No one here is exactly what they appear.The scope of the Babylon 5 universe was truly epic. Over the course of the series, the major characters evolved radically as the arc plot advanced. No summary can do more than scratch the surface of their complexities and their evolution—the only way to fully appreciate both is to watch the series.Please note that this list contains heavy unmarked spoilers for the whole series.
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The Earth Alliance
Humans in general
Everywhere humans go, they create communities.
The Determinator: Te Human-Minbari War is filled with this. Despite the technological disadvantage and many Curb Stomp Battles, the human race fought tooth and nail against the Minbari. As Londo said when describing their efforts to others:
Londo Mollari: The humans, I think, knew they were doomed. But where another race would surrender to despair, the humans fought back with even greater strength. They made the Minbari fight for every inch of space. In my life, I have never seen anything like it. They would weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved ones and then throw themselves without fear or hesitation at the very face of death itself. Never surrendering. No one who saw them fighting against the inevitable could help but be moved to tears by their courage…their stubborn nobility. When they ran out of ships, they used guns. When they ran out of guns, they used knives and sticks and bare hands. They were magnificent. I only hope, that when it is my time, I may die with half as much dignity as I saw in their eyes at the end. They did this for two years. They never ran out of courage. But in the end…they ran out of time.
Deus Ex Nukina: Lampshaded in one of the novels, where it is stated that while the humans lag behind in many other areas, their nuclear weapons are quite capable, provided they can get one close enough to an enemy they would otherwise be unable to defeat conventionally.
This is exactly how Sheridan was able to destroy the Black Star in Earth's only real victory in the Earth/Minbari War.
Debatable; while lots of awesomeness is done by individual humans, humans as a group come off poorly at times.
More like Humans Build Communities. Delenn even notes how any species could have made B5 but allowed only their own kind inside and maybe a few others, while humans would let anyone in and form bonds with them in one form or another.
Most Viewers Are Human: The chief role of humans often seems to be to provide someone to identify with.
Secret Police: Night Watch. Also elements of the Psi Cops.
Space Navy: EarthForce Naval; most of the main characters are EFN (as opposed to the EarthForce Marine Corps seen in "GROPOS," and the likely EarthForce Corps of Engineers officers in "Babylon Squared").
United Space of America: There are still individual nations and the Earth Government is based in Geneva, Switzerland.... yet most of the Earthers we see in the series are American.
More to the point, culture and political organization seem geared to be familiar to an American viewer.
Subverted, as well. The Minbari casually wiped out most of the defenders effortlessly, then proceeded to surrender without explanation. It had the effect of making many Earthers feel that The Line was a Senseless Sacrifice.
John J Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner)
For justice, for peace, for the future... we have come home!
The Butcher: The Minbari call him "Starkiller," for his hand in the destruction of the Black Star, using what they considered underhanded tactics. In the third season finale, he earns that nickname twice-over, destroying the White Star by loading it up with nukes and having it dive into the Shadows' capital city.
The Chessmaster: he's acknowledged in-universe to be one of the finest tactical minds of his generation, and it's no Informed Attribute. He's almost always one step ahead - if not more.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Dan Randall, the pro-Clark journalist, portrayed Sheridan as a guy subject to sinister alien influences, while oppressing the human population and running ghoulish medical experiments to create alien hybrids, all the while arming an alien invasion fleet outside Babylon 5.
Hypocrite: In protest of Clark's declaration of martial law on Earth, he secedes and declares independence. However, he declines to form any sort of new governing body for the station and retains ultimate authority over every aspect of its government, making him essentially a military dictator. This is lampshaded a couple of times by people who don't like him. However, considering he was a Military Governor who was upholding the Constitution of the Earth Alliance and B5 is a military base, it is not hypocritical for him to maintain the original concept of the station intact. He is not giving the station over to the alien governments who use it. Once the reasons for the declaration were removed from power, it is likely he would have returned into the Earth Alliance, or then made changes to the governing body of the station. The colonies only made a new government once there was no hope in England agreeing to their demands. There always remained the chance for Clark to be removed from power.
Among the Minbari, Sheridan is known as "Starkiller" for his famous defeat of their flagship, the Drala Fi ("Black Star" in English). The name becomes a Multiple Reference Pun after he also causes the destruction of The White Star
Military Maverick: Subverted. His appointment to Babylon 5 was approved by Clark's government because all the available evidence indicated that he was not a Military Maverick, but rather a staunch loyalist. Unfortunately for them, he was staunchly loyal to the Earth Alliance Constitution, as opposed to being loyal to the government that was failing to follow that Constitution.
Noodle Incident: Two come up in the same episode. He refuses to explain how he got the nickname Swamp Rat, and the threat of an embarrassing story is enough to stop him from revealing one about another character.
Nose Art: His personal Starfury has a full-wing Eagle paintjob. In the fourth season, he had the Babylon 5 emblem painted on the hull of his flagship during The Earth Alliance Civil War.
