Jaffa (Stargate)

The Jaffa are Human derived warrior race that feature in Stargate SG-1.

History

The Jaffa were a genetically engineered race of humans that were created by the Goa'uld to serve them as warriors. (Episode: Children of the Gods) Their origins began when the parasitic race first came upon the planet Earth millennia ago and the human race who were highly adaptable hosts. They began to enslave the species and shipped hundreds of tribes of humans that they seeded across the stars where some became used as hosts whilst others became Jaffa. (Episode: The Enemy Within) This saw the Goa'uld beginning to abandon the use of the Unas as their hosts in favour of humans with the 'first ones' being regarded as myth over time. (Episode: Thor's Hammer) Originally, the Goa'uld were said to had been a dying race as the survival rate of symbiotes taking a human host were low. This was said to had been the reason the Jaffa were created as it improved the chance of young Goa'uld blending with a host body. (Episode: Cure) It was said in the legends of the Jaffa that the planet Dakara was the site where their enslavement at the hands of the Goa'uld began. The world was said to be the location where the first Prim'ta ritual was conducted thus linking the two races together. The Jaffa were offered strength and Symbiotes from that time with Dakara being considered a holy ground with the Goa'uld ensuring their loyalty by propagating the belief that they were gods. (Episode: Reckoning, Part 1) Thousands of years ago, the Goa'uld conditioned the Jaffa to serve them faithfully as soldiers and servants with them believing that their masters were gods. All members of this race were raised as warriors that believed in physical development and discipline. (Episode: Maternal Instinct) Despite the stranglehold the Goa'uld had over them, not all Jaffa believed in the divinity of their 'gods'. Several thousand years ago, a group Jaffa learnt that the Goa'uld were not gods as they claimed and were forced to go into hiding. This group later became known as the Sodan who removed any markings of allegiance to the Goa'uld and became proud of their independence. Despite their freedom, they were not free from the need for Symbiotes and conducted many hidden raids in order to procure the larvae needed to maintain their lives. (Episode: Babylon) The Goa'uld world of Chulak became one of the few worlds that had an abundance of Symbiote larvae with many hundreds present and ready for implantation into young Jaffa. (Episode: Bloodlines)

Earth came to make its first encounter with the Jaffa when the Goa'uld Lord Apophis conducted a brief raid on the planet through the Stargate. After acquiring a specimen, he departed and later conducted a similar such raid on Abydos as he looked for a host for his queen. This led to Earth establishing Stargate Command who began embroiled a conflict with the Goa'uld and their Jaffa servants. During this time, the SGC came to gain a Jaffa defector named Teal'c who decided to aid Colonel Jack O'Neill in opposition to his Goa'uld masters. (Episode: Children of the Gods) Afterwards, he came to learn that Earth was the fabled Tau'ri race that was the home o the human race and believed that they held the best hope in freeing everyone from the tyranny of the Goa'uld. (Episode: The Enemy Within)

The Jaffa Resistance (occasionally referred to as the Fifth Column) had been formed; an organized rebellion against the Goa'uld of which Teal'c was a prominent leader.

The recent uprisings by the Jaffa led to Anubis creating a new breed of soldier known as Kull Warriors to serve in his armies. (Episode: Evolution, Part 1)

The resistance was helped by the return of the Goa'uld Anubis and the subsequent civil war among the System Lords. In addition, the Replicators further weakened the Goa'uld, with most of the System Lords being wiped out in the Replicator invasion of the Milky Way. In a series of grand events, Anubis was prevented from completing his goal of galactic destruction by Oma Desala, the Replicators were destroyed by a temporary alliance of Ba'al, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter and Jacob Carter/Selmak, and the Jaffa struck a major blow at the remaining Goa'uld. This was heightened by the fact that Ba'al fled when rebel Jaffa boarded his ship: it completely shattered the Goa'uld's image as gods and the Jaffa started abandoning their masters by the droves to flock to the side of the rebellion. After Anubis and his Kull Warriors fell due to the efforts of Doctor Daniel Jackson and Oma Desala, the Goa'uld Empire finally fell and the Jaffa won their freedom. (SG1: Reckoning, Part 2)

