List of ''Babylon 5'' characters

The list of Babylon 5 characters contains major and minor characters from the entire Babylon 5 universe. They are sorted alphabetically by surname where appropriate.

For more information, see their individual articles. See also List of minor Babylon 5 characters, below.

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An important religious, military, and cultural leader of the Minbari species, appearing during the previous Shadow War, in which the Vorlons and the Minbari joined against the Shadows. Valen transformed Minbari society, reorganizing their caste system, creating the Grey Council and forming the Rangers. Valen became the first Entil'Zha and is spoken of reverently by Minbari even a thousand years later.
In the third season, he is revealed to be Jeffrey Sinclair, a major character in the show. Sinclair travels back in time and uses a chrysalis machine to become Minbari. This revelation resolves Sinclair's character arc and answers questions about Valen's identity and eventual fate, both of which had been in motion since the pilot of the series. It also explains the characterization of Valen as a "Minbari not born of Minbari."
Little is known of Valen after the great war ended. He and his family left Minbar and were never seen again. Eventually, their descendants returned to the Minbari homeworld, meaning countless Minbari unknowingly carry some human DNA, including Delenn, who is one of Valen's descendants.

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Minor characters

This is a list of minor characters in the fictional Babylon 5 universe.

Colonel Ari Ben Zayn

Colonel Ari Ben Zayn (Gregory Martin) is an EarthForce Intelligence officer who investigated Commander Jeffrey Sinclair and his command staff in the Babylon 5 episode "Eyes".

Colonel Ben Zayn's investigation was one of several conducted by Earth Force Internal Affairs as the events on Mars were putting the command staff of colonies and stations in question. Ben Zayn's interest was not of investigation, but one of asserting control as he was passed over for command of Babylon 5 in favour of Sinclair by the Minbari, which did not sit well with Ben Zayn.

Ben Zayn's true intentions were discovered by his Psi Corps Military Specialist Harriman Gray, as Ben Zayn is a close friend of Psi Corps official Alfred Bester. He was defeated by Gray and Sinclair and sent back to Earth for investigation into his activities.

Branmer

Branmer is a deceased General (Shai Alit) who led the Minbari forces at the Battle of the Line. Branmer is not portrayed by an actor because his deceased body has been cremated.

Branmer's father was a member of the Warrior Caste, his mother was from the Religious Caste. Because the mother's caste takes precedence in Minbari society, Branmer began life as a member of the religious caste. He was a close friend of Grey Council member Delenn. When the Earth-Minbari War began, Branmer became a General of the warrior caste. Branmer felt it was his religious duty to carry out the war against the humans. When the Grey Council ended the war, Branmer obeyed the order to stand down.

In 2257, Branmer was on a diplomatic mission when he suddenly died. He had previously told Delenn that he had wished for a simple funeral followed by cremation. However, the clan he belonged to - the Star Riders - decided to take him on a lengthy journey home, which was seen as a most unusual move. The ship carrying Branmer's body soon arrived at Babylon 5. After lying in state over night, Branmer's first officer Neroon, followed by Delenn and the station's command staff, arrived at the place where Branmer's body was held. When Neroon opened the casket, Branmer's body was gone.

It is discovered that Delenn had stolen the body and had Branmer cremated. She was going to explain his disappearance as a religious mystery, that his body had been physically taken away by the "Gods". This actually was an inconsistency in the plot, both earlier ("Believers") and later episodes had said that the Minbari did not believe in specific religious deities. (These events take place during the episode "Legacies".)

David Corwin

David Corwin (Joshua Cox) is a C&C (Command and Control, or Observation Dome) worker. The character appears in seasons one through five, Thirdspace and The River of Souls. First credited as "Tech #1" he becomes Lt. JG David Corwin. He is later promoted to full Lieutenant. He occasionally fills in for the lack of a Second in Command in season five (see also B5 government). In River of Souls, which takes place after the station is returned to Earth Alliance jurisdiction, it is implied that he has been officially made XO. He is named for Norman Corwin.[1]

Deathwalker

Jha'dur/Deathwalker
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Deathwalker"
Last appearance "Deathwalker"
Portrayed by Sarah Douglas
Information
Species Dilgar
Home planet Dilgar
Affiliated with Dilgar Empire

Jha'dur is a Dilgar specialist in biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weaponry, and was responsible for many of the atrocities committed by the Dilgar during the Dilgar war. Her activities earned her the epithet "Deathwalker". After the war, Jha'dur was sheltered by the Wind Swords, a militant clan of Minbari warriors, in exchange for her services as a weapons expert.

