Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

215
    Battlestar Galactica
Photo Credit: Everett Collection

Character Analysis

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Living... on the battlestar Galactica. It’s one of the few spaceships to survive a massive nuclear attack led by a race of artificial intelligence known as the Cylons. The surviving humans from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol escape on a ragtag fleet, with Galactica as their command ship.

Profession... fighter pilot. Starbuck (which is what everyone calls Kara) has a knack for handling small one-person planes known as Vipers. She worked as a flight instructor before joining Commander William Adama’s crew on Galactica, and after the Cylon attack she remains an invaluable pilot. But although she’s a member of the military, she doesn’t generally have an interest in following the rules 

Interests... booze, cigars, Triad (a poker-like card game), Pyramid (a futuristic ball game), and her spirituality. Starbuck is as rough-and-tumble as they come. She can often be found chomping on cigars, throwing back booze, betting on card games, or competing at Pyramid – a game she almost played professionally. But Starbuck’s also got a hidden spiritual side. She often prays to the Gods of Kobol, but only when she’s alone.

Relationship Status... single. Starbuck was engaged to a man named Zak Adama, but he was killed on a routine mission right after graduating from flight school. Zak’s death brought Starbuck closer to his father, and her commander, William Adama, whom she sees as her own father figure, too. Meanwhile, she’s also got a complicated friendship with Zak’s brother, Captain Lee “Apollo” Adama.

Challenge... surviving. While Galactica is technically looking for the long-lost 13th colony known as Earth, the crew’s daily goal is just to survive dwindling supplies and the constant threat of a Cylon attack. As a crucial member of Galactica’s defense, Starbuck has to worry not only about her own safety, but also about the safety of the entire fleet. She once yelled, “Our job isn’t to be careful, it’s to shoot Cylons out of the frakking sky!”

Personality... cocky, aggressive, competitive, instinctive, and strong – both physically and mentally. According to Starbuck, “Fear gets you killed. Anger keeps you alive.” She’s led a tough life, and she’s just as likely to blow off steam with a punch as with a joke. Though her confidence and instincts make her a great pilot, all that bravado can also prevent her from getting close to people. 

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