The Power of Love: Allows him to defy death because he loves Delenn that much. Damn the Shadows, he's going to be with the woman he loves and nothing is going to stand in his way. Not even the entire universe.
They Do: With Delenn. A relationship built on mutual respect, trust, and shared interests, that had its ups and downs but was a lifelong love match on both sides? What a novelty!
Lampshaded in the fifth season, where an assassin taunting Sheridan says that he understands Sheridan is "a bit of a history buff."
Ultimate Authority Mayor: Justified, as he is the military governor of Babylon 5 and really does have absolute authority over the station*
While the station functions as a neutral meeting place between the major powers, as well as an interstellar commerce hub, it is still first and foremost an Earth Alliance space station operated by EarthForce
]], within the limits of his own orders. Also deconstructed, as we see that this leaves him with a lot more on his plate than he ever had to deal with as a starship commander, requiring him to adopt a more hands-off leadership style.
Undercover Cop Reveal: Later revealed to have been planted on Babylon 5 to investigate the conspiracy around President Santiago's death.
Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our Sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-Tzu, and Einstein, and Morobuto, and Buddy Holly, and Aristophanes... All of this... All of this... Was for nothing. Unless we go to the stars.
He Knows Too Much: Delenn had orders to take appropriate action if he showed signs of remembering.
In Harm's Way: Puts himself in a lot of dangerous positions he really has no reason to. It's hinted it's his Survivor Guilt speaking, and Garibaldi eventually calls him out on it mid-season 1.
The Masochism Tango: His relationship with Catherine Sakai consisted of years of on-again, off-again, have-sex-then-one-of-them-leaves frustration before they decided to have a go at things for real.
Reassigned to Antarctica: Due to his (repeated) tendency to speak his mind when not appropriate, his back story contains this. A lot. His promotion to the head of Babylon 5 came as a surprise to pretty much everyone at Earthforce (including him, given the huge list of people who were ahead of him), but they accepted it because the Minbari were part contributors to the station and got a provision that they had say in who got in. So his assignment to Babylon 5 is a large aversion, though his history is not.
Teacher/Student Romance: The canon novel To Dream in the City of Sorrows reveals that he met Catherine Sakai when he was her flight instructor at Earthforce Academy.
And to the Minbari in general. Neroon expresses admiration for him, and his special ability in the card game is to undo damages to the human-minbari tension levels.
Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle)
"Thin air." Why is it always "thin air"? Never fat air, chubby air, mostly-fit-could-stand-to-lose-a-few-pounds air.
Bald of Awesome: Played for Laughs on a couple of occasions. Ivonova strongly suspects (but prefers not to inform Garibaldi) that his hair loss was due to a prank played by a smuggler he had crossed paths with in the past.
Big Damn Heroes: On several occasions. It does help that all of the station's security personnel answer to him, allowing him to bring The Cavalry with a single call.
The Determinator: JMS in a commentary track compared Garibaldi to a pitbull, refusing to let go of a problem until he's solved it. Increased Up to Eleven by Bester to make him sniff out an anti-Telepath conspiracy.
Dogged Nice Guy: Garibaldi is a Type 1, particularly toward Talia.
Nose Art: In early seasons, his personal Starfury had a tiger painted on the center of the wing. In the fifth season, he is briefly seen piloting a Starfury with Daffy Duck painted on the side.
Refuge in Audacity: One of his specialties. Tries to rescue Captain Sheridan from a secret prison on Mars by walking up in uniform and identifying himself by name. It almost works too, except that the guards are Too Dumb to Fool.
When an Earth Alliance official demands to know where Sheridan is, Garibaldi refuses to tell him, on grounds that it is so secret that Garibaldi can't even tell himself or else he'll have to arrest himself for revealing secret information to himself.
It helps that the official in question is just Genre Savvy enough to figure that it is some sensitive issue best left undisturbed for now. Before he can become suspicious enough to realize he's Wrong Genre Savvy, the heroes present him with an entirely plausible explanation for the secrecy.
Written-In Infirmity: Jerry Doyle suffered a broken wrist during the filming of the battle sequence in "Severed Dreams". The visible effects were then very naturally explained as the character suffering the same injury.
Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian)
Ivanova is always right. I will listen to Ivanova. I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations. Ivanova is God. And if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out!
Badass Boast: Has a habit of these, from "Ivanova is God." to "God sent me."
Bi the Way (Annoyingly, we only really got a confirmation that Ivanova & Talia were in love after the fact — because Straczynski knew the executives would crucify him if he actually had them kiss, which was considered but remained unfilmed.)
Hints do appear previously. They lounge around in Ivanova's bedroom an awful lot.
Word Of God is that they did in fact have sex off screen.
Large Ham: On occasion, though not nearly as large a ham as some of the other characters.
Lost in Translation: Played hilariously when Ivanova bitterly curses, only to find out that "Ah, hell!" means "continuous fire" in her crew's language.
