Oh definitely for Pegasus, and true the Milky Way is safer now, but at the start of the show I’d hate to be a rising power/race and bump into the Goa’uld. In fact there’s an interesting theory that states the reason we don’t a lot of aliens in SG is b/c the Goa’uld wiped them out or nearly so.
@@sg-24 that's definitely in their mode of operations but I'd take the chances with the goa'uld then the wraith. The goa'uld are far less united and easier to work against each other. Still going unnoticed is best to start. The heberdians or whatever they're name was were able to develop into an ftl civilization on their own without the goa'uld noticing and they didn't seem to be hiding. While civilizations that try to hide in Pegasus are getting wiped out. Still the state before the shows is a matter of degrees.
That’s very true, I’d role the die the same way. Though this makes me wonder, what’s worse. Being a slave under the Goa’uld, or cattle for the Wraith. With the Goa’uld sure you are a slave, but you do have a decent chance to rebel and win. With the Wraith (normally) you might never see them, but that threat is always there.
I always thought the Satedans were eradicated simply because they fought back and the Wraith does not want anyone who fight back. It is like a cow that is more trouble than It is worth.
They were wiped out because they fought back. The Wraith make an example of anyone who fights back. They did it to the Hoffans, too. And the Genii made it very clear that they *didn’t* fight back and if the Wraith knew they had a nuke, they’d wipe ‘em out. So, pretty clearly, the Wraith are pretty merciless on anyone who tries to fight back, and if you’ve got a 20th century tech level, they exterminate you. One thing I’ve wondered about: we get clues in the show that the Satedans *were* a warrior culture. (“Sounds like some of my people” Ronan says when hearing of a violent brawl) and as you said, they had codes of interpersonal combat. So what if the Satedans were just as bad as the Genii? Or were trying to be? We assume they were decent folk because they got wiped out, because they were brave, and because we like Ronon, but all those things don’t necessarily go together.
I mean I’d argue that the Genii did fight back, they were just more subtle and secretive. That is a good point. Commander Kell was described as a cowered and corrupt official. My best guess is that they were like any other civilization. They had hero’s, villains, and put their interest first. If they didn’t end up being wiped out they could have allied with Atlantis, or sided with the Genii, we may never know.
@@sg-24 I always thought Kell was supposed to be the exception to how Satedans are supposed to be, like how House Bolton is not like the other northern houses in Game of Thrones. Because none of the other Satedans even attempt to stop Ronan from shooting him or shoot Ronan afterward.
Id assume the Satedan civilization was on the verge of entering the post industrial age level of development which is possibly the tech level limit the Wraith allows humans to reach
Yeah, that’s about the cut off the Wraith will let for humans to develop. It’s never been stated what tech level they do it at. But post industrial age, pre-nuclear is about where they hit when looking at other Pegasus Groups.
@@fangslore9988 I think you need to rewatch SGA S3 E04 Sateda because all of Ronan's flashbacks show Sateadan's culture as 1920-40's ish development bricks and mortar buildings and projectile weapons and if your refering to Ronans hand cannon he uses throughout the show its not native Sateadan tech its from the Travelers
Tech was too advanced. This was stated several times that the Wraith destroyed civilizations that advanced too far. This is why the Genii hid their tech level underground.
this is very true and even mentioned in the show, Ronan even said "like mine" when referinging ro races being destroyed because of how advanced they were
My guess would be they simply killed too many Wraith. They were deemed too much of a threat. The Wriath being evil just decided to wipe them out because why deal with them again when they are too powerful? Think of it this way to eat a steak you need to fight a 800 pound cattle that is armed with a shotgun and some light body armor it also thinks and knows tactics. It makes eating that steak a far more dangerous option. You sure do not want that cattle breeding more "tactical killer cows".
In the episode Runner the Warith couldn't feed on him, and in another episode it Suggests that many on his world were the same a very rare trait in humans in the galaxy, but his world seemed to be much more then others. It didn't kill the Warith like on drug that was made they just, couldn't feed on them.
@@tomlawrence1335 I agree - otherwise the Wraith wouldn't be able to make other Satedans dependent on their enzyme, if they weren't able to feed on Satedans
The satedans might be behind the resistant movements across the galaxy which could pose a real threat to wraiths as the wraiths knew too well that if the weaker side is greater in numbers, with enough motivation and determination, they might able to overwhelm the stronger side like they did with the Lanteans.
I’m sure they destroyed Sateda just for the sake of making an example of them, but you can’t ignore the fact they probably did it for sport. I can’t remember where this is mentioned, but the culling happen roughly every ~250 years apart. So the Satedans would have known that the Wraith were coming in the next couple decades anyways. It would make sense they’d conduct a few off world raids to test their metal. But that also got the attention of the Wraith. If they had waited 7 years, they would have found a viable ally or frenemy in Earth.
Yeah that’s kind of spot on for probably why they didn’t really come up all that much in the show. Not much plot to go with them outside of stories for Ronon.
@@sg-24 This is just my guess, but that's what I think the writers thought. It would be more interesting to make one of the few advanced and warrior civilizations in the galaxy become ronin, each one on their own trying to survive and perhaps seek revenge, with others embracing the Wraiths as their benefactors which is more interesting, since they have reasons and even their means to continue fighting but they decided to give in.
It's because of ronan himself. The character needed a unique and tragic backstory, so the gods conspired to establish a human colony on an alien world thousands of years ago that went through cultural, technological & industrial revolutions grew to a level of early 20th century development only to be wiped out by a superior alien civilisation, all so the character could undergo some personal development on screen.
Uh, that kind of sounds awful when you put it like that. I agree you kind of have to do that, but still. Kind add another tragedy to Ronan’s character since he was last of the Satedans for bit, and going by the meta that was because of him.
This implies there is a strong connection between the worlds thanks to the Stargates. Otherwise making an example would not be told to other worlds. If so the populations could escape the cullings to other places and share knowledge and resources to survive and fight back. This network could also fight back by going to the cullings and attacking. With the pros and cons here the first paragraph is still valid.
Well the Satedans did have some kind of off world activity. And we do know that trade is Pegasus does occur between worlds. Though like you said if some survived then they could spread the word of what happened, maybe that’s why the Wraith didn’t kill everyone, they want the stories to spread.
