star trek animals list

Den of Geek

Star Trek: The 50 Best Alien Races

From Tribble to Andorians, we're ranking the 50 best alien life forms explored in the Star Trek universe...

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

The crews of the various iterations of Star Trek boldly went where no one has gone before — and then boldly met a crap ton of alien species.

Star Trek may be the human adventure, but there have been countless non-human beings, critters, menaces, gods, and blobs that have been introduced in the Star Trek  universe. From The Original Series to The Animated Series , to The Next Generation , to Deep Space Nine , the Delta Quadrant and Voyager , to the early adventures of Enterprise , to the modern day films, Star Trek has gifted fans with unforgettable species after species as the five-year mission has turned into five decades of first contact.

There have been vile races bred for combat, omnipotent races that use humankind as puppets, and even a bunch of cute little furry things.  Star Trek just keeps on delivering the cool aliens show after show, film after film. Just imagine the species that will soon be coming to Star Trek: Discovery ! But now is the time to celebrate the past as we present the fifty coolest Star Trek aliens ever to appear in films or TV.

50. Arcturian

First appearance: star trek: the motion picture (1979).

The Arcturian didn’t have a great deal of Star Trek screen time, but this alien race that resembled melted wax (eww) makes our list because it stands as a prime example of the story richness of the Star Trek  galaxy. An Arcturian can briefly be seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the Mego toy company even made two versions of this blink and you’ll miss him creature (one 3 ¾ inch one 12 inch). But what intrigues us the most is this melty guy’s backstory…

Ad – content continues below

Star Trek costume crafters extraordinaire Fred Phillips and Robert Fletcher came up with a rich history for the Arcturian. According to Philips and Fletcher, the Arcturians were actually a race of clones that made up the bulk of the Federation’s infantry. While never seen on screen, there are legions of these guys running around, just waiting to be sent to some hostile planet to go to war. The Federation has always been portrayed as peaceful and benevolent, but it has the potential to unleash billions of melty looking monsters at a moment’s notice. Yikes.

Arcturians also appeared in the Star Trek daily comic strip and their back story continues to stand as a great example of the vast richness of the Star Trek galaxy, a place where billions of stories exist at all times. Including one about a race of wax soldiers that can be replicated and sent to do the Federation’s will. Eeep.

49. Edosian

First appearance: star trek: the animated series “beyond the farthest star” (1973).

Edosians are a tripedal species and are skilled at using their three arms and three legs in navigation and piloting. Lieutenant Arex, the loyal Enterprise navigator that first appeared in Star Trek: The Animated Series , is a proud member of the Edosian species and was a recurring character during this era of animated Trek. Arex was voiced by Scotty himself James Doohan and was a standout character in the era between The Original Series and The Next Generation .

Arex popped up in comics and novels and took his place of honor among the original crew. Arex also was a character that fully utilized animation as the six limbs and distinct alien features of this character would have been impossible to pull off in live-action back in the day. But thanks to The Animated Series , the distinctive Edosians live on and prosper in Trek lore.

48. Excalbians

First appearance: star trek: the original series “the savage curtain” (1969).

Listen, any species responsible for bringing Abraham Lincoln into the Star Trek  universe has to make this list. The Excalbians are a silicon based life form that possessed the ability to shape shift. These rock beings, who honestly looked like something Steve Ditko would have designed for Doctor Strange, were fascinated by the human notion of good and evil.

So they did what anyone would do in the same situation: they made a recreation of Abraham Lincoln and teamed it with Kirk, Spock, and famous Vulcan goodie-good Surak and sent them up against four representatives of evil — Kahless the Unforgettable of Qo’noS, Genghis Khan, Colonel Green of Earth and Dr. Zora of Tiburon. How’s that for a traditional Survivor Series match?

For this wonderful bit of schlock and for making us believe that Ben Grimm could work in live action in 1969, we salute the ever curious Excalbians.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

47. Caitian

First appearance: star trek: the animated series “the survivor” (1973).

The cat-like Caitians were represented in Enterprise history by M’Ress, a feline female that served both as engineer and a communications officer during The Animated Series . M’Ress spoke in a purring voice and was a skilled operative that stood side by side with the more iconic members of the Enterprise.

Now, I would like to talk about how cool the Caitians were. I would like to talk about how M’Ress was the main character in the Power Records’ Star Trek book and record set Star Trek: Passage to Moauv (1975). I would also like to talk about how a Caitian also appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home …

But I just can’t help but wonder if Captain Kirk did what he does and somehow at some point bed down with this cat woman. This would make Kirk’s TV sci-fi’s first furry and I’m sort of fascinated by this idea. I don’t want to focus on this idea because it kind of reduces M’ress as a character and the Caitian as a race… But then I read that the alien twins that Kirk hooked up with in the first Abramsverse film were confirmed to be Caitian and everything just stirs up again and I fell absolved of all responsibility.

Anyway, M‘Ress and the Caitians might be considered obscure now, but she was a pretty big deal to Trek lore during The Animated Series era. So this race is a purr-fect addition to our list. Did the Enterprise come equipped with a giant litter box? Okay, I need to stop now; this is going to some bad places.

46. Bolians

First appearance: star trek: the next generation (1988).

The Bolians have been a perennial background species since their first Trek appearance in 1988. The first Bolian fans witnesses aboard the Enterprise was an ambassador, but many other Bolians have appeared around the Trek verse since. They have been seen as barbers, manicurists, Federation troops, and high ranking officials.

Bolians are distinctive due to their blue skin and their ridge that bisects their anatomy. They are highly friendly individuals and compassionate. In fact, an episode of Voyager puts forth that Bolians were  supportive of assisted suicide. These deep seated beliefs make the Bolians an intriguing species ripe for future Trek exploration.

45. Lurian

First appearance: star trek: deep space nine “the emissary” (1993).

Lurians were a very rarely encountered species that possessed multiple hearts, lungs, and stomachs. Fans got to know this ellusive species through DS9 regular/bar fly Morn. Yes, Morn is an anagram for Norm, because, like the famed Cheers fat man, in Quark’s Bar, everyone knew Morn’s name.

Morn was a bombastic and talkative fellow who fans never got to actually hear speak. He was a former thief that barely moved away from his bar stool. Morn was also fiercely loyal to Quark and got his little Ferengi pal out of many a jam. But mostly, Morn just sat there and drank stoically.

Although we only ever met one Lurian, we will always remember his name because Morn was such a constant (and inebriated) presence on Deep Space Nine . He also once had a torrid love affair with Jadzia Dax but that is a tale for another time. Raise a glass to the Lurians!

First appearance: Star Trek (2009)

So far, the rebooted Trek films have not really given funs much by way of alien species. The only classic races to get good screen time in the reboots have been Romulans and Vulcans. But the films did give us Keenser the Roylan, Scotty’s diminutive engineering pal.

Keenser first appeared in the first Trek reboot film as Scotty’s ever present companion when Scotty was exiled on the Federation outpost on Delta Vega. When Scotty beamed to the Enterprise, he left Keenser behind which was kinda sad. JJ Abrams and company must have thought so too as Keenser was all of a sudden part of the Enterprise’s crew in Star Trek: Into Darkness .

Keensar is ever loyal to his pal Scotty as the two share one of the best bromances in the galaxy. The fourteenth issue of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek comic gifted fans with Keensar’s origin. It also revealed the name of his species — Roylan — for the first time.

In this issue, fans learned that Keensar was constantly mocked by his peers because he was so tall (heh). It also revealed that Keensar served with distinction aboard the USS Kelvin and was shipmates with none other than George Kirk.

Keensar the Roylan is a constant presence in the new Trek Universe and I’m sure this member of the Roylan species will have many adventures to come.

43. Mugato

First appearance: star trek: the original series “a private little war” (1968).

Because sometimes in space, there are giant, poisonous horned gorillas. What’s not to love about Mugato? He’s kind of cute, very fuzzy, and is as poisonous as the nastiest snake. Poisonous gorillas in space, this is why we love Trek. Sadly, Mugato only appeared briefly, attacking and poisoning Kirk before being disintegrated by Doctor McCoy.

But, remember: as you watch the hard sci-fi and techno jargon of Trek, as you witness the human adventure of Roddenberry’s galaxy, as you watch carbon-based life forms achieve full potential and enlightenment, remember , in this same world there are fuzzy, horned, albino gorillas that will poison the crap out of you.

42. Acamarians

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “the vengeance factor” (1989).

The Acamarians are an advanced race of humanoids that have found a peaceful existence very late in its history. For centuries, the tattooed Acamarians lived in rival clans and their planet was split apart by warfare. One of the clan wars lasted three centuries and wiped one of the combating sides out of existence. When Picard’s Enterprise encountered the Acamarians, the people finally almost found peace.

However, a splinter group known as the Gatherers could not overcome centuries of clan warfare and refused to negotiate, so Picard had to navigate the complex web of Acamarians politics and bitterness as well as the assassination of the Gatherer ambassador to finally forge a peace with the Acamarians.

Despite all these issues, the Acamarians have a rich culture and mirror many contemporary Earth societies that have been splintered by war. Sci-fi works best when it reflects reality, and through the Acamarians, Trek fans got to see some really effective social commentary about tribalism and societal bitterness.

41. Denobulans

First appearance: enterprise “broken bow” (2001).

A Denobulan served aboard the very first Enterprise as the ship’s doctor, thus making the species vital to the origins of the Federation. Our medic in question, Phlox by name, was one of the main protagonists in Enterprise and was a staunch example of the exemplary qualities of the Denobulan race.

Denobulans are loyal but quite hedonistic by human standards. Denobulan males can take up to three wives while the entire race embraces polyamory. As humanity headed off into space aboard the first Enterprise, Phlox served as a constant reminder of the varied belief systems and practices the people of Earth would encounter as space exploration began.

Phlox and the Denobulan held ethics in high regard as Phlox would never allow a sentient being to suffer. Even though the ridge faced Denobulans had fierce tempers, they also were gentle and kind, and valued knowledge and pleasure over confrontation and violence.

Denobulans also have the propensity to puff out their faces when they were threatened — so, yeah, there’s that. Plus, Denobulans have really long tongues. What was it that I said about hedonism and Denobulans? Anyway, these cunning linguists were great doctors as seen through Enterprise ’s first mayor of the sickbay: Doctor Phlox.

Hit the next page for more!

40. Orions

First appearance: star trek: the original series “the cage” (1966).

The green Orion slave dancer that shimmied into the dreams of Trek fans has been an iconic bit of Star Trek lore since her Shakiraesque debut, but the history of the Orions did not stop there…

Although a cosplay staple, the slave girl was just one Orion. Others have appeared in The Animated Series , Enterprise , novels, comics, toys, and one even prominently appeared in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek timeline as Uhura’s roommate and an early romantic partner of one James T. Kirk.

Orions are a species with close ties to the Federation — ties that are explored in some of the better episodes of Enterprise . Although the Orions will long be remembered because of the grinding of the hips of a slave dancer, there is so much more to this green-skinned humanoid species that has been part of Star Trek lore since almost day one.

39. Ocampans

First appearance star trek: voyager “caretaker part ii” (1995).

The Ocampans carry an importance to the Star Trek  universe because Kes, a noted member of the Ocampan species, was a member of the lost Voyager crew for three years. Ocampans are a race with powerful telekinetic powers but, sadly, this race of elf-like humanoids only have a life span of nine years. (So… combine Jean Grey with a mayfly and you get the idea.) 

Ocampans are very accepting of their short life span and a rather enlightened species. Through Kes, the crew of Voyager learned a lust for life as the wide eyed Ocampan enjoyed every minute of her existance even though she was trapped with the Voyager crew. When Kes’ power grew out of control, she left Voyager and her friends, including her constant companion Neelix, and used her abilities to push the lost Voyager out of Borg space and a year closer to home. This sacrifice taught the crew of the Voyager and fans of the show the innate nobility of the Ocampan race.

38. Vidiians

First appearance star trek voyager “the phage” (1995).

While the Ocampans were a nice, little, Tinkerbell-like species that fluttered about Voyager , there were also these Wes Craven nightmares… The Vidiians suffered a disease known as the Phage. The Phage is kind of like a hardcore space Ebola that utterly destroys the infected’s body and organs. So, yeah, Bones McCoy was sort of right about space being a petri dish of death and pain.

The ravaged Phage would wander the galaxy and rob sentients of their organs and body parts. So there you are, doing warp three with caution around the Delta Quadrant, and, all of a sudden, a few Vidiians beam unto your ship and rip out your liver and intestines. Then, they use said liver and intestines to replace their own — whether you filled out your Federation organ donor cards or not.

The Vidiians were eventually cured by the crew of the Voyager, but you have to assume that in a galaxy so big there are still some Vidiians cruising around out there taking hearts and lungs from innocent travelers. Yeesh.

37. Breen

First appearance: star trek deep space nine “indiscretion” (1995).

First off, cool points for the Breen because the helmet that this species wears looks kind of like the helmet Princess Leia used to disguise herself as a bounty hunter in Return of the Jedi . But the space awesomeness of the Breen doesn’t end there…

The Breen’s fighting prowess and technology are so advanced that even the Romulons and Klingon talk about this mysterious species in hushed whispers. And, indeed, when the Breen made themselves known to the Federation during the Dominion War, things got intense. These mighty warriors allied themselves with the Cardassians and the Dominion to take on the combined might of the Federation, the Klingons, and the Romulons.

During this conflict, the Breen destroyed the USS Defiant, the flagship of the Deep Space Nine space station, and managed to attack the Earth city of San Francisco. The Federation managed to develop counter weaponry to defeat the Breen, but many will remember these armored badassess as race of military specialists to be reckoned with.

The alliance with the Dominion cost the Breen, though, and — after the War — it wasn’t easy being Breen.

36. Hunters

First appearance star trek deep space nine : “captive pursuit” (1993).

Imagine a Trek alien that is pretty much Boba Fett mixed with Kraven the Hunter and you have these big game-tracking motherfuckers. The Hunters popped out of the Bajoran Wormhole and had their first contact with the Federation in the DS9 episode “Captive Pursuit.” In this stirring installment of this reporter’s favorite Trek show, fans were introduced to the Hunters and their chosen prey: the genetically enhanced Tosk.

The Hunters (whether this was the species name is unknown) would alter their Tosk prey in order to make the hunt more difficult. The pursuing of the Tosk was an obsession with the Hunters that rubbed members of the freedom loving Federation the wrong way.

The Hunters even gave the Federation a run for its money as the race of killers had advanced tech to assist them in their eternal hunt for Tosk. Sadly, the Hunters only appeared in one episode of Deep Space Nine , but their fighting skills and bloodthirsty rituals will be burned into the minds of Trek fans for a long time.

35. The Salt Vampire

First appearance: star trek: the original series “the man trap” (1966).

Old Salty here, or creature M-113, is a reminder that space can be a really, really dangerous place because there are things out there called Salt Vampires. And, no, this thing doesn’t just hang around a Pringles factory, it freakin’ shape shifts and then kills innocent people and drains them of their salt. Kirk and his crew first encountered this thing as it took the form of a number of the Enterprise’s crew. It almost killed Sulu, Yeoman Rand, Spock, and Kirk before being shot and killed by Dr. McCoy who had no time for such foolishness.

I suppose Kirk could have kept the Salt Vampire alive and just fed it Wetzel’s Pretzels (those things are like licking the ocean), but I guess Kirk felt that a shape shifting thing that looks like it was spat out of the ninth plane of hell that brutally kills people and drains them of sodium probably needed to be deleted from the universe. One has to wonder what special M-114 might be: Cinnamon Vampire?

34. Cheron

First appearance star trek: the original series “let that be your last battlefield” (1969).

When we first met the Cheron, there was only two members of this species left: Bele (played by the Riddler himself, the great Frank Gorshin) and Lokai. Bele was hunting Lokai whom Bele deemed a traitor after the planet Cheron was wiped out due to centuries of racial wars.

Apparently, some Cheron were black on the left and white on the right while other members of this advanced species possessed the opposite skin alignment. Due to this difference, the entire population — save Lokai and Bele — were eradicated. Bele hijacked the Enterprise and used his vast array of mental capabilities to hunt for Lokai.

