" B5 gets a lot of rap for having bad CGI, but I have yet to see a modern series (with the exception of some BSG scenes) have such energetic, emotionally charged battle scenes. Rewatching them years later only goes to show how damn good it was."
B5 gets a lot of rap for having bad CGI, but I have yet to see a modern series (with the exception of some BSG scenes) have such energetic, emotionally charged battle scenes. Rewatching them years later only goes to show how damn good it was.
@HuntSmacker It was the excellent acting and brilliant scriptwriting by JMS that carried the show through to the logical conclusion and ending. He set a timeline and stuck to it, no matter how much the execs whined about extending it. I feel that the EXCALIBUR series should have never been executed, but the movie leading to it was well made.
Great ideas in this series, but it was always underfunded. I can't help but wonder if you took these amazing stories and merged it with the acting and special effects of either the reimagined BSG or Farscape, how much better it would've been. With the exception of G'Kar, Lando, and D'Lenn (sp?) the rest of the characters always suffered greatly from piss-poor/melodramatic acting. Because of the continuity in writing and development, though, B5 will always be a great sci fi series.
@MikeCloud666 The Minbari had stealth like shields that prevented other ships from locking on them with their weapons. It was tradition with the Minbari warrior caste
that they would have their gunports open and their defenses down, when they meet another ship.This was to be seen as a sign of friendship (with their defenses down) and strenght (with their gunports open). I know a silly tradition as it was one of the Key things that started the war, but it was a tradition with them.
Here's one idea I'm surprised was never mentioned: attaching nuclear weapons onto thousands of starfuries and flying them towards the Minbari ships. Yes, most of them would get shot down, but only a few need to get through to cause enormous damage to their fleet. Seems like a viable option, especially when they start reaching our inner colonies.
@DanPhantom89 I've heard a theory, that in that fairly distant future uranium etc. viable materials are extremely rare, which is quite logical solution.
@DanPhantom89 A possible theory but unlikely, since I don't think the Earth Alliance had that much uranium, especaily in the furture. Not to mention even if they went through with it they couldn't keep a strategy like that up for long and it would cost them more than the Minbari, since like you said most of them would be shot down by the Minbari before they could do any damage and lets not forgot it took two nukes to destroy the Drala Fi.
The part that bothers me in this scene is that the Starfuries keep flying straight forward even as the Minbari scouting party starts blowing them out of the sky.
Here's a novel idea, have a bunch of starfuries on remote control and a bunch of civilian transports with minimal crews. The starfuries all have nukes, the transpors have jump capability, 2 transports to a squadron. One transport jumps in, the starfuries approach the mimbari ships from multiple vectors and detonate as close to them as possible. If the transports survive the blast, the second transport opens a jumpgate and they retreat.
@madenglishmaninkorea Even if the transports had the ability to open their own jump points it would be a moot point because the Earth Alliance lacked the ability to open jump points with any high degree of accuracy like the Minbari could. They could open a jump point but where to point appeared in normal space was variable. Not to mention that the Starfuries would have to get close enough without getting shot down to detonate their nukes.
I watched this when I was only in grammar school, and my most vivid memory was human ships deliberately going kamikaze on the Minbari, made me shed tears.
@Violent2aShadow I don't know man. Out of 25,000 people only 250 survived...so to be honest he only had a 1 in 100 chance of making it out of the entire battle alive anyway.
guess they didn't know where they were. My other big question is? Why did they not jump in and help the fighters? Hell of a way to make a "last stand" by remaining hidden!
@atlanticl I think maybe they wanted to lure out the remaining EA force but with the minbari tech being few million yrs ahead they should not have a problem jumping behind them>all those jump gates opening is awesome but really I don't think that the minbari needed all those ships
More like a few thousand years ahead. It may have well been a million though. They didn't bother jumping into the line because they new we posed no threat. They new it would be a slaughter.