This led to the formation of the Free Jaffa Nation where a High Council was established with Teal'c and Bra'tac both serving as interim members. Stargate Command offered their assistance with Major Paul Davis and SG-9 being dispatched to provide guidance. However, many Jaffa viewed the Tau'ri with distrust and believed that this guidance was an attempt to subvert their newly acquired freedom and take control over them. (SG1: Avalon, Part 1) During this time, the Free Jaffa Nation had already seen the rise of individuals and organisations that threatened to challenge them. (SG1: Origin) Among these included a powerful criminal network known as the Lucian Alliance. (SG1: The Ties That Bind) Later on, Gerak of the Jaffa High Council made a visit to Earth where during this time he came to encounter a Prior who were messengers for beings called the Ori. These entities claimed to be gods with Gerak looking to confront the preacher due to the Jaffa's recent experience of fighting false gods though became intrigued by the messages of the Prior that spoke of the path of enlightenment. However, it was later discovered that the Prior was simply a vanguard for their masters who looked to conquer the entire Milky Way galaxy. (SG1: Origin) Among the first noted attacks on the galaxy was against the Jaffa world of Kalana who had rejected the message of a Prior. This saw the world being enveloped by a powerful planetary shield to be used for the Ori's purposes. A Free Jaffa fleet headed by Gerak arrived at the scene and attacked from orbit but were unable to break the shield over the world. In fact, they later came to learn that the entire incident was an elaborate ploy to get the Ori's enemies to use their weapons to energise the shield. Ths allowed the entire world to be enveloped and collapsed into a singularity with the purpose of powering a massive Stargate that could bring the Ori invasion forces into the Milky Way. During the formation of the Supergate, several Free Jaffa vessels were destroyed and Gerak's own flagship was damaged forcing him to retreat. However, the Ori's plans were thwarted by the efforts of the Tau'ri who managed to stop the construction of gate. (SG1: Beachhead)

When a Prior of the ascended beings known as the Ori arrives spreading the religion of Origin, Gerak is quick to believe after seeing their power is real, unlike that of the Goa'uld. He urges the council to accept Origin and make it law. With civil war on the horizon between those who wish to follow Origin and those who do not want to serve another set of false gods, Gerak even becomes a Prior as proof of the power of the Ori. Using the past as a motivator, Teal'c manages to convince Gerak that the promises of the Ori are false, and allowing them to destroy the freedom they fought for would be wrong. Gerak helps the Tau'ri to heal the plague another Prior had inflicted on members of Stargate Command, knowing that he would be burned alive as punishment. (SG1: The Fourth Horseman)

Several Jaffa worlds had willingly fallen into the hand of the Ori crusaders though small resistance movements still existed that gained intelligence on these enemies. Some groups, such as the Illac Renin, became devoted to the path the Ori showed them though many resisted it. In order to help stabilise the leadership of the Jaffa, a peaceful summit was called on the Jaffa world of Dar Eshkalon but a deceptive strike killed many of it attendees. It was revealed that this was done by radical Jaffa who followed the Ori and were led by a former First Prime known as Arkad who wished to steer the Jaffa's destiny into the hands of the Ori. Furthermore, to gain the favour of his new masters, he attempted to stockpile weapons grade naquadah to use against the Tau'ri but he was killed by Teal'c before he could accomplish this. Currently, the fate of the Jaffa Nation is unknown beyond the elimination of this single threat. (SG1: Talion)

After the final defeat of the Ori at the hands of the Tau'ri, the Jaffa continued to rebuild and enjoy their freedom. When the final Ba'al clone was captured, the Jaffa contributed to the Extraction Ceremony by sending half of their fleet to protect the Tok'ra homeworld so it would not be interrupted. (Stargate: Continuum)

Overview

In appearance, the Jaffa resembled humans with the key difference being an abdominal pouch in the form of an X-shaped slit that was used to house a Goa'uld larva. The infant Goa'uld were carried by Jaffa since they were children where they afforded them perfect health and long life. The slits effectively served as a pouch similar to those found in a marsupial. A Jaffa carried the larva until it reached maturity and could not be removed as it would lead to their incubator's death as a result. (Episode: Children of the Gods) On a medical basis, symbiotes acted like an internal organ with there being an exchange of hormones and electrical impulses though this was on a completely unconscious level which was a function of their immune system. (Episode: Crossroads)

Jaffa were said to be bred to serve so that their Goa'uld masters could live. (Episode: Children of the Gods) Prior to the creation of the Jaffa, the Goa'uld were actually said to had been a dying race because they had a very small chance of survival when attempting to blend with human hosts. Symbiotes attempted to blend with a host had only a one in two chance of success. The Jaffa were then created for the very reason of improving he ability of a symbiote to take a human host. (Episode: Cure) It was said that a Jaffa could not communicate with the Goa'uld that they carried within them. (Episode: The Enemy Within)

