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Humanoid Cylon speculation: Difference between revisions

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The [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon's]] transformation into [[Cylon agent|humanoid form]] introduces serious problems for the remnant of humanity known as [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]] to identify Cylon operative from human.
{{plausible speculation}}


This article details plausible speculation on central and supporting characters in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' who, based on their behavior, motive, and background, could be in reality a Cylon agent.
:''Note: This article is protected from edits and kept around as an archive of the speculation that took place before the reveal of the final Cylon. See also [[Humanoid Cylon speculation/ColdBoot]] for another such page.''


==Needed Qualifiers for Speculation==
The [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] evolution into twelve distinct [[Humanoid Cylon|humanoid models]] introduced a serious problem for the remnants of humanity in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Early into the search for [[Earth]], it seemed that anyone could be a Cylon, raising doubt and suspicion within the human populace ("[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]").


For a character to be logically considered a possible agent, there are a few established parameters to meet:
Fans of the show are rife with speculation about who could be a Cylon infiltrator in the Fleet. Viewers were introduced to the "[[Significant Seven]]" over the course of the miniseries and the first two season, but the nature of each of these characters was revealed shortly after that character's introduction.


* '''The suspect must have a ''regular association'' with other Cylon agents''' (whether they realize the character is an infiltrator or not). A "regular" association means that the character speaks often (weekly, if not daily) to, or has/had direct duties with another agent. Suspects that speak regularly to other suspects in this list are, for the purposes of this article, not applicable to this qualifier. Many Viper pilots and ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' command staff who've worked with the [[Sharon Valerii]] copy known as "Boomer" would meet this qualifier.
In season three the speculation by both characters and fans turned to the [[Final Five]], enigmatic, almost-mystical figures who seem to have a [[The Temple of Five|link]] to ancient Colonial history. The nature of the five, according to [[Ron D. Moore|Moore]], is "fundamentally different" from the other seven models<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Frak Party Q and A|act=|id=ffdifferent|timestamp=19:05|totalrunning=78:27}}</ref>.  
* '''The suspect must not have any adult children or siblings.''' For purposes of this article, a pregnancy can be generally established as a disqualifer. However, while identical Colonial twins have not been shown in any episode, it is conceivable that Cylon agents could disguise themselves by posing as twins.
* '''The suspect must not have a verifiable family history''' (marriages do not disqualify unless a child was conceived).
* '''The suspect cannot be old enough to have witnessed or participated in the [[Cylon War]].'''
* '''The suspect does not have reliable histories''' that places them in direct association (working or personal relationship) with a disqualified (confirmed human) character for '''more than 2 years prior''' to the destruction of the Colonies.


Based on information from the [[Miniseries]], the Cylon agents began their infiltration and integration into Colonial society approximately 2 years before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. If a character has a direct association with a character that cannot be a Cylon agent, that association excludes them since they are older than the stated time that the agents began to integrate themselves into Colonial society. Note that the 2-year period is based on information given by [[Number Six]] to [[Gaius Baltar]]: Their relationship lasted for 2 years prior to the Cylon attack. There is also supporting information that [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer's]] tour of duty was also approximately 2 years in the Colonial Fleet.
At the conclusion of "[[Crossroads, Part II]]" four recurring characters are revealed to be Cylons. The revelation that long standing characters such as Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] and Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] are Cylons blows the field wide open; if they could be "[[toaster]]s," then ''anyone'' could be the last Cylon. In particular, Tigh has a long and well-documented character history dating back to the first [[Cylon War]].


According to [[Ron D. Moore]], the twelve humanoid models are based on human behavior and personality archetypes distilled into twelve varieties. Cylon agents are NOT copies or clones of any humans, living or dead.
This article details [[Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad#Derived content|plausible speculation]] on which of the central and supporting characters in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' could be the final one.


With [[Sharon Valerii|one exception]], Cylon agents have extreme difficulty with human sexual reproduction to the point where they are effectively infertile. If a character has adult, biological children, it automatically excludes them as being a Cylon agent as the precreation of the child and the age of the child both violate the 2nd qualifier.
==Clues from Official Sources==
During a Q&A session on the official Sci Fi channel Battlestar Galactica forum Ronald D. Moore notes that he already knows who the last Cylon is, and that he's already left clues as to who it is<ref>[http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2270103&st=0&p=3041263&#entry3041263 20 Answers - SCI FI FORUMS] Retrieved 03-27-2007</ref>.


Based on these qualifers, each assessment below is marked accordingly with their probability of being a Cylon infiltrator.
[[Bradley Thompson]] was asked when the writers knew the identity of the final five:
:"Four of the five were recent. If memory serves, the fifth (which may change) we've been kicking around since about the end of Season One."<ref>[[Battlestar Wiki:Official Communiques/Archive8#Identity of the Final Five|BW:OC#Identity of the Final Five]]</ref>


==Gaius Baltar?==
==General factors for consideration==
* Regular association with other agents: Yes (Three [[Number Six]] incarnations)
In terms of narrative, to prevent an anti-climax it seems likely that the final Cylon would probably need to be a more prominent character than those of the Four. This centers the spotlight in the central "human" characters ([[Roslin]], [[William Adama|William]] and [[Lee Adama]], [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]). However, there is still half a season for characters to develop and gain significance with viewers.
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: No


''This extended speculation thread appears all but disproven with the airing of the episode "[[Downloaded]]." To go directly to what may be the final arguments toward Baltar as a Cylon, see the last section of this subarticle.''
With the Final Five being "fundamentally different" from the Seven, extrapolating any characteristics we learned of Cylons from the Seven (including physiology, loyalty or self-awareness) is of questionable validity.  


For '''[[Gaius Baltar]]''' to survive the destruction of Caprica was no small matter, especially considering he was in the wake a nuclear shock wave and that the body of Six that he knew was apparently destroyed in trying to protect his in the events of the Mini-Series.
Colonel Tigh has a well documented history stretching back at least to the first Cylon War. Also considering the [[Temple of Five]] it seems Final Five Cylons somehow significantly pre-date the Seven.


A nuclear blast's shock wave is substantial (not unlike that from a [[Wikipedia:Pyroclastic_flow|pyroclastic cloud]]). The shock wave would contain rocks, glass, metal, and other large debris that would bludgeon, pierce and lacerate human tissue with ease and at terrific speeds (at maximum, 1200 KPH, or 745 MPH). Such a debris-filled shock wave would obliterate Baltar's home and easily annihilate Six's body, which at those speeds would provide essentially no protection to Baltar's. (For comparison, note that, despite his superior strength, the head of the first [[Leoben Conoy]] copy encountered was bludgeoned by Commander Adama with a flashlight, and many other Cylon agent copies have been shot or killed as easily as a human.) However, it has to be kept in mind that the blast wave had dissipated greatly by the time it had reached Baltar's house some 26 seconds after the detonation that almost blinded him, probably no more than hurricane force, a wind speed of 74 mph. There are testimonies from Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, two Japanese cities that were struck with nuclear bombs at the end of World War II, being in buildings and even in trams quite close to the epicenter and coming out of the ordeal surprisingly unharmed save for a few scratches.
It has been seen that Cylons can start families, however it is unclear how the Five came to exist. Having known natural parents would ''seem'' to preclude one being any more than half-Cylon.


Even if Baltar survived momentarily from Six's protection, either the remains of his home would have collapsed over him, likely trapping him if not killing him, or he and Six's body would also be carried away by the shock wave for some distance.
Of the 11 so far there have been only four female models. The final Cylon being female would serve to equalize this gender bias.


Six has had two years to gather plenty of Baltar's genetic material. Could the Baltar on ''Galactica'' be now, in fact, a Cylon agent?
The [[first Hybrid]] gives a monologue about his knowledge of the Final Five in the extended version of "[[Razor]]". It states that the fifth Cylon, which is still in shadow, will come toward the light, hungering for redemption which will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.


===Why a Copy?===
With the exception of [[Karl Agathon]] and [[Cally Tyrol]], who are confirmed to have half-Cylon, half-human children<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Frak Party Q and A|act=|id=hybridnick|timestamp=22:41|totalrunning=78:27}}</ref>, any "human" character could be a Cylon.