@VIV29 You had every Minbari Captain Scrambling to have a go remember this wasnt a war of conquest this was a war of extermination that was until they found out that Minbari souls were being reborn in humans.... Genocide is all good until you find out that the race you are killing is found to be the religious well of all souls of your own.
@Hauntedman1 And yet that wasnt he case either. In fact,, if the Minbari would have chosen any other human at the Battle of the Line to "interrogate"., then humanity would have been wiped out. They only believed Minbari souls were being reborn into human ONLY because they chose Sinclair, since he is Valen.
Anyone else notice that one of the Minbari cruisers in the first hyperspace shot has battle damage? The middle of it's top 'fin' has a whacking great big chunk missing. I've seen this scene dozens of times and I've only just noticed.
Damnit watching this makes me want to pull out my dvds right now and start watching the entire show all over again from season 1.. even though this was was just sci-fi it was scenes and scripting like this that made this show far far better than any that came before it. yet even those shows that came after still couldn't hold a candle to the emotional level this show had on it's fans.. I'll admit I even cried when I watched this scene again.
Does anyone know where I could view the tv version of these events? I know that they used flashbacks of this in series one and for some reason I remember the music being better in the actual tv flashbacks.
This was from the movie, "In The Beginning". The movie is the entire story of the Earth/ Minbari War from start to finish. It came out after season 2 and is best viewed after viewing season 2 before season 3.
@thatguywiththeegg Don't know why, but I always expect the Starfury computer voice to finish with a 'have a nice day', though obviously that would hurt the dramatic effect ;)
the first thing i do when opening vids like this one is read the comments of people...while the vid is on mute. that way, if it turns out to be a shitty AMV again, I can just close it right away. thank you for posting the actual video and not creating a piece-of-shit AMV. God bless your heart.
This series was awesome. I noticed the two pilots from the battle of the line speech from the president both die in this attack. "one last battle to hold the line against the night".
Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is so awesome, awesome as Captain John Sheridan. Sinclair nearly sacrifices himself to take the enemy with him. Good thing the Minbari chose Sinclair to scan with their triluminary and discover he has the soul of a Minbari, but just any Minbari, but the soul of Valen, their greatest leader of all time. Makes sense, since Sinclair and Valen are the same person.
Seeing all those jump points opening up was, for all the Earth force pilots, probably a bit like the old west wagon train scenario. The settlers just about out of ammo, wagons in a circle, trying to fight off "half a dozen" Indians, when over the brow of the hill come another couple of thousand, all armed with bows and flaming arrows. Truly, an "Oh shit" moment. Great post buddy...
i know you must get alot of these but i have to thank you myself as well for a great edit and leaving it intact with no extra music ......keep up the good work...
@weavermatic Exactly! If I want to watch a battle, I want to see it as it was meant to be seen. If I want music in the background, I'll turn on the radio!
@willobi as my father said, if any aliens invade Earth they will have one hell of fight on their hands cos as is stated in the star trek universe by a vulcan who humans have a reputation for violence which is true, just look at our 2 world wars and other conflicts eh!
"Aft stablizers hit, weapons systems at zero, defense grid at zero, powerplant near critical mass. Minbari weapon systems locking on." "Not like this, not like this, if im going out im taking you bastards with me!"
Great battle scene and this is also the first version of it that I have seen on youtube without annoying music shoved into the video. Also good job on the quality, it is very nice.
I watched the entire Series but I don't know it anymore.
SnoopysOtherBird 5 days ago
WHAT IS THE ANSWER??!!!! :D
SnoopysOtherBird 5 days ago
I love it that new people are discovering Babylon 5 thru these vids..
Curien247 1 week ago
what series is this?
snipertenten 1 week ago
@snipertenten Babylon 5
weavermatic 1 week ago
Comment removed
sephservant 2 weeks ago
Comment removed
sephservant 2 weeks ago
Foreve..........
mitrooper 1 month ago 4
Good show a sci fi show that was not afraid to show earth as a bad guy like what happened in season 3 and season 4
TheDravidianwolf 2 months ago
great serie
dreckonia 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
" B5 gets a lot of rap for having bad CGI, but I have yet to see a modern series (with the exception of some BSG scenes) have such energetic, emotionally charged battle scenes. Rewatching them years later only goes to show how damn good it was."
posed by HuntSmacker
What about DS 9?
