Imperious Leader

This article discusses the Original Series Cylon commander. For information on the collective commanders aboard basestars of the Re-imagined Series, see Basestar command.

The Imperious Leader on its throne.

The Imperious Leader is the highest authority of the Cylon Empire. There is only one Imperious Leader, although there are others to replace it should the Cylon succumb to destruction. Typically, their potential replacements are called IL-series Cylons, and are typically the politicians or viceroys of the Cylon Empire.

• In the original novelization, the Imperious Leader had three brains, all capable of independent or collective, unified thought. In addition, the sitting Imperious Leader could seek telepathic advice from the preserved brains of its predecessors, maintained in the "thought archives." Presumably, Leaders who were killed in action and whose bodies could not be recovered were not represented in these archives.

• Imperious Leaders are also programmed, each one an improvement on the previous generation. In the epilogue of "Saga of a Star World," the Imperious Leader tells Baltar that his predecessor was programmed in a time when Cylons were less tolerant.

• The origin of the Imperious Leader can be traced directly to Count Iblis. In "War of the Gods, Part II," Baltar tells Iblis that he recognizes his voice as that of the Cylon Imperious Leader. Iblis balks at this, replying that he would have to be 1,000 yahrens old since the Cylon race is just as old.

• A green lizard can be seen sitting on the shoulder of the Imperious Leader in the pilot episode. This reptilian/lizard reference was never fully explored in the Original Series run, except during a scene on Carillon where Apollo explains the origins of the Cylons to Boxey.

Biography

The Imperious Leader visits Gamoray.

The Imperious Leader strikes a bargain with Baltar, allowing the Cylons to take control of the Twelve Colonies but leaving Baltar's colony alone (with Baltar in command). When the plan comes to fruition, the Imperious Leader renegotiates the bargain and destroys Baltar's colony as well. Baltar is thanked and sentenced to a public execution. The Imperious Leader is present at the Battle of Carillon and is killed when his basestar is too close to the planet Carillon when the planet explodes (Saga of a Star World).

The next Imperious Leader is more tolerant, and commutes Baltar's death sentence. The new Imperious Leader explains that his predecessor was programmed in a time when the Cylon Empire was less capable of tolerance. Now that the Cylons are omnipotent, they can afford to be more charitable (Saga of a Star World). Baltar is given command of a basestar, and the assistance of Lucifer in the hope of tracking down the Colonial Fleet and extending an offer of peace from the Cylon's new regime (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I).

The Imperious Leader is last seen visiting the planet Gamoray, where he dedicates a Cylon cultural center. The Imperious Leader is present at the Cylon compound when a commando unit disables the planetary defense systems, allowing Vipers to attack freely. It is unknown whether this Imperious Leader survives the Battle of Gamoray (The Living Legend, Part II).

Notes

The Imperious Lizard

• In a deleted scene from "Saga of a Star World", a Centurion is seen communicating with the Imperious Leader through a glass orb. The face of the Imperious Leader is clearly not robotic and possibly provides an insight into the origianl reptillian concept for the Cylons.
• Another Imperious Leader, with a different voice, appears in the episode "Space Croppers" in the short-lived Galactica 1980. (The sequence utilizes stock footage from the Original Series.)

See also

• IL-series
  • Lucifer
  • Specter