Kara Starbuck Thrace Battlestar Galactica ass kicker – Honorary Oakley

For the last few months the Honorary Oakley has shown appreciation for some true life heroes who have devoted their time here on this earth to something worthwhile, so for the month of September we’ve decided to go a little less serious again and have chosen the character of Starbuck from the new series Battlestar Galactica as our honored woman. Starbuck is a character who encompasses everything a strong sci-fi woman should be, so let’s take a look at what it is that makes her so damn cool…

Starbuck: A Quick Bio. (since not much is known about Starbuck in the series and she’s depicted as a loner, we’ve used actor Katee Sackhoff’s stats to give an indication of Starbucks age, height, etc)

Full Name: Lt Kara Thrace (as played by Katee Sackhoff)
Born: 08/04/1980. Portland, Oregon.
Height: 5 ft 6 ½ inches approx.
Hair Colour: Blonde/Brown
Nickname: Starbuck
Occupation: Viper Pilot and general Kick-Ass Chick!

Starbucks isn’t just a Coffee House ya know….
Starbuck was originally played by a guy (Dirk Benedict) when Battlestar Galactica first made its way onto our screens but in its new fresh incarnation, Starbuck is now a girl who, lets face it, has all the charm and skill of the original Starbuck with a little extra coolness thrown in for good measure.

Played on screen by Katee Sackhoff, Starbuck is a passionate tomboy figure, a loner with a rebellious and outspoken personality who isn’t afraid of confrontation. She’s one of the fleets top pilots and may indeed be their best as she seems to be completely at ease and comfortable in the cockpit. A true example of how flawed individuals can be more interesting than perfect specimens, Starbuck struggles with her emotions on a regular basis. These can range from guilt over feeling that she killed her fiancé by allowing him to pass his pilot exams (he was then killed in action), to shame and embarrassment that she is falling in love with his brother Apollo. The depth of character shown by Starbuck is gripping to watch as we see her precocious, daring personality lead her into various dangerous situations which she mostly handles with style.

Fracking Cylons!
One of the coolest aspects of Starbucks character is that she generally doesn’t let her guard down often and always seems to face fear head on. In season 1 of the show, we’re gradually shown that her character is a real people person in that she is adored by her fleet for her flying capabilities, but that she is also somewhat of a loner who finds it difficult to truly fit in. Her cigar smoking, poker playing ways fit nicely with her tomboy look and swagger which of course become even more pronounced in the face of danger. Cylons to her are the enemy and she won’t back down from them. She sees herself as an almost one woman defense against them and as the season draws to an end she disobeys direct orders to go off on a dangerous solo mission to try to recover the Arrow of Apollo. Starbuck fans the world over rejoiced when she strapped herself into that captured cylon ship and took off for Caprica, fearless and full of hope. This is what makes her so cool, there’s no compromise, no stereotypically female behavior, no excuses made on her part for her actions or their consequences. Starbuck takes it like a man so to speak and we love her for that.

And So Say We All!
An Honorary Oakley is a woman who stands out, a woman with strength and character that surpasses others. She stands up to be counted when it matters most and she fights for the things she believes in. Lt Kara Thrace aka Starbuck exudes these qualities in abundance. She easily demands respect from those in positions of power, both male and female, and she does not run away from her mistakes. One of the most outstanding aspects of Battlestar Galactica’s reinvention is that it’s made sci-fi darker and more drama filled than ever. Starbuck has her rightful place here as a character who could so easily have been nullified against Apollos obvious strengths. Her appeal to male and female viewers is completely understandable. Male viewers like her strong witty personality and female viewers like seeing a woman in control. She obviously has a particular appeal to lesbian viewers also since her baby-dyke like appearance transcends normal TV choices on femininity and girlyness. Starbuck is a kickass chick, willing to die to make a difference and willing to fight for the truth.

So there we have it, Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, you rock and we love tuning in to see what mad adventures you’ll be involved with next. You truly are a positive female role model and if only half of us were as honest, witty and brave as you, the world would be a better place for it. If you’re the future, here’s to it.

Starbuck we salute you!
Originally published September 2005 prior to the end of BSG.

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