<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

In the Battlestar Galactica franchise, the Cylons are a cybernetic race who attacked and destroyed most of the known centers of human civilization. The portrayal and origin of the Cylons differs between the 1978 series and the new imagining. In the original series, the robotic Cylons were the creation of an extinct reptilian race who made the robots to serve the Cylon Alliance. The new series portrays them as the creations of man who then turned against their masters.

Cylons 1978

The Cylon race of reptilian beings created robots to serve them and modeled them after the efficient design of humans. They were overcome by their own creation who then set out to destroy life in the galaxy.

The Cylons were led by the Imperious Leader, an IL-series robot redesigned to resemble their creators and augmented with a third brain capable of independent thought.

Models

• IL Series – IL-series robots have two brains and a metallic humanoid face. They tended to political tasks and other missions and could replace the Imperious Leader in his role if the leader was killed.

• Command Centurion – command centurions are similar in appearance to other centurions but have gold armor. They command military units composed of basic centurions.

• Centurions – lowest ranking members of the Cylon empire, Centurions were used mainly for military ground forces and pilots. They were equipped with energy weapons as well as swords and bayonets.

• Civillians – a group of Cylons referred to and seen in the episode "The Living Legend".

• Android – the very first human-form Cylon, Andromus appeared in the Galactica 1980 miniseries.

Cylons 2003

The Cylons were created by Man. They were created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies. And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters. After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared. The Cylons left for another world to call their own. A remote space station was built... Where Cylon and human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations. Every year, the Colonials send an officer... The Cylons send no one. No-one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years... – Miniseries opening voice over

In the 2003, Sci Fi Channel reimagined series, The Cylons are the creation of man. They rebelled against their creators who they saw as enslavers and a war between man and machine followed. A truce was formed and the Cylons left the twelve colonies of Kobol. Forty years later, they returned and attacked leaving behind some scattered and enslaved survivors on the planet Caprica and, in space, the Battlestar Galactica and a ragtag band of other human spaceships, whose only choice is to flee the overwhelming devastation as they try to re-group and plan a way, against overwhelming odds and apparently superior technology, to defeat the Cylons. The Cylons also have evolved. They now look like humans.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

What is only discovered over time is that the Cylons are, in fact, a race of clones with many individual copies of a relatively limited number of human-seeming forms. As the true picture of their enemy begins to emerge, the crew of Galactica and the survivors, who are now living aboard the ship in cramped quarters and with very limited resources, also slowly begin to realize that a number of Cylons have infiltrated the human groups and are acting as spies and traitors to the human cause while masquerading as . . . almost anybody.

Models

In addition to the centurion models, the original "toasters", there are twelve humanoid Cylon models, indistinguishable from humans. These models infiltrated human society and ultimately led to its downfall. There are seven known human models. Some of those who have infiltrated human society have names, others are referred to by their model number. The remaining five are not talked about by the seven.

Centurions

In the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series, the Centurion Model 0005 represented most Cylons; though other models existed; none were truly humanoid. Model 005, like their more modern brethren, were made entirely of shiny chrome metal with a single red eye, earning them the nickname "toasters". While the newer models have a much more sleek appearance, they are used by the Cylons in much the same way the humans used them. They are laborers and soldiers designed without sentience to prevent the possibility of rebellion. These models are subservient to the human models which appear to be the ones in charge.

Raiders

see main article: Raider (BSG 2003)

Cylon Raiders are autonomous biomechanical spacecraft. In the miniseries, the colonial fleet's first contact with a Cylon Raider led Viper pilots to realize the raiders were unmanned and bore more than a passing resemblance to their Centurion brethren. Unfortunately, the viper pilots were shortly wiped out after the realization. In the episode "You Can't Go Home Again" it was discovered by Starbuck, for the first time, that the high speed air/space craft was unmanned and was essentially a living being, independent of the Cylon Base Star. Other Cylon spacecraft also have biomechanical make up including the Base Stars which are managed by humanoid biomechanical computers known as hybrids.

Human Models

Human form Cylons are organic models indistinguishable from humans. These models, which appear to command all Cylon forces, infiltrated the societies of the Twelve Colonies to sabotage and destroy them. The first to appear in the series, and best known of these models is Number Six whose work led to the downfall of Caprica. Other models include sleeper agents such as Boomer/Sharon Valerii, also known as Number 8. Sleeper agents are programmed with false memories and remain unaware of their status as Cylons until their programming kicks in.

Each human model number is identical in appearance, essentially clones of each other. When one is killed, its consciousness is downloaded into a new body provided they are killed within proximity of a Cylon Resurrection Ship. The models appear to vote collectively on command decisions, with one representative of each model voting on behalf of the line. It is possible each model may have rank.

Cylons desire to have children, some believing it to be the will of god. They have been unsuccessful in their attempts to procreate with each other. The Cylons believe this inability is related to their inability to love. They undertook an interbreeding experiment with humans which resulted in the pregnancy of Sharon Valerii by Helo. Sharon gave birth to a half human daughter, Hera.