Choblik 2 months ago
So much emotion and nobility in this clip and infact the entire series.
YksiSuomalainen 2 months ago
Wow, the black pilot at the beginning is a terrible actor.
funkervogt47 3 months ago
@funkervogt47 Part of the issue with B5. but those who love it...love it for the right reasons.
ScreamingTc 2 months ago
The Minbari do not eff around when it comes to war. Those beautiful, yet terrifying ships all jumping in like that at once...
Vistico93 3 months ago
B5 gets a lot of rap for having bad CGI, but I have yet to see a modern series (with the exception of some BSG scenes) have such energetic, emotionally charged battle scenes. Rewatching them years later only goes to show how damn good it was.
HuntSmacker 4 months ago 4
@HuntSmacker It was the excellent acting and brilliant scriptwriting by JMS that carried the show through to the logical conclusion and ending. He set a timeline and stuck to it, no matter how much the execs whined about extending it. I feel that the EXCALIBUR series should have never been executed, but the movie leading to it was well made.
Nighthawke70 2 months ago
A great series with very powerfull words and actions
I sometimes wonder what our governments would be like , if they were balanced like the grey council , 3 worker , 3 warior , 3 religos
ladwigs 4 months ago
Great ideas in this series, but it was always underfunded. I can't help but wonder if you took these amazing stories and merged it with the acting and special effects of either the reimagined BSG or Farscape, how much better it would've been. With the exception of G'Kar, Lando, and D'Lenn (sp?) the rest of the characters always suffered greatly from piss-poor/melodramatic acting. Because of the continuity in writing and development, though, B5 will always be a great sci fi series.
AllTerroristsMustDie 6 months ago
How long has it been since we saw battle scenes of this size and scope in TV sci-fi?
Nergalsama01 6 months ago
funny how she says that humans cant hurt their ships when in this movie we plainly see humans destroying some of their ships
armymatt83 7 months ago
@armymatt83
It funny how war started because humanas manage harm their ships in first contact.
MikeCloud666 3 months ago
@MikeCloud666 That was only because the Minbari had their defenses down when the earth ships attacked
Lightingwarrior 2 months ago
@Lightingwarrior
What defenses? They have shields in B5? And why not raise those defenses in same time they open gun ports?
Are Mimbarii that dumb?
MikeCloud666 2 months ago
@MikeCloud666 The Minbari had stealth like shields that prevented other ships from locking on them with their weapons. It was tradition with the Minbari warrior caste
that they would have their gunports open and their defenses down, when they meet another ship.This was to be seen as a sign of friendship (with their defenses down) and strenght (with their gunports open). I know a silly tradition as it was one of the Key things that started the war, but it was a tradition with them.
Lightingwarrior 2 months ago
Here's one idea I'm surprised was never mentioned: attaching nuclear weapons onto thousands of starfuries and flying them towards the Minbari ships. Yes, most of them would get shot down, but only a few need to get through to cause enormous damage to their fleet. Seems like a viable option, especially when they start reaching our inner colonies.
DanPhantom89 7 months ago 2
@DanPhantom89 I've heard a theory, that in that fairly distant future uranium etc. viable materials are extremely rare, which is quite logical solution.
Triarity 7 months ago
@Triarity you don't need uranium. We've got nuclear fusion, and for all intents and purposes, it will last us forever.
DanPhantom89 7 months ago
@DanPhantom89
Do what the UNSC do. Arm all nukes and ram your ship into the middle of their fleet!
Earthpatriot117 4 months ago
@DanPhantom89 A possible theory but unlikely, since I don't think the Earth Alliance had that much uranium, especaily in the furture. Not to mention even if they went through with it they couldn't keep a strategy like that up for long and it would cost them more than the Minbari, since like you said most of them would be shot down by the Minbari before they could do any damage and lets not forgot it took two nukes to destroy the Drala Fi.