Information from RDM indicate that, at the start of season 2, there are ''eight'' Cylon operatives that appear in the fleet. A Baltar copy would also have made matters very, very easy for the Cylons in their work to infiltrate the Colonial defenses and would be easily dropped in place to escape or happen to appear on a ship of the nascent Fleet. Such clones may also explain the 'fake' recording from [[Shelly Godfrey]] of Baltar compromising Colonial computer systems in a latter Season 1 episode. Perhaps it was the Cylons who doctored what was, in reality, a legitimate recording of a Baltar copy.
In "[[Revelations]]," [[Number Three (Downloaded copy)|D'Anna Biers]], mentions that there are only four of them ''in the Fleet''. If this is true, then this would narrow the field to those characters who are on the rebel basestar at the time, characters previously assumed dead or missing, or other [[#More Esoteric ideas|more esoteric suggestions]]. However, it is uncertain if the statement can be taken so literally. The characters who are on ''Galactica'' or other ships of the Fleet include Lee Adama and Kara Thrace, while Laura Roslin, William Adama and Gaius Baltar are on the Cylon baseship at that time {{TRS|Revelations}}.  An alternative interpretation of "in the Fleet" could refer to loyalty and/or self-identity rather than physical presence; Number Three could have been telepathically aware that one (i.e., [[Tory Foster]]) had embraced her Cylon identity, thus leaving four others still loyal to humanity.


One notable question would be ''why'' Six has spent so much time talking to Baltar and then thrown herself in front of the blast if she'd intended for him to die? If Baltar was already a Cylon agent, his consciousness from that moment would be thrown into a waking duplicate, already disheveled and scraped, where Baltar would merely think he was blown clear to safety where he could run to escape attacks with other survivors. Also, since Baltar appeared to be key in many Cylon plans, they would want to ensure that Baltar would reach any remaining humans to spy for them, and having only one copy might risk the success of such plans. Further, it is the ''psyche'' of Baltar that the Cylons may treasure most; few others in the Colonies may have the level of intelligence, arrogance, and neurosis that Baltar has that could prove as easily exploitable. The guise of the great Baltar gives the Cylons a huge natural tactical advantage in that he is well known and allowed access to almost any critical battlestar location. Baltar's slick-as-oil personality aids him with better finesse and stronger charisma than any Cylon agent personality yet seen.
==Main Characters==


===The Baltar-as-Father Argument===
===[[Laura Roslin]]===
[[Image:Laura_Roslin_promo.jpg|right|90px]]
The colonies' president has been unquestionably a boon to humanity's search for earth, indeed the two times she has been removed from office have been the two greatest setbacks in the journey.
Roslin has also experienced prophetic dreams and visions (those induced by [[chamalla]], and a dream she shared with the Cylons [[Caprica-Six]] and {{callsign|Athena}}). She fits very well the profile of the [[Sacred Scrolls|scroll's]] dying leader, the scrolls also having links to other more mystical elements of the series, including the [[Temple of Five]].


Six has stated her desire to have a child with Baltar. Cylon agent couplings have failed to result in offspring prior to that point ("[[The Farm]]").  If Baltar and Six were both Cylon agent, it is likely that offspring would either be impossible or at least exceptionally unlikely. This point gives evidence against the Baltar-as-Cylon theory, but Six has repeatedly made it clear that she considers the hybrid human-cylon baby that Sharon is carrying to be "our" (as she puts it) baby. "Our" may in fact be inclusive of all cylons, which may just include Baltar.
However her dying nature, from an aggressive form of breast cancer is also the biggest cause to doubt Roslin being a Cylon. It is unknown whether the Final Five can succumb to cancer, but Cylons seem to be generally tougher than humans. Baltar's cure in "[[Epiphanies]]" was probably designed based on the assumption that Roslin's physiology is human.


In "[[Home, Part II]]", Six indicates that Baltar's and Six's child will be born in the isolation cage built for the [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|''Galactica'' copy of Sharon Valerii]]. The reality turned out different: The Caprica version of Valerii, pregnant by [[Karl Agathon|Helo]], now occupies the cage by the end of that episode, and Six indicates that it is in fact '''Valerii's''' child that will become Baltar's. This gives some weight to the Baltar-as-Cylon theory since Baltar becoming a father by surrogate circumvents the need for him to do so naturally. While Caprica-Valerii shows that a female Cylon agent could conceive, no information is yet available on whether male Cylon agents could sire a child with human females. However, earlier in the first season, in "[[33]]", Six asked Baltar if he wanted to procreate with her, and at this point she may have meant an actual child of Baltar's. "Home, Part II" occurred much later in the timeline, and it is possible that the Cylons and Number Six had to alter their plans during this time. Number Six did mention in "Home, Part II" that she didn't consider Sharon "worthy" of bearing one of "God's new children" (the Cylon agents). Perhaps Sharon was not originally planned to be the first mother of a hybrid baby at all, and Number Six was going to have a child with the (necessarily human) Baltar, but had to shift plans when Boomer became pregnant first.
===[[William Adama]]===
[[Image:William_Adama_promo.jpg|right|90px]]
If William Adama were revealed to be a Cylon, it would be one of the biggest shocks the series could produce. Overall Adama appears to epitomize a very human set of strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, he does experience hallucinations in the fifth [[Razor Flashback]], although he sees and hears people in his environment instead of seeing himself in a different one. The experience could also be explained by stress or other factors, however.


===Inside Baltar's Head===
The Adama family is well documented. His father, [[Joseph Adama]], was known to [[Romo Lampkin]]. The proposed spin-off ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'', will feature the history of the Adama family, including a young William. This may be difficult to square with any revelation about William Adama being a Cylon.
{{spoiltext|A robotic duplicate of William Adama's sibling [[Tamara Adama]] is one of the first Cylons (''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''). It is not entirely implausible that William Adama could be a similar construct, although these forms of Cylon prototypes are unknown and unlikely to be humanoid.}}
William Adama experiences guilt for actions he believe may have triggered the war {{TRS|Hero}}. This could be the "hungering for redemption" that the [[First Hybrid]] talks about (see above).


Baltar's brain scan in "[[Home, Part II]]" confirms that the virtual Six that only Baltar can see is '''not''' an actual ''artificial'' device in his brain. This leaves a number of possibilities, of which the strongest are:
===[[Lee Adama]]===
[[Image:Lee_Adama_promo.jpg|right|90px]]
Could Lee's chronic angst be partly due to guilt at his Cylon nature? Was the [[Leoben]] who said "Adama's a Cylon" {{TRS|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down}} referring to Lee? (Note: The writers hadn't decided on the identity of the final Cylon at that point. Moreover, if Adama were a member of the Final Five, Leoben would not know this.) He might project in "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]," although this is more likely an oxygen deprivation induced hallucination.


# Baltar has a device elsewhere in his body. We're not given information on whether ''all'' of Baltar's body was scanned, or just his head.
The posting of his then-wife [[Anastasia Dualla]] as ''Pegasus''{{'|s}} executive officer, despite her lack of seasoning and non-qualification as an aviator, while presumably mitigating the concerns about a junior having undue influence with the commander, also mirrors the placement of ''Galactica''{{'|s}} XOs: Colonel [[Saul Tigh]], a Cylon is romantically involved with a Six, and Captain [[Karl Agathon]] is married to an Eight.
# A portion of Baltar's body ''is'' the "chip" but fashioned in a way by the Cylons that is medically indistinguishable from a regular body part and may also function normally (say, a pituitary gland)
# Baltar's body is artificial, with his personality (complete with neuroses) placed in a Cylon agent construct. While Baltar's psyche itself may not be that of a Cylon, the addition of the virtual Six component compliments the arrangement for the Cylon's purposes.


Possibility #3 is interesting in that, based on Baltar's own research on the Six copy known as [[Gina]], Baltar's personality and guilt would continue to plague him either in Cylon agent or human form. But, if Baltar were reconstructed as a Cylon, the virtual Six aids Baltar by being, in effect, the conscience and "guardian angel" she claims to be, keeping his neuroses and guilt over the genocide from driving him completely insane--for now.
Lee Adama is told that he is "a son trying to flee his father's shadow" by [[Romo Lampkin]]. This conceivably could link with the description of the final Cylon as "still in shadow, drawn toward the light."


