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The '''Cylons''' are a [[cybernetic]] [[civilization]] at war with the twelve colonies of humanity in the [[science fiction]] movie and television series ''[[Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', in both the original 1978/1980 series and movie and the new "reimagining" of 2003/2004. The word "Cylon" was minted in the original production and is pronounced as /sīlon/. The word could be a combination of "Cy" for cybernetic/cyborg and the Greek suffix "lon" meaning member/structure/unit (as in "pylon"). It may also be an allusion to the German word Zyklon ([[International_Phonetic_Alphabet|tsʏkloː]]), which has an "S" sound at the beginning rather than a "Z" sound. It also may be an alteration of the Greek name "Cyclops," as the Centurions are one-eyed robots.
The nature and origins of Cylons differ greatly between the two ''Galacticas''.
{{spoiler}}
==Battlestar Galactica (1978) & Galactica 1980==
===Cylon models===
In the [[Battlestar Galactica (1978)|1978 Galactica movie and series]] and the [[Galactica 1980|1980 spin-off]], the Cylons were created to serve the reptilian race of the Cylon Alliance. Somehow, just prior to the start of [[The Thousand Yahren War]], the android Cylons made a deal with the mysterious Count Iblis (meaning "Satan" in the [[Arabic language]]) and destroyed their biological masters. Only the higher ranking Cylons retain the physical appearence of their creators.
At the beginning of the series the Cylons are singularly devoted to the destruction of humanity. The war between the two species is stated in the episode "the Lords of Kobol" as being started when the Cylon empire sought to expand into the territory of a species allied with the colonies, so their original intentions may not have been genocidal. This may seem a quixotic mission but is reinforced in the same two part episode when Baltar, the betrayer of humanity, is spared and brought before the new Imperious leader. This leader gives him command of several Basestars and tells him that he wishes Baltar to be a peace envoy sent to seek reconciliation. He states that this is because he is a newer model than the previous leader and has room for wider thinking on the subject of "lesser" species. Baltar takes the position but is clearly confused by the act. There is never peace with the Cylons, but they do drop out of sight for about ten episodes.
Cylon society is composed of five models, four of which have been well-documented:
* '''Imperious Leader''': The leader of the Cylon Alliance and highest Cylon model. The Imperious Leader is an IL-Series Cylon with some extra augmentation, including a third brain and a body shell resembling the reptilian Cylons. One was killed at the Battle of Carillon and another was likely killed during the Battle of Gamoray. The voice of the Imperious Leader is identical to that of [[Count Iblis]] (both were voiced by [[Patrick Macnee]]).
* '''IL-Series''': Acts as a commander for the military and governor for civilians of the Alliance. They have two brains, a humanoid face and wear shimmering cloaks. They are almost feudal in nature and bicker among themselves frequently. This could be a tactic to help the most skilled IL-Series ascend the throne and receive a third brain. IL-series Cylons have an effete human-sounding voice, unlike the flat mechanical tones of Centurions. They pride themselves on having two brains, as opposed to the single brains of Centurions.
** Lucifer - Baltar's second in command. Presumably led pursuit of the ''Galactica'' after Baltar's capture. (voiced by [[Jonathan Harris]])
** Spectre - Commander on the planet Atilla in ''The Young Lords''. Enemy of Lucifer.
* '''Command Centurion''': Centurions with gold armor. These are the lower commanders for individual military units. At least one, Vulpa of ''Gun on Ice Planet Zero'', has a name. Voices are slightly different (lower pitched) than regular Centurions.
* '''Centurion''': Military androids with silver armor. Basic centurions make up the ground forces and pilots of the Alliance military. Centurions are armed with a powerful [[energy weapon]], often referred to as a blaster rifle. They also have [[bayonet]]s and [[sword]]s for close combat and execution of prisoners. (Although Earth's [[Roman]] [[Centurion]]s commanded a unit of one hundred men, Cylon Centurions form the rank and file of the Cylon forces.)
* '''Android''': A Cylon android was featured on the Halloween episode of Galactica 1980. This model had a superficial human appearance, a condescending/superior attitude toward Centurions, and was believed to be entirely electromechanical.
