Editing Jeffrey Sinclair

{{Infobox character
| name = Jeffrey Sinclair
| series = [[Babylon 5]]
| image = B5 sinclair.jpg
| caption = 
| first = ''[[Babylon 5: In the Beginning]]'' (chronological) (last airdate), ''[[Babylon 5: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' (airdate)
| last = ''[[Babylon 5: The Road Home]]''
| portrayer = [[Michael O'Hare]]
| voice = Paul Guyet
(''Babylon 5: The Road Home'')
| species = [[Human (Babylon 5)|Human]]
| position = Commander (Season 1), Ambassador to Minbar
| lbl21 = Home planet
| data21 = [[Mars]]
| lbl22 = Affiliated with
| data22 = [[Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)|Earth Alliance]], Rangers
}}
'''Jeffrey Sinclair''' is a fictional character on the [[space opera]] television series titled ''[[Babylon 5]]''. He is the original Commander of the [[Babylon 5 (space station)|Babylon 5 space station]].

Portrayed by [[Michael O'Hare]], the character appeared regularly on the first season of the show and made a number of guest appearances early in season two ("[[The Coming of Shadows]]") and returned in season three for a two-part episode ("[[War Without End (Babylon 5)|War Without End]]").

In the second season, Sinclair was succeeded as space station Commander by [[John Sheridan (Babylon 5)|John J. Sheridan]] (portrayed by [[Bruce Boxleitner]].)

== Role in ''Babylon 5'' ==
{{In-universe|section|date=July 2012}}

=== Character arc ===
Jeffrey Sinclair is introduced in the 1993 pilot film, ''Babylon 5: The Gathering'', which takes place roughly one year before the first-season episode "[[Midnight on the Firing Line]]".

Jeffrey Sinclair was born on the [[Mars]] Colony. During the first season of ''Babylon 5'', Sinclair states that his family had been fighter pilots "ever since the [[Battle of Britain]]" and that his father was a fighter pilot for [[EarthForce]] who participated in the last battle of the "[[Dilgar]] Invasion." Sinclair continued this family tradition by becoming a fighter pilot. The season one episode "[[By Any Means Necessary (Babylon 5)|By Any Means Necessary]]" establishes that Sinclair received [[Jesuit]] education as a young man. 

Sinclair was promoted to fighter pilot and — less than a year later&nbsp;— promoted to squadron leader. Due to his rapid rise through the ranks, it was rumored that he was on the fast track to making [[admiral]]. In the made-for-television film, ''[[Babylon 5: In the Beginning]]'', Sinclair fights during the last major battle in the [[Earth-Minbari War]]. His squadron is destroyed by the [[Minbari]] and he is captured for interrogation by the Grey Council. The Triluminary reveals that Sinclair possesses Minbari DNA and the soul of a Minbari hero who led their people to victory in a battle against the Shadows one-thousand years ago. Concluding that Minbari souls are being born into [[Human (Babylon 5)|human]] bodies, the Minbari opt to surrender despite possessing overwhelming military superiority. Once the Minbari return Sinclair to his fighter, he loses his memory of his time aboard the Minbari cruiser.

When the Babylon 5 space station was established, Sinclair was appointed as the leader by the Minbari race who were responsible for its creation. He was selected over many senior officers, including Colonel Ari Ben Zayn, all of whom had been vetoed by the Minbari.

In ''Babylon 5'' season 2, Sinclair was reassigned as ambassador to [[Minbar (planet)|Minbar]]. He was succeeded at Babylon 5 by Captain [[John Sheridan (Babylon 5)|John Sheridan]]. As ambassador, he took command of the Rangers. In 2260, Sinclair received a 900-year old letter from himself on Minbar, revealing that he was not the ''reincarnation'' of Valen, as the Grey Council believed, but in fact Valen himself. Armed with this knowledge, Sinclair took [[Babylon 4]] back with him 1,000 years to aid the Minbari in their first war against the Shadows and, in so doing, fulfilled Minbari prophecy by becoming the [[War Without End (Babylon 5 Episode)#Part Two|One Who Was]]. Sinclair uses the Triluminary to transform himself into a Minbari and fulfills the legend about Valen being "a Minbari not born of Minbari."

=== Relationships ===
Sinclair enlisted in EarthForce in 2237. While working as a flight instructor at EarthForce Academy, he met second-year cadet Catherine Sakai. This marked the beginning of a 15 year on-again off-again relationship. Sinclair proposes to Sakai during the season one finale; this episode marks Sinclair and Sakai's final regular appearances in the series.<ref>Catherine Sakai's disappearance is explored in the canon novel, ''[[To Dream in the City of Sorrows]]''.</ref>

