It is entirely possible Battlestar Galactica's Gaius Baltar experienced a severe case of whiplash in his journey from heel to hero. At different points in the show, Baltar was considered a traitor to the human race, saviour of the human race, an incompetent and corrupt politician, and Christ-like leader of a revolutionary movement. The show's writers continually dumped a metric ton of character development and regression on Baltar over four seasons and a miniseries. And he somehow survived each advancement and retraction, all with his patented arrogance and flair. In fact, Baltar's transformation on the show comes late in the series. Only after he lets go of his incredible arrogance and understands his predestined role in the BSG world does he truly change. Gaius is not the ultimate demise of the human race, and he is not the revered saviour of the new colonies - he is simply a cog in the machine and a piece of the story in something set to be repeated throughout history.