===But Cylons aren't human clones===
In his defense, Lee is also a member of the well-documented Adama family. A "switched at birth" scenario could explain this, as could the "fundamental differences" between the Final Five and the Significant Seven.


As Cylons aren't copies of humans, this would suggest either of two possibilities for Baltar: first, that he survived the blast and escaped, or second, that Baltar was a Cylon all along, even on Caprica.
===[[Gaius Baltar]]===
[[Image:Gaius_Baltar_promo.jpg|right|90px]]
{{mainarticle|Baltar as Cylon speculation}}
Baltar's vast intelligence, weak character and lack of loyalty to anyone but himself have made him ultimately humanity's (unwitting) betrayer. Baltar himself longs to be a Cylon as this would absolve himself, however comes to the conclusion that he is human after all. Baltar certainly has a lot to be guilty about, whether he has enough of a conscience to be truly "hungering for redemption" is questionable, however his confession to Roslin seems to indicate that this is the case {{TRS|The Hub}}.


The idea of Baltar being originally a Cylon has problems, however. If Baltar were a Cylon, it would be redundant and unnecessary for Number Six to "choose him" for her mission (unless the Cylons preferred Baltar to remain a "sleeper" throughout his mission to give "plausible deniability" in his mind as well as allow him to do what his personality is likely to do). Furthermore, from a story perspective, the idea of Baltar being a Cylon very much goes against the idea of Baltar as a traitor betraying humanity to the Cylons—as well as the idea of Baltar's relationship with Six being a true human/Cylon pairing. It should be noted, however, that Ron D. Moore's "Gaius Baltar" differs significantly from the [[Baltar (TOS)|"Baltar" of the Original Series]]. The Baltar of the Original Series was a true turncoat with megalomaniacal tendencies; Gaius, on the other hand, is not power-hungry but is driven by a strong sense of self, albeit to the exclusion and ignorance of the needs of everyone else.
There are good reasons to suspect Baltar. He exhibits vast intelligence that may be superhuman in nature. His [[Virtual Six]], her precognitive abilities, and the apparently projected environments they often co-experience are suspicious, as well as the fact that both Virtual Six and later the [[Hybrid]] tell him that he is "chosen".


Gaius is often treated by Six as a human--ultimately the only human who will be allowed to survive by the Cylons. But the human models of Cylon also behave with classically human qualities (not all of them perfect or utopian) and seem to see each other in varying emotions (admiration and contempt are prevalent when Six speaks of the pregnant Caprica Valerii). So, at the least, Gaius is treated with no less respect than any other Cylon agent by his virtual Six. If we assume Gaius is indeed human, Six's interaction with Baltar (given the hostilities of the Cylons) borders on admiration. Although we can't necessarily use Six's emotions as a ''de facto'' gauge of Baltar's genuine humanity, it does lend to the mystery.
In [[Caprica-Six]]'s final vision in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]" she sees the hooded figures of the final five staring at her from the upper level. Baltar is standing next to her in the vision as well.


The storyline possibilities do change somewhat if Baltar has ''always'' been a Cylon. Note that Baltar has never spoken of his family or other friends (other than President [[Richard Adar|Adar]]), strongly suggesting Baltar has been a "loner." If Baltar's parentage (or offspring--he is rather promiscuous) cannot be confirmed (as has been done with Commander Adama, also on this list, then the laws of physics (nuclear shock wave damage to human tissue) as well as the laws of procreation (Cylons can't quite procreate as humans do) continue to leave open the possibility that Baltar is model of Cylon, however reduced the odds are now, based on Moore's new information.
===[[Kara Thrace]]===
[[Image:Kara_Thrace.jpg|right|90px]]
{{seealso|The Destiny}}
Kara Thrace's path towards her destiny has involved many strange, perhaps supernatural events. Whether this destiny involves her being a Cylon is a matter of speculation (indeed members of the [[Significant Seven]], who do not know who the Final Five are, tell her that she has this destiny), but it is certain there is ''something'' special about Thrace herself.


==="Downloaded" all but disproves speculation===
Certainly Thrace exhibits phenomenal natural skill as a pilot, and manages to learn to fly a [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]] exceptionally quickly {{TRS|You Can't Go Home Again}}. From childhood, Thrace has been drawing the mandala from the [[Temple of Five]]. However she was also physically abused as a child and still carries the scars; Cylons seem to be more robust than humans and possibly may not carry such long-term injuries. The same may be said of the knee injury which put a stop to Thrace's [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] playing ambitions.


The episode "[[Downloaded]]" contains revelations that make it extremely unlikely the Baltar is a Cylon. In dialogues with each other, numerous Cylon characters distinctly refer to Baltar as human. Although it is possible that they might keep the information from Baltar, the nature of the Cylon thought collective would seem to make no sense to keep it a secret to each other. In addition, this episode introduced the unique idea of a Number Six copy with a virtual ''Baltar'' in her head. Through Six, Baltar pushes for the Cylons to be more human; for example, letting [[Samuel Anders]] go free despite his destruction of a building and many other Cylon agents. If Baltar were a Cylon, the events in the episode would make little sense.
Most strikingly, the ace pilot apparently dies in "[[Maelstrom]]" but returns ([[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrected]]?) in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]". Furthermore, not being on ''Galactica'' at the time, Thrace is the only major "human" character who has a reason for not reacting to the [[The Music|music]] which, to the "four," reverberates around the ship. However the final Cylon may, for some reason, not have heard it, or may have ignored it.


With this episode's end, the remaining tenuous thread to the now-remote likelihood of Baltar as a Cylon involves the manner of Baltar and Caprica-Six's relationship as opposed to [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] and Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]. If we suppose as a certainty that both Baltar and Tyrol are human, then why does Baltar find himself with a virtual Six after she dies, while Tyrol does not find a virtual Boomer walking about after Boomer's death? Both humans find themselves denying their love, only to recant their claim later. What makes the Baltar-Six arrangement so strikingly different? Why, at all, have these virtual Six and Baltar incarnations appeared in the first place? If Baltar were a Cylon (albeit a model unknown to any other Cylon, which would stretch the plausibility of the nature of their collective thought process per  "Downloaded"), would the love between two Cylons cause a "feedback loop" of emotion to spill over between the two Cylons, creating the virtual consciousnesses? Or, assuming that Baltar is fully human, if Cylons revive (medically) a dead human (as Baltar should be, given the destruction of his home and everything in it ''except him''), would such a revival cause the virtual consciousnesses to emerge? In contrast, Tyrol has not died (although he suffers a near-death by Dr. Baltar's hand in "[[Resistance]]") which may support this weaker, but faintly plausible concept of Baltar's true nature.
Thrace has engaged in combat with [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] on many occasions without any incident similar to the one which occurs between Anders and the Raider during the [[Battle of the Ionian Nebula]], however it is possible that the Raider was only able to identify Anders because he had already been "activated".


== Ellen Tigh? ==
[[Katee Sackhoff]] was apparently told she is not a Cylon<ref>[http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8547/redeye3copyci7.jpg See this magazine cutting.]</ref>.
* Regular association with other agents: No
{{spoilli|According to [http://roadrunnerdm.livejournal.com/84288.html this source] as of "[[Sometimes a Great Notion]]," Kara Thrace believes herself to be a Cylon, whilst Katee Sackhoff believes otherwise.}}
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: Maybe (Character over 40 years of age)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Seven-year marriage to [[Saul Tigh]]


===None of the above?===
[[Image:Battlestar Galactica Last Supper.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"The Last Supper"]]
{{seealso|The Last Supper}}
The January 2008 edition of [[w:Entertainment Weekly|Entertainment Weekly]] showcases a two-page photo of the cast for [[Season Four]] posed in a manner similar to Leonardo DaVinci's ''[[w:The Last Supper (Leonardo)|The Last Supper]]'' with an explanation of each character's pose/position provided by Ron Moore.  Near the far left of the table a space is left vacant and a cup sits on the table marking the absent character's intended place.  Moore tells EW that "We have not yet revealed the final [unknown] Cylon." and when asked if there was a possibility that the final Cylon was indeed ''not'' seated at the table Moore notes "You ferreted that out pretty slyly.  I didn't really want to give that away."<ref>{{cite_news|first=|last=|url=http://community.livejournal.com/battlestar_blog/814818.html#cutid1|title=What does this picture mean? Try to crack the 'BSG' code.|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|page=40, 41|date=January 11, 2008|accessdate=English|language=}}</ref> William Adama, Laura Roslin, Lee Adama, Gaius Baltar, and Kara Thrace are all present in the picture, as are [[Final Five]] Cylons Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, and Samuel Anders.