Lady of War: Ivanova lacks the inspirational genius of Sheridan or the unconventional thinking of Sinclair, but she is a formidable officer in her own right.
Mission from God: For her last Badass Boast, she declared that God had sent her to dispatch her foes. She is nearly killed at the end of the battle by a wayward piece of debris, but not before her force has dispatched the enemy fleet.
My Hovercraft is Full of Eels: When she shows off what she has learned from her studies of the Minbari language. Delenn discretely issues an order to the Minbari crewmembers of Ivanova's ship that anyone who is caught laughing at her heartfelt attempts will be severely punished.
Nose Art: Her Starfury has a red star and a double-headed Russian Eagle.
Number Two: For the station, being the second line officer aboard for most of the series.
Russian Guy Suffers Most: And expects to. She considers pessimistic outlooks to be Russian by nature and commends people for them. Sheridan even calls developing a greater degree of pessimism "taking Ivanova lessons."
Written-In Infirmity: Claudia Christian broke her ankle in a ski-ing accident during Season Two, and this was explained as Ivanova being injured after being caught in a brawl between Green and Purple Drazi. (The fan rumour that she was injured during the filming of that scene is false.)
You Are in Command Now: At least four times in the space of three years, in fact, though it never happens in the heat of battle.
Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs)
The Conscience: Franklin regards his medical oath as far more important than his oath to Earth Force and is quite willing to remind others of their duties to greater causes than their government.
Determinator: After he is stabbed, then tormented by a hallucination of himself for all of his failures, he decides that he wants to live, mistakes and all.
The Pornomancer: Despite being a bit of a pompous blowhard and not really putting any serious effort into it, he can charm the ladies out of their dresses like nobody's business.
My first CO once told me: "When someone asks you why you took on a job, the worst answer you can give is 'Because a friend asked me to.'" I should have listened. This place is one long exercise in frustration.
The Alcoholic: She uses her secret past as an alcohol and drug abuser to get Garibaldi back on the wagon.
Amicably Divorced: She was married to Sheridan briefly. Their marriage burned out fast. Their friendship didn't.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Fought on the Loyalist side of the Earth Alliance Civil War. Her being chosen to command Babylon 5 after Ivanova's departure was done as a fig-leaf gesture to the government back on Earth.
Rules Lawyer: Manages to temporarily prevent Mr. Bester from arresting a colony of rogue telepaths by citing an Earth Alliance health regulation. Commander Sinclair would have been proud.
Butt Monkey: in season two, Zack's major function is to be the Earthforce security agent who gets knocked out by the alien. Notably, both G'Kar and Lennier take him out at different points.
The Everyman: While he doesn't quite have the blank slate qualities usually associated with this trope, Zack is essentially an average guy way over his head, trying to do the right thing.
You Did The Right Thing: Both Night Watch and the command staff assure Zack of this when he's used as a double agent in one episode. He finds it less than comforting.
Warren Keffer (Robert Rusler) (Season 2 only)
It was jet black, a shade of black so deep your eye just kind of slides off it. And it shimmered when you looked at it. A spider, big as death and twice as ugly. And when it flies past, it's like you hear a scream in your mind.
Book Ends: The season premiere and season finale both feature him taking part in the defense of the station from an alien warship. Also, his second episode and his final episode both feature a Starfury pilot being killed in Hyperspace.
Curiosity Killed the Cast: Ignores Commander Ivanova's orders not to continue his obsessive search for the mysterious black ship that he encountered in Hyperspace. Finding that ship is the last thing he ever does.
Decoy Protagonist: Intentionally given little purpose, but a fake high profile, heroic job.
"Okay, activate defense grid. Launch all Starfuries, and if they move, shoot 'em. If they don't move, shoot twice; they're probably hiding something."
Adorkable: The scenes involving him trying to buy and give roses to Ivanova, and his ownership of a Love Bat, especially.
The Apprentice: Tends to serve as Ivanova's right-hand man and unofficial protegé in later seasons.
Character Development: Starts out in Season 1 as a generic Earthforce officer with no name and a dorky, wallflower personality, ends up in Season 5 as Babylon 5's XO and almost a male, Lighter and Softer (and, well, still dorkier) version of Ivanova (see above quote).
The Generic Guy: Tends to be written as representing the viewpoint of the average, ordinary Earthforce officer in comparison to the larger-than-life, destiny-laden main characters.
Expy: Averted, actually. Though many of his policies and his death call Adolf Hitler to mind, Word Of God is that he wasn't supposed to correspond to any one Real Life dictator.
He Who Must Not Be Seen: Clark does have a handful of scenes, but they're short and after he becomes Big Bad full time he's only seen killing himself. Word Of God is that he was supposed to be an idea more than a character.
Unwitting Pawn: To both the Shadows and Psi Corps, to varying degrees.
