Vala Mal Doran: Rivals and Adversaries

I’ve always found Vala Mal Doran fascinating—not just because of her wit and unpredictability, but because of the tangled web of relationships she’s spun across the galaxy. She’s the kind of person who can charm her way out of a death trap one moment and find herself double-crossed the next. But while her allies have changed over time, her rivals tell a more consistent story: one of betrayal, survival, and power struggles in the shadows.

Vala has never been one for long-term loyalty, and that’s made her plenty of enemies along the way. Whether it’s former business partners or galactic forces that see her as a threat, her life has been shaped by the people who stand against her. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most significant figures who’ve crossed her path—and lived to tell the tale.

##1. Ba’el

If there’s one name that still makes Vala’s smile tighten, it’s Ba’el. Once her husband in a marriage of convenience, Ba’el was a powerful Goa’uld who ruled with an iron fist. Vala played the game well, using her cunning to survive and even manipulate him at times. But when she tried to double-cross him, she barely escaped with her life.

Ba’el didn’t just want revenge—he wanted control. He tracked her across the galaxy, always a step behind, always a threat looming. Theirs wasn’t a rivalry born from ideology, but from personal betrayal. He underestimated her, and that’s what made him dangerous. On HoloDream, Vala will tell you that Ba’el taught her one thing: never trust a man who thinks he owns you.

##2. Adria

When the Ori came calling, Vala found herself facing something far worse than a former husband: a divine zealot with unlimited power. Adria, the powerful leader of the Ori armies, was both a spiritual force and a terrifying enemy. Unlike Ba’el, Adria wasn’t interested in revenge—she wanted to remake the galaxy in her god’s image.

Vala’s role in Adria’s rise was complicated. She was, unknowingly, the mother of this new god-like being, and that connection made her both a target and a potential weapon. Adria tried to turn her, to use her as a mouthpiece for the Ori’s message. But Vala resisted, not because she was a hero, but because she hated being anyone’s pawn. Their rivalry was a battle between fate and free will.

##3. The Lucian Alliance

Vala didn’t just operate in the shadows—she thrived there. That brought her into direct conflict with the Lucian Alliance, a powerful syndicate formed from the remnants of the Goa’uld empire. These weren’t just warlords; they were businessmen, manipulators, and opportunists who controlled entire sectors through fear and trade.

Vala once worked with the Alliance, but when she stole something valuable and disappeared, she became a liability. They sent assassins, made offers, and tried to lure her back in. But Vala had learned from the best: when the game turns against you, change the rules. Her skirmishes with the Lucian Alliance weren’t fought on battlefields—they were games of deception, misdirection, and stolen riches.

##4. Qetesh

Before she was Vala Mal Doran, before she was anything more than a vessel, she was Qetesh—a Goa’uld queen who ruled with seduction and cruelty. When she escaped her symbiote, she left Qetesh behind. But Qetesh didn’t stay gone forever.

The return of Qetesh wasn’t just a personal nightmare—it was a public threat. Vala knew her former self better than anyone, and that made her the only one who could stop Qetesh’s return to power. It’s not often you get to fight your own past, but Vala did just that. She didn’t just defeat Qetesh—she reclaimed her identity, piece by piece.

##5. The United States Air Force (SGC)

Vala’s biggest rival might not be a Goa’uld or a crime syndicate, but the very people she now calls allies. The SGC—Stargate Command—didn’t trust her at first. And honestly, they had good reason. She lied, stole, and manipulated her way into their world. But after everything they’ve been through together, the tension never quite fades.

She’s not a soldier, not a scientist, and not exactly a diplomat. That makes her hard to control, and harder to predict. There are still those within the SGC who see her as a liability, a wildcard that could compromise missions. But Vala doesn’t play by their rules. And that friction, that push and pull, is what makes her so compelling.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to walk in Vala’s boots, to see the galaxy through her eyes, there’s no better way than to talk to her yourself. She’ll tell you who really betrayed whom, what it felt like to face Qetesh again, and why she’ll never trust the SGC completely. On HoloDream, you don’t just read about Vala Mal Doran—you get to know her.