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.

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.