The whole opposite was a thinly veiled, but powerful allusion to the destructive potential and sheer idiocy of racism — a message as powerful today as it was in the ’60s. Of course, you know I’m going to say that Mego made a Cheron doll, a toy I treasured in my childhood and called Oreo Man.

We should all have an Oreo Man during our most innocent years. But who knew my beloved Oreo Man was actually a genocidal racist madman that used his vast power to almost destroy the Enterprise? Oh, Oreo Man…

33. Nausicaans

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “tapestry” (1993).

One of the surlier races in the galaxy, Nausicaans are big hairy warriors that hire themselves out as mercenaries throughout the galaxy. A Nausicaan had quite the impact on the life of Jean-Luc Picard. When the future captain of the Enterprise was an ensign, he played a stirring game of domjot with some Nausicaan thugs (as one does). Picard and his pals accused the Nausicaans of cheating and the bad-tempered badasses stabbed Picard through the heart. This required Picard to get an artificial heart. (The more you know!)

The Nausicaans gave the crew of Deep Space Nine a hard time as well. This hairy race of pirates even encountered Captain Archer and the original crew of the Enterprise back in the day, proving that big hairy thugs that cheat at domjot remain big hairy thugs that cheat at domjot.

All that aside, Nausicaan fighting prowess is equal to the fighting prowess of Klingons and the only thing that keeps the Nausicaans from being more of a threat is their mistrust and their inability to come together as a species. Instead of being intergalactic conquerors, the Nausicaans have remained bullies, raider, and cheaters. But they do have killer 80s rocker hair, don’t they?

32. Kazon

First appearance: star trek: voyager “caretaker” (1995).

The Kazon were the first race that the crew of the Voyager encountered when they arrived in the Delta Quadrant, and — as far as d-bag, aggressive alien species go — the Kazon take the space cake (because when you put the word space in front of something, it sounds like you are in the future).

The Kazon race was separated into rival sects, which made negotiating with them as a whole almost impossible. They were once a slave race that served the Trabe, but the Kazon were a fractured species before and during its enslavement. Despite their disloyalty to each other, the Kazon were fierce combatants who were unwilling to negotiate a peace treaty with the Trabe or Voyager.

The Kazon had advanced technology and a back-stabbing blood thirst that introduced the crew of the Voyager to the Delta Quadrant and caused Voyager to be trapped in what was going to be a very hostile place, if the battle-hardened Kazon were any indication.

31. Metrons

First appearance: star trek: the original series “arena” (1967).

We do so love the Gorn. And what alien species was responsible for Kirk’s immortal battle with the Gorn? Why that would be the shiny and nigh omnipotent Metrons.

The Metrons possess tremendous mental powers and can control matter and energy. These human like aliens fiercely guard their sector of space and regard even the most minor intrusion as a great trespass punishable by death. When the Enterprise and a Gorn vessel find themselves in Metron space, the Metrons mentally teleport both Captains to a remote planet and force them to fight.

The Metrons are intensely xenophobic and regard other races as barbaric, so when Kirk spares the Gorn, the aloof Metrons are impressed and free both vessels. You see, a simple act of kindness was all it took to free the Enterprise from the Metrons’ wrath and impress a race of people that do not impress easily. Also, the Metrons wear sparkly evening gowns so they have that going for them…

30. Horta

First appearance: star trek: the original series “devil in the dark” (1967).

The Horta may look like a pile of bile soaked dog puke, but, hey, it was featured in William Shatner’s favorite Star Trek episode, so we have to give this blob of silicon its props.

The Horta was first encountered by a group of miners. After a miner was killed, Kirk and company were called to see what was up. They encounter the Horta, an extremely alien-looking beastie. After the creature is injured, Spock attempts a mind meld but the creature is in too much pain for Spock to connect with it. Soon, the crew of the Enterprise learns that the creature is the lone survivor of its race charged with protecting the eggs of the next generation of Horta. So Kirk and his pals dedicate themselves to protecting the thing’s little vomit eggs from the angry miners.

All jokes aside, the Horta was classic Trek alien: a semi-cheesy-looking beastie that stars in an episode with a powerful theme. The Horta was a prime example that all life has merit and even something that looks like a half-digested taco only wants to survive and thrive. By saving the Horta, the crew of the Enterprise shows that their most important mission is to contact and understand all life, no matter what it looks like. Thank you for that valuable lesson, Mr. Horta.

29. Greek Gods

First appearance: star trek: the original series “who mourns for adonis” (1967).

Wait, what? Oh, by the bristling beard of Zeus, the Greek Gods exists in the Star Trek  universe. 

The legendary deities of ancient Greece were actually super-powered aliens that lived on Pollox IV. They would visit Earth back in ancient times and bask in the worship of primitive humans. Well, the humans of the Enterprise were no primitives, and — when the Pollox IV alien that called itself Apollo trapped Kirk and his crew on the planet and refused to allow them to leave — Kirk and Spock fought back, kicking a god’s ass in the process.

Sadly, we never saw the other Greek gods. (Because could you just imagine Kirk versus Zeus?) But, it was established the other gods existed — and that they wore togas and laurel leaves like they were going to a frat party. The fact that this all exists in the same galaxy as Klingons and Borg just makes me very happy.

28. Hirogen

First appearance: star trek: voyager “message in a bottle” (1998).

The Hirogen are a nasty Delta Quadrant species of reptilian hunters that view any other sentient beings as prey. When the Hirogen chose a victim, the religious ritual of the Hunt began and all aspect of Hirogen culture centered on this blood sport. After the Hirogen tracked and captured its prey, they would remove the victim’s skeletal system, muscles, internal organs, ligaments, and tendons and keep these parts as trophies.

The Hirogen ran afoul of the Starship Voyager a number of times and Captain Janeway and her elite crew always found ways to defeat these hunters. In one of the Hirogen’s more bone headed moves, they created advanced holograms that could feel fear and pain. These thinking holograms quickly became more advanced than the Hirogen and turned the hunters into the hunted.

Despite this addlepated move, the Hirogen were always a feared species for those that traveled through the Delta Quadrant because they were essentially Predators dropped into the middle of the Star Trek universe.

27. El-Aurians

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “the child” (1988).

El-Aurian were a race of wise and peaceful people that transverse the galaxy to listen to the stories of others. When the Borg wiped out the El-Aurian’s home world, the galaxy lost a race of wise listeners… Or it almost did, because the surviving members of this race spread out across the galaxy.

Fans met the El-Aurians when The Next Generation introduced Guinan, the proprietor of Ten Forward, the bar of choice for the crew of the Enterprise. When Guinan came aboard, the members of the Enterprise had a kind and quick-witted being to bounce their problems off of, and Guinan listened. It was a shame that so many people like Guinan were lost to the Borg as the El-Aurians long lived goodness was a boon to the galaxy.

But not all El-Aurians were benevolent. Tollan Soran was an El-Aurian survivor that was aboard a ship of refugees with Guinan when the ships ferrying the El-Aurians refugees was lost to the fiery Nexus ribbon. It seemed that the legendary Captain Kirk was killed in this rescue attempt, but it turns out Kirk was trapped within the Nexus.

Soran became obsessed with returning to the Nexus and his Ahab like need for knowledge led to the first and only meeting between James T. Kirk and Jean Luc Picard. Soran was an anomaly to the El-Aurians species as most of the race used their centuries of wisdom to spread enlightenment wherever they went.

26. Tellarites

First appearance: star trek: the original series “journey to babel” (1967).

Along with Andorians and Vulcans, Tellarites were one of the first species to join the United Federation of Planets. A Tellarite first appeared in The Original Series episode “Journey to Babel,” where Sarek, Spock’s father, was framed for the murder of a Tellarite ambassador.

Sarek was able to solve the crime, freeing his name and forging a long-lasting peace with the Tellarities. Early contact with the Tellarites was recounted in Enterprise , but members of the specials also popped up in The Next Generation and even in a couple of films. Tellarites, with their distinctive beards, hooves, and stubbornness, have long been one of the backbone species of the Federation.

25. Tamarians

First appearance star trek: the next generation “darmok” (1991).

“Temba, his arms wide. Shaka, when the walks fell.” Who can forget these poetic, yet somewhat ominous phrases spoken by Dathon the Tamarian to Captain Picard when the two were trapped on a hostile world together?

Trek lore has it that the Federation and the Tamarians only had seven encounters over the years because the Tamarian language was so hard to comprehend. Well, if he was to survive, Picard would have to understand it (and fast) because Dathon beamed Picard down to the planet in order to teach the human captain a language that was as complex as it was beautiful.

It turns out Tamarians only communicate in metaphors (I’ve had grad school professors like that), and in order for the Federation and the Tamarians to build an accord, Picard would need to understand those metaphors. “Shaka when the walls fell,” has become quite a famous little moment of Trek myth as the Tamarians stand as a metaphor themselves — for cultural understanding and empathy.

24. Species 8472

First appearance: “star trek: voyager” part 1 (1997).

Species 8472 are so deadly that they even make the Borg poop their cybernetic underroos. (Hey, do you think when the Borg poops they all go at once? Or does one go make while the rest of the Collective just snickers? This is now the most ever written about Borg poop on the internet. Or is it? I’m not googling that.)

Anyway, Species 8472 existed in an extra-dimensional bit of hell known as fluidic space. When the Borg discovered the fluidic dimension, the ever deadly race of cybernetic killers busted through the dimensions and attempted to assimilate Species 8472. 8472 was having none of that and fought back, creating weapons that could slay the Borg with ease. In fact, 8472 was able to destroy the Borg Cubes in seconds. (Man, that’s like taking down the Death Star with a single bullet.) Sadly, Species 8472 also took out many innocent Delta Quadrant planets, which forced the crew of Voyager to get involved.

The Borg and Voyager had to form an unlikely alliance to drive Species 8472 back to fluidic space. 8472 was one of the closet things Trek fans ever got to Lovecraft-like cosmic horrors, as even the Borg could not stand up to these waling nightmares. This species appeared a few more times on Voyager until Captain Janeway was able to broker a peace with these terrors that exist behind the fabric of time and space.

23. The Gorn

Oh, the Gorn. Who doesn’t love Gorn? Of course, this rubbery looking and cold blooded reptilian monstrosity first appeared in the classic TOS episode “Arena,” where Kirk had to go mano-e-lizardo with the captain of a captured Gorn vessel. What followed was one of the most classic fights in Trek history as Kirk had to fashion a makeshift cannon to defeat this alien monster.

Despite its primitive appearance, future novels established the Gorn as a technologically-advanced race and, you just have to admit, Trek lore has not even scratched the surface of the Gorn. Imagine the spin offs. The Gorn Identity. Gorn to be Wild. Gorn on the Fourth of July. Fans were able to witness the Gorn home world for the first time in DC Comics’ Star Trek the Next Generation: The Gorn Crisis .

The Gorn were also one of the aliens made by Mego in its second set of Trek dolls. Fun fact: Mego’s Gorn looks nothing like the TV Gorn, as Mego just reused Marvel’s Lizard mold, painted it brown and decked old Gorny in the outfit used for the Klingon doll. Despite this lack of toy respect, and despite one of the cheapest prosthetic heads ever seen on TV, the Gorn’s battle with Kirk is still forever burned into Trek lore.

22. Tholians

First appearance: star trek: the original series “the tholian web” (1968).

Get a load of these psychedelic xenophobes. Yeah, the Tholians might look like a funky black light album cover come to life, but, really, they are brutal, territorial, hateful, and will do anything to keep other species out of Tholian territory. But, hey, they are known for the punctuality, so take heart in the fact that, when they kill you, it’ll be done in a timely fashion.

The Tholians cruise around their sector of space in geometric rainbow ships, making the aesthetic of the race more Yes album cover and less cool space despots. The Tholians first encountered the crew of the Enterprise when the USS Defiant flew too close to Tholian space.

Always protective of their borders, the Tholians phased the Defiant out of real space and into an interspace dimension. Kirk himself was phased out of time and space (for Shatner, it wouldn’t be the first or last time this happened), but Spock and the Enterprise were able to get their captain back and pimp-slap the Tholians.

The Enterprise under Jonathan Archer also ran afoul of these crystalline killers. The Tholians are a great example that in space, threats can come in any shape and even rainbows can kill you.

21. Talaxians

First appearance: star trek: voyager “caretaker” (1995).

One of the friendlier species of the Delta Quadrant, the Talaxians — or more accurately, an individual member of the Talaxian species — was pivotal to Voyager’s survival during the years it spent trapped in the Delta Quadrant.

Talaxians became dispersed throughout the Delta Quadrant after a devastating war with the Haakonian Order. Talaxians had no real home world, but that did not break their spirits. Talaxians are a very spiritual, upbeat, and whimsical race that — when confronted with two unpleasant paths to take in life — will find a third, happier path to traverse. This spiritual ability to find light and hope in any circumstance made the Talaxian Neelix indispensable to the crew of the Voyager.

Neelix was the cook and morale officer aboard Voyager and helped his friends out of many spiritual and literal crises. Throughout its wanderings in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager encountered many Talaxians that were always willing to lend a hand. Sadly, many aggressive species like the Borg also targeted the peaceful Talaxians — but, like Neelix, the Talaxians always found that third path.

Keep going, because we’ve got more aliens for you!

20. Organians

First appearance: star trek: the original series “errand of mercy” (1967).

When Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the Enterprise first encounter the Organians, a non-distinct humanoid species, this new race appeared to be akin to an 18th century agrarian Earth society. Spock commented that his tricoder has more technology than the entirety of the Organians planet.

Sadly, the Organians home world became caught up in a war between the Federation and the Klingons. Kirk warned the Organians leaders that war was coming but the Organians were completely unconcerned… When the Klingons arrived and began to take Organians hostages, the Organians remained unconcerned — because, apparently, the Organians are millions of years more advanced than either Klingons or humans. The Organians mentally disabled the Klingon and Federation ships in orbit around their planet and calmly disarmed Kirk, Spock, and the Klingons.

The Organians have an advanced form of ESP and can predict future events. They also can possess the bodies of others. An Organian told Kirk that, one day, Klingons and humans would be friends — something ‘ol James T. couldn’t wrap his head around, but something Next Gen fans would know to be true. So here’s to the Organians, the Amish space gods of the galaxy.

19. The Traveler

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “where no one has gone before” (1987).

Now, let’s all be honest. Yeah, we love Wil Wheaton as he is truly nerd royalty and has done a great deal over the last few years as a sort of geek ambassador. But, real talk: no one really liked Wesley Crusher. We love Wesley’s mom, Dr. Beverly Crusher, but Wes was kind of the Jar Jar Binks of Star Trek . The Traveler freed us of all of that.

The Traveler is a member of a mysterious race of immensely powerful beings. The Traveler could transverse time, space, and heavenly bodies at will and could use his thoughts to manipulate nature and reality. The Traveler seemed to be second only to Q in terms of power and omnipotence.

When the Traveler first met ‘lil Wesley Crusher, he compared the lad to Mozart. This caused Captain Picard to promote Crusher to ensign. Later in his Starfleet career, Crusher began to have doubts about his lot in Starfleet. The Traveler convinced Crusher to leave Starfleet after Crusher began to develop powers similar to the Traveler.

As Crusher’s powers grew, the Traveler took him on as protégé, teaching the former ensign how to best use his vast powers to help the galaxy. Wesley left the Enterprise with the Traveler as his very own Yoda and, for this, Trek fans hold a great debt to the Traveler as he freed us from the oft times insipid Crusher.

You know, looking back, I wouldn’t mind a novel or two explaining what happened to Crusher later in life. So, I guess we can give the Traveler credit for not only freeing us from Wesley, but also for making Bev’s boy into an interesting part of the Star Trek universe.

18. Crystalline Entity

First appearance: star trek: the next generation: “datalore” (1988).

The Crystalline Entity is basically the Galactus of the Star Trek  universe. The Entity is a giant, electromagnetic engine of cosmic death that lives to consume organic matter. It goes from planet to planet, absorbing all organic matter and leaving dry husks of death behind. A Crystalline Entity destroyed the outpost where Commander Data was created, essentially making Data an intergalactic android orphan.

