Friday Five: Ronon Kicks Ass

Beware of SPOILERS through Atlantis Season Five’s “The Prodigal” below.

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This Week: Ronon Kicks Ass

Specialist Ronon Dex brings brawn and guts to the Atlantis team, and he’s always looking for a grudge match against the bad guys. Here five of our favorite hand-to-hand fights for the Satedan Stallion!

Season Five’s “Broken Ties”

After being betrayed by his close friend Tyre, Ronon was ready for a rematch. Ronon and Tyre were like brothers, having served along side one another in the Satedan military. But Tyre went and got himself captured, and tortured and brainwashed by the Wraith. Still Jonesing for his Wraith feeding fix, he captured Ronon and turned him over to his masters. But just as Ronon himself was being converted into a Wraith worshiper, Atlantis was helping Tyre get clean and sober. When the two met in combat again, Tyre was the good guy and Ronon was the bad guy — even taking Colonel Sheppard down a peg.

We love this fight because it’s Ronon gone over to the Dark Side. But even better: swords!

Season Three’s “Sateda”

If you’re not being captured by old friends, you’re being captured by lifelong enemies. After years on the run, Ronon was finally taken by the Wraith and brought back to his bombed-out home world for a little game of cat-and-mouse. He managed to make quick work of every Hunter they threw at him. Finally, he taunted their leader — a super-powerful “uber-Wraith” — to come down from his ship and take on Ronon himself. In the resulting melee, Ronon got his ass handed to him pretty thoroughly, as the Big Bad tossed him to-and-fro.

This fight is awesome because, for once in his life, Ronon is clearly outmatched. And it ends with the bad guy getting himself blasted from point-black range by a Puddle Jumper!

Season Two’s “Runner”

Ronon’s first on-sceen fight is still one of the best. When the team first met him, he was a lone warrior on the run from Wraith hunting parties. We met him on a forested planet while looking for former team member Aiden Ford, juiced up (and off his rocker) by his exposure to an overdose of the Wraith’s feeding enzyme. It gave Ford enhanced speed and strength, making him plenty of a match for the Satedan. These two throw down in the darkened forest like their lives depend on it … because really, they probably do. In the end, it’s a draw.

We like this fight because, in addition to being so well-choreographed by Atlantis‘s James “BamBam” Bamford (as are all the others on this list), it pitted our old friend against our new one. Who do you root for?

Season Four’s “Reunion”

When all your friends and family have been destroyed by the Wraith, it just warms the heart to find out that three of your best buddies are still alive and kickin’. But when those friends turn their weapons on you and reveal that they now worship the Wraith … well, that’s just asking for a whoopin’. Ronon takes on three well-trained competitors in this brawl inside a secret Wraith facility, and holds his own against them. Things get lethal when Rakai, insane with rage, accidentally kills his friend Ara. Ronon is forced to kill Rakai, then lets Tyre go.

Jason Momoa is steller in this scene, as Ronon is on top of his game as a fighter — but emotionally at rock-bottom after being betrayed by, then killing one of, his friends.

Season Four’s “Midway”

Maybe life, limb, and the fate of the galaxy isn’t at stake … but the coolest fight to watch is a bit of a sparring match in the Atlantis gymnasium (complete with a crowd of on-lookers laying odds on who will win). It’s the Stargate match-up of the century, the battle of the best, Pegasus versus Milky Way! SG-1’s proud and experienced Jaffa warrior Teal’c (now over 150 years old, though he doesn’t look a day over 90) visits Atlantis to help Ronon prepare for an I.O.A. interview, but the hotheaded youngster will have none of it. When they finally come to blows (in the guise of a work-out), it’s staffs, fists, and no holds barred for a solid hour as both warriors let loose with their best power moves.

So who wins? Unfortunately the fight was stopped before it was over. Who do you think would have won?

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