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System Lord

The System Lord hierarchy displayed on a Tok'ra device.

"They're posturing egomaniacs driven by an insatiable lust for power. Each one capable of unimaginable evil."
Daniel Jackson[src]

System Lord was a title of nobility for a powerful Goa'uld who had authority, control, or power with lesser Goa'uld, Jaffa, and human slaves in their service. The Goa'uld had a feudal society and were constantly in dispute. The powerful Ra and sadistic Sokar had once ruled over all of them as Supreme System Lord. Ba'al retained his title after the demise of the Goa'uld, becoming the last known System Lord until his extraction.

Characteristics[]

"Our fellow System Lords are not to be trusted. Neither are their slaves."
Yu[src]
System Lords

Left to Right: Ra, Camulus, Yu, Cronus, Nirrti (alternate timeline)

Usually the System Lords assume the persona of a god and rule many worlds by force through their armies of Jaffa warriors, and with a few Goa'uld, notably Ra, human warriors. The Goa'uld's main weakness is their feudal nature. Although they will reluctantly unite to defend against outside threats such as the Asgard or the Tau'ri, they battle among themselves for supreme domination. The greatest danger has been the threat of a single Goa'uld rising to dominant power and taking over the System Lord collective.  

System Lord Summit

One such instance is when Sokar had amassed a huge army and planned to launch a massive attack against six key System Lords, which would have overthrown the balance of power in the galaxy. However, Sokar was eliminated by the actions of the Tok'ra, who blew up Netu. Apophis then took control of Sokar's empire and continued his plan until he and his new forces were defeated by an alliance of the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra. (SG1: "The Devil You Know", "Exodus")

History[]

"I will not rest until all Goa'uld are dead."
Teal'c[src]

Membership among the System Lords has changed greatly throughout the millennia. Membership is decided by the High Council of System Lords, a rare gathering of their membership. Though they constantly warred amongst themselves for power, they did work together when it suited them.

For thousands of years, Ra was the Supreme System Lord, until he was killed in 1996 by the Tau'ri. They rarely trust each other, and very frequently battle amongst themselves, only holding council with regards to a mutual external or internal threat. (Stargate) (SG1: "Summit")

The Tok'ra and Asgard usually tried to keep the System Lords balanced so that no single System Lord could completely overpower the others.

After the fall of Sokar, Apophis gained control of his forces instead. The shift in power resulted in Apophis and Heru'ur commanding the two largest armies of the Goa'uld. An alliance between them would overwhelm the System Lords; a war between them would decimate both sides and return the balance of power to the System Lords. Apophis and Heru'ur agreed to meet in the neutral territory of the Tobin system to discuss an alliance, however Apophis deceived his enemy, destroyed Heru'ur, and took control of his forces, giving him command of the largest of the Goa'uld armies. Apophis lost a portion of his fleet, however, when SG-1 created a supernova from the sun of Vorash, and Apophis himself was killed when his ship was infiltrated by Replicators and forced to crash into the planet Delmak. (SG1: "The Devil You Know", "Exodus", "Enemies")

Hasara space station

The Hasara space station, a meeting place for the System Lords.

With the deaths of Ra, Hathor, Setesh, Sokar, Heru'ur, Cronus, and now Apophis at the hands of the Tau'ri and Tok'ra, the old order had fallen, and the resultant void created a power vacuum that the remaining System Lords fought to exploit. The remaining seven System Lords, Ba'al, Bastet, Kali, Morrigan, Olokun, Svarog, and Yu, declared a truce and arranged a summit on a space station in the neutral territory of the Hasara System to discuss the establishment of a new order. Threatened by the reemergence and increasing power of Anubis, the System Lords voted to return Anubis to the status of System Lord, and they formed an uneasy alliance to confront their greatest challenges: dissent and disbelief within the Jaffa ranks, infiltration and subversion by the Tok'ra, and the threat from the Tau'ri of Earth. However, as Anubis consolidated his power, he rose to a position of supreme domination capable of overtaking the System Lord collective, and the alliance began to crumble. (SG1: "Summit", "Last Stand")