There is also a unique Cylon with glittering robes, with what looks like a mask attached to its face. They are seen in the Imperious Leader's delegation to Gamoray in ''The Living Legend''. All Cylons from the IL-series on down, typically repeat the phrase "By Your Command" when responding to an order.
The Cylon Centurions – the type most often depicted in the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' – were strikingly similar to the [[Imperial Stormtroopers]] of ''[[Star Wars]]''. The similarities were noted by many at the time and may have been one of the factors that prompted [[20th Century Fox]]'s lawsuit for copyright infringement against [[Universal Studios]], the owners of ''Battlestar Galactica''.
===Cylon spacecraft===
* '''[[Basestar]]''': A large warship mounting two pulsars, many laser turrets, and carrying 300 Raiders.
* '''Cylon Raider''': A heavy fighter with a crew of 3, two pilots and a commander. They are armed with dual-firing weapons.
* '''Cylon Freighter''': A cargo ship referenced in the Battlestar Galactica soundtrack [http://www.lurexlounge.com/bsg/audio.htm]
* '''Cylon Tanker''': A ship for transporting the fuel ''tylium'' [http://www.firedragon.com/~cfleets/gallery/gallery-shipcyl.htm]
===Cylon Government===
Cylons are led by the Imperious Leader, an IL-Series Cylon elevated to a supreme leadership position over all Cylons. The Cylon Empire is also responsible for tributary powers under the aegis of the Cylon Alliance. The Ovions are the only known member of the Cylon Alliance shown onscreen, other than the Cylons themselves. This may be due to the fact that the Cylons rarely maintain alliances for longer than is necessary for efficiency; they regularly turn on and exterminate their living allies when it suits them. Cylon society is almost exclusively military - until the discovery of Gamoray, which the Colonial fleet had targeted for its rich fuel reserves, no civilian Cylon outpost has ever been seen by anyone.
[[Image:Cylon.PNG|150px|thumb|The updated Centurion model]]
==Battlestar Galactica (2003/2004)==
In the 2003 miniseries and 2004 full-length series which [[Battlestar Galactica (2003)|"reimagined" ''Battlestar Galactica'']], the Cylons are fundamentally different. They were created by humans as robotic workers and soldiers; executive producer [[Ronald D. Moore]] has hinted that they were used in wars between the human Colonies. Eventually they gained sentience, rebelled and fought the humans in a major conflict that devastated both sides. An armistice was agreed, following which the Cylons disappeared for over forty years. They returned en masse, launching a sneak attack with [[nuclear weapon]]s which eliminated most of the colonies (similar to the original ''Galactica''). This is the starting point of the 2003 ''Battlestar Galactica'' miniseries.
Another fascinating divergence from the old series is that the Cylons now have a monotheistic religion of their own devising, in contrast to the polytheistic beliefs of the human colonists, who worship a pantheon of gods including Zeus, Artemis, Apollo, and Aphrodite. Despite their artificial origin the Cylons believe they are part of a divine plan, and destroying or decimating humanity is a part of that plan. Cylons do consider themselves to be divinely chosen.
Some fans believe that the Cylons actually have a greater plan for mankind and allowed the Galactica fleet to escape the destruction of the Colonies on purpose in order to facilitate this 'plan.' The first season finale also suggests that a union of the Human and Humanoid Cylon species is a goal.
[[Image:Numbersix2.png|thumb|Number Six.]]
===Cylon models===
Alongside the Cylon Centurions that resemble "walking chrome toasters" (from which they gain the racial epithet of "toaster" from the Colonials), the miniseries also introduces [[humanoid]] Cylons, appearing both externally and internally identical to humans. It is established that there are twelve models of Cylon, with multiple copies of each model in existence. The humanoid Cylons seem to serve as leaders to the lesser types of Cylon. There is no clearly established hierarchy among the humanoid Cylon models, even though individual Cylons are variously placed within certain hierarchies.
