The sci-fi franchises ofBattlestar GalacticaandStar Trekhave mirrored one another practically since day one. In fact, the original 1978Battlestar Galacticacame under fire on many occasions for supposedly copyingStar Trek, and the reimagined 2004 BSG did, too. In spite of this heavy criticism, at its core,Battlestar Galacticahas carved out its own niche, with its gritty but grounded approach honoring but stillchanging theStar Treksci-fi formula.
While these two universes have each made their own unique mark on the sci-fi genre, it is undeniable that they do share many parallels. From a heavy focus on ethical concepts to overarching themes of the survival of the human race,Battlestar GalacticaandStar Trekhave more in commonthan not. Not the least of their similarities lies in the character archetypes that exist in each universe. TheseBattlestarGalacticacharacters all have their counterparts in theStar Trekfranchise - in fact, some are so similar as to be nearly interchangeable.
10William Adama & Jean-Luc Picard
The Fearless Leader
As the commanding officer of the BattlestarGalactica, Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos) fills a role similar to that ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart).Adama consistently tries his best to make the right decisions for his crew – and the good of what is left of humanity– and this frequently requires him to bend his ethics. Though he can sometimes be rather hardline due to his military background and a long history of betrayals by those close to him,Adama is self-aware and capable of growth.
The fact Adama cares is obvious in the way he treats his crew, even going so far as to memorize every crewman’s name. His character undergoes considerable emotional growth throughout the series, evident in his burying of the hatchet with Roslin and gradual (if reluctant) acceptance of humanoid Cylons. His grudge against the Cylons mirrors that of Picard’s against the Borg, and much like Jean-Luc’s tension with his brother, Adama has a family rift with his son, Lee. In addition,both Picard and Adama are diplomatically and tactically cunning, and have a strong ethical code.
9Kara “Starbuck” Thrace & Kira Nerys
The First Officer
Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) is a skilled Viper pilot andBattlestar Galactica’sfearless second in command, acting as the re-imaginedBSGcounterpart to Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) ofStar Trek: Deep Space 9. Starbuck is certainly the headstrong fighter of her motley crew, buther brash attitude is balanced by fierce loyalty and a strong moral compassthat gradually wins Commander Adama’s trust.
Similar to Major Kira Nerys’ childhood on the Cardassian-enslaved planet Bajor, Starbuck came from an impoverished upbringing and very traumatic circumstances.Major Kira and Kara Thrace each have abrasive attitudes known to get them in trouble, and additionally, each share deeply held religious beliefs. Ultimately, the biggestStarbuck andDS9connectionlies in the fact both of these characters arestrong heroines hell-bent on carrying their people to safety and freedom, whatever the cost.
8Caprica Six & Seven of Nine
The Fanboy’s Dream Girl
Cylon android Caprica-Six (Tricia Helfer), much likeStar Trek: Voyagercyborg Seven-of-Nine (Jeri Ryan), has a complex relationship with humanity. She feelsdeep guilt over her involvement in the Cylon attackson the Twelve Colonies. Later in the series, she grapples with her feelings for and eventual betrayal of Gaius Baltar. The tension over this relationship causes Caprica’s fellow Cylon, Number Three, to manipulate Caprica-Six into emotional instability in an attempt to get her “boxed” (that is, have her consciousness placed in storage). This subplot mirrors the way theBorg abandoned Seven-of-Nine after disconnecting her from the Collective.
At first glance, Caprica-Six isseemingly just another overly-sexualized sci-fi fanboy’s dream girl, and she does fill that same role in re-imaginedBSG, much like Seven-of-Nine did inStar Trek: The Next Generation. However, also like Seven-of-Nine,Caprica-Six’s complex dynamic with humans, remorse for her actions, and vaguely terrifying violent capabilities lend her character more depththan the inhuman pin-up girl trope would usually imply or allow.
7Gaius Baltar & Dr. Julian Bashir
The Brilliant Scientist
The likeness between Gaius Baltar (James Callis) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) is easy to see. But even settingtheir striking physical resemblanceaside, theseBattlestar GalacticaandStar Trek: Deep Space Ninecharacters share a few more important parallels.Gaius Baltar and Dr. Julian Bashir are both brilliant scientists and womanizers, although Bashir is significantly less questionable in his approach to this.
In general, each of these characters serves as the insufferably flirtatious but intelligent comedic relief. Luckily for Bashir, that is the extent of their similarities, asGaius Baltar is a generally amoral and corrupt characterwhose only concern lies in protecting his own interests.The blame for the Cylon attacks on the Colonieswas ultimately onGaius Baltar via his connection to Number Six, along with countless other betrayals whereasBashir was rarely aStar Trekvillainand remained a loyal Starfleet officer throughout his career (unless you count his traitorous Changeling double inDS9season 5, episode 14).
6Sherman Cottle & Dr. Leonard McCoy
The Grumpy Old Doctor
Major Sherman Cottle (Donnelly Rhodes) is a near-perfect mirror image ofStar Trek: The Original SeriesChief Medical Officer Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelly). Gruff, kind-hearted, and highly competent, Sherman Cottle serves as the revered Chief Medical Officer aboard the BattlestarGalactica, andregularly plays Commander Adama’s voice of reason,just as McCoy did for Captain Kirk.
Cottle acts as the non-line officer authority on board the beloved old Battlestar, and as such his expertise is respected even to the point of commanding officers occasionally overlooking some vaguely insubordinate spiels. Major Cottle’s existence in the narrative primarilyfulfills the occasional need to knock Adama off his pedestal, but he is also a well-loved character in his own right. As the only competent medical officer on board, Adama’s abrasivecharacter traits he shares with Dr. McCoyand chain smoking are gracefully ignored by the crew, who recognize that, much like Dr. McCoy, he truly cares.
