Michael Garibaldi

Lore & Background

Garibaldi is a complex person: loyal, trustworthy, brave, shrewd, thorough, and a tough skilled soldier with small arms, in hand-to-hand combat, or in the cockpit of a Starfury fighter. He enjoys watching old twentieth-century cartoons such as 'Daffy Duck' (Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century), referred to as a 'household god of frustration' in a conversation between Zack Allan and G'Kar. He loves twentieth-century motorcycles and Italian food, often cutting secret deals with Babylon 5 dockworkers to bring expensive Italian foods onto the station, deals kept secret because of the disapproval of Dr. Stephen Franklin. However, he can be too trusting of close friends and aides, and his tendency towards alcoholism and self-destructive behavior is a constant struggle. Of the major characters, Garibaldi is in many ways the most 'down-to-earth' and 'ordinary'; he often sides with the working-class humans on the station.

In Their Own Story

Michael Alfredo Garibaldi was born in the Bronx, New York, Earth, son of Alfredo Garibaldi, an EarthForce infantryman who retired at the rank of sergeant-major. Raised in the Catholic church, he later became an agnostic but maintained respect for the church. His grandmother was a Boston cop, and he inherited her Smith & Wesson .38 Special police revolver. During the Earth–Minbari War he was an infantryman in EarthForce, participating in ground battles against the Minbari and surviving. His experiences led to distrust of pompous high-ranking officers. His alcoholism may have been a coping mechanism stemming from some form of PTSD acquired during the war. While piloting Jeffrey Sinclair over Mars, their shuttle malfunctioned and crashed; the two men trekked across the planet's surface for several days and became friends. On Mars he began a romantic relationship with Lise Hampton, who broke up with him due to his alcoholism, though they maintained an 'off and on' relationship for nearly 15 years.

Reader's Guide

When Sinclair was picked to command Babylon 5, he asked Garibaldi to serve as chief of security. Lise refused to go, and they broke up. Garibaldi became an excellent chief of security, keeping his alcoholism under control and becoming well-liked and respected. During his second year, he discovered a plot to assassinate Earth Alliance President Luis Santiago. When he confronted the plotters, Garibaldi was shot in the back by his second-in-command, whom he had trusted and trained. He managed to let Commander Sinclair know about the plot, but EarthForce One exploded with the President on board. Garibaldi was in a coma for weeks near death. Dr. Franklin eventually used an alien healing device, with John Sheridan donating life energy, and Garibaldi emerged from his coma. Telepath Talia Winters helped him discover who attacked him, and his former aide was arrested. President Morgan Clark recalled the aide to Earth, but the aide disappeared en route. Garibaldi eventually returned to his job, became good friends with Sheridan, and served as liaison between Babylon 5 and the Anla'Shok (Rangers) upon receiving a message from Sinclair. When Nightwatch infiltrated station security, Garibaldi refused to cooperate, helped locate and capture its members, and oversaw a security force including Narn replacements. When Sheridan withdrew Babylon 5 from the Earth Alliance in 'Severed Dreams', Earth Marines boarded the station; Garibaldi led security forces in a defence, defeating the invaders. Initially shown with a broken leg, when actor Jerry Doyle broke his arm during filming, Garibaldi was shown wearing a sling, explaining he fractured his wrist and forearm during the fight. When Sheridan went to Z'ha'dum and a Shadow attack force arrived, Garibaldi went out in a fighter to protect the station. After Sheridan detonated the White Star over the Shadow capital city, the force withdrew, and Garibaldi was taken on board a Shadow vessel. The Shadows used Psi-Corps personnel to reprogram humans; Alfred Bester diverted Garibaldi's transport to a Psi-Corps facility and spent two weeks carefully reprogramming him.

Did You Know?

• Garibaldi holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer during most of Babylon 5's five seasons.
• He inherited his grandmother's Smith & Wesson .38 Special police revolver; she was a Boston cop.
• Garibaldi enjoys watching old twentieth-century cartoons such as 'Daffy Duck' (Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century), which is called a 'household god of frustration' in a conversation between Zack Allan and G'Kar.
• He was shot in the back by his own second-in-command, whom he had implicitly trusted and trained, during a plot to assassinate President Luis Santiago.
• When actor Jerry Doyle broke his arm during filming, the show wrote it in: Garibaldi explained he fractured his wrist and forearm during the fight with Earth Marines.