Kosh

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This article is about the Babylon 5 character. For information on the album cover designer and art director, see Kosh (art director). For the airport designated by the ICAO code KOSH, see Wittman Regional Airport. For the hyperbolic cosine mathematical function (cosh), see cosh.

Babylon 5 character
Kosh Naranek
Affiliated with	Babylon 5, Vorlon Empire
Race	Vorlon
Home planet	Vorlon homeworld
First appearance	Babylon 5: In the Beginning (chronological), Babylon 5: The Gathering (airdate)
Last appearance	Interludes and Examinations, Falling Toward Apotheosis
Portrayed by	Ardwight Chamberlain

Kosh is a character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The voice for the character was provided by Ardwight Chamberlain, and he was physically played by Jeffrey Willerth.

[edit] Kosh Naranek

Ah, you seek meaning? Then listen to the music, not the song.

Kosh Naranek is the Vorlon ambassador to Babylon 5 from 2257 until his death (Babylon 5's author, J. Michael Straczynski, has noted that Naranek is a title, not part of a name).

As one of the older members of his species, Kosh Naranek was well regarded by the Vorlon Empire. Why he was chosen to play ambassador to the lesser-species on Babylon 5 will probably never be known. The events of his arrival in 2257, however, will. Upon exiting his transport, Kosh was greeted by Commander Sinclair. Kosh exposed his "hand" in greeting. Unfortunately, only treachery returned as "Sinclair" was really a Wind Sword Minbari intent on killing the Vorlon. A Florazyne poison injected into Kosh's appendage. Dying and attended by alien physicians, Kosh was "left for dead" by the Vorlon Empire, who directed that no human should open Kosh's encounter suit. The Vorlons also wanted Commander Sinclair to be transported to the Vorlon Homeworld for trial.

Doctor Benjamin Kyle decided to risk treating Kosh, which meant opening the encounter suit. Doctor Kyle determined that without knowing where the poison entered Kosh, a cure would be impossible. Kyle convinced the newly arrived Psi Corps telepath Lyta Alexander to scan the Vorlon. Despite the very strict Corps rules in such cases, Lyta performed the scan anyway. Kosh's recovery was assured as the Minbari assassin was cornered and the telecast was broadcast through out Babylon 5 and the Vorlon fleet.

When John Sheridan became commander of Babylon 5 , Kosh began to reappear. Kosh would give Sheridan lessons on "fighting legends." He would also warn him later in the Series that if he went to Z'ha'dum he would die.

The Shadows would later break into Kosh's chamber in an act of reprisal for Vorlon assistance during the Great War. During the attack Kosh broke off a piece of himself and placed it within John Sheridan, which would later be revealed during John Sheridan's resurrection.

Kosh's corporeal self would finally perish while fighting Ulkesh (Kosh II) with assistance from the telepaths Lorien and Lyta Alexander.

[edit] Ulkesh (Kosh II)

We are all Kosh

In the years 2259 and 2260, Ulkesh served as the Vorlon ambassador to Minbar. During that time, he developed an occasionally adversarial relationship with Earth ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair, recently reassigned from Babylon 5. He was briefly seen in this role in the episode "War Without End, Part I." His role was greatly expanded on (and finally named) in the canon novel To Dream in the City of Sorrows.

Following Kosh's death at the hands of the Shadows, Ulkesh succeeded him on Babylon 5. Upon his arrival, he took on Kosh's name, enigmatically declaring "we are all Kosh,". His first order of business was to confirm what the Vorlon Empire knew: Kosh was assassinated by the Shadows and that they had Human assistance. He first suspected Lyta Alexander but when questioning her he discovered that she had not been on the station at the time, was away on Kosh's orders, and thus could not have any involvement. Despite declaring her a failure, he let her go unharmed for reasons unknown, prehaps hoping that she whould lead him to the human he sought as he still suspected there was a human connected somehow.

He was proved correct in his beliefs, because after his diplomatic attaché, Lyta Alexander, assisted the Army of Light to defeat a Shadow ship, she returned with news that Kosh may still be alive. This vital piece of information was put on hold when John Sheridan apparently died on the Shadow homeworld allowing the Vorlons to put their secret plans and war fleet into action. Then John Sheridan returned from the dead.

Still contemptuous, arrogant and hateful, Ulkesh became a liability when the Vorlons decided to take up arms against the Shadows affiliates. He refused to leave the station when Vorlon hostilities threatened friendly planets. He was betrayed to Babylon 5 security forces by Lyta, and killed in single combat with the remnant of Kosh, bolstered by John Sheridan and Lorien.