William "Bill" Adama (callsign "Husker") is a fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series produced and aired by the SyFy cable network.
As depicted in Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, Adama (played by Luke Pasqualino) is a new Academy graduate during the tenth year of the First Cylon War.
In Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks, Adama (played by Nico Cortez) becomes involved with a Raptor pilot named Jaycie McGavin.
[7] Adama later relates to Captain Louanne "Kat" Katraine how, during both her pregnancies, Carolanne was convinced that she was carrying a daughter, and was surprised by the arrival of a son.
Fortunately, as part of its museum display, the Galactica had forty older Mk II Vipers on board, including Adama's personal fighter from the First Cylon War.
Following the devastating attack on the Colonies, Commander Adama felt that the best course of action was a counterattack, to avenge the deaths of billions, and stand and fight for whatever was left of their civilization.
Instead, the Galactica encountered a ragtag fleet of civilian vessels bearing around 50,000 survivors, including the former secretary for education and newly appointed president of the colonies, Laura Roslin.
In order to give his men and the people of the fleet some hope, Adama lied to them, saying that he knew where the thirteenth colony, Earth, was located, and that he would lead them all there to make a new home.
[7] Events following the revelation lead Adama and his surviving son Lee to commit a similar act of allowing feelings to cloud judgment after Thrace is shot down and stranded on an inhospitable planet.
"[13] Soon after Galactica and the Colonial fleet discover the lost planet Kobol, Adama is shot by "Boomer", a Cylon sleeper agent, which places him in mortal jeopardy.
[14] Although he survives this assassination attempt, the brush with death changes him somewhat: some say that his more emotional leanings are a post-traumatic reaction to the shooting, but Adama jokes to Roslin that he thinks that he is "just a wuss.
[21] Three years after the incident at the Armistice Line, Galactica recovers Lieutenant Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek, the pilot of the recon vessel that Adama ordered shot down when in command of the Battlestar Valkyrie.
[5] Adama is initially supportive of the "ranks dropped" boxing competition held on Galactica with Colonel Tigh as referee, seeing it as a useful means of allowing the crew to vent their frustrations and prevent them growing into feuds and grudges.
He takes on Chief Galen Tyrol in the ring; although he is beaten by the younger man, his actions and words afterwards remind the crew of their solemn duty to guard the civilian fleet.
He comforts her, telling her that her shady past life is irrelevant to him: he is interested only in her bravery and outstanding qualities as a leader, for which he (posthumously) returns her to the position of CAG.
When the star in the planetary system begins to show sign of going supernova and the Cylon fleet jumps away, Adama orders a rescue mission be launched to the planet.
Adama unsuccessfully attempts to circumvent Lee's cross-examination of the cancer-stricken Laura Roslin, and Captain Franks pressures her into admitting that she is once again taking the hallucinogenic chamalla extract, effectively discrediting her as a witness.
After a lengthy search of the post battle debris it becomes apparent that while the fleet is ready to move on believing that the Basestar is lost along with Roslin which is something that Adama cannot accept.
Tory Foster's defection leaves Colonel Tigh no other option but to reveal himself to his best friend that he is a Cylon and that Adama must threaten to kill him in order to save the hostages.
Tory calls Galactica's bluff and prepares to execute Roslin leaving Tigh no other option but to out the remaining two Cylons Chief Tyrol and Sam Anders who have been working frantically with Kara to decipher the location of Earth.
At the last moment before the execution can take place she enters the airlock exclaiming she knows how to find Earth, a wireless distress signal from a Colonial frequency.
Finally breaking down with the assistance of several drinks he confronts Tigh and attempts to goad him into ending his suffering with a handgun, luckily both men regain their composure and reflect on the past and the XO reminds his superior what the commander of the fleet is required to do.
Upon hearing reports that Roslin has been jogging around the ship Adama confronts her on missing her treatment appointments in sickbay, not taking her medication and overall abandonment of the office of the presidency.
Adama is able to turn his own executioners back to his side and leads an ever-increasing group of loyalists to CIC which he retakes without firing a shot, capturing Gaeta and Zarek and ending the mutiny.
After surveying the primitive human natives, Adama adopts a colonizing strategy proposed by his son Lee: the colonials abandon most of their technology and settle in widely separated locations on the planet.
A weary, battle-hardened man in late middle age, Adama demonstrated a powerful strength of character throughout the series, successfully leading and protecting what remained of humanity against the Cylon threat.
A significant number of the crew participated in a mutiny led by Felix Gaeta, but Ronald D. Moore stated in the episode podcasts that the mutineers never had enough people to take complete control of the ship.
A large number of the crew are seen joining Adama when he retook the ship, and several of the mutineers, including Aaron Kelly and several marines, switched sides during the battle.
He was also well known for forming more than one father/daughter bond with members of the military under his command, particularly Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace, Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla and Louanne 'Kat' Katraine, telling Kat once that he and his wife would have liked to have a daughter as well as their sons, stating that "Three's a good round number".
Evidence of his relationship with Dee was when he called her into his office so he could voice his frustrations with the fact that President Roslin stood against him and Lee having sided with her on the matter believing she had nothing to say.