Humanoid Cylon speculation

The Cylon's transformation into humanoid form introduces serious problems for the remnant of humanity known as the Fleet to identify Cylon operative from human.

This article details plausible speculation on central and supporting characters in Battlestar Galactica who, based on their behavior, motive, and background, could be a Cylon agent.

Needed Qualifiers for Speculation

For a character to be logically considered a possible agent, there are a few established parameters to meet:

• 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 one exception, Cylon agents have extreme difficulty with human sexual reproduction to the point of effective infertility. 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 have known their child from birth (unless otherwise specified), and Cylons are not copies of preexisting 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; it is assumed the Cylons had no models advanced enough to plausibly pass as humans (i.e. androids and gynoids), so if someone is confirmed to have lived during or 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 must not have been exposed to the lymphocytic encephalitis virus. The virus is lethal to Cylons with the exception of any Cylon that has been impregnated by a human, e.g. Athena. Therefore, any member of the boarding party in A Measure of Salvation (excluding Athena) cannot be a Cylon. This qualifier is not absolute going forward as Cottle claimed to be able to create a temporary vaccine. So it is possible that a Cylon could survive exposure to the virus in the future, provided they had access to a sufficient supply of the vaccine.
• 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 Boomer's tour of duty in the Colonial Fleet was also approximately 2 years.

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.

Please note that retroactive continuity changes are possible in the series This article is based on plausible speculation, which is also highly fluid in content and can violate {{NPOV}} policies if taken too far in the extreme.

Suspected Cylon infiltrators

Moderate probability of being a Cylon

Anastasia "Dee" 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: Unknown
• Chances of being a Cylon: Moderate

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 subversion. In "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 themselves for a cause, including self-destruction. Dualla could have feigned injury to avoid 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.

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: Unknown (described as a close personal friend of President Adar)
• Chances of being a Cylon: Moderate

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. In "Torn" Caprica-Six mentions that she was (and possibly still is) considering to have a child with Baltar, which would appear impossible if he was a Cylon. However, when learning of the Cylon's "projection" abilities in "Torn" and how they may be related to his vision of Number Six, Baltar himself begins to question whether or not he is a Cylon.

Recent information from cast members that portray Cylons confirmed a season 3 storyline that indicates that the revealed agents may not know the identity of the five remaining Cylon agents, inferring that these Cylons may have been boxed. This storyline is introduced in the episode, "Torn."

For more this character's probability, see the article, Baltar as Cylon speculation.

Low probability of being a Cylon

Tory Foster?

• 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 (Was Precinct Captain but not known for how long)
• Chances of being a Cylon: Low

Tory Foster was said to be precinct captain for the Federalist Party in Delphi for five years prior to the Cylon attack (The Captain's Hand). However at this point is unknown if this has been corroberrated by any disqualifying character.

Tory was a strong voice and hand in the attempt to rig the Presidential election in Roslin's favor. The ruse is uncovered and suppressed by Admiral Adama and Lieutenant Gaeta (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). While Gaius Baltar winning the election was a boon to the Cylon fortunes, rigging the election for Laura Roslin would have hedged Cylon bets since evidence of vote rigging could have provoked rebellion in the fleet even if Roslin won outright.

During the occupation of New Caprica, Foster aides Roslin in some insurgent activities, but we do not see enough of her activities to know for sure if she is soley aiding the human cause. She is tasked, and fails, with ensuring the safe transport of Maya and Hera/Isis off the planet. Maya is killed trying to escape New Caprica with the child. Hera survives but is found by the Cylons (Occupation, Exodus, Part I & II). Since this fortuitous event was possibly the only benefit that the Cylons permanently gained from their occupation of New Caprica, we should question if Foster truly tried her best, or if she tipped off the Cylons. However, it is unlikely that a targeted Cylon ambush of the Maya and her accompanying guards would shoot her while she is carrying Hera.

Samuel Anders?

• 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 (Was Pyramid Ball player but not known for how long)
• Chances of being a Cylon: Low

Anders was a well known public figure as a sports star, although the length of his time in pyramid sport is not known. In "Downloaded", a copy of Number Three and Caprica-Six refer to Anders as human, however if he were a Cylon agent they would not be aware of it (see Final five).

Bell?

• 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: Low

D'anna Biers' 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 infiltrator target). In addition, instead of filming the hangar deck after the destruction of the two Raiders, 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.

Felix Gaeta?

• 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: Low

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

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":

Apollo: Hey, how about you, Boomer? Doc tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.

