Jaffa (Stargate)

Species	Jaffa (genetically altered human) Homeworld	Various planets including Chulak

Governing body	Jaffa High Council

Alliances	Tau'ri, Tok'ra

Previous alliances	None; served the Goa'uld

First appearance	Stargate (unnamed) Children of the Gods (named)

The Jaffa are a fictional alien race, in the television series Stargate SG-1. They are actually biologically human and descended from people from Earth who were kidnapped by the Goa'uld using the Stargate during antiquity, to serve as slaves and hosts. Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Background
Jaffa live on several different planets, depending on which Goa'uld they serve, so they have no one "homeworld" (as they were originally human slaves from Earth). However, planets with large concentrations of Jaffa include Chulak, Dakara, and Delmak. The main function of the Jaffa is to serve their gods, the Goa'uld, as warriors and incubators for Goa'uld larvae. Jaffa are genetically engineered by the Goa'uld for their immune system to fail when they reach puberty (which they call the age of prata), so they will die if they do not receive a symbiote. An immature Goa'uld larva is then implanted in a marsupial-like pouch in the Jaffa abdomen, in which it grows to maturity before implantation in a host.

The presence of the larva replaces the Jaffa's immune system, and after receiving a Goa'uld larva a Jaffa is unable to live for long without one. Additionaly, the Jaffa needs to engage in a form of meditation known as Kelna'rim on regular intervals in order to synchronise with the symbiote. If Kelna'rim is not performed the jaffa might become seriously ill. In exchange, the Goa'uld offers strength, health and a long life (120-150 years). Following the discovery of Egeria, the drug Tretonin was developed to allow the former Jaffa host to survive without a larva.

All Jaffa have a mark on their foreheads bearing the insignia of the Goa'uld they serve. In most cases it is just a black tattoo, but in the case of each System Lord's First Prime (chief warrior and commander), it is a raised mark, made with a special knife and filled with pure gold in what even Teal'c says is a very painful process. A faction of the Jaffa that identified the Goa'uld as false gods went into hiding thousands of years ago, and became known as the Legendary Sodan. These Jaffa do not bear any mark but retain the symbiote pouch; they steal larval Goa'uld in raids. Supposedly, married male Jaffa must shave their heads soon after their wedding. However, in his current spirit of rebellion against the old ways, Teal'c later grows a short fuzz of hair.

Events in the Series
Teal'c (portrayed by Christopher Judge), a Jaffa who chooses to join the SG-1 team and fight for freedom, starts out as a lone traitor, but gradually and with the aide of his former Jaffa mentor, Master Bra'tac, Teal'c is able to rally an increasing number of other Jaffa to his cause of freedom.

Jaffa Resistance
By season six, the Jaffa Resistance has been formed; an organized rebellion against the Goa'uld of which Teal'c is a prominent leader. At the end of season eight, Teal'c achieves his goal and finally helps liberate the Jaffa from the Goa'uld; the Goa'uld were weakened by first a civil war amongst the System Lords (precipitated by the ascent of Ba'al and the unexpected return of Anubis), and then decimated by an invasion of our galaxy by the Replicators. Soon after, forces of the Tau'ri are able to defeat the Replicators. The Jaffa see the Goa'uld's inability to save themselves from the Replicators as proof that they are false Gods, especially when System Lord Ba'al makes a cowardly escape from the Jaffa Resistance, after which the Jaffa turn against the Goa'uld en masse.

Free Jaffa Nation
In season nine, the Free Jaffa Nation is being set up; it appears that High Council representation will be based on the military strength of the coalitions, against Teal'c's wishes; Teal'c himself advocates new ways, supposedly adopted from the Tau'ri. He hints to General Hank Landry that he wants a democratic system. Gerak becomes leader of the Jaffa High Council despite the efforts of Teal'c and the Tau'ri. He even strengthens his position by capturing Ba'al and executing him before the Council's eyes. The interest he shows in the religion of the Ori - Origin - after having seen "the show" by the Prior is disconcerting, especially now he has won the hearts and minds of the Council. A threat of civil war begins to brew as Gerak advocates that all Jaffa should follow the Ori and even adopt a law to that effect. When prompted by a Prior to wipe out the unbelievers he is too fainthearted. He is taken to Celestis - the City of the Gods - and transformed into a Prior himself. When Teal'c adresses the Council to convince them not to follow the Ori, Gerak enters and declares that it is the destiny of all Jaffa to follow... Origin! However, after Gerak's change of heart (apostasy, in the eyes of the Ori), the Jaffa now stand firm against the Ori.