Lightingwarrior 2 months ago
The part that bothers me in this scene is that the Starfuries keep flying straight forward even as the Minbari scouting party starts blowing them out of the sky.
hildemel 7 months ago in playlist Babylon 5
Here's a novel idea, have a bunch of starfuries on remote control and a bunch of civilian transports with minimal crews. The starfuries all have nukes, the transpors have jump capability, 2 transports to a squadron. One transport jumps in, the starfuries approach the mimbari ships from multiple vectors and detonate as close to them as possible. If the transports survive the blast, the second transport opens a jumpgate and they retreat.
madenglishmaninkorea 8 months ago
@madenglishmaninkorea Even if the transports had the ability to open their own jump points it would be a moot point because the Earth Alliance lacked the ability to open jump points with any high degree of accuracy like the Minbari could. They could open a jump point but where to point appeared in normal space was variable. Not to mention that the Starfuries would have to get close enough without getting shot down to detonate their nukes.
Fbueller129 8 months ago
I watched this when I was only in grammar school, and my most vivid memory was human ships deliberately going kamikaze on the Minbari, made me shed tears.
APuzzledMind 9 months ago
Tips for surviving a space battle:
One: Don't be in a scouting party.
Two: Don't ever be the one to check out "anomalous signals".
Three: Most importantly, never EVER be the minority. Seriously folks, death in Sci-Fi is NOT an equal opportunity employer.
Violent2aShadow 9 months ago 11
@Violent2aShadow I don't know man. Out of 25,000 people only 250 survived...so to be honest he only had a 1 in 100 chance of making it out of the entire battle alive anyway.
ScreamingTc 7 months ago
"In the Beginning" has some of the best and most beautiful action scenes in Sci-Fi history.
JoeHooker11 10 months ago
was that black dude wearing a red uniform?
blaksabth69 11 months ago
"…and the sky was full of stars, and every star was an exploding ship — one of ours."
ScreamingTc 1 year ago 28
Even in the distant future, the black dude dies first. WTF!
mdnickens01 1 year ago 6
@mdnickens01 Only because he was wearing a red shirt.
fdfederation 11 months ago
just wondering why didn't the minbari jump behind Earthforce?
VIV292 1 year ago
@VIV292
guess they didn't know where they were. My other big question is? Why did they not jump in and help the fighters? Hell of a way to make a "last stand" by remaining hidden!
atlanticl 1 year ago
@atlanticl I think maybe they wanted to lure out the remaining EA force but with the minbari tech being few million yrs ahead they should not have a problem jumping behind them>all those jump gates opening is awesome but really I don't think that the minbari needed all those ships
VIV292 1 year ago
@VIV292
More like a few thousand years ahead. It may have well been a million though. They didn't bother jumping into the line because they new we posed no threat. They new it would be a slaughter.
RCTPatriot75 1 year ago
@VIV29 You had every Minbari Captain Scrambling to have a go remember this wasnt a war of conquest this was a war of extermination that was until they found out that Minbari souls were being reborn in humans.... Genocide is all good until you find out that the race you are killing is found to be the religious well of all souls of your own.
Hauntedman1 10 months ago
@Hauntedman1 And yet that wasnt he case either. In fact,, if the Minbari would have chosen any other human at the Battle of the Line to "interrogate"., then humanity would have been wiped out. They only believed Minbari souls were being reborn into human ONLY because they chose Sinclair, since he is Valen.
bluntman1138 8 months ago
Anyone else notice that one of the Minbari cruisers in the first hyperspace shot has battle damage? The middle of it's top 'fin' has a whacking great big chunk missing. I've seen this scene dozens of times and I've only just noticed.
