Number Eight

"Number Eight" is one of the twelve humanoid Cylon models. She is the youngest in both fact and appearance and generally associated with the name "Sharon" when interacting with humans. Eights are known for being more empathic and compassionate than the other Cylons. Humans have particularly been exposed to two specific copies, Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, a "sleeper" agent who served on board Galactica believing herself to be one of the human crew while unknowingly programmed as a saboteur and assassin, and Sharon "Athena" Agathon, who was assigned to seduce Karl "Helo" Agathon on the planet , but fell in love with him and defected to the human side, replacing Boomer as a Colonial officer on Galactica. There are numerous other copies among the Cylon populace.
== Sharon "Boomer" Valerii ==
Sharon "Boomer" Valerii is a copy initially planted as a "sleeper" agent in the Colonial Fleet. Implanted with false memories, she is unaware of her Cylon nature and serves for two years as Lieutenant Valerii on Galactica, where she is assigned as a Raptor pilot and also engaged in a secret relationship with Chief Tyrol. After the Cylon attack, her underlying programming repeatedly emerges which leads her to unconscious acts of sabotage. Growing confusion about her true self results in a deep depression and a failed suicide attempt. After Valerii returns from a successful mission to destroy a Cylon basestar, she shoots Commander Adama in the chest, wounding him critically. She is incarcerated in the brig and is shot and killed by Specialist Cally while being moved to a specially-built holding cell.
Her consciousness is downloaded and she is reborn in another body. Subsequently, she experiences severe problems integrating into Cylon society and long considers herself more human than Cylon. She eventually works together with Caprica-Six in an attempt to change Cylon popular opinion about humans and she emerges as one of the Cylon leaders jointly responsible for the end of the occupation of the Twelve Colonies and later the Cylon occupation on New Caprica. Following the failure on New Caprica, Valerii abandons her hopes for coexistence with humans and she denounces her past on Galactica.
Later she sides with Cavil in the Cylon Civil War and is the only Eight on his side. She is in a physical relationship with Cavil, and is even aware of the identities of the Final Five and that Ellen Tigh is being held prisoner within the Cylon fleet. She appears to defect and helps Ellen escape, but it's part of a successful plan to kidnap Hera Agathon, the daughter of the Eight called Athena. Boomer is put in the brig upon her arrival on Galactica despite her rescue of Ellen, but escapes by manipulating the emotions of her old lover Galen Tyrol. She tells Tyrol that despite everything, she still loves him and thinks about him often, even creating a projection of their dream home and a daughter for them. Knowing that the rebel Cylons plan to try and execute Boomer for betraying them, Tyrol knocks out another Eight and switches her with Boomer. Boomer then assaults and switches places with Athena, and kidnaps Hera so that she can be studied on The Colony. She seems to show some remorse for kidnapping Hera, who she bonds with on the trip to The Colony, and is the only one of Cavil's faction who shows her any compassion. Boomer gives Hera back to Athena and Helo during the Battle of The Colony, saying that she owed Admiral Adama a favor and she has made what was probably her last choice. Boomer is then shot and killed by Athena. With the Resurrection Hub destroyed, Boomer's death was final.
== Sharon "Athena" Agathon ==
Sharon "Athena" Agathon is a copy first encountered by Karl "Helo" Agathon, when he is stranded on . She is initially assigned to seduce him by impersonating Lieutenant Sharon Valerii, as part of a Cylon cross-breeding experiment. To facilitate her mission, this Sharon was given Boomer's memories at least up until the point of leaving Helo behind on Caprica. Unlike Boomer, she is always aware of being a Cylon. Sharon later turns against her people and helps Agathon escape the planet; pregnant with his child during that time. Helo, first shocked by her true nature, ultimately accepts her as the mother of his child and declares his love for her. 
Once on , she is imprisoned in the cell built for Boomer and long seen as nothing but a "toaster". She frequently provides intelligence and earns Admiral Adama's trust by helping the Colonial Fleet escape peril several times. Sharon gives birth on Galactica to a daughter named Hera, but President Roslin considers the Cylons' interest in the baby a threat to the Fleet and so has Doctor Cottle fake the child's death and give her to a foster mother. Sharon eventually marries Karl Agathon and becomes a Colonial Raptor pilot with the callsign "Athena". She believes Hera to be dead for more than a year, unaware of her presence on New Caprica or her recovery by the Cylons during the exodus from that planet. After learning the truth during a confrontation with Sharon Valerii, Athena is able to regain her daughter from the Cylons with the help of Caprica-Six.