Boomer: I'm tired, like everybody else.

Apollo: You never seem it.

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 (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.

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). Saul Tigh confirms that he has worked with Gaeta for 4 years (Collaborators).

Gaeta chose to stay with Baltar's puppet administrator on New Caprica to feed inside information to the resistance, which Galen Tyrol confirms ("Occupation," "Precipice," "Collaborators"). 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. Further, it would be illogical for Gaeta not to reveal himself as a Cylon once the occupation of New Caprica was completed.

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, Karl Agathon)
• Chances of being a Cylon: Low

Starbuck was apparently disproved as being a Cylon: Simon wanted to use Starbuck's egg cells in Cylon/human hybrid experiments (The Farm). It would be illogical to take genetic material from another Cylon agent (unless Simon is unaware that Thrace is another Cylon agent).

Thrace's association with Zak Adama occurred over two years prior to the Cylon attack (Miniseries). Helo notes that he and Thrace have known each other for a "long time" but the actual length of their friendship isn't defined (Scattered).

The events of the second half of season 3, particularly rumors of Thrace's demise or destiny in the episode "Maelstrom", return this character's suspicion from "none" to "low." Supporting this tenuous level of suspicion is the fact that the five missing Cylon agents are not known to the seven revealed agents, leaving characters with strong levels of direct Cylon interaction (Thrace and Gaius Baltar, particularly) with strange associations that cannot be fully defined, particularly her interactions with the Leoben Conoy model and his prophetic indications of Thrace's destiny (Flesh and Bone).

Thrace's painting (Valley of Darkness)

The symbol in the Temple of Five (The Eye of Jupiter)

A strange connection between Thrace, the Cylons, or the ancient Thirteenth Tribe may exist based on the Temple of Five. A significant similarity exists between a symbol painted by Thrace that's found in her apartment in "Valley of Darkness" and the central symbol in the Temple of Five, found over a year later. Thrace's drawing could be an original abstract, could be based on Colonial texts, or originates from something else.

Cally Tyrol?

• 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 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.

Henderson is married to Galen Tyrol and has a son, 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.

Galen Tyrol?

• 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.

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

Characters eliminated from suspicion

The following characters are disproven from any possibility of being Cylon agents.

Lee "Apollo" Adama

• 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
  

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.

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 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.

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.

In "A Measure of Salvation", Adama was directly exposed but does not fall ill to a virus which is lethal to Cylons but cannot infect humans, strongly supporting Adama's heritage.

William Adama

• Known siblings or adult children: Yes (Lee Adama and Zak Adama)
• Known family members: Yes (Caroline Adama and Anne Adama)
• Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: Yes (widely-known Veteran)
• Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (Saul Tigh)
• Chances of being a Cylon: None

Of all the suspected infiltrators, the case against William Adama appears to be the weakest.

In the Miniseries, Adama knows that the Cylon's "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.

William Adama is the father of two children, Lee and 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.

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).

Karl "Helo" Agathon

• 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: Yes, with qualifier (Kara Thrace)
• Chances of being a Cylon: None

Helo fathers a Cylon-human hybrid, Hera, with a known Cylon agent, 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.

As mentioned in "Scattered", Helo and Starbuck have known each other for a number of years, though how many years their friendship has been is indeterminate.

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.

The character is also dead, which removes her from suspicion unless another Cain appears in a future episode in "current" time.

Billy Keikeya

• 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.

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: None

Jammer dies in the episode "Collaborators." Since only Cylons can "return from the dead," Jammer is removed from suspicion unless he returns in "current time" (outside of a flashback).

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).

Ellen Tigh

• 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: None

Ellen Tigh dies in the episode "Exodus, Pt. II." As only Cylon agents can "return from the dead," the argument for Ellen Tigh as a Cylon agent is effectively invalid unless she returns outside of a flashback in present time.

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 initially 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, which Zarek refused.

As Vice President under Gaius Baltar, Zarek refused to collaborate with the Cylon occupation (Precipice), is incarcerated for months after the takeover, and is nearly killed in an aborted mass execution attempt at Pergamus Flats on New Caprica. It would be illogical for Zarek to remain concealed as a Cylon once the occupation began.

Louanne "Kat" Katraine

• 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 Louanne Katraine dies in the episode "The Passage." As only Cylon agents can "return from the dead," the argument for Kat as a Cylon agent is effectively invalid unless she appears in a present-time (non-flashback) episode of the series, which would confirm her true nature.