5Captain Lee Adama & Captain James T. Kirk
The Fearless Leader, Jr.
Young Captain Lee Adama (Jamie Barber) runs parallel to theStar Trek: 2009rebooted Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) in several ways. Brash, cocky, sometimes immature, but ultimately a good leader,Lee does the right thing – but not always the smart thing. Captain Kirk and Captain Adama each have issues with authority and have suffered the traumatic loss of a close family member: Kirk his father, and Lee his brother, Zak Adama – both were piloting a spacecraft when they died, though under very different circumstances.
Though both Lee Adama and James T. Kirk have heroic tendencies, Lee is far less prone to self-sacrifice than Kirk, and frequently tempers this impulse in his father and others aboard the BattlestarGalactica, instead advising caution.This tension is further aggravated by Lee’s deep sense of justice, another trait shared with Kirk, and it comes to a head when he defends the traitor Gaius Baltar.
4Galen Tyrol & Montgomery Scott
The Everyman Mechanic
Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) is the backbone of the BattlestarGalactica,and his character is reminiscent of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) fromStar Trek: The Original Series. Filling the “everyman” trope,Tyrol gets the job done and works well under extreme pressurein order to keep the Galactica flying, much likeStar Trek’s “miracle worker” Scotty. This apparent loyalty and high level of competency at his job does not prevent him fromloudly advocating for the rights of his crewmen, however.
In the miniseries pilot episode, Tyrol is emotionally devastated by the loss of a group of crewmembers and openly criticizes the loss of life caused by his commanding officers’ choices. As evident by this scene in which he tells Commander Adama that only 40 seconds were required to save those 80-odd lives,Tyrol does not hold back when speaking to commanding officers, and as with Scotty, it is often with good reason.
3President Laura Roslin & Captain Kathryn Janeway
The Diplomatic Matriarch
The parallels betweenStar Trek: VoyagerCaptain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) are not difficult to recognize. Each serves as the strong female lead and cunning diplomat and is frequently required tomake impossible choices to guide what remains of their skeleton crew to safetywhile protecting the greater good. These decisions haunt President Roslin, but much like Janeway, she puts her people ahead of herself while doing her best to make ethical choices, all while battling terminal cancer, whereasCaptain Janeway battled depression.
Similarly to Janeway, President Roslin takes criticism and sexism in stride, maintaining a collected exterior and evenmanaging to positively redirect such energy towards more practical measuresthat serve the needs of those around her. These leadership skills are evident in her calm handling of her authority being questioned directly after the Cylon attack on Caprica is announced in the miniseries pilot.
2Tom Zarek & Garak
The Pot-Stirrer
Tom Zarek (Richard Hatch) is a charismatic but destructive political activist who frequently utilizes violent means to achieve his goals. Beyond their rhyming names, agitator Tom Zarek and Cardassian tailor Elim Garak (Andrew J. Robinson) ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nineshare a few notable qualities, such ascunning and a particular penchant for deception and subterfuge. They both share a relationship with a brilliant scientist, with Zarek’s political connection to Baltar andGarak’s friendship with Dr. Bashir.
While Tom Zarek is certainly far more likely to stir up unrest, Garak is no peacekeeper himself. The humble tailor certainly shares in Zarek’s treasonous tendencies on some level, having been exiled from the Obsidian Order following an affair with the wife of a military officer (although the truth of that story is questionable at best given multiple variations were told). As capable of deception as Garak, who once told Dr. Bashir, “The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination,”Zarek resorts to manipulation and violence in furthering his supposedly humanitarian cause. Shortly before their capture, Gaeta tells Zarek that all they have now is “lies and murder.”
1Boxey & Wesley Crusher
Shut Up, Boxey
Boxey (Noah Hathaway) is undoubtedly theWesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) ofBattlestar Galactica. This original series character acts asthe precocious little kid on deck, whose primary job is to get underfootand ensure the show’s network was able to point to some wholesome, kid-friendly content to supposedly up their ratings. While the character may be endearing on some level – especially his dog-like robotic creature, the “daggit” – Boxey served no true narrative purpose and, much likeStar Trek’s Wesley Crusher, was not a fan-favorite.
Luckily, likeStar Trekrehabilitated Wesley, the re-imaginedBattlestar Galacticaavoided this pitfall and quickly disposed of Boxey’s character after the miniseries pilot made a brief attempt to bring him back. Boxey and the copious other child characters featured in Galactica 1980 existed largely against the will of the creators. Their presence wasdue to network censor demands to make the show less violent and more child-friendly, with an emphasis on clean-cut characters and lots of children featured on the show. In response to this demand, the original creator Glen Larson (viaJohn Larocque) is quoted as saying, “Okay, I’ll give you kids crawling out of your ears!”
Battlestar Galactica
Cast
After a surprise Cylon attack decimates the Twelve Colonies of humanity, the survivors rally under the protection of the Battlestar Galactica. Led by the resolute Commander Adama, they embark on a desperate quest to find Earth, a fabled refuge. Along the way, they face continuous threats from the Cylons and struggle with the moral and ethical dilemmas of leadership and survival.
Battlestar Galactica is a science fiction television series that premiered in 2004. The plot follows the crew of the aging Battlestar Galactica as they protect a small fleet of human survivors from the renewed threat of the Cylons, in a quest to find the mythical 13th colony, Earth.
Source:John Larocque - Interview with Galactica 1980 Story Editor Allan Cole