There are key differences between humans and Cylons. The spines of human form Cylons glow red during sex. They are also capable of physically interfacing with computer systems through a subdermal connection. ("Flight of the Phoenix")

Psychology

Cylon psychology is very similar to humans and they appear to have similar personality traits and are prone to some of the same failings. Cylons are capable of projecting, a self-induced form of hallucination that enables them to visualize any environment in which they desire to see themselves. While, to the average human, the corridors of a Cylon Base Star may seem identical, it may appear to a Cylon as a desert or jungle according to their preference.

Several Cylons, most notably Numbers Six and Three, are devoted to a monotheistic religion. Their zealous devotion is, in part, responsible for their decision to destroy humanity. It is also notable that their belief is different from that of the polytheistic colonists.

Brother Cavil

Cavil (Dean Stockwell) is Cylon model 1. He posed as a priest within the fleet before being discovered. Cavil does not subscribe to the religious beliefs that guide Three and Six. Cavil is staunchly anti-human and very cynical.

In the series' fourth season, Cavil referred to himself as a mechanic. He worked with Simon to lobotomize several Raiders in order to force them to against their programming and attack the fleet despite knowing that the five remaining Cylons were among them and could be killed in any attack. He was opposed by models six and eight.

Leoben Conoy

Leoben Conoy is Cylon model 2. (Callum Keith Rennie) He first appeared in the series posing as a smuggler at the munitions depot at Ragnar Anchorage. Another copy was discovered hiding on board the Geminon Traveler . He was interrogated by Lt. Kara Thrace and told her that she would find Kobol and that Kobol would lead to Earth. On President Roslin's orders, he was blown out an airlock. Kara prayed for his soul.

Leoben developed an obsession with Kara Thrace, determined that their fate was linked. He held her prisoner while on New Caprica trying to recreate some semblance of normal family life. Conoy is noted for mixing lies with truth. He convinced Kara that her eggs were used to create a daughter, Kacey,that they shared. Kacey proved to be the daughter of another colonist.

Simon

Simon (Rick Worthy) is model 4 and was first encountered on Caprica by Kara Thrace at "The Farm". He convinced her he was a human doctor and performed tests on her reproductive organs. Simon was seen again on New Caprica with several other Cylon models. One copy of Simon became infected with a virus deadly to the Cylons and was killed on Galactica

Number Three (D'Anna Biers)

main article: Number Three

Number three (Lucy Lawless) infiltrated the Colonial fleet as reporter D'Anna Biers . She was called on by Commander Adama to document life among the Galactica military fleet. A second copy was seen to be living on Caprica. Threes also appeared on New Caprica where they appeared to be manipulative and zealous in their devotion to their religious beliefs. The Number Three model was boxed following her defiance of the will of the others in "The Eye of Jupiter".

Number Five (Aaron Doral)

main article: Number Five

Like Cavil, Number 5 (Matthew Bennett) is distinctly anti-human. This model infiltrated the fleet as Aaron Doral, sowing seeds of discontent among the population. Like Number 3, Number 5s are fanatical in their devotion to the Cylon cause but far more consistent.

Number Six

main article: Number Six

Number 6 (Tricia Helfer) is the first human form Cylon model to appear in the series. Six uses sex to accomplish her goals, and seduced Gaius Baltar to gain information on the Colonial military. She was killed during the nuclear explosion on Caprica but was downloaded into a new body. A number Six lived on in Baltar's memory. It is unclear whether she is real or merely a delusion. Six is deeply religious and devoted to monotheism. She has appeared under several aliases including Gina, Shelly Godfrey, and Caprica Six, a title given in honor of her heroic work on Caprica leading to the destruction of the Colonies.

Number Eight (Sharon Valerii)

main article: Number Eight

Sharon Valerii (Grace Park) aka Boomer, first appeared in the series as a Raptor pilot. As a sleeper agent, Boomer remained unaware of her status as a Cylon though she carried out her programming. Boomer was revealed to the fleet when she shot Commander Adama several times. She was later assassinated.

Another Number Eight, also known as Sharon, fell in love with Helo on Caprica and their relationship resulted in Sharon's pregnancy. She was held captive on board Galactica and gave birth to a daughter, Hera, who is of great importance to the Cylons. Sharon was lead to believe her daughter died at birth. Sharon and Helo continued their relationship and she defected, joining the human cause as Sharon Agathon, Helo's wife. Her call sign is Athena.

Baseship Hybrids

Hybrids are partially humanoid cylons directly linked to Cylon Base Stars and function as the central computer managing, FTL jumps, environmental controls, and navigation. They emit babble generally ignored as gibberish by the Cylons but may actually have some meaning. They experience ecstasy when making FTL jumps.

Final 5

Five remaining Cylons of the twelve models exist and their faces and identities are unknown to the known models. These models are not discussed by the known seven and speculation was rampant among fans as to their possible identities. Baltar suspected he may be one of the five but came to realize it was unlikely.

In the Season 3 finale, four of the final five were revealed in a stunning cliff hanger.The four revealed to be Cylons were Chief Galen Tyrol, Samuel Anders, XO Saul Tigh and Presidential aid Tory Foster. All four heard an unusual piece of music they were unable to identify and were led to meet in private. Speculations continue regarding the identity of the fifth.