When the war began, the Wind Swords approached the Grey Council and offered them devastating weapons that Jha'dur had developed in the preceding two decades. These weapons were never used against the humans, by order of the Grey Council.

The Wind Swords concealed Jha'dur's existence from the other species until 2258, when she left Minbar and traveled to Babylon 5 with one of the fruits of her research: an experimental drug that retarded the aging process in humanoids, conferring immortality on whoever used it. A key ingredient in the drug could not be synthesized; it had to be extracted from living beings. The resulting genocidal wars would be her vengeance on Earth and the League for the extinction of her people.

In the episode "Deathwalker", as Jha'dur's ship prepared to embark for Earth, a Vorlon warship arrived and destroyed it, vaporizing Jha'dur and the only existing sample of the drug. When asked why they killed her, Ambassador Kosh replied cryptically that the younger species were not ready for immortality. With the death of Jha'dur, the last trace of the Dilgar was erased from the galaxy.

William Edgars

William Edgars (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) is the founder and CEO of Edgars Industries, the fourth-largest Earth megacorporation and largest pharmaceutical research company on Mars. One of the richest men in the Earth Alliance, Edgars was a powerful member of the plutocracy that held great influence over EarthGov policy. With this influence threatened by President Clark's regime and its empowerment of the Psi Corps, Edgars conspired to gain a means of control over telepaths, and to ultimately neutralize them if necessary. He acquired a leftover Shadow-tech biological weapon through the black market, and developed it into a virus that infects telepaths, killing them unless they regularly take an antidote also produced by Edgars Industries. This plot was foiled and Edgars was murdered by the Psi Corps after the conspiracy was discovered by Michael Garibaldi, acting as an unwilling infiltration agent. William Edgars is survived by his wife, Lise Hampton, who is the sole known inheritor of his estate.

Richard Franklin

Richard Franklin
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Gropos"
Last appearance "Gropos"
Portrayed by Paul Winfield
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with EarthForce

General Richard Franklin is an EarthForce general. His sole screen appearance was in the episode "Gropos". Richard Franklin is the father of Babylon 5's chief of medical staff, Doctor Stephen Franklin. The relationship between father and son is strained, due to the General's Human-centric beliefs. Richard Franklin was often away from home as Stephen was raised.

Franklin is the commander of the Earth Alliance 356th Infantry Division and is known by the nicknames "Old Firestorm", "Hero of the Canal Wars", "Scourge of Janos 7" and "Liberator of the African Block".

Garibaldi's Aide

Garibaldi's Aide (Macaulay Bruton, who also portrays the character Tragedy in season one "Eyes") is a recurring character in seasons one and two of Babylon 5. He is both implicated in, and explicitly involved in, events that lead to the death of Santiago, and the "coming darkness".

General William Hague

William Hague
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Points of Departure"
Last appearance "All Alone in the Night"
Portrayed by Robert Foxworth
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with EarthForce

General William Hague is Chairman of EarthForce's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first leader of the resistance against the authoritarian regime of Earth Alliance President Morgan Clark. Hague was able to escape the Sol system on board the EAS Alexander. EarthForce ships that remained loyal to Hague were hunted down and destroyed leaving only the Alexander. Hague was killed shortly after in a firefight with the EAS Clarkstown. He was replaced as the leader of the resistance by Captain John Sheridan.

Foxworth portrays Hague in two episodes as a supporting role for John Sheridan as a contact in the underground resistance against Morgan Clark. Many of the characters mention his name on referring to the sub-arc regarding the resistance which lends importance to Hague's role offscreen.

Lise Hampton

Lise Hampton (Denise Gentile) is Michael Garibaldi's love interest. She appeared in seasons one through five. She was also known as Lise Hampton-Edgars and Lise Hampton-Edgars-Garibaldi. She first appears in part two of "A Voice in the Wilderness".

Jason Ironheart

Jason Ironheart
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Mind War"
Last appearance "Mind War"
Portrayed by William Allen Young
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with Rogue telepath

Jason Ironheart appeared in the first season episode "Mind War".

Ironheart is a former lover of Talia Winters when they were in the Psi Corps together. He volunteered for experimental treatments to enhance his telepathy, and to produce stable telekinetics. The experiments succeeded, but caused Ironheart's powers to increase to an uncontrollable level. He fled from Psi Corps to Babylon 5 where he set up an escape route for other rogue telepaths, but was pursued by Bester.

