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The Cylons are an android race at war with mankind in the science fiction movie and television series Battlestar Galactica. They were possibly named after Cylon, a nobleman who attempted a coup in ancient Athens.
Originally, Cylons were created to serve the reptilian aliens 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 and destroyed their biological masters. They soon devoted themselves to the genocide of all other races in the galaxy.
Centurions are armed with a powerful energy weapon, often referred to as a blaster rifle. Curiously for an advanced robotic race, they have retained bayonets and swords. Whether these are used for ceremonial, psychological, or practical reasons is unclear.
Cylon Models
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, such as a body shell resembling the reptile Cylons. One was killed at the Battle of Carillon and another was likely killed during the Battle of Gamoray.
- IL-Series - Acts as a commander for the military and governor for civilians of the Alliance. They have 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.
- Lucifer - Baltar's second in command. Presumably leads persuit of the Galactica after Baltar's capture.
- 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 fame, has a name.
- Centurion - Centurions with silver armor. Basic centurions make up the ground forces and pilots of the Alliance military.
There is also a unique Cylon with glittering robes, but what looks like a mask attached to their face. They are seen in the Imperious Leader's delegation to Gamoray in The Living Legend.
Cylon Spacecraft
- Cylon Raider - A heavy fighter with a crew of 3, two pilots and a commander. They are armed with dual-firing weapons.
- Basestar - A warship more than a match for a Colonial battlestar, a basestar mounts two pulsars, many laser turrets, and carries 300 Raiders.
Battlestar Galactica Revival
In the revived Galactica series, the Cylons are rewritten to be autonomous servant robots developed by humans. They eventually rebelled in a major war with the Colonies, and subsequently disappeared for over forty years. They returned en masse, launching a sneak attack eliminating most of the colonies (similar to the original Galactica).
An original Cylon was seen in the pilot, however, the "Centurion" models shown in the series have an updated look, retaining the silver appearance, basic shape, and red bar eye. The Cylons also utilize biological technologies, creating specialized models used for infiltration that are indistinguishable from humans; they are perfect replicas, down to the internal organs and lymphatic system. There are only 12 models of infiltrator-Cylons, not all of which have been discovered. When an infiltrator's body "dies", its consciousness is transmitted to another of the same model. Some infiltrator-model Cylons are even "sleeper" agents: units given false memories so they actually think they are a human until they are activated for a specific mission. Cylon fighters also do not have pilot robots, as in the original series, but are a single entity. It appears to be bio-mechanical with (disgusting) flesh on the inside. The Cylon flesh seems to require oxygen. It is suspected that all the red mass in the centurions et cetra may also be biological material in a metallic shell.
Unlike many Sci-Fi robotic races (including the original Cylons), these re-envisioned Cylons are not ignorant or naive about human emotions, and even seem to have a mastery of the subject beyond that of the average human. Conducting psychological experiments and mind games on their human enemies appears to be a common tactic of theirs, and they often are seen manipulating the emotions of humans in order to destroy them. Some fans of the original series refer to these new humanoid model Cylons as Biocylons, to distinguish between them and the original Cylons.
The Cylons follow a monotheistic religion of their own devising and believe that by destroying humanity, they are fulfilling the wishes of 'God,' who has deemed humans too violent and imperfect to exist, making Cylons God's new chosen people. And they have a plan...
Trivia
Sci-fi fans traveling through 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. Alas, in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the airport was spruced up 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 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".
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