Dies
Almost all the Cylons except a few 6s, Athena, and the one who is crazy about Starbuck (forget his name).
Chief will die heroically :(, saving Helo or Hera :).
Torrie (Torry? whatever…) will definitely die.
The President dies, but not until after the final battle. She holds out for the happy ending.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Tigh and/or Ellen dies.
Lives
Adama
Apollo
Starbuck
Helo, Athena, and Hera
Baltar
Doc Cottle
Funny because I would say almost the exact opposite. I think those who go on the rescue mission, though some will die, will be the ones to perpetuate the human/cylon race. Those who stay behind will continue under Baltar’s leadership until they waste away. I don’t believe the two groups will reunite after the climactic battle.
ETA:
I almost hope that Adama dies when Galactica is destroyed. IMO this is the only resolution that is true to the character, especially if Rosalyn dies before Galactica is destroyed. It just seems right.
Dies:
-Everyone who stayed behind, and was left defenseless when the raiding party Cavil sends finds them. Note that everyone interesting but Baltar and Cottle is on Galactica. Or maybe they get tortured and enslaved first.
Some member(s) of the raiding party who need to be redeemed for their sins and fill find a chance do so in some selfless but senseless act of heroism. IOW, Tyrol and Boomer. Maybe Ellen too.
Roslin, to save Adama, and wtf, she’s gonna croak anyway.
All the 1’s, 4’s, and 5’s.
Some token 6’s and 8’s.
A whole buncha redshirts, mutineer pilots included
Lives:
**1 of each model of cylon. ** With resurrection not a possibility, leaving one of every model makes them as close as you can get to being an individual. Baltar. Rewatching the series before season 4.5 started, I really started focusing on Baltar. This series is very much about him. He’ll either die after the first altruistic act of his life, or finally turning over the leaf and beginning Civilization A (the rag-tag fleet, possibly on Earth or a new planet) anew as leader.
**Starbuck. ** If the show is about Baltar, it’s also equally about Starbuck - they’re very much opposite sides of the coin. She’ll head off with Lee and the rest of Civilization B (those who survive the final conflict, including the 12/13 cylons + Hera).
Lee
Dies:
The rest of 'em, including Adama and Roslyn.
In my mind, the “for sure” dead are Bill Adama and Laura Roslyn. For one thing, it’d parallel the biblical “12 tribes” story, with Moses not being able to make it into the promised land himself. For another, now that the two of them have finally acknowledged that they belong together, I can’t see one going on without the other.
I agree that Roslin and Adama are pretty much certain to die. The Final 5 are probably going to die too, though I could see Tyrol escaping in a Raptor with Boomer, never to be seen again.
Starbuck, Baltar, and Hera are most likely to survive. Athena and Helo, as the model for the new Human/Cylon society will probably survive, too.
Dies:
Everyone else
This is what the opera house scene seems to foreshadow. Everyone chasing after Hera, and in the end Caprica brings her back to Baltar. Most likely the Galactica will recover Hera, Caprica will take her back on a raptor, and everyone else will die taking out the colony so that the remaining humans have a shot at survival.