Armed with the power of the six artifacts known as the Eyes of the Goa'uld, Anubis defeated the collective forces of the System Lords, led by Yu, and was left in possession of a powerful weapon that gave him clear superiority. As Anubis used his power to decimate the forces of the System Lords, SG-1 devised a plan to eliminate his superweapon, and Yu pledged to bring the full force of the remaining System Lords against him. However, with Yu's mental competence failing, Ba'al took command instead and led a combined force of the System Lords against Anubis at Kelowna. Although Anubis escaped, his forces were defeated, and Ba'al rapidly began consolidating his power, taking control of the United Alliance of System Lords, a alliance for which Stargate Command was partially responsible. (SG1: "Full Circle", "Fallen")

Meanwhile, Anubis rebuilt his forces from his base on Tartarus where he created an army of Kull Warriors, synthetically created Goa'uld drone soldiers, and launched attacks against rival Goa'uld, absorbing their resources in preparation for battle with Ba'al and the other System Lords. Through the cooperation of the Tau'ri, Tok'ra, and the rebel Jaffa, more System Lords had fallen in the past seven years than in the previous seven hundred years, and Anubis next turned his attention to his greatest threat: Earth. He gathered the full force of his fleet and sent more than 30 Ha'tak motherships into Earth's orbit. In a massive battle over Antarctica, Anubis was defeated when Colonel Jack O'Neill drew upon the knowledge of the Ancients and activated the Ancient defense weapon which sent thousands of Drone weapons swarming into orbit and annihilated Anubis' fleet. (SG1: "Evolution, Part 2", "Lost City, Part 1", "Lost City, Part 2")

Anubis was presumed destroyed, and his defeat created a volatile situation among the remaining System Lords. The High Council of System Lords, an unstable and rather flimsy coalition of approximately a dozen of the most powerful Goa'uld in the galaxy who cooperate only when necessary, was unprepared for the sudden shift in power. In order to avoid open war, the System Lords came to an agreement to divide Anubis' territories and his armies evenly among them, but Ba'al broke the agreement, took command of Anubis' army of Kull Warriors, and tipped the balance of power in his favor. Many of the System Lords began to speak of capitulation, and three representatives, Camulus, Yu, and Amaterasu, approached Earth, seeking an alliance against Ba'al in the hope that the Ancient defense weapon in Antarctica would prevent his domination of the galaxy. President Henry Hayes authorized Dr. Elizabeth Weir to pursue negotiations, however no agreement was reached, and the alliance failed. (SG1: "New Order, Part 1", "New Order, Part 2")

The Jaffa of the System Lords were no match for the Kull Warriors of Ba'al's army, and the war between Ba'al and the System Lords reached a critical stage when Bastet and Olokun were killed, Morrigan capitulated, and Lord Yu and Amaterasu rallied their armies for what would probably be their last stand. Also, Moloc was killed by Stargate Command and rebel Jaffa and his armies were absorbed by Ba'al and Ares, falling back along with many other System Lords, was killed by Brigadier General Jack O'Neill with the Time Jumper's Drone weapons when he tried to retake Arkhan's world. Unknown to the System Lords, however, Anubis had survived the battle over Antarctica, and he had returned to secretly rebuild his power base, using Ba'al to lead his forces, although Ba'al did not admit to taking a subservient position to the master he served. (SG1: "Sacrifices", "It's Good to Be King", "Reckoning, Part 1", "Reckoning, Part 2")

In addition, the System Lords faced the threat of the Jaffa Rebellion which had amassed a significant army as well as growing numbers operating as a Fifth Column within their ranks. The greatest threat of all, however, presented itself when the Replicators, led by Samantha Carter's Replicator duplicate, entered the Milky Way galaxy and launched a full-scale attack against the Goa'uld. The Replicators began systematically eliminating the System Lords and absorbing their forces at a rate which would have guaranteed them complete victory within weeks. System Lords, Rebel Jaffa, and Replicators met in a devastating battle at Dakara, but through the cooperation of the Tau'ri and Ba'al, the Dakara superweapon was modified and the Replicators were eliminated. Due to Ba'al fleeing when Rebel Jaffa boarded his ship, Jaffa completely lost their image of the Goa'uld as gods and began to abandon them by the hundreds, severely weakening whatever was left of the System Lords. Anubis intended to claim the weapon on Dakara for himself, and to use it to destroy all life in the galaxy in order to repopulate the galaxy to his own specifications. However the intervention of Oma Desala spared the galaxy as she engaged Anubis in eternal battle on another plane of existence. (SG1: "Reckoning, Part 2", "Threads")