In light of her statistic-defying survival of the Cylon holocaust and her manipulations of her husband during Commander [[William Adama]]'s incapacitation ("[[Scattered]]" through "[[Resistance]]"), Ellen Tigh's actions have demonstrated the possibility that she may be a Cylon agent. For someone who seems so intelligent and far-sighted, she should be well aware that pushing her husband to strong-arm the rest of the Fleet to conform with his (and her) views would only end in chaosIf she ''is'' a Cylon looking to destroy the Fleet from within, then the best weapon in her arsenal is the man she's married to.
However, the importance of this photo is seriously put to question given [[Aaron Douglas]]' comments on the photo. According to the actor, he was unsure that Moore had anything to do with the photo, given that Moore was not present for the shoot. Additionally, the photo shoot had at least six different setups and the actors had changed places during the photo shoot, thus contending that there is no hidden meaning for the photo.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://community.livejournal.com/aarondouglas/55289.html|title=The Chief's Deck: BSG Last Supper Photo|date=8 January 2008|accessdate=9 January 2009|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref> Moore, however, later explicitly confirmed that the final Cylon is not in the picture.


In an October 2005 webcast, [[Ronald D. Moore]] indicated that the likelihood of Ellen Tigh being a Cylon was low.  Essentially, this was due to the feeling that having her be a Cylon agent would not only be convenient, but unrealistic from a story point-of-view as well. Moore's comments don't eliminate Ellen Tigh from consideration, but reduces the likelihood of this speculation.  Some viewers surmise that Moore may have meant that revealing Tigh as a Cylon in her [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down|debut episode]] in addition to the character's many other complexities, would stretch the overall believability or integrity of the character at that point, but that he was not refering to her actual status as a Cylon or not at the time.
==Others==


Ellen Tigh's celebrated her seventh wedding anniversary with Saul Tigh in a [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/112/deleted1.html deleted scene] from the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]". If the canonicity of this scene stands, then Ellen's likelihood of being an agent drops dramatically.
===[[Tom Zarek]]===


== William Adama? ==
[[Image:Zarek.jpg|right|90px]]
* Regular association with other agents: Yes (Sharon Valerii)
Based upon the mutterings of the Hybrid in "Razor," as well as Ron Moore's claim that he has already left clues to the final Cylon, one could assume Tom Zarek is the last Cylon to be found.
* Known siblings or adult children: Yes ([[Lee Adama]] and [[Zak Adama]])
* Known family members: Yes ([[Caroline Adama]] and [[Anne Adama]])
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: Yes (widely-known Veteran)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (Saul Tigh)


Of all the suspected infiltrators, the case against William Adama appears to be the weakest.
Tom Zarek likes to move from second-line positions, is not big on being in charge but always craving to be noticed and understood, is constantly trying to make people understand why he did the things he spent time in jail for, and has the "cleanest" past (no known relatives, etc.). His criminal background and political ambitions fit with someone "hungering for redemption."


In the Miniseries, Adama seems to know that the Cylon agents have "silica relays" in their brains, and that they would be affected by the storm around [[Ragnar Anchorage]]. This knowledge is not explained, but the [[Number Five]] copy left on the station showed signs of being affected, whereas Adama did not. In "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", Commander Adama disappears mysteriously and returns with Ellen Tigh. Around the same time, a Cylon Raider shows up. However, this was all explained later in the same episode, when Adama reveals that he was reluctant to openly announce Ellen's sudden appearance because he was afraid she could be a Cylon.
===[[Anastasia Dualla]]===


Adama also has exhibited strange behavior, from expressing vague Cylon sympathies (both in his speech in the Mini-Series and in his discussion with Tyrol in "[[Home, Part I]]" where he seems to concede that Boomer was more than a machine). While not openly friendly to the Cylons, Adama seems to at least respect them as persons in that he does not treat the Caprica copy of Sharon Valerii inhumanely (despite an attempt at strangling her when they first met), despite what was done to him by the Valerii copy known as "Boomer". While this could indicate a Cylon nature, it's also extremely likely that Adama's strength of character and personality enable him to think that Valerii might actually have changed.  
[[Image:Anastasia_Dualla.jpg|right|90px]]
Her first name "Anastasia" is the feminine form of "Anastasius," ancient Greek for "resurrection".<ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/name/anastasia Behindthename.com "Anastasia" ]</ref><ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/name/anastasius Behindthename.com "Anastasius"]</ref> Her surname "Dualla" may be derived from Latin word ''Dualis'', from which originates the English words "dual" and "duality," such as a Cylon living as a human - or a Sagittaron serving as a soldier {{TRS|The Woman King}}.


William Adama is the father of two children, [[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama|Zak]]. Before the conception of Valerii's hybrid child the Cylons have been unable to produce children through sexual reproduction. Further, Adama is, by all accounts, a veteran of the well-documented [[Cylon War]], back at a time where Cylons were purely mechanical and not biosynthetic.
The rejection of her people's pacifism and her failure to reconcile with her father over their final heated argument {{TRS|Final Cut}} allude to the redemption angle.


When the recent revelation by Ron Moore that Cylon agents are unique beings and not copies of existing humans is added to this, the likelihood of William Adama as a suspected infiltrator could be all but ruled out. This also throws the validity of Leoben Conoy's final words to Roslin accusing Adama as a Cylon in "[[Flesh and Bone]]" into question (which were almost certainly meant to just spread paranoia).
At the time of the initial Cylon attack, she immediately threw herself at the [[Billy Keikeya|special assistant to the president]] and promptly developed a romantic relationship with him. Despite having never undertaken the years of formal military education of a colonial officer, she managed to maneuver herself to receive a commission and a vital posting as the [[executive officer]] of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', and to become become related by marriage to both the military and (later) civilian leadership of the Fleet. Her posting as ''Pegasus''{{'|s}} XO, despite her lack of seasoning and non-qualification as an aviator <ref>To the extent that BSG incorporates real-world naval concepts and traditions, an aircraft carrier's (i.e. a battlestar's) CO and XO would customarily be qualified aviators.</ref> while presumably mitigating the concerns about a junior having undue influence with the commander (her husband), also mirrors the placement of ''Galactica''{{'|s}} XOs:  Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] is a Final Five Cylon and romantically involved with a Six, and Captain [[Karl Agathon]] is married to an Eight.


The strongest convincing evidence against Adama as a Cylon is that we have seen flashbacks of Adama and Saul Tigh in the years prior to the destruction of the Colonies, after the first Cylon War. Since Cylon agents aren't copies of humans, it is not possible for Adama (or Tigh) to be Cylon operatives (at least of the type used thus far).
She is the by far the most prominent "human" remaining who is not of substantially (real-world Earth) European ethnicity. Edward James Olmos wears blue contact lenses to portray Admiral Adama as non-Hispanic, and {{callsign|Hot Dog}} (portrayed by Olmos's son, [[Bodie Olmos]]) and [[Felix Gaeta]] (portrayed by Italian [[Alessandro Juliani]]) are very ''blanco'' Hispanics if not European. All other prominent non-European characters are either dead or Cylons: East Indian [[Rekha Sharma]] as Cylon [[Tory Foster]], African [[Rick Worthy]] as Cylon [[Number Four]] / [[Simon]], Korean [[Grace Park]] as Cylon [[Number Eight|Number Eight / Sharons]], African [[Lorena Gale]] as the late [[Elosha]], and Eurasian [[Lily Duong-Walton]] & [[Alexandra Thomas]] as the half-Cylon [[Hera Agathon]]. In this day and age, it seems unlikely that the writers would make ''all'' of the prominent "ethnics" who are allowed to live be Cylons.


