Sentinel and Guide AU Trope in Stargate Atlantis

Tropes and genres
Related tropes/genres	Sentinel and Guide, Soulbond, Sentinels and Guides are Known
Related articles on Fanlore.

The Sentinel and Guide AU in Stargate Atlantis is a trope in the Stargate Atlantis fandom..

The trope rose in popularity with fans not long after the show The Sentinel was at its height.

The majority of these fanworks feature McKay/Sheppard as the main pairing, and within these, the majority have John Sheppard as the Sentinel and Rodney McKay as the Guide, possibly because Sheppard, in canon, had more 'action hero' qualities, while McKay showed his feelings more (Guides are often written as having enhanced empathy). However, Rodney McKay is depicted as the Sentinel in several stories, often linked with his 'genius' canon characteristics, with John Sheppard as his protective Guide.

Other Tropes and Aspects of This AU in SGA

Many of these fics use the Sentinels and Guides are Known sub-trope. These may be dystopian, where Sentinels and Guides are feared or exploited, and are constrained by regulations or forced into servitude, especially in the military. However, sometimes Sentinels and Guides are depicted as an ordinary aspect of society, or as highly valued. Some fics include a special organization that is set up to train (and often pair up) new Sentinels and Guides, which can be benevolent or (in dystopias) authoritarian.

Although many things in Stargate Atlantis are explained via alien technology, the creation of Sentinels and Guides isn't usually attributed to this. However, arriving in Atlantis, or using the Stargate, is sometimes the trigger that causes a Sentinel or Guide's abilities to manifest. In addition, possession of the ATA (Ancient Technology Activation) gene is sometimes linked to the inheritance of Sentinel or Guide powers.

In Sentinel and Guide AUs, angst and tension are often created by dystopian aspects of the AU or by either the Sentinel or Guide concealing or repressing their abilities, rather than a need for secrecy due to DADT. In SGA Sentinels and Guides are Known AUs, the bond between Sentinels and Guides usually transcends military codes such as DADT or non-fraternization regulations.

The pairing isn't always romantic or sexual - a few fics feature a platonic bond, or an asexual relationship. An example with a platonic pairing is the Not So Special series (by Lori). An interesting take on the trope is Respoftw's Three's Company where Rodney and Radek Zelenka are a platonic Sentinel-Guide pair, and John then develops a romantic relationship with Rodney. Esteefee wrote Waiting for Atlantis where John's platonic guide is the city of Atlantis.

With the Sentinel-Guide trope, there's often an overlap with the Soulbond (trope). Soulbonds aren't always present in SGA Sentinel-Guide pairs, but this may be an additional feature. Brumeier wrote a poly fic What Could Go Right where Evan Lorne and John Sheppard have a Sentinel-Guide pairing, and Rodney and John later develop a soulbond.

Another aspect of The Sentinel sometimes reflected in SGA Sentinel-Guide stories is Spirit Animals. Some authors have John or Rodney scoffing at this idea, while in other fics, John and Rodney each have a spirit animal - usually only visible to them, and at times to their partner.

Sentinel-Guide Pairings in SGA Other than McKay/Sheppard

There are a few pairings that are not McKay/Sheppard.

As mentioned above, Brumeier wrote Evan Lorne/John Sheppard, as did Slytherinfixation in The Atlantis Pride. Also as above, Respoftw has a Rodney/Radek platonic pairing, and in another example, Seaward created the Unspecified Factors series featuring Carson Beckett/Rodney McKay.

A Comprehensive List of McKay/Sheppard Fic Examples

Mific put together A Big McShep Sentinel-and-Guide List for SGA. It was created in 2020, and fans are encouraged to add more examples to it via suggestions in the comments.

Some Examples of Fics where Rodney's the Sentinel and John's the Guide

• Imperfections (by dasha) A complete AU where Rodney's a Sentinel civil engineer plagued by dangerous hypersensitivity reactions, and John's the Guide who finally stabilizes him.
• Complications Arose (by brumeier) Summary: Rodney hated going to mixers at the Sentinel and Guide Center, but he needed a temporary Support Guide. He got a whole lot more when he met John, who was seemingly barely a Guide at all.
• I'm Gonna Make This Place Your Home (by darkmoore) Summary: Guide John Sheppard would never have thought he'd meet his perfect match in the food court of Eaton Centre, Toronto.

Some Examples of Fics where John's the Sentinel and Rodney's the Guide

• Lost and Found (by Rosiepaw) One of the first AUs of this type in SGA. In a dystopia where Sentinels are controlled and exploited, John manages to escape by going to Atlantis and finding Rodney as his Guide.
• The Redemption series (by esteefee) Summary: John went A.W.O.L. after a mission in Afghanistan. A few years later, a chance meeting with a certain Dr. Rodney McKay leads to nothing but trouble. And possibly redemption.
• Four Times John Hated Having Sentinel Senses, and One Time He Didn't (by mific) , Summary: John thinks his sentinel senses are worse than useless, but the Pegasus galaxy may prove him wrong. In this, John only has two enhanced senses - taste and smell, rather than all five as is more usual with this trope.

Fanart and Podfic

Some Fanart and Podfic in this trope, in SGA fandom on Archive of Our Own.

Fiction Sources

Archive of Our Own has over 100 examples of SGA Sentinel and Guide fics, many involving crossovers with Sentinel-Guide pairs in other fandoms.