The sprawling lore of "Stargate SG-1" can get really confusing after a point. A lot happens in the Syfy channel show's 10-season run, and chaos is bound to follow when you throw alternate timelines and resurrected characters into the mix. During the adventures of the series' titular crew, they cross paths with the Goa'uld, aquatic symbiotes who can take over and control the bodies of other species. Nothing good ever comes from using this ability, as the Goa'uld feel no remorse while enslaving worlds or presenting themselves as the galaxy's tyrannical saviors. They have leaders, of course, known as System Lords, who use their near-immortality to subjugate humanity, such as the false god Ra (Jaye Davidson) in Roland Emmerich's "Stargate."
Although all System Lords are dangerous, the most formidable among them is Anubis, who can easily be classified as one of the biggest antagonists of "Stargate SG-1." In fact, Anubis is so morally corrupt that Ra and the other System Lords had to band together and banish him at one point. His crimes are considered unspeakable, so when Anubis makes his presence felt and starts appointing underlings (like Osiris and Thoth) in the episode "Between Two Fires" (season 5, episode 9), the SG-1 crew feels unequipped to deal with the crisis. Worse, he decides to target the Stargate Command, wanting to blow it up with a weapon of mass destruction and frame the Tollan (a race of humans) for breaking an intergalactic treaty. Although Anubis' plans do not succeed, this is just a sneak peek into the horrors he is yet to unleash throughout the rest of the series.
As Anubis jumps bodies up until his eventual fate, the character is played by different actors throughout the series, with his primary self being embodied by David Palffy. This dynamic aspect of Anubis allowed various actors to interpret his evil in varying shades, which helped elevate his presence as a recurring series villain.
Without further ado, let's talk about Anubis and his convoluted arc in "Stargate SG-1."