== Lee Adama? ==
===[[Felix Gaeta]]===
* Regular association with other agents: Yes (Sharon Valerii)
* Known siblings or adult children: Yes, with qualifier (See "[[Black Market]]")
* Known family members: Yes ([[William Adama]], [[Zak Adama]])
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)


In "[[Flesh and Bone]]", a copy of [[Leoben Conoy]], a Cylon agent, grabs [[Laura Roslin]] and tells her, "Adama is a Cylon," prior to his execution. If his statement is true, it leaves doubt on which Adama he is talking about, although Roslin's actions in the next episode, "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", indicate that she believes Conoy spoke of Commander Adama.
[[Image:Felix_Gaeta.jpg|right|90px]]
After [[Anastasia Dualla]], Gaeta is the most prominent character not depicted in the Last Supper photograph. His double-agent (or, implied by Baltar and Sweet Eight, ''triple''-agent) cross-collaboration on New Caprica, his perjury at Baltar's trial, and his morphine addiction all leave him seeking redemption.


Cylon agents are not copies (clones) of existing people. Evidence from [[Sharon Valerii]]'s and [[Number Six]]'s conversations indicate that humanoid Cylon infiltration began no earlier than 2 years prior to the events of the [[Miniseries]], although their respective backstories may suggest they have been "alive" for many years. As Lee Adama was alive long before this introduction, and his father knew him since he was born and can thus confirm this, the probability that Lee Adama is a Cylon is as low as that of his father.
A counterargument against Gaeta, however, is analogous to that against Dualla. Whereas Dualla is the most prominent member of a racial or ethnic minority still depicted as alive and presumably human, Gaeta is the most prominent sexual minority so depicted. His former<ref>''See'' writer commentary to "[[The Face of the Enemy]]" webisode 10, which states that Gaeta ends his relationship with Hoshi at the webisode's conclusion.</ref> lover, [[Louis Hoshi]], is a very minor character, Admiral [[Helena Cain]] is dead, and all other known gays/bisexuals are or were Cylons ([[Gina Inviere]], [[Caprica-Six]] and[[Number Three (Downloaded copy)|Downloaded Three]]).


Information from the episode, "[[Black Market]]" suggests that Adama was to be a father to a child he conceived on Caprica, but he left the unborn child's mother, his lover at the time. Such a pregnancy, if Lee Adama was indeed an agent, would introduce the ability of Cylon ''males'' to sire children (currently, episodes only show that it is possible for a Cylon ''female'' to conceive).
=== [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] ===


''There are reports of fan fiction with stories involving Lee Adama as a Cylon. ''Battlestar Wiki'' does not post fan fiction (whole or in excerpts), or speculation generated by these stories. An article's content must (with some [[Toaster|silly]], [[Numerology|non-sequitur]] [[Flashlight|exceptions]]) provide sufficient basis in fact or probability based on aired episode information or other official sources as described in the [[Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad]] project page.''
[[Image:Sharon.PNG|right|90px]]
Sharon "Boomer" Valerii is a unique case, given that she has broken away from her model line by voting for the lobotomization of the [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]], for the first time in Cylon history. Further, she has grown to disdain humanity as a result of what transpired on [[New Caprica]], and, while given the duty to take care of [[Hera Agathon]], she later attempts to kill Hera as she views the child as a mistake.  


== Felix Gaeta? ==
Valerii has since made it a point to go against the grain of Cylon society, inciting a [[Cylon Civil War|civil war]] and accompanies [[Cavil]] to the [[Resurrection Hub]] to resurrect [[Number Three (Downloaded copy)|Number Three]] in the attempt to stop it. Further, she satisfies many of the pre-existing conditions, including:
* Regular association with other agents: Yes (Sharon Valerii)
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)


Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]] is in a good position for a Cylon—not conspicuous but nonetheless in a position where he can help the Cylons quite a bit. Gaeta arguably seems to hand something to Boomer in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]" before she shoots Adama (a frame by frame analysis shows that their hands are not in frame dispite the camera intentionally panning down when he shakes her hand, leaving the question unanswered). However, he did not hand her a gun, because pilots always carry sidearms, and she walked into CIC with it. Gaeta can recognize Cylon devices, and is close to [[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar]]. He admitted to ignoring the Cylon device installed on his console in the [[miniseries]], explaining that he thought it was unimportant. Gaeta has plotted coordinates to a water planet, a Cylon [[tyllium]] base, and [[Kobol]] with uncanny accuracy. He "forgot" to send updated coordinates to the fleet in "[[Scattered]]", leaving ''Galactica'' vulnerable to Cylon electronic attack after having to network the ship [[Computers|computer]] systems together.  In "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" Gaeta helps the Cylon cause by uncovering the ballot tampering which leads to the election of Gaius.
# Having been around since Season 1<ref>It should be noted that her "Cylon" nature was a last minute decision in the Miniseries. Further, she is continually at odds with her programming and her defective nature has yet been seen in other Cylon models.</ref>.
# She is not present in the Last Supper photo.
# Valerii is a major character.
# Three is the first to see Valerii and is aware of her existence. Three's quip at Eights always going to something "shiny" may be an attempt to test her. Also, Three does not kill Valerii after snapping Cavil's neck, suggesting that Three either did not desire her to come to harm or was unconcerned about her fate. Further, Valerii does escape the Hub prior to its destruction per the [[Podcast:The Hub|podcast]] for "[[The Hub]]".
# If the [[First Hybrid]] is correct, the Last Cylon is clawing for redemption. Valerii has much that she may be redeemed for, including her various murder attempts (namely [[William Adama]] and Hera Agathon), and her failure to bring about peaceful coexistence with the humans and the Cylon race.


Gaeta's recent behavioral changes from the stress of working at evading the Cylons shows by "[[Final Cut]]" as Gaeta is shown in his interview drunk, smoking, and wearing a new tattoo. By the following episode, "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]", Gaeta angrily snaps at Colonel Tigh for giving a difficult order, causing surprise throughout [[CIC]] since Gaeta is normally a calm, reserved officer even under the worst of conditions. Contrast this behavior with Boomer, the ''Galactica'' copy of Sharon Valerii, who still appeared quite alert after 5 continuous days of combat status. Note the following dialogue from the first regular series episode, "[[33]]":
Like the four known members of the Final Five, Valerii was ignorant of her Cylon nature.


::'''[[Lee Adama|Apollo]]''': Hey, how about you, Boomer? [[Cottle|Doc]] tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.
The only downside to this theory is that Valerii is part of the [[Number Eight]] model line. However, given that the Final Five are "fundamentally different," this yet to be explained fundamental difference may be able to explain this. Further, none of the Final Five have model numbers, and are thus outside the Significant Seven's mainstream; the Five may have infiltrated Cylon society as well in some way, just the same way Tigh and the others were able to infiltrate human society dating back to at least 30 years pre-[[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Fall]].
::'''Boomer''': I'm tired, like everybody else.
::'''Apollo''': You never seem it.
::'''[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]''': 'Cause she's a Cylon.
::'''Boomer''': You're just gonna make me come over there and kick your ass, aren't you?


While even Cylon agents develop severe behavioral and physiological issues after extended work and abuse ([[Number Six#Gina|Pegasus]]), Cylon agents appear to be more resilient than humans, which may limit the likelihood of Gaeta's possible Cylon connection. On the other hand, if he were a Cylon, Gaeta's human personality may have finally been overtaxed by that time, suggesting that an actual human might have snapped earlier in their exodus in contrast.
===[[Virtual beings]]===


In the end, Gaeta's likelihood as a Cylon operative may be in doubt over one key element: The Cylons appear to have integrated human agents into the Colonies no earlier than 2 years before the events of the Mini-Series. Gaeta has served on ''Galactica'' with Commander Adama for three years ([[Miniseries]]). Since humanoid Cylons are not clones of actual humans, the likelihood of Gaeta as a Cylon agent would depend on the start of Cylon agent introduction.
The virtual beings (possibly including the [[virtual Leoben]]) may actually be a single entity, the final Cylon being more spiritual than corporal. Virtual Six claims to be an angel from the Cylon God, which could be roughly correlated with the "the five priests devoted to the one whose name cannot be spoken" from [[Pythia]]. The overall actions of these beings seem to be neither pro-Cylon or pro-human, which fits with the Final five being a third party in the dynamic of the battle.


