First Ones

The First Ones were a group of ancient races in Babylon 5 that achieved sentience billions of years before any of the "Younger Races", such as the Minbari, Humans or Centauri.

The most well known races among the First Ones are the Vorlons and the Shadows, who after most of their contemporaries passed beyond the Rim, into the void between galaxies, opted to stay behind and act as guardians and shepherds for the younger races.

The Hand are a militaristic race that served the invaders from Thirdspace, and sought to emulate them after the war's end. They were banished into the void between galaxies by the First Ones for crimes against their brethren. The Hand Servitors are their servants who appear as black robed beings and control snowflake-shaped vessels that were capable of destroying vessels of other races.