Stargate Atlantis was an amazing sci-fi series that brought compelling characters to a whole new universe; literally. The series may have spun off of Stargate SG-1, but it’s safe to say Stargate Atlantis worked hard to make a story of its own, complete with a (mostly) new cast and new threats. Of note however, Stargate Atlantis had a shocking amount of character development, letting its characters change and evolve throughout five seasons. The story follows a group of intrepid explorers, consisting of scientists, linguists, and military professionals, who have willingly stepped through a Stargate to points unknown. As such, most characters knew that there was more than a good chance they’d never make it home.
Stargate Atlantis had a diverse group of characters right from the start; however, it’s the greyscale characters who toyed with being allies and enemies who sometimes stole the show, such as the rare named wraith characters. All said and done, this complex web of characters created many amazing adventures, and we’ll never forget the stories they told.
10) Aiden Ford
First Lieutenant Aiden Ford, portrayed by Rainbow Sun Francks, is part of the original cast of Stargate Atlantis. He’s a regular throughout Season 1, usually appearing alongside Sheppard and the rest of the team. He’s got sharp eyes and sometimes is known for making quick judgments, both the good and the bad. Unfortunately, Ford’s story takes a turn for the worse at the end of Season 2. It all begins when Atlatis is under attack from Wraiths, with darts in dangerous proximity, while the hive ships loom ever closer.
It could have spelled disaster for the city, and it very nearly ended Ford’s story. During the climactic season finale, Ford is attacked by a Wraith, who proceeds to feed upon him. At this point, a grenade knocked the two off the balcony and into the cold ocean. Ford survived, but only because of the Wraith still attached to him. Viewers all know what happened next, as Ford descended into paranoia and worse, becoming addicted to the Wraith enzyme. Since it also made him stronger, he was convinced this was a good thing, eventually fleeing the city to prevent them from treating him.
Ford appears a few more times in the series, but ultimately his tale peters out, seemingly without a proper conclusion. They had intended to address where he’d gone during Season 6, but obviously, the series never got that far. Instead, Ford’s conclusion is left to the books, literally.
9) John Sheppard
John Sheppard, portrayed by Joe Flanigan, is one of the lead protagonists of Stargate Atlantis. His story in the series begins before they even step through the Stargate, as a harrowing scene involving a rogue dart reveals John’s ancient gene. It’s a long story, but it made him essential to the Atlantis team. The very first expedition off base (Atlantis city) quickly turns into a disaster, as John is forced to make an impossible choice: providing mercy and killing his commanding officer in the process.
From here, John Sheppard has to step into more of a leadership role, not just for his expedition teams, but sometimes for the whole of Atlantis. He has to deal with the burden of command while dealing with outside forces, from the Wraith to the Genii and pretty much everything in between. However, several episode arcs expose John’s emotional core, not to mention his potential to ascend (with the help of a few Ancients). By the time the series concludes, everyone, including Stargate Command, recognizes that John was meant to lead the military side of the expedition.
8) Todd the Wraith
It may be surprising for some to see a Wraith make this list, but Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) is one of the few named and recurring Wraith characters in the series. Todd is introduced during SGA Season 3 and he appears as one of John’s fellow prisoners, being held by Koyla of the Genii. At first, John assumed that Todd was a fellow human, but it didn’t take long for the truth to come out. Against all odds, the two worked together to escape the Genii, agreeing that the next time they met, they would once again be enemies.
Oddly enough, that wasn’t entirely the case. Todd would willingly approach the Atlantis crew, hoping they could work together to defeat a mutual enemy (the Replicators). Somehow, he even managed to get multiple hive ships to work alongside the humans against the Replicators. While viewers would never classify Todd as an ally to the Atlantis expedition, he’s likewise not an enemy. More like an uneasy ally who appears when the need is high.
7) Elizabeth Weir
Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) is the original leader of the Atlantis Expedition. Notably, she’s a civilian, proving that Stargate’s command didn’t want to have a military character in control (minus a couple of extenuating circumstances). Elizabeth Weir’s story is a bit long and complicated, as she faces impossible choices regarding the safety of Atlantis and the humans across the Pegasus Galaxy. While Stargate Command occasionally rakes her over the coals for these decisions, she stands strong. It quickly becomes clear why she was put in charge in the first place. From that first season, Elizabeth Weir learned how to feel stronger about her decisions, and while she listened to John’s counsel, she didn’t always agree with him (or allow him to do as he wished).
Thanks to the sci-fi foundation, Weir’s character went through some strange transitions, including an end that not all fans are thrilled about. She suffered serious injuries at the end of season three, with season four beginning with a desperate attempt to save her life. Rodney intentionally infects her with Replicator nanites, convinced he can control them. He’s not entirely right or wrong, though Weir with Replicator access does help to save the entirety of Atlantis, though it costs Weir her life in the process. A Replicator version of Weir appears later in the series, and fans have openly debated whether this counts as the same person/character or not.
6) Carson Beckett
Dr. Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) is there from the first episode of Stargate Atlantis, acting as the leading doctor of the expedition crew. He’s a charming character that fans immediately grew to love, especially as he worked to keep the rest of the crew alive and healthy. While we can’t pretend that Beckett’s story had the happiest of endings, there’s no denying the character growth he went through.
