- "Ronon" redirects here. See also ronin.
| Stargate character | |
|---|---|
 Ronon Dex, former Satedan soldier and Runner |
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| Ronon Dex | |
| Race | Human: Sateda |
| Gender | Male |
| Rank | Specialist |
| Birthplace | Sateda |
| Portrayer | Jason Momoa |
| First appearance | "Runner" |
Ronon Dex (played by Jason Momoa) is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. He is a Satedan from the Pegasus Galaxy who had been a Runner for the past seven years. Jason Momoa, along with some of his fellow cast members, have said that they think of Ronon as the Atlantis version of Chewbacca.[1] His character is often compared to Teal'c.
Contents |
Biography
Before Atlantis
Ronon was a native to his homeworld of Sateda, a planet with a 1940s level of technology. He was a member of the Satedan military, most likely their version of Special Forces where he held the rank of Specialist. He also had a Girlfriend or Wife named Melena. About seven years before his first conatact with the Atlantis Expedition, the Wraith attacked the planet because the people showed resistance to the Wraith. He tried to get Melena through the Stargate before the Wraith attacked. Her refusal to leave the Satedans who would be unable to evacuate forced him to remain behind and fight the Wraith. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as the Wraith defeated Satedan forces and Melena was killed before Ronon's eyes in an explosion.[2] After that point, he was captured by the Wraith while they wiped out the planet. However, Ronon more likely has some immunity against being fed on, so they made him a Runner, implanted a tracking device and was constantly hunted by the Wraith. But during his tenure as a Runner, he learned more tricks and decided to hunt them back. Despite being hunted, he kept running for around seven years.
Season Two
He first encountered humans from Earth in 2005 when he captured Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan. He made a deal with them: if their doctor could remove the tracking device in his back, he'd help them capture Lt. Ford. Dr. Beckett managed to extract the device, but a Wraith attack prevented the capture of Ford. He returned with them to Atlantis. When they sent a MALP to the gate address he gave them, he discovered that his civilization had been completely destroyed.[3] Sheppard offered Ronon a place on his team after he proved his worth against the Marines and Teyla in hand-to-hand combat and passed the shooting range tests without any signs of hesitation or inexperience with various firearms presented to him.[4] He has a unique weapon, an energy pistol. The device emits red bursts of energy, and has two settings, stun and kill. It resembles a revolver, with a power cell where the ammunition cylinder would be located. Ronon is fond of gunplay, spinning the pistol around rapidly. In addition, he carries a sword. In the 4th season episode Travelers, where Sheppard is taken captive by a group of 'space nomads' as Mckay puts it, they are shown to have the same gun as Ronon. Although this suggests the origin of his weapon, Ronon does not seem to have any knowledge of the people. He most often uses his gun, but does wield his sword to great effect. He also has a number of knives for use in emergencies, most of them hidden about his person. The specific number of hidden knives has never been revealed, and his seemingly unlimited supply has been used as a source of slight comic relief. Initially, Ronon appears primal and animalistic, likely due to having been hunted for 7 years that were almost completely void of human contact. However, in later episodes, his character is shown as very laid back, except when confronted by an enemy. The only times that Ronon has shown irrational, violent, and impulsive behavior is when confronted by the Wraith, or when he or a teammate is threatened. His gruff look and seemingly always scowling face tends to intimidate others. Later, Ronon found out that he wasn't the only surviving member of his people. About 300 more Satedans managed to make it to the shelters west of the capital, and later moved to other planets like Belkan and Manaria. He also learned that Kell, his Task Master during his military training, was among the survivors. Soon after, when Kell came to Belkan to trade, Ronon shot him on sight. In his own words, "Kell commanded several infantry divisions on Sateda. When the Wraith came, he ordered thousands to their death just to save himself. He was... he was a traitor and a coward. My only regret is that his death was quick.[5]
Season Three
Eventually, the Wraith who originally turned Ronon into a Runner recaptured him, with the help of villagers who were led to believe that the Wraith would no longer cull them in return for Ronon. Instead of killing him, the Wraith implanted a new tracking device and resumed the hunt on the ruins of Sateda. The Wraith commander's decision to let Ronon live and continue the hunt would soon prove to be a fateful one, as the enraged Satedan continuously killed Wraith after Wraith on his own using traps that he'd laid. After tracking Ronon to the remains of the hospital where Ronon watched Melena die, Sheppard and Teyla, with the help of Dr. Rodney McKay, see that Ronon has been injured. They help him fight off more of the Wraith that are hunting him, with Ronon leading the charge. Eventually, the entire Wraith hunting party composed of at least twenty-five individuals is wiped out. Sheppard orders Ronon to retreat to the waiting Puddle Jumper, where McKay is waiting for them. Ronon refuses and insists upon getting revenge on the Wraith commander that not only helped destroy his homeworld, but forced him to become a Runner not once, but twice. His wish is granted when the Wraith commander goes down to the planet's surface to fight Ronon one on one. Ronon is almost defeated until the timely intervention of Dr. Carson Beckett and a drone weapon (Beckett had had enough of seeing Ronon go through that and killed the Wraith saying "if he doesn't like it he can sue me").[2]
Season Four
In the third episode of Season 4, Ronon meets with three of his old Satedan friends, and for the first time in the series seriously considers leaving the Atlantis expedition, believing (under the pressure from his old friends) that he can never befriend any of the humans on Atlantis. However, he learns quickly that the Satedans are actually spies for the Wraith, driven by a promise of immortality in exchange for their service. In his fury he rejects them and remains with the Atlantis expedition, stating that his friends are "right here".
Personality
Ronon is known to always have a serious face and to always be on edge. However, under the influence of Lucius' drug, Ronon laughs when Lucius tells a story.[6] He has once been shown to have amiable capacities when he gave Rodney a hug after he survived near-Ascension after healing him of his scars from days as a Runner. Also he hugs Beckett after Beckett saves his life and kills a Wraith that Ronon had a personal grudge against although at first it looked like he was going to hurt Beckett. He also despises the Wraith, especially after what they've done to his homeworld. He said in one episode the he can't leave the galaxy until every last Wraith is dead. On a few occasions he is depicted as a mean drunk whenever he is with a few fellow Satedans. He is the kind of person who can be your greatest ally, or powerful enemy. However despite being a skilled fighter, Teyla can still beat Ronon in hand-to-hand combat.
References
External links
- Dex, Ronon. The Stargate Omnipedia: Characters. GateWorld. Retrieved on 2006-05-15.
- Jason Momoa at the Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
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| Stargate SG-1 | Current Regulars: Cameron Mitchell • Samantha Carter • Daniel Jackson • Teal'c • Hank Landry • Vala Mal Doran Former Regulars: Jack O'Neill • Jonas Quinn • George Hammond Recurring: Adria • Anubis • Apophis • Ba'al • Bra'tac |
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| Stargate Atlantis | Current Regulars: Samantha Carter, Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagan, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard Former Regulars: Carson Beckett, Aiden Ford, Elizabeth Weir Recurring: Acastus Kolya • Jennifer Keller • Evan Lorne • Oberoth • Radek Zelenka |
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