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[[Category:Alien Organizations|Others, The]][[Category:Ancients|Others, The]][[Category:Ascended Beings|Others, The]][[Image:theothers.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The Others manifested in a cloud]]
[[Category:Alien Organizations|Others, The]][[Category:Ancients|Others, The]][[Category:Ascended Beings|Others, The]][[Category:Altera|Others, The]][[Image:theothers.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The Others manifested in a cloud]]
==Summary==
==Summary==


The Others are a group of Ascended Beings who have joined in a collective to enforce rules governing their interactions with those not on their higher plane of existence. They were introduced in the episode, 5.03 "Ascension".  
The Others are a group of Ascended Beings who have joined in a collective to enforce rules governing their interactions with those not on their higher plane of existence.  


==Stargate References==
==Known by Many Names==
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:90204.jpg|thumb|170px|none|The Altera are the Ancients]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:lc-tablet.jpg|thumb|170px|none|The Ancients are The Others]]
|}
Perhaps as long as 50 million years ago, a group of advanced humans known as the Altera left their home galaxy to flee for their lives. Those who sought to kill them were the Ori. The Altera and Ori had belonged to one society, but divided when they had philosophical differences concerning ascension, the shedding of the physical form to become a being of energy — an Ascended Being. The Altera saw the process to ascension as a scientific one where a human evolved both physically and mentally, while the Ori attached a religious aspect to ascension, calling it the Path to Enlightenment because ascension exposes one to greater knowledge and understanding of the universe. Over time, the Ori became extremists in their religion and sought to kill all those who did not see ascension as they did. There is a great responsibility put upon those who achieve ascension because the various planes of existence are connected such that those who are on the higher planes can become more powerful through the surrender of the free will of a human on the lower plane. (6.04 "Frozen", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")


Millennia ago, the Ancients, Asgard, Furlings, and Nox built an alliance in which they shared their knowledge. A meeting place was discovered on the planet now called "Ernest's Planet" or "Heliopolis", where a large repository of their knowledge was kept. The pact these races had made was written on the walls in each of their languages, but the repository was written in a common, universal language using symbolic representations of the elements (i.e., elements of the periodic table) projected in three dimensional space. Daniel called this the "meaning of life stuff" because it was so profound. (1.11 "Torment of Tantalus")
The Altera found the Milky Way Galaxy after traveling thousands of years from their home. They called their new home "Avalon" and built the network of Stargates, called "Astria Porta", as well as several other technologies. After being present in the galaxy for some time, they became known as the Ancients. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2")


We later learn that the Ancients were indeed the builders of the Stargates, something that Daniel Jackson suspected based off of Roman legends about "The Ancient Ones" who were the "builders of the roads". When Jack O'Neill took the Ancient knowledge download on the planet named "Place of Our Legacy", he rigged the Stargate to send him to the Asgard homeworld of Othala in the Ida Galaxy so that they could help him have the knowledge removed because it was killing him. The Asgard removed the knowledge and then told him of the four-race alliance. They confirmed Daniel's theory that the Ancients were the builders of the Stargates. (2.16 "The Fifth Race")
The Altera and Ori were advanced in their evolution so that eventually they ascended. In order to make sure that they handled themselves responsibly in the ascended planes, the Altera joined together into a collective which shared the same philosophy concerning ascension and how they interacted with the lower planes of existence. This group became known as The Others. The Ori organized themselves into a collective as well and built a religion centered around worshipping them as humanity's creators and gods, but lying to their believers that they will achieve ascension. The two groups manifest themselves differently in the physical plane of existence: The Others usually take on the form of dark storm clouds, while the Ori have taken on the form of a wall of fire. (5.03 "Ascension", 6.22 "Full Circle", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")


The connection between the Ancients and The Others was not known for several years. It wasn't until Season Six that we discover that The Others were the Ancients who had learned how to ascend to a higher plane of existence. (6.22 "Full Circle")
The Ancients, the human descendants of the Altera who populated the Milky Way Galaxy, also learned to ascend. There were still some of them, however, who had not yet reached that point. Some of them continued research into ascension where technology could be used to advance a human's evolution through DNA manipulation. While the Ancients existed in both the corporeal and ascended planes, a plague swept through the galaxy and killed off those who could not ascend. Before this happened, however, a group of the Ancients left the Milky Way Galaxy five to ten million years ago in their city-ship Atlantis and settled in the Pegasus Galaxy. After the plague swept through the galaxy, a group of Ancients used a device on the planet known as Dakara and reseeded the galaxy with life. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype"; ''Stargate Atlantis'': 1.01 "Rising Part 1")


The Others were spoken of by Orlin, an Ascended Being who had been banished for passing on the knowledge of how to build a powerful weapon to the people on the planet Velona. The people used the weapon to defend themselves against the Goa'uld and were victorious. They then decided to use the weapon against other worlds in order to conquer them. When this happened, Orlin's interference with their development caused them to advance beyond their ability to handle the technology wisely, so The Others destroyed Velona and banished Orlin there. Orlin said that he had broken the most sacred rule of all: Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. (5.03 "Ascension")
The Ancients who left the Milky Way Galaxy to live in the Pegasus Galaxy continued research on ascension. Even throughout those millions of years in the Pegasus Galaxy, there remained those who had not yet evolved to the point where they could naturally ascend. As late as 10,000 years ago, there still remained Ancients who were in human form. These people were the last of the city-dwellers who escaped through the Stargate back to Earth after they lost the war to a race called the Wraith. Ironically, the Ancients created this race when they seeded the Pegasus Galaxy with life upon their arrival. Those Ancients who returned to Earth 10,000 years ago integrated themselves into Earth's societies and some of them actually influenced Earth's history. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2"; ''Stargate Atlantis'': 1.03 "Hide And Seek", 1.15 "Before I Sleep")


Four hundred years into his banishment, Orlin met SG-1 and followed them through the Stargate, unseen by human eyes. He had fallen in love with Samantha Carter at first sight and decided to take a chance that she'd accept him by retaking his human form. Before doing so, he demonstrated that Ascended Beings are able to walk through solid matter by passing his essence through Carter's kitchen counter. He was also able to share his "innermost essence", a form of communication, by merging his mind with Carter's. Once he retook his human form, he would not be able to ascend to the higher plane without help from The Others. After Orlin learned that the SGC intended to power up and test the weapon which he had designed, he went through a small Stargate he built in Carter's basement. During his attempt to disengage the naquadah reactor from the weapon, Col. Reynolds of SG-16 shot him. As Orlin laid dying, The Others appeared, having sensed that the weapon was being powered up. Recognizing that he was attempting to prevent another disaster, The Others accepted him back into the collective and he ascended once more. As an Ascended Being, Orlin carried the naquadah reactor away from the SGC personnel so that it would explode far from them. He then used lightning to destroy the weapon for good. Orlin joined The Others who had manifested themselves in a cloud. He had told Carter that manipulating nature was very easy for them to do. (5.03 "Ascension")
Throughout these millions of years, the Altera and Ancients have ascended. Some have joined the collective of Ascended Beings called The Others and it is this group that are now caught in a war of cosmic significance.


