History Main / SpaceNomads

* The Luminoth from ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' are mentioned in their lore to have been this for a long time before settling down on Aether.

* Craftworld Eldar from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' became this after the core worlds of their empire were destroyed by a huge cataclysm (the hedonism of the Eldar gave birth to a new Chaos God called Slaanesh who likes to eat Eldar souls), but not the Dark Eldar who live in the city of Commoragh in a the [[SubspaceOrHyperspace Webway]], or the Eldar Exodites who have re-colonised new planets.
** The Demiurg also, who are [[{{Expy}} expies]] of the Bentusi.

In real life, there are whole groups of "Sea Gypsies" such as the Bajau people, and so this trope can fit well if {{Space is an Ocean}}. The Space Nomads may be all that's left of the {{Precursors}}, in which case it's likely they suffered some sort of {{Gotterdammerung}} but obviously weren't fully wiped out. Space Nomads commonly appear in {{Space Opera}}s. The Space Nomads may be running away from something, trying to reach their homeland or even a new home, - so they need not intend to be nomadic forever, but they are still a whole group of people on a very long journey.

* Craftworld Eldar from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' became this after the core worlds of their empire were destroyed by a huge cataclysm (the hedonism of the Eldar gave birth to a new Chaos God called Slaanesh who likes to eat Eldar souls), but not the Dark Eldar who live in a city called Commoragh in a the hyperspace of the webway, or the Eldar Exodites who have re-colonised new planets.

** Orks only stay on a planet long enough to crush all opposition, steal the weapons, enslave the remaining population, and build themselves new spaceships so they can repeat the process. The only reason they haven't conquered the galaxy is because they enjoy fighting each other as much as they do other species.

* The Vasari from ''VideoGame/{{Sins of a Solar Empire}}'' who only briefly take over planets to strip them of resources before leaving again. If you play as the Vasari Loyalists this is even reflected in the game mechanics where you can move all your planet based facilities such as resource gathering, research and ship-building onto your capital ships and become a fully mobile force.

* The aliens from ''Film/IndependenceDay'' are like sentient space locusts.

* The eponymous ship in the ''Literature/GreatShip'' universe is a [[PlanetSpaceship Jupiter sized starship]] housing billions of transhuman beings that paid for their way onto the StarshipLuxurious; either for only a short duration or a circuit around the Milky Way, or for a much larger price, permanent residence. While the majority of the residents have planetary holdings, one race lost control of their own system and have a large community on the Greatship. The Remoras, a HumanSubspecies residing on the ships outer hull, rarely enter the ship proper and spend their entire lives on the hull or in the space immediately around it.

* The Nylli of ''Videogame/StarRuler2'' do not inhabit planets, and instead reside solely in space, either in orbital habitats or in their [[PlanetSpaceship absolutely massive]] motherships which moves between solar systems, seeding planets with habitat constructors.

* It is likely that the enemy aliens in ''VideoGame/{{Rodina}}'' are this, considering they only exist in ships in orbit and have no cities or structures on any of the planets.

* The remnants of the humans from the 12 colonies in the reimagined ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' TV series.

* The Pilgrims from ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'' have taken up a nomadic lifestyle to escape the [[MegaCorp United]] [[TheEmpire Empire's]] oppressive regime. Thanks to their friendship with the advanced alien Sophons, and their understanding of [[{{Precursors}} Endless]] technology, they've been able to travel vast distances with ease and [[HomeworldEvacuation transport entire planetary populations]]. Both their religious and scientific goal as nomads is to find the lost homeworld of the Endless, Tor.

* The Pilgrims from ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'', they've decided to take up a nomadic lifestyle to escape the [[MegaCorp United]] [[TheEmpire Empire's]] oppressive regime. Thanks to their friendship to the advanced alien Sophon's, and their understanding of [[{{Precursors}} Endless]] technology allowing them to travel across space with ease. Their main goal as nomads is to on finding the Endless homeworld of Tor and make it their new home.

* [[DoctorWho The Doctor]], now with no home to go to, lives in his TARDIS. He visits Earth often, sometimes staying a night or so at a companions house if he's injured or (more often) dragged into a family Christmas Dinner, but it isn't actually a home.

* The Pilgrims from ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'', they've decided to take up a nomadic lifestyle to escape the [[MegaCorp United]] [[TheEmpire Empire's]] oppressive regime. Thanks to their friendship to the advanced alien Sophon's, and their understanding of [[{{Precursors}} Endless]] technology allowing them to travel across space with ease. Their new goal as nomads is to on finding the Endless homeworld of Tor and make it their new home.

* The Quarians from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' are a perfect example of this trope. They're even based on the real-life UsefulNotes/{{Romani}} people (gypsies), who were historically a nomadic folk that migrated from India to Europe. If you make the right choices in the third game, [[spoiler:they return to their original homeworld and settle down]].

* The remnants of the humans from the 12 colonies in ''[[BattleStarGalacticaReimagined the reimagined Battlestar Galactica TV series]]''.

* The Bentusi and the Vagyr from the ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series, as well as the Hiigarans (the protagonists) during the first game. In Homeworld 2 the Hiigarans had [[spoiler: settled down on Hiigara and reclaimed their empire]] and so no longer count as a race of Space Nomads.

* The Quarians from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' are a perfect example of this trope. They're even based on the real-life UsefulNotes/{{Romani}} people (gypsies), who were historically a nomadic folk that migrated from India to Europe.

* The Travelers in ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. They refuse to settle down due to the ever-present danger of the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Wraith]], who destroy all advanced cultures.

* The Bentusi and the Vagyr from the ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series, as well as the Hiigarans (the protagonists) during the first game. In Homeworld 2 the Hiigarans had [[spoiler: settled down on Hiigara and reclaimed their empire]] and so no longer count as a race of Space Nomads.

* The Vasari from ''VideoGame/{{Sins of a Solar Empire}}'' who only briefly take over planets to strip them of resources before leaving again. If you play as the Vasari Loyalists this is even reflected in the game mechanics where you can move all your planet based facilities such as resource gathering, research and ship-building onto your capital ships and become a fully mobile force.
* Craftworld Eldar from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' became this after the core worlds of their empire were destroyed by a huge cataclysm (the hedonism of the Eldar gave birth to a new Chaos God called Slaanesh who likes to eat Eldar souls), but not the Dark Eldar who live in a city called Commoragh in a the hyperspace of the webway, or the Eldar Exodites who have re-colonised new planets.
** The Demiurg also, who are [[{{Expy}} expies]] of the Bentusi.
* The Quarians from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' are a perfect example of this trope. They're even based on the real-life UsefulNotes/{{Romani}} people (gypsies), who were historically a nomadic folk that migrated from India to Europe.
* Some humans become this in ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'' after Earth is destroyed.

* The aliens from ''Film/IndependenceDay'' are like sentient space locusts.

* The Quarians from ''Franchise/MassEffect'' are a perfect example of this trope. They're even based on the real-life {{Roma}} people (gypsies), who were historically a nomadic folk that migrated from India to Europe.

* The Vasari from ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'' had to uproot because... something... destroyed their empire and it's tracking them. They settle down to loot planets for resources, but nothing permanent.

* Craftworld Eldar from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' became this after the core worlds of their empire were destroyed by a huge cataclysm (the hedonism of the Eldar gave birth to a new Chaos God called Slaanesh who likes to eat Eldar souls), but not the Dark Eldar who live in a city called Commoragh in a dimension called the webway, or the Eldar Exodites who have re-colonised new planets.

* The Culture from ''{{The Culture}}'' series.