ScreamingTc 1 year ago
Damnit watching this makes me want to pull out my dvds right now and start watching the entire show all over again from season 1.. even though this was was just sci-fi it was scenes and scripting like this that made this show far far better than any that came before it. yet even those shows that came after still couldn't hold a candle to the emotional level this show had on it's fans.. I'll admit I even cried when I watched this scene again.
valina182 1 year ago
Does anyone know where I could view the tv version of these events? I know that they used flashbacks of this in series one and for some reason I remember the music being better in the actual tv flashbacks.
thatguywiththeegg 1 year ago
@thatguywiththeegg
This was from the movie, "In The Beginning". The movie is the entire story of the Earth/ Minbari War from start to finish. It came out after season 2 and is best viewed after viewing season 2 before season 3.
RCTPatriot75 1 year ago
@thatguywiththeegg "And the sky full of stars" season 1
Nakedhominid 1 year ago
1:43-death is certain.
angrydead 1 year ago
Say Sheridan had been hit by a stray shot? Would the minbari have disappeared because the shadows would have won?
MrCanadianComedian 1 year ago
@MrCanadianComedian I don't know if they would have disappeared but the Galaxy would have definitely taken on a different form.
Fbueller129 1 year ago
choose, but quickly, we are fast running out of candidates
MrLawrenceV 1 year ago 3
God I want the starfurry's computer voice for my g.p.s.
thatguywiththeegg 1 year ago 29
@thatguywiththeegg Don't know why, but I always expect the Starfury computer voice to finish with a 'have a nice day', though obviously that would hurt the dramatic effect ;)
noisecrime 3 months ago
Hold the line, nobody gets through!
Actually that's a terrible idea we keep getting shot!!!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH&%$^*&$*^$*^$*^
Redoralive 1 year ago
the first thing i do when opening vids like this one is read the comments of people...while the vid is on mute. that way, if it turns out to be a shitty AMV again, I can just close it right away. thank you for posting the actual video and not creating a piece-of-shit AMV. God bless your heart.
silaku 1 year ago 6
This series was awesome. I noticed the two pilots from the battle of the line speech from the president both die in this attack. "one last battle to hold the line against the night".
PajamaRojo 1 year ago
@PajamaRojo Isn't that Dylan Hunt's line? LOL.
williamskidfears 1 year ago
"And the sky was full of stars, every star a exploding ship, every one one of ours"
sparrowlt 1 year ago 2
Maybe Earth Alliance have won that battle if they have use ships like Warlock class destroyers Victory class cruisers and thunderbolt starfurys
xsf908 1 year ago 2
@xsf908 Well maybe, but they didn`t have those ships for about 20 years after the Battle of the Line.
Nakedhominid 1 year ago
@ 1:37 "Mitchell, stay in formation, it might be a....,Oh My God!!!!"
erdemhasan 1 year ago
Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is so awesome, awesome as Captain John Sheridan. Sinclair nearly sacrifices himself to take the enemy with him. Good thing the Minbari chose Sinclair to scan with their triluminary and discover he has the soul of a Minbari, but just any Minbari, but the soul of Valen, their greatest leader of all time. Makes sense, since Sinclair and Valen are the same person.
jeffman52001 1 year ago
What's wrong with this vid...? It gets to just under the 2 minute mark, and stops altogether! =(
pheenix42 1 year ago
Holy f*ck all those jump points opening up :D
LittleTortillaBoyTom 1 year ago 4
@LittleTortillaBoyTom I believe that's called the "We're fucked..." moment.
ScreamingTc 1 year ago 2
Seeing all those jump points opening up was, for all the Earth force pilots, probably a bit like the old west wagon train scenario. The settlers just about out of ammo, wagons in a circle, trying to fight off "half a dozen" Indians, when over the brow of the hill come another couple of thousand, all armed with bows and flaming arrows. Truly, an "Oh shit" moment. Great post buddy...
blagger56 1 year ago
any bogeys on screen? but earth ship can't detect the minbari.....sooo y ask?
AcheLone 1 year ago
@AcheLone They could, but they could not track them well enough for weapons lock.