Despite its destructive power, the Crystalline Entity is a beautiful sight: huge and multi-faceted, colorful and shimmering — frankly, an artist’s dream. But, behind the beauty, lies a bite that can lay waste to entire species.

This giant snowflake of death was pivotal in the origins of Data and is one of the most feared species in the entire galaxy. There are other Crystalline Entities out there in the void of space, but, thankfully, encounters with them are very rare. As of yet, no Crystalline Entity has been seen hanging out with a silver guy on a surfboard… but we remain hopeful.

17. Betazoid

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “encounter at farpoint” (1987).

For seven seasons and a handful of films, Star Trek fans got to know a very special Betazoid: Counselor Deanna Troi. Troi was an exemplary member of the Betazoid race — a mostly peaceful people that possess empathic and telepathic powers.

Most Betazoids, including Troi, use their powers for the benefit of others. The Enterprise was saved many times thanks to Troi and her fantastic abilities as she served with honor and distinction about the Federation flagship. Betazoids are indistinguishable for humans except for their all black irises. It’s a very cool thought that there is a race of Charles Xaviers in the Star Trek  universe and, with more Star Trek coming our way soon, let us hope we have the honor to meet more Betazoids.

Fun fact: Gene Roddenberry wanted the Betazoid women to have four breasts. Can you imagine trying to take Troi seriously with four breasts? Thankfully, Roddenberry was talked out of this silliness and the Enterprise’s resident Betazoid counselor became the stuff of Trek legend.

16. Talosians

First appearance: star trek pilot “the cage” (1965).

You know we had to include the first aggressive alien species ever encountered in a Trek episode. And, yes, we’ll get this out of the way quickly: the Talosians’ heads look like asses. We know. ‘Ol fanny foreheads. Butt heads. Get it all out of your system. Okay, done? Good.

The Talosians were the sole survivors of a nuclear holocaust. The remaining Talosians manifested the power to create illusions. These beings grew addicted to the illusions and abandoned technology. Like the Lotus Eaters of old, their existence was now tied to their narcotic-like illusions. Soon, the Talosians grew bored. The buttheads lured alien races to their planet and fed off the psyche of their victims.

Captain Pike of the Enterprise and his science officer Spock were drawn to the Talosian home world. The Talosians tempted the Federation officers with everything they could desire, but — through the minds of both men — the Talosians learned that humans hated captivity. The Talosians showed compassion and let Pike and Spock go. Later, Spock would return to the Talosian planet after Pike was left paralyzed. The Talosians once again showed compassion as they allowed the broken Pike to live his life on the planet.

The Talosian story ends sweetly, but just remember that, somewhere in the galaxy, there are siren-like, androgynous aliens (the male Talosians were actually played by female actors), ready to lore victims into a life of captivity. The Talosians were Trek’s first encountered, named alien species and they are also some of the most memorable as these illusion-casting humanoids set the standard for all Trek species going forward. Not bad for a bunch of ass-heads.

15. Vorta

First appearance: star trek: deep space nine “the jem’hadar” (1994).

The Vorta were genetically bred by the Founders to be the perfect military commanders and strategists of the Dominion. Vorta are sly, cunning, and corrupt. Try to imagine an entire species of Littlefingers and you get the idea.

In addition to the strategic acumen baked into Vorta DNA by the Founders, Vorta are also programmed to believe that the Founders are gods — and the Vorta serve their gods in all things. The Vorta created the Jem’Hadar and could clone themselves so the Dominion would never be without its master strategists for long. Even after death.

But, like the Jem’Hadar, the Vorta were programmed to serve. Upon capture or defeat, a Vorta was programmed to commit suicide, and during the Dominion War, many Vorta pulled the trigger on their own demise. The Vorta was one of the most cunning and immoral races Starfleet ever faced, even if the immorality was inserted into their genetic makeup by another species.

14. Xindi

First appearance: star trek: enterprise “the expanse” (2003).

The Xindi are a collective of six subspecies — avian, arboreal, primate, reptilian, insect, and aquatic — that form a single race. As a whole, the Xindi posed a great threat to the early Federation.

The Xindi worship a race known as the Sphere Builders and, when this mysterious race warns the Xindi that they will be involved in a war with Earth, the Xindi preemptively strike, killing millions of humans. Jonathan Archer and his crew take the fight to the Xindi who provide the first crew of the Enterprise its greatest challenge.

The Xindi was one of the first warnings to humanity that not every race is benevolent as the six races of this advanced culture reined death upon an Earth that was still getting used to the idea of contact with alien life.

13. Trill

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “the host” (1991).

Trills are an advanced species of humanoid that are passionate and kind in most of their dealings. Some Trills are joined with wise Symbiotes that chose different member of the Trill species with which to share a mutual bond. The Symbiotes retain the personalities and memories of each host and pass these aspects on to the new hosts.

The first Trill Trek fans encountered was named Odan. Odan quickly struck up a romance with Dr. Beverly Crusher and, when Odan was tragically killed, the Symbiote was moved into the body of William Riker. Riker had long been friend-zoned by Crusher, so this began one of the most awkward romances in Trek history.

It also gave fans the legacy of the Trill, a legacy that continued into Deep Space Nine with the beloved Jadzia Dax. Through Dax, fans learned about almost every aspect of Trill life. It was a fascinating meditation of duality, sexuality, and identity and the character of Jadzia Dax was almost a dozen disparate characters in one. When Jadzia was lost, the Symbiote moved into Ezri Dax, a wonderful new character that continued the exploration into what it is like being many beings at once.

12. Tribbles

First appearance: star trek: the original series “the trouble with tribbles” (1967).

They’re fuzzy, they squeak, they can be deadly — who doesn’t love Tribbles? Ask any casual fan to name a Trek alien, and there’s a good chance Mr. Joe on the street guy will say Tribbles because these bundles of fur are just that darn famous.

“Trouble with Tribbles” — The Original Series  installment that first introduced these puff balls — allowed Shatner, Nimoy, and company to really flex their comedy chops. But, when you break down the threat the Tribbles represented, they actually are pretty terrifying… Imagine a species that reproduces so fast, a ship can be suffocating on the things in a matter of days. That’s a bit more Giger than Pokemon.

Despite the threat, the Tribbles also brought the laughs to generations of fans. Of course, the Tribbles were revisited in the classic DS9 episode “Trials and Tribble-ations” and also played a major role in the recent film Star Trek: Into Darkness . To quote a great man from a rival space franchise: “Not bad for a little fuzzball.”

11. Jem’Hadar

One of the greatest and most efficiently deadly militaries the galaxy have ever seen, the foot soldiers of the Dominion — the Jem’Hadar — are also one of the more tragic species that can be found in the Trekverse.

Jem’Hadar reach maturity in the span of about three days. They are genetically programmed to be the perfect galactic foot soldier by their masters, the Vorta. To insure control, the Vorta have withheld an essential enzyme from the Jem’Hadar genetic makeup. This enzyme is supplied to the Jem’Hadar in the form of The White, a liquid that the Jem’Hadar has filtered into their systems through a tube in their necks. Essentially, Jem’Hadar are drug-addicted soldiers unleashed upon the galaxy.

The Jem’Hadar were the main Dominion force that laid siege to Deep Space Nine during the Dominion War and were nearly unstoppable. The need for The White was a religion to the Jem’Hadar, who became one of the most feared species in any quadrant.

Jem’Hadar are incredibly resilient and possess keen minds that help them plan for battles. Despite all this, most Jem’Hadar die very young due to the fact that they are essentially cannon fodder for the Dominion. Yet, the Jem’Hadar value duty and loyalty above all else as they embrace their lot as pawns of the Dominion. All for The White.

The Top 10 Star Trek aliens await on the next page!

10. Changeling

First appearance: star trek: deep space nine “the emissary” (1993).

As we all know, life in the Trek universe can take many and varied forms. One of the most profoundly different races of the Trek galaxy are the Changelings, a race of intelligent liquid-based shape shifters that reshaped the political climate of the galaxy with the same ease that they reshape their bodies.

The Changelings were also known as The Founders and were the puppet masters behind the Dominion War. From their wormhole homeworld, the Changelings manipulated the universe. The Founders used entire races like chess pieces showing the Federation and its enemies that there are beings that exist within and behind the galaxy that are willing to go any lengths for power.

But not all Changelings were adversarial. Through Odo, Trek fans saw another side to this fascinating species. Odo was the constable aboard DS9 , a by-the-books cop who went to any lengths (literally) to solve crimes. He was a defender of his Federation friends, particularly Kira Nerys the woman he learned to love. When the Founders merged their liquid forms with Odo, they learned about humanity, and his love and bravery spread even to the hidden spaces of the galaxy.

Plus, The Changelings are an alien species that can easily disguise themselves as furniture. You can’t teach that!

9. Andorians

First appearance: star trek: the original series “journey to babel” (1968).

The Andorians are an aggressive yet advanced race that was one of the first alien races that formed the original Federation of Planets with humanity.

The Andorians have distinctive blue skin, white hair, and two protruding antennae. The blue skinned humanoids have an advanced armada and a long history of conflict with the Vulcans. This conflict was put aside as Andorians entered into the Federation and, with it, decades of peace. But peace wasn’t easy, as seen in Star Trek: Enterprise,  in which Federation Captain Archer and Andorian Captain Thy’lek Shran developed an adversarial relationship that, thankfully, culminated in a friendship based on mutual respect.

The Andorians are more than a bit xenophobic as they refer to humans and Vulcans as “pink skins” and have a long standing mistrust of everything not Andorian. In fact, the Andorians don’t even trust their offshoot race, the very rarely encountered, white-skinned, psychic Aenar.

Enterprise is a bit unfairly-maligned by some Trekkers, but it will always be the show that took the Andorians from background characters to a narratively-explored race with deep contradictions. Of course, I need to mention that the Andorian was also one of the final Trek dolls Mego produced. It is very sparkly.

8. Ferengi

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “the last outpost” (1987).

I would  tell you some facts about the Ferengi, but I’d have to charge you about ten bars of (snarl, drool) gold-pressed latinum first. Because that’s what drives the Ferengi race: cold, hard, glimmering, wonderful cash-money.

By the time fans met the crew of the Kirk’s Enterprise, most races in the galaxy had abandoned cash-based economies to focus on the improvement of science and technology for all beings. But not the Ferengi. These big-eared, fanged critters utilize science and technology to procure cash and heaven help any sentients that stand in their way.

Fans first me the Ferengi in Next Gen as the greedy race of miscreants became the first real adversaries Picard’s crew had to face. The Ferengi in Next Gen were vile and greedy, sort of like spacefaring Daffy Ducks. But, in Deep Space Nine , fans were introduced to Quark, Rom, Nog, and other Ferengi that had a streak of nobility. Oh, they were still as greedy as they come, but this Ferengi family, saved the DS9 space station more than once. Heck, Nog even became the first Ferengi to serve in Starfleet.

In DS9 , fans learned many of the finer points of Ferengi culture. For example, Ferengi women aren’t allowed to wear clothes. In addition to their odd dress codes, the Ferengi live by the Rules of Acquisition, an almost religious text that teaches the Ferengi the best ways to make money. Quark constantly had to choose between loyalty to his friends and his Ferengi impulses for cash and this often humorous double nature led to some fun dramas.

But, if you have a piece of latinum in your pocket, be warned that there are many Ferengi out there who would kill for it because that is the Ferengi way.

7. Romulans

First appearance: star trek: the original series “balance of terror” (1966).

All sentient races in the galaxy have a good, healthy fear of the Romulans — and with good reason. In many ways, the Romulans are like the anti-Vulcans. In fact, Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcan race. Centuries ago, the Romulans rejected the Vulcan idea of repression of emotions and struck out on their own, finally settling on the twin planets Romulus and Remus and forging an empire.

Where Vulcans are cold, collected, and benevolent, Romulans are fiery, aggressive, and often power hungry. This passionate need to conquer led to the Earth/Romulan war, the first time humanity experienced total war on an intergalactic scale. Earth was eventually victorious and, during the conflict, no human ever actually saw a Romulan. Years later, it was the crew of the Enterprise that actually saw what Romulans looked like and it was Mr. Spock that postulated a common ancestry between Vulcans and Romulans.

The Romulans were based on the aggressiveness and culture of the Roman Empire, which is seen through the race’s military aggression and clothing. Despite years of ill will, the Romulans sided with the Federation in the Dominion War. A Romulan also changed reality, as fans of the new Trek films know…

A Romulan named Nero used a Red Matter device to destroy Romulus and punch a hole in time and space. Nero then went back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, causing a new reality to splinter off from the original Trek timeline — a reality Trek fans are currently enjoying in films.

Romulans have touched every part of Trek history and have even created a huge amount of it. They continue to serve as a counterpoint to the Vulcans and their name brings fear and respect throughout the Trek galaxy.

If you can imagine God in the Star Trek   universe, you understand Q. Q isn’t a kind god or an emotionally-distant god, hungry for worship. Q is a curious god that wants to test the intelligent races of the galaxy — particularly Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Enterprise.

Q is a member of The Q, a race of omnipotent beings that observe the universe from afar and interfere in the lives of mortals when it suits their whims. The Q are a force of nature, appearing when and where they want to bring gifts or utter destruction to lesser beings. It all depends on a Q’s whims. Q became a sometimes-ally, sometimes-antagonist to the crew of the Enterprise and even popped up on DS9 and Voyager . (And, really, how awesome would it be to see Q pop into J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin Universe?)

Q is everywhere and everything. Wherever Q went, great storytelling followed — mostly because of the deeply complex and often comedic relationship between Q and Picard. Whether it was TV, comics, or novels (most notably the eminently readable Q Continuum trilogy by Greg Cox), The Q’s force of nature omnipotence have made them one of the most feared and gloriously divine species in the Trek universe. Yes, in Trek, Q definitely stood for quality.

5. Bajorans

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “ensign ro” (1991).

It is apropos that the Bajorans and Cardassians are so close on this list because the two races are forever linked in the mind of Trek fans. Trekkers first met the Bajoran through Enterprise Ensign Ro Laren, a fiery and ultra-capable young Starfleet cadet.

Ro had everything it took to get ahead in Starfleet. She was loyal, dedicated, brilliant, and strong willed. Yet, the past of her people, the Bajorans, was filled with so much tragedy. The loyalty to her race led Ro away from Starfleet and into the waiting arms of the Marquis, a group that abandoned Starfleet to form a renegade fleet of rebels dissatisfied with Federation doctrine.

Ro’s discontent was expanded upon by the inclusion of the Bajorans in Deep Space Nine . In DS9 , fans learnt of the suffering that the Bajorans were forced to endure at the hands of the Cardassians. Bajorans were a race of freedom fighters, a highly scientific and artistic race that had to embrace militarism and xenophobia in order to survive.

In DS9 , fans learned almost every aspect of the Bajoran race. What began with Ro continued the Kira Nerys, the second in command of the Deep Space Nine space station and a woman who would do anything to keep her people free and punish her former oppressors.

DS9 introduced many Bajoran notables in its many seasons, and not all of them were benevolent. Of all the races introduced in Star Trek , the Bajorans might be the most tragically human as they had to see their own darkness in order to survive the unthinkable in order to survive the Cardassians.

4. Cardassians

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “the wounded” (1991).

Nowhere in the Trek universe have there been a race more troubling, more complex, and more narratively-interesting race than the Cardassians. Fans first met the lizard like, leathery Cardassians in the Next Gen episode entitled “The Wounded,” in which the martial struggle between the Cardassians and the Bajoran was introduced.

The Cardassians were first seen as Nazi-like war criminals that committed a horrible genocide against the Bajoran people. The anger against the Cardassians, amongst other points of discontent, caused a large segment of Bjorn sympathizers to break off from the Federation and form the Marquis.

Cardassians warred with both the Federation and the Klingon Empire and took both fleets to the absolute limits. When the Cardassian/Bjorn conflict ended with the Bajoran victorious, it was up to the Federation to help the galaxy heal. The Federation set up the Deep Space Nine space station to oversee this transition of power as Cardassians began to be tried for war crimes that were simply unthinkable in such an enlightened galaxy. 

At this time, fans met Gul Dukat and Garak. Garak in particular demonstrated that there was more to the Cardassians than violence. He became a DS9 wildcard who, for the most part, was loyal to peace and harmony.

