10 Stargate Characters Who Vanished Without A Trace

8. Nicholas Ballard

Stargate Nicholas Ballard
MGM

While Nicholas Ballard wasn't a big character in terms of the Stargate series, he was important insofar as he was actually a blood relative of one of the main characters. As Daniel Jackon's grandfather, his experience with an earlier 'giant alien' was finally given credence, despite no one in the academic community believing it. Were it not for his family ties, in fact, it is very possible Ballard would still be sitting in a padded cell.

However, his actual fate may not be much better. His only appearance in Stargate came in the episode Crystal Skull, wherein Daniel is rendered invisible by the eponymous artefact when it is discovered on an alien world. Ballard is contacted. due to his supposed connection to these aliens.

Daniel is able to communicate with him and him alone, so he sees his grandfather manipulating the situation to ensure he can travel through the Stargate. Once through, he aids in the retrieval of Daniel, but his true intentions were to simply interact with and study the 'giant aliens' that do indeed exist. He is then left behind on this planet, with no mention of him ever again. He may not have been an integral part of the team but it does seem a bit cold to leave an old man on an alien world and never check up on him.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"