It was about the risk they posed in how much they might advance in the time between that culling and the next. If enough scientists had survived they could have begun a space program of some sort and going by the handguns probably already had anti air weapons capable of taking down darts. The biggest threat from them at that point would be survivors going out and hunting down and destroying hives in hibernation. The genai almost certainly heard about similar annihilations which is why they ran the colony on the surface as a deception and lived mostly below ground. Having a slicing weapon makes sense if you're fighting a race that can literally suck the life out of you with their bare hand.
Ronan said that his people fought back against the Wraith. The wraith wipe out those who resist them as a lesson to others. Ronan's energy weapon came from the Travelers.
Generations are approx 20 years. So if they’d been at it for 120 years, that’s 4-6 generations depending on the actual starting point. Thus generations
I have to admit, it would've been cool to see what the Satedans could have become had they not been annihilated. Would've been awesome if we could have seen others from their society as well, like some of the engineers that built their technology and infrastructure.
I was always a little confused by 'Ronan had been a Runner for 7 years' whilst the Stargate Atlantis Crew had only woken the Wraith up a couple of years earlier. Why were the Wraith so active at the time of Sateda's fall?
Well we know some Wraith were still awake at this time. Acting as sententials to watch over the cattle. They might have had to pull their resources for the fight, or maybe it was a single hive.
It seems quite clear that it was a combination of their warrior culture and their level of technology that got Sateda culled. But i don't think any culture that developed in Pegasus after the Wraith would actually end up being a conventional military threat to the Wraith. The Hoffans could threathen the Wraith through the drug and similar biological attacks are effective against the Wraith, but being able to develop a conventional military that threathens them without being spotted and destroyed doesn't seem doable. The Wraith are simply more organized than the Goa'uld and will therefore be able to send in more firepower than what any developing civilization in pegasus can get without being noticed. The closest to getting there were the Genii and they had no chance in hell of giving the Wraith more than a black eye.
It is explained in other episodes that Wraith will wipe out worlds who's technology is too advanced. Sateda had higher technology than almost any planets in the show.
True, but the impression I got was that it was them simply knocking the humans back down to a lower tier of tech. Using the Hoffins as an example they were culled multiple time, but only wiped out when they became a direct threat.
@@sg-24 there is an difference between knocking upstarts down a notch and making an example of those who dare to mount a full rebellion. In such case as the later an example must be made, that was made quite clear in the series and a general knowledge of how things work in the real world
@doomedbringer not really sure what your point is. I agree there’s a difference between the two motivations. And I agree in the laters case that for rebellion that wiping out is a tactic to use (by Wraith standards). So I think we both agree on this.
I always thought the level of technology was a major factor as to why if not the only reason. I kinda always wondered if Sateda was located in a more distant part of the Pegasus Galaxy or if it was in a nebula. Making them not known to the Wraith long enough for them to get that advanced the first place.
The Wraith do target worlds with a high tech level, but the targeting of Sateda seemed to go beyond that. Then again maybe higher tech level and resisting the Wraith may just go hand in hand. See that’s what I’m thinking. I know I hear something about Sateda not being culled in a long time. Which is how they got so advanced (for them), but I can’t remember where I heard it.
I'd agree with the idea of the Wraiths taking out a threat, to them humans were basically cattle, and considering we do the same to animals that attack us or pose a threat it's not a long shot to imagine that the wraith like the Ori or Fifth were an analogy to certain norms taken at face value or a cautionary tale of what could be.
We can see how much damage the Geni planned to do using atomic weapons. Letting a civilization advance to that point is clearly a problem. It's even potentially an existential threat.
Didn’t Ronan mention that they weren’t able to feed on him? I vaguely remember him sayin that. If I remember it right, he might be one of many that can’t be fed on. Destroying the blighted and useless crops… and the bug guys aren’t dumb. They know there would be a chance that genetic trait would spread. Only if I remember it right though…
I don’t recall Ronan saying he was immune. It’s a theory I have seen pop up, but we know that later he was brainwashed to become a Wraith worshipper which does require being fed on and given the gift of life over and over.
To me it looks like the Satedans where technologically more advanced than the genii I see it as highly possible that they did a similar thing the Genii did and planted a Nuclear bomb on a sleeping hive ship, being sure they could defeat the wraith and the attack on there World was simply setting an example, making survivors in to Wraith Worshippers or in to Runners helps to spread the news about how dangerous it is to oppose the Wraith
It’s never stated that they did that, but I think they are technological equal to the Genii. I don’t know if they ever did that, but I can see them at least coming up with an idea like it.
I don’t think the Satedans were immune to Wraith feedings. Ive seen some theories that Ronan was immune, but in that one episode were Ronan was captured that one Wraith boasted that he fed on his people.
I thought the Satedans were all resistant to the Wraiths ability to absorb life energy. This would mean that they serve no truly useful purpose and could only wind up challenging the wraith in the future - as well a providing a genetic reservoir for this genetic characteristic. If it spread, it diminishes the ability of wraith to eat - something that was already finely balanced, leading to the long periods between culling episodes.
Did Morgan La Fey ( ancient ) put The Wraith to sleep as a response to The Ancients loosing the war / abandon the war ? When SG-1 was looking for Merlin s weapon , they came n contact with an alien bug that put them to sleep. Since The Wraith heal more quickly , it didnt affect them the same way , however , after the war , The Wraith decided to sleep...why? Morgan used the same ticks to put the Wraith to sleep as a screw you 4 winning the war ( they didnt win the war , the ancients just left )
What is sort of funny is I did read a story once in which the Atlantis team met the doctor, and the Wraith were terrified of The Doctor so much so that the planet they were going to attack they stopped all because he was there and he told them to go somewhere else, but I do wonder do you think they would fear the Doctor or the Darleks?
I’m guess this was a fan fiction. Not judging just curious. And to answer the question, probably the Doctor. The Darleks are a threat they can comprehend, but the Doctor is on a whole other level.
@@sg-24 Yeah, it was, but I agree the Wraith would either know who The Doctor is and, like many others, would have a flee-on-sight rule. As for the Daleks, well, I can still see the two fighting with them, mocking the Wraith by saying. "You are superior in only one respect. You are better at dying."
