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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 [[Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad#Derived content|plausible speculation]] on central and supporting characters in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' who, based on their behavior, motive, and background, could be 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 not have any adult children or siblings.''' For purposes of this article, a pregnancy can be generally established as a disqualifier.  With [[Sharon Agathon|one exception]], Cylon agents have extreme difficulty with human sexual reproduction to the point of effectively infertility.<ref>During a discussion of the reproductive intentions of Cylons in [[The Farm#Noteworthy Dialogue|The Farm]]:<br>
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>.  
'''Starbuck''': So farms, that’s great. What were they gonna do? Knock me up with some Cylon kid?<br>'''Sharon''': They were gonna try to. We haven’t been successful so far.<br>'''Anders''': Supposedly they can’t reproduce. You know biologically. So they have been trying every which way to produce offspring.</ref> If a character has adult, biological children, it automatically excludes them as being a Cylon agent as the procreation of the child and the age of the child both violate the 2nd qualifier.  Although humanoid Cylons have, eventually, proven to be capable of reproduction with humans, the birth of the hybrid child [[Hera]] was considered such a seminal event by the Cylons that it seems safe to conclude that no Cylon ever had a child before that point. 
* '''The suspect must not have a verifiable family history''' (other than marriage).  A parent would known their child from birth (unless otherwise specified), and Cylons are not copies of prexisting humans. This is an expansion of the "confirmed character history" point below.
* '''The suspect cannot be confirmed to have witnessed or participated in the [[Cylon War]].'''  This is another expansion of the "confirmed character history" point; the Cylons definitely didn't have humanoid models during the First Cylon War{{citation needed}}, so if someone is confirmed to have participated in the war 40 years ago, that person is not a Cylon, e.g. William Adama and Saul Tigh.  Note that apparent age is ''not'' a disqualifer; the Cylon agent model known as [[Cavil]] appears as old as William Adama and Saul Tigh.
* '''The suspect does not have a reliable history''' involving direct association (i.e. working or personal relationship) with a 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 in the Colonial Fleet was also approximately 2 years.
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 pre-existing humans, living or dead'''<ref>In an October 24th, 2005 [http://www.thefandom.com/Article50.phtml podcast interview] Ron Moore stated, "The idea is not there was one like an original human model that they were copied from. The idea was that these were...these models of Cylon were developed out of their own study of us. The Cylons on some level looked at humanity and said, 'Well, you know what, there's really only twelve of you...and these are the twelve.' And then if you look at them, they kind of represent different archetypes of what humanity is."</ref>.
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.


Please note that [[Wikipedia:retcon|retroactive continuity changes]] are possible in the series<ref>Retconning has occurred previously, from as the amount of time remaining in the President's term (between "[[Bastille Day]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]") or the number of prisoners held aboard the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' (between the [[Miniseries]] and "[[Bastille Day]].").</ref> This article is based on plausible speculation, which is also highly fluid in content and can violate {{tl|NPOV}} policies if taken too far in the extreme.
==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>.


=Suspected Cylon infiltrators=
[[Bradley Thompson]] was asked when the writers knew the identity of the final five:
==High probability of being a Cylon==
:"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>
=== James "Jammer" Lyman? ===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: No
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' High 


*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.
==General factors for consideration==
Cally points out that Jammer's kind of thinking is ''exactly'' what the Cylons want:  for everyone to become suspicious and paranoid.
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.
In the second season, as Tyrol is accused of being a Cylon in "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]" he tells Cally that Tyrol 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 plight, which infers Jammer manipulates Cally into killing Boomer.


In the episode, "[[Valley of Darkness]]," Jammer is found alone, unharmed, in a small arms locker, but every other human (including some with Jammer in the locker) are dead. He claims to have just hid, then snuck inside the locker.
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.  


Before the fight to protect [[Aft Damage Control]], Captain Adama says a phrase of his [[William Adama|father's]]: "Sometimes you have to roll the hard six." Jammer asks what this means, and Adama explains. To date, no aired episode explains where [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Caprica-Valerii]], a known agent, learns of this phrase, which she uses in a pressing situation in her efforts to defend ''Galactica'' in "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]." Unwittingly, it is plausible that Valerii's knowledge of this phrase (and its origin) came from Jammer via the vague but tangible collective knowledge database of the Cylon agents. However, it is also plausible that [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|"Boomer" Valerii]] heard this phrase sometime prior to her memories being copied into Caprica-Valerii.
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.


Jammer's pessimistic, counterproductive, and morale-draining behavior appears during  construction of the [[Blackbird]], telling the other deckhands that it couldn't be done and it wasn't worth trying.
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.