== Jammer? ==
None of the other final five have shown similar characteristics to this, and there is no particular reason to suggest the final Cylon is greatly different from his or her four "siblings". When Number Three sees her vision of the final five in the [[Opera House]] (a vision repeated for other characters, thus not simply in her mind) they are five humanoid figures in white robes, at least one of which is known to her.
* Regular association with other agents: Yes (Sharon Valerii, as deck specialist)
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: No


[[Jammer]] has exhibited suspicious actions numerous times.  Along with [[Cally]] and [[Socinus]], he serves under Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] on the [[Hangar Deck|hangar deck]].  Jammer consistently makes remarks that seem to be trying to divide the humans against each other.  When it was revealed to the Fleet that Cylons now can look like humans in "[[Litmus]]", he kept arguing that everyone should stop trusting each other and that it was "every man for himself now", while Socinus said that if they didn't trust each other they wouldn't survive.  Cally even pointed out that Jammer's kind of thinking is ''exactly'' what the Cylons want:  for everyone to become suspicious and paranoid.  Jammer keeps doing this through the second season:  when Tyrol is accused of being a Cylon in "[[Resistance]]" he immediately yells at Cally that the Chief must be a Cylon.  Whenever Jammer appears he seems to be trying to sow mistrust among the crew.  Also, he told the emotionally unstable Cally that she should be angry at "Boomer" (the first Sharon Valerii copy) not himself, for Tyrol's being suspected, and that she should take it up with Boomer. Jammer can then be seen as having manipulated Cally into killing Boomer (Cally need not be a Cylon; Jammer could tell she was suffering from post-traumatic stress after Kobol and that she would go after Boomer if he suggested it to her). 
===More Esoteric ideas===


One of the biggest pieces of evidence against Jammer is that when ''Galactica'' was boarded by Cylon Centurions in "[[Valley of Darkness]]", Apollo and his group of marines found him hiding in a small arms locker, completely unharmed, although the room was littered with the corpses of crewmen the Cylons had killed.  He claimed to have just hid then snuck inside, but perhaps he was already there and the Centurions spared him because they knew he was a Cylon as well. [[Anastasia Dualla]] was also found alive in a room filled with dead crewmen, but she was in the lavatory, which isn't a vital area of the ship, while Jammer was in a small arms locker.  Further, Dualla was wounded; she had a light concussion and presumably a Centurion knocked her unconscious, assumed she was dead, and moved on. Jammer was just standing around inside of the weapons locker.
The final Cylon is
*on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] or the entire population of Earth are copies of the last Cylon.
*dead.
*a deceased character known to the audience.
*[[God (RDM)|God]] or some other divine entity.  Note that [[God_%28RDM%29#Official_statements|an early draft of the Season 1 cliffhanger]] was to depict [[Virtual Six]] taking Baltar to see, not the hybrid infant as was ultimately filmed, but [[Dirk Benedict]] as [[God_%28RDM%29#Official_statements|God]].
*a single, somehow distinct, copy of a known Cylon - such as Boomer, analyzed above.
*one of the [[Hybrid]]s.
*a character to be featured in ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'' such as [[Zoe Graystone]] or [[Tamara Adama]].


Jammer continues to exhibit pessimistic, counterproductive, and morale-draining behavior.  When Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] was trying to construct the [[Blackbird]], he vocally tried to convince the other deckhands that it couldn't be done and it wasn't worth trying.  He may have done this to undermine the military assets of ''Galactica'':  the Cylons may be hoping to wear down ''Galactica's'' Viper numbers through gradual attrition, while because the Cylons have dedicated manufacturing capabilities for Raiders on the [[Cylon homeworld]] and possibly on basestars, Raiders are easily replaceable.  With this in mind, the last thing the Cylons would want is for ''Galactica'' to start constructing her own replacement fighters ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
If Jammer isn't a Cylon, he's a useful idiot.
 
== Bell? ==
* Regular association with other agents: Yes ([[D'anna Biers]])
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: No
 
D'anna Biers' [[Bell|cameraman/assistant]] is another possible candidate for a Cylon infiltrator, as he has been shown willingly taking part in the same devious and manipulative activities as D'anna Biers ([[Final Cut]]).  Whether he is a Cylon working in tandem with Biers, or just a nosy human journalist following his superior’s equally devious wishes has yet to be determined.
 
Bell's speculation as a Cylon agent is questionable based on some of his actions in "Final Cut." When he is free of D'anna Biers, he doesn't film sensitive, if seemingly trivial data. He overlooks the carbon dioxide scrubbers (A potential Cylon infiltator target). In addition, instead of filming the [[Hangar Deck]] after the destruction of the two [[Raider]]s, Bell focuses on Apollo's post-flight check.
 
== Billy Keikeya? ==
* Regular association with other agents: No
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: No.
 
[[Billy Keikeya]] might also be a Cylon due to the relative lack of confirmation surrounding his character.  In a deleted scene in the Miniseries, it is revealed that Roslin met Billy for the first time when she boarded Colonial One to travel to Galactica; thus he presence can only be "confirmed" immediately before the attack, far short of even the 2 years that Number Six and Boomer had infiltrated the Colonies.  Virtually nothing can be confirmed about Billy; although he states in the Miniseries that his parents and siblings were living on Picon when it was nuked, we really only have his word for it and no way to confirm that these were actual facts.  Everyone just takes Billy's word for it.  Billy has also stated (in deleted scenes in "[[Home, Part II]]") that he is an atheist.  Again, he could simply be behaving  based on implanted false memories that form a fake personality crafted by the Cylons, and it would be an ironic twist if an atheist character was revealed to belong to a race of religious zealots.  That being said, the most recently revealed Cylon agent, [[Cavil]], also exhibts athestic or agnostic tendencies, explicidly stating that "there is no [[God]]" when interogated by Roslin and Adama.
 
Billy could be a Cylon that was sent to keep tabs on Laura Roslin during the attack; Roslin was a viable target due to her status as a high-ranking government official.  In an interesting deleted scene in "[[Fragged]]" Billy appears in one of Roslin's dreams as a manifestation of her own doubts and fears.  In the dream he antagonisticlly taunts her for her faith in the [[Sacred Scrolls]] and [[Kara Thrace]] then stabs her in the heart with a knife afterwhich she wakes up screaming in terror.  Given the prophetic conotations of Roslin's previous dreams and visions this could ''possibly'' be taken as evidence for Keikeya being a Cylon, however like most deleted material its canonicity is tenative at best. <br>
 
The character of Billy Keikeya dies in the episode, "[[Sacrifice]]." As only Cylon agents can "return from the dead," the argument for Keikeya as a Cylon agent is effectively invalid unless the character appears in a present-time (non-flashback) episode of the series, which would confirm Keikeya's true nature.  Although he might not appear as a regular again, he might appear in a later episode as a guest star to reveal that he was a Cylon the whole time.
 
<!-- == Anders? ==
* Regular association with other agents: Unkown (Does live on Cylon occupied Caprica)
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Witnessed/participated in Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unkown (Was Pyramid Ball player but not known for how long)
 
Starbuck killed the doctor copy of [[Simon]] because he called her "Starbuck". He also said that Anders brought her to the hospital after the attack. Sharon II said they knew all about Starbuck and had a plan for her. Anders could be known to Sharon II as a cylon, but as Bill Adama said, Sharon has been helping them (the fleet) to save herself. Revealing Anders would not accomplish that end. If cylon replicants are to be stereotypical, can you think of anything more analogous to the jock? For a replicant cylon to kill other cylons would not be a problem as all cylons are reincarnated. Building new centurians (and raiders) would not be difficult for the cylon war machine, one would assume.
I've only seen up to Episode 15 - Scar, and Anders' memory is still alive. How does it fair in future episodes? Unless all ties with Caprica have been cut, Anders could well prove an interseting development. -->


[[Category:A to Z]]
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[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
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Latest revision as of 05:07, 21 February 2024

This article is based on plausible speculation, which can violate policies on fan-generated theories if analysis is taken too far.


Note: This article is protected from edits and kept around as an archive of the speculation that took place before the reveal of the final Cylon. See also Humanoid Cylon speculation/ColdBoot for another such page.

The Cylon evolution into twelve distinct humanoid models introduced a serious problem for the remnants of humanity in the Fleet. Early into the search for Earth, it seemed that anyone could be a Cylon, raising doubt and suspicion within the human populace ("Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down").

