weaponry.
