The Cylons () are a race of sentient robots in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, whose primary goal is the extermination of the human race. Introduced in the original 1978 television series, they also appear in the 1980 sequel series, the 2004–2009 reboot series, and the 2010 spinoff prequel series Caprica.
In the 1978 series, the Cylons are the creation of a long-extinct reptilian humanoid race, also called Cylons, and view humans as a nuisance and an obstacle to the expansion of the Cylon Empire. The armies of metallic, armored Cylon Centurions are ruled by a unique, yet replaceable, Cylon known as the Imperious Leader.
In the 2004 series, the robotic Cylons were created by humans but rose up against them. Decades after the initial conflict ended in a truce, the Cylons reappear and launch a cataclysmic attack on human civilization that kills billions. The metallic Centurions are secretly led by several models of synthetic humanoid Cylons who are virtually indistinguishable from humans and have infiltrated their society.
Original series
In the original 1978 series Battlestar Galactica, created by Glen A. Larson, the Cylons are a race of sentient robots at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity. They are led by a Cylon known as the Imperious Leader who, though seemingly unique, can be replaced if needed. The IL-Series are a class of Cylons below the Imperious Leader who serve the Cylon Empire in non-military roles as administrators and diplomats. They have human-shaped, metallic heads and faces with glowing red eyes, and translucent conical craniums with visible crystalline brains. The IL-Series possess humanoid bodies covered in long, sparkling robes, and speak in refined, masculine voices. The Cylon foot soldiers are the Centurions, imposing humanoid robots characterized by their chrome armor and distinctive red eye visors. They speak in electronic, monotonous tones, and do not possess the intellect and autonomy of the IL-Series Cylons. Raiders are fighter craft crewed with three Centurions each, and Basestars are the Cylon capital warships, equivalent to the Battlestars of the human fleet.
The sequel series Galactica 1980 introduces two new-model Cylons who are indistinguishable from humans, Andromus (Roger Davis) and Andromidus (Neil Zevnik), in the episode "The Night the Cylons Landed". The concept of humanoid Cylons would become a primary element of the 2000s reboot series.
The Centurions were initially depicted in preproduction art by artist Ralph McQuarrie, but the final design was largely the work of Andrew Probert. Similarities with McQuarrie’s designs for the Star Wars Stormtroopers are sometimes suggested as a factor that prompted 20th Century Fox's lawsuit for copyright infringement against Universal Studios, owners of the Battlestar Galactica copyright. However the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals did not include the Cylons in the list of similarities they issued on an appeal in Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. v. MCA Inc. The case was remanded and reportedly settled out of court, by which time Battlestar Galactica had already been canceled.
In the series, the Imperious Leader is voiced by Patrick Macnee. Lucifer, an IL-Series Cylon installed as the second-in-command of a Cylon Basestar battleship under the command of human traitor Lord Baltar (John Colicos), is voiced by Jonathan Harris in nine episodes. An EMS Vocoder 2000 was used to produce the voices of the Centurions.
Reboot series The franchise was rebooted with the 2003 miniseries Battlestar Galactica, based on Larson's series and created by Ronald D. Moore. It was quickly followed by a 2004 series, which ran for four seasons and spawned the television films Razor (2007) and The Plan (2009), multiple web series, and the spinoff prequel television series Caprica (2010).
In the series, the 40-year armistice between the Twelve Colonies of humanity and a race of warlike, sentient robots called Cylons is suddenly broken by the Cylons. They launch a cataclysmic attack on human civilization that kills billions, and subsequently pursue the fleeing 50,000 survivors to exterminate them completely. Fully mechanical Centurions remain the avatars of Cylon aggression, but biological models of Cylons, indistinguishable from humans, have infiltrated what remains of the human population, and their identities are revealed over the course of the series. Updated versions of Raiders and Basestars are also depicted, as well as Hybrids, a type of Cylon which is a bridge between the mechanical and biological forms, used to control Basestars by existing in symbiosis with them.
Centurions Cylon Centurions are mechanical, sentient infantry robots with massive, silver armored bodies and chevron-shaped red eye visors. They are strong and agile, with bladed fingertips and retractable guns built into their lower arms. The Centurions are terrifying, deadly automatons who show no mercy, and are difficult to destroy without explosive ammunition. They are able to devise and execute complex tactical maneuvers. The Centurions are the originators of monotheism, the belief in a single God, among the Cylons, and are among the most devout. Some humans use the slur "toasters" to refer to the Centurions.
