While Roland Emmerich’s Stargate was given a mixed reception, it did financially well enough to spawn a popular TV show called Stargate SG-1. Expanding upon the film’s initial concept, which revolved around a portal to another planet across the galaxy, the show introduced several alien races that Earth’s SG-1 military division meet in their travels to different planets using multiple Stargate portals.
Because of the advanced weaponry many of these alien races possessed, SG-1 had to adapt their weapons to match them. Thus, we got many powerful weapons in the show which are highlighted in this list.
Kelownan Naquadria Bomb
Developed on the planet Langara by the Kelowna nation-state, the Naquadria Bomb uses a variant of the mineral Naquadah. Used in Stargates and various weapons, Naquadah can amplify energy to such a degree that it makes a powerful catalyst in explosives. Naquadria, on the other hand, is an unstable form of Naquadah which makes it more powerful and deadly than any Naquadah-based weapon.
The bomb itself was made by the Kelownans as a deterrent against the other nation-states on Langara, such as Tirania and the Andari Federation. But through an accident, the radiation from the bomb caused the Naquadah in the planet’s crust to convert into Naquadria. This nearly destroyed Langara, though SG-1 prevented this in the episode “Fallout.”
Staff Cannon
Similar to the Ma’Tok Staffs, which are commonly used by the Jaffa warriors who serve to protect the parasitic Goa’uld race, the Staff Cannon is capable of discharging plasma energy. However, its energy blasts are much stronger than the average Ma’Tok staff and can be used in a variety of ways.
For instance, it can be mounted on ships and gliders for long-range attack purposes. Then on the ground, the Staff Cannon can be used as an artillery weapon. However, it’s not very effective against shields belonging to the ships of more advanced alien races like the Ori and Asgard.
Mark IX
Due to its high density as a mineral, Naquadah is very difficult to destroy. Thus, it was the perfect material to use in the construction of Stargates which are practically indestructible.
Among the few weapons that can destroy a Stargate is the Mark IX bomb, which was developed by SG-1’s second-in-command Samantha Carter. Better known as the ‘Gate Buster,’ it is not only capable of destroying a regular Stargate but also a Supergate with the latter being created by the Ori as opposed to the Ancients who made the Stargates originally.
Ori Energy Beam
Used by Ori warships, the energy beam weapon that’s fired from the center of the ship is so powerful that it can destroy “A Ha’tak with a single strike,” according to SG Command. To give some context, Ha’taks are one of the main type of ships used by the Goa’uld, which were considered to be the most advanced in the entire Milky Way galaxy.
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However, races like the Ori have sured the Goa’uld’s technology with energy beams that can tear through a Ha’tak shield and destroy the actual ship. The only other race that can match the Ori’s energy beam capabilities are the Asgard.
Orbital Weapon
Aside from the various alien races that inhabit the galaxy, there are also ascended beings known as The Others. Living on a different plane of existence, they generally don’t interfere with other races. But one exception to this occurred on Velona which was being attacked by the Goa’uld, where an Other called Orlin gave the Velonans an Orbital Weapon that could repel the fleet of Goa’uld ships.
But over time, the Velonans used the Orbital Weapon to subjugate other planets forcing The Others to wipe them out. Then in the Stargate SG-1 episode “Ascension,” the weapon is almost used again though Orlin prevents this from happening.
Replicator Disruptor Satellite
Appearing towards the end of Stargate SG-1’s third season, the Replicators are machines that can copy just about anything including the technologies of other races and different organisms. While they mainly antagonized the Asgard race, their presence was threatening for the rest of the Milky Way, forcing SG-1 to fight against them.
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Fortunately, SG-1 were able to develop a special weapon called a Replicator disruptor which could interfere with the Replicators’ communication systems and allow them to be destroyed. So variants of this were created, including the Replicator Disruptor Satellite which could disintegrate ships created by the Replicators themselves.
Anubis’ Superweapon
Of all the ascended beings, the most notorious one was Anubis. A high-ranking member of the Goa’uld, he committed various crimes before ascending through trickery. However, the Ancients banished him to an in-between state where he was neither mortal nor ascended.
Yet this didn’t stop Anubis from declaring war on the Goa’uld and creating a superweapon that could destroy them. Powered by six crystals known as the Eyes of the Goa’uld, this superweapon could target a Stargate on any planet and destroy it. This, in turn, would wipe out every living thing on the Stargate’s planet, which was demonstrated in the Stargate SG-1 sixth season episode “Full Circle.”
Drones
Having ascended long ago, the Ancients left behind many technological wonders and devices. Though the most famous of these were the Stargates, they also had their share of advanced weapons including the Drones.
Individually, they can take out fighter ships. But in greater numbers, they can penetrate shields of larger ships including Ha’tak-class Goa’uld ones. They were also used to destroy Anubis’ fleet when he threatened Earth in “Lost City, Part 2” after SG-1 activated them from inside a hidden base the Ancients created in Antarctica before they went to live in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Asgard Plasma Beam
Not to be confused with the race of god-like people that are part of the Marvel comic-book and cinematic universes, the Asgard were an alien race that posed as gods to the people of Earth long ago. Though in reality, they resemble the Grey Aliens that are talked about in most UFO stories.
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Because they are highly evolved, their technology is extremely advanced and continued to adapt to new threats during certain events in Stargate SG-1. Prior to their mass extinction in the episode “Unending,” they created a Plasma Beam weapon that could penetrate the shields of advanced ships.
Dakara Superweapon
On the planet Dakara, the Ancients built a superweapon inside a temple that eventually became sacred to the Free Jaffa Nation who rebelled against the Goa’uld. Capable of bying the shields of the most advanced ships, it could reduce matter down to its basic components and thus effectively destroy anything. This even includes planets and the life that’s on them.
Primarily, though, it was used for defensive purposes. The Free Jaffa Nation briefly used the Dakara Superweapon during an invasion by the Ori during the episode “Counterstrike,” yet despite their efforts, the superweapon ultimately got destroyed.
