Starbuck Theme

Starbuck theme, triumph theme

This theme first appears in a track called "Starbuck on the Red Moon" in "You Can't Go Home Again," in the scene where she leaves the planet in the captured Raider, and in the same episode in "Forgiven" when Adama forgives her for the death of Zak. After that it makes many appearances in scenes with Starbuck, sometimes used a simple fanfare ^{(TRS: "Home, Part I")}, or in the background of other tracks, like "Flesh and Bone" or more subtle in the pounding "Prelude to War" in "Resurrection Ship, Part II".

It wasn't initially intended as a theme solely for Starbuck, but since she is the center of many of the show's heroic and triumphant moments, it became associated with her. However, it sometimes appears in scenes involving other characters, most notably Galactica's daring jump into New Caprica's atmosphere in "Exodus, Part II".

It has been performed by all major instruments of the show, but usually heard in duduk, vocals and strings.

In "Daybreak, Part II," the theme makes two final simultaneous statements as Lee says goodbye to Kara after she vanishes. The lower strings play the theme in a relatively fast phrase while the first violins play an elongated version above them, creating a complex farewell to the character who embodied the series' heroic spirit.

Leoben and Starbuck theme, Destiny theme

While their first meeting is in "Flesh and Bone," this theme was composed for their changing relationship in "Occupation" and beyond. It's a small fragment always performed on a Chinese erhu - which is similar to a violin - or zhonghu. It is a representation for Starbuck's anger at being imprisoned, Leoben's love towards her, her self-doubt, fears and the uncertainty about her destiny.

After the New Caprica storyline it is featured throughout "Maelstrom," where it is combined with Starbuck's own theme.

After her mysterious return in "Crossroads, Part II," the theme reappears in the following episode in many of Thrace's scene to represent her confusion about her situation and her higher purpose.

In "Daybreak, Part II," Martin St. Pierre's solo erhu plays one final statement of the Kara Thrace Destiny Theme when she vanishes after completing her destiny, providing perfect closure to her spiritual journey that began with this very theme.