Since her joining the Fleet she has become a trusted officer who is assigned the hardest of missions, at least one which being a Cylon helped her survive when it would be difficult for normal humans . She tells Helo at one point that she has to struggle to be accepted everyday because of her true nature as a Cylon, but despite that she remains loyal to the Fleet. When she learns that the Colonials plan to wipe out the whole Cylon fleet by unleashing the lymphocytic encephalitis virus, she says that she will keep her word nonetheless even if it means she's the last Cylon in existence. At one point she encounters several other Eight copies on the Rebel Basestar, who revere her since she was the first Cylon to say "no" to the overall plan and now has a child and a place among the humans. They ask her to lead a mutiny against Natalie and the other Sixes, whose leadership they blame for their current troubles; however, Athena refuses, saying that the other Eights disgust her. She explains that they should choose which side they are on and not cut and run when things get ugly, or else they'll never achieve any of the things they want for themselves.
Athena later is severely beaten by Boomer and locked, half-conscious, in one of the ship's bathroom stalls, having to watch as Boomer seduces Helo. Athena frees herself too late to prevent Boomer from kidnapping Hera. Athena seems to fall into a depression, basically ignoring her husband and stating that she doesn't think they'll find Hera alive even when a rescue is finally launched for her. Athena is part of the strike team that invades The Colony through Raptors and finds that Boomer has saved her daughter from dissection. Boomer returns Hera to her, but Athena refuses to forgive Boomer, saying that returning Hera doesn't absolve Boomer's various betrayals. Boomer agrees. Athena then shoots and kills Boomer for her actions. Athena, Helo, and Hera survive the Battle of The Colony and settle on the new Earth to live out the rest of their days in peace.
==Other Copies==
thumb|170px|A Number Eight copy at the Delphi spaceport.
*Shortly after the Cylon Attack ends, an Eight in a pale blue tunic is one of four 'rebirth nurses' who greet Caprica-Six following her rebirth (this takes place at the same time as the events of the middle or end of the Miniseries, but is seen in the much later episode "Downloaded").
*An Eight wearing a gray coat is witnessed by Helo at the spaceport at Delphi. She notices him and draws a gun on him, but is quickly shot by the Sharon with him. This reveals to Helo that his Sharon is a Cylon . 
*Multiple nude copies of the Eight model are present on the basestar over and confront Sharon Valerii outside the Raptor she has landed within the vessel, telling her that they love her and will see her again . They are blown up along with the rest of the Basestar when the warhead planted by Valerii detonates. Despite having time to act, they do nothing to stop the warhead and apparently activate Valerii's Cylon programing once more as she later shoots Commander Adama without the usual trigger for her programing being present.
*An Eight is among a group of rebirth nurses, possibly the same one that midwifed Caprica-Six, who welcome the reborn Sharon Valerii. Valerii becomes hysterical after seeing and hearing this copy.
*A copy of Number Eight is seen at the end of "Final Cut," also wearing a grey coat like other Eights on Caprica, remarking in delight that the Sharon who escaped Caprica with Helo and Starbuck is still alive (and saying, "I told you" to the Number Five copy sitting next to her).
*Numerous copies of Eight are seen on Cylon occupied Caprica throughout the episode "Downloaded".
*Several Eights are part of a group of humanoid Cylons blown up on New Caprica by a bomb planted by Samuel Anders and Galen Tyrol as they approach a group of Centurions exiting from a Heavy Raider which has just landed.
*Another Eight sits next to Valerii on Colonial One during the Cylon Occupation Authority's discussion of the suicide bombing of New Caprica City's power station and the subsequent proposal that harsher measures be adopted. She does not speak during the meeting.
*An Eight, referred to in script as "Sweet Eight," seduces Felix Gaeta on New Caprica. She offers to check on and, when possible, rescue prisoners whom he cares about. Secretly aware that Gaeta is working with the human resistance, "Sweet Eight" saves a few token humans from Gaeta's lists and orders the remainder killed as being valuable to her human enemies. Much later, "Sweet Eight" kills everyone else aboard Raptor 718 except Gaeta, including another Eight, in order to save oxygen for herself and Gaeta. Gaeta discovers this and she reveals her actions during the occupation of New Caprica. Gaeta then kills her . Gaius Baltar was aware of her actions on New Caprica ("Taking a Break From All Your Worries"; confirmed in "The Face of the Enemy").
*An Eight can be seen practicing a Cylon version of Tai Chi in the episode "Torn" while nude.
*Another Eight is among the infected Cylons captured by Galactica as part of the Colonials' plot to infect the Cylon race with the virus from the Lion's Head beacon. She and the others are executed by Karl Agathon before the plan can be put into action . Because no Resurrection Ship was in range, her death is final.