In eight years, the events of the Tau'ri-Goa'uld war had eliminated Ra, Hathor, Sokar, Heru'ur, Cronus, Apophis, Svarog, Nirrti, Osiris, Moloc, Ares, Anubis and Ba'al among the System Lords, and Amaunet, Klorel, Marduk, Tanith, Seth, Imhotep, Mot and Sekhmet among the lesser Goa'uld. Following the defeat of Anubis at the hands of Oma Desala and the success of the Jaffa Rebellion, a handful of System Lords remained, but without the support of their Jaffa armies, the Goa'uld had lost most of their power. Among the former System Lords, Ba'al alone survived with his influence nearly intact, and he attempted to rebuild his power base by cloning himself, infiltrating the Trust, expanding his technological advantage, recruiting a brainwashed Jaffa army, and seeking the knowledge of the Ancients and the Ori.

After the death of the final Ba'al clone in 2008 and the death of the real Ba'al at the hands of Colonel Cameron Mitchell in 1939 the hierarchy of the System Lord collective was no more. (SG1: "Continuum")

The Goa'uld's power was completely gone until the New Mind faction emerged. (Stargate Worlds)

List of System Lords[]

Image Name Status "Divine" title
Example Afa Unknown Polynesian storm god
Afa was a minor System Lord. About 1,000 years ago, Afa ruled a naquadah-rich planet known locally as Avnil, and to the SGC as P3X-513. He set up a moderate mining operation, including an atmospheric UV shield to protect his human slaves from the harsh sun. Unfortunately for Avnil, the mine played out after about 500 years of constant mining. He abandoned the planet and chose to leave his slaves behind. Later, SG-9 would visit the planet.
Amaterasu Amaterasu Unknown Japanese sun goddess
Amaterasu was once a powerful Goa'uld System Lord. Amaterasu visited Stargate Command after Anubis' defeat to negotiate a new arrangement against Ba'al. The war against Ba'al goes poorly, and she and Yu rally their armies for a last stand. Her motherships are amongst the first to be infested by the Replicators. Amaterasu was not among the System Lords Ba'al sent a peace offering to, and her fate following the collapse of the Goa'uld Empire is unknown.
Asgard hologram Anubis Inactive Egyptian god of the dead/afterlife
Anubis, an ancient Goa'uld and once a very powerful System Lord, was banished by the other System Lords because his actions were unspeakable, even to the Goa'uld. In exile he tricked Oma Desala into helping him to ascend. The Others, however, forced him to a state of half-ascension after they discovered his true nature. Because of his ascended knowledge, Anubis amassed very advanced technologies, gathering strength for his returning to take revenge and to dominate the galaxy. However, when he was just a few steps from accomplishing his goals, Oma Desala attacked him, forcing him to enter a never ending duel.
Example Apep Deceased Egyptian Demon
Apep was an ancient Unas-hosted Goa'uld System Lord and the physically superior son of Atok. He killed and usurped his father's position among his people 24 thousand years ago. He created a circle of Underlords, which consisted of many of the future System Lords, where nobody would be powerful enough to challenge him or anyone else. Apep eventually grew mad after continuous use of the Sarcophagus. With the help of an Ancient "superpower" Anubis was able to capture, and kill, Apep and declare himself Emperor. His power would not last, however, as Ra and the other Goa'uld rallied in Apep's name and drove him from power.
Apophis Apophis Deceased Egyptian God of Chaos (Serpent)
Apophis was once an extremely powerful Goa'uld System Lord. The brother of the Supreme System Lord Ra, he originally commanded a minor fleet, but he grew in strength to command the power of multiple System Lords that had been killed during his reign, ultimately succeeding Ra as the dominant System Lord after his death. He held one human host in his life. His reign ended however, when the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra together managed to destroy his fleet in the Battle of the Vorash system. Apophis died in the aftermath at the hands of the Replicators.
Aries Ares Deceased Greek god of war
Ares was a Goa'uld System Lord grasping for power during Anubis' reign of terror. After Ba'al declared war on his fellow System Lords, Ares fled to his former planet, where the Tau'ri Harold Maybourne is King. SG-1 went to Maybourne's planet to warn them that Ares was on his way and to help them evacuate, but they ran into opposition from the villagers. In the meantime, Ares sent a patrol of Jaffa to the planet. SG-1 and the Jaffa clashed and the Jaffa was defeated. The final battle against Ares was fought by Brigadier General. Jack O'Neill using a Time Jumper that had been left on the planet by the Ancients long ago. A strategically-aimed Drone weapon penetrated Ares' Ha'tak's defense shield and destroyed the ship, killing Ares.
