Babylon 5revolutionized science fiction television during its initial broadcast, offering a serialized space opera where,unlike its contemporaries, there was no end-of-episode reset button. Actions had consequences, characters grew from season to season, and episodes followed a pre-planned arc.
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That this epic drama took place on sets built mainly of plywood and artfully arranged drapes did little to detract from the overall effect, proving that a good story and a strong cast can make up for any production shortcomings. Yet the world ofBabylon 5was more than miles-long-space stations, frequent bar brawls, and galactic wars—it was home to a variety of alien races.
10Drakh
The surprise renewal ofBabylon 5for a fifth season was a mixed blessing. The show’s plot had been hastily wrapped up during the fourth season, meaning thatBabylon 5’s big bad, the Shadows, were no longer around—and nor were several prominent cast members. Replacements were needed, and fast.
Stepping into the villain role were the Drakh, former servants of the Shadows. There was little time to develop the reptilian creatures, although they continued to undermine the powers that had defeated their masters,including the Earth Alliance. The Drakh would be expanded upon inCrusade, a short-livedBabylon 5spin-off, in which they infect the Earth with a deadly plague, setting off a race against time to discover a cure.
9Thirdspace Aliens (Harbingers)
Babylon 5rivalStar Trekisn’t the only franchisewith movies as well as TV shows.Babylon 5’s underdog efforts are less flashy than those of Gene Roddenberry’s behemoth, but these straight-to-DVD and TV movies help to flesh out characters and establish new enemies. 1998’sThirdspaceintroduces the Lovecraftian Harbingers, a race of voracious entities from another dimension.
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The Harbingers seek to consume all other lifeforms, believing themselves to be superior. Their telepathic nature allows them to influence other species, but they are eventually repelled when a thermonuclear device is detonated inside their vessel.
8Dilgar
The feline Dilgar are a ruthless species who invaded and experimented upon members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds during the Dilgar War of 2230–2232. After learning of the Dilgar’s atrocities, the Earth Alliance became involved, defeating the Dilgar at the Battle of Balos.
The Dilgar, who might have easilyfound employment atFallout’s Vault-Tec, were presumed extinct after the war. However, the episode “Deathwalker” sees Dilgar Warmaster Jha’dur visit Babylon 5 with a scientific breakthrough—the apparent key to eternal life. Although this serum is the result of unethical methods, many governments are interested, including the Earth Alliance. It is only intervention by the Vorlons that prevents Jha’Dur from escaping justice, finally ending the Dilgar threat.
7Markab
Star Trek’s medical officers offeredfertile ground for drama, andBabylon 5embraced the same trend. The character of Dr. Franklin enabled episodes like “Believers”, in which the well-meaning physician performs lifesaving surgery on an alien child without its parents' consent—with devastating consequences.
In “Confessions and Lamentations”, the alien Markab fall victim to Drafa, a virulent disease wrongly associated with immorality. By dramatizing the effects (both medical and social) of an AIDs-like contagion,Babylon 5went where noStar Trekshow had gone before, showing how stigma can lead to medical tragedies. Although a vaccine is developed, it is too late for the now-extinct Markab.
6Drazi
The militaristic Drazirepresent both a burden and a boon to the other members of the Interstellar Alliance. While their aggressive tendencies make them staunch allies in times of crisis (such as during the Second Shadow War), these same impulses mean that the Drazi are quick to anger and seek reprisals during the Centauri War of 2262.
The Drazi maintain a bizarre political system. Every five years, the race is arbitrarily split into purple or green factions, and these factions fight until a winner is determined. The government is then selected from members of the victorious faction. Despite this chaotic process, the Drazi are a technologically advanced race, having developed FTL technology during humanity’s Medieval period.
5Shadows
The chaos-driven Shadows of Z’Ha’Dum seek to sow discord and chaos throughout the galaxy. This aim brings them into conflict with the powerful Vorlons, with the centuries-spanning conflict seeing each of the ancient civilizations attempting to solicit assistance from the Younger Races to vanquish their rivals.
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The ear-splitting shrieks and spidery shape of the Shadows (a design mimicked, if not outright reused, forStar Trek: Voyager’s Species 8472) make them a memorable foe, while their ability to corrupt various fan-favorite characters demonstrates their psychological powers. The Shadows may ask “What do you want?” but this is a prelude to a deal with the devil.
4Vorlons
The enigmatic Vorlons conceal their true appearance by means of bulky encounter suits—and for good reason. When Ambassador Kosh, the Vorlon representative aboard Babylon 5, is forced to leave his suit, he appears as an angelic figure. This is because the Vorlons interfered with the development of the Younger Races, for example by triggeringthe emergence of telepaths.
While the Vorlons appear benevolent, they are in fact as unyielding as their Shadow enemies. They do not hesitate to annihilate species associated with the Shadows, and this genocidal streak leads the Younger Races to banish both the Vorlorns and the Shadows from the galaxy.
3Centauri
The expansionist Centauri may look like regular humans with silly hair, but their comical appearance conceals dark imperial ambitions. The decadent aliens tradedtheir FTL technologyin return for art from Earth, allowing the Earth Alliance to become a major power. Yet their brutal treatment of the reptilian Narn reveals the Centauri’s true nature.
Centauri ambassador Londo Mollari is even willing to ally with the Shadows in return for prestige, although this deal brings devastation to Centauri Prime when the Shadow-affiliated Drakh trigger the Centauri War. The Centauri are a tragic people, whose boundless ambition results in their near-destruction and fall from grace.
2Minbari
The Minbari fought alongside the Vorlons in the First Shadow War, a thousand years before the events ofBabylon 5. This makes the species technologically advanced compared to other powers, including the Earth Alliance, which they come close to wiping out during the Earth–Minbari War of 2245–48. Many humans despise the Minbari, referring to them as “boneheads” due to the race’s cartilaginous crests.
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The conflict is controversially ended when the Minbari leadership, the Grey Council, learns that Minbari souls are being reborn in human bodies.LikeMass Effect’s Drell, the Minbari are deeply religious, and an immediate surrender is ordered—much to the displeasure of the Warrior Caste. Tensions between the Warrior, Worker, and Religious castes would reach their peak during the Minbari Civil War of 2261. Despite their divisions, the Minbari play a vital role in defeating the Shadows and forming the Interstellar Alliance.
1Narn
When the Narn first appear inBabylon 5, it appears to viewers that these reptilian troublemakers will be the villains of the franchise. G’Kar, the devious Narn ambassador toBabylon 5, seems willing to risk all-out war to avenge his people’s past suffering at the hands of the Centauri. Eventually, G’Kar gets what he wants—after a fashion, as his people are soon all but enslaved by the Shadow-backed Centauri following another conflict.
So begins one of science fiction’s greatest character arcs, as the humbled G’Kar (emblematic of the Narn as a whole) must undergo a spiritual epiphany and transformation to set his people free. This redemption arc, masterfully played by the charismatic Andreas Katsulas, transforms the Narnfrom Klingon-esque maraudersintoBabylon 5’s most complex and compelling alien races. G’Kar and the Narn may not receive top billing in the credits, but their story is central to the enduring appeal of this sci-fi epic.
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