Editing Xander Toth

{{Character Data
|photo=Xander Toth.png
|series=BAC
|birthname=Xander Toth
|seen=Blood and Chrome
|pseen=''Blood and Chrome''|lastseen=Blood and Chrome|plastseen=''Blood and Chrome''|death=Shot by Centurions, circa {{BCH|42}}
|role=[[Colonial Marine Corps|Marine]]
|rank=Technical Sergeant
|actor=[[John Pyper-Ferguson]]
|series=BAC}}
'''Xander Toth''' is a technical sergeant with demolitions expertise assigned to a group of [[Marines]] on the planet [[Djerba]] in {{BCH|42}}, during the 10th year of the [[First Cylon War]].

He is the only survivor of the fifty<ref>The number is revealed in dialogue between Toth and [[Coker Fasjovik]] during a deleted scene at the lodge's galley.</ref>-person group sent to the moon to rendezvous with [[Graystone Industries]] scientist Dr. [[Beka Kelly]].<ref name="blood_chrome_script_toth_survivor">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref> He finds the team as they are being harassed by a group of [[Cylon Models#Cython|Cythons]], and saves [[William Adama|Adama]], [[Coker Fasjovik]], and [[Beka Kelly]] from a certain gruesome death.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_toth_rescue">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=69}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 68</ref> Afterwards, he leads the team to an abandoned ski lodge turned [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] storage base to weather out a coming storm.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_lodge">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=72}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 71</ref>

After their arrival, Toth allows Kelly's group some rack time, assuming the first watch.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_first_watch">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=73}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 72</ref> He is later pinned down and shot by an invading [[Cylon Models#Djerba Centurion|group of unknown Cylons]], where he later succumbs to his wounds after destroying his two attackers {{TRS|Blood and Chrome}}.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_toth_death">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=81}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 80</ref>

== Character Background ==

Toth was an experienced demolitions specialist who had seen extensive combat during the First Cylon War.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_demolitions">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref> His knowledge of Cylon cyborg creatures and their weaknesses suggested significant field experience against various Cylon variants.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_cyborg_knowledge">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref>

The prolonged warfare and loss of his entire unit had taken a severe psychological toll on Toth. His intense reaction to the cyborg creatures and his declaration that the "whole war's a frakking abomination" revealed the depth of his trauma.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_abomination">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=71}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 70</ref> Despite his mental state, he remained committed to completing the mission and protecting the civilians under his care.

Toth demonstrated extensive knowledge of Cylon patrol patterns and defensive capabilities. He had been tracking a Cylon patrol unit and understood their enhanced visual capabilities in adverse weather conditions.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_patrol_knowledge">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=71}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 70</ref> His choice of the ski lodge as a defensive position showed sound tactical thinking, selecting a location with natural defensive advantages.

== Final Battle ==

During the attack on the ski lodge, Toth deliberately activated the location transponder to lure the Cylon patrol to their position, believing they would need to deal with the threat eventually.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_transponder">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=79}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 78</ref> Though critically wounded in the ensuing firefight, he continued to fight until the end, providing cover for the others while taking on additional Cylons that approached the lodge {{TRS|Blood and Chrome}}.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_final_fight">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=86}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 85</ref>

==Notes==
*The character was originally named "Elias Toth" in the pre-production script but was changed to "Xander Toth" for the final production.
*[[John Pyper-Ferguson]] is one of a handful of actors to portray characters in all three installments that comprise the [[Re-imagined Series]] canon: [[Cole Taylor]] in the [[Re-imagined Series]] and [[Tomas Vergis]] in ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''.
*[[Bear McCreary]] used subtle chaotic [[w:electric sitar|electric sitar]] solos performed by [[Steve Bartek]] to represent Toth's mental instability. This musical technique created a subconscious warning that the character was "losing it," connecting him thematically to {{callsign|Crashdown}}, who had been similarly represented by electric sitar during his descent into madness on [[Kobol]]. McCreary noted that while the connection was "very subtle," he liked the idea of linking Toth with Quartararo on a subconscious level, as both characters suffered psychological breakdowns in combat situations.<ref name="McCreary2013">{{cite web |last=McCreary |first=Bear |title=Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome |url=https://bearmccreary.com/battlestar-galactica-blood-chrome/ |website=Bear McCreary |access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
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[[de:Xander Toth]]