*The Number Eights in the episode "Six of One," with the exception of Sharon Valerii, are supporters of the Number Six Natalie. They are excited at the prospect of discovering the Final Five and vote with the Twos and Sixes against the lobotomization of the Cylon Raiders.
*The Eights in Natalie's group decide that they need to mutiny and turn to Athena to lead the rebellion. She refuses and tells them they need to pick a side and stick with it. One is mortally wounded by a Centurion (which is then killed by Starbuck) while attempting to disconnect the Hybrid. She apologizes to Athena asking for forgiveness admitting that Athena was right. Athena doesn't grant it, but Samuel Anders holds her hand and comforts her as she dies .
*Another copy works with Karl Agathon during the attack on the Cylon Resurrection Hub. When she gives him a massage like his wife does, he asks her about it and she say that she was curious about Sharon Agathon, so she downloaded her memories from the last time Agathon resurrected . This makes her Sharon Agathon to some extent, complete with an emotional attachment to Karl Agathon. She is aware that it is an awkward situation for Karl, but is still annoyed when he rebuffs her. Shortly after, she helps him by giving a speech to the reluctant Viper pilots that motivate them to trust the Cylons. During the battle she and Karl take a Raptor to the Hub to retrieve the unboxed Number Three. Afterwards, she is furious when she learns that the humans double-crossed them and have no intention of handing over the Three . In a deleted scene for the episode she is shot seconds after this revelation by a Cavil that was part of a boarding party. Helo kills the Cavil and goes to help her, but she's dead.
*A pilot Eight, referred to as "Hard Eight" in script, is aboard Raptor 718 when it becomes separated from the Fleet. While attempting to repair a loose connection using deckhand Brooks' pliers, she is fatally electrocuted, after which it is discovered that the insulation had been stripped from the pliers. "Sweet Eight" is later revealed to have stripped the insulation, intending to kill the deckhand in order to save oxygen .
*Several copies work around Galactica applying the organic resin.
*Another copy is either knocked out or killed by Tyrol and used to replace Boomer so she could escape.
*Another copy has to forcibly restrain a Six who nearly gets into a fight with a human worker.
*Another Eight (or possibly the same one that restrained the Six) is mortally wounded during the hull breach on Galactica. She asks to see Colonel Tigh, who she knows by this point is her "father," as the Final Five are the creators of the eight numbered models. Tigh visits this Eight on her deathbed and thus she is able to die with some peace. 
*The remaining Eights who survived the Battle of The Colony presumably joined the human race with the rest of the Cylons.
==Notes==
*Ron D. Moore stated in an interview for TheFandom.com, "There is no original human Sharon. The idea is not that there was likely an original human model that they were copied from. The idea was that these models of Cylon were sort of developed out of their own study of us. The Cylons on some level looked at humanity and said 'You know what? There's really only 12 of you.' If these are the 12, and sort of if you look at them they each represent different archetypes of what humanity is." This is contradicted however in No Exit when it is revealed that Cavil was created in the image of Ellen's father.
*The two notable Eights, Sharon Valerii and , met for the first time in the Season Three midseason finale "The Eye of Jupiter". Before that, they were often in the same episode but never shared a scene.
*Valerii is the male plural form of the Roman name of the family Valeria. Valerius is the singular form.
*Neither Eight with extended time with the Colonials refers to her lover by his first name on screen during the first two seasons. During that time, Sharon Valerii calls Chief Tyrol by "Chief" instead of "Galen," while Sharon Agathon uses 's callsign, Helo. Ronald D. Moore explained in his blog that no one had ever really called Tyrol "Galen" before, and hearing Valerii say it during her death scene would have distracted from the emotional impact of her death. Moore compared it to the Seinfeld episode when Kramer's first name is revealed to be "Cosmo"; i.e. the viewers would be unused to Tyrol's previously unknown first name. As for Agathon, everybody usually just calls him "Helo". Sharon Valerii referred to Chief Tyrol by "Galen" for the first time while speaking to Cally in the Cylon Detention Center on New Caprica, long after their romantic relationship had ended. Whereas Sharon Agathon calls Helo by his first name, Karl, in "The Woman King".
*Caprica producers Kevin Murphy and Jane Espenson have stated that one of various ideas for the future of the series discussed, but not finalized, by the writing staff was that Tamara Adama became the archetype for the Number Eight model.Tweet by Jane Espenson
==References==
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Category:Characters Portrayed by Multiple Actors
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