In selected [[webisodes]], Jammer talks with [[Tucker Clellan|Duck]] about the proposed [[New Caprica Police]].  To Duck's disgust, Jammer replies "Some people say it's a good thing...  Get the Centurions off the streets, let us patrol them ourselves," tentatively advocating the Cylons' agenda.  The statement is ambiguous, however, as Jammer may have been testing Duck for inclusion in the resistance cell. Jammer later advises Galen Tyrol not to be angry about Duck's refusal to join and to give up on recruiting him.
Of the 11 so far there have been only four female models. The final Cylon being female would serve to equalize this gender bias.


Jammer balks at hiding weapons in the [[temple]] on [[New Caprica]] and is overruled by Colonel Tigh. Jammer complains against Tigh for his callous attitudes toward the innocents killed at the temple after the Cylons stormed it to seize the weapons.
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.


He is brought in for questioning by [[Aaron Doral]] at a Cylon detention center, much to Tigh's concern. However, while in the detention center he exhibits genuine fear and anxiety. If Jammer is an Cylon agent, he is a "sleeper," unaware of his true nature, as "Boomer" Valerii once was.
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.


In "[[Occupation]]" Jammer stands behind [[Tucker Clellan|Duck]] as Duck detonates a bomb at the [[NCP]] graduation. Jammer is later seen unharmed. It seems quite unlikely that any human could have survived the blast at such close proximity<ref> Ron D. Moore goes to great length during the podcast for this episode to say that scenes of Jammer pushing his way out of the rubble were cut due to time constraints.</ref>.
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.


==Moderate probability of being a Cylon==
==Main Characters==
===Anastasia "Dee" Dualla?===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No<ref>While Dualla has mentioned her father in the episode, "[[Final Cut]]," he has not been seen on-screen. The [[Battlestar Wiki:Separate continuity|separate continuity]] character of [[Darrin Dualla]] is not canonical with this qualification.</ref>
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  Moderate


[[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] seems to have a fairly well developed backstory regarding her past; she is a Sagittaron ([[Bastille Day]]), her father disapproved of her joining the military ([[Final Cut]]), but upon closer inspection none of this can be confirmed by a third party:  the only source of information about Dualla's past in the series has been Dualla herself.  Dualla's position in charge of ''Galactica's'' communications puts her in an ideal position for subversionIn "[[Valley of Darkness]]", Dualla is found in the enlisted head, having suffered a blow to the head from Cylon Centurions that passed through, the only survivor in the compartment. Cylon agents have often demonstrated the ability to physically damage herself for a cause, including self-destruction<ref>There are numerous instances in the series, including [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii's]] attack from a copy of Number Six to give plausibilty for [[Helo]], and a suicide-bombing by a [[Number Five]].</ref>. Dualla could've faked an injury to throw suspicion. Dualla's relationships with members of both government and military command ([[Billy Keikeya]] and [[Lee Adama]]) increase her involvement with secrets in the Fleet.
===[[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]].


=== Felix Gaeta? ===
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.
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate


As tactical officer, [[Felix Gaeta]], being technically minded, is initially fond of [[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar's work]]. He admitted to ignoring the [[Cylon transponder|Cylon device]] found below the [[DRADIS]] console in the [[Miniseries]], believing it to be part of the new [[Galactica Museum|museum]]. Gaeta neglects an update to [[emergency jump coordinates]] to the Fleet ([[Scattered]]), and proposes creating a [[Computers|computer]] network to fix the matter, leaving the ship vulnerable (and compromised twice).  
===[[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.


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]] as Gaeta is normally a calm, reserved officer even under the worst of conditions. Contrast this behavior with "Boomer" Valerii, who still appeared quite alert after 5 continuous days of combat status. Note the following dialogue from the first regular series episode, "[[33]]":
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).


::'''[[Lee Adama|Apollo]]''': Hey, how about you, Boomer? [[Cottle|Doc]] tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.
===[[Lee Adama]]===
::'''Boomer''': I'm tired, like everybody else.
[[Image:Lee_Adama_promo.jpg|right|90px]]
::'''Apollo''': You never seem it.
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.
::'''[[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.
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.


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 Miniseries. 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.
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."


=== Ellen Tigh? ===
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.
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (character over age 40)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Seven-year marriage to [[Saul Tigh]]
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  Low to Moderate


Ellen Tigh's statistically-defying survival of the Cylon holocaust in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]" raised viewer suspicions (and those of the characters themselves) from her introduction. During Commander [[William Adama]]'s incapacitation ([[Scattered]] through [[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]), [[Ellen Tigh]]'s manipulation of her husband against the needs of the Fleet are frequent. If 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.  
===[[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}}.