Orlin and Carter had a chance to discuss The Others and Oma Desala, the Ascended Being SG-1 met on the planet Kheb. He said that he had never heard of Oma and after Carter told him that Oma helped people ascend to a higher plane of existence, he assumed that she must be an outcast because she was breaking the sacred rule of non-interference of those "beneath". After Oma helped Daniel to ascend when he died from radiation poisoning, Daniel appeared to Jack and spoke about being one of Oma's followers. He said that it was their duty to help people ascend and that Oma had been trying to accomplish some great task which The Others had decided not to prevent. Daniel said that he had never met any of The Others during his time ascended, but was certain that Oma would pull him out if The Others caught him using his powers as an Ascended Being to help SG-1 or the Abydonians fight against the Goa'uld System Lord Anubis. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.03 "Ascension", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.22 "Full Circle")
==The Rules of The Others==


While Daniel was on Abydos after deciding to cross the line and help SG-1 fight against Anubis, he discovered a tablet which spoke of the Ancients and their Lost City which had very powerful weapons which would give the possessor supremacy. He also discovered from this tablet that The Others were the Ancients who had learned how to ascend. The tablet revealed that those Ancients who did not learn to ascend had died out, most likely of the plague. On top of that, Daniel also learned that Anubis, a Goa'uld System Lord who had been banished by the other System Lords for crimes which were unspeakable even to the Goa'uld, had somehow learned to ascend. Daniel said that The Others didn't want him and tried to send him back, but Anubis got stuck between the two planes and The Others left him that way. Anubis had continued to use his knowledge of Ancient technology gained as an Ascended Being to exert himself as the most powerful System Lord in the galaxy and The Others did nothing to stop him. It is possible that since he did not use his powers as an Ascended Being that The Others decided not to interfere, because, technically, he had not broken any of their rules. (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2", 6.22 "Full Circle")
The rules of The Others are designed to ensure a kind of balance in the many levels of existence. The Others are afraid of becoming corrupted with the power obtained through the surrender of man's free will, so they have kept their existence secret in order to prevent man from worshipping them as gods and to prevent themselves from succumbing to the temptation of manipulating life on the lower planes to obtain this power. After seeing what the power obtained through worship has done to the Ori, their first rule is that of non-interference. They chose to avoid entirely the risk of corruption this type of power brings (to "deny the battle"). The Others are aware of the planes of existence higher than their own and have decided to pursue a different path in reaching those levels. (4.17 "Absolute Power", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")


Anubis knew the rules of The Others and taunted Daniel to take action against him, most likely banking on The Others to stop Daniel from seeing through his threats to wipe Anubis from existence, a power Anubis knew Daniel possessed as an Ascended Being. Daniel took action, thrusting two energy orbs in Anubis' direction, but the energy and Daniel were pulled out, leaving Anubis unharmed. Anubis went on to destroy Abydos, but Oma Desala stepped in and ascended the entire population of Abydos after they were killed in the explosion. When Jack talked with the newly-ascended Skaara, he found out that Oma had ascended all of the Abydonians, but no one had seen or knew what had happened to Daniel. Because of this, Jack feared that Daniel had been prevented to help the Abydonians by The Others and might have also been destroyed by them. (6.22 "Full Circle")
The Others' rules concerning action and inaction on the lower planes of existence:
* Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. (5.03 "Ascension")
* No lone ascended being shall help a lower to ascend. (8.18 "Threads")
* If you deserve to be here you should be able to get here on your own. If there's an exception, for whatever reason, a majority vote by the collective can get you in. (8.18 "Threads")
* The Others use their collective powers to avert anything from affecting the universe on a grand cosmic level. (8.18 "Threads")
* The Others are always watching each other and other ascended. (8.18 "Threads")


After Daniel was pulled out of his confrontation with Anubis in his attempt to buy time for SG-1 to get off of Abydos with the tablet which spoke of the Lost City, he returned to corporeal form. His essence was sent in a bright light from the skies over the planet Vis Uban and he was deposited naked in the clearing of the forest among the ruins of an Ancient city. Daniel did not fare any better than Anubis in his descent because he was left without any of his memories of who he was or his time before his deposit on Vis Uban. By some stroke of luck, but most likely a nudge from Oma Desala to Jonas Quinn, SG-1 was reunited with Daniel when they were on a mission to Vis Uban in the search for the Lost City. Jack and Carter talked the amnesiac Daniel, called Arrom by his nomadic friends who discovered him, to return to the SGC to learn about himself. After his first night there, he remembered Sha're's name and went to share this revelation with Teal'c. Daniel then discovered that Sha're was dead and he grew angry at his situation. He asked that Teal'c tell him about Anubis and Oma Desala. Teal'c conjectured that Oma Desala skirted around the rules of The Others by taking his memory from him as a condition of his return to human form, but somehow allowed those memories to return to him over time. Only a few memories of his time ascended returned and Daniel continued to struggle with the feeling that he had done something terribly wrong to warrant his "fall from grace" in such a state. (6.22 "Full Circle", 7.01 "Fallen", 7.04 "Orpheus")
The Others have enforced these rules through various means when an Ascended Being breaks the rules and takes action in the lower planes. The form of punishment of each individual's crimes varies, but in all cases known to-date, The Others have not destroyed another Ascended Being.


Because of the nature of Anubis' existence and his continued advancement as the most powerful System Lord in the galaxy, the people of the SGC developed something close to contempt for The Others. The newly inaugurated President of the United States, Henry Hayes, was briefed on the existence of the Stargate Program, and thus alien life, and was told about the threat that Anubis had against the very existence of Earth. He was also told about SG-1's search for the Lost City of the Ancients in order to find the weapons to protect Earth and the existence of The Others who refused to help because to do so is "beneath them" and that "they won't involve themselves in our affairs." Because The Others refused to involve themselves, it was left up to the SGC to find the weapons and protect Earth any way they could, but President Hayes was also aware that the SGC had drawn the attention of Anubis and other enemies through their activities. Indirectly, The Others' lack of action led to temporarily handing the Stargate Program over to a civilian. (7.20 "Inauguration", 7.21 Lost City Part 1")
==The Outcasts==


Jack helped SG-1 locate an Ancient Outpost in Antarctica after he voluntarily took the download of the Ancients' knowledge through another Repository of Knowledge found on the planet designated P3X-439. He unleashed a powerful weapon against Anubis' attacking fleet and destroyed them all. But, Anubis, because he was a form of energy, survived the destruction of his ship and transferred his essence to a cosmonaut working in the International Space Station. When that cosmonaut returned to Earth, Anubis transferred to a Russian Air Force colonel who was assigned to the SGC. Anubis was desperately trying to get through the Stargate so that he could put himself into a shield (his cloak and mask) so that he could interact on the corporeal level. Because he was so determined to get through the Stargate, Daniel suggested that the SGC attempt to provoke Anubis to use his powers as an Ascended Being and, therefore, draw the attention of The Others. It was his hope that The Others would then "take action" once all of Anubis' options on Earth were taken from him. Anubis got to the Stargate, but was tricked into believing he was going to his base when Carter changed the dialing sequence to connect with an ice planet. Despite their best efforts to force him to use his powers as an Ascended Being, Anubis didn't draw the attention of The Others (referred to as "Ancients" interchangeably at this point) during his time in the base. (7.22 "Lost City Part 2", 8.03 "Lockdown")
The following are outcasts of The Others, meaning that they had been part of the collective at one time, but chose to break the rules. Additionally, only those outcasts who have interacted with humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy are included (that is to say, only those met in ''Stargate SG-1'').


Anubis somehow escaped the ice planet and was soon engaged in becoming the most powerful being in the galaxy. He took a human host, burned him out, and then took another on his way to galactic domination. All that he did to get back into power must have been done without using his ascended powers, because he never drew the attention of The Others. That was the case until he had his sights on using a powerful weapon built by the Ancients on the planet Dakara. The weapon was said to have been used by the Ancients to reseed life in the Milky Way Galaxy millions of years ago after the plague killed those who could not ascend. While Anubis was making his moves, Daniel Jackson was killed by Replicator Carter after she probed his mind and discovered that he held all the knowledge of the Ancients in his subconscious mind. Oma Desala had buried his memories, instead of erasing them as she was instructed to by The Others. Oma brought Daniel to a semi-ascended plane after his death to give him another chance at ascension, but Daniel was confused because he didn't remember what happened during his first ascension. The Others watched Oma, Daniel, and Anubis, disguised as a friendly businessman named Jim, in this place that Oma took Daniel so that he could decide between death or everlasting enlightenment through ascension. His choice was made complicated by the fact that he could do nothing with what he learned while there, including using his powers as a fully-ascended being to stop Anubis from wiping out all life in the galaxy with the Ancient weapon. It was during this encounter, made to look like it was taking place in a roadside diner, that it was revealed that The Others include Ascended Beings who were not all Ancients. Even though Daniel tried to engage them in friendly conversation, The Others ignored him, acting as if he didn't even exist. (8.16 "Reckoning Part 1", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 8.18 "Threads")
===Oma Desala===
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:ascendedbeings-omadesala.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Oma Desala at Kheb]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:oma-as-energy.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Oma in energy form]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:oma-meridian.jpg|thumb|170px|none|Oma in Daniel's death encounters]]
|}
Oma Desala was the first Ascended Being that the members of SG-1 met. She broke the "number one" rule of The Others: No lone ascended being shall help a lower to ascend. She also broke other rules, such as revealing the Path to Enlightenment (ascension) and spawning religions concerning ascension in several cultures, including those of the Jaffa and of Earth (akin to Buddhism). She built a temple on the planet Kheb and wrote instructions on how to reach the higher planes of existence through metaphysical means. Her philosophy was, "When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is free and the body matters not." She felt that a person who was good to the very core deserved to obtain ascension even if his body was not advanced physically to do it on his own. When she saw "humanity's potential" in an individual, she would watch that person, and when the time was right, usually at that person's death, she'd offer ascension. If the person released his burdens and put behind him his mortal existence, she'd help him to ascend. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")


