Battlestar Galactica Characters
From LoveToKnow Sci-Fi
Battlestar Galactica characters are the central focus on the SciFi Channel’s series that began with the 2003 mini-series and concluded in March, 2009 after four seasons and more than eighty episodes. The characters that dominate the series are based in part on the original 1978 series that aired on ABC for one full season and later returned in a watered down version as Galactica 1980 with some characters remaining and others disappearing.
Meet Battlestar Galactica Characters
When the SciFi Channel first announced the re-imagination of Battlestar Galactica (first directed by Bryan Singer and later by Ronald D. Moore), fan outrage lit up the Internet. Despite lasting only one season over twenty years before, fans of the original series continued to hope that a new series would revisit the beloved characters played by actors like Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict. The re-imagination, however, eliminated that possibility. Re-imagined characters took on new roles as male characters became female characters and the show took a darker, more sinister tone. The villains gained faces and personalities beyond their ‘toaster’ images and a man named Baltar still became an accomplice, albeit unwittingly in the new series, to the destruction of the human race.
BSG’s Human Characters
Multiple Battlestar Galactica characters came to life as members of the deck crew, CIC, pilots and ordinary civilians over the years. Some popular characters only appeared in guest spots such as Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes) and others such as Kat, Hot Dog, Racetrack and Skulls are recurring characters rather than regular ones.
Admiral William “Bill” Adama
Played by Edward James Olmos, Adama is a career military officer preparing for retirement alongside Galactica when the mini-series debuted. The ship, scheduled for decommissioning and transformation into a museum, is a relic of the first Cylon-Human war. Adama is old-school military and when word comes of the attack, he digs in and prepares to strike back. He and Roslin clash in how they want to handle things, but eventually develop a rapport that serves them well. Adama struggles with the concept of the Cylons, his role in the previous Cylon War and in the fishing mission that took place just prior to the Cylon Attacks. He received his promotion to Admiral after the death of Admiral Cain.
President Laura Roslin
The former Secretary of Education visited Galactica for the decommissioning ceremony, representing President Adar. After the attacks, she was the only member of Adar’s cabinet still living and became President under the Articles of Colonization. Through the years, Roslin’s struggles with breast cancer and herbal remedies caused her to see visions. She believed herself the dying leader based on the Book of Pythia that would see the human refugees to Earth. Her decisions are a mixed bag of good, bad and indifferent. One of her most questionable choices involves stealing the Cylon/Human hybrid baby Hera and trying to steal the election from Gaius Baltar in the second season. Roslin’s cancer went into remission for a time thanks to a transfusion from Hera, but returned. Roslin chose to no longer fight against the cancer but let it run its course and though she remained President in title, she turned over the day to day duties to Lee Adama in the fourth season.
President Lee “Apollo” Adama
Lee is estranged from his father when they encounter each other again for the decommissioning ceremony. Captain Adama is a competent pilot and a strong leader, but he often questions his own choices. He entered the military because it was expected of him. He blames his father for the death of his younger brother and for the abuse he and Zak took from their mother. Over time, Apollo served as CAG on Galactica, XO on Pegasus, Commander of Pegasus and eventually returned as CAG to Galactica. He retired from the military as a Major and joined the Quorum of Twelve as a representative for Caprica (a position formerly held by Gaius Baltar). During Roslin’s disappearance, the Quorum elected him interim President, a role he maintains as Roslin’s illness runs its course. Lee’s ex-wife Dualla committed suicide after the fleet finally discovered Earth and learned that it was a nuclear wasteland.
Former President Gaius Baltar
The morally ambiguous Gaius Baltar is an absolutely brilliant scientist and physicist. His role in the fall of the human race remains largely unknown for a time. He is one of the first humans to discover that Cylons have humanoid models. Since the destruction of Caprica, he experiences a mental projection of a Cylon Six model who guides him, offers advice and commands. Baltar’s roles as scientist, politician, war criminal and religious leader are paradoxical in nature and are all directly related to his need to survive.
Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace
Kara is either in the brig or on the verge of being thrown there. The pilot doesn’t follow orders well, but is the best pilot in the fleet. She was engaged to Zak Adama at the time of his death and blames herself because she passed him through flight training when he should have failed. She often undertakes dangerous and impossible missions. Kara married Sam Anders on New Caprica and shares an odd relationship with the Cylon Two Leoben Conroy. In the episode Maelstrom, Kara apparently died only to reappear a few episodes later in a brand new viper.
Lt. Karl C. “Helo” Agathon
Lt. Agathon sat backseat to Lt. Sharon “Boomer” Valerii for the Galactica. After the attacks, they had to set down on Caprica for repairs. He elected to give up his seat for Baltar because he felt the scientist would be more use to the survivors. Boomer mourned leaving her back seat man behind, but Helo survived on Caprica. The Cylons, wanting to experiment and see if love is the component they lacked for biological reproduction, sent another Eight to assist Helo. Beleiving her to be Boomer, Helo and Boomer struggled for survival on the nuked planet. Helo eventually learned the truth, but then, he was in love with the Cylon model. They struggled for acceptance and after two years in captivity aboard Galactica, the Eight was allowed to join the military and took the call sign Athena. Helo and Athena are the parents of Hera, the only Cylon/Human hybrid.
BSG’s Cylon Characters
The Cylons are more than just machines in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. They look human. They share a monotheistic belief in one God. There are seven human models, five original Cylons from the thirteenth tribe and a missing eighth model that was destroyed.
Sixes
The Sixes are played by Tricia Helfer. The original: Caprica Six seduced Baltar to gain access to the defense codes. The Sixes also include: Gina, Natalie and many others. The Sixes are instrumental in leading the Cylon civil war and returning free will to the Centurions.
Eights
The Eights are played by Grace Park. The first Eight to be encountered is Lt. Sharon “Boomer” Valerii, a sleeper agent who does not know she is a Cylon. The second prominent Eight is Lt. Sharon “Athena” Agathon who is aware of her Cylon nature and chooses to side with the humans. In the Cylon civil war, Boomer actually sides against her model.
Ones, Twos, Fours and Fives
The male Cylon models are not featured as prominently throughout the series but consist of the Ones (Dean Stockwell), who resents his humanoid form and sought to punish the Final Five who created them; the Twos (Keith Callum Rennie) who is obsessed with the metaphysical nature of man and machine, the Twos join the Sixes and the Eights in the Cylon civil war. The remaining models; Fours and Fives are less clearly defined by include the scientist, physician Simons and the politically oriented Aaron Dorals.
Threes
The Threes (Lucy Lawless) became obsessed with dying over and over in order to see a revalation in the time between death and download. When she finally recognizes the final five models and realizes the error of the Cylon choices, her entire line is boxed by the others. One model is woken from the boxing, the model known as D’Anna Biers. She joins the rebel Cylons and calls out the Final Five to join them. After discovering the nuked out shell of Earth, the final model Three elects to remain behind to spend out her days on the planet alone.
The Final Five
The Final Five is one of the last remaining mysteries to be revealed. The Final Five Cylons did not know they were Cylons thanks to Cavil blocking their memories and implanting them among the humans. These Cylons were originally biologically born on Earth, but rediscovered resurrection technology when nuclear devastation threatened. They journeyed to the Twelve Colonies hoping to thwart another holocaust, but failed. The Final Five actually created the other models before being dumped amongst the humans. The Final Five are Colonel Saul Tigh, his wife Ellen, Chief of the Deck Galen Tyrol, President’s Chief Aide Tory Foster and Ensign Samuel Anders.
Rich Character Pieces
The modern BSG is told from the point of view of many of the characters. The shared experiences and mixed perspectives look at the best and the worst of human existence from their refugee state to their warlike nature to their politics and religion.
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