In the deepest levels of Kel-no-reem, a Jaffa could make their heart beat in extremely long intervals. It as even possible to meditate so deeply that one could stop their heart altogether though such a practice was forbidden. In such circumstances, the symbiote would attempt to start it up again with the Jaffa going through a near-death experience in this state. (Episode: Crossroads)

The skin was said to be cut with an Orak knife with pure molten golden then being poured into the wound with this being said to be tremendously painful. (Episode: Bane)

The main difference between a Jaffa and a normal human was an abdominal pouch accessible from the outside by a X-shaped slit.[1] The pouch serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld, known as a prim'tah, which improves their ability to successfully take a host upon maturation from 50% to nearly 100%. The Goa'uld have a device capable of quickly transforming humans into Jaffa.[2] The larval symbiote grants the Jaffa enhanced strength, health, healing, and longevity (in excess of 150 years). However, the presence of the symbiote also replaces the Jaffa's immune system, and if removed the Jaffa will die a long and painful death that can only be avoided by lifelong regular injections of the drug tretonin which replaces the prim'tah's functions in the jaffa body.[3] The Jaffa equivalent of puberty is the Age of Prata, at which time a prim'tah must be implanted.[4] Jaffa do not require sleep, but must engage in a form of meditation called kelnorim in order to synchronize with their symbiote.[5] It is possible for a Jaffa to communicate with his/her symbiote through a dangerously deep state of kelnorim

Jaffa from Chulak believed that romantic disputes between men and women that could not be resolved required them to break their pledges to one another. For validity, one of the disputed parties needed to request for the pledge break that needed to be granted. Should the dispute not be settled than a weapon was required. (Episode: Affinity)

Jaffa who were in service of a Goa'uld bear a black tattoo of their master's insignia on their foreheads. The highest-ranking Jaffa in service of a Goa'uld is known as the First Prime and bears a raised gold insignia, made by baring the bone with a special knife and filling the wound with molten gold; Teal'c describes it as a very painful process. Other high-ranking Jaffa may bear similar silver marks. The elite guard of powerful Goa'uld sometimes wear helmets shaped like that Goa'uld's symbolic animal; the helmets are made from articulated metal plates that can fold to reveal the face, and are intended to intimidate the Goa'uld's enslaved human populations. Helmeted Jaffa seen or mentioned in the series include the Horus Guards (falcon-headed, serving Ra and Heru-ur),[7][8] Serpent Guards (cobra-headed, serving Apophis),[1] and the Setesh Guards (Set animal-headed, serving Seth).[9] A jackal-headed (Anubis) guard also appears in service of Ra in the Stargate movie

In this role, they were given larval versions of the Goa'uld with the Jaffa carrying one. The infant Symbiote remained within the Jaffa until maturity where they offered perfect health and long lives to their living incubators. (Episode: Children of the Gods) This allowed a Jaffa to live for centuries and have a long lifespan. (Episode: Bloodlines) A result of this exchange was the larva acting as the immune system of the Jaffa. (Episode: Thor's Hammer) Thus, the removal of the larvae led to the eventual death of the Jaffa. (Episode: Children of the Gods) Removal of the larvae saw the major organs beginning to shut down and the Jaffa running a high fever as they lacked an immune system without the Goa'uld. (Episode: Bloodlines)

A ritual within the Jaffa that involved their children was when they reached a certain age whereupon they were called to enter the religious life created by the Goa'uld. At this time, the underwent a ceremony of implantation called the Prim'ta whereby the child received their first Goa'uld Symbiote and became a true Jaffa. These larva were kept at the sepulcher of the local temple with their theft being considered sacrilege. (Episode: Bloodlines)

The Jaffa operated as a warrior class in Goa'uld society and were the foundation of their power. They served as both incubators for the Goa'uld young and as their army that was made almost invulnerable due to the restorative powers of the larva they carried. (Episode: Bloodlines)

When it comes to Jaffa romance, at least on Chulak, a dispute between a man and a woman that cannot be resolved necessitates a pledge break. For validity, one of the disputers must request said pledge break, which subsequently needs to be granted by the other. If the dispute is still unsettled, a weapon is required. (SG1: Affinity)

There were several factions of Jaffa that included:

• Hak'tyl : were a group of female Jaffa warriors first introduced in "Birthright". They were founded by Ishta, High Priestess of the Goa'uld Moloc. When Moloc ordered that all female children born to his Jaffa be sacrificed, Ishta began secretly saving them by sending them to a planet she names Hak'tyl, meaning "liberation". The Hak'tyl resistance grow into a formidable force, mounting raids on Moloc's Jaffa to obtain symbiotes. They eventually seek an alliance with the Tau'ri, who offer them the drug tretonin as a way to free themselves from their dependence on the Goa'uld. Although the test trials are not without complications, the Hak'tyl eventually become the first group of Jaffa to adopt tretonin. Allied with the other rebel Jaffa, Ishta's group soon becomes too large to easily conceal. Under attack by Moloc's Imperial Guard and forced to evacuate their original homeworld, the Hak'tyl briefly shelter at the SGC while agitating for a full-scale uprising against Moloc. Teal'c warns that should they succeed Moloc would only be replaced by a more powerful Goa'uld. Nevertheless, the insurrection takes place, and the SGC assassinates Moloc with a pair of laser-guided missiles. Teal'c's prediction comes true and Moloc's domain is absorbed by Ba'al; the Hak'tyl leave for their new homeworld to plan another war.[10] The Hak'tyl are a significant power in the Free Jaffa Nation, and are represented by Ka'lel on the High Council.[11] One of their main concerns is the inequal treatment of females in many Jaffa societies.[12]
• Sodan : a legendary group of Jaffa who, over 5,000 years ago, realized that the Goa'uld were not gods and rebelled against their Goa'uld master Ishkur. They set out for the sacred planet Kheb, but settled instead on a world with an Ancient teleportation device that allowed them to build their village safely on the other side of the planet. The Sodan worship the Ancients and seek Ascension as their ultimate goal. The Sodan are proud warriors with considerable martial prowess; they use personal cloaking devices to become invisible and steal larval Goa'uld in raids, killing them when they mature. As a result, the while the Sodan still use larval Goa'uld symbiotes, they do not have tattoos on their foreheads specifying allegiance to any System Lord. In the season 9 episode "Babylon", SG-1 seeks out the Sodan. In their first encounter, Cameron Mitchell is forced to go through a form of ritual combat called Kel Shak Lo after being forced to kill a Sodan warrior, in the process earning their respect. The Sodan are eventually approached by a Prior of the Ori. At first they are interested in Origin, but reject it after being ordered to destroy a group of simple farmers for defying the Ori. They help SG-1 to capture the Prior and obtain a blood sample with which to fight a plague on Earth.[13] In revenge, the Priors infect the Sodan Vol'nek with a disease that kills him and resurrects him as a bloodthirsty monster who massacres the Sodan.[14] Afterwards, the SGC collect the Sodan personal cloaks for experimentation, but find them unsuitable for use by humans.[15]
• Illac Renin : Meaning "Kingdom of the Path", the Illac Renin are a faction of Jaffa who follow Origin, believing that the Ori will Ascend them upon death. Their leader is Arkad, who publicly endorses peace but in fact sponsors several attacks against the Free Jaffa and is reported to be stockpiling weapons-grade naqahdah for an attack on Earth. The attack never takes place after Arkad is killed by Teal'c.[16]

During the reign of the Goa'uld, a class among the Jaffa were the Kreshta (Outcasts) that lived in camps outside their cities. These consisted of families that were disgraced but were not shol'va. (Episode: Bloodlines)

Among the Jaffa, there were legends that spoke of the homeworld of the human form with these being referred to them as the Tau'ri. (Episode: The Enemy Within) Jaffa knew of the previous hosts of the Goa'uld that were the Unas or First Ones though these were regarded as myths and legend to them akin to vampires among the Tau'ri. (Episode: Thor's Hammer)

Under the service to the Goa'uld, Jaffa were forbidden to hold any knowledge of their 'magic' which was in fact advanced technology. (Episode: The Enemy Within)

Members

• Bra'tac :
• Teal'c :
• Moac :
• Ma'kar :
• Rak'nor :
• Shan'auc : a female priestess from the Red Hills on Chulak who was once romantically involved with Teal'c until he denounced the Goa'uld but changed her mind after she communed with her own symbiote and came to question their divinity but was ultimately killed when the larvae inside her called Tanith killed her after taking his host. (Episode: Crossroads)
• Ishta :
• Neith :
• Drey'auc : first wife of Teal'c and mother to his son Rya'c. (Episode: Bloodlines)
• Rya'c : son of Teal'c and Drey'auc. (Episode: Bloodlines)
• Gerak :
• Arkad :
• De'vir :
• Lork Haikon :
• Yat'Yir :
• Bo'rel :
• Her'ak :
• Adal :
• Aron :
• Inago :

Notes

• Jaffa was created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner where they featured in the setting of the Stargate SG-1 universe.
• They were based on the warriors from the original Stargate film.

Appearances

• Stargate SG-1:

External Link

• SG Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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