List of known Jaffa
Name	Served	Rank/Position	First Appearance	Status	Played by Bra'tac Apophis and Klorel	Former First Prime Jaffa High Councillor	Bloodlines Alive	Tony Amendola

Del'nor	Apophis		Unseen	Deceased	Unseen Rak'nor's father Drey'auc	Apophis		Bloodlines Deceased	Salli Richardson

Teal'c's wife. Fro'tak	Apophis	Scribe	Family Killed by O'Neill	Peter Bryant

Second husband to Drey'auc, betrayed SG-1 by jealousy. Gar'tok	Apophis		Unseen		Unseen Gerak Montu	Former First Prime Leader of the Free Jaffa Nation Prior of the Ori Origin Deceased	Louis Gossett Jr.

Hak'nor			Unseen		Unseen Member of the Jaffa resistance. Herak	Anubis	First Prime	The Other Guys Deceased	Michael Adamthwaite

Ishta Moloc		Birthright Alive	Jolene Blalock

Female Jaffa leader of the Hak'tyl resistance. Mother-in-law of Rya'c.

Kar'yn	Moloc		Sacrifices Alive	Mercedes de la Zerda Female Jaffa in the Hak'tyl resistance. Rya'c's wife. Ma'kar	Apophis		The Serpent's Venom Art Kitching Lured Teal'c to a trap alongside Rak'nor. Maz'rai	Apophis		Stronghold Dakin Matthews

Progressive Jaffa High Councillor; influenced by brainwashing by Baal into changing his position on democracy. Committed suicide by symbiote removal to reverse the brainwashing and discover the truth. Moac	Apophis		Maternal Instinct Deceased	Aaron Douglas

Bra'tac's apprentice M'zel	Heru'ur, Apophis		Death Knell Mark Gibbon A leader of the Jaffa Resistance M'zel	Heru'ur, Apophis		Death Knell Mark Gibbon A leader of the Jaffa Resistance Neith	Moloc		Birthright Alive	Kathleen Duborg Female Jaffa in the Hak'tyl resistance. Nesa's older sister. Nesa	Moloc Birthright Alive	Kirsten Prout Female Jaffa in the Hak'tyl resistance. Neith's younger sister. Oshu	Yu	First Prime	Fallen Kevan Ohtsji Rak'nor	Heru-ur		The Serpent's Venom Alive	Obi Ndefo

Once hated the resistance, now is one of its leaders; serves as Teal'c's advisor and proxy on the High Council. Ronan	Apophis, Anubis Lost City, Part 2 Killed by Bra'tac	Marc Worden Anubis' spy within the Jaffa resistance. Rya'c Apophis		Bloodlines Alive	Neil Denis Teal'c's son. Ryk'l	Moloc		Birthright Killed by Moloc's Imperial Guard	Nigel Vonas Shak'l	Apophis	First Prime	The Nox Killed by Teal'c	Michasha Armstrong Shaq'rel	Apophis		Redemption, Part 1 Aleks Paunovic Member of the Jaffa Resistance Shau'nac	Apophis	Priestess	Crossroads Killed by Tanith	Musetta Vander Syn'ac			Birthright Female Jaffa in the Hak'tyl resistance. Teal'c Apophis	Former First Prime Member of SG-1 Jaffa High Councilor	Children of the Gods Alive	Christopher Judge

Va'lar	Apophis		Threshold Killed by Teal'c	David Lovgren Yat'Yir	Montu			Alive	Gardiner Millar Gerak's aide; has some misgivings about Origin

Serpent guard (Stargate)
It is requested that this article (or section of this article) be expanded. Please remove this notice after the article has been expanded. Details are on this talk page or at Wikipedia:Requests for expansion. This article is in need of attention. More information may be available on the article's talk page. The Serpent guard are a group of Jaffa (Stargate), who serve Apophis' family and serve as his army. The name originates from their helmets which resemble a snake's head.