However, both Garak and former Cardassian military leader Gul Dukat had spilled their fair share of blood and the Cardassians began to stand-in for any race that committed genocide. Parallels were drawn not only to the Nazis but to Imperialistic Europe and to America’s treatment of indigenous peoples as well.

The Cardassians were a difficult mirror to look into because they exposed many societal flaws of the contemporary world. Through rich, powerfully crafted characters like Garak, Trek reminds viewers that in all species, there is the capacity for tremendous good and unthinkable evil.

3. Borg

First appearance: star trek: the next generation “q who” (1989).

Throughout Trek history, the wonderful men and women who have crafted stories for Star Trek have often reminded fans that space can be a cruel and terrible place — but no race has represented the horrors of the Final Frontier more than the Borg.

The Borg is a race of cyborg drones that share a hive mind. Their only aim is to assimilate the universe and make all Borg. Borg are mindless automatons that answer to the Borg Queen and the Collective. They are unstoppable and fiercely efficient. The Borg roam the galaxy in their distinctive Borg Cubes and, when they encounter any organic race, that race is forcibly assimilated into the Borg. All hopes, history, art, passion, and individuality become part of the Collective while the individual becomes a living weapon, a husk dedicated only to the Borg. Famously, Jean-Luc Picard fell to the Borg and was transformed into Locutus. As Locutus, Picard came an eyelash away from assimilating the Enterprise.

Later, through characters like Hugh Borg and Seven of Nine, some humanity was given to the Borg. Hugh was an injured Borg healed by Picard’s crew, while Seven of Nine broke her programming and served on Voyager. Through both characters, more and more history was revealed about the Borg. Fans even got to meet the Borg Queen in the film Star Trek: First Contact  — and what an H.R. Giger nightmare that was.

Throughout the decades, Star Trek has been the most hopeful of sci-fi franchises. Trek is infused with humankind’s potential for greatness and a hope for an enlightened future. The Borg serve as a reminder that technology can lead to paradise, yes, but it can also lead to a cold future of pure horror where individuality is worthless and resistance is futile.

2. Klingons

When we first met the Klingons, they were classically humanoid aliens that mirrored the worst of humanity. In the earliest Klingon appearances, Klingon society was portrayed as brutal and despotic. They were slave masters that would do anything to crush any opposition.

The Klingons were constant threats. At times, the Klingons seemed to be analogous to the Nazi Third Reich. In other instances, they resembled Communist Russia. But whatever real world nightmare the Klingons represented at any given moment, whenever a Klingon Bird of Prey warped into a confrontation with the Enterprise, fans know that intense action would follow.

When the Klingons returned in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , this brutal race’s appearance was altered. Suddenly, Klingons were shown to have deep forehead ridges and a more bestial appearance. The real reason this was done was because Trek now had a budget, but there has never been an in story reason for the Klingon alteration. This just adds to the mystique of the Klingon race.

Klingons take the next step of their story evolution in Star Trek: The Next Generation . Now, a Klingon served on the bridge of the Enterprise, and it could be argued that this Klingon — Mr. Worf — was the very model of what a Starfleet officer should be. Through Worf, Next Gen explored every aspect of Klingon culture and made it more like a race of honorable technologically-advanced Vikings or Mongols than an analogy to fascism. That exploration continued into Deep Space Nine and, through the half Klingon-half human engineer B’Elanna Torres, onto Voyager .

There is an actual a Klingon language that exists in the real world. A whole freakin’ language has been created inspired by these honorable and violent warriors of the cosmos. So, raise a glass of Klingon Warnog, grab your Bat’leth, and salute the Klingons — a race that started out as typical villains, but evolved into one of the most engaging and inspiring races in the galaxy.

1. Vulcans

Is there any race in genre fiction more beloved than the Vulcans? This race of logic-driven, emotionless, pointy-eared people have defined the Star Trek experience since day one.

In the Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” the world was introduced to science officer Spock, a cold, calculating yet brave and benevolent alien who loyally assisted his captain. Fifty years later, Spock is still the strong right hand of the Enterprise. The Vulcan’s lack of emotion serves as a perfect narrative contrast to human nature, with the interactions and differences between Spock, McCoy, and Kirk as the beating heart of Trek since Roddenberry first put pen to paper.

But the wonder of the Vulcans don’t end with Spock. Over the decades — through countless books, films, TV episodes, and comics — many Vulcans have taken center stage and have, in the words of the most famous Vulcan of them all, fascinated fans for generations…

There has been Sarek, Spock’s father who dared to follow his emotions and take a human wife. There has been Tuvok, the brave and able Vulcan officer who served on Voyager. There has been T’Pol, the sometimes cold but always loyal commander that served as the first officer of the first Enterprise. By being so alien, all these characters and so many more have shown the world what it means to be human.

Trek lore has delved deeply into Vulcan history, creating one of most fully-functioning and detailed fictional worlds in all of sci-fi. Sadly, in the latest set of Trek films, Vulcan has fallen and this magnificent race is endangered. But take heart that Spock, Vulcan and Earth’s favorite son, is endeavoring to rebuild the race that has long made Star Trek so awesome.

Marc Buxton

Marc Buxton is an English teacher/private tutor by day,and a super-hyper-uber geek by night. Marc spent six years on the frontlines as a comic retailer before…

The 30 Most Powerful Star Trek Species, Ranked

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Like the infinite galaxy, it seems like there will be no end to Star Trek ’s popularity. The Original Series introduced the world to Gene Roddenberry’s inclusive vision of the universe, but it didn’t mean that Captain Kirk and Starfleet didn’t have foes to fight. The franchise introduced numerous species that had a fearsome reputation in the galaxy. Since The Original Series , Star Trek has widened its reach: starting with the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV programs and films.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine explored what the Starfleet is like when the scope is limited to a space station, while Star Trek: Voyager explored the Delta Quadrant. Star Trek: Enterprise focused on a pre-Kirk world as a prequel to The Original Series . Since J.J. Abrams has been given the keys to the series, shows like Discovery and Picard have been released. Although Starfleet has both military and diplomatic duties, their missions often revolve around exploring new worlds. Sometimes the crews come across new allies, but they also make new enemies.

Updated on April 24, 2024 by Joshua M. Patton and Robert Vaux: For nearly 60 years, Star Trek has been the blueprint for any ongoing sci-fi saga. It has even inspired Doctor Who: the one ongoing sci-fi series that predates it. Gene Roddenberry created this universe as a vehicle for his humanist, progressive vision of what humanity could be. The starship Enterprise was meant to represent the planet Earth, but there is a whole wide universe out there to explore. Whether serving alongside humans, like Spock or Worf, or meeting them on their journey, the alien races in Star Trek represent everything else. Some are benevolent and kind, while others are cruel, violent and backwards. All of them are unique, however, and all of them have provided Star Trek with a wealth of strong storytelling. The article has been expanded with new information, and the formatting has been adjusted to meet current CBR guidelines.

30 Tribbles Are the Fluffiest Threats Ever

Tribbles at a glance, did star trek: deep space nine's james bond parody go too far.

In the latest TV Legends Revealed, find out if Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Bond parody, "Our Man Bashir," went too far for MGM

Though they may be cute and cuddly in appearance, the now legendary Tribbles are a huge threat to any planet they find themselves on. They are an invasive species that require very little to food to function and, critically, to multiply. They reproduce at an unbelievable rate and consume everything in the area in short order when they reach a critical mass of numbers. Sure, they aren't a species with grand machinations and nefarious designs but they could be genuinely devastating in the right circumstances.

The concept stems from invasive species in real world circumstances -- such as rabbits being introduced to Australia -- given a slightly absurd wrinkle for the fan-favorite episode. If proof of their danger is needed, the Klingons considered them such a threat that they destroyed the Tribble homeworld, as revealed in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 5, Episode 6, "Trials and Tribble-ations." They are adorable though, losing them some power points.

29 The Moopsy Is Terror in an Adorable Package

Moopsy at a glance.

Introduced in Season of Star Trek: Lower Decks the Moopsy is a non-sentient species found in one of the universe's ubiquitous menageries of dangerous creatures. The adorable round creature has a cute face and an even sweeter voice, which it uses to say only "Moopsy." However, it's one of the most dangerous creatures the crew of the USS Cerritos ever encountered. Because while the Moopsy is precious, it lives only to drink bones. (It's all a clever variation of the "Killer Rabbit" gag from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. )

The important question isn't "How does something drink bones?" The question fans and Starfleet officers should be asking is how one stops such a creature. Luckily, Lieutenant Mariner and Commander Ransom use the latter's teeth to lead it back to its enclosure. But there are more moopsies out there, and a galaxy's worth of bones ripe for the drinking.

28 The Gorn May Be Coming into Their Own

The gorn at a glance.

Though their initial appearance has been rendered less frightening thanks to some fairly comical physical effects, the Gorn have got a long going for them. They are said to be extremely physically strong (despite Kirk holding his own the first time he faced them) and they also have a superior intellect, with confirmation that they were at least capable enough to produce warp drives.

They aren't preoccupied with taking these abilities far beyond their own world, instead content to stay and endeavor to help their own society to flourish. That said, they are fiercely territorial and would put up a good fight against most of the other species in the wider Star Trek universe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has embraced them as major villains, which has created continuity difficulties, but might also give the long-neglected reptilians their time in the spotlight at last.

27 The Xindi Are Early Foes Who Became Friends

The xindi at a glance.

The Xindi are a single species, but one that evolved into five separate races: Apes (humanoid), Arboreals, Insectoids, Reptilians and Aquatics. Their backstory is an interesting one: they were forced to flee their original homeworld when it was rendered uninhabitable following a war between the Xindi-Insectoid and Xindi-Reptilian peoples. The war caused the extinction of a sixth race: the Avians.

They were guided to new worlds by an extradimensional race called Sphere Builders. They constructed one of the most destructive weapons in the galaxy, attacking Earth with it. They were an early and very significant threat to the Federation, but Captain Archer and the NX-01 Enterprise crew formed an alliance with them and sent the Sphere Builders back to their own dimension. The Xindi have not appeared in canon since, though the reference book Star Trek: Federation -- The First 150 Years indicates that they had joined the Federation by 2311 (about fifty years before The Next Generation begins).

26 The Tholians Are a Perennial Thorn in the Federation's Side

Tholians at a glance.

The Tholians are one of the more bizarre creatures out there in space, an insectoid species made of non-organic and crystalline structures that form a near-impenetrable mineral carapace. They live in extremely hot environments (around 404 Farenheit) and, though they could tolerate lower temperatures for a time, it would kill them in relatively short order.

As with many bugs on Earth, Tholians communicate via a series of clicks and other sounds. They are also a species with strict values related to punctuality and they are not afraid of conflict in any sense. Though most famous for their interactions with both the Defiant and Enterprise, they have long had predominantly antagonistic dealings with the Federation. Their big canon appearance -- "The Tholian Web" -- was a big success for The Original Series' otherwise rocky final season, and their comparatively small presence in the franchise is the only reason they're not considered a bigger threat.

25 The Hirogen Are a Predatory Species of Hunters

Hirogen at a glance.

The fact that the Hirogen had essentially managed to secure their position as the dominant species across a swath of the Delta Quadrant in the 24th century is testament enough to their broad skillset. Their entire culture centers on hunting other alien races that they feel are worthy of taking on in battle and defeating them to further their own honor. It allows them to survive and even thrive in a sector of space featuring the likes of the Brog and Species 8472. The franchise drew a reasonable amount of inspiration from the Predator films for their modus operandi.

They are very large in stature and wear armor of their own design, notorious for its significant protective properties. Equally, their ships are very advanced and quick to travel across vast distances, meaning they were able to make significant military progress over a short period. They menaced the USS Voyager a number of times, even after Captain Janeway gave them holodeck technology to hunt without harming people.

24 The Nausicaans Live Up to their Reputation as "Space Orcs"

The nausicaans at a glance.

Most species like to play darts with a board, but the Nausicaans prefer to toss them at each other. Large, muscular, and generally physically imposing, this species has gained a considerable reputation as thugs and hired muscle. Their main vocations include mercenary work, bodyguard duties, and even piracy. They're often the choice of paid goon for species such as the Ferengi.

Before he became captain, a young Jean-Luc Picard discovered the terrifying outcome of a simple fistfight with some drunken Nausicaans. During the brawl, one of them rushed from behind and pierced his heart with a blade. Luckily, he was able to survive with an artificial heart, but the incident is a remainder of their violent and unpredictable nature

23 The Romulans Take a Hard Fall After Centuries of Dominance

Romulans at a glance, the best star trek legacy character returns in 2023.

The end of 2023 brings a big year for Star Trek to a close, including the return of fan-favorite and obscure legacy characters to the new series.

Were it not for recent developments, the Romulans might be ranked much higher on this list. Their first appearance was in Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966. Since then, they have also been in several of the subsequent Star Trek series, as well as numerous films. The Romulans and the Federation have had a complicated relationship over the years, most of it antagonistic. They remained foes and rivals for much of the 23rd and 24th centuries before reluctantly uniting in the face of a common foe during the Dominion War. Sadly, their Empire collapses shortly thereafter: weakened by the cost of war and destroyed when their sun goes nova. By the time of the events of the Picard series -- the last years of the 24th century -- they are a shattered people, consisting largely of refugees.

Romulans are the opposite of Vulcans — instead of being unfeeling, they feel everything and act on their passions. The Romulans have a strong military force to back up any actions they may take against the Federation or other planets. This species also has a penchant for conquering other races, which is something the Federation has had to fight against.

22 The Letheans Are Deadly DS9 Adversaries

The letheans at a glance.

This telepathic species is dangerous both from a physical and psychological standpoint. The Letheans managed to wipe out the entire Gretharan civilization in a bloody war. Since then, they've largely been relegated to mercenary work. Their status as a threat to the Federation is minimal, but that doesn't make them any less of a threat.

Dr. Julian Bashir had a deadly encounter with a Lethean named Altovar, who attempted to get his hands on a dangerous substance known as bio-mimetic gel. While under Altovar's mercy, the good doctor was forced to confront his inner psychological baggage. One Lethean even managed to fall to Kor's blade during a fight for the Sword of Kahless.

21 The Klingons Are One of the Major Powers in the Alpha Quadrant

Klingons at a glance.

Klingons are a classic Star Trek species and for good reason. They are a fascinating warrior species and have several ceremonies and customs revolving around fighting and honor. Klingon military strength combined with their traditional values have made them a worthy opponent in the Star Trek universe. Created by Gene L. Coon as part of an anti-war allegory, they've evolved beyond antagonists to (sometimes) allies of the Federation. Following a 23rd century war with the Federation (both hot and cold), the Klingons would have a presence in Starfleet.

Lieutenant Commander Worf is probably the most famous Klingon to serve in Starfleet, but there’s also B’Elanna Torres, a half-Klingon who served as U.S.S. Voyager ’s chief engineer. That said, the notorious Klingon temper is still something that needs to be managed. They signed a peace agreement called the Khitomer Accords with the Federation after Captains Kirk and Spock uncovered a conspiracy of both Klingons and renegade Starfleet officers, ironically proving the two groups could work together. But Klingons are always one cross word away from a glorious battle.

20 The Cardassians Are Known for their Ruthless Tactics

Cardassians at a glance.

The Cardassians’ first episode in the Star Trek universe was in Star Trek: The Next Generation . This alien species gave the Enterprise-D crew a formidable enemy, and even characters on Deep Space Nine and Voyager have spoken of the power of the Cardassians. Odo even said that the Cardassian intelligence organization is more unforgiving than the Romulan one (which is saying a lot).

The Deep Space Nine crew had multiple interactions with the Cardassian character Gul Dukat, who treated Captain Sisko as both an ally and an enemy. The species served as one of the major fulcrums for the series, as their government eventually allied themselves with the sinister Dominion against the rest of the Alpha Quadrant. Even the Voyager crew was affected by the Cardassians — the only reason the Maquis were present on Voyager in the first place was a treaty between the Cardassians and the Federation.

19 The Medusans Are Enlightened, But Live Up to Their Mythic Name

Medusans at a glance.