Ironheart began to undergo destructive "mindquakes", releasing bursts of psychokinetic energy so powerful they threatened the station. As Ironheart realized that his abilities had grown too great to contain, he discorporated his physical form, but not before leaving Talia with a gift; enhanced telepathic shields, and even a bit of telekinesis of her own. He then turns to Sinclair and says, "Goodbye Commander. I will see you again, in a million years." (This is a reference to the final episode of the fourth season.)

Ko'Dath

Ko'Dath (Mary Woronov) is the aid to Narn ambassador, G'Kar, in the first season episode "Born to the Purple". Two episodes later it is revealed she died in an offscreen airlock accident, and she is replaced by Na'Toth.

The character of Ko'Dath was originally intended to be a main character, and was named in the opening credits of "Born to the Purple" (in place of Na'Toth's credit). However, actress Mary Woronov had severe difficulties with the required prosthetic appliances and refused to wear the provided red contact lenses, and resigned after just one episode. Ko'Dath was hastily killed off as a result.

Susanna Luchenko

Susanna Luchenko
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Rising Star"
Last appearance "Rising Star"
Portrayed by Beata Pozniak
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with Earth Alliance

Susanna Luchenko (Beata Pozniak) becomes the President of the Earth Alliance following the overthrow and suicide of President Morgan Clark; Clark had assumed dictatorial powers. She plays a key role in ending Clark's oppressive policies, including ending his martial law decree, and restoring democracy to the Earth Alliance. Luchenko had previously represented the Russian Consortium in the Earth Senate.

When she became President of the Earth Alliance, she appealed to the people of the Alliance to remain calm, and not to resort to committing acts of revenge against members of Clark's regime. She asked that people "listen to the better angels of their nature." Luchenko said that the courts and legal system would investigate and prosecute those who committed crimes during Clark's presidency.

When it was learned that the Drakh were preparing to destroy Earth, Captain Elizabeth Lochley of Babylon 5 convinced Luchenko to send a large fleet to confront the Drakh. Even though the Shadow planet killer the Drakh brought to destroy Earth was itself destroyed, the Drakh were able to successfully seed Earth's atmosphere with biological weapons. The weapons would kill every living thing on Earth in five years. Sheridan offered his support, and the full resources of the Interstellar Alliance to help combat the Drakh plague. At some point within the next few years the Excalibur was able to find a cure for the plague.

Her only appearance is in the fourth season episode "Rising Star", although her name is mentioned in a number of fifth season episodes.

Pius XV

Pius XV is a Pope.

He is an early 22nd Century Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who is featured in the novel Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps. In December 2115 he called the appearance of telepaths a "miracle from God". Pius XV asks the world to embrace all of God's gifts, including telepaths. This statement leads to a number of Catholics providing refuge for rogue telepaths after the founding of the Psi Corps.

Catherine Sakai

Catherine Sakai (Julia Nickson-Soul, credited as Julia Nickson) is the love interest of Commander Jeffrey Sinclair in the first-season episodes "The Parliament of Dreams", "Mind War" and "Chrysalis". The two have a long on-again, off-again relationship, though at the end of "Chrysalis" they announce their engagement.

Sakai is an independent planet surveyor and operates the survey ship "Skydancer". G'Kar warns her against surveying Sigma 957, but she does not take his advice. She then becomes one of the first humans to come across the "First Ones", who make their home there. Her ship is damaged, and her death imminent, but she is rescued by a ship sent by G'Kar.

President Luis Santiago

Luis Santiago
Babylon 5 character
First appearance Survivors
Last appearance Chrysalis
Portrayed by a still photo of Douglas Netter
Information
Species Human
Affiliation President of Earth Alliance

President Luis Santiago (still photo of Douglas Netter) was President of the Earth Alliance at the beginning of the series. His openness to peaceful relationships with alien races contrasts with that of Vice President Clark, who hid his xenophobic views until he became president after Santiago's assassination in 2259.

Character background

When Santiago was elected no one had doubts as to his Genevan expertise as he had already served as Vice President under President Elizabeth Levy during the tumultuous Earth-Minbari War. After serving at least one term, Santiago was re-elected in 2258, defeating challenger Marie Crane. Santiago had strong policies on opening trade relations and discussions with alien races and fully supported the efforts of station Babylon 5. While some saw this as a good thing, Vice-President Clark secretly opposed this viewpoint and once he was in power began a propaganda war to increase xenophobic views of the Earth Alliance.

Susan Ivanova comments during his reelection campaign that she does not intend to vote for Santiago because she believes a leader should have a strong chin, which Santiago lacks.