Arkad-sym
Atum Deceased Egyptian sun god and father god of creation in Heliopolis
Atum was a minor Goa'uld System Lord and once a rival of Apophis. His last First Prime was Arkad who always led his armies to fight against Apophis over the last years of his reign. One of the planets under Atum's control was Co'rak, which was later conquered by Arkad.
Ba'al 1 Ba'al Deceased Phoenician/Canaanite god of fertility, thunder, and rain
Ba'al was once a powerful Goa'uld System Lord and the Supreme Commander of the Goa'uld Empire. After the first fall of Anubis, Ba'al took control of Anubis' Kull warriors, making him the dominant Goa'uld in the galaxy. With his new powerful Kull army, he started a war against the other System Lords, driving them to the brink of defeat. The return of Anubis destroyed his plans, however, and the defeat at Dakara destroyed his fleet and army. After the fall of the Goa'uld, Ba'al was the only known surviving System Lord and became determined to rebuild his power base, infiltrating the Trust to do so. He was however killed by the Tau'ri in 2008.
Bastet Bastet/Bast Deceased Egyptian goddess of the sun, moon, cats and sexuality
Bastet was a member of the Goa'uld System Lords, Bastet did not come to power until the Second Goa'uld Dynasty collapsed. Uniting forces with the System Lord Kali, the two made a treaty with the Goa'uld Sobek. Then, at the celebratory feast, they moved against him. Rumor has it that Sobek's head still decorates Bastet's palace in Bubastis. Bastet, admitting to suffering heavy losses against Anubis, voted to allow the powerful Goa'uld back to his former position as a System Lord. Bastet was later killed when Ba'al gained control of the Kull warriors in 2005.
Example Balor Deceased King of Giants in Irish mythology
Balor was a System Lord who ruled over the planet Magtireth. Balor had been gifted one of the Eyes of the Goa'uld from Ra, the Eye of Balor. An uprising from Dagda, Manannan mac Lir, and other minor Goa'uld of Danu's brood led to his downfall and death. It was Lugh who struck the killing blow. His holdings were split among Dagda and Manannan, and were enough to propel them each to the rank of System Lord.
Example Belus Unknown Babylonian god
Belus was a Goa'uld System Lord who served under Ra. After leading a failed invasion of Oannes, he incurred the wrath of its native people, the Ohnes, and was punished for his failure by being sent to oversee Goa'uld forces in Babylon. When an Ohnes team followed him to Earth, they were able to encourage the local populace to rise up against Goa'uld rule, causing him to be further punished by demotion to an underlord of Ishtar, a position he continued to hold after Ra's death.He was later wounded by Kel and so took the Ohnes warrior as a new host, an act which he saw as revenge against the Ohnes.
Camulus Camulus Deceased Gaulish god of war
Camulus was a Goa'uld System Lord, who visits Stargate Command to negotiate a new arrangement against Ba'al. After the talks broke down, Camulus unexpectedly asked for asylum on Earth, revealing to Dr. Elizabeth Weir that his armies were one of the first to fall before Ba'al. Camulus later gave Brigadier General Jack O'Neill the location of a Zero Point Module, but SGC scientists found out that Camulus had tampered with it so that it would explode if ever used. Camulus agreed to take the ZPM to Ba'al in an attempt to assassinate him. However, O'Neill wasn't confident that Ba'al wouldn't discover the sabotage and so he secretly gave Camulus an already depleted ZPM instead. According to Doctor Daniel Jackson, Ba'al killed him.
Cronus Cronus Deceased Greek Titan and father of the gods
Cronus was one of the most influential of the System Lords. He was the one who banished Sokar and he was the mortal enemy of Apophis. Ronac was Cronus' First Prime; Cronus ordered him to fight an unwinnable battle against a more powerful Goa'uld. After his inevitable defeat, Cronus executed him by crushing his symbiote, causing its blood to mix with his in a slow and painful death. Cronus also accompanied Nirrti and Yu to Earth to negotiate Earth's entry into the Protected Planets Treaty.Two years later, Cronus was killed by a Teal'c-like android on the planet Juna.
Example Dagda Deceased "All-father" of Irish gods