The humanoid Cylons look exactly like humans. They are specialized models which are used for infiltration, and the revelation that Cylon infiltrators can perfectly mimic human form, even down to the [[Organ (anatomy)|internal organs]] and [[lymphatic system]], creates a wave of fear and paranoia among the humans. Some Infiltrator-model Cylons are "sleeper" agents, and like the humanoids in [[Ridley Scott]]'s ''[[Blade Runner]]'', they have been implanted with false memories so they think they are human. They can interact with humans very convincingly, even being capable of intimate emotional and sexual relationships, although spines of female humanoid Cylons pulse with a red glow during intercourse. It's also been suggested that Human/Cylon hybrids are also possible.
Apparent weaknesses in the Infiltrators include heightened susceptibility to radiation and a perhaps too-close duplication of human frailties, such as fear, jealousy, pride, lust, wrath and zealotry. Their superior strength and endurance is an additional, although likely necessary, deviation from human norms which could "give away" a stealth unit. Boomer's copies shows suspicious endurance on Galactica and Caprica, which is noticed by their human counterparts. The humanoid Cylons are not merely biological clones of humans: they are synthetic bio-chemical machines (hinted to be partially but not completely based on human DNA samples). They have several differences, possessing "silica pathways" or "silica relays" — both terms are used in the miniseries — in the body's nervous system and brain. The exact nature of this network is unclear, but in the second season episode ''Flight of the Phoenix'', the prisoner Valerii uses her network to send a "power down" signal to a Cylon attack group through the Galactica's communication system. "Silica Pathways" may be a remnant mechanical aspect of the Cylons' biomechanical technology. Another difference is the increased vulnerability to radiation of Cylon cellular structures.
Another defect of the humanoid Cylons is that they are normally not capable of sexual reproduction with other humanoid Cylons. As such, they were limited to asexual reproduction under laboratory conditions. However, a central tenet of the Cylon religion is God's commandment to procreate, "be fruitful and multiply", so the Cylons searched for any way possible for the humanoid Cylons to produce offspring. As a result, the Cylons began a program to create a hybrid Human/Cylon offspring (which was deemed the most feasible way to produce ''some'' form of child of a humanoid Cylon). After the 12 Colonies of Kobol fell to the Cylons, they began keeping the handful of surviving human women as prisoners on breeding farms and artificially impregnating them to produce Cylon offspring. However, this process also met with very little success.
Analyzing their failure, the Cylons theorized that what their breeding experiments had been lacking was love. Thus, they set up the Colonial pilot Lt. Agathon to fall in love and have sex with a "Sharon" copy of humanoid Cylon while he was stranded on Caprica (at the time he was unaware of the existence of humanoid Cylons). The Caprica-Boomer's unborn child is the first Human/Cylon hybrid conceived in love, and as a result it is the only Cylon pregnancy to survive as long as it has (over two months). As a result it is of vital importance to the Cylons, but unfortunately for them the Caprica-Boomer has defected to the Colonials.
Unlike many sci-fi robotic races, including the original Cylons, these re-envisioned Cylons are not ignorant or naive about human emotions, and some even seem to have a mastery of the subject beyond that of the average human. One Cylon on Caprica is heard expressing doubt and apparent regret about the extermination of the humans. Playing mind games with their human enemies appears to be a common tactic of the Cylons, and they often are seen manipulating the emotions of humans in order to destroy or control them, most notably Baltar. The Leoben Conoy model in particular was described by Adama as a master manipulator who mixes lies with truth.
When an infiltrator's body dies, its consciousness is supposedly transmitted to another empty shell of the same model. The process is not perfect, however; the radiation in Ragnar Anchorage stops the first "Leoben Conoy"'s consciousness from transferring, and the second saboteur copy of "Conoy" claims that his actions have been prompted by a fear that the transmission process has a finite range and that he is too far away.
Fans have noted that there are twelve Cylon models and twelve Colonies, which may have significance within the BSG universe.
The known Cylon models are as follows:
====Centurions====
The new Centurion models have a more streamlined look, retaining the silver appearance, robotic body, helmet-like head and oscillating red bar eye. They are larger, stronger, and more agile than the originals. They also have retractable weapons in their lower arms. This model is the successor to the original Centurion, a replica of which is seen very briefly in the miniseries as an homage to the 1978 series.