There are many levels of ascension between being corporeal and being ascended. It is the purpose of the organization formed by The Others to establish and follow rules as to how they interact with those who inhabit the corpreal plane, a plane lower to those of the ascended. The Ascended Beings call those in the corporeal plane, "lowers". The Others forbid any single Ascended Being to help a lower to ascend, feeling that if the lower deserves ascension, he would make it on his own. Only a majority vote of The Others would permit their helping a lower to ascend. The Others also did not interfere unless something of cosmic significance were to result by their inaction. (8.18 "Threads")
Oma's philosophy was embraced by Daniel Jackson when he began to read the writings on the temple walls at Kheb. He opened his mind to the possibility of ascension, of higher planes of existence. Oma saw a purity in him that singled him out and when he was dying of radiation poisoning, she helped him to ascend. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian")


Oma Desala was an outcast of The Others because she rejected the rules and helped lowers to ascend because she felt that there were many good people who deserved it, even though their physical bodies had not evolved to a point where they could reach ascension on their own. She established Kheb and wrote instructions on the walls of the temple which revealed the path to ascension. These were the writings that Daniel had read which helped him open his mind to the possibility of ascending to a higher plane of existence. Daniel's willingness to believe that ascension was possible, even for him, is what drew Oma to him and why she was available to help him to ascend after the accident on Kelowna took his life. When Daniel visited Jack as an Ascended Being, he told Jack that Oma had seen humanity's potential in him. While he followed Oma's fine line, Daniel was never accepted by The Others and actually had not met them by the time that he confronted Anubis over Abydos. He finally learned that it was Oma who pulled him out of his confrontation with Anubis because she feared that he would have been dealt with more severely by The Others who were always watching. He also discovered that it was his decision to return to human form because he felt he could do more for humanity. The Others required that Oma erase Daniel's memories before he was returned to the corporeal plane, but Oma disobeyed the rules once again and merely buried them. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.06 "Abyss", 6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")
Oma did this with many people over the thousands of years that she worked. For the most part, she was successful in bringing good people into the ascended planes. But, her judgment was not perfect and she made some mistakes. Her biggest mistake was helping Anubis, a Goa'uld, to ascend. He learned enough about ascension from research left behind by the Ancients to trick her. She was not able to see the evil that he was and as soon as she realized what she had done, she tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. They sent him down a few levels and warned him that he could only do things that a regular Goa'uld could do. But, as Oma's punishment, she could not destroy him and had to watch as he continued to wreak havoc and keep eternal life. All her attempts to do good deeds could not negate the mistake she had made, and as she continued to do her "work", she risked the balance by possibly ascending someone who could not responsibly handle the power which came with being ascended. When Anubis was poised to kill all life in the galaxy, Oma finally decided to take responsibility for breaking the rules and engaged him in an eternal struggle. Now, neither one of them can interfere in any plane of existence, and thus, Oma's work is now ended. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 8.18 "Threads")


Not all those who sought out Kheb were good, however. Anubis must have found some Ancient research on ascension and came to Kheb informed enough to know how to trick Oma into ascending him. As soon as she discovered what she had done, she tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. They sent him to a half-ascended state and warned him that he could not use any of his ascended powers, but could only do what a corporeal Goa'uld could do. Anubis was extremely clever at never breaking the rules and at prompting others to take action for him instead. Oma continued to help people like Daniel and the Abydonians to ascend, thinking that she could make up for her mistake in ascending Anubis. The Others merely watched as she continued her work, waiting for her to take responsibility for her actions in breaking the rules to begin with, but she continued ascending lowers as Anubis kept wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Oma was prevented from destroying Anubis, so she felt that she should try to make up for the evil he was doing by doing good. What The Others waited for finally came when Daniel pleaded for them to take action as Anubis prepared to kill all life in the galaxy with the weapon on Dakara: Oma engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle in order to prevent him from ever doing more harm. Daniel stood in shock as The Others, who had ignored him and his pleas up to this point, finally turned and watched as Oma and Anubis were swept away in their fight. Daniel's words had driven Oma to act and to take responsibility for disobeying the rules. With her engagement of Anubis in this eternal battle, not only was Anubis prevented from taking any more action, but Oma herself was also prevented from helping any more lowers to ascend. (8.18 "Threads")
===Orlin===
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:orlin.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Orlin's first human form]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:miniorlin.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Orlin's second human form]]
|}
Orlin broke "one of the most sacred rules" of The Others: Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. The "natural ascension process" includes both physical and mental advancement. Orlin gave the knowledge on how to build a weapon to a society which was not yet technologically sophisticated enough to create the weapon on their own. The Velonans were about to be destroyed by a Goa'uld and Orlin couldn't stand and watch them die, so he gave them this knowledge and they defeated the Goa'uld. But, with this great power came great responsibility, and the Velonans were so corrupted by this advancement that they decided to use the weapon to conquer other worlds. The Others destroyed the Velonans and then banished Orlin on the desolate planet. (5.03 "Ascension")


Although Oma prevented Anubis from pushing the button on the weapon on Dakara, there were many lives still threatened by his actions to gain access to the weapon. He had sent his entire army of Kull Warriors to kill the Rebel Jaffa on Dakara who were guarding the weapon, and the SGC had started a self-destruct in order to prevent the energy wave of the weapon from coming through the wormhole. Miraculously, the Kull Warriors became confused and the Rebel Jaffa destroyed them, and the self-destruct was suspended. Additionally, Daniel was returned to human form, apparently with his memory intact. There remains, however, several questions concerning what happened between Daniel and The Others after Oma took Anubis away. Had Daniel pursuaded them to confuse the Kull Warriors and to suspend the self-destruct, or had The Others given him the powers to do these things before his return? Daniel claimed he wasn't responsible, but he has said that in the past when it was clearly evident that he had indeed taken action. Perhaps he had pursuaded The Others that to take action was the right thing to do in order to prevent something of cataclysmic cosmic significance. (6.06 "Abyss", 8.18 "Threads")
When the SGC was about to power up the weapon on Velona, Orlin retook human form and physically tried to prevent its use. The Others had seen Orlin's sacrifice after he successfully disconnected the naquadah reactor the SGC had used as the weapon's new power source and was mortally wounded in the process. As he lay dying, The Others accepted him back into the collective and he ascended once more. He destroyed the remaining pieces of the weapon with lightning and then rejoined The Others in their storm cloud. (5.03 "Ascension")
 
But, Orlin kept an eye on what was going on with Carter since he had fallen in love with her the moment he first saw her on Velona. After the Ori sent a plague to Earth through one of their Priors (missionaries), he decided to retake human form once again to help find a cure. Surprisingly, Orlin was permitted to retain all of his advanced knowledge he had gained as an Ascended Being. The Others permitted him to keep this knowledge because of the great threat the Ori posed to everyone's planes of existence. But, Orlin's crossing the line came at a tremendous sacrifice, for he knew that he would not be permitted to ascend again and would most likely die a mortal's death. (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")
 
[[Image:workinprogress.jpg]]
 
==The Outsiders==
 
Outsiders are those who were never part of the collective. They ascended through various means and were never accepted by The Others, but were always watched by them. The two outsiders mentioned in this section both happened to have been helped to ascend by Oma Desala.
 