Dagda was once a minor Goa'uld, formerly in the service of the System Lord Balor. Along with Manannan mac Lir, he was responsible for Balor's downfall. Both he and Manannan divided Balor's resources between them, and these holdings were enough to gain them both admittance to the rank of System Lord. Despite having won enormous power, Dagda was betrayed and killed by Morrigan, who at the time was only an underlord in his service.
Example Diancecht Deceased Irish god of healing
Diancecht was a System Lord whose forces have been spread dangerously thin in recent times. He ruled over the planet Herilia but was forced to abandon it. When he later attempted to reclaim it, he found the populace had grown strong enough to resist him, and had been developing weapons technology. The Goa'uld scientist Arawn found the planet and assumed that it was not claimed by anyone, but Diancecht managed to capture him in order to use both him and the new weapons tech to his advantage.
Goa'uld queen Egeria Deceased Roman water nymph
Egeria was once a high ranking System Lord. She felt it was wrong to take the Tau'ri as hosts and, as she was a Queen, she gave birth to the Tok'ra who rebelled against the Supreme System Lord Ra 2,000 years ago. When Ra heard of her act, he took immediate action. She was imprisoned by Ra on the planet Pangar until the Pangarans, who used her progeny to produce Tretonin. Egeria sabotaged her offspring in the hopes of stopping the Pangarans, which led to a medical crisis after tretonin became widely used. After she was discovered by SG-1, the Tok'ra Kelmaa gave up her life so that her host can blend with Egeria. As her last act, Egeria gave the Pangarans the information needed to cure their people.
Hathor Hathor Deceased Egyptian Goddess of Love, Fertility
Hathor was once a System Lord, the Queen of Ra and mother of Heru'ur. After the Tau'ri rebellion, she was imprisoned in a Sarcophagus. After being freed by archaeologists, she traveled to Stargate Command and tried to take over the base. She was eventually defeated, and escaped through the Stargate. Hathor built a new army by brainwashing Jaffa, and captured all of SG-1 except Teal'c. She tried to extract information from them, but when this failed, she implanted a symbiote into Colonel Jack O'Neill, but he was saved by a Tok'ra. Hathor's base was eventually assaulted by the rebel Jaffa led by Teal'c, Bra'tac, and Major General George S. Hammond. Hathor was killed when O'Neill threw her unprotected into a cryogenic chamber.
Heru'ur Heru'ur/Horus Deceased Son of Ra, Egyptian God of Vengeance
Heru'ur was once a powerful System Lord, the son of Ra and Hathor. Heru'ur invaded Cimmeria after Thor's Hammer, an Asgard anti-Goa'uld device, was destroyed. SG-1 and Gairwyn contacted Thor, who arrived in his ship the Biliskner and removed Heru'ur's armies and ships, forcing Heru'ur to retreat through the Stargate. He traveled to Abydos to seize Amaunet, but was defeated there by SG-1 and again forced to escape. Heru'ur eventually planned an alliance with Apophis; the Tok'ra and SG-1 sabotaged their meeting in the Tobin minefield hoping to incite a war, not expecting that Apophis has brought a fleet of cloaked Ha'taks with him. Apophis destroys Heru'ur's ship and absorbed his forces.
Example Indra Unknown Hindu king of the gods
Indra is a minor Goa'uld System Lord who once ruled Prakiti, but lost the planet in a war against a rival System Lord, Vritra. He has not been seen in some time.
Example Ishkur Unknown Babylonian-Assyrian storm god
Ishkur was an ancient Goa'uld System Lord who was alive five millennia ago, though his current status is unknown. He had an army of Jaffa warriors but many, as they rose through his ranks, soon discovered that he was not the god he claimed to be. Ishkur branded these Jaffa traitors and ordered them to be killed. The Jaffa tried to fight against him, but were overpowered by sheer numbers and so instead a small group set off to find the legendary planet Kheb. Although they did not find it, they instead settled on a world the Tau'ri came to designate P9G-844 and called themselves the Sodan. It is unknown what has happened to Ishkur since the rebellion of the Sodan, but it's assumed that he at some point has been killed or stripped of his power.
Isis jar Isis Deceased Egyptian mother goddess of the sky
Isis was an ancient System Lord. Isis' symbiote was found in a canopic jar that was among the Egyptian treasures from the ill-fated Stewart expedition. The seal on the canopic jar had been broken during transit, rendering the creature inside it dead. An autopsy was performed on the symbiote at Stargate Command, and further examination of the canopic jar revealed that it was designed to function as a stasis chamber, imprisoning the symbiote. presumably by Setesh, according to the Egyptian legend. Having found Isis in the Isis jar, it was presumed her companion, Osiris, was imprisoned similarly, however the Osiris jar listed among the artifacts was missing.
