Others

From SGCommand

"I think I understand why you came back, Daniel. I wouldn't have liked their company either."

—Vala Mal Doran

The "Others" are the Ancients who have ascended and follow their rules of non-interference. Because of their fierce belief in non-intervention and free will, they have laid out somewhat cruel punishments towards those who break these rules, usually forcing them to watch the damage done as a result of their actions. For example, the Others forced Oma Desala to watch Anubis use his ascended knowledge to take over the Milky Way and kill millions, while the planet of Velona was wiped out when they planned to use knowledge provided by Orlin to conquer other planets.

Despite these harsh punishments, it is the Others firm beliefs in free will and natural development that cause this actions. They feel that if they were to use their powers for even the best of intentions, it would make them no better than the Ori. However, the rules do not apply if one of them deascends, such as when Orlin descended himself to help Earth manufacture a cure for the Ori plague. (SG1: "Ascension", "Threads", "The Fourth Horseman", "The Pegasus Project")