Favorite Fictional Character --- Apollo Adama

To be perfectly frank, I was only 13 months old when Battlestar Galactica first aired.  Since it only lasted one season, I'm assuming not many people watched it, which is just damn stupid. Thanks to reruns, which seemed to happen a lot more often when I was a kid, I was able to enjoy all twenty-four epsidoes in all their glory. I was able to get lost in a story that pitted the last remaining humans, against merciless Cyclons bent on their eradication. It was space opera at its best, and I loved every second of it. The strangest thing, I have never been a huge fan of science fiction, but there is something about this show that has never left me.

My favorite character, by far, was Captain Apollo. There was nothing abut this guy a young kid wouldn't have looked up to. He had a swagger all his own, but never took himself too seriously. He had a sharp mind, but knew how to enjoy himself. He was loyal, brave, fearless in danger, took risks when he needed to, but nevery acted recklessly without thought and consideration.

He was fiercely protective of those he loved, and had faced tragedy on so many levels. He lost his brother to a Cylon attack, his mother to another Cyclon attack, and his newly married wife Serina to a third attack. After her death, he steps up and adopts her son, becoming a single father. He was killed in action, only to be revived by the Beings of Light. He took care of his squadron members, backed his best friend Starbuck up when needed, and never thought of himself over others. He is the perfect hero, which at times can be pretty damn boring, but when you are constantly fighting for the salvation of the human race, stagnation never sets in.

Of course it helped that the actor who played Apollo, Richard Hatch, was hot, which resulted in a huge childhood crush. But that's not as important as the role he played on the show, and his overall influence on pop culture.