Well The Genai had a multisystem empire with approximately 60s to 70s cold war tech. Only a few decades ahead of the Satedans and they are still are threat using a nuke to destroy a hibernating Hive Ship long after being reduced and forced underground. Culturally during those eras here, given access to a stargate network outward expansion would be demanded by the Leaders of that time. The Wraith have probably dealt with Human start ups numerous times and also I think would explain why a Galaxy colonized by the Alterrans has so few surviving isolated caches of tech. The Wraith had to deal with humans like the Travellers for example discovering Ancient cities and ships becoming spacefaring with weapons that can in numbers take down large Wraith Ships. The Queens having strict Extermination Doctrine to protect the hibernating Hives so they don't get killed in their slumber and wake up too well defended worlds across the Pegasus Galaxy.
The anti feed rath drug would have destroyed the Rath if used. Yes a 50% death rate would be bad but better then being ate by life vampires. It was the way for humans in SGA
I would agree, but we did see what the Wraith did to them when they found out about it. Granted the Expedition were not willing to use it, and no one really tired to spread it on a galactic scale besides Michael. So it could have worked.
Just wanted to point out that using the Earth symbol (A-like symbol with circle up op) in place of the actual letter A is REALLY confusing for people of Nordic decent, as we have the very similar letter "Å" in our alphabets, and it is pronounced NOTHING like the letter "A".
I am curious about how many people Setedans had before the Wraith came? Were they like in the millions or just in of hundreds of thousands. That would be important information to make a final decision. If they were in the millions or tens of millions. Then the Wraith had no other choice but to wipe them out. Even if the Wraith took 200,000. The millions that remain will fight much harder next time. An let's not forget that the Wraith lost alot of ground troops as well. No doubt sealing the Setedans fate.
That’s a good question, sadly one with no answer. I don’t think Stargate ever did give specific populations for any planet outside of something like, “we have the potential to save thousands of lives”.
I think its a mix of making an example and unnatural selection to "breed out" the more resistant and independent human populations. That said pretty sure the Wraith enjoy the flavour of defiance so whatever.
Another point is that Wraith hibernation cycles are centuries long. Imagine going to bed and someone is at 1940's level of tech then waking up and they are at 2140's level of tech. Add to that a singular planetary wide drive to develop technology to defeat one foe and the Setadan's become very dangerous.
I have a feeling that if Satedans were allowed to advance they would become a real thorn in the side of the wraith think about it elite shock troops attacking wraith bases or ships hell if they survive long enough for the expedition to arrive to be a real threat
Think of what technological/military level most others are at compared to the Satedans. It doesn't matter that they were at a 1940s level of tech, because to everyone else in the Pegasus galaxy that might as well be the peak of human civilization if you don't count the ancients who are are basically revered as god-like beings. Think of the Genii, who were also on that level. More accurately, they were in the atomic age but maintained a facade of an agrarian society with all their development hidden deep underground in bunkers. Their confederation of planets is no more, but their civilization was on a level strong enough to survive culling and then come back with weapons strong enough to destroy entire cities. And they would have been able to pull off their strategy had the wraith not awoken earlier than anticipated. Had they survived unnoticed, it's entirely possible the Genii might have even tried to make an alliance with the Satedans if the Atlantis expedition never happened.
the Satedans didn't have 1940s tech, Ronan's gun is a Satedan pistol, the wraith went after them because they were becoming technologically advanced enough to be a legitimate threat. while their buildings resembled 1940s construction its likely that they didn't build their structures to be too advanced to draw suspicion and they didn't have ships because it was a risk plus the stargates in the pegasus galaxy were on or around every habitable world making it the best means of getting around for them. we know the Satedans were very advanced because of the fact all of them when introduced had considerably advanced energy weapons
@@sg-24 Ronan never came into contact with the travelers and look at the other Satedans we see in the show, they use the same tech and same kind of weapons even in Ronan's flash back
@fangslore9988 true Ronon may have never met the Fravelers before, it there are other ways he could have gotten it. You also might want to recheck those flashbacks. Because none of them use the energy pistol.
@@sg-24 the downside of what happened to the Satedans is the loss of access to their home world of Sateda considering the inoperable state the gate was left in but the darker question is what the wraith did to the millions or even billions of people on Sateda. because we never see any bones and the capital was still quite intact when Ronan was brought back there for a hunt. its not stated if they were rounded up for feeding or executed in some other means
I think the Sateda were too advanced and warlike people to survive. They weren't a threat to the Wraith, but I think the important thing is that they were still in hibernation, so if they waited until the calling, they would have been a bigger threat.
I think you're onto something with this idea, I also think the Genii probably went through something similar to Sateda decades or hundreds of years earlier then decided to hide their numbers, strength and are pretending that their recovery either isn't happening or is taking longer. Remember Weir also said there were numerous other technologically advanced races in the Pegasus galaxy that were also hiding, if so many different races came up with the same idea then the Wraith must have some limit like the Goa'uld protected planets treaty stipulation of advancement. Plus if the Goa'uld in another galaxy do the same thing, then it must be part of maintaining galactic domination.
Interestingly enough the Genii said they were part of an interstellar confederation. So they were probably hit a lot harder. I’m not so sure about the Wraith having their version of a PPT. There may have been races hiding in Pegasus, but they were protected from the Wraith in any legal sense.
Give their level of development did the Wraith even know that they existed they seemed to be the most advanced civilization in the Pegasus galaxy besides the ancients I can only assume that they were hidden from the wraith until they got on their radar they definitely kick the bee hive.
I don’t think they did. I swear somewhere it was mentioned that they flew under the radar for a bit, hence why I kept that line about not being culled for 200 years despite not finding the source.