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, given the character's many other complexities, which would stretch the character's believability. Moore's comments don't eliminate Ellen Tigh from consideration, but reduces the likelihood of this speculation.
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".


Ellen Tigh 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 Tigh's likelihood of being an agent drops dramatically.
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.


In the preview clip for "[[Occupation]]", Tigh is shown having sex with a [[Cavil]], in exchange for her husband's release from captivity. While her motivations are implicit, there is no information that suggests that Cylons aren't sexual amongst themselves.
===[[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.


==Low probability of being a Cylon==
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.
===Gaius Baltar?===
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifying character: No
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Low 


[[Gaius Baltar]]'s odds of being a Cylon are low, but not impossible. The miniseries establishes him as a prominent public figure for years. Cylons talking amongst themselves in "[[Downloaded]]" continually referred to Baltar as a human.
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.


{{spoiltext|Recent information from cast members that portray Cylons suggest a season 3 storyline that indicates that the revealed agents may not know the identity of the five remaining Cylon agents.}}
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".


For more this character's probability, see the article, [[Baltar as Cylon speculation]].
[[Katee Sackhoff]] was apparently told she is not a Cylon<ref>[http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8547/redeye3copyci7.jpg See this magazine cutting.]</ref>.
{{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.}}


=== Bell? ===
===None of the above?===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
[[Image:Battlestar Galactica Last Supper.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"The Last Supper"]]
* Known family members: No
{{seealso|The Last Supper}}
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
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.
* Association with known disqualifing character: No
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  Low


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.
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.


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 infiltrator 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. Since Bell has not been seen in the series since this episode, the lack of further appearances all but eliminates the likelihood for this character to be a Cylon agent.
==Others==


===Cally Tyrol===
===[[Tom Zarek]]===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  Low to None


[[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]] shoots "Boomer" Valerii in a "Jack Ruby-style" assassination, preventing the Fleet from interrogating her further.  While this might benefit the Cylon agenda, Henderson had a perfectly understandable reason for doing it, which she has openly stated: she hates Boomer for her association with Chief Tyrol and for her betrayal in shooting Adama.
[[Image:Zarek.jpg|right|90px]]
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.  


Henderson is married to Galen Tyrol and has a son, [[Nicholas Tyrol|Nicholas]] as of season 3. Given the magnitude of problems in creating Cylon or Cylon/human offspring, Cally Tyrol's pregnancy is a substantially powerful disqualifier as an agent.
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."


===Galen Tyrol?===
===[[Anastasia Dualla]]===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  Low to None


Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] was in an illicit relationship with "Boomer" Valerii, and later has recurring nightmares based on his fear of being a Cylon sleeper agent. Having served under Commander Adama for 5 years, Adama noted that, if Tyrol was a Cylon, he has had plenty of resources and opportunity to destroy the battlestar.
[[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}}.


Galen and Cally Tyrol's child, [[Nicholas Tyrol]], all but removes suspicion for this character, given the difficulties in Cylon- or Cylon/human conception.
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.


=Characters eliminated from suspicion=
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 following characters are disproven from any possibility of being Cylon agents.
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.


=== Billy Keikeya? ===
===[[Felix Gaeta]]===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: No
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None


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.
[[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.


===Lee "Apollo" Adama===
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]]).
* Known siblings or adult children: Yes, with qualifier (See "[[Black Market]]")
* Known family members: Yes ([[William Adama]], [[Zak Adama]])
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None<ref>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 [[Numerology|some]] [[Toaster|silly]], [[The Battlestar Galactica Drinking Game|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.</ref><br />


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.
=== [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] ===


Cylon agents are not copies (clones) of existing people. At the start of the Miniseries, Commander Adama is given a photo of his two young sons from the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Fleet archives]]. The complexity of creating a false family unit is not uncommon with Cylon agents, but Commander Adama's own role in the Cylon War reinforces the high odds against a Cylon ruse using Lee Adama. No information has been given that Cylon agents age as humans do, increasing the probability against a ruse. William Adama has, naturally, known his son since birth.
[[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.  


