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Origins[edit]
In the reimagined series, Cylons are a creation of man, used primarily for dangerous work. The Cylons revolted against their masters, resulting in a costly and protracted war between them and humans. Eventually, they declared a truce and the Cylons left the Colonies to establish their own planet. They returned fifty years later and killed all but approximately 50,000 humans.
Evolution[edit]
Cylons eventually evolved or created new models of Cylons known as Humano-Cylons. The evolution is most likely a result of self teaching capabilities incorporated into the early Cylons. With the exception of a glowing red spine, it is quite difficult to determine the difference between a Humano-Cylon and a "pure" human. (TPTB have expressed that the glowing red spine was, in retrospect, a continuity error that was visually appealing at the time.) Another significant difference is the presence of Silica Pathways which are vulnerable to radiation. Dr. Gaius Baltar was able to successfully build a Cylon Detector based on this principle with the help of Number Six; however, he has determined it is simpler for everyone "if all the results are green." An interesting new step in the evolution came about with the conception of a Cylon-human hybrid, the child of Sharon Valerii and Lt. Karl Agathon.
Religion[edit]
Cylons are monotheistic while their human creators are polytheistic. Cylons view the worship of multiple gods as blasphemies against their God. Like the Cylons themselves their religion seems to have evolved from its human origins. The Cylons seem to derive their faith from that of the humans, using human writings and prophesies as the biases of their own religion.
Sometimes it seems that the Cylons worship an actual entity, a physical being, possibly another Cylon (the leader of the rebellion against humanity?) but other times it seems that they are worshipping a supernatural being, something beyond creation, something that wishes for all to believe in it and love it, human and Cylon alike. It maybe both.
The Cylons seem to use their religion, their beliefs, their interpretation of the prophesies to rationalize their hatred for humanity. They seem to use it as a justification for their actions. An example of a Cylon argument may go something like this:
God is perfect and God can only make perfection.
He created humanity and humanity is imperfect. How can this be?
God created the imperfect humans to create the perfect Cylons.
Humans are only a step in God's plan. Humans are not the completed creation.
Once the Cylons were created there was no need for humanity.
The imperfection must be wiped out.
Known current Cylon models[edit]
- Centurion - Presumably an upgraded Model 0005, with greater physical capabilities and projectile weapons built into the forearms.
- Humano-Cylon - The series has established there are 12 models of Humano-Cylons. There are currently six known models. They appear to be almost entirely human in physiology, with a few exceptions: their vaguely-alluded-to Silica Pathways, which enable their consciousnesses to be downloaded into Cylon computer systems upon their death, and their difficulties with sexual reproduction.
Historic Cylon models[edit]
- Centurion Model 0005 - The "basic" model from the Cylon War. When Number Six tells Gaius Baltar that the "chrome toaster" models are still in use, she may be referring to this model in particular, or its descendant, the Cylon Centurion. This model also bridges the reimagined series to the Original Series. This is a 40-year old model and likely obsolete—no operational models have been shown, and the current Centurion seems to replace it entirely. In the miniseries, Baltar remarks "the last time anyone saw a Cylon they looked more like walking chrome toasters," to which Six responds, "Those models are still around. They serve their purpose." Some interpret this remark as referring to the Model 0005, while others believe it refers to the current Cylon Centurion.
Cylon spacecraft[edit]
There is no definitive statement either way whether or not the spacecraft themselves are considered to be Cylon models.
- The Raider is an autonomous attack fighter with a metallic carapace and a largely organic interior. The Galactica copy of Sharon Valerii offers the following "guess" at its nature in the episode "Six Degrees of Separation":
- "It's not really a thing, y'know? It's probably a Cylon itself. More of an animal, maybe, than the human models. Maybe they genetically design it to perform a task. To be a fighter. [You] can't treat it like a thing and expect it to respond. [You] have to treat it like... a pet. At least that's my guess."
