Delenn
| Delenn of Minbar | |
|---|---|
| Babylon 5 character | |
 |
|
| First appearance |
"Atonement" (chronological), Babylon 5: The Gathering (airdate) |
| Last appearance |
"The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (chronological), "Sleeping in Light" (airdate) |
| Portrayed by | Mira Furlan |
| Information | |
| Species | Minbari, later Minbari/Human Hybrid |
| Spouse(s) | John Sheridan (as of season 4) |
| Children | David |
| Home planet | Minbar |
| Affiliated with | Babylon 5, Minbari Federation |
"Atonement" (chronological),
"The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (chronological),
Delenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Mira Furlan.
Delenn, an alien ambassador and leader from the planet Minbar, is one of the pivotal characters in Babylon 5.
A wise woman who still manages to find humour and whimsy in life, Delenn changes over time from a shy, respectful priestess to a decisive military and political leader. Her character is complex: she is passionate, articulate and strong-willed, but displays insecurity and ambivalence about her place in prophecy. She is morally upright, always attempting to act for the better good — yet forced to keep deadly secrets and tell lies of omission. Delenn normally does not like violence, and prefers to be a consensus builder. However, her decisions have repeatedly been the catalyst for violent change and war. Delenn is also quite willing to fight — as shown in the episode "Severed Dreams", and during her encounter with the Drakh. She is both one of Babylon 5's key religious figures and its key romantic heroine.
Delenn was originally conceived as being a male character (eventually destined to change into a female one) but played by a female actor, in order to give the character feminine mannerisms and therefore make him more "alien". The Babylon 5 pilot TV movie The Gathering was filmed with this in mind, but the computer alteration to Mira Furlan's voice to make it sound masculine wasn't convincing, so the idea was dropped and Delenn changed to being a female. The Minbari makeup used from then on gave Delenn a much more feminine appearance. In the pilot, Delenn's overall appearance is harsher, her voice is slightly lower, and her chin is noticeably sharper. This leads to a minor continuity error in the B5 film In the Beginning, in that Delenn's appearance in overall series continuity begins feminine in this prequel, becomes masculine in the pilot, and returns to feminine in the series.
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