Best space battle in sci-fi

[Sionnach Glic]

If printed Sci-fi is allowed, then the battles from Execution Hour and Shadow Point were pretty damn good.

[Captain Seafort]

Good thinking - in that case I'll add the Battle of Home System. Pretty horrific, but well-written and effective tactics. Don't read it unless you want spoilers for the final book of the main series.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

For me, always gonna be Endor.

[Graham Kennedy]

As far as best goes, I'd probably pick one that's been mentioned so far, if I could bring myself to actually choose. While not the best, one that's always stuck with me was the first time we really saw the shadow ships in B5 in action, demolishing a group of Narn ships. It was a short but awesome fight, not only for watching the Narn ships get cut in half, but because they actually fought at realistic distances, with the other side nothing but a dot against the stars.

I seriously thought about that one. It's an incredible battle, in large part because they take the time to build up to it; you know that this is a big gamble for the Narn, you know they've staked the whole war on it... and then you watch their entire fleet march into a meat grinder and get torn literally to pieces.

And then in the same episode you see the results when the Centauri obliterate the surface of Narn as Londo watches, ashamed of what he's done.

[Reliant121]

Thats why The Battle of Gorash VII gets my vote.

[Varthikes]

It's definitely a tough choice, but I think I'd ultimately go with Battle of Endor.

Battle of Asuras would also be my first choice from Stargate. The Battle of P3Y-229 (the first Ori battle) would be my second. The music for that one is the best, especially toward the end.

From B5, the Battle for Babylon 5 in "Severed Dreams" was certainly impressive. One could certainly feel the weight of defeat on Sheridan's shoulders when that second wave came in, just before Delenn arrives with the Minbari Cruisers.

[Reliant121]

The battle of Severed Dreams also has a truly epic line from Delenn when the Whitestar and the Sharlin flotilla drop in.

[Praeothmin]

Space Battler in Serenity at Mr. Universe's planet between the Reavers and the Alliance.

It was great, it was impressive, and the face of the Alliance commanders when the Reavers come out of the clouds is priceless...

Plus Wash's flying which is impressive as always...

[Sonic Glitch]

... and the face of the Alliance commanders when the Reavers come out of the clouds is priceless...

Oh God, wasn't it though?

Plus Wash's flying which is impressive as always...

I am a leaf on the wind...

[Tyyr]

It looked great, and I'd love to see more detail of some of the Alliance ships, but it was just a flash in the movie. I don't think it can withstand the Battle of Endor which was many, many times longer and much more involved in the story. The reaver battle was nothing but a way to get past the Alliance blockade and not really central to the story like the BoE.

[Praeothmin]

It looked great, and I'd love to see more detail of some of the Alliance ships, but it was just a flash in the movie. I don't think it can withstand the Battle of Endor which was many, many times longer and much more involved in the story. The reaver battle was nothing but a way to get past the Alliance blockade and not really central to the story like the BoE.

Yeah, but just like Endor, if the Reavers don't take care of the Alliance fleet, then they don't get past and they can't access Mr. Universe's transmitter...
So while really short compared to Endor, it is just as pivotal...

[Tyyr]

Except that the Battle of Endor was the point. Blowing up the Death Star WAS the point. The reavers and the Alliance was just a side show.

[Coalition]

Yeah, but just like Endor, if the Reavers don't take care of the Alliance fleet, then they don't get past and they can't access Mr. Universe's transmitter...
So while really short compared to Endor, it is just as pivotal...

The fun question would have been, 'why did the Operative bring all the ships, instead of the few needed to capture a freighter'. Leave a bunch of marines on the planet to make sure they can't get into Mr. Universe's base, and try to capture the freighter in orbit. If you can't capture, shoot its engines, and wait for life support to run low/out.

So you'd have Serenity arriving through the cloud, seeing only a few ships there, but the fast interceptors are hiding nearby (to capture the ship in case they try to run, and the Operative learned from last time to have spare ships in case of decoys). The Operative asks Serenity to surrender, and then the Reavers pop through. The Alliance force has to change targets quickly, and Serenity slips through. The other Alliance ships are called in, and use long-range strikes to whittle down Reaver numbers. Serenity lands, and the Alliance marines surround them. Mal gets the marines to bring them inside, so when the first Reaver ships land, they only see Alliance marines, and go after them, letting the Serenity crew go as the original movie.

The Operative's ship would be boarded, and he would kill a few as he got into the escape pod, and that would be as per the movie too.


I will agree though, the Alliance's expression when the Reavers showed up was wonderful. (nearly put Reapers in this post a few times - can you imagine Serenity showing up over Mr Universe, with Sovereign on their butt?)

[Monroe]

I agree with just about everything listed so far. Stargate had a lot of really good battles they shouldn't be overlooked. The battle at the end of season 1 of Atlantlis against the Wrath hive fleet armada was pretty good too with the transporting of bombs onto the enemy fleet.

Also, I never watched my DS9 but I caught the series finale and was really impressed when I saw it. That battle was really good.

[Praeothmin]

Except that the Battle of Endor was the point. Blowing up the Death Star WAS the point. The reavers and the Alliance was just a side show.

It still doesn't make the Serenity battle any less awesome...