===Daniel Jackson===
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:djascending.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Daniel Jackson ascending]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:62202.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Daniel's first ascension]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:818eg.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Daniel's second ascension]]
|}
After meeting Daniel Jackson on the planet Kheb, Oma Desala watched him and offered him ascension after his body was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation on the planet Kelowna. She was impressed by him while on Kheb and admired him for his selfless and courageous sacrifice to save the people of Kelowna with no thought of himself. Daniel accepted ascension and spent a year learning from Oma. As one of Oma's followers, Daniel creatively interpreted the rules of The Others and often broke them when the lives of his friends were at stake. He was never accepted by The Others and hadn't met any of them by the time he decided to cross the line and help SG-1 and the Abydonians fight against Anubis. But, Oma had warned him that if he did anything that would attract The Others' attention, she'd pull him out. True to her word, as soon as she saw that Daniel was about to use his ascended powers to kill Anubis, Oma pulled him out, fearing that The Others would do something more drastic to him. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")
 
Daniel found out that Oma had helped Anubis to ascend and grew angry. He couldn't continue in his state knowing that he would be stopped from fighting Anubis and helping humanity any way he could while The Others did nothing but watch. He decided to return to human form. The Others allowed his return, under the condition that his memories be erased. Oma broke the rules again and merely buried Daniel's memories and extensive ascended knowledge. She sent him to the planet Vis Uban where he could be found by his friends and returned home. Daniel's pre-ascension memories began to return, but only a few instances of his life as an Ascended Being ever resurfaced. The buried Ancient knowledge was discovered by Replicator Carter during a mind probe and was brought forth at an overwhelming pace. Daniel said that it was more than a mere human could understand, but he was able to use some of it to gain control over the Replicators. Replicator Carter killed him to end this control. (7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.04 "Orpheus", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 8.18 "Threads")
 
Oma, still believing that Daniel deserved ascension and knew that she had something to do with his first ascension going wrong, took Daniel to a stopping place between death and ascension to offer him a chance to continue as an Ascended Being. Daniel encountered The Others for the first time in this "stop along the way", a surreal place which took on the form of a diner from Daniel's childhood memories. The Others were customers in this place and Oma was their waitress. Daniel and Oma talked about his first ascension and the circumstances of his decision to retake human form, and The Others ignored his attempts at conversation and merely watched silently. When Daniel was visited by Anubis in the form of a friendly businessman, he discovered for a second time that Oma had helped Anubis to ascend. His emotional plea to The Others to end Oma's punishment and to stop Anubis from destroying all life in the Milky Way Galaxy fell on deaf ears, but Oma was moved to take action. She engaged Anubis in an eternal battle which would prevent either one of them from ever interfering with the lower planes again. (8.18 "Threads")
 
This left Daniel alone with The Others. Their attention was gained when Oma made her move, but Daniel's further interactions with them was not revealed. Most likely it was The Others who caused the confusion of Anubis' Kull Warriors on Dakara so that the Free Jaffa could defeat them and the suspension of the self-destruct at the SGC which they had activated to attempt to save themselves from the destructive wave of the device on Dakara which Anubis was about to activate to destroy all life in the galaxy. Daniel retook human form once again, this time reappearing in Jack's office and with his memories intact. Whether or not he still possessed the knowledge of the Ancients was not addressed, but it is highly unlikely that The Others would permit him to retain such knowledge. (8.18 "Threads")
 
At first, after Daniel's return from his first ascension, Jack and others believed that Daniel had been kicked out by The Others because of his inability to abide by their rules. Indeed, Daniel interpreted the rules creatively and walked the fine line which would have gained The Others' attention, but ultimately, it was his decision to return to human form. But because he couldn't remember the circumstances of his return, Daniel also believed that he had done something seriously wrong and thought that he'd never be able to make up for it. Not understanding The Others' reasons for their non-interference policy, members of the SGC believed that The Others merely felt that they were so far above humanity that humanity was insignificant to them, much like insects are to humans. This attitude continued for some time until Daniel actually met The Others and the Ori. Now, Daniel appears to have a greater respect for The Others and often argues on their behalf when facing the Ori, the Doci, and the Priors. (7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.03 "Fragile Balance", 7.20 "Inauguration", 8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.05 "The Powers That Be")
 
===Anubis===
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:anubis.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Anubis in his cloak and shield]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:816anubis.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Anubis burning out a host]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:anubis-jim.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Anubis in Daniel's death encounter]]
|}
Anubis found some Ancient research on ascension and made his way to Kheb where he tricked Oma Desala into ascending him. After realizing her mistake, Oma tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. Anubis was placed on a level described by Daniel as being "stuck somewhere between human existence and ascension." The Others warned him that he could only do things that a regular Goa'uld could do, but he was permitted to stay in this form, basically having eternal life. Anubis created a cloak and shield which permitted him to interact with the physical plane, but he still remained a form of energy. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")
 
Daniel attempted to kill Anubis with his ascended powers when Anubis threatened Abydos, but Oma pulled him out. Anubis cowered at the attack, apparently believing that Daniel had the power to kill him, even in his ascended state. Anubis lost his shield when his fleet was destroyed from the use of the Ancient weapons in the Antarctic Outpost, but his energy form remained. He hitched a ride on a cosmonaut who was working in the International Space Station and from there, he continued to take human hosts to gain access to the Stargate on Earth. Anubis' possession of a host was temporary because his energy form burned up the bodies unto their deaths. While at the SGC, Anubis actually took Daniel Jackson as a host. The extent of how much information he obtained from any of the hosts he had at the SGC was never given, but he clearly had full access to their minds.  (6.22 "Full Circle", 7.22 "Lost City Part 2", 8.03 "Lockdown")
 
Daniel wanted to use the rules of The Others to get them to act against Anubis while he was haunting the SGC. The SGC devised a plan in which they would force Anubis to use his ascended powers to get to the Stargate, but Anubis, ironically, adhered to the rules of The Others closer than Daniel ever did, and made it to the Stargate without drawing The Others' attention. Even though he was incapacitated for a short while, Anubis made it back to his homeworld, but decided from then on out to use human hosts. He'd take a new host once the previous one's body burned out. The vanity for which the Goa'uld are famous took the form of handsome male hosts whom Anubis enjoyed looking at in the mirror. (8.03 "Lockdown", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1")
 
Once Anubis decided to destroy all life in the Milky Way Galaxy, The Others still stood silently and watched. Daniel eventually interpreted this inaction as being The Others' desire that man exercise his own free will, even if it meant his own destruction. Eventually, however, Daniel learned that there was more to it than just a respect for humanity's free will that played a role in The Others' non-interference policy. (8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")
 
After Oma decided to engage Anubis in an eternal battle, The Others might have voted to intervene and confuse Anubis' Kull Warriors on Dakara and stop the SGC's self-destruct. For whatever reasons they used to take action, they actually saved many lives rather than destroyed them as they had done to the Velonans. Daniel's plea might have had something to do with their decision to take action, but we were never told what exactly happened during Daniel's time with The Others after Oma left him alone with them in his plane of existence. (8.18 "Threads")
 
