Unlocking the Secrets of Stargate: Exploring the Fascinating Five Races
Five powerful races safeguard the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies in the sci-fi series Stargate The Four Great Races include the Ancients, Furlings, Nox, and Asgard But who exactly is the mysterious Fifth Race? Discover the answers to this thrilling intergalactic question
The popular sci-fi series Stargate SG-1, which is a spinoff of the 1994 film Stargate, follows a team of explorers as they journey through the universe using a device called the Stargate. This machine, featured in both the film and the series, was created ages ago to function as a cosmic wormhole and is now utilized by the Stargate Command team on Earth.
During their interstellar travels, the members of Stargate SG-1 come across a myriad of extraterrestrial species. Among these diverse races, some are friendly while others pose a threat. In order to confront their common enemy, the Goa'uld, a few of the benevolent races form an alliance.
Who Are the Four Great Races?
After extensive exploration of the vast expanse of the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies, a formidable threat in the form of the Goa'uld prompted four distinct races to unite in the face of terror. This unique coalition, known as the Alliance of Four Great Races, consisted of the Ancients (formerly the Alterans), the Furlings, the Nox, and the Asgard. However, it wasn't until many years later, when their species had undergone significant evolutionary progress and demonstrated their exceptional capabilities as protectors of the galaxy, that the fifth race earned its place within this esteemed alliance.
The Ancients
The initial members of the alliance consist of the Ancients, previously referred to as the Alterans, who once thrived as an advanced civilization millions of years ago in their native Alteran Home Galaxy. These beings resembled humanoids both in appearance and anatomically. At a certain point, the Alteran society experienced a division, resulting in two factions known as the Alterans and the Ori. The Alterans were driven by scientific pursuits, while the Ori embraced a more religious way of life. This ideological conflict escalated into a devastating civil war, compelling the Alterans to flee their galaxy in order to preserve their existence.
After thousands of years, the Alterans eventually found refuge in the Milky Way Galaxy, establishing settlements on planets such as Dakara and Terra, which would later come to be acknowledged as Earth. While they commenced the process of colonizing various planets within the Milky Way, their most significant presence was on Earth, where they bestowed their knowledge and architectural prowess. Unfortunately, the Alterans suffered a catastrophic epidemic that decimated a large portion of their population. As a result, they made the decision to depart from the Milky Way Galaxy, embarking on a new journey towards the Pegasus Galaxy.
The Furlings
After a span of thousands of years, the Ancients came back to Earth only to discover that humans had significantly progressed in their evolutionary journey. Recognizing the importance of preserving their own bloodlines, they made the decision to interbreed with the Earthlings. It is worth mentioning that the Ancients were not only responsible for the creation of the Stargates but also for their strategic placement across both the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies.
The Furlings were part of the Alliance of Four Great Races, but their presence is minimally documented in the Stargate saga. Resembling Earth's native koala species, they are often likened to Ewoks from Star Wars. As a peaceful people, the Furlings joined the alliance to seek protection against potential conquerors and to contribute their own pacifistic solutions to political and war-related conflicts.
The Furlings, an ancient species in the Milky Way, met a tragic end at the hands of the Goa'uld. While the exact planet of their origin remains a mystery, their existence was discovered on P5X-777 in the episode "Paradise Lost" of season 6.
The Nox
Residing on the planet Gaia, the Nox are a humanoid species who hold pacifist beliefs akin to the Furlings. Their way of life is intricately intertwined with the natural world of their home planet. In contrast to their allies, they refrain from offering advanced technology, preferring to maintain the purity of their peaceful coexistence with nature.
Instead, their eco-relationship had bestowed upon them special abilities. These abilities encompassed exceptional memory and comprehension, enhanced sensory skills, and even the power to restore life to living beings through the Ritual of Life. Their significance to the alliance lay in their nonviolent approach and adeptness in remaining undetected, allowing them to aid refugees in fleeing the Goa'uld's destructive rampage.
The Asgard
Lastly, the Asgard, a humanoid species, originated from Hala in the Othala galaxy. Although they were once humanoid, their encounter with SG-1 revealed a drastic alteration in their appearance. Through countless years of cloning in an attempt to achieve immortality, the Asgard inadvertently rendered themselves sterile and triggered unnatural changes in their evolution. As a result, their resemblance transformed into the quintessential depiction of a "grey alien" with enlarged craniums and protruding black eyes.
Once the captives of the galaxy were freed from Goa'uld rule, the Asgard assumed the role of sole protectors for the Milky Way. They posed a significant threat to the conquerors and established the Protected Planets Treaty to maintain peace. However, the treaty's effectiveness was compromised when the Replicators infiltrated the Asgard's home galaxy. In their attempt to combat the Replicators, the Asgard left the Milky Way vulnerable.
Ultimately, the Asgard faced extinction. Despite this, they managed to acquire the knowledge of the Ancients and assisted SG-1 and Earth in accessing their resources. Additionally, they played a crucial role in introducing the fifth race to the Alliance of Four Great Races and informed them of their impending ascension to become the fifth race.
What is the Fifth Race?
The concept of the fifth race was officially introduced in season 2, episode 15 of the show, appropriately titled "The Fifth Race." During an exploration mission on planet P3R-272, Colonel Jack O'Neill and his team come across a peculiar device. Jack approaches it and quickly becomes trapped as the device "downloads" the ancient knowledge into his brain. As a result, he gains immense knowledge of the Alteran civilization and can only communicate in their native language.
As Jack continues to uncover secrets of the Stargate and opens gates to unexplored galaxies, he eventually enters a portal and is welcomed by the Asgard. They restore him to normal and inform him that his species, known as the Humans of Earth or the Tau'ri, is now recognized as the fifth race of the alliance. The Asgard reveal that the device that implanted the Ancients' knowledge in Jack's mind is called a Repository of Knowledge, a device scattered throughout the galaxies by the Ancients that contains their entire knowledge.
After returning to Earth, O'Neill finds that he has no recollection of the Ancients. Nonetheless, he brings back the reassurance that his own kind will be safe, as the Asgard had informed him. He also carries the optimistic belief that one day, the Tau'ri will rise to become extraordinary guardians of the galaxy, just as the Alliance of Four Great Races once did. This notion of their potential is further explored in the remaining episodes of the Stargate SG-1 series.
