Who Is Anubis In Stargate SG-1? The System Lord Explained

The sprawling lore of “Stargate SG-1” can get really confusing after a point. A lot happens in the Syfy channel show’s 10-season run, and chaos is bound to follow when you throw alternate timelines and resurrected characters into the mix. During the adventures of the series’ titular crew, they cross paths with the Goa’uld, aquatic symbiotes who can take over and control the bodies of other species. Nothing good ever comes from using this ability, as the Goa’uld feel no remorse while enslaving worlds or presenting themselves as the galaxy’s tyrannical saviors. They have leaders, of course, known as System Lords, who use their near-immortality to subjugate humanity, such as the false god Ra (Jaye Davidson) in Roland Emmerich’s “Stargate.” 

Although all System Lords are dangerous, the most formidable among them is Anubis, who can easily be classified as one of the biggest antagonists of “Stargate SG-1.” In fact, Anubis is so morally corrupt that Ra and the other System Lords had to band together and banish him at one point. His crimes are considered unspeakable, so when Anubis makes his presence felt and starts appointing underlings (like Osiris and Thoth) in the episode “Between Two Fires” (season 5, episode 9), the SG-1 crew feels unequipped to deal with the crisis. Worse, he decides to target the Stargate Command, wanting to blow it up with a weapon of mass destruction and frame the Tollan (a race of humans) for breaking an intergalactic treaty. Although Anubis’ plans do not succeed, this is just a sneak peek into the horrors he is yet to unleash throughout the rest of the series. 

As Anubis jumps bodies up until his eventual fate, the character is played by different actors throughout the series, with his primary self being embodied by David Palffy. This dynamic aspect of Anubis allowed various actors to interpret his evil in varying shades, which helped elevate his presence as a recurring series villain. 

Without further ado, let’s talk about Anubis and his convoluted arc in “Stargate SG-1.” 

Anubis was birthed into existence as a warlord for a god named Apep, but his unchecked ambition and hubris led him to murder Apep and declare himself Emperor of the Goa’uld. This blasphemous act rallied the other underlords against him, and Ra banished Anubis with the help of Apep’s followers. Hundreds of years later, he clashed with Ra once again only to barely escape, but he hoodwinked the System Lords into believing he was dead. After half-futile attempts at ascending for centuries, Anubis took on the mad scientist role by creating an advanced human named Khalek, but the SG-1 crew thwarted this threat in the episode, “Prototype.”

Then on, he directly challenged the crew (in “Between Two Fires”) and went on to appeal to the High Council of System Lords by sending his underling Orisis as an emissary. After convincing the council that he could destroy Earth in exchange for the reinstatement of his status as a System Lord, Anubis ended up wiping out a race of symbiotes known as the Tok’ra. Yep, this is a pretty irredeemable guy who doesn’t know when to stop, but this is exactly why his presence injects a high-stakes unpredictability into the evolving story. Anubis goes as far as capturing Thor (!) and laying siege on Asgard, but our dependable heroes — the SG-1 crew — arrive in the nick of time and save the day (although Anubis can glean a lot from Asgardian technology by then, which does not inspire confidence).

The series follows this time-tested formula of Anubis hatching a devious scheme and coming very close to acting on it (like his urge to blow up Earth!), and the crew foiling his plans. Not the type of Goa’uld to give up easily, Anubis eventually sets his sights on a superweapon that can destroy the Milky Way. Remember how Anubis can jump from one body to another? Well, he does this throughout the series, and this time, he takes the form of Jim, a rude patron in the Astral Diner to mock the ascended Ancient Oma Desala (Mel Harris). Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), realizes that Jim is Anubis, and tries (and fails) to attack him. Inspired by Daniel’s actions, Oma Desala tricks Anubis into completing his ascension and engages him in an eternal battle until the end of time.

With one major threat gone, the SG-1 has to immediately contend with another in the form of a genetically altered being named Adria. But that’s a “Stargate SG-1” story for another time.