Ronon Dex

:"Ronon" redirects here. See also ronin."Stargate character


caption = Jason Momoa as Ronon Dex
name = Ronon Dex
race = Human
gender = Male
rank = Specialist
birthplace = Sateda
tv = Jason Momoa
first = Runner

Ronon Dex (played by Jason Momoa) is a fictional character in the science fiction television series "Stargate Atlantis". He is a Satedan from the Pegasus Galaxy who had been a Runner for the past seven years. He replaced Aiden Ford on Sheppard's team after Ford became addicted to a wraith enzyme.

Jason Momoa, along with some of his fellow cast members, have said that they think of Ronon as the Atlantis version of Chewbacca. [ [http://www.gateworld.net/interviews/hearts_in_atlantis.shtml Interviews: Hearts In Atlantis (Paul McGillion & Jason Momoa - July 2006)] , GateWorld] His character is often compared to Teal'c.

Biography

Before Atlantis

Ronon was a native to his homeworld of Sateda, a planet with a 1930s level of technology. Little is known about his childhood other than he had the Kierson Fever when he was ten years old and that he played with a triple barreled shotgun when he was little as a childhood toy. His grandfather suffered from Second Childhood, a condition with symptoms similar to Alzheimer's Disease. When he grew older he became a member of the Satedan military where he held the rank of Specialist. It is likely that this is their version of the Specialist in the United States Army, yet it is unclear exactly what this position does. He was also very close to a woman named Melena, although it is unclear what their relationship actually was. In Sunday, when John asked if he had had a wife on Sateda, Ronon replied "close enough."

About seven years before his first contact with the Atlantis Expedition, the Wraith attacked the planet because the people showed resistance. He tried to get Melena through the Stargate before the Wraith attacked. Her refusal to leave the Satedans who would be unable to evacuate forced him to remain behind and fight the Wraith. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as the Wraith defeated Satedan forces and Melena was killed before Ronon's eyes in an explosion.cite episode| episodelink=Sateda (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Sateda| series= Stargate Atlantis| serieslink=Stargate Atlantis]

After that point, he was captured by the Wraith while they wiped out his planet. Instead of feeding on him, Ronon was made into a Runner. They implanted a tracking device in his upper back and set him loose to be constantly hunted. During the first few years of this, however, he learned several new tricks and decided to hunt them back. He stayed alive for seven years, until he eventually met up with the Atlantis Expedition.

eason Two

He first encountered the Atlantis Expedition when he captured Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan. He made a deal with them: if Dr. Beckett could remove the tracking device in his back, he'd help them capture Lt. Ford.

Dr. Beckett managed to extract the device, but a Wraith attack prevented the capture of Ford. Ronon returned with them to Atlantis. When they sent a MALP to the gate address he gave them, he discovered that his civilization had been completely destroyed. [cite episode| episodelink=Runner (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Runner| series= Stargate Atlantis| serieslink=Stargate Atlantis]

Sheppard offered Ronon a place on his team after he proved his worth against the Marines and Teyla in hand-to-hand combat and passed the shooting range tests without any signs of hesitation or inexperience with various firearms presented to him. [cite episode| episodelink=Duet (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Duet| series= Stargate Atlantis| serieslink=Stargate Atlantis]

He has a unique weapon, an energy pistol. The device emits red bursts of energy which stun or kill at the user's discretion. It resembles a revolver with a power cell where the ammunition cylinder would be located. Ronon is fond of gunplay, spinning the pistol around rapidly. In the fourth season episode "Travelers", a group of 'space nomads', as McKay puts it, are shown to wield the same type of weapon, suggesting that they produced it. However, Ronon displays no knowledge of these people.

In addition to his gun, Ronon also carries a sword which he uses to great effect. According to production art from "Runner", the hilt is made from a Wraith mandible and humerus wrapped in Wraith hair, the blade from the metal of a Wraith ship, and the scabbard from a Wraith leather coat. [ [http://stargate.mgm.com/stills.php?series_id=3&season=2#anc2 MGM Stargate Stills] ] The episode "The Hive" also shows he carries a number of knives for use in emergencies, most of them hidden about his person. Ronon's seemingly unlimited supply of these blades has been a source of occasional comic relief.