I think part of the mistake is saying that the Satedans had become "more advanced". Rather, they had become "advanced enough". The comparison is that the Satedan level of technology was, more or less, on par with Europe and the USA during WW2 (not to discount the Soviets or the Japanese Empire, but they were, comparatively, lagging behind). Critical inventions that fundamentally altered how war was fought were things like tanks, radar, and nuclear weapons. Contrast this against Wraith tech. Sure, it's well and far beyond our modern Information Age, but their weapons and ships aren't designed for militaristic conquest. They are built and equipped for ongoing suppression and harvesting of a livestock population with little to no means of fighting back. They have energy weapons, but not a single one of them is designed to kill. While incredibly fast, their Darts are very fragile. And despite the size and weaponry of their starships, they're not untouchable juggernauts, and are able to be damaged somewhat easily by rocketry style weapons. Starting at the small scale here, imagine if the Satedans had developed the tank. A rolling fortress, that could be made like their breastplates to diffuse and deflect anything a Wraith ground force could throw at it, armed with weapons designed to kill, rather than incapacitate. Had even a moderate force of them been deployed, it would have basically rendered the surface inaccessible to Wraith attack as long as it survived, requiring heavy Dart presence to eliminate before any ground forces could begin landing. Now suppose the Satedens had radar, letting them know when Darts were inbound so they could man the flak turrets. This would have provided defense against aerial assaults, meaning the tanks aren't going anywhere to block ground advances. Rocketry makes this scenario even worse for the Wraith, because again, Darts are fragile. If they can't outrun the rocket or missile long enough to deplete the fuel, it's a dead Dart. This would force the Wraith to use the literal high ground and bombard the surface into submission from orbit. While this would have been effective, militarily speaking, it would have destroyed any chances of a meaningful harvest from the planet as well. And depending on what kind of rocketry we're talking, even in orbit the Hiveships might not have been safe from reprisals. A well placed nuke has been show to critically damage a Hiveship. So really, the Wraith were left with no choice but to destroy Sateda. For supporting evidence, we should look no further than the Genai. The Genai strategy of hiding their actual society below the surface, where the Wraith scanning technology can't detect it, has proven extremely effective. This is then reinforced by the low population agrarian "bait" society they leave on the surface, purposely limiting the scientific knowledge of those who are a part of it. This has allowed the actual Genai society to freely advance to the late Cold War era, without the Wraith having even the slightest idea that it's happened. Frankly, it seems pretty obvious that that the last time prior the Wraith culled Sateda was when they made the mistake. They weren't thorough enough, leaving too much of a residual population behind to rebuild and advance technologically. Alternatively, they waited too long to cull the planet since then, leaving a longer interval for technological progress than they should have. Either way, they were forced to conquer and destroy a planet that used to be a valuable livestock planet for them.
The United States of course, haven’t you seen the D-day landings were the US spilled had nano suits? 🙃 I’m joking, outside of the energy defecting armor that’s where the rest of their tech level was at. Perhaps they got the tech for that from the travelers.
@@sg-24 do we know the properties of the energy in Wraith "blasters"? Perhaps metallurgy and chemistry of the 1940s could engineer an absorbant material. We should keep in mind that thus far in history, Earth's technology has focused only on ways to defend against kinetic energy.
Realistic reason? No. Actual reason? It was in the script.. ie, as a plot device for Ronan's character development arc. Maybe to tie up a loose end. I don't think the writers actually went that deeply into coming up with a realistic motivation for the wraith. "They're all just evil" trope, basically.
I doubt Sateda could have challenged the Wraith. But the Wraith really had no reason to _gamble_ on it. They are space vampires. They can live for tens of thousands of years. They have little incentive to take risks with humans.
Do you actually watch the series? Is directly answered multiple times. The Wraith wipe out any planet that fights back with any type of technological advancements. The Genii built their strength underground to keep it hidden so they wouldn’t be wiped out.
Because they were abrasive and annoying SOB's, Ronon most of all. Maybe the Wraith didn't wipe them out, but the combined forces of the rest of the Pegasus galaxy.
@sg-24 ah well in SG1 it is explicitly stated that Ernest Littlefield, the man Catherine loved, was the first person to go through the gate after it was discovered. In origins they retconed that to be Catherine herself in order to make it more progressive.
Wraith be like: Be raised like cattle, or be razed like vermin. Your choice.
The pegasus galaxy truly is a dark forest scenario. The best thing to do is find some way to hide.
That also kind of true for the Milky Way.
@@sg-24 it's pretty absolute for the Pegasus galaxy. Definitely better in the milkyway where the shows are left off.
Oh definitely for Pegasus, and true the Milky Way is safer now, but at the start of the show I’d hate to be a rising power/race and bump into the Goa’uld. In fact there’s an interesting theory that states the reason we don’t a lot of aliens in SG is b/c the Goa’uld wiped them out or nearly so.
@@sg-24 that's definitely in their mode of operations but I'd take the chances with the goa'uld then the wraith. The goa'uld are far less united and easier to work against each other. Still going unnoticed is best to start. The heberdians or whatever they're name was were able to develop into an ftl civilization on their own without the goa'uld noticing and they didn't seem to be hiding. While civilizations that try to hide in Pegasus are getting wiped out. Still the state before the shows is a matter of degrees.
That’s very true, I’d role the die the same way.
Though this makes me wonder, what’s worse. Being a slave under the Goa’uld, or cattle for the Wraith. With the Goa’uld sure you are a slave, but you do have a decent chance to rebel and win. With the Wraith (normally) you might never see them, but that threat is always there.
I always thought the Satedans were eradicated simply because they fought back and the Wraith does not want anyone who fight back. It is like a cow that is more trouble than It is worth.
Yup. Exactly
Yeah pretty much
They were wiped out because they fought back. The Wraith make an example of anyone who fights back. They did it to the Hoffans, too. And the Genii made it very clear that they *didn’t* fight back and if the Wraith knew they had a nuke, they’d wipe ‘em out. So, pretty clearly, the Wraith are pretty merciless on anyone who tries to fight back, and if you’ve got a 20th century tech level, they exterminate you.
One thing I’ve wondered about: we get clues in the show that the Satedans *were* a warrior culture. (“Sounds like some of my people” Ronan says when hearing of a violent brawl) and as you said, they had codes of interpersonal combat. So what if the Satedans were just as bad as the Genii? Or were trying to be? We assume they were decent folk because they got wiped out, because they were brave, and because we like Ronon, but all those things don’t necessarily go together.
I mean I’d argue that the Genii did fight back, they were just more subtle and secretive.
