Dana Katherine Scully (b. February 23, 1964) is a fictional character in The X-Files television show, played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is a medical doctor and FBI agent, the partner of Special Agent Fox Mulder. She is Catholic, which often creates moral dilemmas for her, and is far more skeptical than Mulder, even in defiance of apparent evidence. She earned a B.S. in Physics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her undergraduate thesis was entitled "Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation."

Scully has an older brother, Bill, an older sister, Melissa, and a younger brother named Charles (or Charlie), who is never seen on the show. Her parents are Maggie and William, the latter of whom passed away of a massive coronary in the critically-acclaimed first season episode Beyond the Sea (1x13). She called her father "Ahab" from the book Moby-Dick. In return, he called her "Starbuck".

As is the case with Mulder, work takes up a major part of her life, and she rarely dates or spends time with friends. In fact, she is given the nickname Mrs. Spooky early in the show for her position with Mulder.

In the season 2 episode Ascension (2x06), Scully is kidnapped by a ex-FBI mental patient named Duane Barry, and supposedly get kidnapped by either aliens or a covert military operation, and is later returned (One Breath, 2x08). She later finds out that a super hi-tech microchip was implanted in the back of her neck. After having it removed, she developed cancer in the fourth season (Momento Mori, 4x14). She is hospitalized after her cancer becomes terminal (Redux, 5x02). She is saved when Mulder breaks into the Department of Defense to retreive another chip to be implanted back into her neck. (It should be mentioned that, at the time, Scully was also undergoing experimental medical treatments and was having a dramatic renewal of her faith.)

Scully has a passing understanding of German (Unruhe, 4x04), and wears a small crucifix necklace. There's a small tattoo of an Ouroboros snake on the small of her back (Never Again, 4x13). She owned a Pomeranian dog named Queequeg, after a character in Moby-Dick, which her father used to read to her. Queequeg met an untimely demise in "Quagmire" (3x22), eaten by either an alligator or a sea monster.

After being pronounced infertile, Scully became pregnant in the show's seventh season finale, Requiem (7x22). The child, named William after his grandfathers (Mulder is the child's father; see the Fox Mulder entry for more information), was given up for adoption during the ninth season after Scully deemed herself unworthy of protecting him. William was a "miracle child", of some importance to the Alien Conspiracy. He demonstrated extraordinary powers, including telekinesis.

Quotes

Mulder: Don't you believe in the next life?

Scully: I'd settle for a life in this one.

Scully: The truest truths are what hold us together, and keep us painfully, desperately apart.

Mulder: He's over here, getting dating advice.

Scully: From who?!

Mulder: Yours truly.

Scully: ...the blind leading the blind.