The Stargate Command from the sci-fi seriesStargate SG-1encountered numerous evil powers while trekking their way across the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies via the Stargates. Many of these distant civilizations were perceived as godlike beings to the less advanced — usually human — societies.
One of these power-hungry civilizations were the Ori. Stargate Command first made contact with the Ori in seasons 9 and 10 ofStargate SG-1. From there on, the Ori served as an extremely impactful, ill-intentioned antagonist to the heroes of the series. But who exactly were the Ori, and what was their ultimate goal in conquering and crusading around the universe?
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Who Were the Ori & Where Did They Come From?
The Ori were among the most ancient of civilizations in the known universe. Originating from the planet Celestis, they were once part ofthe Alteran species, who are thought to be the creators of human life. Residing as one in the Alteran Home Galaxy, the Alterans at some point split into two people over disagreements of beliefs. Thus, they divided into the Ancients and the Ori. The Ancients valued their belief in science when it came to the creation of everything, while the Ori decided to devote themselves to religion.
The divide grew deeper and deeper, until the Ori sought to wipe out the Ancients entirely. As a result, the Ancients fled to the Milky Way galaxy. The distance between the two people didn’t diminish their rivalry, as the Ori are presumed to have caused the plague (or the Ancient contagion) that nearly extinguished the Ancients and forced them to the Pegasus galaxy, where they hid from the Ori for many years.
Both civilizations eventually ascended to the higher plane of existence, giving them each superior knowledge and power over the people of the physical universe. While the Ancients decided to spread their gained knowledge peacefully, the Ori took a different route, seeing their Ascension as proof that they were not mortal beings; rather, they believed themselves to be omnipotent deities.
What Was The Ori’s Goal?
Once ascended, the Ori made it their purpose to spread their religion, known as Origin, to people across the universe. The Origin religion claimed that the Ori were the sole creators of life everywhere. As ascended beings, they no longer took physical form. Instead, they created a species of Humans with artifical genetic evolution, known as Priors, to be missionaries and spread the word of the Book of Origin.
In their crusades,the Priors would land on various planets with the Book of Origin, and would push their beliefs in Origin onto the less advanced people they encountered. The people often believed them, seeing as the Ori were ascended beings. The Ori soon learned that they were able to gain power and energy through the people’s belief in them via a transfer of energy, but it required immense numbers of followers to impact their power.
One of the reasons people were so easily convinced to convert to Origin was because the Priors promised them that they would one day, achieve Ascension. They would live eternally in the higher plane of existence, a process that the Book of Origin claimed could only be bestowed upon by the Ori. This, however, was a lie. The process of Ascension could be achieved by anyone, and the Ori had no intention of granting the people the ability to ascend. They kept that knowledge selfishly to themselves, so they could continue to grow as an enormous power and ultimately destroy their Alteran counterparts, the Ancients.
The people who refused to convert, dubbed “unbelievers,” were executed by the Ori Army. This army was compiled of Origin followers, most of which were not from trained military backgrounds.
How Were the Ori Defeated?
In 2006, after conquering much of their home galaxy, the Ori built a Supergate, which allowed them to transport their motherships to other galaxies rather than just the Priors through Stargates. Their primary destination was the Milky Way galaxy.
Once there, they proved to be a force to be reckoned with,as they defeated the initial defenses with ease. They continued to convert planets to Origin, now in the Milky Way, and grow in power. They faced no opposition from the Ancients because of their strict non-interference beliefs. The Ori fleet was led by Adria the Orici, an Ori who took the form of a human.
Although the Ancients refused to take part in combat, one member, Merlin, had anticipated the threat they posed to the galaxy and created a weapon, called the Sangraal (or the Holy Grail), which was capable of killing any ascended being. However, the Ancient Morgan Le Fay destroyed the weapon and kept Merlin preserved as he held the knowledge to recreate the Sangraal. But, by the time Morgan Le Fay brought Merlin back to reconstruct the Sangraal, he was very weak and decided to transfer his knowledge to Stargate Command’s Dr. Daniel Jackson.
Adria then captured Jackson and attempted to convince him to destroy the Ancients. Jackson refused and instead had SG-1 send the Sangraal through the Ori’s Supergate and back to their home galaxy, destroying the ascended Ori on their home planet of Celestis.
However, instead of completely destroying the race, their power merely converted into Adria. Her continued crusade from there was cut relatively short once SG-1 utilized another ancient device called the Ark of Truth. Anyone exposed to this device instantly learns the truth of Origin and the Ori’s diabolical plans. They simply used the Ark of Truth on the Doci, the head Prior of the church, which then exposed its revealing light across the many stationed Priors' staffs and, thus, onto their followers. This was finally the end of the Ori, who were never to return toStargate SG-1.