Kali Kali Unknown Hindu mother goddess of destruction
Kali was a System Lord. Kali is one of the System Lords in attendance at the Goa'uld Summit. Disguised as Lord Yu's Lo'taur, Dr. Daniel Jackson speaks of Kali and Bastet's having made a treaty with the fellow System Lord Sobek, only to move against him during the celebratory feast when Sobek let his guard down. Kali is among the majority who voted to allow Anubis back amongst the System Lords, even though he attacked one of her outposts on the planet Cerador.
Example Kur Deceased Sumerian and Assyrian Dragon lord
Kur was a System Lord who never rose to prominence on Earth, though many knew and feared him. He was one of the few System Lords who truly accepted his subject's image of him, and was intimidating and imposing even whilst dealing with his own Jaffa, ruling through violence and fear alone.
Marduk Marduk Deceased Babylonian god of creation and fertility
Marduk was a System Lord so evil that his own priests rose up against him and imprisoned him in a Sarcophagus with a carnivorous creature that would prolong his suffering. However, Marduk survived by possessing the creature and was released by a Russian SG team. He possessed Major Sergei Vallarin and tried to escape, but was buried when Colonel Jack O'Neill sets off C-4 explosives inside his ziggurat. Marduk possessed the Eye of Tiamat, a powerful weapon.
Manannan Mac Lir
Manannan mac Lir Unknown Celtic sea god
Manannan mac Lir is a very reclusive Goa'uld System Lord, and brother of Morrigan. Manannan has several traits that are quite atypical for Goa'uld; for one, he cares little about showmanship or military conquest. Instead, his favored means of gaining personal power are patience, negotiation, and having the proper alliances. Manannan's most important ally was a Goa'uld scientist named Arawn, who provides Manannan with advanced Jaffa troops. Manannan's queen is Morgause, and his son is Mordred. Manannan's current status is unknown.
Moloc Moloc Deceased Phoenician/canaanait sun god
Moloc was a powerful System Lord. In 1973, Moloc had decreed that only male children would be allowed to live, as only they could strengthen his armies, and no female children were allowed to live. Ishta and the women Jaffa of the Hak'tyl Resistance secretly saved the female infants and raised them as warriors. The Hak'tyl also allied with the Rebel Jaffa on Moloc's worlds which were preparing for war against Moloc. A summit of Rebel leaders was ambushed by Moloc. Ishta was captured and tortured for information. Meanwhile, on Goranak, an uprising began as an army of 2000 Rebels marched on Moloc's temple. As Moloc prepared to crush the rebellion, the Tau'ri sent laser guided missiles through the Stargate, which targeted Moloc himself.
Morrigan Morrigan Unknown Irish Goddess of fertility, battle
Morrigan was a Goa'uld System Lord and Queen. Morrigan once had dominion over P3X-289. Historical records on the planet refer to the Stargate as the Gate of Mahg Mar, believed to have been of ritual significance in the worship of Morrigan. As a System Lord, Morrigan had a reputation for manipulation. Her servants were known to draw out strategic information in seemingly idle conversation. As one of the System Lords to attend the summit meeting in the Hassara System, Morrigan voted to allow Anubis' return to the rank of System Lord, however, as the forces of Anubis and of Ba'al sought domination over the System Lords, Morrigan's forces were overwhelmed and eventually capitulated.
Nirrti Nirrti Deceased Hindu goddess of death and corruption
Nirrti seemed obsessed with creating enhanced humans (hok'tar) which could serve as hosts. She tried many various experiments and eventually came quite close to her goal. Before she could perfect her experiments, however, she was banished from the System Lords for hoarding new technology and attacking Cronus. She was eventually killed by one of her research subjects when the subject learned that Nirrti had killed his entire village.
Example Ollathair Deceased Celtic father of the sky
Ollathair, known as the Father of the Sky, was an upstart Goa'uld System Lord who visited the Celts and took some of them to the planet Newgrange. While he did some good in freeing them from the Kings of Tara, he then placed himself as the ruling god until his disappearance around 500 AD. Though his people did not know it, he had actually been slain by a rival and their planet's address had simply been lost.