Introduced in the third season of The Original Series , the Medusans were described as beings of light whose visage drove humans (and most other sentient species) mad from the mere sight of them. Vulcans, like Spock, could view them while wearing protective eyewear. They were a peaceful and kind race: interested in exploration and connection, despite the risk their appearance presented.

Star Trek: Prodigy features a Medusan who was captured and imprisoned on a far-off planet. Zero, who is agender, built a mechanical suit to surround their form and allow them to interact with the crew. Highly intelligent and skilled, Zero is one of the most important members of the USS Protostar crew, as well as demonstrating how Medusan enlightenment counterbalances their dangerous appearance.

18 The Metrons Have Evolved to a Higher Plane

Metrons at a glance.

Introduced in the same episode as the Gorn, the Metrons were an advanced species far beyond the capabilities of Starfleet and the USS Enterprise. They were able to stop the Gorn ship and the Enterprise in space when they sensed Kirk's intention to harm the attacking Gorn ship, then ordered Kirk and the Gorn captain to fight to the death. The loser's vessel would be destroyed. That puts a damper on their moral superiority -- they're not that advanced -- although Kirk's capacity for mercy impressed them.

An ancient and long-lived species, not much is known about the Metrons. After sending the Enterprise on its way, they told Kirk they might be interested in a second contact in 1,000 years or, coincidentally, around the time Star Trek: Discovery 's later seasons unfold. While they have yet to reappear in canon, there is certainly plenty of space to give them a curtain call.

17 The Vulcans Have Considerable Power at Their Disposal

Vulcans at a glance, why spock died in star trek ii: the wrath of khan.

Leonard Nimoy's Spock was beloved to Star Trek fans, but behind-the-scenes factors played into Spock's death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

It is impossible to imagine the Star Trek universe without the Vulcans. They have been a presence since the first pilot for The Original Series , and continue to play a critical role in Star: Trek Discovery . What makes the Vulcans so formidable is their ability to act only on logic and reason instead of emotions. They possess nebulous psychic abilities as well -- notably the famous mind meld, which lets them share thoughts with others -- and their paralyzing nerve pinch allows them to safely end fights before they get started.

Vulcan physiology also allows them to stay in dangerous environments slightly longer than humans, as seen in Spock’s sacrifice in The Wrath of Khan . Similarly, their physical strength and fast reflexes are often more than a match for most combatants. Thankfully for their enemies, they're also largely pacifists.

16 Androids and Synthetic Lifeforms Embody Hope and Fear Alike

Androids/synthetics at a glance.

While androids such as Data were previously regarded as little more than property by the Federation, a landmark court case changed all of that. Thanks to the guidance of Guinan, Captain Picard was able to convince the court that Data was part of a sentient species and deserving of all the rights and privileges that come with that designation.This extended to all his fellow "synthetics" in the first season of Star Trek: Picard .

However, Data isn't the only synthetic lifeform in the universe. There are many sentient computers across franchise history, as well as the ExoComp species introduced on Star Trek: TNG . Similarly, self-aware holograms are another form of life, including Vic Fontaine from Deep Space Nine and the Doctor from Voyager . In fact, the latter character was also part of a court case. It didn't establish his personhood, but it did give him and other holograms some rights. There is debate both in the narrative and the fandom about which beings are, actually, "alive." And of course, there are always malevolant AIs such as Nomad from The Original Series and Control from Star Trek: Discovery bent on the destruction of biological life.

15 Human Beings Have Outgrown Their Petty Differences to Thrive

Everyone is an alien to someone, including human beings. Sure, humans are the only species on this list known to exist, but Star Trek has often shown how alien they can be to both other species and humanity as it exists in the 20th and 21st centuries. Perhaps what makes human beings so powerful is the rapid advancement they made since 2063 when Vulcans first landed on Earth and introduced themselves. Earth is a paradise in the Star Trek future. No crime, no hunger, no illteracy and, perhaps most baffling, no money. The humans in this universe are a constant reminder of the potential real-world humans could reach if we just looked up.

Of course, humans are also no joke to the universe at large. Enterprise showed how integral humanity was to forming the United Federation of Planets, bringing peace to quarreling species like the Vulcans and Andorians. Every other series shows how humanity is capable of meeting and, when needed, defeating any challenge. However, humans are at their most heroic when not fighting but, instead, trying to learn and understand those different from them. Indeed, the Star Trek franchise celebrates our flexibility and ingenuity above all: reaching across distances to find common ground, no matter who may be on the other side.

14 The Jem'Hadar Are Bred for War

The jem'hadar at a glance.

The Jem'Hadar were a reptilian species genetically-engineered to be warriors serving the Dominion. Technically, they're sentient biological constructs rather than organic lifeforms, created solely for the purposes of their masters. They are short-lived but grow quickly, so their numbers don't dwindle, making them one of the Federation's most dangerous foes. They don't require sleep and are immune to phaser stun settings, forcing the Federation to kill them rather than take them prisoner.

To ensure their loyalty, the Jem'Hadar are controlled with an addiction to a drug known as Ketracel-White. This substance serves as a reward for their obedience, while insubordination results in their immediate death. Nobody showcases the ethos of the Jem'Hadar better than First Omet'iklan's speech, which goes "I am dead. As of this moment, we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Jem'Hadar." After the end of the Dominion War, the Jem'Hadar haven't been seen in the Star Trek universe.

13 The Ba'ul Are a Hidden and Misunderstood Species

The ba'ul at a glance.

The Ba'ul were a very creepy aquatic, semi-humanoid species introduced in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery . In the 22nd Century they took to the stars and subjugated the Kelpian race, who believed they were a "prey species." In fact, the Ba'ul were prey for Kelpians after they went through a change where they lost their "fear ganglia." Commander Saru of the USS Discovery freed the Kelpian people from their control.

When the Discovery jumped 1000 years into the future at the end of its second season, Saru learned that Kelpians and the Ba'ul shared their homeworld, Kaminar, in a peaceful, symbiotic relationship. The Ba'ul are an aquatic species, able to emerge for a short time, but appear covered in a thick, viscous black goo.

12 The Changelings of the Dominion Almost Conquered the Alpha Quadrant

The founders at a glance.

Changelings are shapeshifters, the most prominent one being Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Changelings aren’t limited to just humanoid forms in terms of their metamorphosis. They can transform into inanimate objects, animals, starships and even fire. The Changelings’ weakness, however, is that they need time to regenerate in their natural liquid state.

Although Odo allied himself with Starfleet, his species were “the Founders” of the Dominion, a group that wanted to bring “order” to the universe by taking over everything. Changelings think as a collective and are difficult to kill. They were, therefore, a difficult adversary. Starfleet introduced a virus that killed the creatures, infecting even Odo, but Dr. Julian Bashir developed a cure. Changelings captured and experimented on by Starfleet's black ops division Section 31, helped the Borg secretly invade the Federation in Star Trek: Picard Season 3.

11 The Vau N'Akat Have a Beef with the Federation

The vau n'akat at a glance.

Introduced in Star Trek: Prodigy , the Vau N'Akat first encountered Starfleet when Captain Chakotay and the USS Protostar were lost in time. The arrival of aliens sent the civilization into a civil war that decimated their people. The Diviner and the Vindicator, two surviving military leaders, were sent back in time to destroy Starfleet before they could contact them. While their temporal mechanics aren't exactly sound, they are an advanced race with powerful technology, and they certainly don't intend anything good for the Federation.

Along with the villains, Gwyndala of the Protostar crew is the daughter of the Diviner. She understands the good Starfleet does and hopes to save her people. The Vau N'Akat had some space travel capabilities, as well as the ability to travel one-way through time. They created a device that would destroy Starfleet via its communications network the crew couldn't disarm. Both the Diviner and Vindicator traveled with an advanced sentient robot called "Dreadnok."

List of Star Trek animals

This is a list of fictional extraterrestrial animal species from the science fiction universe of Star Trek . Like other aspects of stories in the franchise, they were recurring plot elements from one episode to another and sometimes from one series to another. Some have gained significance beyond the dedicated fans of the series; the furry, fast-breeding tribble has gained a place in popular culture and language.

This list describes the more notable fictional animals featured in Star Trek films or multiple episodes.

• 1 Cardassian vole
• 4 Regulan bloodworm
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Cardassian vole

The Cardassian vole is a fictional rodent species in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It was a pest aboard the space station , infesting Quark 's Bar as well as Ops where it chewed through wiring. It is quite unlike the voles of Earth, most notably in that it has six legs. It is also much bigger than a terrestrial vole.

Although he has denied it, Quark hosts vole fights. Morn has been known to assist him in setting up the events by painting numbers on the voles' backs.

The Ceti eel appears in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . It is the only indigenous lifeform of Ceti Alpha V known to have survived after Ceti Alpha VI exploded and sent Ceti Alpha V into a different orbit. Ceti eels incubate their larvae between protective plates that line their backs. The slime-covered larva will seek out a larger animal, enter its skull through the ear and wrap itself around the cerebral cortex . This causes the subject intense pain and makes them susceptible to suggestion. As the larva grows, the host suffers from insanity and eventual death. Ceti eels bear a remarkable resemblance to antlion larvae.

Khan Noonien Singh and his followers were marooned on this planet by James T. Kirk . Khan's wife, Marla McGivers, was killed after becoming a host for one of these creatures. Twenty more of Khan's people were killed in the same fashion, forming the basis for Khan's vendetta against Kirk. In the film, Captain Clark Terrell and Commander Pavel Chekov were captured by Khan while conducting a close-range sensor scan on the planet. Khan put the larvae into their helmets, where the creatures crawled into the men’s ears and subsequently burrowed into their brains. Terrell later killed himself, but Chekov's larva exited his ear and was disintegrated by a phaser-blast from Admiral Kirk's phaser.

In popular culture, the Ceti eel is widely considered a terrifying creature. [1]

The 2009 reboot Star Trek film introduces "Centaurian slugs" with a similar appearance and function, as a homage.

A 2011 episode of Supernatural ("...And Then There Were None") showed a creature that took over the minds of people by burrowing into their heads in the same way as Ceti eels. The character Dean Winchester dubbed the creature the "Khan Worm".

Gagh , written in the Klingon language as qagh (not capitalized), is a serpent worm that is eaten by Klingons while still alive . [2]

Regulan bloodworm

The Regulan bloodworm is a worm-like lifeform, native to the planet Regulus II. It is described as a soft, spineless creature that is medically useful for cleaning the lymphatic system ; however, Regulan bloodworms can also infect sentient races, causing sickness and death. [3]

The first reference to Regulan bloodworms was as an insult in the Star Trek episode " The Trouble With Tribbles ," written by David Gerrold . Gerrold also wrote an episode for Star Trek: The Next Generation , tentatively titled " Blood and Fire ", in which the Enterprise's crew comes across a derelict ship with a dead crew, all killed by a Regulan bloodworm infestation. The episode, which was meant to introduce a science-fiction analogue for the AIDS pandemic of the 1980s, was never produced, but a modified version was produced in the web series Star Trek: Phase II . [4]

This two-part episode (4x04 and 4x05, released in 2008) was also entitled "Blood and Fire". In it, the Enterprise crew attempts to rescue members of a federation vessel who unknown to them have violated a 100-year quarantine on visits to the Regulus system, and subsequently were contaminated by a deadly plague of "doomsday" Regulan bloodworms. In this episode, the creatures are seen as a universal threat to not only the Federation but also to the Klingon Empire as well. They are exposed as having been created by the Regulan civilization as a doomsday weapon , which resulted in the extinction of all life in the system. As it turns out, the covert operation of the Federation research vessel, led by an over-zealous Federation scientist, was actually designed to unleash the creatures on the Klingon Empire , causing mass genocide, while the Federation would be protected by a newly discovered cure for the infection. The analogy to the HIV virus and AIDS remains as two of the primary characters are males who were in love and had plans to marry. One, the nephew of Captain Kirk, Peter Kirk, narrowly escapes, but his husband-to-be, Alex Freeman, dies as the bloodworms attack.

The medical use of Regulan bloodworms was suggested or carried out by Doctor Phlox in the episodes " Two Days and Two Nights ", " Stratagem " and " Doctor's Orders " of Star Trek: Enterprise . Illustrations of the creatures were also featured in the schoolroom and infirmary of Deep Space Nine .

The sehlat is a large carnivore native to Vulcan . Sehlats have six-inch fangs and do not like to climb, preferring to remain on low ground. In 2154, Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander T'Pol were stalked by a wild sehlat in " The Forge ". [5]

Domesticated sehlats are a popular pet with Vulcan children. These sehlats are smaller, though not much so, and still quite aggressive: T'Pol, having owned one, notes that Vulcan children learn early never to be late with their sehlat's dinner. [6]

Spock had a pet sehlat named I-Chaya during his youth which originally belonged to his father, Sarek . I-Chaya died in 2237, as a result of injuries inflicted from an attack by a large creature called a le-matya . Spock chose to have his pet euthanized to end its suffering. [7] In the novelization of " Yesteryear " by Alan Dean Foster , it is revealed that sehlats originated in the "rainforests of Vulcan's southern hemisphere." [8]

The targ (in Klingon language : targh ) is a boar -like beast with sharp tusks. It is native to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS . Klingons both hunt the animal for food and keep it as a pet. [9]

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Where No One Has Gone Before " Lt. Worf saw his pet targ in a vision.

Computer-generated images of targs were created for the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " Affliction ". [10]

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

The Tribble is a small, soft, furry creature which reproduces rapidly.

• ↑ Antlions in popular culture , AntlionPit. This page also describes the adult Ceti eel as resembling an oversized antlion larva.
• ↑ Gagh at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ Regulan bloodworm at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "Blood and Fire" , Star Trek - Phase II
• ↑ Sehlat at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "The Forge" (ENT)
• ↑ " Journey to Babel " (TOS), " Yesteryear " (TAS).
• ↑ Foster, Allen Dean, Star Trek, Log One . Ballantine, 1974
• ↑ Heart of targ at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "Production Report: 'Affliction'" . StarTrek.com Archived July 24, 2008 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Category:Animals at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki )
• List of staff
• Gene Roddenberry
• Norway Corporation
• musical theme
• " Where no man has gone before "
• " Beam me up, Scotty "
• Accolades by (film franchise)
• The God Thing
• Planet of the Titans
• Star Trek 4
• Reference books
• A Klingon Christmas Carol
• Klingon opera
• The Ready Room
• How William Shatner Changed the World
• Beyond the Final Frontier
• The Captains
• Trek Nation
• For the Love of Spock
• What We Left Behind
• Kirk and Uhura's kiss
• Comparison to Star Wars
• productions
• expanded universe
• Memory Alpha
• Shakespeare and Star Trek
• The Exhibition
• The Experience
• " The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise " (1976 SNL sketch)
• Free Enterprise (1999 film)
• Galaxy Quest (1999 film)
• The Orville (2017 television series)
• Please Stand By (2017 film)
• Pages with broken file links
• Lists of fictional animals by work
• Star Trek lists
• Star Trek species
• Lists of fictional alien species

Navigation menu

Personal tools.

• Request account
• View source
• View history
• Recent changes
• Random page
• Infogalactic News
• Buy an account
• What links here
• Related changes
• Special pages
• Printable version
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Cite this page
• This page was last modified on 22 January 2016, at 16:44.
• Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License unless otherwise noted.
• This article's content derived from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia ( See original source ).
• Privacy policy
• About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
• Disclaimers
• Mobile view

Species Designations

Upon encountering a species the Borg Collective assign a species designation to it indicatory as to the order in which they have encountered each race.