Initially depicted as cold and subservient foot soldiers, over the course of the series the Centurions exhibit a range of personalities and beliefs. Some seek a peaceful coexistence with humans, while others remain dedicated to their destruction. In season four, a schism erupts among the humanoid Cylon models over whether to punitively lobotomize the Raiders for insubordination. Natalie Faust removes the inhibitor modules that restrict higher functions from the Centurions who are present, granting them independent thought and free will. They immediately choose the side of those wishing to keep the Raiders unharmed, and kill the dissenters. These Centurions become an independent faction of Cylons, forming an uneasy alliance with the surviving humans and more pacifistic humanoid Cylon models, and showing that peaceful coexistence might not be impossible.
The 2005 Battlestar Galactica episodes "Valley of Darkness" and "Fragged" received nominations for a Visual Effects Society Award for the Centurions, in the category "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video". The series won the award for "Fragged". The following year, the 2006 episode "Downloaded" was nominated for a WES award in the same category.
Humanoid Cylons Humanoid Cylons are indistinguishable from humans in that they are constructed of biological components to near-perfectly replicate human biology, though they still possess a digital molecular structure. There are a finite number of distinct models, but each model can have multiple copies, which share biology and general personality throughout their model but develop into distinct individuals. The biological Cylons can be harmed and killed in the same manner as humans, but each copy can be resurrected by downloading their digital consciousness into a new body. The ability of these Cylons to evolve emotionally and intellectually creates the danger of "corruption" in the form of ideations considered dangerous to the Cylon cause. Individuals or entire models may be "boxed" or deactivated, with their consciousnesses and bodies put in storage or destroyed. Multiple copies of seven distinct Cylon models are depicted in the first three seasons, followed by the revelation that a "fundamentally different" group, dubbed the "Final Five" Cylons, are also embedded in the human fleet. Some humans use the slur "skinjobs" to refer to the humanoid Cylons.
Cylon resurrection technology relies on strategically-placed Resurrection Ships, which are in turn controlled by the Resurrection Hub. The Resurrection Ships are repositories for spare humanoid Cylon copies, and receive digital consciousness uploads from any Cylons who are killed within a certain range of the ship. The individual identity is then downloaded into a fresh Cylon body, which is awakened with the complete memories and personality of the original. The personas of Cylons who die out of range of a Resurrection Ship are lost forever. Arianne Gift of Game Rant called resurrection technology "profoundly significant" and a "fundamental element" of the series.
Numbered models
The miniseries establishes that there are 12 models of humanoid Cylons. Over the course of the miniseries and seasons 1 and 2, seven of these models are introduced, each with a model number between One and Eight. The absence of a Number Seven model is explained in the final season. Each model also appears to have a consistent "human" name, with the exception of Number Six.
Number Six, portrayed by Tricia Helfer, is introduced as a seductress who exploits her sexual relationship with celebrity scientist Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) to gain access to the military defense mainframe of the Twelve Colonies. She introduces malware into the network, which allows the Cylons to launch simultaneous, unchallenged nuclear attacks that wipe out virtually all of the populations of all twelve planets. She sacrifices herself to save Baltar in the attack on the planet Caprica, but her consciousness is subsequently downloaded into a new body on a Cylon Resurrection Ship. This copy, dubbed "Caprica Six" by the Cylons, is considered a hero, but has developed sympathy for humans, and regrets her part in the attacks. Caprica Six ultimately turns against the anti-human Cylon models and seeks peace between Cylons and humans. Other prominent Six copies include Shelly Godfrey, Gina Inviere and Natalie Faust.
In the miniseries, the warship Battlestar Galactica is in the final stages of being decommissioned and converted to a museum, and is thus unaffected by the Cylon sabotage. Its commander, William Adama (Edward James Olmos), assumes command of the few remaining elements of the human fleet and heads for the Ragnar Anchorage munitions depot to resupply. There he realizes that arms dealer Leoben Conoy (Callum Keith Rennie) is negatively affected by the electromagnetic radiation flooding the station, which is known to be harmless to humans but disrupts the silica pathways of Cylons. Leoben confirms he is a Cylon, and reveals the concept of their resurrection technology to Adama before attacking the commander. Adama bludgeons Leoben to death, and his body is taken aboard the Galactica for examination. The Leobens are later identified as Number Two models, who are very religious and hope for Cylons and humans to live together in peace.
On the Galactica, public relations specialist Aaron Doral (Matthew Bennett) is also determined to be a Cylon, and despite his protests is left at Ragnar Anchorage. He is a Number Five model, useful for their "everyman" appearance that helps them blend in with humans, but known to be "emotionally unstable and manipulative, switching from amiable and friendly to angry and violent." A Cylon team of Twos, Fives and Sixes arrive to collect him, accompanied by a Number Eight copy, revealing that Galactica fighter pilot Sharon "Boomer" Valerii (Grace Park) is a Cylon.