Battlestar Galactica’s Haunting Mantra Is a Chilling Reflection of Our Times

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The show reimagined a kitschy 1970s series, transforming it into a serious and moving story about genocide and the near-total destruction of humanity by a robotic race called the Cylons. The updated version featured a realistic, documentary-style approach with shaky cameras and explored complex issues like difficult moral choices, terrorism, and the potential risks of artificial intelligence.

A recurring line in Battlestar Galactica is, “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.” Often spoken by the Cylons, this phrase highlights a major theme of the show: the idea that humanity is doomed to repeat its mistakes, endlessly cycling through war, destruction, and attempts to survive. The line feels especially relevant today, even 22 years after the show originally aired, as we see similar patterns playing out in the real world.

Battlestar Galactica Is Riveting Space Opera Laced With Political and Philosophical Themes

The Cylons launched a massive and destructive attack on humanity. After detonating nuclear bombs that killed most people, they followed up with ground and air assaults on the remaining survivors. Exploiting humanity’s dependence on technology, the Cylons used a computer virus to hack into and disable nearly all of the Battlestars.

Because Commander Adama wouldn’t connect Galactica’s computers to a network, the ship was protected from the Cylon attacks. With the attack happening while she was the highest-ranking official present, Secretary of Education Laura Roslin unexpectedly became President of the Twelve Colonies, and her ship was designated as Colonial One.

The show began with the massive fleet led by Galactica and Colonial One, carrying the last 50,000 people remaining after a devastating attack – essentially, all that was left of humanity. It didn’t shy away from the grim reality, showing the dwindling numbers of survivors and the despair that led to suicides. Commander Adama offered a glimmer of hope by falsely telling the people he knew the path to Earth, the legendary home world of humanity and the original colonies.

The story begins after humans thought they’d won a war against the Cylons. Unbeknownst to them, the Cylons didn’t actually die – they secretly improved and built robotic bodies that looked human. These new Cylons then blended into human society with the goal of wiping out everyone. Humans were an easy target because they’d fallen back into old habits, becoming overly dependent on technology, just like their ancestors.

Throughout the series, the Cylons often talked about a single god they worshipped. They frequently repeated the phrase, “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again,” almost as a core belief. The story showed that humanity destroyed itself through excessive pride and its over-reliance on technology, ultimately repeating the errors that originally led to the creation of the Cylons.

The series finale of Battlestar Galactica really emphasizes this idea, revealing that the Cylons had reached Earth long ago, only to find humanity wasn’t advanced enough. The episode ends in modern-day Earth, showing a world similar to ours, where humans are just starting to create artificial intelligence and robots.

The Number Six and Baltar, both figments of someone’s imagination, wandered around, commenting on how strangely familiar everything seemed. They likened it to Earth’s past, specifically the destruction of Caprica. Number Six then mused, “This has all happened before, but will it keep repeating itself?”

Battlestar Galactica’s ‘All of This Has Happened Before, and All of This Will Happen Again’ Is Even More Relevant Today

Unlike the Cylons’ bleak outlook, this prediction wasn’t entirely hopeless. It suggested humanity was doomed to endlessly repeat its violent mistakes, but sixteen years later, it seems we haven’t reached that point yet – there’s still hope we can break the cycle.

It feels like we’re living in a dystopian future, and the saying “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again” seems increasingly accurate. Many are drawing parallels between current events and the political climate in Germany leading up to and during World War II – specifically, how leaders are using extreme language to promote a dangerous ideology. Across the country, there’s growing public frustration and conflict with the government. Sadly, learning about the war and the atrocities of the concentration camps hasn’t prevented history from repeating itself, as we seem destined to relive these devastating patterns.

Generative AI is developing quickly without much oversight, raising concerns about its impact. It’s been accused of using artists’ work and personal conversations without permission to improve its performance. This technology also demands a lot of energy, and some worry that governments are focusing more on technological advancements than on the well-being of citizens. Companies are rapidly adding generative AI to all their products and services, whether people want it or not.

Considering the themes of war, genocide, and the risks of technology in Battlestar Galactica, the Cylons’ core beliefs feel especially relevant and impactful today.

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2026-02-07 22:17