====Humanoid Cylons====
In the miniseries, Commander Adama discovered a note in his quarters that read "There are 12 models of Cylons." It is unclear whether there are 12 different models of humanoid Cylons or twelve total models, including the mechanical Cylons. There are many copies of each model. The six humanoid models revealed so far include:
* '''"Aaron Doral"''' – Three copies have been shown so far. The first is as a public relations worker for the abortive ''Battlestar Galactica'' museum, who is revealed to be a Cylon in the miniseries and is stranded at Ragnar Anchorage by Adama. The second is a [[suicide bomber]] who narrowly misses killing Adama and Tigh. The third is one of the 'controllers' who monitors the progress of Helo and the duplicate Boomer on Cylon-occupied Caprica, working alongside one of the duplicate Number Sixes.
[[Image:Boomernew.jpg|thumb|Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, a Cylon sleeper agent aboard ''Galactica'']]
* '''[[Sharon Valerii|Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]]''' – Numerous copies have been seen although only two have been featured regularly. One was a sleeper agent aboard ''Battlestar Galactica'' who did not know that she was a Cylon, although she suspected it. Another Boomer is fully aware she is a Cylon and accompanies ''Galactica'' crewmember [[Karl Agathon|Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon]] who met her while he was stranded on Cylon-occupied Caprica.
:The Boomer aboard ''Galactica'' performed a number of involuntary actions due to her Cylon programming, including bombing the ships water tanks and shooting [[William Adama|Commander Adama]]. Despite taking these actions, Boomer has no recollection of them after they happen and often seems confused.After the failed assasination attempt, Boomer was thrown in the brig. While being escorted to another cell she was shot and killed by [[Specialist Cally]].
:The Boomer on Caprica originally served the other Cylons faithfully, attempting to make Lt. Agathon fall in love with her. However Boomer ended up falling in love with him and the two [[Fertilization|conceived]] a child together. Boomer then effectively [[Defector|defected]] to the humans, helping Helo escape Cylon patrols and to liberate Starbuck from a Cylon breeding facility. Boomer also stole a Cylon Heavy Raider ship which the trio used to return to Galactica. Upon reaching the ''Galactica'' she was immediately incarcerated, as another Boomer had shot Commander Adama. Even in the brig she aided the crew in removing a Cylon computer virus from the ship's systems, then broadcasted another virus to a massive Cylon strike force attacking ''Galactica'', resulting in the destruction of hundreds of Raiders. Since the defection of Caprica-Boomer, a third Boomer has been seen along with Number Six and Aaron Doral (on Cylon-occupied Caprica), discussing the future direction of the Cylon fleet.
* '''"Leoben Conoy"''' – Two copies have been shown so far, the first claiming to be a smuggler upon being discovered in the munitions depot at Ragnar Anchorage. Adama kills this copy and has the body taken back to the ''Galactica''. The second is an ''agent provocateur'', an apparently unsuccessful saboteur who is captured aboard a passenger ship, claiming to have planted a nuclear warhead somwhere in the fleet. Commander Adama, having spent time with the first copy, knows how dangerous this Cylon model is. Conoy is adept at [[psychology]], mixing lies with truth making him very difficult to believe or to ignore. He is tortured for information by the strong-willed Starbuck on Adama's orders, but the result is the remaining human fleet is even more vunerable to attack. The president [[Laura Roslin]] realizes nothing he says can be trusted and has him thrown out the [[airlock]], but not before Conoy tells her that Adama is a Cylon.
* '''"Simon"''' – Two copies have been shown so far, both at a Cylon breeding facility on Caprica. Simon appears to be a tall, slender, dark-skinned male with close cropped or balding hair, approximately 35 years old. The first copy posed as a human physician treating Lt. Thrace for a gunshot wound in what was supposedly a hospital on Caprica, but he was also performing invasive tests on her reproductive organs. He accidently revealed himself as a Cylon when he called Lt. Thrace "Starbuck", even though she hadn not told him her callsign. After killing Simon (by jabbing a shard of a broken mirror in his neck), Lt. Thrace encountered another Simon copy while fleeing the breeding facility, before he was killed by Starbuck's rescue party.