Nakedhominid 1 year ago
love the way the Minbari are toying with the defenders
VIV292 2 years ago
if today is my day to, iam taking you and every one with me ..cos i aint going out like that.
willobi 2 years ago 2
Thanks for all of the compliments. I can't stand the "make shitty music video out of wonderful battle scenes" trend.
weavermatic 2 years ago 116
i know you must get alot of these but i have to thank you myself as well for a great edit and leaving it intact with no extra music ......keep up the good work...
LordAzanko 2 years ago 7
@weavermatic amen to that i get hacked off when people do sci-fi battles with rock music its bullshit.
lamailegend 2 years ago 4
I cannot too, glad to see the full battle
6U4RD1AN 1 year ago
@weavermatic YEA, PISSES ME OFF ROYAL!
unytcommsys 1 year ago
@weavermatic Yea... I can't stand it either!
unytcommsys 1 year ago
@weavermatic Exactly! If I want to watch a battle, I want to see it as it was meant to be seen. If I want music in the background, I'll turn on the radio!
Steamrunner92 1 year ago
@weavermatic You mean the "make shitty music videos out of everything" trend ? :)
Azakhiel 1 year ago
@weavermatic What was this episode?
cb11082 7 months ago
@cb11082 Was the film, In the Beginning... not an ep
crystallineentity 6 months ago
@weavermatic Brb, I'm just gonna get requiem for a dream.....
Krellnus 7 months ago
we humans will stand and fight now is a good time to kill and die... we hold the line here .
willobi 2 years ago
@willobi as my father said, if any aliens invade Earth they will have one hell of fight on their hands cos as is stated in the star trek universe by a vulcan who humans have a reputation for violence which is true, just look at our 2 world wars and other conflicts eh!
lamailegend 2 years ago
@lamailegend Yea just check the history of Afghanistan. Afghans don't take kindly to invading armies.
unytcommsys 1 year ago
@willobi We are intelligent animals. We fight because we are programmed to fight!
unytcommsys 1 year ago
Great edit !
ASNZern 2 years ago
"Oh my God!"
One hell of an understatement Sinclair lol
LostMercenary99 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wtf is this
jandorus 2 years ago
babylon 5 movie
theshadowbehindme 2 years ago
"Aft stablizers hit, weapons systems at zero, defense grid at zero, powerplant near critical mass. Minbari weapon systems locking on." "Not like this, not like this, if im going out im taking you bastards with me!"
AmericanPoliceState 2 years ago 7
Now if only I could find Lando's Speech during this movie.
Gruumsh4 2 years ago
Weavermatic, you frick'n rock!!!!! I've been looking for this forever!
Gruumsh4 2 years ago
I wish someone would upload the entire movie onto youtube.
MushroomwigGT 2 years ago
Copyright infringement laws prohibit that - best buy it
gribae 2 years ago
It's already on. :P
Techincally this video is copyright infrigement but Youtube haven't taken it off yet so it doesn't matter.
MushroomwigGT 2 years ago
Best Scifi War/Battle Ever.
Triarity 2 years ago 3
Better then the Severed Dreams fire fight?
ScreamingTc 2 years ago
Does anyone know where I can get the M3 of the battle of the line's score? great to see this again after so long.
roaklin 2 years ago
The Babylon 5 soundtrack albums are on CD. There may be some dude somewhere making bootleg MP3 copies?
unytcommsys 2 years ago
Finally!!!!! Thank God you put this on here, excellent!
RepublicOfVietnam 2 years ago
This is one of the best sci-fi shows and one of the best scenes in sci-fi history thus far.
unytcommsys 2 years ago 4
Great battle scene and this is also the first version of it that I have seen on youtube without annoying music shoved into the video. Also good job on the quality, it is very nice.
Aendiine 2 years ago 68
Amen!
silaku 2 years ago 2
Not the one I wanted, but I agree. Cut the annoying crap! He is right, I want B5 with it's own music.
unytcommsys 2 years ago 5