Several months after Anubis and Oma entered their eternal battle, SG-1 discovered a human-Goa'uld hybrid named Khalek who was created by Anubis in an underground lab on the planet P3X-584. Anubis was using an Ancient DNA manipulation device to create an advanced human with the ability to ascend. Teal'c speculated that Anubis was attempting to create a more advanced soldier than the Kull Warriors, but Khalek's true purpose was never revealed. Khalek possessed all of Anubis' Goa'uld genetic memories and Anubis gave him his ascended memories as well. Khalek also inherited Anubis' evil nature and used his advanced powers to kill and destroy. Daniel and Mitchell, SG-1's new leader, killed him before he could advance his evolution further toward ascension. If Khalek had ascended, it's not clear what The Others would have done, but they most likely would have taken some form of action against him because Anubis had physically and mentally accelerated Khalek's ascension process and Khalek would not have gotten there on his own. (9.09 "Prototype")
 
==A War of Cosmic Significance==
{|
|valign="top"|[[Image:ori-wall.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The Ori in their wall of fire]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:903doci.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The Doci speaks the word of the Ori]]
|valign="top"|[[Image:902prior.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The Priors of the Ori obtain worshippers]]
|}
For millions of years, The Others have watched and have only used their collective powers when they deem it necessary to preserve the cosmic balance. After the Ori discovered that there was a generation of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy, they saw that they could increase their power with the additional billions of worshippers they hoped to obtain. With every planet that the Ori successfully turn to them, the Ori grow stronger in their powers, threatening The Others' existence. If the Ori fail at converting someone, they destroy them, thus preventing the possibility that that individual would turn to The Others or any other Ascended Being. The Others' numbers might be more at this time, but they are not increasing their numbers or powers now. Ironically, Oma's work might have actually strengthened them. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")
 
The Others are not certain what the outcome would be if they were to engage the Ori directly. They used their collective power to shield the existence of humanity in the Milky Way from the Ori, but now that the Ori are aware, The Others will not interfere because of their strict non-interference policy. Even more ironic is the fact that The Others currently depend on rogue members, such as Orlin, who sacrifice their ascension and chance for further enlightenment to take human form to aid humanity in the fight against an enemy of their own making. The Others have voted to permit such rogues to retain enough of their ascended knowledge to make a difference, but the retention of such knowledge appears to be temporary and eventually fatal. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")


==Notable Characters==
==Notable Characters==


* [[Orlin]] - He was a member of the collective, but was banished as punishment for providing knowledge on how to build a powerful weapon to those "beneath". After four hundreds years of his exile, he was taken back into the collective after he sacrificed his corporeal form in order to prevent the weapon from falling into the SGC's hands.  
* [[Oma Desala]] - Oma Desala was banished by The Others because she felt it was her duty to help people ascend, thus breaking one of the most sacred rules of the ascended. The Others watched and waited for Oma to take responsibility for helping the evil Goa'uld Anubis to ascend. Because she was prevented from destroying Anubis, Oma felt that she could make up for his evil actions with helping good people to ascend. Finally, after Daniel made a heart-felt plea on her behalf to end her punishment regarding Anubis, Oma decided to take action herself. She engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle which would prevent both of them from ever interacting with the corporeal plane again.
* [[Orlin]] - At one time, Orlin was an outcast, but he was accepted back into The Others. After the Ori discovered humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy, The Others permitted Orlin to return to human form with some of his ascended knowledge to help the SGC in the fight against the Priors, the Ori's corporeal representatives.


==Alliances==
==Alliances==


* [[Asgard]], [[Furlings]], [[Nox]] - A very long time ago, before joining The Others, the Ancients were in a four-race alliance with these races. Now that they are ascended and are with The Others, they appear to have no alliances at all, but maintain their philosophy of non-interference.
* [[SGC]] - Although not a true alliance because none of The Others are interacting directly with the members of the SGC, The Others have permitted one of their own to retake human form with his ascended memories intact in order to aid in the fight against the Ori. Thus far, such rogue members of The Others include: [[Orlin]]


==Enemies==
==Enemies==


* [[Oma Desala]] - Although not a true enemy, Oma Desala was most likely banished by The Others because she felt it her duty to help people ascend, thus breaking one of the most sacred rules of the ascended. The Others watched and waited for Oma to take responsibility for helping the evil Goa'uld Anubis to ascend. Because she was prevented from destroying Anubis, Oma felt that she could make up for his evil actions with helping good people to ascend. Finally, after Daniel made a heart-felt plea on her behalf to end her punishment regarding Anubis, Oma decided to take action herself. She engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle which would prevent both of them from ever interacting with the corporeal plane again.
* [[Anubis]] - The Others acted against Anubis after he first ascended, placed him on a lower level, and warned him not to use any of his ascended powers. Anubis is now engaged in an eternal battle with Oma Desala and, theoretically, no longer poses a threat.
* [[SGC]] and [[Daniel Jackson]] - Because The Others continued to permit Anubis to exist in his form and destroy lives in order to gain galactic supremacy, the SGC had something close to contempt for them. The SGC used The Others' rules of non-interference against them when they tried to get them to take action against Anubis while he was haunting the base and attempting to get through the Stargate. Anubis got through the Stargate without using his ascended powers and thus, The Others were not provoked to act. The SGC's current relationship with The Others depends on whether or not Daniel Jackson remembered and informed the SGC of what transpired between himself and The Others during his second ascension.
* [[Ori]] - Before they ascended, the Ori and the Alterans were of one society, but they divided because of philosophical differences. The Ori attempted to wipe out the Alterans, so the Alterans fled. Now that both groups are Ascended Beings, they hold a kind of balance in the ascended planes which the Ori are now trying to tip in their favor with the addition of human worshippers from the Milky Way Galaxy.


==Episodes==
==Episodes==


* [[1.11 "The Torment Of Tantalus" Episode Guide|1.11 "The Torment Of Tantalus"]]
* [[2.16 "The Fifth Race" Episode Guide|2.16 "The Fifth Race"]]
* [[3.20 "Maternal Instinct" Episode Guide|3.20 "Maternal Instinct"]]
* [[3.20 "Maternal Instinct" Episode Guide|3.20 "Maternal Instinct"]]
* [[5.03 "Ascension" Episode Guide|5.03 "Ascension"]]
* [[5.03 "Ascension" Episode Guide|5.03 "Ascension"]]
* [[5.16 "Last Stand Part 2" Episode Guide|5.16 "Last Stand Part 2"]]
* [[5.21 "Meridian" Episode Guide|5.21 "Meridian"]]
* [[5.21 "Meridian" Episode Guide|5.21 "Meridian"]]
* [[6.06 "Abyss" Episode Guide|6.06 "Abyss"]]
* [[6.22 "Full Circle" Episode Guide|6.22 "Full Circle"]]
* [[6.22 "Full Circle" Episode Guide|6.22 "Full Circle"]]
* [[7.01 "Fallen Part 1" Episode Guide|7.01 "Fallen Part 1"]]
* [[7.01 "Fallen Part 1" Episode Guide|7.01 "Fallen Part 1"]]
* [[7.03 "Fragile Balance" Episode Guide|7.03 "Fragile Balance"]]
* [[7.04 "Orpheus" Episode Guide|7.04 "Orpheus"]]
* [[7.04 "Orpheus" Episode Guide|7.04 "Orpheus"]]
* [[7.20 "Inauguration" Episode Guide|7.20 "Inauguration"]]
* [[7.20 "Inauguration" Episode Guide|7.20 "Inauguration"]]
* [[7.21 "Lost City Part 1" Episode Guide|7.21 "Lost City Part 1"]]
* [[7.22 "Lost City Part 2" Episode Guide|7.21 "Lost City Part 2"]]
* [[7.22 "Lost City Part 2" Episode Guide|7.21 "Lost City Part 2"]]
* [[8.03 "Lockdown" Episode Guide|8.03 "Lockdown"]]
* [[8.03 "Lockdown" Episode Guide|8.03 "Lockdown"]]
Line 70: Line 140:
* [[8.17 "Reckoning Part 2" Episode Guide|8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"]]
* [[8.17 "Reckoning Part 2" Episode Guide|8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"]]
* [[8.18 "Threads" Episode Guide|8.18 "Threads"]]
* [[8.18 "Threads" Episode Guide|8.18 "Threads"]]
* [[9.02 "Avalon Part 2" Episode Guide|9.02 "Avalon Part 2"]]
* [[9.03 "Origin Part 3" Episode Guide|9.03 "Origin Part 3"]]
* [[9.05 "The Powers That Be" Episode Guide|9.05 "The Powers That Be"]]
* [[9.09 "Prototype" Episode Guide|9.09 "Prototype"]]
* [[9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1" Episode Guide|9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1"]]