That is a good point. Commander Kell was described as a cowered and corrupt official. My best guess is that they were like any other civilization. They had hero’s, villains, and put their interest first. If they didn’t end up being wiped out they could have allied with Atlantis, or sided with the Genii, we may never know.
@@sg-24 I always thought Kell was supposed to be the exception to how Satedans are supposed to be, like how House Bolton is not like the other northern houses in Game of Thrones. Because none of the other Satedans even attempt to stop Ronan from shooting him or shoot Ronan afterward.
Id assume the Satedan civilization was on the verge of entering the post industrial age level of development which is possibly the tech level limit the Wraith allows humans to reach
Yeah, that’s about the cut off the Wraith will let for humans to develop. It’s never been stated what tech level they do it at. But post industrial age, pre-nuclear is about where they hit when looking at other Pegasus
Groups.
Yup the only exception to this was alyssia. But that was because of the island.
the Satedans had advanced technology, energy weapons and the like they were quite advanced
@@fangslore9988 I think you need to rewatch SGA S3 E04 Sateda because all of Ronan's flashbacks show Sateadan's culture as 1920-40's ish development bricks and mortar buildings and projectile weapons and if your refering to Ronans hand cannon he uses throughout the show its not native Sateadan tech its from the Travelers
@@thestanleys3657 in their buildings but how they built their homes and buildings is not indicative in their level of technology
Tech was too advanced. This was stated several times that the Wraith destroyed civilizations that advanced too far. This is why the Genii hid their tech level underground.
this is very true and even mentioned in the show, Ronan even said "like mine" when referinging ro races being destroyed because of how advanced they were
My guess would be they simply killed too many Wraith. They were deemed too much of a threat. The Wriath being evil just decided to wipe them out because why deal with them again when they are too powerful? Think of it this way to eat a steak you need to fight a 800 pound cattle that is armed with a shotgun and some light body armor it also thinks and knows tactics. It makes eating that steak a far more dangerous option. You sure do not want that cattle breeding more "tactical killer cows".
And your guess is pretty spot on, not sure we’re the topical killer cows came from, but I like the comparison.
Cow's with guns song? 🤣
In the episode Runner the Warith couldn't feed on him, and in another episode it Suggests that many on his world were the same a very rare trait in humans in the galaxy, but his world seemed to be much more then others. It didn't kill the Warith like on drug that was made they just, couldn't feed on them.
That is a topic I should cover one day.
The wraith could feed on him, it stopped because he didn't yell or show fear and they wanted to "play" with their food.
Oh that’s interesting. Would it be okay if I used that when I cover this topic?
Sure@@sg-24
@@tomlawrence1335 I agree - otherwise the Wraith wouldn't be able to make other Satedans dependent on their enzyme, if they weren't able to feed on Satedans
The satedans might be behind the resistant movements across the galaxy which could pose a real threat to wraiths as the wraiths knew too well that if the weaker side is greater in numbers, with enough motivation and determination, they might able to overwhelm the stronger side like they did with the Lanteans.
I’m sure they destroyed Sateda just for the sake of making an example of them, but you can’t ignore the fact they probably did it for sport. I can’t remember where this is mentioned, but the culling happen roughly every ~250 years apart. So the Satedans would have known that the Wraith were coming in the next couple decades anyways. It would make sense they’d conduct a few off world raids to test their metal. But that also got the attention of the Wraith. If they had waited 7 years, they would have found a viable ally or frenemy in Earth.
In lore: one of the few dangerous humans in the galaxy.
As a show, I imagine they would have no better use as a civilization to the plot.
Yeah that’s kind of spot on for probably why they didn’t really come up all that much in the show. Not much plot to go with them outside of stories for Ronon.
@@sg-24 This is just my guess, but that's what I think the writers thought. It would be more interesting to make one of the few advanced and warrior civilizations in the galaxy become ronin, each one on their own trying to survive and perhaps seek revenge, with others embracing the Wraiths as their benefactors which is more interesting, since they have reasons and even their means to continue fighting but they decided to give in.
It's because of ronan himself.
The character needed a unique and tragic backstory, so the gods conspired to establish a human colony on an alien world thousands of years ago that went through cultural, technological & industrial revolutions grew to a level of early 20th century development only to be wiped out by a superior alien civilisation, all so the character could undergo some personal development on screen.
Uh, that kind of sounds awful when you put it like that. I agree you kind of have to do that, but still.
Kind add another tragedy to Ronan’s character since he was last of the Satedans for bit, and going by the meta that was because of him.
This implies there is a strong connection between the worlds thanks to the Stargates. Otherwise making an example would not be told to other worlds.
If so the populations could escape the cullings to other places and share knowledge and resources to survive and fight back. This network could also fight back by going to the cullings and attacking.
With the pros and cons here the first paragraph is still valid.
Well the Satedans did have some kind of off world activity. And we do know that trade is Pegasus does occur between worlds. Though like you said if some survived then they could spread the word of what happened, maybe that’s why the Wraith didn’t kill everyone, they want the stories to spread.
It was about the risk they posed in how much they might advance in the time between that culling and the next. If enough scientists had survived they could have begun a space program of some sort and going by the handguns probably already had anti air weapons capable of taking down darts. The biggest threat from them at that point would be survivors going out and hunting down and destroying hives in hibernation.
The genai almost certainly heard about similar annihilations which is why they ran the colony on the surface as a deception and lived mostly below ground.
Having a slicing weapon makes sense if you're fighting a race that can literally suck the life out of you with their bare hand.
Ronan said that his people fought back against the Wraith. The wraith wipe out those who resist them as a lesson to others. Ronan's energy weapon came from the Travelers.
incorrect Ronan's gun is a Satedan weapon, the others had weapons similarly advanced
I thought it was obvious. The space vamps can't have cattle getting advanced
yeah they might mootiny
Generations are approx 20 years. So if they’d been at it for 120 years, that’s 4-6 generations depending on the actual starting point. Thus generations
I have to admit, it would've been cool to see what the Satedans could have become had they not been annihilated. Would've been awesome if we could have seen others from their society as well, like some of the engineers that built their technology and infrastructure.
