Summary
- The Stargate franchise introduced a variety of powerful villains, including the Nakai, Michael, Ra, Apophis, Asuran Replicators, Anubis, Ba'al, Replicators, Wraith, and Ori.
- Each villain had unique powers and strengths that made them formidable adversaries for the heroes of Stargate Command.
- The heroes of Stargate Command, through their bravery and intelligence, always managed to find a way to overcome these powerful villains, although it often took great effort.
The heroes of the Stargate franchise faced many foes while protecting the planet, with some posing more of a threat than others. Enemies from other galaxies come in all shapes and sizes, so there was no telling who teams like SG-1 would face next. Nakai, Goa'uld, Replicators, Wraith, and Ori—they all had unique powers and strengths that made them terrible forces to be reckoned with. Thankfully, the brilliant minds and brave fighters of Stargate Command always managed a way to stand up against them, but between Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, it sometimes took all they had to take these powerful villains down.
The Stargate franchise got its start with the 1994 film Stargate, which introduced the central alien enemies of Earth known as the Goa'uld. Going into the spinoff series Stargate SG-1, these villains remained the central force opposing the SGC for several seasons, with various System Lords establishing themselves as the next bad guys that Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c had to stand against. However, as the series continued and Stargate received several more spinoffs, other villains ed the fight, with many being far stronger.
10 The Nakai
Stargate Universe
Introduced early in Stargate Universe, the Nakai aren't particularly strong physically, but their abilities make them a rather formidable foe. The fish-like aliens have a blueish glow and look as if they are made of water. They cannot speak as humans do, but they can probe a being they come in with, gain their knowledge and language, and transmit information back to them in that language. This allowed the Nakai to understand a great deal about humans and the Destiny, which made them quite a nuisance to the crew in Stargate Universe. Still, they were nowhere near as powerful as other franchise foes.
9 Lastlight (Also Known As Michael)
Stargate Atlantis
Michael was a recurring villain in Stargate Atlantis and proved himself to be a potential downfall to the team on countless occasions. Created in the Atlantis medical lab, Michael was originally a Wraith but was experimentally transformed into a human-like being who was meant to believe he was a marine from Texas. When he discovered this, "Lastlight" swore vengeance on the humans who created him but refused to accept him. Michael was nearly as powerful as the Wraith but did not need to feed on humans. Ultimately, it was his devoted following that made him a powerful force.
8 Ra - The First Stargate Villain
Stargate (1994)
Ra was the first Goa'uld that the forces of Earth encountered, way back in Stargate. Considered the most powerful of the System Lords, Ra very nearly achieved domination over Earth and was the one who first established god-like leadership over the ancient Egyptians. He was undoubtedly the most cunning of the Goa'uld seen in the Stargate SG-1, but since he only took the span of a single film to defeat (while other System Lords took seasons upon seasons), it's difficult to rank Ra as high as he likely deserves.
7 Apophis The Goa'uld
Stargate SG-1
Apophis, brother to Ra, was the longest-running villain in Stargate SG-1. It was thanks to this villain that the SGC gained the Jaffa Teal'c, and, really, why SG-1 was called back together, to begin with. Though less cunning than Ra, Apophis was outrageously resilient, having been resurrected more times than the majority of Stargate SG-1 characters, and his devoted following and massive forces made him a consistent concern for the SGC. When he was finally destroyed for good, it was because of the powerful Replicators rather than the forces of Earth.
6 The Asuran Replicators
Stargate Atlantis
Though not the same as the Replicators from Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis Asuran Replicators were still a significant threat—mainly because they could seamlessly appear to be humans or Ancients. When they were first discovered by the Atlantis expedition in the Pegasus galaxy, our heroes thought that was what they were, but they were ultimately revealed to be nanobot-cell-built robots who could infest their enemies in a way nearly as frightening as their SG-1 counterparts. To defeat them, Atlantis had to seek help from their enemies, proving just how substantial a threat the Asuran Replicators really were.
5 The Banished System Lord Anubis
Stargate SG-1
Anubis made the past Goa'uld Stargate SG-1 had face off against seem like weaklings. The System Lords had banished him because he was just too evil, indiscriminately committing crimes against his enemies and allies. After this banishment, it took several centuries of patience for Anubis to mount his attack, and his return meant the allegiance of several other powerful (though not as powerful) Goa'uld. Additionally, he came ready with a whole new breed of soldiers—the Kull. Genetically superior to the Jaffa, the Kull didn't run the same risk of turning on their master. Anubis' villainy took up several seasons of Stargate SG-1, and it ultimately took the Ancients to take him down.
4 Ba'al the Goa'ul
Stargate SG-1
Ba'al became the top dog among the Goa'uld after Anubis' downfall, claiming many of his predecessor's assets as he climbed to this position. It's difficult to say whether he would have had the strength to gain such forces as the Kull on his own, but his opportunistic cunning was part of what made him such a dangerous villain. He knew when to sweep in and claim more strength off the backs of his fellows, which ultimately meant he worked smarter rather than harder. This allowed him to survive longer than other Goa'uld System Lords, and Ba'al even went on to be the central villain of the 2008 film Stargate: Continuum after Stargate SG-1's season 10 finale.
3 The Replicators (Led by Replicator Carter)
Stargate SG-1
The Replicators could be equated to a bad case of the bedbugs—once they got into a space, there was no getting rid of them. This made these building-block-like villains far more terrifying than the Goa'uld since they could potentially be anywhere, even without of the SGC knowing it. A single, tiny link was all it took to bring down an entire civilization, and the Replicators had the ability to duplicate not only their enemy but their weapons, too, turning anything Earth developed to fight them right back on the SGC. Even the Asgard were powerless against these foes, and only the Ancients had the ability to exterminate them—for a time, at least.
2 The Wraith - Scourge Of The Pegasus Galaxy
Stargate Atlantis
Goa'uld forcing humans to worship them and turning them into hosts was scary enough, but Stargate Atlantis took this to a new level with the Wraith. These beings also prayed on humans, but rather than keeping them as slaves or hosts, the Wraith saw humans like cattle. The monsters of the Pegasus galaxy fed on humans, keeping the planets under constant control so they could brutally and painfully feast on humans whenever they wanted. To make matters worse, the Wraith can heal themselves far faster than the Goa'uld, so traditional weapons are utterly powerless against them.
1 Adria & The Ori
Stargate SG-1
While most ascended beings of Stargate were better for it, the Ori found delight in being worshiped, and this turned into a conquest for power across as many galaxies as possible. Once they got their eyes on the Milky Way galaxy, they became determined to force those who lived there to worship them. To achieve this, they depended on the power of the Orici, an Ori in a human body by the name of Adria. She was a sadist who delighted in using her nearly limitless power to murder those who refused to worship the Ori until she ultimately ascended and took delight in killing her masters as well.
Adria was the child of Stargate Sg-1's Vala Mal Doran.
Though the Goa'uld were the first false gods demanding worship in Stargate, the Ori took this to another level since they were far more convincing as deities. As ascended beings, it was easy for good characters to think they were correct in worshiping them, and even Adria's evilness wasn't enough to deter them. Ultimately, this was precisely what Stargate was about—the dangerous power of those who demand unquestioning loyalty from those of lesser strength.