At the beginning of the show, Beckett is portrayed as a compassionate but skittish character, hesitant to utilize his ancient gene to activate any of the equipment around him. That doesn’t stop him from creating a gene therapy treatment, giving other crew members the chance to obtain the ancient gene. Soon after, Beckett finds himself in an impossible situation, having helped develop the Hffan drug. This drug, once in humans, would kill any Wraith that tried to feed on them. The problem is that it also had a 50% kill rate for all human recipients. This is one of many ethical conundrums Beckett was forced to face while acting as the lead doctor. He would likewise be tasked with finding a “cure” to the Wraith condition, opening the door to further ethical and moral debates. Ultimately, Beckett’s story is cut far too short. A cloned version of him does make an appearance, adding to the complexity of his story, in an ironic sense.
5) Jennifer Keller
After the unfortunate passing of Dr. Beckett, Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite) stepped into his role. She had joined the team in the previous season, but Beckett’s passing forced her to step up and take on a leading position, something she didn’t feel ready or qualified for. Throughout her time on Stargate Atlantis, Jennifer was forced to acknowledge her weaknesses and find new ways forward. First, it was when she and Teyla were left alone to face off against an unknown number of enemies. She had to overcome her fear (and pain) to get through that situation.
From there, Dr. Keller really grew into her role, taking bold risks as needed. She helps Rodney try to save Weir’s life and later promises that she won’t stop trying to find a cure for Beckett’s (the clone) illness. Even Ronon acknowledged how much she had grown during this time, explaining that while he had first seen her as soft, he could tell she was more of a fighter than he originally thought.
4) Michael Kenmore (The Wraith)
For a brief time, Michael (Connor Trinneer) truly believed he was Lt. Michael Kenmore. However, strange things started to stack up, from the way Ronan looked at him with disgust to his lack of memories. He would eventually learn that he was a test subject, the first Wraith exposed to Beckett’s retrovirus. This was the start of a long and not-always-positive relationship between Michael and the Atlantis Expedition.
Michael became a recurring character, sometimes as an almost-ally and other times as not-quite a villain. In a way, Michael was trapped between two worlds, not human but also not acknowledged by the Wraith. He had to find a new way forward in his life, and that resulted in him trying to work with both the humans and the Wraiths, for different goals and reasons. Michael was not afraid to express how he felt betrayed by the humans, especially Teyla. As a result, he didn’t feel too bad about targeting her people for further experimentation. Ultimately, Michael’s character showcases the complex nature that only sci-fi can touch upon.
3) Richard Woolsey
On the surface, Richard Woosley (Robert Picardo) is just a suit, a bureaucratic cog in the machine. He appeared in both SGA and SG-1, and he often comes off as a bit stuffy. He’s the sort of character who got called in when Stargate Command bureaucracy had to be made apparent, so it was easy not to like him. Again, at first. One of his first appearances in SGA happens when he takes Weir to an IOA panel designed to evaluate her command.
Woosley would appear again, this time as the liaison between the humans and some Ancients, who were taking control of Atlantis. That didn’t go well, since Replicators quickly attacked. The whole experience helped Woosley to realize that the situations in the Pegasus Galaxy were far too complex for one Command center to judge from afar. This is where his character growth started to become more apparent. He would later withhold details on a report about Samantha Carter, knowing how the Command would interpret certain facts. This made the audience a lot less upset when he would later assume command of Atlantis. He was a surprisingly good leader who listened to what the team had to say.
2) Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex (Jason Mamoa) is one of two primary characters added to the Atlantis team after reaching the Pegasus Galaxy. Unlike Teyla, his introduction occurs in season two. Ronon’s character goes through a long journey, as his story begins with heavy losses. His people are gone, destroyed by the Wraith, and he was made to be a Runner, effectively a plaything for his enemy. While this put him in the position to meet the Atlantis crew, it was hardly a good situation.
Over the course of the following three seasons, Ronon Dex learned how to trust again. He would form bonds with the rest of the Atlantis team, even becoming involved in a bit of a love triangle at one point. While his past is always present, multiple episodes address it, bringing it to the forefront as a way of showing his character growth. For example, it was clear how much Ronon changed when compared to fellow Satedan survivors they found later.
1) Rodney McKay
One of the series biggest triumphs was taking a twerp from Stargate SG-1 and making him a beloved character to introducing new and compelling characters. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) was a character first introduced in SG-1, and his original character was more like Dr. Kavanagh (the rat) than not. In other words, he was as smug as he was smart, and that’s saying something. His time in the Pegasus Galaxy changed him, as he faced near-death experiences, fell in love, and overall became more self-aware.
Rodney’s character growth is showcased in several ways, from the careful way he courted Dr. Keller to his growing relationship with his sister. He also learned how to be more empathetic, and while he never quite reached a point of being humble, he got closer. He was even able to admit ways in which Carter was smarter than him. For McKay, that’s huge. At the end of the day, viewers came to love McKay’s character.
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