That would be interesting to see, maybe they could have helped the Expedition improve their armor.
Basically yes. An example and to remove a threat, makes sense and goes along with what they've done before.
I was always a little confused by 'Ronan had been a Runner for 7 years' whilst the Stargate Atlantis Crew had only woken the Wraith up a couple of years earlier. Why were the Wraith so active at the time of Sateda's fall?
Well we know some Wraith were still awake at this time. Acting as sententials to watch over the cattle. They might have had to pull their resources for the fight, or maybe it was a single hive.
It seems quite clear that it was a combination of their warrior culture and their level of technology that got Sateda culled.
But i don't think any culture that developed in Pegasus after the Wraith would actually end up being a conventional military threat to the Wraith.
The Hoffans could threathen the Wraith through the drug and similar biological attacks are effective against the Wraith, but being able to develop a conventional military that threathens them without being spotted and destroyed doesn't seem doable. The Wraith are simply more organized than the Goa'uld and will therefore be able to send in more firepower than what any developing civilization in pegasus can get without being noticed.
The closest to getting there were the Genii and they had no chance in hell of giving the Wraith more than a black eye.
It is explained in other episodes that Wraith will wipe out worlds who's technology is too advanced. Sateda had higher technology than almost any planets in the show.
True, but the impression I got was that it was them simply knocking the humans back down to a lower tier of tech. Using the Hoffins as an example they were culled multiple time, but only wiped out when they became a direct threat.
@@sg-24 there is an difference between knocking upstarts down a notch and making an example of those who dare to mount a full rebellion. In such case as the later an example must be made, that was made quite clear in the series and a general knowledge of how things work in the real world
@doomedbringer not really sure what your point is. I agree there’s a difference between the two motivations. And I agree in the laters case that for rebellion that wiping out is a tactic to use (by Wraith standards). So I think we both agree on this.
I always thought the level of technology was a major factor as to why if not the only reason.
I kinda always wondered if Sateda was located in a more distant part of the Pegasus Galaxy or if it was in a nebula. Making them not known to the Wraith long enough for them to get that advanced the first place.
The Wraith do target worlds with a high tech level, but the targeting of Sateda seemed to go beyond that. Then again maybe higher tech level and resisting the Wraith may just go hand in hand.
See that’s what I’m thinking. I know I hear something about Sateda not being culled in a long time. Which is how they got so advanced (for them), but I can’t remember where I heard it.
I'd agree with the idea of the Wraiths taking out a threat, to them humans were basically cattle, and considering we do the same to animals that attack us or pose a threat it's not a long shot to imagine that the wraith like the Ori or Fifth were an analogy to certain norms taken at face value or a cautionary tale of what could be.
We can see how much damage the Geni planned to do using atomic weapons. Letting a civilization advance to that point is clearly a problem. It's even potentially an existential threat.
I would of swore the show said it was because they were too strong. Same story as chronicles of Riddick.
See now I want to see Ronan fight Riddick.
*would have
Didn’t Ronan mention that they weren’t able to feed on him? I vaguely remember him sayin that.
If I remember it right, he might be one of many that can’t be fed on. Destroying the blighted and useless crops… and the bug guys aren’t dumb. They know there would be a chance that genetic trait would spread.
Only if I remember it right though…
I don’t recall Ronan saying he was immune. It’s a theory I have seen pop up, but we know that later he was brainwashed to become a Wraith worshipper which does require being fed on and given the gift of life over and over.
To me it looks like the Satedans where technologically more advanced than the genii
I see it as highly possible that they did a similar thing the Genii did and planted a Nuclear bomb on a sleeping hive ship, being sure they could defeat the wraith and the attack on there World was simply setting an example, making survivors in to Wraith Worshippers or in to Runners helps to spread the news about how dangerous it is to oppose the Wraith
It’s never stated that they did that, but I think they are technological equal to the Genii. I don’t know if they ever did that, but I can see them at least coming up with an idea like it.
I always assumed the Satedans were exterminated (or nearly so) because the writers needed that to be the case for the story.
I mean…. That’s the real world explanation, but that’s not as fun.
it was their natural immunity to the wraith feeding
I don’t think the Satedans were immune to Wraith feedings. Ive seen some theories that Ronan was immune, but in that one episode were Ronan was captured that one Wraith boasted that he fed on his people.
never even mentioned in the show
I thought the Satedans were all resistant to the Wraiths ability to absorb life energy. This would mean that they serve no truly useful purpose and could only wind up challenging the wraith in the future - as well a providing a genetic reservoir for this genetic characteristic. If it spread, it diminishes the ability of wraith to eat - something that was already finely balanced, leading to the long periods between culling episodes.
Some people have brought up that idea, or the idea that Ronon can’t be fed on, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Did Morgan La Fey ( ancient ) put The Wraith to sleep as a response to The Ancients loosing the war / abandon the war ? When SG-1 was looking for Merlin s weapon , they came n contact with an alien bug that put them to sleep. Since The Wraith heal more quickly , it didnt affect them the same way , however , after the war , The Wraith decided to sleep...why? Morgan used the same ticks to put the Wraith to sleep as a screw you 4 winning the war ( they didnt win the war , the ancients just left )
Not to my knowledge, the Wraith sleep as part of a hibernation cycle they go into to let for food population grow.
What is sort of funny is I did read a story once in which the Atlantis team met the doctor, and the Wraith were terrified of The Doctor so much so that the planet they were going to attack they stopped all because he was there and he told them to go somewhere else, but I do wonder do you think they would fear the Doctor or the Darleks?
I’m guess this was a fan fiction. Not judging just curious. And to answer the question, probably the Doctor. The Darleks are a threat they can comprehend, but the Doctor is on a whole other level.
@@sg-24 Yeah, it was, but I agree the Wraith would either know who The Doctor is and, like many others, would have a flee-on-sight rule.
As for the Daleks, well, I can still see the two fighting with them, mocking the Wraith by saying. "You are superior in only one respect. You are better at dying."