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 77: Line 152:
==Related Articles==
==Related Articles==


Members of SG-1:
===Keywords===
 
'''Members of SG-1:'''
* [[Jack O'Neill|Col. Jack O'Neill]]
* [[Jack O'Neill|Col. Jack O'Neill]]
* [[Daniel Jackson|Dr. Daniel Jackson]]
* [[Daniel Jackson|Dr. Daniel Jackson]]
* [[Samantha Carter|Maj. Samantha Carter]]
* [[Samantha Carter|Lt. Col. Samantha Carter]]
* [[Teal'c]]
* [[Teal'c]]
* [[Jonas Quinn]]
* [[Jonas Quinn]]
* [[Cameron Mitchell|Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell]]


Other Characters and Keywords:
'''Other Characters and Keywords:'''
* [[Abydos and the Abydonian People]]
* [[Abydos and the Abydonian People]]
* [[Altera]]
* [[Lost City of the Ancients|Atlantis]]
* [[Ancient Knowledge and Technology]]
* [[Ancients]]
* [[Ancients]]
* [[Antarctic Outpost]]
* [[Antarctic Outpost]]
* [[Anubis]]
* [[Anubis]]
* [[Ascended Beings]]
* [[Ascended Beings]]
* [[Asgard]]
* [[Arrom]]
* [[Dakara]]
* [[Dakara]]
* [[Ernest's planet (P3X-972, later PB2-908)]]
* [[DNA Manipulation Device]]
* [[Furlings]]
* [[Doci]]
* [[Free Jaffa]]
* [[Goa'uld]]
* [[Goa'uld]]
* [[Henry Hayes|President Henry Hayes]]
* [[Kelowna]]
* [[Khalek]]
* [[Kheb]]
* [[Kheb]]
* [[Lost City of the Ancients]]
* [[Kull Warrior]]
* [[Naquadah]]
* [[Naquadah]]
* [[Nox]]
* [[Oma Desala]]
* [[Oma Desala]]
* [[Ori]]
* [[Orlin]]
* [[Orlin]]
* [[Othala]]
* [[P3X-584]]
* [[P3X-439]]
* [[Prior Plague]]
* [[Place of Our Legacy (P3R-272)]]
* [[Priors of the Ori]]
* [[Rebel Jaffa]]
* [[Replicator Samantha Carter]]
* [[Repository of Knowledge]]
* [[Replicators]]
* [[Reynolds|Col. Reynolds]]
* [[SG-1]]
* [[SG-1]]
* [[SG-16]]
* [[Stargate Command (SGC)]]
* [[Stargate Command (SGC)]]
* [[System Lord]]
* [[Velona (P4X-636)]]
* [[Velona (P4X-636)]]
* [[Vis Uban]]
* [[Vis Uban]]
* [[Weapon On Dakara |Weapon on Dakara]]
* [[Weapon On Dakara|Weapon on Dakara]]
 
===Other===
 
* [[Stargate Atlantis]]


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--[[User:DeeKayP|DeeKayP]] 08:01, 16 Nov 2004 (PST)
--[[User:DeeKayP|DeeKayP]] 08:01, 16 Nov 2004 (PST)

Revision as of 16:04, 5 October 2005

The Others manifested in a cloud

Summary

The Others are a group of Ascended Beings who have joined in a collective to enforce rules governing their interactions with those not on their higher plane of existence.

Known by Many Names

The Altera are the Ancients
The Ancients are The Others

Perhaps as long as 50 million years ago, a group of advanced humans known as the Altera left their home galaxy to flee for their lives. Those who sought to kill them were the Ori. The Altera and Ori had belonged to one society, but divided when they had philosophical differences concerning ascension, the shedding of the physical form to become a being of energy — an Ascended Being. The Altera saw the process to ascension as a scientific one where a human evolved both physically and mentally, while the Ori attached a religious aspect to ascension, calling it the Path to Enlightenment because ascension exposes one to greater knowledge and understanding of the universe. Over time, the Ori became extremists in their religion and sought to kill all those who did not see ascension as they did. There is a great responsibility put upon those who achieve ascension because the various planes of existence are connected such that those who are on the higher planes can become more powerful through the surrender of the free will of a human on the lower plane. (6.04 "Frozen", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Altera found the Milky Way Galaxy after traveling thousands of years from their home. They called their new home "Avalon" and built the network of Stargates, called "Astria Porta", as well as several other technologies. After being present in the galaxy for some time, they became known as the Ancients. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2")

The Altera and Ori were advanced in their evolution so that eventually they ascended. In order to make sure that they handled themselves responsibly in the ascended planes, the Altera joined together into a collective which shared the same philosophy concerning ascension and how they interacted with the lower planes of existence. This group became known as The Others. The Ori organized themselves into a collective as well and built a religion centered around worshipping them as humanity's creators and gods, but lying to their believers that they will achieve ascension. The two groups manifest themselves differently in the physical plane of existence: The Others usually take on the form of dark storm clouds, while the Ori have taken on the form of a wall of fire. (5.03 "Ascension", 6.22 "Full Circle", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Ancients, the human descendants of the Altera who populated the Milky Way Galaxy, also learned to ascend. There were still some of them, however, who had not yet reached that point. Some of them continued research into ascension where technology could be used to advance a human's evolution through DNA manipulation. While the Ancients existed in both the corporeal and ascended planes, a plague swept through the galaxy and killed off those who could not ascend. Before this happened, however, a group of the Ancients left the Milky Way Galaxy five to ten million years ago in their city-ship Atlantis and settled in the Pegasus Galaxy. After the plague swept through the galaxy, a group of Ancients used a device on the planet known as Dakara and reseeded the galaxy with life. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.01 "Rising Part 1")

The Ancients who left the Milky Way Galaxy to live in the Pegasus Galaxy continued research on ascension. Even throughout those millions of years in the Pegasus Galaxy, there remained those who had not yet evolved to the point where they could naturally ascend. As late as 10,000 years ago, there still remained Ancients who were in human form. These people were the last of the city-dwellers who escaped through the Stargate back to Earth after they lost the war to a race called the Wraith. Ironically, the Ancients created this race when they seeded the Pegasus Galaxy with life upon their arrival. Those Ancients who returned to Earth 10,000 years ago integrated themselves into Earth's societies and some of them actually influenced Earth's history. (9.02 "Avalon Part 2"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.03 "Hide And Seek", 1.15 "Before I Sleep")

Throughout these millions of years, the Altera and Ancients have ascended. Some have joined the collective of Ascended Beings called The Others and it is this group that are now caught in a war of cosmic significance.

The Rules of The Others

The rules of The Others are designed to ensure a kind of balance in the many levels of existence. The Others are afraid of becoming corrupted with the power obtained through the surrender of man's free will, so they have kept their existence secret in order to prevent man from worshipping them as gods and to prevent themselves from succumbing to the temptation of manipulating life on the lower planes to obtain this power. After seeing what the power obtained through worship has done to the Ori, their first rule is that of non-interference. They chose to avoid entirely the risk of corruption this type of power brings (to "deny the battle"). The Others are aware of the planes of existence higher than their own and have decided to pursue a different path in reaching those levels. (4.17 "Absolute Power", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Others' rules concerning action and inaction on the lower planes of existence:

  • Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. (5.03 "Ascension")
  • No lone ascended being shall help a lower to ascend. (8.18 "Threads")
  • If you deserve to be here you should be able to get here on your own. If there's an exception, for whatever reason, a majority vote by the collective can get you in. (8.18 "Threads")
  • The Others use their collective powers to avert anything from affecting the universe on a grand cosmic level. (8.18 "Threads")
  • The Others are always watching each other and other ascended. (8.18 "Threads")

The Others have enforced these rules through various means when an Ascended Being breaks the rules and takes action in the lower planes. The form of punishment of each individual's crimes varies, but in all cases known to-date, The Others have not destroyed another Ascended Being.

