100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #47
47. Sharon “Athena” Agathon, as seen on Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Grace Park
I had to admit I was extremely wary of Battlestar at first. I enjoy science fiction, but it's generally a very male-focused genre and I have little patience for the "there's one girl and she's the love interest" trope. It was only after hearing so many good recs from friends that I gave the show a chance, and I am certainly glad I did. BSG is spectacular at showcasing a wide array of female characters who are well-rounded and complicated, my heart will always belong to Athena.
Athena is a Number 8 Cylon model who intially is used to trick Karl "Helo" Agathon while he is stranded on Caprica. Her assignment is to seduce Helo and get pregnant, which she does. When Starbuck comes to Caprica and realizes Athena is a Cylon, she tries to kill her only for Helo to intervene; Athena is able to escape but eventually returns to help. She ends up a prisoner on Galactica, where it becomes clear that she and Helo are in love with each other and that what's left of the Colonial Fleet does not trust her whatsoever. We see Roslin and Adama try to force an abortion upon Sharon and generally treat her with a great deal of disdain despite repeatedly working to help Galactica. It isn't until the Cylon interrogator from Pegasus beats and attempts to rape Sharon that we see the crew of Galactica realize that, despite their assertions Sharon is not a real person, what was being done to her is not correct.
After Hera's birth, we see Sharon really explore motherhood, what it means to be a Cylon, and what it means to be human. Sharon sees herself as apart from the other Cylons, identifies with humanity more than Seven or D'Anna; she loves Karl and Hera and the crew of Galactica. They are her family, and it angers Sharon that they do not always consider her (and Hera) to be such. Athena goes to the ends of the universe (literally) to keep Hera safe and sound, far away from the Cylons who wish to use her. She loves Karl deeply, and their relationship is one of the few genuine equal partnerships on the show, and the father/daughter relationship which develops between her and Admiral Adama is especially touching.
What makes Athena such a great character is she is both a warrior and a mother, and one does not negate the strength of the other. In fact, Sharon becomes a stronger warrior after Hera's birth. There tends to be this belief in fandom that there are two types of women: the warriors and the mothers, and, if you are one, you cannot be the other. Women warriors who have children are accused of being "ruined"; mothers who also fight get called "Mary Sues" because "no one can possibly be both." Athena shows that, not only is it possible, but it leads to a character who is nuanced and complex, whose character in only enhanced by her family.
And that's a great kind of kick-ass.
I had to admit I was extremely wary of Battlestar at first. I enjoy science fiction, but it's generally a very male-focused genre and I have little patience for the "there's one girl and she's the love interest" trope. It was only after hearing so many good recs from friends that I gave the show a chance, and I am certainly glad I did. BSG is spectacular at showcasing a wide array of female characters who are well-rounded and complicated, my heart will always belong to Athena.
Athena is a Number 8 Cylon model who intially is used to trick Karl "Helo" Agathon while he is stranded on Caprica. Her assignment is to seduce Helo and get pregnant, which she does. When Starbuck comes to Caprica and realizes Athena is a Cylon, she tries to kill her only for Helo to intervene; Athena is able to escape but eventually returns to help. She ends up a prisoner on Galactica, where it becomes clear that she and Helo are in love with each other and that what's left of the Colonial Fleet does not trust her whatsoever. We see Roslin and Adama try to force an abortion upon Sharon and generally treat her with a great deal of disdain despite repeatedly working to help Galactica. It isn't until the Cylon interrogator from Pegasus beats and attempts to rape Sharon that we see the crew of Galactica realize that, despite their assertions Sharon is not a real person, what was being done to her is not correct.
After Hera's birth, we see Sharon really explore motherhood, what it means to be a Cylon, and what it means to be human. Sharon sees herself as apart from the other Cylons, identifies with humanity more than Seven or D'Anna; she loves Karl and Hera and the crew of Galactica. They are her family, and it angers Sharon that they do not always consider her (and Hera) to be such. Athena goes to the ends of the universe (literally) to keep Hera safe and sound, far away from the Cylons who wish to use her. She loves Karl deeply, and their relationship is one of the few genuine equal partnerships on the show, and the father/daughter relationship which develops between her and Admiral Adama is especially touching.
What makes Athena such a great character is she is both a warrior and a mother, and one does not negate the strength of the other. In fact, Sharon becomes a stronger warrior after Hera's birth. There tends to be this belief in fandom that there are two types of women: the warriors and the mothers, and, if you are one, you cannot be the other. Women warriors who have children are accused of being "ruined"; mothers who also fight get called "Mary Sues" because "no one can possibly be both." Athena shows that, not only is it possible, but it leads to a character who is nuanced and complex, whose character in only enhanced by her family.
And that's a great kind of kick-ass.