Who is the Most Irritating Character on Battlestar Galactica?

Battlestar Galactica is celebrated for its daring look at controversial issues such as free will, occupancy, insurgency, and abortion. But the most controversial issue of all is: Exactly how irritating can a “good” character be before we stop rooting for them? For the love of Gods these people can be annoying! Let’s take a closer look at these characters and see what makes them so irritating, shall we? Spoilers ahead if you’re not totally caught up!

WHO: Admiral William Adama
WHY HE IS SO IRRITATING: Okay, we get it, you’re a tough guy. Enough with the raspy voice. Try a lozenge! Adama also has this ridiculous habit of yelling at people in the beginning of the episode and telling them that he never wants to see them again, then by the end of the episode, he’s sitting at their bedside telling them how much he loves them and thinks of them like a child. Half the people on Galactica are petitioning to have their last name changed to Adama. The more people he tells, the less it means, not to mention he’ll throw them under the bus once they step out of line again.
WHY HE ISN’T SO BAD: Whatever he’s doing, he seems to be doing it right. All he has to do is open his mouth and people break out in the slow clap. And by “slow clap” I mean “so say we all”.

WHO: President Laura Roslin
WHY SHE IS SO IRRITATING: Well if it isn’t Ms. Holier than Thou herself! She started off the series as a school teacher in above her head, but as Adama recently pointed out, she’s becoming progressively obsessed with finding Earth as her illness increases. Finding Earth is all fine and good, but she’s becoming increasingly cutthroat in her actions to find it because if she dies before leading humanity to Earth, it means she’s not part of the prophesy, and her life is meaningless. Sounds pretty selfish if you ask me. Oh, and enough with the glasses on, glasses off business. We get it!
WHY SHE ISN’T SO BAD: Her search for Earth can be a bit obsessive at times, but deep down, I feel that she’s working for the good of humanity.

WHO: Lee “Apollo” Adama
WHY HE IS SO IRRITATING: Because he has no idea what he wants in life. He’s spent his entire life being a pilot, but oh wait, when he was a kid he used to sneak into his grandfather’s office and read his law books. Really, Apollo? Did that really happen? He also wants to be with Starbuck, but doesn’t try hard enough when she plays hard to get by marrying someone else. And then there was this ridiculous business of Apollo not wanting to cheat and Starbuck not wanting to get a divorce. They’re all kissy kissy one minute, and then suddenly they’re members of Focus on the Family. What the hell?
WHY HE ISN’T SO BAD: We all have a hard time searching for our callings in life, and we don’t look nearly as good in a towel while searching for it.

WHO: Kara “Starbuck” Thrace
WHY SHE IS SO IRRITATING: She’s a cocky loudmouth drunk, she’s always getting herself into trouble, she has no idea what she wants in life, she makes the most god awful decisions, she married someone else because she was too scared to get with Apollo, and she always chooses the more exciting violent solution rather than the less exciting reasonable solution. She also has both Adama’s wrapped around her finger, and they do nothing but go out of their way to keep her happy, even after she pretty much killed Adama’s other son Zak.
WHY SHE ISN’T SO BAD: She’s a damn good pilot, and what ace pilot isn’t a cocky bastard? Plus she might lead humanity to Earth. Or she’s the harbinger of death. Whatever.

WHO: Dr. Gaius Baltar
WHY HE IS SO IRRITATING: First off you have that whole helping obliterate the human race business, which isn’t always the best way to get people to like you. Then you have his astounding political career which was gained through dirty politics and a sexy Cylon in his head telling him what to do so his wishy washy self never had to make a decision on his own. And now he’s some sort of messiah to the badass beauty brigade, which includes dressing like Hugh Hefner and still letting the sexy Cylon in his head tell him what to do. And he’s skeevy.
WHY HE ISN’T SO BAD: With the Cylons not being as evil as they once appeared, maybe that means he isn’t all that bad. Maybe?

WHO: Colonel Saul Tigh
WHY HE IS SO IRRITATING: We all know he only got to where he is by being friends with Adama, and what isn’t more irritating than an authority figure who doesn’t deserve their rank in society? I mean really, what has he contributed? He just barks out the orders that Adama gives him. What does XO even stand for? (Fine, it stands for Executive Officer, but it should be EO!) Remember what a disaster he was when he took over while Adama was in a coma? And don’t even get me started on what he did to his poor misunderstood hot mess of a wife Ellen.
WHY HE ISN’T SO BAD: He’s been a lot cooler since his time on New Caprica. The pirate look suits him. He still doesn’t do much though.

WHO: Lt. Karl ‘Helo’ Agathon and Lt. Sharon ‘Athena’ Valerii
WHY THEY ARE SO IRRITATING: Oh I’m sorry, are these two different characters? Because I was under the impression that they were one and the same since they haven’t had a single storyline of their own, since like, forever. Unless you count that god awful “Woman King” episode from Season 3 where the evil doctor (played by the guy who always plays a bad guy) was obviously killing people and Helo was the only person who noticed, but no one would listen to him because it was a really crappy episode. And they just kind of stand around while the Humans and the Cylons fight over their baby.
WHY THEY AREN’T SO BAD: Who are we to judge two young kids in love?

WHO: Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
WHY HE IS SO IRRITATING: He’s supposed to represent the “everyman” on the show, but if every man was as irritating as he is, I’d shoot myself. He’s like a walking inadequacy issue and he’s not afraid to show it. He’s always left behind repairing the ships rather than saving the day with the pilots, Boomer left him for the much hotter Helo, and he doesn’t look nearly as good in the double tank top uniform as everyone else does. I know I’d be spending plenty of time in the therapist’s office, but he doesn’t do anything to help himself. He just complains about how horrible his life is.
WHY HE ISN’T SO BAD: The episode where he made the stealth Blackbird was pretty awesome, and it actually made him quite endearing, briefly. Plus we’d all be pretty irritating if we were married to Cally.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Petty Officer Anastasia “Dee” Dualla: You think Dee is all cute at first with her tiny ears, and she’s dating Billy which is all kinds of awesome, because who wouldn’t want to date Billy? But then he proposes and she rejects him and gets with Apollo out of nowhere! And before Billy could come crying into my tender and loving arms, he gets shot and dies.

Callandra “Cally” Henderson-Tyrol: Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Not to mention all the BSG-loving women of the world simultaneously sighed and shook their heads when she married the man who beat her to a bloody pulp. But let’s not worry about her anymore because, you know…

Tory Foster: She’s like the dark horse of the irritating competition. Where did she come from? She already loses points for replacing Billy (Billy!). She’s also enjoying her new Cylon powers way too much, although they do come in handy (see above). And she really needs to knock it off with the creepy sexy-time with Baltar business. Weirdo.

Admiral Helena Cain: Her character wasn’t irritating. She was just plain evil but watching her just irritated the crap out of me. She easily could have made the show completely unenjoyable. Luckily her time on the island was brief.

Kendra Shaw: Oh really? You were on the Pegasus the entire time? I’ll have to rewatch my Season 2.5 DVDs and see if I can spot you in the background. Liar!

Shevon: Who, you ask? She’s the prostitute who Apollo was seeing in the “Black Market” episode. She doesn’t even have a last name! No further explanation of her irritatingness needed.