The Outcasts

The following are outcasts of The Others, meaning that they had been part of the collective at one time, but chose to break the rules. Additionally, only those outcasts who have interacted with humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy are included (that is to say, only those met in Stargate SG-1).

Oma Desala

Oma Desala at Kheb
Oma in energy form
Oma in Daniel's death encounters

Oma Desala was the first Ascended Being that the members of SG-1 met. She broke the "number one" rule of The Others: No lone ascended being shall help a lower to ascend. She also broke other rules, such as revealing the Path to Enlightenment (ascension) and spawning religions concerning ascension in several cultures, including those of the Jaffa and of Earth (akin to Buddhism). She built a temple on the planet Kheb and wrote instructions on how to reach the higher planes of existence through metaphysical means. Her philosophy was, "When the mind is enlightened, the spirit is free and the body matters not." She felt that a person who was good to the very core deserved to obtain ascension even if his body was not advanced physically to do it on his own. When she saw "humanity's potential" in an individual, she would watch that person, and when the time was right, usually at that person's death, she'd offer ascension. If the person released his burdens and put behind him his mortal existence, she'd help him to ascend. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")

Oma's philosophy was embraced by Daniel Jackson when he began to read the writings on the temple walls at Kheb. He opened his mind to the possibility of ascension, of higher planes of existence. Oma saw a purity in him that singled him out and when he was dying of radiation poisoning, she helped him to ascend. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian")

Oma did this with many people over the thousands of years that she worked. For the most part, she was successful in bringing good people into the ascended planes. But, her judgment was not perfect and she made some mistakes. Her biggest mistake was helping Anubis, a Goa'uld, to ascend. He learned enough about ascension from research left behind by the Ancients to trick her. She was not able to see the evil that he was and as soon as she realized what she had done, she tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. They sent him down a few levels and warned him that he could only do things that a regular Goa'uld could do. But, as Oma's punishment, she could not destroy him and had to watch as he continued to wreak havoc and keep eternal life. All her attempts to do good deeds could not negate the mistake she had made, and as she continued to do her "work", she risked the balance by possibly ascending someone who could not responsibly handle the power which came with being ascended. When Anubis was poised to kill all life in the galaxy, Oma finally decided to take responsibility for breaking the rules and engaged him in an eternal struggle. Now, neither one of them can interfere in any plane of existence, and thus, Oma's work is now ended. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 8.18 "Threads")

Orlin

Orlin's first human form
Orlin's second human form

Orlin broke "one of the most sacred rules" of The Others: Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. The "natural ascension process" includes both physical and mental advancement. Orlin gave the knowledge on how to build a weapon to a society which was not yet technologically sophisticated enough to create the weapon on their own. The Velonans were about to be destroyed by a Goa'uld and Orlin couldn't stand and watch them die, so he gave them this knowledge and they defeated the Goa'uld. But, with this great power came great responsibility, and the Velonans were so corrupted by this advancement that they decided to use the weapon to conquer other worlds. The Others destroyed the Velonans and then banished Orlin on the desolate planet. (5.03 "Ascension")

When the SGC was about to power up the weapon on Velona, Orlin retook human form and physically tried to prevent its use. The Others had seen Orlin's sacrifice after he successfully disconnected the naquadah reactor the SGC had used as the weapon's new power source and was mortally wounded in the process. As he lay dying, The Others accepted him back into the collective and he ascended once more. He destroyed the remaining pieces of the weapon with lightning and then rejoined The Others in their storm cloud. (5.03 "Ascension")

But, Orlin kept an eye on what was going on with Carter since he had fallen in love with her the moment he first saw her on Velona. After the Ori sent a plague to Earth through one of their Priors (missionaries), he decided to retake human form once again to help find a cure. Surprisingly, Orlin was permitted to retain all of his advanced knowledge he had gained as an Ascended Being. The Others permitted him to keep this knowledge because of the great threat the Ori posed to everyone's planes of existence. But, Orlin's crossing the line came at a tremendous sacrifice, for he knew that he would not be permitted to ascend again and would most likely die a mortal's death. (9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Workinprogress.jpg

The Outsiders

Outsiders are those who were never part of the collective. They ascended through various means and were never accepted by The Others, but were always watched by them. The two outsiders mentioned in this section both happened to have been helped to ascend by Oma Desala.

Daniel Jackson

Daniel Jackson ascending
Daniel's first ascension
Daniel's second ascension

After meeting Daniel Jackson on the planet Kheb, Oma Desala watched him and offered him ascension after his body was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation on the planet Kelowna. She was impressed by him while on Kheb and admired him for his selfless and courageous sacrifice to save the people of Kelowna with no thought of himself. Daniel accepted ascension and spent a year learning from Oma. As one of Oma's followers, Daniel creatively interpreted the rules of The Others and often broke them when the lives of his friends were at stake. He was never accepted by The Others and hadn't met any of them by the time he decided to cross the line and help SG-1 and the Abydonians fight against Anubis. But, Oma had warned him that if he did anything that would attract The Others' attention, she'd pull him out. True to her word, as soon as she saw that Daniel was about to use his ascended powers to kill Anubis, Oma pulled him out, fearing that The Others would do something more drastic to him. (3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 5.21 "Meridian", 6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")

Daniel found out that Oma had helped Anubis to ascend and grew angry. He couldn't continue in his state knowing that he would be stopped from fighting Anubis and helping humanity any way he could while The Others did nothing but watch. He decided to return to human form. The Others allowed his return, under the condition that his memories be erased. Oma broke the rules again and merely buried Daniel's memories and extensive ascended knowledge. She sent him to the planet Vis Uban where he could be found by his friends and returned home. Daniel's pre-ascension memories began to return, but only a few instances of his life as an Ascended Being ever resurfaced. The buried Ancient knowledge was discovered by Replicator Carter during a mind probe and was brought forth at an overwhelming pace. Daniel said that it was more than a mere human could understand, but he was able to use some of it to gain control over the Replicators. Replicator Carter killed him to end this control. (7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.04 "Orpheus", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 8.18 "Threads")

Oma, still believing that Daniel deserved ascension and knew that she had something to do with his first ascension going wrong, took Daniel to a stopping place between death and ascension to offer him a chance to continue as an Ascended Being. Daniel encountered The Others for the first time in this "stop along the way", a surreal place which took on the form of a diner from Daniel's childhood memories. The Others were customers in this place and Oma was their waitress. Daniel and Oma talked about his first ascension and the circumstances of his decision to retake human form, and The Others ignored his attempts at conversation and merely watched silently. When Daniel was visited by Anubis in the form of a friendly businessman, he discovered for a second time that Oma had helped Anubis to ascend. His emotional plea to The Others to end Oma's punishment and to stop Anubis from destroying all life in the Milky Way Galaxy fell on deaf ears, but Oma was moved to take action. She engaged Anubis in an eternal battle which would prevent either one of them from ever interfering with the lower planes again. (8.18 "Threads")

This left Daniel alone with The Others. Their attention was gained when Oma made her move, but Daniel's further interactions with them was not revealed. Most likely it was The Others who caused the confusion of Anubis' Kull Warriors on Dakara so that the Free Jaffa could defeat them and the suspension of the self-destruct at the SGC which they had activated to attempt to save themselves from the destructive wave of the device on Dakara which Anubis was about to activate to destroy all life in the galaxy. Daniel retook human form once again, this time reappearing in Jack's office and with his memories intact. Whether or not he still possessed the knowledge of the Ancients was not addressed, but it is highly unlikely that The Others would permit him to retain such knowledge. (8.18 "Threads")