Olokun Olokun Deceased African (Yoruba) deity, Olokun is believed to be the mother of Aje.
Olokun was known for his desire to acquire aquatic planets, and in the past he had sought a means to convert humans into amphibious hosts. When the Goa'uld still ruled Earth, he formed an alliance with Nirrti which would prove disastrous for him, as he was forced to flee Earth altogether. He was in possession of an ancient device which allowed him to transport his naquadah reserves from planet to planet, confusing his enemies. He was killed when Ba'al gained control of the Kull warriors.
Osiris Osiris Unknown Egyptian god of the Afterlife, Underworld
Once a powerful System Lord among the Goa'uld, Osiris and his Queen Isis were betrayed by his brother Setesh. They were removed from their hosts and placed in stasis jars for thousands of years. Osiris was eventually awoken when Sarah Gardner opened the jar, and he took her as a host. Taking advantage of the "favorable conditions" following the deaths of Apophis and Cronus, Osiris built up quite a powerful army. Despite this, he was not able to return to the rank of System Lord, instead becoming a prominent Underlord of Anubis. He was eventually captured and his host was freed. His fate is unknown but it is unlikely that he was simply let go.
Pelops Pelops Unknown Greek mythological figure
Pelops is the Goa'uld scientist responsible for the creation of the Jaffa. He was forced to share the Jaffa with the other system lords, but he soon retreated to his small holdings on the fringes of Goa'uld space and continued his experiments, seeking to create the perfect soldier. He performed many experiments throughout the millennia on different populations of humans, and eventually created advanced Jaffa known as Spartans. He rarely plays a role in the internal politics of the Goa'uld, but had recently been gathering his strength in order to mount a military campaign against them.
Example Ptah Unknown Egyptian god of creation
Ptah was an old System Lord loyal to Ra, and a master scientist (by Goa'uld standards,) in the field of starship engineering. He was responsible for designing the Tel'tak, Ha'tak, and Death Glider, among others. After Ra's demise, Ptah wandered the galaxy in a knowledge-gathering quest. He did not have many planets under his rule, but their security was assured; no System Lord would dare attack the one responsible for designing their starships, for fear that he would exploit secret weaknesses and thus decimate any invading armada.
Ra Ra Deceased Egyptian sun god, father of all gods
Ra was the first System Lord to discover the Tau'ri. His mate was Hathor, by whom he had a son, Heru'ur, and his brother was Apophis. Ra was the most powerful of the System Lords. Despite the animosity System Lords feel for each other, Ra was recognized as the Supreme System Lord of the Goa'uld Empire, a title which made him nominal Emperor of the Goa'uld. Ra was finally killed by Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson who ringed an enhanced Nuclear warhead onboard his ship after the Abydonians rebelled and he was forced from the planet.
Setesh Setesh/Set/Seth Deceased Egyptian god of Storms, Desert, Evil
Setesh, also known by many other names, including Seth and Set, was the brother of Osiris and Isis and son of Nut. Several thousand years ago, Setesh concocted a scheme to dethrone Osiris and claim his brother's empire as his own. He somehow convinced Osiris and Isis to strike at Ra with him, but, at the last possible moment, Setesh betrayed them and revealed their plans to Ra. Osiris and Isis were imprisoned in stasis jars. When the Earth stargate was buried, Setesh was trapped on the planet, and fulfilled his ego by heading cults until 1999, when SG-1 found and killed him.
Example Shak'ran Deceased Unknown
Shak'ran, was once a minor Goa'uld System Lord for many years during the reign of Ra who frequently opposed the Supreme System Lord. While this put him in a great deal of danger, he took much delight in it. His only major victory was when he managed to capture Pangar from Ra. Soon afterwards, he erected temples on the planet, one directly on top of Ra's former temple, and set it up as his base of operations. However, sometime during the 1700s, both Apophis and Ra made war on Shak'ran resulting in his death at the hands of Apophis.
Sobek Sobek Deceased Egyptian god of the Nile