Assassination

He was approximately one year into his second term at the time of his assassination aboard EarthForce One, the Babylon 5 equivalent of Air Force One, at the beginning of 2259. The incident occurs near the jump point off Io, one of Jupiter's moons. An energy problem with EarthForce One's jump engines is registered and the craft explodes live on ISN (the CNN of Babylon 5's universe). A slight suspicion of foul play is hinted at by the ISN feed. The newscaster comments that the president is late making his New Years speech moments before the incident. Whether this is because an incident has already occurred on EarthForce One, with the explosion of the craft to cover any evidence, is unknown though it is later discovered Clark arranged the incident with help from The Shadows.

Anna Sheridan

Anna Sheridan
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Revelations"
Last appearance "Z'ha'dum"
Portrayed by Beth Toussaint ("Revelations")
Melissa Gilbert ("Shadow Dancing", "Z'ha'dum")
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with Shadows (formerly Earth Alliance)

Anna Sheridan was John Sheridan's wife. She served as a crew member aboard the Icarus, an Interplanetary Expeditions ship that set down on Z'ha'dum approximately two years before John Sheridan's assignment to Babylon 5. The Icarus and all hands were believed lost at some point during the expedition. In fact, the crew came into contact with the awakening Shadows and at least some crew were "changed" to suit the Shadows' needs. John Sheridan had lived with guilt over his wife's death as he believed himself partly responsible for her accepting a position on the Icarus.

In 2260, Anna (or her body under Shadow control), who had up until that point been used as the living control center of a Shadow vessel, was sent by the Shadows to Babylon 5 to lure John Sheridan to Z'ha'dum. Both traveled there in the White Star. Anna dies (again) at Z'ha'dum when John Sheridan remotely activated the White Star, causing it to fall toward the Shadow compound, and then detonating two high-yield nuclear weapons (500 megatons each) on board the ship.

Carolyn Sykes

Carolyn Sykes (Blaire Baron) is a former love interest of Commander Jeffrey Sinclair in the pilot film of Babylon 5. Like Catherine Sakai, she is an independent space explorer. She is initially accused of being complicit in the attempted assassination of Vorlon ambassador, Kosh.

Ta'Lon

Ta'Lon (Marshall R. Teague credited as Marshall Teague) is a Narn soldier and pilot who encountered Captain John Sheridan when they were both captured and held aboard a Strieb vessel. After being forced into brief gladiatorial combat, they helped each other to escape and Ta'Lon returned to the Narn homeworld to recover from his wounds. He later arrived on Babylon 5 serving as a bodyguard to the representative of the Centauri-occupied Narn government, a position he soon left, and remained on the station becoming a member of the Narn Resistance and lieutenant to Citizen G'kar. Upon G'kar's decision to resign as Ambassador to Babylon 5, it was Ta'Lon whom he selected as the new representative of Narn. As a matter of his sworn soldierly duty, Ta'Lon carries a Ka'tok, a ceremonial sword greatly resembling a katana that once drawn cannot be sheathed before drawing blood. Grasping the sword's hilt and unsheathing it only an inch is threat enough to discourage most foes. He is also known to draw the sword to add emphasis and dramatic effect to his statements despite knowing he then has to cut into his own hand to fulfill his duty to the sword.

Brother Theo

Brother Theo
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "Convictions"
Last appearance "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place"
Portrayed by Louis Turenne
Information
Species Human
Home planet Earth
Affiliated with Cistercian Order, Roman Catholic Church

Brother Theo is the leader of a group of Roman Catholic monks living on Babylon 5, who appear in a few episodes of season three.

Brother Theo and his order of Cistercian Trappist monks (from New Melleray Abbey) first come to the station in the episode "Convictions". The group of monks wish to learn more about the varied aliens and their beliefs, and support that work by offering their services as computer experts and engineers. With permission from Church officials and the Babylon 5 command staff, they take up residence in the station. Brother Theo and his monks quickly prove their value when they help review security camera footage to catch a bomber who terrorized residents on the station.

Next, Brother Theo appears in the episode "Passing Through Gethsemane", when he manages to soundly beat John Sheridan in a game of chess. Sheridan is introduced to Brother Edward (Brad Dourif) during the course of the game. Soon, Theo becomes concerned about Brother Edward when the monk begins reporting hearing voices and having flashbacks. Theo, not knowing too much about Edward's past, asks Sheridan and Garibaldi to look into his past. But at the same time Theo is doing the same, and before too long it is learned that Edward was actually the "Black Rose Killer," a serial killer who preyed on women. After being convicted of the crimes, Edward had his mind wiped, and after being presumed dead in a fire had come to the Order with a new personality designed to want to serve society. The families of the victims of the "Black Rose Killer" are not satisfied, and want revenge. Using a Centauri telepath and the intercom system, they manage to break down the memory blocks, and one of the family members mortally wounds Edward. Before dying, Brother Edward is granted absolution by Brother Theo. After the trial and conviction of Brother Edward's killer, Theo takes the newly-mind-wiped man into the order as Brother Malcolm, having forgiven him for killing Edward.