If they had survived and then meat SGA could have changed everything
Well The Genai had a multisystem empire with approximately 60s to 70s cold war tech. Only a few decades ahead of the Satedans and they are still are threat using a nuke to destroy a hibernating Hive Ship long after being reduced and forced underground. Culturally during those eras here, given access to a stargate network outward expansion would be demanded by the Leaders of that time. The Wraith have probably dealt with Human start ups numerous times and also I think would explain why a Galaxy colonized by the Alterrans has so few surviving isolated caches of tech. The Wraith had to deal with humans like the Travellers for example discovering Ancient cities and ships becoming spacefaring with weapons that can in numbers take down large Wraith Ships. The Queens having strict Extermination Doctrine to protect the hibernating Hives so they don't get killed in their slumber and wake up too well defended worlds across the Pegasus Galaxy.
cuz they were getting scary to them
They gave the Wraith gas.
If I were on the Stargate Atlantis team I'd have weaponized the hoffman drug/virus so it only infects wraith. 100% lethal.
Well I mean GeorgeWashington said it, must be a great idea. 😉
The anti feed rath drug would have destroyed the Rath if used. Yes a 50% death rate would be bad but better then being ate by life vampires. It was the way for humans in SGA
I would agree, but we did see what the Wraith did to them when they found out about it. Granted the Expedition were not willing to use it, and no one really tired to spread it on a galactic scale besides Michael. So it could have worked.
Just wanted to point out that using the Earth symbol (A-like symbol with circle up op) in place of the actual letter A is REALLY confusing for people of Nordic decent, as we have the very similar letter "Å" in our alphabets, and it is pronounced NOTHING like the letter "A".
I think someone has brought this up before. Sorry about that if it’s confusing in the fiber I use, but you know. Stargate.
@@sg-24 Yeah, I get it. It is simply confusing to "hear" a different letter in your head when reading English.
I am curious about how many people Setedans had before the Wraith came? Were they like in the millions or just in of hundreds of thousands. That would be important information to make a final decision. If they were in the millions or tens of millions. Then the Wraith had no other choice but to wipe them out. Even if the Wraith took 200,000. The millions that remain will fight much harder next time. An let's not forget that the Wraith lost alot of ground troops as well. No doubt sealing the Setedans fate.
That’s a good question, sadly one with no answer. I don’t think Stargate ever did give specific populations for any planet outside of something like, “we have the potential to save thousands of lives”.
I think its a mix of making an example and unnatural selection to "breed out" the more resistant and independent human populations. That said pretty sure the Wraith enjoy the flavour of defiance so whatever.
Another point is that Wraith hibernation cycles are centuries long. Imagine going to bed and someone is at 1940's level of tech then waking up and they are at 2140's level of tech. Add to that a singular planetary wide drive to develop technology to defeat one foe and the Setadan's become very dangerous.
Very good point, that’s probably why they leave sentinels around to watch over the food.
I have a feeling that if Satedans were allowed to advance they would become a real thorn in the side of the wraith think about it elite shock troops attacking wraith bases or ships hell if they survive long enough for the expedition to arrive to be a real threat
Think of what technological/military level most others are at compared to the Satedans. It doesn't matter that they were at a 1940s level of tech, because to everyone else in the Pegasus galaxy that might as well be the peak of human civilization if you don't count the ancients who are are basically revered as god-like beings.
Think of the Genii, who were also on that level. More accurately, they were in the atomic age but maintained a facade of an agrarian society with all their development hidden deep underground in bunkers. Their confederation of planets is no more, but their civilization was on a level strong enough to survive culling and then come back with weapons strong enough to destroy entire cities. And they would have been able to pull off their strategy had the wraith not awoken earlier than anticipated. Had they survived unnoticed, it's entirely possible the Genii might have even tried to make an alliance with the Satedans if the Atlantis expedition never happened.
the Satedans didn't have 1940s tech, Ronan's gun is a Satedan pistol, the wraith went after them because they were becoming technologically advanced enough to be a legitimate threat. while their buildings resembled 1940s construction its likely that they didn't build their structures to be too advanced to draw suspicion and they didn't have ships because it was a risk plus the stargates in the pegasus galaxy were on or around every habitable world making it the best means of getting around for them. we know the Satedans were very advanced because of the fact all of them when introduced had considerably advanced energy weapons
Wait are you referring to Robin’s energy gun? That wasn’t of Satedan design. It was a Traveller gun.
@@sg-24 Ronan never came into contact with the travelers and look at the other Satedans we see in the show, they use the same tech and same kind of weapons even in Ronan's flash back
@fangslore9988 true Ronon may have never met the Fravelers before, it there are other ways he could have gotten it. You also might want to recheck those flashbacks. Because none of them use the energy pistol.
@@sg-24 the downside of what happened to the Satedans is the loss of access to their home world of Sateda considering the inoperable state the gate was left in but the darker question is what the wraith did to the millions or even billions of people on Sateda. because we never see any bones and the capital was still quite intact when Ronan was brought back there for a hunt. its not stated if they were rounded up for feeding or executed in some other means
I assume feeding, but that is a good point. We do see very few skeletons.
I think the Sateda were too advanced and warlike people to survive. They weren't a threat to the Wraith, but I think the important thing is that they were still in hibernation, so if they waited until the calling, they would have been a bigger threat.
My favorite part about Sataeda is that none of them have the braids, that was just Ronan, even in flashbacks everyone had normal hair except him.
That is an odd detail, but that is kind of cool.
I think you're onto something with this idea, I also think the Genii probably went through something similar to Sateda decades or hundreds of years earlier then decided to hide their numbers, strength and are pretending that their recovery either isn't happening or is taking longer. Remember Weir also said there were numerous other technologically advanced races in the Pegasus galaxy that were also hiding, if so many different races came up with the same idea then the Wraith must have some limit like the Goa'uld protected planets treaty stipulation of advancement. Plus if the Goa'uld in another galaxy do the same thing, then it must be part of maintaining galactic domination.
Interestingly enough the Genii said they were part of an interstellar confederation. So they were probably hit a lot harder.
I’m not so sure about the Wraith having their version of a PPT. There may have been races hiding in Pegasus, but they were protected from the Wraith in any legal sense.
Give their level of development did the Wraith even know that they existed they seemed to be the most advanced civilization in the Pegasus galaxy besides the ancients I can only assume that they were hidden from the wraith until they got on their radar they definitely kick the bee hive.