• 1.1 Species 116 - Delta Quadrant
• 1.2 Species 125 - Delta Quadrant
• 1.3 Species 149
• 1.4 Species 180 - Ferengi - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.5 Species 218 - Talaxian - Delta Quadrant
• 1.6 Species 259
• 1.7 Species 262
• 1.8 Species 263
• 1.9 Species 312
• 1.10 Species 329 - Kazon - Delta Quadrant
• 1.11 Species 407
• 1.12 Species 521 - Delta Quadrant
• 1.13 Species 571 - Delta Quadrant
• 1.14 Species 689 - Norcadian - Delta Quadrant
• 1.15 Species 2000 - Cardassian - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.16 Species 2461 - Brunali - Delta Quadrant
• 1.17 Species 3105 - Rhawn
• 1.18 Species 3259 - Vulcan - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.19 Species 3783 - Romulan - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.20 Species 4228 - Hazari - Delta Quadrant
• 1.21 Species 4774 - Skedan
• 1.22 Species 5008 - Klingon - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.23 Species 5174 - Delta Quadrant
• 1.24 Species 5618 - Human - Alpha Quadrant
• 1.25 Species 5973
• 1.26 Species 6291 - Yridian - Alpha & Beta Quadrants
• 1.27 Species 6339 - Grid 124, Octant 22-Theta
• 1.28 Species 6961 - Katarian
• 1.29 Species 8472 - Fluidic Space
• 1.30 Species 10026

Species and Names [ ]

• Species 116 (VOY: "Hope and Fear")
• Species 125 (VOY: "Dark Frontier")
• Species 149 (VOY: "Mortal Coil")
• Species 180: Ferengi (VOY: "Infinite Regress")
• Species 218: Talaxians (VOY: "Mortal Coil")
• Species 259 (VOY: "The Gift")
• Species 262 (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
• Species 263 (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
• Species 312 (VOY: "Natural Law")
• Species 329: Kazon (VOY: "Mortal Coil", "Relativity")
• Species 407: Lennli (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 521: Shivolians (VOY: "Survival Instinct")
• Species 571 (VOY: "Survival Instinct")
• Species 689: Norcadians (VOY: "Ashes to Ashes")
• Species 2000: Cardassians (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 2461: Brunali (VOY: "Child's Play")
• Species 3105: Rhawn (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 3259: Vulcans (VOY: "The Raven")
• Species 3783: Romulans (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 4228: Hazari (VOY: "Think Tank")
• Species 4774: Skedan (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 5008: Klingons (Star Trek Screensaver)
• Species 5174 (VOY: "Hunters")
• Species 5618: Humans (VOY: "Dark Frontier")
• Species 5973 (VOY: "The Haunting of Deck Twelve")
• Species 6291: Yridians (VOY: "Equinox")
• Species 6339 (VOY: "Infinite Regress")
• Species 6961: Ktarians (VOY: "Dark Frontier")
• Species 8472 (VOY: "Scorpion", "Scorpion, Part II", "Prey", "In the Flesh")
• Species 10026 (VOY: "Dark Frontier")

Species 116 - Delta Quadrant [ ]

Species 116 displayed an aptitude for "seeing patterns where others see only confusion" allowing them to notice patterns of all forms and precisely extrapolate that pattern further which enabled them to learn the correct grammar and syntax of entire languages after only hearing a few phrases. Other forms of patterns such as encryption algorithms were also very easy for this race to decipher.

Species 116 utilized a propulsion system named a Quantum Slipstream which enabled them to "avoid the storm on the horizon" and outrun the Borg for centuries before the Borg became more and more capable of pursuing the vessels due to the assimilation of Transwarp technology , expanding and assimilating the surrounding systems until finally the species were cornered in their own space. (VOY - "Hope and Fear"). Then the Species 8472 war broke out between the Collective, Species 116 saw this as their last hope that the Borg would be destroyed before the U.S.S. Voyager aided the Borg against the invaders for their own personal gain. (VOY - "Scorpion"). Due to their assistance, the Borg defeated species 8472 and assimilated all but 10,000 members of species 116 which held Voyager accountable for the destruction of their race as the Collective continued to expand and finally surrounded their system with hundreds of cubes (VOY - "Hope and Fear").

Species 125 - Delta Quadrant [ ]

This is the species from which the Borg Queen herself originates, the species possessed an over-sized cranial region exhibiting telepathy and extraordinary mental processing capacity. When they are sufficiently challenged enough to be required to give their tasks a degree of attention, they will twitch their heads and when extremely challenged they will focus by closing their eyes.

Species 149 [ ]

Species 149 was regarded as a medically technologically advanced species. The Borg assimilated knowledge involving nanoprobes for the reanimation of a lifeform as long as 73 hours following death. Provided the neural pathways are intact, 70 micrograms of nanoprobes which are pre-modified to the specific subject's physiology are sufficient to reverse cellular necrosis while the cerebral cortex is stimulated with a neural electric isopulse at 1 second intervals, Nanoprobes can compensate for any cellular degradation after the technique is completed. However, the subject requires regular doses of additional modified nanoprobes until the victim's cells are capable of functioning on their own (VOY - "Mortal Coil").

Species 180 - Ferengi - Alpha Quadrant [ ]

Species 180 name themselves as Ferengi. Ferengi were encountered early by the Collective. However, why a vessel belonging to a race originating in the Alpha Quadrant was found in the Delta Quadrant remains a mystery.

Species 218 - Talaxian - Delta Quadrant [ ]

Species 218 name themselves as Talaxians. The Collective assimilated a small freighter belonging to Species 218 in the Dalmine Sector, assimilating the crew of 39. Their dense musculature made them excellent tactical drones. (VOY - "The Raven")

Species 259 [ ]

Species 259 are an advanced omnicordial lifeform which inhabited Galactic Cluster 3. The species numbered some 22 billion when they were assimilated and had developed an advanced pattern-duplication design that was later incorporated into Borg autonomous regeneration sequencer technology.

Species 262 [ ]

Deemed to be a relatively primitive species by Borg standards, following their assimilation in the 22nd century. Their mythology referred to a substance which could "burn the sky". The Borg were intrigued and later discovered it to be a reference to the Particle 010 (Omega Molecule)

Species 263 [ ]

Deemed to be a relatively primitive species by Borg standards, Species 263 was the second in a series of thirteen species assimilated in the pursuit of attaining any and all information relative to Particle 010. In the mythology of the species, they believed the molecule to be a drop of blood from their creator.

Species 312 [ ]

Species 312 was a race assimilated by the Borg before 2374 possessing advanced tetryon-based energy barrier technology. Sometime before their assimilation, the race constructed an energy barrier around the planet Ledos in the Delta Quadrant. This was several hundred years before 2377, to protect the primitive race on the surface from the interference of other warp capable species.

Species 329 - Kazon - Delta Quadrant [ ]

Species 329 name themselves as Kazon, a relatively primitive, yet warp-capable species with a limited understanding of the technology in their possession which they gained control of after conquering their former oppressors. Their technology and biological lifeform was deemed unworthy of assimilation.

Species 407 [ ]

A species named the Lennli.

Species 521 - Delta Quadrant [ ]

A humanoid species native to the Delta Quadrant.

Species 571 - Delta Quadrant [ ]

A humanoid race based in the Delta Quadrant which according to their own established mythology worship the god Brothera. The species was assimilated sometime before 2369 after-which three drones escaped from a Borg Sphere which crashed landed on Planet 1865-Alpha severing the three drones from the Collective mind.

Species 689 - Norcadian - Delta Quadrant [ ]

Species 689 name themselves Norcadian, an advanced humanoid species native to the Delta Quadrant and the planet Norcadia Prime. This species hosts a violent sport named Tsunkatse.

Species 2000 - Cardassian - Alpha Quadrant [ ]

Species 2000 name themselves Cardassian, a warp-capable species native to the Alpha Quadrant and the planet Cardassia Prime. Known to be highly xenophobic and ruthless.

Species 2461 - Brunali - Delta Quadrant [ ]

Brunali were once a standard space faring species. However, following the Borg constructing a transwarp conduit directly to their homeworld, they became subject to frequent attacks by vessels passing by. Following this, the species returned to a low state of technology with all of their remaining technology hidden beneath the surface. No longer possessing advanced space faring weaponry, the Brunali turned to their skills in genetic technology. Engineering a number of their children with an anti-Borg pathogen encoded in their DNA, they used their children as weapons, sending them towards their nearby transwarp conduit for the purpose of infecting Borg vessels.

Distinctive Technology: The Brunali Pathogen - upon assimilation, the pathogen kills every drone aboard the vessel, the pathogen is, however, unable to cross the defenses of the Vinculum which prevents it from infecting the entire Collective. Vessels infected with pathogens of this nature are disconnected from the Hive Mind.

Species 3105 - Rhawn [ ]

Species 3259 - vulcan - alpha quadrant [ ].

The Vulcan species are primarily pacifists by nature. Although space-faring, they maintain a strong connection to their established religion. The species is most notable for their extremely developed mental abilities and touch-telepathy.

Species 3783 - Romulan - Alpha Quadrant [ ]

Species 4228 - Hazari - Delta Quadrant [ ]

The Hazari are a race of bounty hunters in the Delta Quadrant. Their physiology made excellent tactical drones.

Species 4774 - Skedan [ ]

Species 5008 - klingon - alpha quadrant [ ].

Species 5174 - Delta Quadrant [ ]

A race native to the Delta Quadrant, the Borg once encountered a small vessel belonging to the species. The crew onboard had been eviscerated, the Borg considered the matter irrelevant and did not investigate further. It was later revealed the Hirogen were responsible.

Species 5618 - Human - Alpha Quadrant [ ]

An unremarkable race in terms of biological distinctiveness, possessing below-average cranial capacity, minimal redundant systems and limited regenerative abilities. Humans are, however, technologically advanced. They are also the founding race of the United Federation of Planets, an alliance of 150 races spanning 8,000 lightyears. Humans are considered by the Borg to be a highly resistant species. Several direct attempts to assimilate the species have failed (Star Trek: First Contact, TNG - "Best of Both Worlds") The Borg are currently developing a new method of assimilation via a nanoprobe virus.

Species 5973 [ ]

Species 5973 is the designation for a multispectral particle lifeform native to Galactic Cluster 8.

Species 6291 - Yridian - Alpha & Beta Quadrants [ ]

Yridians are renowned information merchants native to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

Species 6339 - Grid 124, Octant 22-Theta [ ]

Species 6339 are a humanoid, warp-capable species originating in Grid 124, Octant 22-theta. The Borg encountered the species in 2371. By 2375, the Collective had assimilated over eleven billion individuals. Due to their partial extinctions as a result of the Bor g, Species 6339 maintained extremely well-armed vessels, possessing over 22 phaser cannons on their aft sections alone. In 2375, the Borg detected a shuttle craft belonging to Species 6339 possessing 13 lifeforms aboard. A cube was dispatched to intercept and assimilate the vessel. However, Species 6339 had developed and infected the lifeforms with a synthetic pathogen designed to attack the programming of a Borg vessel's vinculum causing it to malfunction. Due to the malfunctioning vinculums, the drones on-board developed a form of multiple-personality disorder and partial insanity resulting in the destruction of the Borg cube. Each Borg vessel which attempted to retrieve the vinculum would also be affected, which Species 6339 hoped would result in the eventual destruction of hundreds of vessels (VOY "Infinite Regress").

Species 6961 - Katarian [ ]

Species 8472 - fluidic space [ ].

Species 8472 is regarded by the Borg as the ultimate form of biological evolution, they are a space-faring, telepathic, extremely xenophobic, non-humanoid species originating from an extradimensional realm named Fluidic Space. All of their technology is organic and is immune to all forms of technology such as: Borg nanoprobes, sensors, tractor beams, and transporter beams. They possess a triple-helix DNA coding making them the most densely-coded lifeform ever encountered.

Species 10026 [ ]

Species 10026 is the Borg designation for a warp-capable species whose homeworld was assimilated by the Borg in 2375 resulting in the assimilation of 392,000 lifeforms and 39 vessels. The Queen dispatched two Borg cubes and accompanied them within her own personal diamond. Initially, species 10026 dispatched vessels to intercept and combat the Borg using their modulating phaser pulse which allowed them to successfully damage Borg vessels. The Borg Queen was able to adapt easily by triaxilating the Borg vessels' shield geometry to absorb the phaser pulses. However, she allowed the vessels to attack her Diamond until her shields almost failed in an effort to provoke 7 of 9's assistance in adapting, and ultimately assimilating, the species.

• 1 Borg Cube
• 2 Assimilation
• 3 Collective Chronological Timeline

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/StarTrekSpeciesNToZ

Star Trek Species: N to Z » Characters

Important note: Spoilers are unmarked . Browse the page at your own risk.

For species with names starting from A to D, go here .

For species with names starting from E to M, go here .

    open/close all folders 

• The Atoner : The Nacene had no idea that their technology would be so destructive to the Ocampan atmosphere. They could never repay the debt, and so two of the Caretakers stayed behind to feed them energy and water.
• Author's Saving Throw : invoked Suspiria was initially conceived of as a "get out clause," designed to change the format of VOY if such a need arose. This was because the Paramount executives were leery of the lost-in-space premise that was central to the story, and wanted an ejection button prepared in case the show didn't perform well. As it turned out, the Caretakers appeared only twice, and Voyager found other methods to get back home.
• Blob Monster : The Caretaker is a great big translucent blob. His mate, Suspiria, is a tentacled pillar of goo.
• Did You Just Romance Cthulhu? : At the start of VOY, the Caretaker has reached the end of its 1,000-year lifespan and could no longer maintain the Ocampa habitat. It begins snatching random spacecraft from various ends of the Milky Way to find a suitable mate (as you do).
• A Form You Are Comfortable With : The Caretaker first appears to the Voyager crew as an elderly human, Banjo Man. His inner chamber is a holodeck which conceals itself as a ranch . Suspiria cloaked herself in the guise of a little girl in Victorian dress.
• Hostile Terraforming : Accidental. The engines of the Nacene's exploratory vessel caused a contamination in the atmosphere of the planet, reducing it to a desert.
• Last of Their Kind : The Caretaker was left high and dry after his companion, Suspiria, parted with him over ideological differences.
• No Body Left Behind : The Nacene shrink down into a tiny piece of crystal when killed.
• Power Floats : The Caretaker is a Metroid . Didn't see that one coming in 1995...
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Slightly skewed — the Ocampans do not recognize the Nacene as God, but more of a benign ruler or father. The Caretaker's inner sanctum is just a fancy holodeck. However, they do have the tech sufficient enough to transport ships across entire galaxies, though apparently only in one direction.
• This Was His True Form : The Caretaker only reveals his real form when a Kazon warship crashes into the array, causing his holograms to fail. This exposes the 'farmhouse' as the interior of an alien ship.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : One of them is still out there somewhere…
• Woman Scorned : The Caretaker did not realize that his philanthropy was rendering the Ocampa utterly dependent on his assistance. His mate, Suspiria, did realize this and left the planet, taking a small group of Ocampa with her. She later hunts down Voyager to avenge the Caretaker's death.

• Alien Hair : Most Nausicaans tend to have long, occasionally braided hair rather closely resembling styles worn by Hair Metal bands.
• Always Chaotic Evil : Every Nausicaan seen is malevolent. They're basically space orcs.
• The Brute : The Nausicaans are large, violent humanoids with a reputation for being thugs or bodyguards.
• The Bully : The three Nausicaans who heckled Picard and his friends especially, although many of the other Nausicaans seen embody this trope.
• Combat Pragmatist : Nausicaans have no problem with cheating or fighting dirty.
• Dumb Muscle : Nausicaans aren't particularly bright, but their strength makes them ideal bodyguards, enforcers and strike-breakers.
• Evil Sounds Deep : Most of them have deep voices, and all of them, or at least all the ones shown, are evil and brutish.
• Gonk : Demonstrated quite clearly in the above image.
• Hair-Trigger Temper : It doesn't take much to make a Nausicaan mad.
• In the Back : As a young Jean-Luc Picard found out, the Nausicaans have no problems doing this during a fight.
• Macho Masochism : In one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , a pair of Nausicaan bodyguards can be seen passing the time by throwing darts at each others' chests . It's also mentioned during the same scene that most Nausicaan games involve pain.
• Meaningful Name : The Nausicaans take their name from Nausicaa , which means "burner of ships." Given the species' penchant for being marauding pirates, it fits quite well.
• Named After Their Planet : Their homeworld is called Nausicaa.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy : Kind of. The Nausicaans love to fight, but their conduct tends to be less than honorable.
• Smarter Than You Look : Those Old Scientists reveals their species managed to invent a Time Machine , though fueling the thing is a problem.
• Space Pirates : One of the most prevalent examples of such in the franchise, especially in Star Trek: Enterprise .
• Trash Talk : Tends to come with the species' boorish nature.

