For the unrelated novel series, see Chronicles of the Shadow War.

The Shadow Wars are a fictional series of wars involving the Shadows

Shadow (Babylon 5)

The Shadows are a fictional alien species in the science fiction television series Babylon 5. Their homeworld is Z'ha'dum. In contrast to the Vorlons, whose philosophy is represented by the question "Who are you?", that of the Shadows is represented by the question "What do you want?", centering...

 in the television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 series Babylon 5

Babylon 5

Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...

. There have actually been many Shadow Wars since ancient times in the galaxy. Roughly every thousand years, the Shadows begin a new Shadow War to promote chaos in the universe in accordance with their ideology of growth through conflict. During the first two seasons, "The Shadow War" typically refers to the previous Shadow War in the cycle, a thousand years earlier. At this point the one that takes place within the series itself is referred to as "the Coming Shadow War", as it is anticipated but not yet begun. This last war is mainly referred to as "the Shadow War" in the fourth and fifth seasons.

First Shadow War

In the "Shadow War" that occurred in the year 1260, the Shadows battled an alliance of races led by the Vorlons and Minbari

Minbari

The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....

. The use of Babylon 4

Babylon 4

Babylon 4 is a fictional space station from the television series Babylon 5.In the series, Babylon 4 was the immediate predecessor of Babylon 5 and the largest of the Babylon stations...

, brought back in time from a thousand years in the future, was pivotal in the defeat of the Shadows. It is referred to by the Minbari as "The Great War".

• See Babylon 4
  Babylon 4
  Babylon 4 is a fictional space station from the television series Babylon 5.In the series, Babylon 4 was the immediate predecessor of Babylon 5 and the largest of the Babylon stations...
  
  
• See Jeffrey Sinclair
  Jeffrey Sinclair
  Jeffrey Sinclair is a character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by actor Michael O'Hare. He was a regular in the first season of the show, as Commander of the Babylon 5 station, and made a number of guest appearances afterward.-Early life and...
  
  
• See Valen
  Valen
  Valen is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. Although he has only one scene in the show, he is an important character in the history of the Minbari, and is frequently mentioned...
  
  

Second Shadow War

The final Shadow War occurred one thousand years later in 2260, in which the Shadows battled the combined forces of the Babylon 5

Babylon 5 (space station)

Babylon 5 is a fictional space station and the primary setting in the television series Babylon 5. Its design is a variation of an O'Neill cylinder....

, Minbari Federation, Narn Regime, the League of Non-Aligned Worlds

League of Non-Aligned Worlds

The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a fictional collection of races in the Babylon 5 universe.The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a loose confederation of independent worlds and minor species, most of whom had endured subjugation under the Centauri Republic at its height...

, and the Vorlon Empire. The end of the war at Coriana 6 saw the return of the First Ones

First Ones

The First Ones is the collective name of a group of aliens from the television science fiction drama Babylon 5.-Overview:The First Ones are the ancient alien races of the galaxy, the first organisms to achieve sentience and the first to become spacefaring. Of these races, Lorien's was the first,...

 and their final departure -- along with the Shadows and Vorlons -- from the galaxy.

• See Babylon 5
  Babylon 5 (space station)
  Babylon 5 is a fictional space station and the primary setting in the television series Babylon 5. Its design is a variation of an O'Neill cylinder....
  
  
• See John Sheridan
  John Sheridan (Babylon 5)
  John J. Sheridan is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar...
  
  
• See Delenn
  Delenn
  Delenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Mira Furlan.-Overview:Delenn, an alien ambassador and leader from the planet Minbar, is one of the pivotal characters in Babylon 5....
  
  
• See Londo Mollari
• See Morden
  Morden (Babylon 5)
  Morden is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Ed Wasser. He is a recurring antagonist in the show.-Overview:...
  
  
• See Z'ha'dum
  Z'ha'dum (planet)
  In the fictional Babylon 5 universe, Z'ha'dum was the homeworld of the ancient, mysterious race known as the Shadows. The planet is near the galactic rim...