Battlestar Galactica is one of the few science fiction series that proves reboots can improve upon their source material and that television was ready to support a sci-fi franchise that wasn’t Star Wars or Star Trek. From its pitch-perfect pilot to nearly every episode that followed, Ronald D. Moore and his creative team brought a grounded approach to their story — as grounded as “being chased around space by killer robots” as you could get. But the series finale “Daybreak” alienated some fanswith its resolution to the Galactica‘s journey to Earth and the startling revelation that Cylons were the forefathers of humanity.
Yes, apparently, we’re all descended from killer robots. Even Moore has expressed a few regrets on how “Daybreak” wrapped up the series. “To me, I wanted [Battlestar Galactica] to have a definitive ending…a part of me wishes I hadn’t done that,” he said at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, though he stood by his decision. Battlestar Galactica fans shouldn’t fret, though, since there’s another sci-fi series in the same vein with a far more satisfying ending: Babylon 5.
Created by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylon 5 centers around the Babylon 5 space station, which serves as “the last, best hope for peace”. It also featured a unique story structure at the time: Straczynski had planned the entire show out for a five season run, meaning that it had a definitive ending. Babylon 5 also featured richly developed characters and surprising plot twists at a time when they weren’t commonplace on TV. In fact, the argument could be made that if it weren’t for this show, Battlestar Galactica —and the entire era of “Peak TV” — might not have become the norm. But what exactly makes Babylon 5 such a great series?
‘Babylon 5’ Slowly Built Up to Its Main Storyline
At first, Babylon 5 seemed to merely be a hub where various alien races could hash out their differences on neutral ground. But as the show progressed, it started to reveal a massive storyline that served as the forefront of a massive intergalactic war. It begins when Babylon 5‘s commander, Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O’Hare), is unable to remember the last day of a war he fought in involving the alien race known as the Minbari. Slowly, the Minbari reveal that they believe Sinclair carried the soul of the legendary prophet Valen, who would lead them to victory against the alien invaders known as the Shadows.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Later on, new commander John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) finds himself on the front lines of the war against the Shadows, even allying with the Minbari and other worlds to fight them. In the midst of all of this, several subplots wound up feeding into the main plotline, including Earth falling under the control of a fascist government — which caused Sheridan to pull Babylon 5 from the Earth Alliance in protest — and a conflict between two separate groups of telepaths.
Much like Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5 featured characters who started at one extreme and ended up at another. Sinclair would eventually fulfill the Minbari prophecy by becoming their ambassador — and later, transformed into Valen himself. G’Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Londo (Peter Jurasik) started as a pair of dueling ambassadors due to the enmity between their respective races, but ended up in widely different positions of power: G’Kar became a spiritual leader, while Londo eventually became the leader of the Centauri empire — but is manipulated by the Shadows all the while.
The way characters could change on a dime not only made them more compelling but actually made sense due to the way the plot was set up. Even the series finale, “Sleeping in Light,” brought things full circle: Babylon 5, having fulfilled its purpose, is decommissioned, while Sheridan has one last gathering with his friends before passing on to the next life. But while it was a trend-setting series, Babylon 5 almost never got off the ground.
J. Michael Straczynski Navigated Multiple Production Issues To Complete ‘Babylon 5’
It took roughly five years for Babylon 5 to make it to television, and in his autobiography Becoming Superman, J. Michael Straczynski would detail just how rough a journey it was. In his initial pitch meetings, a cracked tooth led him to down an entire pitcher of ice water — resulting in a numb tongue and a less-than-stellar presentation. “To this day I don’t remember what I said. I’d gone in to pitch Casablanca in Space, but for all I can recall, I might have pitched Gunsmoke at the Bottom of the Sea,” he wrote.
There was another major obstacle in the form of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — like Babylon 5, it also took place on a space station whose commander became the center of an intergalactic war, but it had the bedrock of a successful sci-fi franchise behind it. The fact that Babylon 5 aired a full year after Deep Space Nine didn’t help matters, as Straczynski worried that fans of the latter would think he was ripping it off. However, the biggest challenge concerned PTEN, the network that Babylon 5 originally was a part of. In 1997, PTEN was shut down when its parent studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount, decided to form their own TV stations with The WB and UPN (ironically, both would merge to form The CW). But TNT picked up the final season, effectively making sure Babylon 5 was able to finish on the terms Straczynski wanted
‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Have More in Common Than You’d Think
The Battlestar Galactica cast in a group posing for a promo for Season 1.Image via SYFY
Battlestar Galactica does share quite a bit in common with Babylon 5, as both shows are sprawling, long-form science-fiction stories that deal with themes of war and religion. But they also share a similar beginning and ending. Both series start with a made-for-TV film that serves as a perfect introduction to the series and lays the groundwork for most of each show’s respective revelations. Shortly after ending, each show received a short-lived spin-off series: Battlestar Galactica had Caprica, while Babylon 5 had Crusade.
Both Battlestar Galactica and Babylon 5 have recently been considered for reboots, but nothing seems to be going forward at this rate. A common saying in Battlestar Galactica is: “This has happened before, and it will all happen again.” Perhaps the person who wrote that was secretly referring to Babylon 5, since Battlestar Galactica mirrored its journey in more ways than one.
Babylon 5 is available for purchase on Amazon Video in the U.S.