== Departure and reception ==
After filming one full season, O'Hare and the series executive producer/creator [[J. Michael Straczynski]] mutually decided for the actor (and character) to depart as a series regular.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=May 1994 |title=About Michael O'Hare's Departure |url=http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/misc/sinclair-leave.html |work=The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 |quote=As a result of these discussions, it has been agreed that we will have a separation, in the role of the commander. Let me emphasize this very clearly, so there is no chance of miscommunication: this is a mutual, amicable, and friendly separation. This isn't a Tasha Yar situation. Moreover, we will be handling this in such a way that, down the road, Sinclair could potentially return to the story. The character of Sinclair will achieve an important destiny, and the mystery of the Battle of the Line will be explained, both in the first episode of the new season. His story will still track. And the series will still track precisely as planned. I take pains to mention this because both Michael and I want it clear that we both believe in the show, and want this in no way to interfere with the series. He has asked me to convey for him his encouragement, his best wishes, and to emphasize that this is, again, an amicable and friendly separation.}}</ref><ref>[ftp://ftp.midwinter.com/pub/Babylon-5/GEnie/jms94-05-15 Original GEnie post Message 560 by Straczynski on Fri May 20, 1994]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Straczynski announced O'Hare's departure [[Babylon 5's use of the Internet|via a written statement]] posted on [[GEnie]] on May 20, 1994:<blockquote>This is a mutual, amicable, and friendly separation. This isn't a [[Tasha Yar#Resolution|Tasha Yar]] situation. Moreover, we will be handling this in such a way that, down the road, Sinclair could potentially return to the story. ...I take pains to mention this because both Michael [O'Hare] and I want it clear that we both believe in the show, and want this in no way to interfere with the series. He has asked me to convey for him his encouragement, his best wishes, and to emphasize that this is, again, an amicable and friendly separation.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>Responding to backlash from fans, Straczynski added: "Please do not stick this on O'Hare. Whatever decisions get made, it is up to the producers — me and Doug — to implement those decisions, so ultimate responsibility rests with me. If you're going to be angry at anyone, be angry at me."<ref name=":0" /> O'Hare left the series for mental health reasons that were not disclosed at the time.

Straczynski revealed the circumstances of O'Hare's departure from ''Babylon 5'' at a presentation about the series at the [[Phoenix Comicon]].<ref name="jms-phoenix2">{{YouTube|utUTN16rrEc|t=10m52s|J. Michael Straczynski Panel at Phoenix ComicCon 2013}} (explanation begins at 10:50)</ref> During the filming of ''Babylon 5'', O'Hare struggled with severe mental illness including [[paranoid delusions]] and [[Hallucination|hallucinations]]. Straczynski offered to suspend production to let O'Hare seek treatment and return to the show as a series regular; however, O'Hare feared that a long hiatus would put the series at risk and he did not want to jeopardize others' jobs. Straczynski agreed to keep O'Hare's condition secret to protect his career.<ref name="jms-phoenix">{{YouTube|utUTN16rrEc|t=10m52s|J. Michael Straczynski Panel at Phoenix ComicCon 2013}} (explanation begins at 10:50)</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=25 Feb 2014 |title=J. Michael Straczynski on Michael O'Hare's battle with mental illness |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwyAo_YjtdM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/AwyAo_YjtdM |archive-date=2021-12-12 |accessdate=23 June 2014 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Straczynski emphasized that O'Hare's fans, particularly those of his role as Sinclair, had helped him cope with his struggle in ways "medication never could."<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Roth |first=Dan |date=May 28, 2013 |title=Straczynski reveals moving story of why Michael O'Hare left Babylon 5 |url=http://www.blastr.com/2013-5-28/straczynski-reveals-moving-story-why-michael-ohare-left-babylon-5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605142947/http://www.blastr.com/2013-5-28/straczynski-reveals-moving-story-why-michael-ohare-left-babylon-5 |archive-date=2017-06-05 |access-date=2014-09-13 |work=Blastr |quote=What was amazing was when I saw [O'Hare] walk into a room with you, with the fans, the color came back to his cheeks, the confidence came back. You, the group, sustained him and empowered him and brought him to life in ways no medication ever could.}}</ref> O'Hare told Straczynski that fans deserved to eventually learn the real reason for his departure, and that his experience could raise awareness and understanding for people with mental illness.<ref name="jms-phoenix" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

O'Hare reprised the character of Sinclair on season two and had a two-episode guest appearance in season three. As a result of his departure, there are several minor inconsistencies between the first season and the remainder of the show, most visibly in "[[And the Sky Full of Stars]]" and "[[Babylon Squared]]."

In literary analysis of characters in pop culture and science fiction, Jeffrey Sinclair has been examined as a hero<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Iaccino|first=James F.|date=2001|title=Babylon 5's Blueprint for the Archetypal Heroes of Commander Jeffrey Sinclair and Captain John Sheridan with Ambassador Delenn|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0022-3840.2001.3404_109.x|journal=The Journal of Popular Culture|language=en|volume=34|issue=4|pages=109–120|doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.2001.3404_109.x|issn=1540-5931|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and leader.<ref name="Yost2013">{{cite book|author=Kimberly Yost|title=From Starship Captains to Galactic Rebels: Leaders in Science Fiction Television|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0pFlAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30|date=12 December 2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-2986-0|pages=30–}}</ref>

==External links==
* [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/chars/sinclair.html Jeffrey Sinclair] at [[The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Babylon 5}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinclair, Jeffrey}}
[[Category:Babylon 5 characters]]
[[Category:Fictional commanders]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1993]]

[[ru:Список персонажей телесериала «Вавилон-5»#Джеффри Синклер]]