The essential episodes of Babylon 5
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Babylon 5 — each pick states its reason.
- 01
When the Narn attack a Centauri agricultural colony, Londo and G'Kar nearly come to blows. Meanwhile, raiders continue attacking transport ships near Babylon 5, and a new commercial telepath, Talia Winters, arrives on the station.
- 02
Talia's old Psi Corps instructor, the victim of a secret experiment, is the target of a manhunt involving the Psi-Cops. Catherine wants to survey a promising planet for possible mining, but G'Kar warns her to stay away.
- 03
The Emperor of the Centauri Republic comes to Babylon 5, but his failing health results in his peaceful mission being transformed into an opportunity to ignite all out war between the Centauri Republic and the Narn Regime. Meanwhile, Garibaldi confronts a mysterious man who has been following him around the station.
- 04
Two officials from the Ministry of Peace come to Babylon 5; one to deal with the Centauri's continued expansion, and the other to check on the local Nightwatch. Meanwhile, a Narn heavy cruiser seeks sanctuary while they make repairs, and Keffer continues his search for proof that Shadow ships exist.
- 05
An Earthforce Special Intelligence investigator comes to B5 with Lt. Keffer's last recording, asking the ambassadors if they recognize the ship in it. Meanwhile, Londo takes steps to remove himself from the Shadows, and Sheridan is presented with a new weapon with which to fight the growing Shadow threat.
- 06
When President Clark declares martial law throughout the Earth Alliance, Nightwatch prepares to take control of Babylon 5 by any means necessary, forcing Zack to decide whose side he's on. In an exercise of bad timing, the prophetic widow of Emperor Turhan visits the station, granting Londo the audience he's been requesting since Turhan died.
- 07
Faced with the threat of an imminent attack from Earthforce ships loyal to President Clark, Sheridan makes the fateful decision to declare Babylon 5's secession from the Earth Alliance. Meanwhile, Delenn is forced to return to Minbar when the Grey Council refuses to act upon increased Shadow activity.
- 08
When Ivanova receives a distress call from herself pleading for help as the Shadows destroy Babylon 5, the crew are stunned to discover it is dated eight days into the future. At the same time, on Minbar, Sinclair receives a nine-hundred-year-old letter from Valen, prompting Delenn to reveal a long kept secret.
- 09
While Sheridan is unstuck in time, experiencing a future where Centauri Prime is in ruins, the others continue with their plan to take Babylon 4 back in time.
- 10
Sheridan's wife, Anna, who supposedly died four years ago, arrives on the station and tries to convince Sheridan to come to Z'ha'dum to meet his opposite number. Elsewhere, Londo receives important news about his political future, and the Shadows move against Babylon 5 directly.
- 11
As reports that the Shadows are also destroying entire planets begin to emerge, Sheridan continues putting the pieces in place for a final strike against the Shadows and the Vorlons. Meanwhile on Narn, Londo and Vir make preparations to assassinate Emperor Cartagia.
- 12
In the final hours before the Shadows and the Vorlons meet Sheridan's alliance at Coriana VI, Ivanova and Lorien await the last of the First Ones in a remote sector of space. Meanwhile, in his new role as Centauri Prime Minister, Londo seeks to remove all Shadow influences from Centauri Prime before the Vorlon planet killer arrives.
- 13
As Sheridan finally authorizes the White Star fleet to participate in the war, Delenn travels to Minbar to start a Minbari-Earth joint project to build a prototype White Star destroyer class ship. Elsewhere, Vir hires Franklin and Lyta to investigate why the Drazi don't return the bodies from destroyed Centauri ships.
- 14
Tessa Holloran, former Number One of the Mars resistance, arrives with a warning for Lise and Michael - an assassin has been hired to kill them. Meanwhile, G'Kar prepares to leave Babylon 5 with Lyta, though not everybody is happy about it.
- 15
Twenty years after his death and resurrection at Z'ha'dum, and the end of the Shadow War, Sheridan feels his life force ebbing away and invites some old friends to gather for a final time.
Shows like Babylon 5
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Arrow2012–2020·The CWAfter a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific.
- 02Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of The Flash2014–2023·The CW
After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. - 03Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Fringe2008–2013·FOX
When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is called in to investigate. - 04Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Invincible2021–present
Based on the eponymous comic book, Invincible revolves around Mark Grayson, a normal teenager except for the fact that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. - 05Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Fallout2024–presentBased on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have.
- 06Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Daredevil: Born Again2025–present·Disney+
Matt Murdock finds himself on a collision course with Wilson Fisk when their past identities begin to emerge.
