- This article describes the robotic creations of a reptilian race from the Original Series. For the Cylons of the Re-imagined Series, see Cylons (RDM).
The Cylons are entirely composed of robots, originally the creation of a reptilian race that were also known as Cylons.
Both types of Cylons shared a home, also known as "Cylon", prior to the beginning of the Thousand Yahren War (Saga of a Star World) in the Cyranus Galaxy (The Long Patrol).
Reptillian Cylons[edit]
Originally, the reptilian Cylons created a race of robots to service their needs (Saga of a Star World). According to Apollo, the Cylons discovered humanity. Having determined humans to be the most practical form of creature in their system and crafted robotic creations that mimicked their form. However their creations were made bigger and stronger than humans with interchangable parts that allow the robots to live forever (Saga of a Star World).
The reptilian Cylons allowed themselves to be overcome by their own technology (War of the Gods, Part II). The robotic Cylons became an organized war machine bent on exterminating life in the galaxy. Due to the appearance of Count Iblis and his subsequent encounter with Lord Baltar in the Prison Barge's brig, it is hinted at that the revolt of the robotic Cylons was organized by Iblis over a thousand yahren prior to the Cylon holocaust of the Twelve Colonies (War of the Gods, Part II). Despite the fact that the reptilian Cylons had long since been wiped out, their robotic creations still bear their name (Saga of a Star World). The term has come to almost be exclusively describe the robotic antagonists of the Colonials.
Robotic Cylons[edit]
Under the robotic Cylons, they began expanding their sphere of influence, creating what Commander Adama calls "the Alliance" (Saga of a Star World).
These Cylons are also referred to as "tin cans" (The Young Lords).
Cylon Society[edit]
There are five types of Cylons:
- Imperious Leader: controls all Cylon forces and rules the empire. The Imperious Leader is distinguished by taking on an appearance meant to resemble the reptilian Cylon race.
- IL-series (or the "IL group"): Robots that typically take on the administrative duties of the Cylon Empire.
- Command Centurion: Robots with gold plated armor that are analogous with commanders in the Colonial Military.
- Cylon Centurions: These robots are the chrome plated foot soldiers, pilots, and labor force for the Cylon Empire.
- Cylon "civilians": According to Colonel Tigh, he picks up civilian transmissions of a Cylon nature on Gamoray (The Living Legend, Part I).
Another type of Cylon depicted in Galactica 1980 included an android creature in human form (The Night the Cylons Landed). This is the first appearance of a "human form" Cylon, predating the Re-imagined Series' humanoid Cylon by over 23 years.
Cylon craft[edit]
There are three known Cylon spacecraft:
- Basestar: Capitol ships of the Cylon military force, analogous to the Colonial battlestar.
- Raider: The primary fighter of the Cylon forces, manned by two pilots and a ship commander.
- Freighter: Ships used throughout the Cylon sphere of influence to provide fuel. May be used to support an offensive operation, as demonstrated at the Battle of Cimtar (Saga of a Star World).
Cylon history[edit]
The Thousand Yahren War[edit]
- Main Article: Thousand Yahren War
The Thousand Yahren War between the humans of the Twelve Colonies and the Cylons began when the Colonials liberated the Hasari from Cylon rule. The Cylons then viewed humanity as a threat to their Empire and proceeded to attack Colonial installations.
The Cylons and the humans fought for roughly one thousand yahren, with losses on both sides.
The final end to the war occurred after Baltar, a member of the Quorum of Twelve, met with the Cylons to propose peace. Instead of proposing peace as he had intended, Baltar sought personal power and that the Colonies be subjugated under his rule.
Instead, they altered the so-called "bargain" that Baltar and the Imperious Leader had struck. The Cylons instead administered the coup de grace to their enemy (Saga of a Star World).
Cylon pursuit of the Colonial Fleet[edit]
The "rag-tag, fugitive fleet", being led by the last known surviving Battlestar Galactica, fled their homeworlds, avoiding the Cylon genoicidal attacks.
Sparing Baltar's life, the newly ascended Imperious Leader gave Baltar the command of three basestars and a cogitator, Lucifer (Saga of a Star World, Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I). With Baltar pursuing the Fleet, Galactica and the 220 ships she leads from their aggressors avoid Cylon death traps, such as those on Arcta (the "Ravashol pulsar"), and all out attacks (e.g. Battle of Gamoray and the events of "Fire in Space").
Eventually, a daring, successful attack on a lone basestar leads Adama to believe that they may have outwitted the Cylons -- who have, apparently, spread their resources thin in an attempt to locate the remaining humans (The Hand of God).
In Galactica 1980[edit]
While it remains unknown what happened to Baltar (having likely been left on a habitable planet, as promised by Adama in "The Hand of God"), the Cylons still pursue Galactica and her Fleet (Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I). While the Fleet finally discovered Earth, any landing or approach of the planet would alert the Cylons to Earth's existence, and therefore, scouts were sent to the planet in order to prepare Earth against the formidable Cylon enemy.
While the Colonials gradually improved Earth's advancements in technology, an attack on Agro Ships by a wave of Cylon raiders left the Fleet without a food source. This event forced the Colonials to use the resources of Earth to provide foodstuffs (Space Croppers).