- This lists the episodes where central cast members were conspicuously absent from the episodes' proceedings. For a matrix detailing the appearances of supporting and minor characters, see List of character appearances (RDM)
With a few exceptions, the main characters generally appear in all episodes. The main characters are those whose actors are credited in the main title sequence, i.e. William Adama, Laura Roslin, Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, Gaius Baltar, Number Six and Number Eight. For the purposes of this list, a presence of any Six or Eight model counts as an appearance.
Boomer was a major character up until her assassination in "Resistance" (the resurrected Boomer becoming a minor character). At about that time the Eight later known as Athena becomes a more central part of the main story.
The primary Number Six character was, in the first two seasons, Virtual Six. Caprica Six becomes more prominent in Season Three. Gina Inviere plays a central role in "Pegasus", "Resurrection Ship, Parts I and II" and "Razor". Later Caprica Six and Natalie have significant screentime.
This listing pertains only to televised or DVD versions of episodes; some characters listed as absent may in fact appear in deleted scenes (for example, Number Six in "The Road Less Traveled").
Miniseries
- No absences
Season One
- Litmus - Lee Adama
Season Two
- Valley of Darkness - Number Eight
- Fragged - Kara Thrace, Number Eight
- Flight of the Phoenix - Number Six
- Black Market - Kara Thrace, Number Eight
- Scar - Gaius Baltar, Number Six
- Sacrifice - Gaius Baltar, Number Six
- The Captain's Hand - Number Eight
- Downloaded - Kara Thrace, Lee Adama
Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance
None of the central cast appear in these webisodes.
Season Three
- Collaborators - Number Eight
- Unfinished Business - Number Six
- Taking a Break from All Your Worries - Number Eight
- A Day in the Life - Gaius Baltar, Number Six
- Dirty Hands - Lee Adama, Number Eight
- Maelstrom - Gaius Baltar, Number Six
- The Son Also Rises - Kara Thrace
- Crossroads, Part I - Kara Thrace
- Note: To add to the illusion that Thrace's death was permanent, Katee Sackhoff's name is absent from the main title credits for the final three episodes of season three.
Razor
- Gaius Baltar (only appears in the extended version on DVD)
- Virtual Six (only appears in the extended version on DVD)
- In the Razor webisodes, William Adama (both as a young pilot and as the older pre-attack Commander) is the only ongoing series character to appear.
Season Four
- The Ties That Bind - Gaius Baltar
- Escape Velocity - Number Eight
- The Road Less Traveled - William Adama, Laura Roslin, Lee Adama, Number Six
- Faith - Lee Adama, Gauis Baltar (voice only)
- Sine Qua Non - Laura Roslin, Gaius Baltar
- The Hub - Kara Thrace (only in Roslin's vision), Lee Adama (only in Roslin's vision)
- No Exit - Gaius Baltar
- Someone to Watch Over Me - Gaius Baltar
The Face of the Enemy
William Adama, Laura Roslin, Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, Number Six. Gaius Baltar appears in flashback only.
The Plan
- Laura Roslin
- Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, and Gaius Baltar appear, but only in archive footage from previous episodes. No new scenes with these characters are in the film.