The episode "[[Black Market]]" suggests that Adama was to be a father in events weeks before the Cylon attack. Such a pregnancy goes against the extreme difficulties of Cylon-human conception.
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:


===William Adama===
# 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>.
* Known siblings or adult children: Yes ([[Lee Adama]] and [[Zak Adama]])
# She is not present in the Last Supper photo.
* Known family members: Yes ([[Caroline Adama]] and [[Anne Adama]])
# Valerii is a major character.
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (widely-known Veteran)
# 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]]".
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (Saul Tigh)
# 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.
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' None


Of all the suspected infiltrators, the case against [[William Adama]] appears to be the weakest.
Like the four known members of the Final Five, Valerii was ignorant of her Cylon nature.


In the Miniseries, Adama knows that the Cylon's "[[Silica Pathways|silica pathways]]" would be affected by the EM discharges around [[Ragnar Anchorage]]. While copies of [[Leoben Conoy]] and [[Number Five]] show signs of being affected after several hours in the cloud, Adama did not show symptoms after hours of exposure.
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]].


William Adama is the father of two children, [[Lee Adama|Lee]] and [[Zak Adama|Zak]]. Before the conception of [[Sharon Agathon]]'s hybrid child, the Cylons are 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.
===[[Virtual beings]]===


The strongest convincing evidence against Adama as a Cylon is that we have seen flashbacks of Adama and Saul Tigh set 20 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).
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.


===Karl "Helo" Agathon===
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.
* Known siblings or adult or hybrid children: Yes ([[Hera]])
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None


[[Karl Agathon|Helo]] fathers a Cylon-human hybrid, [[Hera]], with a known Cylon agent, [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon Valerii]]. The aired events of season 1 on occupied Caprica that show the Cylon's manipulation of Helo and Caprica-Valerii to foster conception confirms that Helo is human.
===More Esoteric ideas===


===Samuel Anders===
The final Cylon is
* Known siblings or adult children: No
*on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] or the entire population of Earth are copies of the last Cylon.
* Known family members: No
*dead.
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
*a deceased character known to the audience.
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown (Was Pyramid Ball player but not known for how long)
*[[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]].
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' None
*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]].


[[Samuel Anders|Anders]] was a well known public figure as a sports star, although the length of his time in [[Pyramid (RDM)|pyramid sport]] is not known.  In "[[Downloaded]]", a copy of [[Number Three]] and [[Caprica-Six]] refer to Anders as human.
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
===Helena Cain===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None
 
Admiral [[Helena Cain]] may have been ruthless and a danger to the Fleet, but she was a publicly known figure for years.  Cain spent years rapidly rising through the ranks all the way up to Admiral. Commander Adama has personally witnessed this rise, which must have taken longer than the 2 year cutoff for likely Cylon agent infiltration as defined in this article.
 
===Laura Roslin===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (character over age 40)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (President [[Richard Adar]])
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None
 
Roslin was a public figure for 20 years ([[Litmus]]), working with later-President Adar and eventually serving as Secretary of Education.  Cylon agents appear to be resistant to cancer, and Roslin was dying of cancer until she was cured by a blood transfusion from the Cylon-Human hybrid fetus ([[Epiphanies]]).
 
===Kara "Starbuck" Thrace===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: Yes (alluded to in "[[The Farm]]" by [[Simon]])
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes, with qualifier (the Adama family)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None
 
[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] has been disproven from being a Cylon:  [[Simon]] wanted to use Starbuck's egg cells in Cylon/Human hybrid experiments. It would be illogical to take genetic material from another Cylon agent.
 
Thrace's association with [[Zak Adama]] occurred over two years prior to the Cylon attack ([[Miniseries]]).
 
===Saul Tigh===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: None
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (widely-known Veteran)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' None
 
[[Saul Tigh]] is well known as a veteran of the first Cylon War, and has served as a non-obscure officer in the Fleet for decades.  In many respects the case against Saul Tigh being a Cylon is similar to that of William Adama's (above). 
 
The strongest convincing evidence against Tigh as a Cylon is that we have seen flashbacks of Tigh and William Adama set 20 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 Tigh or Adama to be Cylon operatives (at least of the type used thus far).
 
===Tom Zarek===
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (character over age 40)
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (President Adar, publicly known to be held in prison for 20 years)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:'''  None
 
[[Tom Zarek]] may seem subversive to the status quo of the Fleet and opposed to President Roslin's administration, but he can't be a Cylon.  Zarek has been a well-known terrorist/political dissident for decades.  He is widely known for blowing up a government building on Sagittaron, leading to his arrest 20 years ago, and he was presumably a prominent Sagittaron leader for years beforehand.  President Adar publicly offered him amnesty if he would renounce his campaign of violence to free Sagittaron and Zarek refused.  Due to being such a publicly known figure for so many decades before the Cylon Attack, Zarek could not be a Cylon.
 
=References=
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>


[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:A to Z]]

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.