Season 1: "Signs and Portents"
Season 2: "The Coming of Shadows"
Season 3: "Point of No Return"
Season 4: "No Surrender, No Retreat"

Despite its fantastic setting, Babylon 5 is at its core a story about people, about the choices they make and the consequences of those choices. Babylon 5's characters are as interesting and varied as the situations they encounter.

Captain John Sheridan - Bruce Boxleitner

The commander of Babylon 5 and representative of the Earth Alliance. One of Earth's few war heros, Sheridan scored the only major victory against the Minbari during the war, something which has earned him the hatred of the Minbari warrior caste. Generally jovial, occasionally serious, Sheridan was hand-picked by the President to replace Sinclair. Sheridan is still recovering from the loss of his wife Anna, who died on an alien archaeological dig. Most of his career has been spent aboard starships; he's still in the process of getting used to being the head of what is essentially a small city in space. Sheridan and Ivanova have served together in the past.

Commander Susan Ivanova - Claudia Christian

Second in command and in charge of the day-to-day operations of Babylon 5, Ivanova is an ambitious career officer. She can be quirky or pessimistic at times, but she has a dry sense of humor that shows itself in the rare moments she is able to relax among others. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and raised abroad on Earth, she has a strong dislike for the Psi-Corps, whose legally-mandated drug treatments drove her mother to suicide after it was discovered her mother was a latent telepath. Although she has become more comfortable with her job and her role on Babylon 5, she has a tendancy to bury herself in her work. Her promotion to Commander has given her new ambassadorial duties, which she finds extremely challenging.

Security Chief Michael Garibaldi - Jerry Doyle

In charge of security on Babylon 5. He has a troubled past, bouncing from position to position and trying to overcome alcoholism. He was picked by the station's first commander, Sinclair, who knew that Garibaldi would be persistent, not willing to give in to political pressures -- in Sinclair's words, "a pain in the ass." Garibaldi is something of a smart-aleck, always ready to crack a joke, but given to bouts of self-doubt and introspection when nobody's looking. His natural sense of paranoia wasn't reduced when he was shot in the back by his own second-in-command while trying to prevent the assassination of President Santiago; he recovered, but is now convinced that something is dreadfully wrong at the heart of the Earth Alliance.

Talia Winters - Andrea Thompson

Babylon 5's resident telepath, on her first solo assignment, with level 5 psi rating, bound by the rules and regulations of the Psi Corps. She sells her telepathic services to businessmen and occasionally assists the station personnel. Talia was raised and trained by the Psi Corps, meaning that that organization is her family. Last year, she was visited by an old teacher who had undergone a Psi Corps experiment. He altered her, giving her telekinetic abilities and possibly other powers as well. He also warned her of the changing nature of the Corps; she is now not entirely sure she trusts its motives.

Dr. Stephen Franklin - Richard Biggs

Dedicated and assured, a specialist in xenobiology (alien biology,) and in charge of Medlab on Babylon 5. His background is mainly in experimental medicine, so his bedside manner is occasionally not what it should be. His strong sense of personal morality is at times in conflict with his duties as the chief medical provider for aliens from hundreds of worlds and cultures, some of whom view his obligations rather differently. In his middle thirties now, he spent years hitchhiking through space, offering his doctoral services in exchange for the opportunity to examine new life forms. Dr. Franklin is known to operate outside the rules when he feel the issue is important. He runs a free clinic in the Downbelow section for those who cannot afford medical care.

Ambassador Londo Mollari - Peter Jurasik

The representative of the Centauri Republic. Londo views Babylon 5's mission as something of a sham, with limited chance of helping his people regain their lost glory and sense of purpose. He has a biting, cynical sense of humor. Without realizing it at first, Londo has struck a bargain with the Shadows, who are working to advance his career and restore the Centauri to their past splendor, asking in return only the granting of an unspecified "favor" at some point in the future. It is a bargain he is already beginning to regret, but the restoration of his people means so much to him that he feels it's worth the price.

Ambassador Delenn - Mira Furlan

Represents the Minbari. A member of the Minbari ruling body, the Grey Council, she came to Babylon 5 posing as a simple ambassador to study humans after the discovery that some of them carry Minbari souls. She was offered the leadership of the Council but turned it down, instead returning to Babylon 5 to play a role in a prophecy involving a struggle between darkness and light. Once back, after consulting with the Vorlon ambassador, she used a mysterious device to transform herself into a bizarre half-Minbari, half-human hybrid. She claims she undertook the change to act as a bridge of understanding between humans and Minbari; whether that's the real reason or not, only she knows.

Ambassador G'Kar - Andreas Katsulas

Represents the Narn Regime. Though ambitious and often antagonistic, G'Kar is extremely spiritual, and his knowledge of ancient scripture has led him to realize that an ancient race has come back to help the Centauri rebuild their empire. He has even survived an attack on the shadows, but none in his own government or the Babylon 5 council believe him.

Ambassador Kosh Naranek - animatronics

Native voice designed by Chris Franke.
English translation: Ardwight Chamberlain.

After a year and a half on the station, Kosh and his people are still an enigma. With the coming of the Shadows -- Kosh is one of the few who seem to know about them -- he has started attending council meetings, though his reasons for coming to Babylon 5 are still unknown. Kosh communicates through a complex sequence of musical tones, translated into English by a device on his encounter suit. When he speaks, his words are few and sound cryptic, but often have a strange truth to them. Kosh's quarters are filled with a dense atmosphere of methane and other gases; whether he needs it or is using it to make himself less accessible is an open question. Even when he's receiving visitors there, Kosh wears his suit.

Next: Supporting Characters

Last update: October 15, 1995