Fans of the show are rife with speculation about who could be a Cylon infiltrator in the Fleet. Viewers were introduced to the "Significant Seven" over the course of the miniseries and the first two season, but the nature of each of these characters was revealed shortly after that character's introduction.

In season three the speculation by both characters and fans turned to the Final Five, enigmatic, almost-mystical figures who seem to have a link to ancient Colonial history. The nature of the five, according to Moore, is "fundamentally different" from the other seven models[1].

At the conclusion of "Crossroads, Part II" four recurring characters are revealed to be Cylons. The revelation that long standing characters such as Colonel Tigh and Chief Tyrol are Cylons blows the field wide open; if they could be "toasters," then anyone could be the last Cylon. In particular, Tigh has a long and well-documented character history dating back to the first Cylon War.

This article details plausible speculation on which of the central and supporting characters in Battlestar Galactica could be the final one.

Clues from Official Sources[edit]

During a Q&A session on the official Sci Fi channel Battlestar Galactica forum Ronald D. Moore notes that he already knows who the last Cylon is, and that he's already left clues as to who it is[2].

Bradley Thompson was asked when the writers knew the identity of the final five:

"Four of the five were recent. If memory serves, the fifth (which may change) we've been kicking around since about the end of Season One."[3]

General factors for consideration[edit]

In terms of narrative, to prevent an anti-climax it seems likely that the final Cylon would probably need to be a more prominent character than those of the Four. This centers the spotlight in the central "human" characters (Roslin, William and Lee Adama, Baltar and Starbuck). However, there is still half a season for characters to develop and gain significance with viewers.

With the Final Five being "fundamentally different" from the Seven, extrapolating any characteristics we learned of Cylons from the Seven (including physiology, loyalty or self-awareness) is of questionable validity.

Colonel Tigh has a well documented history stretching back at least to the first Cylon War. Also considering the Temple of Five it seems Final Five Cylons somehow significantly pre-date the Seven.

It has been seen that Cylons can start families, however it is unclear how the Five came to exist. Having known natural parents would seem to preclude one being any more than half-Cylon.

Of the 11 so far there have been only four female models. The final Cylon being female would serve to equalize this gender bias.

The first Hybrid gives a monologue about his knowledge of the Final Five in the extended version of "Razor". It states that the fifth Cylon, which is still in shadow, will come toward the light, hungering for redemption which will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.

With the exception of Karl Agathon and Cally Tyrol, who are confirmed to have half-Cylon, half-human children[4], any "human" character could be a Cylon.

In "Revelations," D'Anna Biers, mentions that there are only four of them in the Fleet. If this is true, then this would narrow the field to those characters who are on the rebel basestar at the time, characters previously assumed dead or missing, or other more esoteric suggestions. However, it is uncertain if the statement can be taken so literally. The characters who are on Galactica or other ships of the Fleet include Lee Adama and Kara Thrace, while Laura Roslin, William Adama and Gaius Baltar are on the Cylon baseship at that time (TRS: "Revelations"). An alternative interpretation of "in the Fleet" could refer to loyalty and/or self-identity rather than physical presence; Number Three could have been telepathically aware that one (i.e., Tory Foster) had embraced her Cylon identity, thus leaving four others still loyal to humanity.

Main Characters[edit]

Laura Roslin[edit]

The colonies' president has been unquestionably a boon to humanity's search for earth, indeed the two times she has been removed from office have been the two greatest setbacks in the journey.

Roslin has also experienced prophetic dreams and visions (those induced by chamalla, and a dream she shared with the Cylons Caprica-Six and Sharon "Athena" Agathon). She fits very well the profile of the scroll's dying leader, the scrolls also having links to other more mystical elements of the series, including the Temple of Five.

However her dying nature, from an aggressive form of breast cancer is also the biggest cause to doubt Roslin being a Cylon. It is unknown whether the Final Five can succumb to cancer, but Cylons seem to be generally tougher than humans. Baltar's cure in "Epiphanies" was probably designed based on the assumption that Roslin's physiology is human.

William Adama[edit]

If William Adama were revealed to be a Cylon, it would be one of the biggest shocks the series could produce. Overall Adama appears to epitomize a very human set of strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, he does experience hallucinations in the fifth Razor Flashback, although he sees and hears people in his environment instead of seeing himself in a different one. The experience could also be explained by stress or other factors, however.

The Adama family is well documented. His father, Joseph Adama, was known to Romo Lampkin. The proposed spin-off Caprica, will feature the history of the Adama family, including a young William. This may be difficult to square with any revelation about William Adama being a Cylon.

Spoiler follows, highlight to read.
A robotic duplicate of William Adama's sibling Tamara Adama is one of the first Cylons (Caprica). It is not entirely implausible that William Adama could be a similar construct, although these forms of Cylon prototypes are unknown and unlikely to be humanoid.

William Adama experiences guilt for actions he believe may have triggered the war (TRS: "Hero"). This could be the "hungering for redemption" that the First Hybrid talks about (see above).

Lee Adama[edit]

Could Lee's chronic angst be partly due to guilt at his Cylon nature? Was the Leoben who said "Adama's a Cylon" (TRS: "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down") referring to Lee? (Note: The writers hadn't decided on the identity of the final Cylon at that point. Moreover, if Adama were a member of the Final Five, Leoben would not know this.) He might project in "Resurrection Ship, Part II," although this is more likely an oxygen deprivation induced hallucination.

The posting of his then-wife Anastasia Dualla as Pegasus's executive officer, despite her lack of seasoning and non-qualification as an aviator, while presumably mitigating the concerns about a junior having undue influence with the commander, also mirrors the placement of Galactica's XOs: Colonel Saul Tigh, a Cylon is romantically involved with a Six, and Captain Karl Agathon is married to an Eight.

Lee Adama is told that he is "a son trying to flee his father's shadow" by Romo Lampkin. This conceivably could link with the description of the final Cylon as "still in shadow, drawn toward the light."

In his defense, Lee is also a member of the well-documented Adama family. A "switched at birth" scenario could explain this, as could the "fundamental differences" between the Final Five and the Significant Seven.

Gaius Baltar[edit]

Main article: Baltar as Cylon speculation

Baltar's vast intelligence, weak character and lack of loyalty to anyone but himself have made him ultimately humanity's (unwitting) betrayer. Baltar himself longs to be a Cylon as this would absolve himself, however comes to the conclusion that he is human after all. Baltar certainly has a lot to be guilty about, whether he has enough of a conscience to be truly "hungering for redemption" is questionable, however his confession to Roslin seems to indicate that this is the case (TRS: "The Hub").

There are good reasons to suspect Baltar. He exhibits vast intelligence that may be superhuman in nature. His Virtual Six, her precognitive abilities, and the apparently projected environments they often co-experience are suspicious, as well as the fact that both Virtual Six and later the Hybrid tell him that he is "chosen".

In Caprica-Six's final vision in "Crossroads, Part II" she sees the hooded figures of the final five staring at her from the upper level. Baltar is standing next to her in the vision as well.

Kara Thrace[edit]

See also: The Destiny

Kara Thrace's path towards her destiny has involved many strange, perhaps supernatural events. Whether this destiny involves her being a Cylon is a matter of speculation (indeed members of the Significant Seven, who do not know who the Final Five are, tell her that she has this destiny), but it is certain there is something special about Thrace herself.

Certainly Thrace exhibits phenomenal natural skill as a pilot, and manages to learn to fly a Raider exceptionally quickly (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again"). From childhood, Thrace has been drawing the mandala from the Temple of Five. However she was also physically abused as a child and still carries the scars; Cylons seem to be more robust than humans and possibly may not carry such long-term injuries. The same may be said of the knee injury which put a stop to Thrace's Pyramid playing ambitions.

Most strikingly, the ace pilot apparently dies in "Maelstrom" but returns (resurrected?) in "Crossroads, Part II". Furthermore, not being on Galactica at the time, Thrace is the only major "human" character who has a reason for not reacting to the music which, to the "four," reverberates around the ship. However the final Cylon may, for some reason, not have heard it, or may have ignored it.

Thrace has engaged in combat with Raiders on many occasions without any incident similar to the one which occurs between Anders and the Raider during the Battle of the Ionian Nebula, however it is possible that the Raider was only able to identify Anders because he had already been "activated".

