Battle Galactica‘s Commander William Adama’s quotability and wisdom are timeless, and this way with words has cemented his status as one of the greatest sci-fi characters of all time. The Battlestar Galactica shows hold a unique place in the sci-fi genre, with the 2004 TV series most are familiar with actually being a reboot of the original 1978 miniseries. The rebooted show introduced a new timeline and significantly changed the tone of the original, taking it from a campy adventure to a much more serious and profound exploration of human nature.

This was already a step in the right direction, as the potential for the sci-fi genre, already introduced to a mainstream audience through Star Trek, was being explored through other TV shows. That said, the updated Battlestar Galactica became the best sci-fi reboot of all time for another reason, and this is through the development of its reimagined characters. Starbuck is the most memorable for Katee Sackhoff’s career-defining performance, but underpinning the entire story is Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos) as the emotional and moral heart of the show, whose best quotes are still relevant today.

6

“Live Or Die, It’s How You Act Today That’s Gonna Matter.”

Battlestar Galactica had the ability to be both inspiring and heartbreaking, often within the same episode, and season 4’s “The Oath” is one of these times. Adama and President Roslin allied with the Cylons as a tactical plan, infuriating Felix Gaeta, who organizes a full-scale mutiny onboard the ship. When Adama and Colonel Tigh are taken to the brig, he catches the marines escorting them off-guard with this dignified and foreshadowing line, before breaking free.

With those words, Adama highlights the fact that the marines are on the wrong side, without saying so explicitly. Instead, no matter their beliefs or choices, their actions relating to their treatment of him and the other characters will reflect on them, no matter what side eventually wins. The end of the episode leaves Adama and Tigh’s fates unknown, making Adama’s line even more relevant, as the viewer can only judge him on his actions rather than their outcome and whether he lives or dies. This wisdom has remained timeless, reflecting the way in which peoples’ actions can outlive them.

5

“You Cannot Play God Then Wash Your Hands Of The Things That You’ve Created.”

MovieStillsDB

The core story in Battlestar Galactica is about the battle between the humans and the Cylons that they have created, and while many of the main characters would prefer to deflect responsibility, Adama’s speech brings home the futility of this way of thinking. Taking place in part 1 of the miniseries, this sets the tone for the entire franchise, and Battlestar Galactica is aging like fine wine for its commitment to this theme.

The concept of a creation taking on a life of its own is one of the oldest stories in history, appearing in The Bible through Adam and Eve before Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein became the first sci-fi story ever written, covering this exact principle, and continuing into more modern sci-fi with The Terminator. That said, Battlestar Galactica has put its own spin on the idea through the Cylons and their almost total mimicry of humanity.

The miniseries starts four decades before the events of the rebooted series, and is set in a time during which most of the human populations are just learning that they have underestimated the Cylons. On the other hand, Adama has the foresight to understand that this arrogance is going to come back to haunt them for playing God, ending his speech with another observation, “sooner or later, the day comes when you can’t hide from the things that you’ve done anymore.”

4

“I’m Putting The Fleet Back Together, I’m Putting Our Family Back Together. This Ends Now.”

MovieStillsDB

Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica saw humanity divided between loyalty to President Roslin and Commander Adama. Despite being furious at Roslin for leaving with almost a third of the fleet in search of a way to Earth via Kobol, Adama puts his own feelings aside for the good of the fleet, which he had been watching disintegrating in front of him. His heart-to-heart conversation with Dee highlighted his own feelings of helplessness, and rather than continue to interpret Roslin’s actions as betrayal, Adama showed humility in reuniting the people he saw as his family.

His decision is one of the happiest and most optimistic moments in the series, after several episodes that were phenomenally acted but hard to watch, including his near-assassination. Cohesion between a crew is central to any sci-fi series set on a spaceship, and the joy and relief of the fleet in hearing Adama take control once more shows in a single moment that he is one of the best sci-fi ship captains of all time, while also highlighting the fact that he sees them all as family, on a level with his own sons.

3

“Sometimes, You Have To Roll The Hard Six.”

In the dice game craps, a “hard six” was rolling a six with two threes rather than the other different number combinations. This is a difficult feat, and Adama referenced it when explaining that in desperate times, you must take a massive, high-risk gamble to succeed when standard plans fail. In the episode “The Hand of God,” Adama plans to attack a Cylon-controlled asteroid by using the civilian fleet to draw them out. When questioned on this, Adama responds with this line, acknowledging that the plan is extremely dangerous but observing that there is no real alternative.

Adama would later live by his own words during one of the greatest action scenes in sci-fi TV, during which he executed a dangerous tactic by launching the ship into freefall, shedding armor and releasing Vipers before jumping back just before a crash would have been inevitable. “The Adama Maneuver” is a perfect example of rolling “a hard six,” with both the move and line becoming sci-fi legend, with For All Mankind referencing the line as the title of season 5’s second episode.

2

“There’s A Reason You Separate Military And The Police. One Fights The Enemies Of The State, The Other Serves And Protects The People. When The Military Becomes Both, Then The Enemies Of The State Tend To Become The People.”

Of all Commander Adama’s most profound and significant lines in Battlestar Galactica, one of his earliest is perhaps the most prophetic and important, remaining timeless from the moment it was spoken. Adama recognized the dangers of combining the police and military early on, in season 1, episode 2 titled “Water.” When a series of explosions play havoc with the ship’s water supply, the fleet steps in to assist with water rationing. However, as the situation grows dire, things get out of hand, with the fleet forced to see the scared and desperate population as an enemy.

Adama’s line is not only one of the best quotes in Battlestar Galactica, but it continues the tradition of reflecting real-world issues through the lens of sci-fi. Star Trek might have popularized this storytelling approach, but Battlestar Galactica took it many steps further, picking a few issues like the concepts of free will, religion, and AI, and exploring them thoroughly. “Water” added the issue of moral ambiguity in the name of survival, and while some of Roslin’s solutions might have sounded reasonable, Adama’s iconic line brought things back to Earth with its harsh but accurate warning.

1

“So Say We All”

MovieStillsDB

The most iconic line in the show is undoubtedly “so say we all,” which is often used in the same way as “amen.” It has become so inextricably linked to the show as an unofficial tagline that it is easy to forget that Battlestar Galactica‘s most important line was made by improv. While the line was in the original script, it was intended as a one-off line, with none of the significance and weight that it came to carry.

During a low moment for the people involved in the making of the show, Commander Adama actor Olmos turned it into a rallying cry for the cast and extras, with the moment passing into Battlestar Galactica‘s wider lore. The words had originally been a solemn end to a long speech, but when Olmos started repeating it, with the volume building each time the other actors shouted back, the moment took on a greater significance, with the simple line representing the characters’ intent to reclaim their future.

Release Date

2004 – 2009-00-00

Showrunner

Ronald D. Moore

Directors

Wayne Rose, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Jeff Woolnough, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Jonas Pate, Allan Kroeker, Anthony Hemingway, Jean de Segonzac, Marita Grabiak, James Head, Paul A. Edwards, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Brad Turner, Ronald D. Moore, Bill Eagles

Writers

Carla Robinson, Michael Taylor, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Jane Espenson, Mark Verheiden, Michael Angeli, Anne Cofell Saunders, Jeff Vlaming, Michael Rymer, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin, Seamus Kevin Fahey

• 

  Edward James Olmos

  William Adama

• 

  Mary McDonnell

  Laura Roslin