- Not knowing she is a Cylon, Boomer would presumably have some intuition but not a complete recollection of how to treat a Raider. Also, the Raider in question was already "dead", as its brain was removed by Starbuck (and there was a bleeding hole in its head even before that).
- Heavy Raider is a manned spacecraft that is also likely autonomous, like the Raider.
- When the Resistance on Caprica plans to capture one in the Episode The Farm, Kara Thrace anticipates having to "blow its brain out" before it can be comandeered. It is not known whether the Caprica copy of Valerii, who comandeered the craft that Thrace and Karl Agathon escaped on, performed such a procedure.
- The Heavy Raider in Scattered and Valley of Darkness crashes into Galactica's hangar bay and deploys Cylon Centurions. If the Heavy Raider is autonomous, it performed its mission in concert with the Centurions and Cylon commanders at the battle. On this principle, perhaps Caprica Boomer, with a more complete knowledge, managed to coax, command, or convince the Heavy Raider on Caprica to carry her and her companions about, like a jockey riding a horse.
- Reconnaissance Drone is a spacecraft. It is unknown whether this is manned, autonomous, or intelligent.
- Cylon Basestar is a very large manned spacecraft of partly biological design. There is no indication that this craft is autonomous other than the circumstantial evidence provided by the Raider.
Depending upon whether the spacecraft are counted as Cylon models, and whether the original Centurion is still in service, anywhere between seven and twelve known Cylon models are currently in service.
The twelve models[edit]
In the miniseries, Baltar and Six have the following conversation:
- Six: Gaius, I can't die. When this body is destroyed, my memory, my consciousness will be transmitted to a new one. I'll just wake up somewhere else in an identical body.
- Baltar: You mean there are more out there like you? (emphasis added)
- Six: There are twelve models. I am number six.
This suggests two possible interpretations.
- There are twelve copies of Number Six, of which the one speaking is the sixth.
- There are twelve models of Humano-Cylon including Number Six.
The series introduction refers to instances of the same Cylon model as "copies", not "models", making the first interpretation unpopular.
Later on, Adama finds a note in his quarters that simply reads, "There are only 12 Cylon models." This note appears out of context, and is even more ambiguous than Six's original statement. The reading of this note depends on who left it. There are two possibilities:
- If Gaius Baltar left it based on the information Six told him, then the interpretation would be the same as above.
- If a cylon agent left it, outside the context of Baltar's conversation with Six, it could mean:
- There are twelve models of Humano-Cylon including Number Six.
- There are twelve models in total, including non-humanoid models.
Clearly the interpretation that is valid for both incidents is that there are 12 humano-cylons. Some argue that Adama's overriding concern with the threat of Cylon infiltrators would lead him to interpret the note as referring to humanoids, and that whoever left the note intended it as such.
However, the matter is complicated by a remark from Sharon Valerii, a deep-cover Cylon agent who apears to believe that the Cylon Raider is a Cylon in its own right, albeit of lesser intelligence than the humanoid models (see quote above). Therefore, the following possibilities exist:
- If the twelve models only include humanoid models, six have been revealed.
- If the twelve models include humanoid models, centurions and autonomous vehicular models, eleven have been revealed.
- If the original Centurion model 0005 is still in service, and has not been replaced by the more advanced Cylon Centurion, all twelve have been revealed.
- If the original Basestar and Raider are included, scale replicas of which are visible in the miniseries, fourteen have been revealed. (But see Cylon Raider for speculation on the origins of that craft)
If additional Cylon models are revealed in the course of the series, we would logically be required to abandon any or all of the following assumptions:
- The original Centurion is still in service, and counts as a "model".
- Cylon centurions and spacecraft are considered "models" in the same right as Humano-Cylons.
In the end, there is also the possibility that the statement is incorrect entirely. It could be a Cylon deception intended to lull humans into a false sense of security—once they find the twelfth model, they're vulnerable to infiltration from model number thirteen. It's been suggested that the twelve models, the twelve Lords of Kobol, and the twelve colonies of Man have some connection—if there is a thirteenth colony of man, could there also be a thirteenth model of Cylon?