Later, Ronon found out that he wasn't the only surviving member of his people. About 300 more Satedans managed to make it to the shelters west of the capital, and later moved to other planets like Belkan and Manaria. He also learned that Kell, his Task Master during his military training, was among the survivors. Soon after, when Kell came to Belkan to trade, Ronon shot him on sight. In his own words, "Kell commanded several infantry divisions on Sateda. When the Wraith came, he ordered thousands to their death just to save himself. He was... he was a traitor and a coward. My only regret is that his death was quick." [cite episode| episodelink=Trinity (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Trinity| series= Stargate Atlantis| serieslink=Stargate Atlantis]

eason Three

Eventually, the Wraith who originally turned Ronon into a Runner recaptured him, with the help of villagers who were wrongly led to believe that the Wraith would no longer cull them in return for Ronon. Instead of killing him, the Wraith implanted a new tracking device and resumed the hunt in the ruins of Sateda.

The Wraith commander's decision to let Ronon live and continue the hunt would soon prove to be a fatal one, as the enraged Satedan continuously killed Wraith after Wraith on his own, using traps that he'd laid. After tracking Ronon to the remains of the hospital where Ronon watched Melena die, Sheppard and Teyla, with the help of Dr. Rodney McKay and Dr. Carson Beckett, see that Ronon has been injured. They help him fight off more of the Wraith hunting party, with Ronon leading the charge. Eventually, the entire Wraith hunting party composed of at least twenty-five individuals is wiped out.

Sheppard orders Ronon to retreat to the Puddle Jumper, where McKay and Beckett are waiting for them. Ronon refuses and insists upon getting revenge on the Wraith commander that not only helped destroy his homeworld, but forced him to become a Runner and betrayed the village that returned Ronon to the Wraith. His wish is granted when the Wraith commander comes down to the planet's surface to fight Ronon one-on-one. Ronon is almost defeated until the timely intervention of Dr. Carson Beckett and a drone weapon (Beckett had enough of seeing Ronon go through that and killed the Wraith saying "if he doesn't like it he can sue me").

eason Four

In the third episode of Season 4, Ronon meets with three of his old Satedan friends, and for the first time seriously considers leaving the Atlantis Expedition, believing (under the pressure from his old friends) that he can never befriend any of the humans on Atlantis. However, he quickly learns that his friends are actually Wraith Worshippers, driven by the gift of extended life in exchange for their service. In his fury he rejects them which results in a fight. He kills two of his former friends while the other flees. In the end Ronon remains with the Atlantis Expedition, stating that his friends are "right here".

For a short time he develops a romantic interest in Dr. Jennifer Keller, an interest that appears to be mutual, while the two are locked in the Infirmary during a malfunction of Atlantis' automated lock down procedures.

When Teal'c came to Atlantis to teach Ronon how to deal with the IOA, he and Teal'c went through a sparring match. After an hour of intense fighting, it is proven that they are an equal match. After traveling to Midway together, they encounter a large group of Wraith that managed to infiltrate the station. Following the Wraith through the gate to Earth, the two proceeded to systematically kill them off. With time running short due to a call from the head of the IOA to have the base destroyed, Ronon and Teal'c finish off the Wraith. Later in the meeting, the IOA gladly gave their approval to Ronon. After all, he did just save Earth and the head members of the IOA from a Wraith attack.

Personality

Initially, Ronon appears primal and animalistic, likely due to having been hunted for 7 years that were almost completely devoid of human contact. However, in later episodes, his character is shown as very laid back, except when confronted by an enemy. The only times that Ronon has shown irrational, violent, and impulsive behavior is when confronted by the Wraith, or when he or a teammate is threatened. His gruff look and perpetually scowling face tends to intimidate others.

Ronon is known to always have a serious face and to always be on edge. However, under the influence of Lucius' drug, Ronon laughs when Lucius tells a story. [cite episode| episodelink=Irresistible (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Irresistible| series= Stargate Atlantis| serieslink=Stargate Atlantis] He has once been shown to have amiable capacities when he gave Rodney a hug after he survived near-Ascension after healing him of his scars from days as a Runner. Also he hugs Beckett after Beckett saves his life and kills a Wraith that Ronon had a personal grudge against although at first it looked like he was going to hurt Beckett. Ronon also appears to be attracted to Dr. Keller, as in the episode "Quarantine" the two are about to kiss before being interrupted.

He also passionately despises the Wraith, especially after what they've done to his homeworld. He said in one episode the he can't leave the galaxy until every last Wraith is dead. On a few occasions he is depicted as a unruly drunk whenever he is with fellow Satedans. He is the kind of person who can be a great ally, or a powerful enemy.

References

External links

* cite web
url = http://www.gateworld.net/omnipedia/characters/links/dexronon.shtml
title = Dex, Ronon
accessdate = 2006-05-15
work = The Stargate Omnipedia: Characters
publisher = GateWorld
*. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.