At first, after Daniel's return from his first ascension, Jack and others believed that Daniel had been kicked out by The Others because of his inability to abide by their rules. Indeed, Daniel interpreted the rules creatively and walked the fine line which would have gained The Others' attention, but ultimately, it was his decision to return to human form. But because he couldn't remember the circumstances of his return, Daniel also believed that he had done something seriously wrong and thought that he'd never be able to make up for it. Not understanding The Others' reasons for their non-interference policy, members of the SGC believed that The Others merely felt that they were so far above humanity that humanity was insignificant to them, much like insects are to humans. This attitude continued for some time until Daniel actually met The Others and the Ori. Now, Daniel appears to have a greater respect for The Others and often argues on their behalf when facing the Ori, the Doci, and the Priors. (7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.03 "Fragile Balance", 7.20 "Inauguration", 8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.05 "The Powers That Be")

Anubis

Anubis in his cloak and shield
Anubis burning out a host
Anubis in Daniel's death encounter

Anubis found some Ancient research on ascension and made his way to Kheb where he tricked Oma Desala into ascending him. After realizing her mistake, Oma tried to undo it, but The Others stepped in. Anubis was placed on a level described by Daniel as being "stuck somewhere between human existence and ascension." The Others warned him that he could only do things that a regular Goa'uld could do, but he was permitted to stay in this form, basically having eternal life. Anubis created a cloak and shield which permitted him to interact with the physical plane, but he still remained a form of energy. (6.22 "Full Circle", 8.18 "Threads")

Daniel attempted to kill Anubis with his ascended powers when Anubis threatened Abydos, but Oma pulled him out. Anubis cowered at the attack, apparently believing that Daniel had the power to kill him, even in his ascended state. Anubis lost his shield when his fleet was destroyed from the use of the Ancient weapons in the Antarctic Outpost, but his energy form remained. He hitched a ride on a cosmonaut who was working in the International Space Station and from there, he continued to take human hosts to gain access to the Stargate on Earth. Anubis' possession of a host was temporary because his energy form burned up the bodies unto their deaths. While at the SGC, Anubis actually took Daniel Jackson as a host. The extent of how much information he obtained from any of the hosts he had at the SGC was never given, but he clearly had full access to their minds. (6.22 "Full Circle", 7.22 "Lost City Part 2", 8.03 "Lockdown")

Daniel wanted to use the rules of The Others to get them to act against Anubis while he was haunting the SGC. The SGC devised a plan in which they would force Anubis to use his ascended powers to get to the Stargate, but Anubis, ironically, adhered to the rules of The Others closer than Daniel ever did, and made it to the Stargate without drawing The Others' attention. Even though he was incapacitated for a short while, Anubis made it back to his homeworld, but decided from then on out to use human hosts. He'd take a new host once the previous one's body burned out. The vanity for which the Goa'uld are famous took the form of handsome male hosts whom Anubis enjoyed looking at in the mirror. (8.03 "Lockdown", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1")

Once Anubis decided to destroy all life in the Milky Way Galaxy, The Others still stood silently and watched. Daniel eventually interpreted this inaction as being The Others' desire that man exercise his own free will, even if it meant his own destruction. Eventually, however, Daniel learned that there was more to it than just a respect for humanity's free will that played a role in The Others' non-interference policy. (8.18 "Threads", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

After Oma decided to engage Anubis in an eternal battle, The Others might have voted to intervene and confuse Anubis' Kull Warriors on Dakara and stop the SGC's self-destruct. For whatever reasons they used to take action, they actually saved many lives rather than destroyed them as they had done to the Velonans. Daniel's plea might have had something to do with their decision to take action, but we were never told what exactly happened during Daniel's time with The Others after Oma left him alone with them in his plane of existence. (8.18 "Threads")

Several months after Anubis and Oma entered their eternal battle, SG-1 discovered a human-Goa'uld hybrid named Khalek who was created by Anubis in an underground lab on the planet P3X-584. Anubis was using an Ancient DNA manipulation device to create an advanced human with the ability to ascend. Teal'c speculated that Anubis was attempting to create a more advanced soldier than the Kull Warriors, but Khalek's true purpose was never revealed. Khalek possessed all of Anubis' Goa'uld genetic memories and Anubis gave him his ascended memories as well. Khalek also inherited Anubis' evil nature and used his advanced powers to kill and destroy. Daniel and Mitchell, SG-1's new leader, killed him before he could advance his evolution further toward ascension. If Khalek had ascended, it's not clear what The Others would have done, but they most likely would have taken some form of action against him because Anubis had physically and mentally accelerated Khalek's ascension process and Khalek would not have gotten there on his own. (9.09 "Prototype")

A War of Cosmic Significance

The Ori in their wall of fire
The Doci speaks the word of the Ori
The Priors of the Ori obtain worshippers

For millions of years, The Others have watched and have only used their collective powers when they deem it necessary to preserve the cosmic balance. After the Ori discovered that there was a generation of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy, they saw that they could increase their power with the additional billions of worshippers they hoped to obtain. With every planet that the Ori successfully turn to them, the Ori grow stronger in their powers, threatening The Others' existence. If the Ori fail at converting someone, they destroy them, thus preventing the possibility that that individual would turn to The Others or any other Ascended Being. The Others' numbers might be more at this time, but they are not increasing their numbers or powers now. Ironically, Oma's work might have actually strengthened them. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

The Others are not certain what the outcome would be if they were to engage the Ori directly. They used their collective power to shield the existence of humanity in the Milky Way from the Ori, but now that the Ori are aware, The Others will not interfere because of their strict non-interference policy. Even more ironic is the fact that The Others currently depend on rogue members, such as Orlin, who sacrifice their ascension and chance for further enlightenment to take human form to aid humanity in the fight against an enemy of their own making. The Others have voted to permit such rogues to retain enough of their ascended knowledge to make a difference, but the retention of such knowledge appears to be temporary and eventually fatal. (9.03 "Origin Part 3", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1")

Notable Characters

  • Oma Desala - Oma Desala was banished by The Others because she felt it was her duty to help people ascend, thus breaking one of the most sacred rules of the ascended. The Others watched and waited for Oma to take responsibility for helping the evil Goa'uld Anubis to ascend. Because she was prevented from destroying Anubis, Oma felt that she could make up for his evil actions with helping good people to ascend. Finally, after Daniel made a heart-felt plea on her behalf to end her punishment regarding Anubis, Oma decided to take action herself. She engaged Anubis in an eternal struggle which would prevent both of them from ever interacting with the corporeal plane again.
  • Orlin - At one time, Orlin was an outcast, but he was accepted back into The Others. After the Ori discovered humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy, The Others permitted Orlin to return to human form with some of his ascended knowledge to help the SGC in the fight against the Priors, the Ori's corporeal representatives.

Alliances

  • SGC - Although not a true alliance because none of The Others are interacting directly with the members of the SGC, The Others have permitted one of their own to retake human form with his ascended memories intact in order to aid in the fight against the Ori. Thus far, such rogue members of The Others include: Orlin

Enemies

  • Anubis - The Others acted against Anubis after he first ascended, placed him on a lower level, and warned him not to use any of his ascended powers. Anubis is now engaged in an eternal battle with Oma Desala and, theoretically, no longer poses a threat.
  • Ori - Before they ascended, the Ori and the Alterans were of one society, but they divided because of philosophical differences. The Ori attempted to wipe out the Alterans, so the Alterans fled. Now that both groups are Ascended Beings, they hold a kind of balance in the ascended planes which the Ori are now trying to tip in their favor with the addition of human worshippers from the Milky Way Galaxy.

Episodes

Gallery

  • Ascended Beings Screencapture Gallery Contains images of Oma Desala, Shifu, Orlin, The Others, the ascended Daniel Jackson and the partially ascended Anubis. Clicking on each thumbnail will lead you to a larger image which you are welcome to download. If you click on the gallery's home button, you will be sent to the article on Ascended Beings.

Related Articles

Keywords

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--DeeKayP 08:01, 16 Nov 2004 (PST)

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