Sobek was a Goa'uld System Lord who was known on Earth as an Egyptian god of the Nile. He barely managed to maintain enough holdings to keep his title of System Lord. In desperation for territory, he once attempted to steal one of Bastet's worlds. Bastet and her ally, Kali, retaliated swiftly. Sobek tried to sue for peace, and Bastet and Kali pretended to accept. However, at their celebratory feast he was swiftly executed. His head supposedly decorates Bastet's palace in Bubastis.
Sokar Sokar Deceased The Devil/Egyptian god of the Nephite Necroplolis
Sokar was a powerful System Lord well known for his cruel and sadistic nature. For a time, Sokar was ruler of the Goa'uld, until an alliance consisting of several other System Lords, including Ra, Apophis, and Cronus, banded together to defeat Sokar. He was believed destroyed, but somehow survived. In 1999, he made his presence known again among the System Lords, but he soon met his end when his ship was caught in the explosion of the planet Netu.
Svarog Svarog Unknown Slavic sun god
Little is known about the System Lord Svarog. He was present, though not very vocal during the System lord summit discussing Anubis. He later attempted to conquer Latona but was stopped by SG-1 and the Sentinel.
Thoth Thoth Deceased Egyptian god of knowledge and writing
Thoth was one of Apep's original three Underlords, along with Ra and Nut. Despite the formal title of "underlord," in these ancient times this was the equivalent of what would now be known as a System Lord. Indeed, modern history records him as having the rank of System Lord. Thoth was the original Goa'uld scientist, and is credited with the creation of the first rudimentary sarcophagus. For his part in Anubis's rebellion, he was banished along with Anubis, and became his chief scientist. He was later killed by SG-1.
Example Tiamat Deceased Babylonian god of primal chaos
Tiamat was a Goa'uld System Lord who held power during the First Goa'uld Dynasty. She launched a revolt against Ra during this time and was branded a "mad queen". The ashrak Marduk soon offered to kill her, provided he was given free rein to do so as well as a position in the System Lords. What they did not know was that he was in fact doing it to gain the Eye of Tiamat so as to solidify his power. Marduk managed to kill Tiamat near the end of the First Goa'uld Dynasty.
Example Tonatuí Deceased Aztec god of the sun
Tonatuí was a Goa'uld System Lord. He fought against Quetzalcoatl above Xalótcan and defeated him and defeated his 'brother' Tezcatlipoca. He challenged Teal'c to battle and Teal'c managed to kill him.
Example Vritra Unknown Vedic/Hindu serpent spirit
Vritra is a male Goa'uld System Lord. Vritra controls the planet Prakiti, having driven off its former lord Indra. Though a warrior at heart, he understands the value of scientific research and technological development.
Yu-huang Shang Ti Yu-huang Shang Ti Deceased Chinese Jade Emperor
Yu-huang Shang Ti, or Yu was one of the oldest Goa'uld System Lords. He was part of the delegation that negotiated Earth's entry into the Asgard's Protected Planets Treaty, along with Cronus and Nirrti. He partially favored the treaty, as his interests no longer resided in that area of the Milky Way. His was the sole vote against allowing Anubis to return to the ranks of the System Lords. In the final years of his life, he began to suffer a loss of memory due to his extreme old age. He was killed by Replicator Carter.
Zeus
Zeus Unknown Greek God of Lightning and the Sky
Zeus was the 'son' of Cronus (one of the most influential System Lords), and 'brother' to Hera, Poseidon, and Hades. He preferred to fight, dine, and celebrate with his Jaffa warriors. He was first encountered by an SG team on the planet Olympus, and was found to be so amiable that the SG team did not consider him to be a threat. Zeus used this false impression to his advantage and briefly had the SG team fight a rival "evil" Goa'uld for him. After Cronus' death, Zeus claimed much of his territory.
Warning: The following section is ambiguously canon.
Image Name Status "Divine" title
Mars Mars Unknown Roman god of war
Mars, originally known as Phobos, was the son of Ares, the Greek god of war. After becoming a System Lord himself, he sought to usurp his father. He failed, and fled, and invented the persona of Mars, practically impersonating his father while in the midst of the Romans. He was soon discovered, and exiled to the planet Kar'tek. He was forced to take a small animal, a Mar'kak, as a host in order to survive, and eventually constructed a robotic body which he operated from within.

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