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Babylon 5 influences

This article discusses literary and other influences upon the popular science fiction television series Babylon 5 (hereafter "B5").

B5 and The Lord of the Rings

Several elements in B5 seem a lot like elements in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. For instance, in The Fellowship of the Ring, the Dark Riders first appear singly, then in progressively larger groups; B5 repeated this tension-building pattern early in its first season, when enemy forces known as the Shadows appear first singly, and then in vast numbers.

The wizard Gandalf is warned in a prophecy that he will die if he goes to an underground city called "Khazad-dûm" (see Moria); in B5, captain John Sheridan is warned that he will die if he goes to a planet called "Z'Ha'Dum". Both men sacrifice themselves, fall into an abyss, and return in an altered form to unite the forces of good against the forces of evil. Perhaps also worth noting is that the Ranger saying "We walk in the dark places that no one else will enter. We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass." calls to mind Gandalf confronting the Balrog over the abyss in Moria and crying out "You shall not pass!" before shattering the bridge.

Also, B5 takes place at "the dawn of the third age", and the defeat of Sauron in Lord of the Rings is considered to be the ending event of the third age of Middle-earth.

The name Narns might be derived either from C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, or from Tolkien's Narn i Hin Hurin in The Silmarillion which was itself almost certainly the inspiration for the name Narnia.

The creator of B5, J. Michael Straczynski (JMS), acknowledges Tolkien when a "techno-mage" loosely quotes The Fellowship of the Ring, where the character Gildor Inglorion says, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." However, after being asked about this and other relationships many times, JMS has been known to get upset.

His response is that, as an author, he is very well capable of writing his own story, and that it is insulting to suggest that B5 is a LotR rip-off. JMS states that people misunderstand the similarities between the two different stories. He often says that B5 is "greatly informed by" but "is not" any particular preceding work of fiction or history.

B5 and Shakespeare

A plethora of Shakespearian quotes and misquotes peppers Babylon 5 dialogue, Macbeth being a notable favorite.

B5 and King Arthur

Two episodes highlight the influence of the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The Battle of the Line is an analog to the King Arthur's final battle. Delenn is associated with the Lady of the Lake. Sheridan is unquestionably King Arthur, gathering the disparate alien races under one alliance. Lennier reveals himself as Lancelot when he betrays the rangers over his feelings for Delenn, and Kosh may literally or figuratively be Merlin. Marcus suggests that Kosh, like Merlin, might see the future by remembering it, and that Kosh may have visited Earth and modeled the Round Table after his acquaintances on Babylon 5.

Excalibur appears at least twice in the series: once as an actual sword and again as the ship charged with finding a cure for the Drakh plague and saving Earth, the second Victory class warship (the Victory herself, and the shipyards to construct more vessels of her class, were destroyed shortly after Victory was launched). Note the episode: "A Late Delivery from Avalon."

B5 and Forbidden Planet

The Great Machine on Epsilon 3 appears to be an homage to the ancient Krell machine in the movie Forbidden Planet (1956), especially in the overhead shot of a narrow bridge that runs through a vast space surrounded by alien machinery.

Ancient Greek Myth

Many of the Earth Alliance ships in B5 are named after Greek or Roman Gods. JMS has said repeatedly that G'Kar is his Cassandra character, who predicts the future but whose warnings go unheard.

Freud

This one may seem dubious, but the dutiful viewer must contrast Babylon 5's effeminate, womb-like form to the Excalibur's phallic presence. Babylon 5 is a "dream given form" and the symbol of the dream recurs, notably in Londo's dream of his own death and in a subtle reference, "you can't let that destroy the dream," while Sheridan is on Z'ha'dum. (Watch for it in the episode.)

Joseph Campbell

JMS has remarked that B5 doesn't deliberately follow Campbell's myth-arc but he acknowledges that many of its elements are present.

Other Influences

B5 does have many other influences, including World War II ("There will be peace in our time," remarks a human diplomat after signing a treaty with the Centauri, who later overrun the galaxy.), The Prisoner (The Psi-corps show many similarities to this, including a modified salute), E. E. Smith's Lensman novels and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. TV influences include Star Trek and Blake's 7.

One final influence should be obvious: the history of ancient Babylon.