Last Chance. When Earth’s last defense against an attacking hive ship is destroyed, Sheppard turns to fly his F-302 on a suicide run into the enemy vessel.

From: “Enemy at the Gate”

43% of the vote

Slipping Away. To help himself cope with a disease that is robbing him of all his knowledge and memories, Rodney records a video diary to monitor the progress of the alien organism invading his brain.

From: “The Shrine”

50% of the vote

A Mother’s Vengeance. Teyla goes after Michael and kicks the Wraith hybrid off a city tower, killing him and ending his threat to her and her family.

From: “The Prodigal”

56% of the vote

To the Death. To save McKay, Ronon fights off two Wraith warriors and is stabbed to death, dieing a hero … only to be later resurrected by the Wraith.

From: “Enemy At the Gate”

66% of the vote

Chief Defender. Woolsey puts his legal training to use by defending the Atlantis expedition’s work in the Pegasus Galaxy when a new coalition of worlds puts Sheppard and his team on trial.

From: “Inquisition”

39% of the vote

‘We’re going to need that gun …’ Jennifer performs risky brain surgery on Dr. McKay in less than ideal conditions, removing the parasite that is destroying his brain.

From: “The Shrine”

54% of the vote

Ready For a Fight. Carson pilots Atlantis into a head-to-head battle against a hive ship in orbit of Earth, putting behind him the fear that he had shown the first time he sat in the control chair.

From: “Enemy At the Gate”

63% of the vote

Homecoming. With the Wraith threat to Earth averted, the team gazes out at the Golden Gate Bridge as Atlantis rests at home on the planet’s surface.

From: “Enemy At the Gate”

48% of the vote

Pegasus Galaxy Asgard

We thought the Asgard were extinct, having committed planetary suicide in the final episode of SG-1 … until a splinter group living in Pegasus infiltrates Atlantis, kidnapping Drs. McKay and Jackson and stealing an Ancient weapon of mass destruction. Unofficially nicknamed the “Vanir,” as a hostile force the Asgard were back in a big way.

From: “The Lost Tribe”

64% of the vote

Michael

Since his introduction in Season Two the Wraith-human hybrid Michael was always one of Atlantis‘s greatest villains. After infiltrating the city to take Teyla’s young child, Michael finally mets his demise after being knocked from the top of the central tower. (Or did he …?)

From: “The Prodigal”

60% of the vote

Attero Device

Devised by the Ancient scientist Janus many thousands of years ago, the Attero device makes basic interstellar travel impossible for the Wraith. Whenever an enemy ship tried to enter hyperspace the window would destabilize, tearing the hive apart.

From: “First Contact”

47% of the vote

Asgard Combat Suit

To compensate for their small, frail bodies, the aggressive tribe of Asgard in the Pegasus Galaxy make use of these high-powered environmental suits. Equipped with weapons, a shield generator, and more, they make these warriors into a real force to be reckoned with.

From: “First Contact”

67% of the vote

Michael Shanks
as Daniel Jackson

Daniel’s much-needed trip to the lost city of the Ancients sees him paired with a reluctant Rodney McKay, as the two explore the history of the Ancients and discover Janus’s lost laboratory. But after they are abducted by the Asgard, Jackson and McKay must put their lives on the line to save the Pegasus Galaxy.

From: “The Lost Tribe”

81% of the vote

Christopher Heyerdahl
as Todd

Always a fan favorite, Heyerdahl is back in a big way as Todd in Season Five. Already in control of his own hive ship, Todd uses Teyla — surgically altered to pass as a Wraith Queen — to assassinate another hive’s queen and expand his power base.

From: “The Queen”

50% of the vote

The Shrine

In spite of all of Season Five’s action, explosions, and aliens, the best hour is still this emotional character piece. Rodney documents his own life slipping away after contracting an Alzheimer’s-like disease with no cure: the “Second Childhood.” His sister travels to Atlantis and his team prepares to say goodbye — until they discover a way to save his life by risking their own.

27% of the vote