Villain with Good Publicity: He certainly tries, and his propaganda machine is much spotlighted, but by the time all is said and done a good chunk of the population is set against him anyway.
Susanna Luchenko (Beata Pozniak)
Well, Captain, you've caused quite a stir. Half of Earth Force wants to give you a kiss on the cheek and the Medal of Honour. The other half wants you taken out and shot. As a politician you learn how to compromise, which by all rights means I should give you the Medal of Honour, then have you shot.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Formerly the leader of the Russian Consortium, she takes over as President of the Earth Alliance after Clark. However, she is still a politician, albeit one of the better sort.
Understatement: Describing Sheridan's adventures in the latter half of Season 4 as "caus[ing] quite a stir."
The Minbari Federation
Minbari in general
We are at our best when we move together. And we are at our worst when we move together.
Ape Shall Never Kill Ape: "Minbari do not kill Minbari", the reason why they surrender at the Battle of the Line after discovering Sinclair is the reincarnation of Valen: Minbari souls are reincarnating as humans.
And then the civil war broke out and the Warrior Caste, in particular, dumped that rule pretty fast.
Before that, there was the right of denn'Sha, a duel to the death which is seen closer to the ideals of suicide than one opponent killing the other.
Berserk Button : Don't kill one of their leaders, don't win a battle against them in a dishonorable manner (whatever they're deciding to define that as), don't accuse them of lying, don't... well, just don't.
Biological Mash Up: Thanks to Valen, first known as the human Jeffry Sinclair, is half-human and had children who had more children. As of the Earth Year 2262, the number of Minbari who have human DNA in their bodies is counted in the millions. You can tell which males have human DNA by seeing if they can grow a beard. Pure Minbaris cannot.
The Clan: Several in fact; Delenn is from the family of Mir (itself part of the Tenth Fane of Elleya), Lennier is from the Third Fane of Chudomo, and Neeroon from the Star Riders. We also have the hawkish Wind Swords.
The clan system is apparently completely independant of the Caste system. Lennier had a clansman who was warrior caste.
Can't Argue with Elves: Because the elves are more than capable of blowing your navy out of space and tossing you personally across the room. And aren't reluctant to do so.
Crystal Spires and Togas: The spires aren't literally crystal. They don't quite wear togas. But they're getting dangerously close on both counts.
Disproportionate Retribution: For a case of Poor Communication Kills, their reaction is "total genocide of the offending species". Other lines from Delenn indicate that the Minbari responses often tends to be swift and violent.
Honor Before Reason: All Minbari at least think they are this. Some are more honorable than others.
Hypocrites: They hold Sheridan as a monster and a butcher for destroying the Black Star. In a war. Using an ambush... while the Black Star was coming to finish off the wounded from an earlier assault. Essentially they consider Sheridan a monster because in a war he dared to win a battle, using tactics that weren't quite as underhanded as the Minbari did.
In Sheridan's first episode, the Minbari hold him accountable for the self-destruction of another cruiser, because he refused to fire on them and kill them himself.
Our Elves Are Better: To the point where they (and especially Delenn) are treated as the moral core of the series, frequently delivering philosophical Aesops, despite actions that are arguably worse than those of any race besides the Shadows and Vorlons.
Subverted as the show goes on and frequently examines how they are often less honorable and civilized than they want to think they are.
Rules Lawyer: "Minbari Do Not Lie" & "Minbari Do Not Kill Minbari". Except when they can find loopholes or justify it some different ways. For example, conquering a polar Religious Caste city, and forcing the residents to leave on foot, dying of cold and exposure isn't murder. The weather killed them! Not a Minbari!
The Heart: The closest thing to an unambiguously kind, good-hearted character this series has. Surprisingly, this makes her scenes on the bridge of a warship even better.
Heroic Lineage: Descended from Valen which is borderline Divine Parentage from the Minbari point of view and is awesome enough from any other when you hear that Valen is Sinclair gone back in time.
Jeanne d'Archetype: I do not think they would die for me. But they would die for you... Entil-Zha!
Lady of War: Delenn, as mentioned above and below, commands war fleets and generally lays the smackdown several times in the series. While maintaining proper decorum.
Lethal Chef: Delenn can't seem to add enough salt to Sheridan's flarn to make it edible.
Source material indicates that the Minbari have a poor sense of taste, and make their food very spicy as a result. Sheridan possibly made it to suit his personal taste, unaware it'd taste like cardboard to Delenn.
A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Nearly commits negligent homicide on Sheridan out of jealousy before realizing what he is doing and changing his mind to late. Sheridan is saved but Lennier's life is ruined.
Worthy Opponent: Views the few humans he respects (Sinclair and Marcus) as these. And views Delenn as a worthy opponent politically rather than in personal combat.
Shai Alyt Shakiri, head of the Warrior Caste
Now We Rebuild the Grey Council into a Warrior's Council.
