‘Stargate SG-1’ co-Creator Regrets “Silly” Zat Gun Decision

⁢ Updated June 03, 2025

The “Stargate‍ SG-1” TV ⁣series, which followed ⁤Roland Emmerich’s 1994 film, took viewers on intergalactic journeys via the Stargate portal. The show, ⁣though, ended in 2007 after 10 seasons on the Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy), leaving fans wanting more despite spin-offs like “Stargate Atlantis.”

As then, discussions have emerged about ⁣potential ⁣continuations, including a movie that would have united all the “Stargate” shows.Co-creator Brad Wright has also shared some regrets about “SG-1,” including the amount of nudity and the use of symbiotes. But his biggest regret might ⁢be a ⁢weapon ⁣he considered “downright silly”: the Zat gun.

wright has expressed remorse over the Zat’nik’tel, or Zat gun. These Goa’uld energy weapons, resembling serpent-like Goa’uld symbiotes, were used by the Jaffa and Tok’ra. The weapon works in a unique way: the first shot inflicts extreme pain without killing, the second usually kills⁣ (though some species survive), ‍and the ⁤third disintegrates the target. It was this third shot that Wright found particularly bothersome.

Wright previously called the Zat guns “just dumb,” and he elaborated on his feelings in a 2023 article. He admitted that the showrunners sometimes lamented the rules they created. Co-creator Jonathan ⁢Glassner, seeking to reduce the on-screen body count, introduced the Zat’nik’tel, a name Wright disliked. While⁢ the gun itself wasn’t the main issue, its capabilities were.

“it was basically a phaser, except more phallic. One shot stunned; a second shot killed. Fine. Then one day on set, in ⁤an⁣ earnest effort to lower the body count of bad guys ⁢dead on the studio floor, he added a third setting. A third shot made the bad guy disappear. This was downright silly to me, and we eventually stopped doing that, but it’s⁤ in the episode.”

Wright concluded,”Sometimes,your own rules bite you in the a**.” The legacy of “Stargate ⁢SG-1” and its impact on the sci-fi genre remains, but the co-creator’s reflections offer insight into the creative process and the occasional missteps along the way.

What’s⁢ next

While there are no immediate plans for a ⁢”Stargate SG-1″ revival, the franchise’s enduring popularity suggests that new stories could emerge in the ⁢future. Fans continue to discuss and celebrate the series, keeping the Stargate legacy alive.