Katee Sackhoff was apparently told she is not a Cylon[5].

None of the above?[edit]

"The Last Supper"
See also: The Last Supper

The January 2008 edition of Entertainment Weekly showcases a two-page photo of the cast for Season Four posed in a manner similar to Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper with an explanation of each character's pose/position provided by Ron Moore. Near the far left of the table a space is left vacant and a cup sits on the table marking the absent character's intended place. Moore tells EW that "We have not yet revealed the final [unknown] Cylon." and when asked if there was a possibility that the final Cylon was indeed not seated at the table Moore notes "You ferreted that out pretty slyly. I didn't really want to give that away."[6] William Adama, Laura Roslin, Lee Adama, Gaius Baltar, and Kara Thrace are all present in the picture, as are Final Five Cylons Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, and Samuel Anders.

However, the importance of this photo is seriously put to question given Aaron Douglas' comments on the photo. According to the actor, he was unsure that Moore had anything to do with the photo, given that Moore was not present for the shoot. Additionally, the photo shoot had at least six different setups and the actors had changed places during the photo shoot, thus contending that there is no hidden meaning for the photo.[7] Moore, however, later explicitly confirmed that the final Cylon is not in the picture.

Others[edit]

Tom Zarek[edit]

Based upon the mutterings of the Hybrid in "Razor," as well as Ron Moore's claim that he has already left clues to the final Cylon, one could assume Tom Zarek is the last Cylon to be found.

Tom Zarek likes to move from second-line positions, is not big on being in charge but always craving to be noticed and understood, is constantly trying to make people understand why he did the things he spent time in jail for, and has the "cleanest" past (no known relatives, etc.). His criminal background and political ambitions fit with someone "hungering for redemption."

Anastasia Dualla[edit]

Her first name "Anastasia" is the feminine form of "Anastasius," ancient Greek for "resurrection".[8][9] Her surname "Dualla" may be derived from Latin word Dualis, from which originates the English words "dual" and "duality," such as a Cylon living as a human - or a Sagittaron serving as a soldier (TRS: "The Woman King").

The rejection of her people's pacifism and her failure to reconcile with her father over their final heated argument (TRS: "Final Cut") allude to the redemption angle.

At the time of the initial Cylon attack, she immediately threw herself at the special assistant to the president and promptly developed a romantic relationship with him. Despite having never undertaken the years of formal military education of a colonial officer, she managed to maneuver herself to receive a commission and a vital posting as the executive officer of Pegasus, and to become become related by marriage to both the military and (later) civilian leadership of the Fleet. Her posting as Pegasus's XO, despite her lack of seasoning and non-qualification as an aviator [10] while presumably mitigating the concerns about a junior having undue influence with the commander (her husband), also mirrors the placement of Galactica's XOs: Colonel Saul Tigh is a Final Five Cylon and romantically involved with a Six, and Captain Karl Agathon is married to an Eight.

She is the by far the most prominent "human" remaining who is not of substantially (real-world Earth) European ethnicity. Edward James Olmos wears blue contact lenses to portray Admiral Adama as non-Hispanic, and Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza (portrayed by Olmos's son, Bodie Olmos) and Felix Gaeta (portrayed by Italian Alessandro Juliani) are very blanco Hispanics if not European. All other prominent non-European characters are either dead or Cylons: East Indian Rekha Sharma as Cylon Tory Foster, African Rick Worthy as Cylon Number Four / Simon, Korean Grace Park as Cylon Number Eight / Sharons, African Lorena Gale as the late Elosha, and Eurasian Lily Duong-Walton & Alexandra Thomas as the half-Cylon Hera Agathon. In this day and age, it seems unlikely that the writers would make all of the prominent "ethnics" who are allowed to live be Cylons.

Felix Gaeta[edit]

After Anastasia Dualla, Gaeta is the most prominent character not depicted in the Last Supper photograph. His double-agent (or, implied by Baltar and Sweet Eight, triple-agent) cross-collaboration on New Caprica, his perjury at Baltar's trial, and his morphine addiction all leave him seeking redemption.

A counterargument against Gaeta, however, is analogous to that against Dualla. Whereas Dualla is the most prominent member of a racial or ethnic minority still depicted as alive and presumably human, Gaeta is the most prominent sexual minority so depicted. His former[11] lover, Louis Hoshi, is a very minor character, Admiral Helena Cain is dead, and all other known gays/bisexuals are or were Cylons (Gina Inviere, Caprica-Six andDownloaded Three).

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii[edit]

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii is a unique case, given that she has broken away from her model line by voting for the lobotomization of the Raiders, for the first time in Cylon history. Further, she has grown to disdain humanity as a result of what transpired on New Caprica, and, while given the duty to take care of Hera Agathon, she later attempts to kill Hera as she views the child as a mistake.

Valerii has since made it a point to go against the grain of Cylon society, inciting a civil war and accompanies Cavil to the Resurrection Hub to resurrect Number Three in the attempt to stop it. Further, she satisfies many of the pre-existing conditions, including:

  1. Having been around since Season 1[12].
  2. She is not present in the Last Supper photo.
  3. Valerii is a major character.
  4. Three is the first to see Valerii and is aware of her existence. Three's quip at Eights always going to something "shiny" may be an attempt to test her. Also, Three does not kill Valerii after snapping Cavil's neck, suggesting that Three either did not desire her to come to harm or was unconcerned about her fate. Further, Valerii does escape the Hub prior to its destruction per the podcast for "The Hub".
  5. If the First Hybrid is correct, the Last Cylon is clawing for redemption. Valerii has much that she may be redeemed for, including her various murder attempts (namely William Adama and Hera Agathon), and her failure to bring about peaceful coexistence with the humans and the Cylon race.

Like the four known members of the Final Five, Valerii was ignorant of her Cylon nature.

The only downside to this theory is that Valerii is part of the Number Eight model line. However, given that the Final Five are "fundamentally different," this yet to be explained fundamental difference may be able to explain this. Further, none of the Final Five have model numbers, and are thus outside the Significant Seven's mainstream; the Five may have infiltrated Cylon society as well in some way, just the same way Tigh and the others were able to infiltrate human society dating back to at least 30 years pre-Fall.

Virtual beings[edit]

The virtual beings (possibly including the virtual Leoben) may actually be a single entity, the final Cylon being more spiritual than corporal. Virtual Six claims to be an angel from the Cylon God, which could be roughly correlated with the "the five priests devoted to the one whose name cannot be spoken" from Pythia. The overall actions of these beings seem to be neither pro-Cylon or pro-human, which fits with the Final five being a third party in the dynamic of the battle.

None of the other final five have shown similar characteristics to this, and there is no particular reason to suggest the final Cylon is greatly different from his or her four "siblings". When Number Three sees her vision of the final five in the Opera House (a vision repeated for other characters, thus not simply in her mind) they are five humanoid figures in white robes, at least one of which is known to her.

More Esoteric ideas[edit]

The final Cylon is

References[edit]

  1. Podcast: Frak Party Q and A , Seek to: 19:05. Total running time: 78:27.
  2. 20 Answers - SCI FI FORUMS Retrieved 03-27-2007
  3. BW:OC#Identity of the Final Five
  4. Podcast: Frak Party Q and A , Seek to: 22:41. Total running time: 78:27.
  5. See this magazine cutting.
  6. "What does this picture mean? Try to crack the 'BSG' code.", Entertainment Weekly, January 11, 2008, p. 40, 41. Retrieved on English.
  7. The Chief's Deck: BSG Last Supper Photo (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). (8 January 2008). Retrieved on 9 January 2009.
  8. Behindthename.com "Anastasia"
  9. Behindthename.com "Anastasius"
  10. To the extent that BSG incorporates real-world naval concepts and traditions, an aircraft carrier's (i.e. a battlestar's) CO and XO would customarily be qualified aviators.
  11. See writer commentary to "The Face of the Enemy" webisode 10, which states that Gaeta ends his relationship with Hoshi at the webisode's conclusion.
  12. It should be noted that her "Cylon" nature was a last minute decision in the Miniseries. Further, she is continually at odds with her programming and her defective nature has yet been seen in other Cylon models.