Hypocrite :If you believe so much in your caste, step into the circle and die for them. Or is it easier for you to kill my caste? Easier to send others out to die for you?
I want my people to reclaim their rightful place in the galaxy. I want to see the Centauri stretch their hand and command the stars. I want a rebirth of glory, a renaissance of power.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Centauri women love this trope. They often have very saccharine manners and appearance, but are also prone to stab you in the back when you least expect it. There are some exceptions, however:
Adira Tyree subverts this. She is originally tasked by an alien spy to get incriminating evidence from Londo by seducing him, and fulfills her mission. However, just before delivering the files to her owner, she runs away, and after she is freed from slavery she seems to genuinely care for Londo.
The Centauri girl in The War Prayer averts this as she seems to really love her boyfriend. This may be because she is still young and has not yet learned the ways of her society.
Also averted by Timov, one of Londo's wives, and the only one he keeps, in that she does not put on sheep's clothing and prefers to stay a bitch in plain sight.
Exotic Equipment: Men have six huge prehensile sexual tentacles, usually hidden beneath their clothing. Women apparently have six slots, three on each side of the spine. The more used, the more pleasure.
They attempted to use this to their advantage: when they first met Humans, they claimed that Humans were a lost colony of the Centauri. It almost worked, until the humans learned more about Centauri physiology.
This turns out to be a Real Life example of Poor Communication Kills. JMS originally intended Centauri hair to be worn more like human hair, with the length signifying rank. When Peter Jurasik was being fitted with the prosthetic, it was put on him sticking up like a peacock's tail. As a joke, he had it left that way and went to JMS, saying "what do you think?" JMS, thinking Peter really wanted it that way, and worried he was a touchy actor, said it looked fine like that. And thus the Centauri got their iconic hairstyle.
Realpolitik: The stated philosophy of most prominent Centauri (with heaping doses of Fantastic Racism when it comes to the Narns).
Sins of Our Fathers: Though they commit plenty of sins of their own to be sure.
As I look at you Ambassador, I see a great hand reaching out of the stars. The hand is your hand, and I hear the sound of millions of people calling your name.
Evil Costume Switch: Following his first contact by the Shadows, Londo's wardrobe purposely gets darker as the series goes on.
And in the episode where The Shadows arrive on Centauri Prime, he gets a brief switch back to his original, brighter wardrobe as he begins to realize the full consequences of his actions.
Guile Hero and/or Magnificent Bastard: Not in every episode but it comes out some times. In the last few episodes of the Shadow Wars arc he actually pulled a Xanatos Gambit on the Shadows (which is for all practical purposes the same as doing that to Satan).
Henpecked Husband: Implied to have been one to the dancer he married (and was later forced by his family to divorce). "She had a voice that could curdle fresh milk. 'Londooo?' 'Coming, my darling!'"
His third wife, Mariel, is Silk Hiding Steel and described by Timov as a 'Iron claw in a velvet glove'. Maybe he likes being henpecked....
I'm Going to Hell for This: "And when I die, there will be a reckoning." Except he seems to have meant that seriously.
It's All About Me: In "The Very Long Night Of Londo Mollari" - a Journey To The Center of Londo's Mind - a part of his mind points out that, "You're not sorry for what you did! You're just sorry you got caught!" - this trope in a nutshell.
At the end of the episode, Londo talks about a Centauri legend about reincarnated souls in unworthy lives - a suitably good soul can attempt to end an appropriatly evil existence - literally will the body to die - in order to escape from it. Vir reminisces that he heard that this was about the souls of card-carrying messiahs trapped in the bodies of Complete Monsters - and eats his foot when he realizes that Londo is referencing himself.
Gone Horribly Right: In Season 1, Londo has been Kicked Upstairs, and he knows it, lamenting how little power he and his people have to his friends and drinking buddies. By the end of the series, he is arguably the single most politically powerful figure on the show, but has no friends, no free will, and is lost to his misery.
My God, What Have I Done? - beautifully captured when he's observing the mass-driver bombardment of Narn. There isn't a single word of dialogue in the entire scene...Londo's face says it all.
Pet the Dog: After Vir begs Londo to help him learn to live with the guilt of misdeeds, Londo refuses, telling Vir to embrace the guilt. Londo doesn't want Vir to be like him.
Reassigned to Antarctica: Unwillingly assigned to Babylon 5 before the series begins. Londo's superior tells him in no uncertain terms that it's a dead-end job.
Retired Badass: Londo was at the head of the Centauri assault on a world in his backstory, and on the one incident he piloted a shuttle he weaved, effortlessly and laughing, through incoming anti-air fire.
Incoming anti-air fire that had already foiled three out of four previous attempts to reach the planet's surface, one of which six ships launched from an Earth Force cruiser.
Susan Ivanova: My god, whoever's piloting that shuttle's a madman!
Villainous BSOD: During the Centauri attack on the Narn homeworld, he watches in horror as the Narn civilization is laid waste, realizing that he is now responsible for the slaughter.