I don’t think they did. I swear somewhere it was mentioned that they flew under the radar for a bit, hence why I kept that line about not being culled for 200 years despite not finding the source.
@@sg-24 imagine what they could have accomplished if they another 200 years
@keyofdestiny857 I’m seeing ships that would be Klingon Vibes.
@@sg-24 sounds about right
depends on how fast the Satedans went from say Napoleonic wat era to WW2 too
Good point. I’m not sure to be honest, they never talk about it.
@@sg-24 I know, it's never mentioned in any lore, but with an active gate and having figured out how to use it
Never underestimate an underdog ever.
I think part of the mistake is saying that the Satedans had become "more advanced". Rather, they had become "advanced enough". The comparison is that the Satedan level of technology was, more or less, on par with Europe and the USA during WW2 (not to discount the Soviets or the Japanese Empire, but they were, comparatively, lagging behind). Critical inventions that fundamentally altered how war was fought were things like tanks, radar, and nuclear weapons.
Contrast this against Wraith tech. Sure, it's well and far beyond our modern Information Age, but their weapons and ships aren't designed for militaristic conquest. They are built and equipped for ongoing suppression and harvesting of a livestock population with little to no means of fighting back. They have energy weapons, but not a single one of them is designed to kill. While incredibly fast, their Darts are very fragile. And despite the size and weaponry of their starships, they're not untouchable juggernauts, and are able to be damaged somewhat easily by rocketry style weapons.
Starting at the small scale here, imagine if the Satedans had developed the tank. A rolling fortress, that could be made like their breastplates to diffuse and deflect anything a Wraith ground force could throw at it, armed with weapons designed to kill, rather than incapacitate. Had even a moderate force of them been deployed, it would have basically rendered the surface inaccessible to Wraith attack as long as it survived, requiring heavy Dart presence to eliminate before any ground forces could begin landing.
Now suppose the Satedens had radar, letting them know when Darts were inbound so they could man the flak turrets. This would have provided defense against aerial assaults, meaning the tanks aren't going anywhere to block ground advances. Rocketry makes this scenario even worse for the Wraith, because again, Darts are fragile. If they can't outrun the rocket or missile long enough to deplete the fuel, it's a dead Dart. This would force the Wraith to use the literal high ground and bombard the surface into submission from orbit. While this would have been effective, militarily speaking, it would have destroyed any chances of a meaningful harvest from the planet as well. And depending on what kind of rocketry we're talking, even in orbit the Hiveships might not have been safe from reprisals. A well placed nuke has been show to critically damage a Hiveship. So really, the Wraith were left with no choice but to destroy Sateda.
For supporting evidence, we should look no further than the Genai. The Genai strategy of hiding their actual society below the surface, where the Wraith scanning technology can't detect it, has proven extremely effective. This is then reinforced by the low population agrarian "bait" society they leave on the surface, purposely limiting the scientific knowledge of those who are a part of it. This has allowed the actual Genai society to freely advance to the late Cold War era, without the Wraith having even the slightest idea that it's happened.
Frankly, it seems pretty obvious that that the last time prior the Wraith culled Sateda was when they made the mistake. They weren't thorough enough, leaving too much of a residual population behind to rebuild and advance technologically. Alternatively, they waited too long to cull the planet since then, leaving a longer interval for technological progress than they should have. Either way, they were forced to conquer and destroy a planet that used to be a valuable livestock planet for them.
Really great comment.
Because they were an advanced and powerful civilisation.
You say that the technology of the Satedans was "1940s". What country, on Earth, in 1940, had energy deflecting armour?
The United States of course, haven’t you seen the D-day landings were the US spilled had nano suits? 🙃
I’m joking, outside of the energy defecting armor that’s where the rest of their tech level was at. Perhaps they got the tech for that from the travelers.
@@sg-24 do we know the properties of the energy in Wraith "blasters"? Perhaps metallurgy and chemistry of the 1940s could engineer an absorbant material. We should keep in mind that thus far in history, Earth's technology has focused only on ways to defend against kinetic energy.
@GremlinsAndGnomes that’s is a good point. And no I’m not sure how Wraith blasters work.
@@sg-24 I got one from a Wraith I had to kill, when it broke into my home to steal my ice cream. Would you like to borrow it for the research? 🙂🙃🙂
@Demun1649 indeed
Realistic reason? No.
Actual reason? It was in the script.. ie, as a plot device for Ronan's character development arc. Maybe to tie up a loose end. I don't think the writers actually went that deeply into coming up with a realistic motivation for the wraith. "They're all just evil" trope, basically.
You’re probably right, but it’s fun to theorize.
I doubt Sateda could have challenged the Wraith.
But the Wraith really had no reason to _gamble_ on it. They are space vampires. They can live for tens of thousands of years. They have little incentive to take risks with humans.
And thanks for reminding me why Origins is so bad...
Where do I get these books
I think most stores sell them, but I’d recommend Amazon or Barrens and Nobles.
Do you actually watch the series? Is directly answered multiple times. The Wraith wipe out any planet that fights back with any type of technological advancements. The Genii built their strength underground to keep it hidden so they wouldn’t be wiped out.
Well it’s seems I’ve finally been called out, the sad truth is I have never watched a a single episode of Stargate.
If they were smart they would have hidden their true level of technology and allied with the Genii. But hey, no one ever accused humans of being smart
Oddly enough there is a note about how their guns seemed similar to Genii. A question, for another time.
Aqua man
🐠
Because they were abrasive and annoying SOB's, Ronon most of all. Maybe the Wraith didn't wipe them out, but the combined forces of the rest of the Pegasus galaxy.
I’m not so sure, they did end up settle on other worlds who fully knew who they were.
Origins is not cannon
Too late
@@sg-24 for what?
I guess to put in video, and for it to be non canon. I actually don’t know what Origins status is.
@sg-24 ah well in SG1 it is explicitly stated that Ernest Littlefield, the man Catherine loved, was the first person to go through the gate after it was discovered.
In origins they retconed that to be Catherine herself in order to make it more progressive.
@Nym146 true, but that doesn’t make it none canon. I agree it’s a stupid retcon, but that dosen’t make it non-canon.