* '''"D'Anna Biers"''' – Two copies have been shown so far. D'Anna appears to be a woman approximately 36 years old, blonde hair, and the copy on the ''Galactica'' has a regional accent. The first copy poses as a reporter for the Fleet News Service, and is asked by President Roslin and Commander Adama to create a documentary to help the fleet relate to the hard-working staff on the Galactica (after they discover she possesses controversial video footage of a friendly fire incident). With full access to the ship, this D'Anna stumbles across Caprica-Boomer and during an incident with two Cylon Raiders manages to relay a transmission of the documentary back to the other Cylons on Caprica. The Cylon copies viewing the documentary are Doral, Valerii, [[Number Six (Battlestar Galactica)|Six]] and D'Anna. The D'Anna on Caprica speaks with an American accent. The Galactica crew is completely unaware that the Galactica-D'Anna is a Cylon, and she is currently still at large in the Fleet. D'Anna is played by actress [[Lucy_Lawless|Lucy Lawless]]. Her role as the D'Anna on ''Galactica'' is the first time she has used her native [[New Zealand]] accent onscreen in many years.
* '''[[Number Six (Battlestar Galactica)|Number Six]]''' – is a beautiful female model evidently designed for seduction. (The name may be a reference to ''[[The Prisoner]]''). In the first episode she is shown having an affair with Baltar (and possibly others) on Caprica, and she was the Cylon "[[Trojan Horse]]" who built vulnerabilities into the Colonial defense system mainframe, allowing the Cylons to annihilate the Colonies and deactivate the automated systems of the Colonial fleet. One of the series' most effective plot devices is that the Number Six on Galactica can ''only'' be seen by Baltar -- in every episode she appears to torment Baltar in disturbing waking visions, as well as making him 'relive' his last hours with her on Caprica. It is not clear whether she is a product of his incipient madness, as he first thinks, or if (as she claims) she is a projection of a chip that she implanted in his brain, or some other form of mental projection. A brain scan of Baltar in the second season episode ''Final Cut'' revealed no chip. She did appear once on ''Galactica'' in physical form, calling herself "Shelley Godfrey". There are also several copies of Number Six on Caprica including the copy working with the third Doral copy observing Helo and Boomer. The Cylon religion appears to be of central importance to her, she refers to "God" in almost every episode, and part of her mission is evidently to convert Baltar to the religion of the Cylons' "one true god." Another of the Number Six model named "Gina" infiltrated the Battlestar ''Pegasus'' but was later captured by its crew. After being taken prisoner she was tortured and gang-[[rape|raped]] by ''Pegasus'' crewmen on a routine basis. By the time Dr. Baltar examined her, after ''Pegasus'' reunited with ''Galactica'', she was in a catatonic state from the trauma of her abuse. The ''Pegasus'' crew kept her shackled to the ground with cuffs on her hands and feet and a collar, which were all connected by a chain that was bolted to the floor. The ''Pegasus'' crew felt that Cylons aren't people, and never considered this as prisoner abuse because they feel the humanoid Cylons are just machines.
It is interesting to note that, just prior to her death, Galactica-Boomer revealed to Dr. Baltar that eight humanoid Cylons remained alive, hidden within the fleet. Known models and obvious clones would likely not remain hidden long in the present state of security. Starbuck probably gave a description of Simon, but it's possible a copy of him may be hiding in the Fleet. The only other person in the fleet known to be a Cylon is the reporter-copy of D'Anna, however none of the Colonials are aware that she is a Cylon. Additionally, there are occasional implications that Colonel Tigh's wife may be a Cylon: initially presumed dead, she miraculously appears unharmed in the fleet, she was "tested" during a period when Dr. Baltar refused to reveal any true Cylons for fear of being exposed himself (whether her test was even completed is unclear), she repeatedly causes Tigh to make poor judgement calls, frequently in opposition to the President or Commander Adama. Baltar, in one episode, says to number Six that she is "only human," but this doesn't necessarily mean she isn't a cylon
=== Cylon spacecraft ===
[[Image:Battlestar Galactica 2003 - Basestar.jpg|thumb|300px|Cylon Basestars, one firing missiles (2003 series)]]
Cylon spacecraft in the new series are of a biomechanical design. They are not necessarily Cylons themselves, and there is little indication that they have any intelligence outside the specialized tasks for which they are designed.