Vir: I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike, as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes, and wave... like this.
One of our very best torturers. I felt certain he would break him. Two hours he worked. Not a sound! I said, 'Give me a cry, give me a shout, a whimper, a scream'. Silence! So, I got into it myself. You can't leave these things to others, they never get it right.
Cycle of Revenge: The Narn homeworld was once occupied brutally by the Centauri. The Narns drove them off in a war of attrition. The Narns spend most of Season 1 mentioning how they wish to exterminate the Centauri, make them pay for the occupation of their homeworld, and kill them all. This comes to bite them in the ass when their revenge-fueled aggression ends up inspiring Londo to use Mr Morden to strike at them. This causes the Narns to AGAIN swear revenge, and declare war on the Centauri, a war they are not capable of winning because the Centauri are significantly more advanced (having mastered true artificial gravity for one) and have the help of Mr Morden's allies. Even the other races, as explained by Delenn and foreshadowed by Sinclair, are unwilling to involve themselves in the war on the Narn's behalf, because they know that should the Narn win, they will go right back to attempting to kill all the Centauri, and no race wants to be accessory to that genocide.
Sinclair: "In order to be free you had to learn to fight. No one questions that. But you've overcompensated. You are like abused children who have grown big enough to do the same thing to someone else as if it would somehow balance the scales. It won't. If you let the anger cloud your judgment, it will destroy you."
Proud Warrior Race Guy: It's implied that this isn't the sole basis of their culture, but being brutally occupied by the Centauri and violently winning their freedom led to their most violent and aggressive aspects becoming dominant.
The Reptilians (although they're actually scaly marsupials)
It is said that the future is always born in pain. The history of war is the history of pain. If we are wise, what is born of that pain matures into the promise of a better world, because we learn that we can no longer afford the mistakes of the past.
Cassandra Truth: He discovers that a very old, very powerful race has returned, and attempts to bring proof to the Babylon 5 Security Council in order to rally the other races together and fight the new threat. Nobody listens to him. It is later revealed that the Narn Regime may have been the last to learn of the Shadows' return, as the Vorlons and Minbari were already putting their own secret plans in motion, and the Shadows had already begun to gain influence amongst the Centauri and Human governments. *
Those who were in the know kept G'kar (as well as Sinclair and Sheridan) out of the loop for their own various reasons.
Character Development: While he is always something of a Warrior Poet, he started out as a part-time Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, later becoming more The Philosopher by the time the show ends. He endured several fires to get there, seeing his homeworld decimated and occupied by his sworn enemies, learning that Sheridan and Delenn let it happen to keep the Shadows complacent, and finally being personally tortured by Emperor Cartagia who orders one of his eyes gouged out and nearly executes him. And along the way he went on a Vorlon-influenced Vision Quest.
Covert Pervert: By season 4 he has an artificial eye that transmits an image even while it's not in his head and what does he do with it? He spies on Sheridan and Delenn on their wedding night.
Played with; he is often dominated by the desire for revenge, to a degree that would be unwholesome for a real diplomat. However he can put reason before revenge when needed.
With Friends Like These: When he finds out that Delenn allowed the slaughter of his people at the Shadows' hands to avoid revealing that the Shadows' return was known, G'Kar tearfully, painfully, admits she was correct to do so. And that he will never, ever forgive her for it.
Beneath the Mask: The series references that seeing a Vorlon's true face inspires absolute trust, and Kosh himself says that he avoids showing it since he would be recognized. By who, someone asks? Everyone. The Vorlons look like angels.
All There in the Script: he insists on being called "Kosh" throughout, after the character he replaces. His real name, Ulkesh, was only revealed in a spin-off novel.
Evil Mentor: They honestly believe in helping and nurturing the younger races by turning them against each other and making them kill each other so that the 'strongest' survive.
Hypocrite: They take it poorly when people decide they want to be free themselves and don't want their 'help'.
Gone Horribly Right: The Shadows believe that conflict is key to helping younger races evolve. They are indirectly responsible for Sheridan so evolving, due in part to his decision to kick the Shadows out of the galaxy.
Yes. I think he's ready...perfect for our needs... He suspects nothing. When the time is right, Ambassador Mollari will do exactly as we wish. Destiny is on our side.
No One Could Survive That: After Sheridan nukes the Shadows' capital city, hope is expressed that Mr. Morden will never be seen again. He shows up in the very next scene, burnt to a crisp (and flaking), but still very much alive and ambulatory.
Prophecy Twist : All the people who express a wish to him get what they want. Londo gets the temporary rise of the Centauri; G'kar gets revenge on the Centauri, and Vir gets revenge on Morden. Only Vir is pleased with his wish in the long run.
All There in the Manual: You’ll need to take a look at the tie-in materials, notably an authorized CD, to learn anything substantial about most of the member races. Their names, even.