Brother Theo's final appearance was in the episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place". After the station broke away from the Earth Alliance the monks remained on Babylon 5. Brother Theo had helped set up an intelligence network with other religious leaders, and helped bring several of them to Babylon 5 (under the pretext of a conference) to help smuggle this intelligence to the station's command staff.

Turhan

Turhan
Babylon 5 character
First appearance "The Coming of Shadows"
Last appearance "The Coming of Shadows"
Portrayed by Turhan Bey
Information
Species Centauri
Home planet Centauri Prime
Affiliated with Centauri Republic

Turhan is the Emperor of the Centauri Republic until his death in 2259. The name Turhan comes from the first name of the actor who portrayed him, Turhan Bey.

Turhan succeeded his father as Emperor of the Centauri Republic. In 2257 Turhan appointed Londo Mollari to be the ambassador to Babylon 5. In "The Coming of Shadows", Turhan found that his health was declining, and before he died he decided that he wanted to apologize to the Narn people for all the wrongs his people had done to them. Against the advice of his ministers, he traveled to Babylon 5 in 2259 to deliver this apology in person to G'Kar. He asked his Prime Minister and close friend Malachi (also named for the actor who portrayed him—Malachi Throne) to remain behind on Centauri Prime during this time.

Shortly after arriving on Babylon 5, Turhan suffers a debilitating heart attack. It becomes apparent that Turhan would soon die from his condition. When he announced that he wanted to see a Vorlon before he died, Kosh fulfills this wish. Turhan asks Kosh "How will all this end?", Kosh cryptically replies, "…in fire."

Meanwhile, Lord Refa and Londo Mollari have gotten the Shadows to stage an attack on a Narn outpost. Lord Refa also has Malachi assassinated to remove a potential challenger from power. When told of the attack, Turhan whispers his last words to Londo Mollari: "You are both damned."

Emperor Turhan had no living heirs of his own, his son having predeceased him. With Malachi dead, there was no clear successor to the throne. Following Turhan's death, a number of Centauri families made challenges for the throne. Turhan's nephew, a young man named Cartagia, assumes the throne after Turhan's death.

Dius Vintari

Dius Vintari
Babylon 5 character
First appearance Voices in the Dark
Last appearance Voices in the Dark
Portrayed by Keegan Macintosh
Information
Species Centauri
Home planet Centauri Prime
Affiliated with Centauri Republic

Dius Vintari is the son of the Centauri Emperor Cartagia, and is the third in the line of succession to the Centauri throne, directly behind Vir Cotto, the assassin of Vintari's father, Emperor Cartagia. According to Galen, he will become the Emperor of the Centauri Republic in 2291, succeeding Vir.

Galen had a vision of a future in which Vintari, after becoming Emperor, would wage war on Earth and kill billions. Galen approaches President Sheridan to make appeal, and have him prevent this future by killing Vintari. Sheridan considers it, but after meeting the young man, decides instead to take him under his wing and bring him to Minbar, raising him as a son.

This way, Sheridan hopes to turn him away from the destructive path Galen warned about by showing him a peaceful and trusting way of life. Furthermore, Sheridan confronts Galen, who is seemingly upset at the thwarting of his plan, and all but makes him admit that the Technomage's actual plan was to manipulate Sheridan into making the moral decision he made.

Lou Welch

Lou Welch (David L. Crowley) is a member of the station's security force. He served for several years on board Babylon 5, and was one of Michael Garibaldi's close friends. His first appearance was in the first season episode "Survivors." He appears in several early Babylon 5 episodes, until his last on-screen appearance in the second season episode "Gropos." (This is approximately the same time that the character of Zack Allan was introduced into the show.) Reintroduced in the novels, Lou Welch later dies on Centauri Prime when he is murdered by the Prime Candidates and the Drakh after being caught using a changeling net to gather information on Vir Cotto's behalf.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Straczynski, J. Michael (Jms at B5) (1996-02-16). "Re:David Corwin". The J. Michael Straczynski Message Archive. Synthetic Worlds. Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-05-02. Yes, David Corwin was named for Norman Corwin, whose work you should investigate if you do not know it.
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