* '''Raider''': The new Raider is a biomechanical fighter craft with twin cannon weapons and FTL ([[Faster-than-light]]) capability. Unlike the original Raiders, these are autonomous craft without a separate pilot. It appears to be an oxygen-breathing biomechanical organism housed within a metallic [[exoskeleton]]. In one episode of the 2004 series, the stranded Starbuck finds a downed raider and discovers that once inside its "head" she can control the propulsion and weapons systems by manipulating its biomechanical actuators. Another (Cylon) character describes the Raider as being somewhat like a pet. (Curiously, the "dead" organic tissues of a Raider do not seem to decay or produce foul odors. It may still be alive.)
* '''Heavy Raider''': A previously unknown Cylon craft, introduced in the last episode of season one, which is capable of transporting squads of Cylon Centurions for boarding actions. It appears to be loosely analogous to a Colonial Raptor transport in this respect. It may not require a pilot, but it has been shown as being controlled by a humanoid Cylon. [[Ronald D. Moore]] confirms this craft's name as "Heavy Raider" in his [[podcast]] for this episode.
* '''[[Basestar]]''': The Basestar is the primary Cylon capital ship yet identified in the series, outmatching a colonial Battlestar in nearly every tactical respect. Basestars are designed to make hyperlight jumps and equipped to deploy large-scale strikes with high yield nuclear ordnance. They carry at least 250 Raiders on their exterior service pods, and an indeterminate number of additional fighters inside. Although the staggering number of Raiders they can deploy at a moment's notice suggests an enormous crew, it is suspected that much of a Basestar's internal workings may be automated. They are themselves biomechanical entities, with fleshy "hangars" to house Raiders. Basestars are, however, capable of carrying other Cylon models within them.
* '''Unknown Large Ship''': In the episode "Pegasus", intelligence imagery from the [[Battlestar Pegasus]] shows a ship much larger than a Basestar which is unlike anything the Colonials have ever seen before. Recon photos of it suggest a [[toroid]]al appearance, but it's exact appearance has not yet been determined. Admiral Cain and Commander Adama have speculated that it might be a Raider factory, or a command ship.
*The main Cylon fleet is mentioned as being accompanied by about a dozen various "support ships", of unknown design. Some are probably responsible for mining and refining tylium fuel from asteroids, or constructing tylium mining bases like the one seen in "The Hand of God". Others might be analagous the Colonial support cruisers, which have also been mentioned but never seen on screen.
==Trivia==
Sci-fi fans traveling through [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Hartsfield International Airport]] in Atlanta were always quick to note that the automated voice on the trains connecting the passenger concourses to the main terminal was a perfect match for the voice of a Cylon. However, in preparation for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]], the airport was renovated and the Cylon voice was retired in favor of a pre-recorded "human" voice. The voice heard going down the escalator to the trains, however, still reminds them of the robot guarding the path to sanctuary in [[Logan's Run]].
In the [[source code]] of [[Mozilla]] (and its [[Netscape_Navigator|Netscape]] predecessor), the "undetermined" progress bar that slides back and forth -- rather than filling up the bar from left to right -- is referred to as the "Cylon".
A Cylon appears in the season 3 episode of [[Futurama]] [[Futurama_%28TV_series_-_season_3%29#Bendin.27_in_the_Wind|Bendin' In The Wind]]. He’s part of the musical duo ''Cylon and Garfunkel'', a parody of [[Simon and Garfunkel]].
In the opening credits of certain seasons of [[The A-Team]], [[Dirk Benedict]] watches a Cylon walk past (while at the Universal Studios tour), initially expresses concern, and then decides to ignore it. Dirk Benedict played the character Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica series.
Glen A. Larson produced both the original Battlestar Galactica and [[Knight Rider]]. He incorporated the Cylon scanning moving eye into KITT, and it is speculated in [[fanon]] that [[KITT]]'s electronic brain was originally part of a Cylon that crashed to earth in Galactica: 1980.
==External link==
*[http://battlestarwiki.org/index.php?title=Cylons "Cylons" at Battlestar Wiki]
[[Category:Fictional robots]]
[[Category:Battlestar Galactica]]
[[Category:Fictional aliens]]
[[Category:Fictional alien species]]
[[category:villain races]]
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