The Alliance: A loose one, in order to give their worlds a voice and not be eclipsed by the major powers.
Ass In Ambassador: Often. The Drazi ambassador, definitely. The Brakiri ambassador has his moments. And the League as a whole will often decide to be stubborn over Sheridan's latest idea, to bring another level of conflict to a given episode.
Hufflepuff House: Some more than others. The Llort, Grome and Yolu can be seen sitting in session, but none of them will ever say anything. The Abbai get Demoted to Extra and the Vree are seen in person only once, though their ships show up a lot.
The Drazi
Purple! Green!
Comedic Sociopathy: They can be counted upon to start swinging fists at any opportunity, and are often used for comedy. Such comedy usually involves someone getting hurt. The Drazi have plenty of serious moments too, though.
Early Installment Weirdness / Art Evolution: In the first season, the back of their heads are smooth. In season two, some Drazi start appearing with layered scales on the back of the scalp. In their showcase episode “The Geometry of Shadows’’, both variants of Drazi appear, in the same scenes. By season three, and from then on, all Drazi have the scales. In early seasons their cheeks tended to be spiked, but this was less common later on.
Fantastic Rank System: According to the episode Deathwalker, their ships are commanded by a Makar. The only other Drazi rank we hear of, though, is the far more mundane "General".
Proud Warrior Race Guy: They become this in later seasons, after the Narn leave the role vacant thanks to the rise of G'Kar.
Scary Dogmatic Aliens: A mild example. Violence is their way, and they're not the friendliest of people, but nor are they antagonists. In a strange way, they're one of Babylon Five's strongest allies.
Silly Reason For War: Their politics involve randomly splitting into two groups and then fighting each other.
Warrior Monk: Many of them are shown to be religious. In the first season, a Drazi monk has to reluctantly surrender his blade to Garibaldi; in season three, two missionaries poke Zack Allen to receive a blessing. And the patron god of Drazi pilots gets mentioned. Naturally, being Drazi, anything in their culture of any importance seems to involve aspects of the warrior, or at least the brawler.
The Brakiri
All There in the Manual: Aside from the religious stuff in Day of the Dead, all we really know about them from the show is that they're pack rats. Source material indicates that they are a corporatocracy, and that their society has many parallels to 20th Century Earth, due to them having picked up television transmissions from Earth before they gained space-faring technology. The only indication of that in the show is that the Brakiri Ambassador's clothing somewhat resembles a human suit.
Dark Is Not Evil: They have a mildly sinister appearance, they're nocturnal, and they have a creepy necromantic religion, but they aren't bad people. Indeed, during the Shadow War, the Brakiri ambassador was one of Delenn's most loyal allies amongst the League races.
Diurnal Nocturnal Animal: Despite being nocturnal, they're often seen wandering around in daylight. Justified, in that Babylon Five business operates during daylight hours; presumably those Brakiri living and working there adapt.
Mega Corp: Apparently, their government is corporate-based.
Hidden Depths: Despite being quite benevolent, they're considered "stubborn, lazy, obnoxious, greedy" and are infamous for eating carrion. Yet according to Vir Cotto, their singing is the most beautiful sound he ever heard. It also made Londo cry.
I'm a Humanitarian: They eat carrion, including the bodies of sapient races.
Early Installment Weirdness / Art Evolution: In their first episode, their crests are longer than in their second appearance - after that, both variants show up as background extras, but the shorter version is more common.
Lady Land: According to source materials, their government is matriarchal. This is supported in the show by all but one member of their delegation being female.
The Markab
Apocalypse How: The drafa plague results in a Class 3; the extinction of the Markab race.
What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?: Not intended as a stand-in for AIDS, despite the parallels: initially unknown etiology and vector of transmission, perception that it's punishment for immorality...
The Vree
Flying Saucer: Their ships, of which two designs are seen.
The Greys: One of no less than three races in the setting to fit the trope. They're the closest of all, having saucer-shaped ships and a history of buzzing Earth in them.
One member of their race is even brought up on civil charges by a human; the individual Vree's grandfather had abducted the human's grandfather.
Hufflepuff House: Their ships show up a lot, but we only ever see an actual Vree individual on screen once, and they never have an important role.
Hive Queen: "The Queens" are mentioned by the Gaim Ambassador at least once; although the context is ambiguous, background materials confirm that these are the Gaim's leaders.
Dying Race: Slowly dying. There's still a lot of them around, but their population is falling and they're on the decline.
Early Installment Weirdness / Art Evolution: In the first season, they’re mostly tan or beige in colour, with larger heads; by season two they’re either brick red or orange. After that, they’re orange pretty much all the time, though the red variant still makes appearances. Also, some of the early Hyach (and a later one in Legend of the Rangers) have small amounts of fur on their cheeks. Fridge Brilliance, given that Hyach-Doh had hair.
Forgotten Fallen Friend: The crew really doesn't seem to think very much about Talia after her real personality is effectively murdered by reciting the keyword triggering her sleeper personality.
Well, the next time Bester (below) arrives he comments on what was learned at her dissect..."debriefing". Not that she was actually dissected, he's just getting a rise out of them.
Face Heel Turn As the result of an artificially-implanted personality being activated.
Limited Wardrobe: Talia gets a lot of wear out of that gold blazer. This is more evident than with other characters, each of whom wear an assigned uniform or ceremonial garb.
Glowing green eyes when she is linked with a Vorlon, Inky black eyes when she is linked with the Shadows (typically when she is hitting them with a psychic attack
Real Life Writes the Plot: In a variety of ways. Her departure and return to the show were major story points, and her relationship with Kosh was partially based on her real life romance with Kosh's actor.
Asskicking Equals Authority: Only P12s (the most powerful rated telepaths) are allowed to be PsiCops, and Bester is one of the most powerful PsiCops, not only because of his raw telepathic talent, but because of his people skills as well.
Badass: He accidentally discovers the Shadows' Achilles Heel when he picks up on the mental noise of the integrated pilot of a Shadow ship about to pounce on the White Star with him aboard. He simply blocks the noise out, which effectively "jams" the Shadow vessel's controls. Using telepaths to do this intentionally becomes an integral strategy for Sheridan later.
Handicapped Badass: It's easy to miss, but one of his hands is immobile. The crippled hand is a minor plot point in the Psi Corps books.
Berserk Button: Do not threaten or otherwise endanger his lover.
Devil in Plain Sight: He doesn't even bother trying to play nice with Sheridan and the crew when he pops up in the first few seasons – he's an outright jerk to everyone and they can't do a thing about it.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He had a lover who was modified to serve as a living CPU for a Shadow vessel. Finding out about this is what made him a temporary ally to the station during the Shadow War.
Nose Art: His personal Starfury is painted jet-black, with the Greek letter Omega in white. Subtle. Mind you, he commands an entire PsiCop unit that operates these, but they only appear briefly in flashbacks or as Unwitting Pawns in one of his plots.
Playing Against Type: Very different character from Chekov. One must remind oneself it's the same actor.
Shout Out - to the real-world SF novelist of the same name, who wrote the "telepathic secret police" novel The Demolished Man. As it turns out, the Psi Corps novel trilogy reveals that he was purposefully renamed after Bester by his grandfather, a big fan. His birth name is Stephen Kevin Dexter.
What Could Have Been: There was a Bester episode planned for Crusade, "Value Judgements". It was unproduced due to the cancellation, but canonically happened, as referenced in Final Reckoning - The Fate of Bester. The script can be read online.
Actual Pacifist: At first. Even to the point of, after being struck by a mundane, asking him to hit him again, to see if it gets his attacker any additional satisfaction. He goes out of his way to try and restrain his fellow rogue telepaths from retaliating against various hostilities from mundanes aboard the station.
Defector from Decadence: Used to be one of Bester's underlings until he was forced to kill a bunch of surrendered rogue telepaths while they were being transferred to an allied mundane transport, killing both.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Each Babylon station was evidently painted in a different color scheme. The first Babylon station was red, Babylon 4 was green, and Babylon 5 was blue.
Government In Exile: Not only served as a human government in exile, but harbored the Narn government in exile, and what was almost but not quite a Minbari government in exile.
More specifically, Delenn was using it as a base for the Rangers and as an aid to waging war against The Shadows with the Grey Council in abeyance.
Forgiveness: Between him and Delenn. He was actually the man who fired the first shot of the Earth-Minbari war and she was the deciding vote for the Minbari declaration of war.
King in the Mountain: Subverted. He only thought he was King Arthur. Marcus Cole did suggest that he might actually be King Arthur, preserved by the Vorlons, but that was a red herring.
Precursors: (Lorien has refered to himself as the First One. His race was the one that taught and guided the races that eventually became the First Ones.)
Harsherin Hindsight: One of Zathras's most memorable lines is "[Zathras] probably have very sad death." The actor playing him, Tim Choate, died in a motorcycle accident.
Lost in Translation: Zathras' attempts to explain that his name is pronounced quite differently from his brother's, Zathras.
Metaphorgotten: When trying to explain to Ivanova that they can't possibly run out of time, because time is infinite. He somehow concludes with "This... is wrong tool. Never use this."
Planet of Steves: Zathras is one of many brothers, all named Zathras.
Combat Pragmatist: They are badly outmatched in any fight with Earth Force. Thus, they prefer hit-and-fade attacks against soft targets such as merchant ships, and will only fight Earth Force units if they have no other choice or if they have overwhelming numbers.
Most times that we ever see them get cornered into a fight with Earth Force crews. The Starfury is shown to be far superior in pretty much every aspect to their ships.
Gunship Rescue: Invoked twice, when a larger ship is brought in to reinforce them or to help them escape. Both ships are destroyed or disabled soon after.