• Apocalyptic Underground Refuge : After the Nacene accidentally made the Ocampan homeworld an uninhabitable desert, they built a massive underground cavern with access to the only remaining natural water source on the planet and supplied it with energy via transmissions from an orbital "Array" in order to preserve a relic Ocampa population.
• Kes experienced a rapid and uncontrollable blossoming of her mental abilities in adulthood. She left the ship and allowed this process to complete itself, apparently evolving into a being of pure energy.
• Tanis also claimed that Kes could join Suspiria in a subspace layer called Exosia, which he described as a realm of pure thought.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : The Ocampa only live about a decade, so their puberty is extremely accelerated, and generally entails extremely exaggerated appetite and massaging their feet also helps somehow...
• Living Macguffin : It does seem a little odd, considering the Caretaker's immense capacity to send ships across the universe, that he couldn't find a habitable world to migrate the Ocampa to (a common occurrence throughout the Trek saga). But then we wouldn't have had a series if he'd done that.
• All Ocampa appear to be natural telepaths, able to communicate across great distances (putting the Vulcans to shame). Among the more colorful abilities are photographic memory, precognition, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, time travel, and the ability to alter matter on the subatomic level .
• Tanis, an Ocampa living on Suspiria's array, demonstrated to Kes that she could control living things, causing them to grow or die as she wished .
• Playing with Fire : They can create fire by manipulating the subatomic.
• Short-Lived Organism : Ocampa age very rapidly, resulting in an average life span of only nine years (less than that of a household pet). As an upside, they develop and learn extremely quickly.
• Single-Biome Planet : Their homeworld is a desert from pole to pole, without a single river or ocean to its name. Justified in that this is the result of an environmental disaster caused by Nacene explorers: the atmosphere lost the ability to produce rain, resulting in Global Warming that evaporated all the water on the surface and trapped it in a thick atmosphere.
• Telepathy : They can occasionally read minds or sense presences.
• We Have Become Complacent : As a result of their lifestyle of ease under the Nacene, the Ocampa eventually stopped using their mental powers, causing them to atrophy.
• Writers Cannot Do Math : At peak reproductive rates, the population would halve every generation since females can only produce a single offspring once. A species this short-lived really ought to produce litters. This means one of two things: that the evolution of the Ocampa race was interrupted when the Nacene took over, altering their genetic code (thus requiring the constant supervision of the Nacene), or that the Ocampa naturally mature into pure energy, rendering their corporeal lives somehow moot.

• Above Good and Evil : They take a rather hands-off approach to organic life; they don't interfere with their business, and will leave them to live or die in a nearly callous fashion.
• Alien Non-Interference Clause : They consider interfering with the affairs of others to be utterly repulsive; their true nature would probably never have been brought to light if the Klingons and Federation hadn't been champing at the bit for a war over their planet.
• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence : Like the Q, the Organians used to be humanoids, but became energy beings millions of years ago.
• Can't Argue with Elves : They give humanity and the Klingons a fairly brutal dressing-down before leaving, making it clear they have no intention of dealing with their crap. Even Kirk admits he sort of deserved it in this instance, though.
• The Empath : Part of their pacifism stems from the fact that they find the intense, discordant emotions of less highly-evolved beings to be downright painful. It doesn't quite work as a Poke in the Third Eye , though.
• Energy Beings : Their true form. Their humanoid appearance is just something they use to interact with humanoids. Their energy-based forms are basically blobs of light so intense it hurts to look directly at them.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With : On their own planet, they take on the form of a simple pre-industrial culture to communicate with outsiders, and don't give anyone else any reason to suspect otherwise unless in extreme circumstances.
• Grand Theft Me : They take over the bodies of Malcolm and Travis while observing the NX-01's approach to dealing with a lethal alien virus.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia : They induce this on the crew of the NX-01, keeping them from remembering their presence. Other media suggests they may have done this to the rest of the galaxy at large after making the Federation and the Klingons play nice with the Treaty of Organia.
• Perfect Pacifist People : They put up no resistance against Klingon occupation, and calmly accept all their demands. It helps that they're never actually in danger from the Klingons, and for all their power, they seem to utterly despise violence.
• Reality Warper : They seem to be this, capable of making their home planet into what looks like a primitive pre-industrial world with ease... not to mention what they can do from a distance.
• Screw You, Elves! : Surprisingly, Archer is more successful at arguing with them than Kirk, calling them out for their callous attitude in leaving two of his crew to die.
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Indeed, with the usual The Omnipotent , The Omniscient , and The Omnipresent tropes applicable to them and their abilities. They personally enforce the peace between the Federation and the Klingons, preventing a direct attack by superheating any weapons they intend to use - even fists. They seem to have the same godlike powers as the Q, but are usually a bit more subtle and hands-off with them.
• Walking Spoiler : Their nature as energy-based godlike beings isn't revealed until the end of their debut episode, and their identity is kept hidden until near the end of their only other appearance.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : Despite being personally responsible for preventing the Klingons and the Federation from diving into war in 2267 - and presumably, for enforcing the peace treaties afterwards - they are nowhere to be seen by the time of the Original Series movies, and war with the Klingon Empire is treated as a legitimate threat again.

• Aerith and Bob : In " Something Borrowed, Something Green " we learn that some Orion names sound a lot like human names, for example Tendi's sister and dad are named D'Erica (Erica) and B'Rt (Bert) respectively, one of the crew members on the Orion ship at the beginning of the episode also named D'Bora (Deborah).
• Bald of Evil : In Enterprise , male Orions (those that we see in the Syndicate, anyway) are hairless. Discovery , however, depicts males as having hair too.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : According to Osyraa, "Orion hearts have six valves. Blood flows in both directions." Lower Decks also states they're immune to the spores of a plant which induces a Mushroom Samba in humans, and can survive in low oxygen environments better.
• Distracted by the Sexy : In addition to their natural looks, some Orion females can release pheromones that can disorient and even control humanoid males.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil : By the 24th century setting of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Orion Syndicate's ranks include a lot more non-Orions than seen in previous series. That said, there are certain places which are Orion-only, with Tendi warning Mariner (a human) that she will be killed on the spot unless she disguises herself as an Orion.
• Fantastic Drug : Their pheromones are treated this way by other Orions, with some males willing to become "mone-heads" just for a blast. An Orion sex club also does double duty as, essentially, a drug den.
• Gargle Blaster : Orion delaq is seriously strong stuff, capable of effecting humans and Vulcans alike (when Vulcans are typically immune to stuff that would knock humans flat) with a potent Mushroom Samba , the symptoms of which make sufferers start seeing themselves with odd proportions, altered facial features (such as missing lower eyelids and reduced pupil size), and strangest of all, like they were an animated cartoon.
• Green-Skinned Space Babe : Orion women are the Trope Namer , treated in-universe as being irresistible sex symbols.
• Matriarchy : Despite appearances, it is actually the women who control Orion society, using their pheromones to manipulate the men around them. Although these pheromones, and the men actually being slaves, are Early-Installment Weirdness concepts that don't feature after being introduced in "Bound" . Lower Decks would later clarify that not ALL Orion females have this ability, with Tendi showing repeated annoyance at people who perpetuate the stereotype.
• Named After Their Planet : The planet Orion.
• N.G.O. Superpower : By the 32nd century, the Orions and the Andorians have teamed up to form a huge syndicate called the Emerald Chain, which poses a legitimate threat to the Federation (which was badly reduced by the Burn in circa 3069) and serves as the Big Bad of Star Trek: Discovery 's third season.
• No-Sell : They're capable of surviving in an environment with a high concentration Nitrous oxide in the air (high enough that a human would suffer a full blown Mushroom Samba ) without any debilitating effects.
• Not Helping Your Case : Orions get tetchy when people just assume they're all hyper-libertarian gangster-pirates, but they're also pretty secretive about their society, so the most outsiders tend to see are the gangsters. Not helping is that some of those gangster-pirates also operate onboard their totally legitimate science vessels (as scientists, but still treated with all the fear and deference their criminal positions have given them).
• Pheromones : As mentioned up above, Orion women can give off pheromones which control men. Not so much other women, for whom they just cause extremely vicious headaches. Lower Decks implies it also does the same for some Orion men, and how strong they come off is a seasonal thing.
• Planet of Hats : Subverted . While it's assumed that all Orions are Space Pirates , it's something of stereotype the species tries to forget.
• Ruthless Modern Pirates : Syndicate ships often raid civilian vessels, both for material goods and slaves for auction.
• Sex Slave : Their women are usually sold for this purpose, although many of them have been known to turn the tables on their new masters to elevate themselves into positions of power.
• Sexy Dimorphism : In their original appearances, there was a notable contrast between the "green animal women", held in-universe to be among the most gorgeous and voluptuous of all humanoid females, and their men, who although they were very big and muscular were not good-looking. Star Trek: Discovery introduced more conventionally attractive and/or slender-framed Orion males, including male Orion sex workers in a co-ed Orion brothel on Qo'Nos.
• Space Pirates : Orions are notorious for being this.
• The Syndicate : The Orion Syndicate, easily one of the most powerful criminal organizations known to exist in the Star Trek universe... at least until the Emerald Chain (also Orion-led) succeeded it in the 31st century.

• Generican Empire : Their government, known simply as "the Hierarchy".
• High Collar of Doom : Hard to feel intimidated by a potato in a gym sock.
• Meaningful Name : Their government, the Hierarchy, is one of the most regimented societies seen in the Star Trek universe outside of the Borg.
• Pragmatic Villainy : The Hierarchy weighs everything in terms of risk vs. reward.
• Stealth in Space : Seem to be one of the only races in the entire Delta Quadrant with cloaking technology. Even then, it just takes some sensor remodulation to spot them, so obviously theirs isn't as advanced as the Klingons' or Romulans'.
• Vast Bureaucracy : The social structure of the Hierarchy is regimented in such a way in that each crew member has a single work station and duty to perform, minimal social interaction, and limited access to the rest of the ship.
• All Just a Dream : Tried to fool Sisko into thinking his life on Deep Space 9 was just in his imagination.
• Always Chaotic Evil : Of course, being demons, they're pretty much evil by default. Then again , they may simply be more like an evil faction than an evil race, as they are presumably the same species as the Prophets, just their equivalent of dangerous extremists.
• Color-Coded for Your Convenience : The Prophets are blue colored, but these guys are orange.
• Crystal Dragon Jesus : Crystal Dragon Demons, although, unlike most examples, they show no signs of being Stupid Evil .
• Demonic Possession : A favored tactic of theirs when they want to take a direct hand in things. One of them possessed Keiko O'Brien during an archeological dig near the Fire Caves; this Pah-Wraith came close to zapping the wormhole with a concentrated chroniton beam, which would have supposedly killed off the Prophets for good.
• Diabolus ex Nihilo : The Pah-Wraiths are first brought up in Season Five of DS9 , but only appear in about five episodes total.
• Evil Counterpart : To the Prophets. Unlike them, the Pah-Wraiths really dislike Planet Bajor and—should they escape—will gladly reduce it to a cinder on Day 1.
• Evil Is Not a Toy : Downplayed, but when the Dominion sought their help in Tears of the Prophets , the Pah Wraiths just did what they wanted instead of letting Gamma Quadrant re-enforcements through the wormhole, and likely didn't care that it angered Weyoun. note  It's later Implied that cutting Bajor off from the Prophet did indeed benefit the Dominion, but the show wasn't so subtle about the fact that the Pah Wraiths didn't care whether it did or not.
• Fire and Brimstone Hell : Their home in the Bajoran Fire Caves is this, although its extra-dimensional nature means it's not normally visible to mortals, and can't normally interact with any that haven't died. note  The one from The Assignment somehow escaped in spite of this, though.
• Greater-Scope Villain : Of DS9 as a whole. They are the single most dangerous recurring enemy on the show and even the Dominion absolutely pale in comparison in terms of both threat level and influence, as they potentially threaten the entire universe and are behind numerous events on the station. The Prophets, who can casually destroy an entire Dominion fleet with little trouble, regard the Pah-Wraiths as the real enemy to be feared, and sure enough it's the Pah-Wraith who turn out to be the True Final Boss of the show through their new agent Dukat.
• Hell Invades Heaven : Tried this in Tears of the Prophets with Dukat's help. It eventually failed and got them cast back out, although we never see the actual battle.
• Hell on Earth : Dukat stated that if the Pah-Wraiths got their way and re-entered the wormhole, the entire universe would go up "in flames," whatever that meant.
• I Have Many Names : "Kosst Amojan," a Bajoran saying which translates to, "to be banished."
• Omnicidal Maniac : If Dukat is to be believed, their ultimate goal is to burn down the entire universe.
• Then there's the fact that the Pah Wraith in The Reckoning chose Jake Sisko as its host, specifically because it understood corporeal relationships and who Jake was related to.
• Whatever special attributes being the Prophet's Emissary, and being "half-Prophet" himself, bestow upon Sisko are vague and metaphysical at best. Meanwhile, the Pah-Wraiths gave their Emissary cool telekinetic and pyrokinetic super powers.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning : Seems to happen by default when they posses someone (the possessed person's eyes go red), although The Assignment confirms that they can suppress it when necessary.
• Revenge : Their primary motive seems to be to destroy the Prophets as revenge for casting them out of the Celestial Temple. Afterwards, according to Dukat, they'll destroy the universe For the Evulz .
• Sealed Evil in a Can : Rather, sealed evil in some caves, as well as a small ornamental statue.
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Like the Prophets, the Pah-Wraith are non-corporeal entities with a non-linear existence in time and space, and are powerful enough to be compared to literal gods and demons. While the Founder pose as evil deities, the Pah-Wraith are much closer to the genuine article.
• Villains Blend in Better : Unlike the Prophets, who clearly don't have the best grasp on corporeal matters, and come across as off-putting on their best days, the Pah-Wraiths are much more... well, "human," for want of a better word. The one possessing Keiko O'Brien does a horrifically good impression of her that at first Miles thinks it's just kidding when it explains what's going on, and no-one else suspects a thing is up.

• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny! : Star Trek: Lower Decks uses this as a way to explain the Pakleds tendency to flip-flop between being a threat and a joke, by implying that they can be genuinely competent at a task if they put their minds to it. Unfortunately for them, they also have a hard time actually focusing on the same task for too long at a time and can change their mind about what's currently important at a moment's notice.
• Battle Cry : Tend to yell one when physically attacking people. It is, of course, "Pakled!"
• Buffy Speak : Are notoriously inarticulate (like they mentioned looking for "things to make [them] go".)
• City of Gold : Their capital city plays this completely straight, being apparently made out of solid gold purely for show.
• Crazy Cultural Comparison : Unlike other Alpha Quadrant species, these guys have taken cues from Dark Helmet , in that large headwear is a representation of status and power in society.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass : A species-wide example. Apart from being able to steal from Romulans (see Obfuscating Stupidity below), they prove themselves to be dangerous enemies to the Federation as of Star Trek: Lower Decks , despite their slow wits.
• Didn't See That Coming : The Federation was taken completely by surprise because a race that they once wrote off as a joke managed to become a legitimate threat capable of taking down their smaller vessels, and have spread throughout the quadrant.
• Dumb Muscle : What they lack in smarts, they often make up for in sheer overwhelming force . Case in point; they're just smart enough to know they can get through a door with a saw, dumb enough to just use the saw as a battering ram , and strong enough for this to still work anyway.
• Earth-Shattering Kaboom : Their homeworld is destroyed by a Varuvian bomb in the Lower Decks season 2 finale, supposedly planted by "Klingon extremists", but actually by Pakleds doing it themselves, on purpose , apparently they thought they could trick the federation into helping them gain a new resource rich homeworld, while simultaneously besmirching the federation and the Klingon Empire as a bonus. The planet itself remains mostly intact, but with a huge chunk blown out of its crust (leaving the molten core exposed to space) and no life remaining on the surface.
• Fat Bastard : Every Pakled seen so far has been depicted as noticeably overweight, and none have been depicted in a positive light. Lower Decks slims them down somewhat to make them more of a physical threat, but they still have a noticeable gut.
• Foreign Queasine : They prefer mushfruit, a sort of white mush, which they eat with their bare hands.
• Hat of Authority : Leadership in their society is determined by whoever is wearing the largest hat.
• Let's Get Dangerous! : A villainous example. Turns out that mentally dim but physically strong individuals capable of quickly adapting new technology for their own ends can become a rather intimidating threat if left ignored.
• Logical Weakness : The Pakleds' ships being hodgepodges of different starships means that various different software systems have to be interacting with one another with virtually no filtering or firewall. This makes their systems extremely vulnerable to computer viruses.
• Low Culture, High Tech : They lag far behind the other spacefaring races of the galaxy, to the point that it's not even clear if they're properly warp-capable. They try to make up for this by stealing technology from other races, even though they don't know how to properly operate or maintain it.
• Made of Iron : Can survive being ejected into space in a coma-like state and can revive themselves when placed in a more favorable environment.
• Might Makes Right : Expressed in their simple but direct way, they believe if they can take something it belongs to them.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain : From the Lower Decks season one finale onwards, they prove themselves to be a formidable threat to the Federation, in spite of their low intelligence.
• Obfuscating Stupidity : A prime example. While they truly aren't particularly intelligent, they do possess quite a bit of low cunning and seem to be fully aware of how benign and unintelligent they appear to other species, and they take full advantage of it. Their managing to snatch some tech from the Romulans should be a clear indicator that they're far more intelligent than they let on.
• Rubber-Forehead Aliens : They have noticeable folds under their eyes and heavy brows, complete with tufted eyebrows that angle upward towards their foreheads .
• The Pakled homeworld is simply called "Pakled Planet".
• Pakled starships are called "clumpships", and the one given a name is simply called Pakled .
• Smarter Than You Look : While they may be spectacularly unintelligent for a spacefaring race, their ability to adapt stolen technology into their vessels would require at least some technical skill, even if their use of it is far below standard.
• Space Jews : They bear a strong (and hopefully unintentional) resemblance, in both appearance and mannerisms, to people with Downs syndrome. Lower Decks would eventually steer them from this trope to being their own species, much like DS9 did with the Ferengi.
• Space Pirates : They have a reputation for faking distress calls so they can raid other ships for their technology.
• Stronger Than They Look : They're able to use an industrial saw as a ramming device... successfully .
• Swiss-Cheese Security : Because Pakled ships are a mishmash of technologies stolen from other races, their code base has to be largely unprotected in order for everything to work together properly. This makes them very vulnerable to computer viruses and hacking attacks.
• Took a Level in Badass : In their debut episode, "Samaritan Snare", they were mostly a joke who only got the upper hand because Riker picked up the Idiot Ball in dealing with them. Fifteen years later, in Lower Decks , they've managed to steal and adapt enough technology to create mismatched warships that can pose a threat to smaller Starfleet vessels in a straight fight, and are willing to engage in melee combat to seize other vessels.
• Took a Level in Dumbass : At the same time, the Lower Decks Pakleds are somehow even stupider than in their first appearance ( appropriately for a comedy ). Whereas the first Pakleds were stupid mostly by virtue of their limited vocabulary, their species at large also demonstrates a tenuous perception of reality, frequently misidentifying people and objects even after being corrected multiple times. The Pakleds from TNG may have actually been ahead of the curve for their species.
• You No Take Candle : Downplayed . Their sentences are grammatically correct, but their vocabulary is very limited and basic.
• Alien Non-Interference Clause : The Prophets deem themselves above our trivial corporeal matters, but will swing into action if Bajor itself is in danger.
• Although Kai Winn was clearly not the saint she saw herself as, she might not have turned to the Pah Wraiths had they at least spoken to her , given that she resisted her own turn to darkness and later tried to redeem herself when it was almost too late.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : Because they're so different from corporeal beings, they have little concept of what humans and Bajorans think is okay.
• Catchphrase : "...Aggressive... adversarial..." Often said in response to Sisko or another corporeal being acting a bit too assertive towards them for their liking.
• Cryptic Conversation : Try having a crisis management session with somebody who doesn't know what day it is . It would drive you nuts.
• Or rather, Crystal Dragon Angels. A Prophet possessed the body of an Earth woman, Sarah, in order to impregnate her with a half-human, half-Prophet son.
• The Pah Wraith stuff is a much more generic way of handling the show's religious themes than the first five or so seasons. The idea of the Prophets as existing beyond mortality and corporeality in a way that makes them terrifying and awe-inspiring. Turning them into “the good guys” in some eternal struggle changes them (and the show) into a Judeo-Christian archetype.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With : They communicate by taking the appearance of one's friends, acquaintances, and even enemies in visions. For instance, the "inquisitive" Prophets appeared as Sisko's pre-teen son, Jake; the "empathic" ones look like Opaka and Kira; the "authoritative" guys are Odo and Weyoun; the "hostile" ones are Locutus (the only Borg whom Sisko has personal experience with) and Dukat.
• To give an example, when Sisko is starting to get itchy feet regarding this Space Moses business, the Prophets send back through a wormhole a long-dead Bajoran poet who claimed to be the original (and thus, standing) Emissary. With the help of Kai Winn, he promptly re-institutes theocratic law on Bajor as it existed before the occupation, along with the caste system. Lesson duly noted, Sisko puts a stop to the pretender (by no means a bad man, just one whose ideas were 300 years out of date) and hauls him before the Prophets, who restore him to his own time. The Prophets also remind Sisko that he can't shirk his duties as the Emissary, or Winn will completely take over. Too bad it took at least one death for Sisko to get the memo. That man was Imutta, a cleric who suddenly found himself one of Bajor's untouchables.
• Gondor Calls for Aid : In "Sacrifice of Angels", Sisko flies the Defiant into the wormhole to intercept a Jem'Hadar fleet en route to the Alpha Quadrant. As he predicted, the Prophets intervene because they can't let the Emissary—Sisko himself—die just yet. He convinces them to destroy the fleet within the wormhole, apparently the only offensive measure the Prophets have (outside of possessing Kira's body in "The Reckoning", which didn't do much good). The Prophets warn that this is a one-time deal, however; from now on, Starfleet is on its own.
• Have You Seen My God? : A number of Bajorans turn to the Pah-Wraiths after the brutality of the Occupation and the Dominion War, feeling that their gods don't care. Then again, if the Prophets exist in the future as well as the present then they must have foreseen that the Bajorans would eventually drive out the Cardassians without revealing the wormhole's existence to feuding alien races.
• Hyperspace Is a Scary Place : The Bajoran wormhole is their domain, and they can alter reality within it at their whim. Thankfully, after first contact between them and Sisko, they decide to let ships travel through the wormhole without incident. Nonetheless, they prefer to be left alone: when Grand Nagus Zek tried to use them to see the future, they retaliated by brainwashing him and turning him into a paragon of philanthropy (practically the Ferengi's personal Anti-Christ). And that's to say nothing of when they made a Jem'Hadar fleet of 2,800 ships disappear without a trace...
• Kryptonite Factor : Chroniton particles. Not only can't the Prophets perceive linear time, they are allergic to it. This also makes it a potent weapon against the Pah-Wraiths. Oddly, the Orb of Time, which they created, emits Chroniton particles when activated, which usually happens quite a safe distance from the wormhole.
• Living MacGuffin : Without the Prophets and Pah-Wraiths, there would be very little reason not to collapse the wormhole with photon torpedoes and prevent the Dominion from even invading. Sisko was willing to do just that in "The Search", but only if there were no other options left. The Klingons and Romulans were thinking along the same lines in "Visionary".
• Made of Phlebotinum : They exist as something but it's damned near incomprehensible to corporeal forms. Whatever it is prevents the wormhole from collapsing and shifting about the galaxy as others do.
• Mysterious Watcher : The Prophets decide if and when you can have an audience with them. They claim to always be watching.
• Non-Linear Character : They don't even understand what "linear" IS until Sisko explains it to them.
• It's how they treat the whole Sisko family. They possess Sarah and force her to have a child with Joseph Sisko, because they know that Ben will be their Emissary. Given that Sarah ran to Australia without a word as soon as she was freed, this was not consensual, and losing a wife he thought loved him didn't do any favors for Joseph either.
• Portal Door : The Celestial Temple rests in an abstract dimension connected by two entrances that allow it to serve as a wormhole.
• Starfish Aliens : The Prophets are extremely non-corporeal, possessing no physical body and existing in all points of time simultaneously.
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Their Celestial Temple is the Bajoran " Heaven ," albeit one with high-volume space traffic.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Similar to the Q Continuum but not quite as all-powerful or omniscient, especially when it comes to corporeal matters. The Prophets don't even know the meaning of humor, let alone the human concepts of love, grief, or even the passage of time. The novels at least indicate their power level in the higher dimensions is at least comparable to that of the Qs.
• Time Dissonance : Because they don't exist in the normal flow of time, when Sisko first encounters the Prophets, they are completely perplexed by the idea of linear time. The concept that a corporeal lifeform cannot travel back in time to change events that have transpired, nor perceive the future until it has come and gone, is completely alien to them.
• Since they first learned about linear existence from Sisko, this implies that their impact on Bajoran culture and ensuring Sisko was born, may have been a direct result of this "future" meeting.
• Vagueness Is Coming : They never get the hint that being cryptic is keeping people from fully carrying out their orders. The Pah Wraiths are much better at forming coherent sentences, logically because they exist in a physical location in the known universe (the Fire Caves) and are more attuned to linear time than the Prophets.
• Verbal Tic : They refer to corporeal beings by their names prefaced with "The" ("The Sisko," for example). After Sisko uses baseball as a metaphor for linear time, they also begin to refer to the linear flow of time, as well as Sisko's life, as "the game."
• Alien Animals : They look just like Earth bats.

• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence : Q hinted early on that his species were once not unlike bipeds. This was later confirmed by Quinn, who (unlike Q) had no reason to lie. Picard speculates that Q might be testing humanity because he thinks we have the potential to one day evolve into beings like the Q, and he is afraid that we might turn out wrong.
• "Ass" in Ambassador : Q interests regarding the human race are normally handled by a single representative. This Q has a history of insulting, tormenting, taunting, and otherwise harassing races all over the galaxy, although it's eventually made clear that he's more or less an independant actor and the other Q just don't care enough to do anything about him 99% of the time .
• Badass Fingersnap : If a Q snaps their fingers then everybody else has good reason to be terrified! It not only means that they are using their godlike powers, but they want to be dramatic about it!
• Brought Down to Normal : A common punishment for if a Q breaks the law is to spend the rest of their lives as a mortal being. One Q in particular was temporarily turned human as punishment for making the Borg aware of the Federation.
• Creative Sterility : The Q have experienced literally everything. Leaving them stagnant and bored. It is suggested that the Q who pestered the Enterprise did so and caused trouble across the universe just to shake things up.
• Damned by Faint Praise : Probably the nicest thing anyone's said about the Q is Guinan's comment that some of the Q are almost respectable. Janeway also notes that TNG-Q has done many questionable things, but he's never actually lied to anyone in any of his documented encounters with the Enterprise or Deep Space Nine crew.
• Even Evil Has Standards : While not explicitly evil, the Q do feel they have the right to judge whether or not an entire race has the right to live or die. However, they do not condone abusing their power to torment entire races simply for fun, something which got the main Q stripped of his powers and made mortal. Even when Q got his powers back it was implied that if he went back to his old ways, the same punishment would be inflicted on him again.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With : Whenever a Q communicates with mortals, they always appear to take the form of another human. When the continuum is shown to the crew of the Voyager in the episode "Death Wish", it is presented as a desert waystation on a road that could lead to anywhere in the universe. The other Q live in the waystation, sitting around and doing nothing in particular, since they had already done everything, seen everything, and learned everything. Later, in "The Q and the Grey", the continuum is transformed into a Civil War-era battlefield, with members of the Q appearing as both Union and Confederate soldiers.
• God of Order : Not quite, but the Q are gods in all but name and consider themselves forces of order who serve as Space Police , at least when some of them aren't Great Gazoos .
• Q society and their physiognomy is mystery. Picard was offered the chance to study one; he decided that the experience would probably drive him 'round the bend and flatly turned it down.
• Q sent Voyager to witness the birth of the universe ('you could be the origin of the humanoid form!'), and when they didn't take him up on his offer, he shrank the ship and hanged it on a Christmas tree.
• Humanity on Trial : Part of the reason they tend to interfere with humans. When Q first appeared, he took on the appearance of Ollie North (referencing the Iran-Contra arms deals) and a drug-infused space trooper from the future. Earth's been warlike for most of its existence, and it could fall back into old habits very easily.
• Immortal Immaturity : A trait TNG's Q is infamous for, although his straight-laced friend, Q2 , had a surfer bum quality of his own. Even Quinn, easily the nicest Q we see, still does petty things like barge into people's chambers without knocking or accidentally wipe out half the crew of a starship and not apologize. Tuvok: I am curious. Have the Q always had an absence of manners, or is it the result of some natural evolutionary process that comes with omnipotence? Quinn: I suppose at some point we stopped thinking about the little niceties.
• Immortals Fear Death : Most of the Continuum find mortality terrifying, and they imprisoned Quinn rather than let him go through with his suicide.
• Starfleet officers are instructed to go to Red Alert if they detect the arrival of any Q (although due to the "gods" part, this is a pretty useless measure — if the Q in question was truly hostile, there is absolutely nothing any ship could do to stop them ).
• Whenever they assume human form, they always make a point to wear the highest-ranking uniform in the room . Q even cycled through an Admiral's and Marshall's clothes, just to irritate Picard (a Captain, albeit one of a flagship).
• From knowledge gained in her extensive travels and long life, Guinan points out that most of the Q are actually responsible and benign beings who mind their own business, and find it immoral to interfere in the lower planes of existence, much as the Enterprise will not interfere with primitive hunter-gatherer aliens. The Q who visits the Enterprise -D is just a jerkass even by their standards (to the point that once they even briefly stripped him of his powers because he kept using them irresponsibly). If the Q are Aesir, the Q who pesters humanity is their Loki — a trickster who stirs up trouble (although he gets more well-intentioned as he goes along).
• According to second-hand sources, Q was inspired by Trelane, a childlike-yet-omnipotent trickster from TOS who shared Q's taste for medals and epaulettes.
• Some fanon and even licensed (but non-canon) works have retconned Trelane into being a member of the continuum, if an immature one.
• Mortality Ensues : Star Trek: Picard shows that while the Q are nigh-omnipotent, they are not ageless. Long-Lived , certainly, almost certainly to the point of Really 700 Years Old , but not ageless. But because they also hop through timelines like nobody's business, this means that even if you witness a Q die, that's them at the end of their lifespan from their perspective. Before they got to that point in their timeline, they have probably already interacted with you in your future - which means that even after you see them die in your linear perception of time, they can still show up later, and because of their nigh-omniscience, they know you have already interacted with their older self. Jack: I thought you were dead. Q: Aw... and here I was hoping the next generation wouldn't think so linearly.
• Multiple-Choice Past : The very, very few hints we get about the Q's origin are very contradictory. Quinn claims that the Q weren't always omnipotent, were formerly humanoid, and evolved into their current state over eons. Q, in a later episode, claims that the Q Continuum never evolved or "came" into existence, but were just always there.
• The Omnipotent : Played with. By every possible frame of reference to human comprehension, they are functionally omnipotent. They can make entire galaxies explode with a thought, or with a snap of their fingers turn the entire Borg Collective into cute puppies or create entire timelines just for fun, just to name a few things they are capable of. But despite this, they are capable of harming eachother, so despite Q's pretensions of omnipotence, they are not actually all powerful, what little difference it makes at the level they are at.
• Planet of Steves : Nearly every member is named "Q" or has a Q in their name somewhere. In fact, all Q address other Q simply as "Q," and every other Q knows who that Q is talking to without elaboration.
• Reality Warper : Big time. Even the babies are capable of altering the orbits of entire planets just days after birth.
• Smug Super : As Lady Q informs B'Elanna during a snark-off, the Q attitude about themselves isn't a God Complex, it's a fact . They are that powerful (although it is worth noting Lady Q's pretty smug even by their standards).
• Space Police : They're god-like beings who can easily wipe out entire galaxies out of boredom, but they do have the universe's best interest in mind.
• Sufficiently Advanced Aliens : Rumors persist in some Trekkie circles that the Q are not as powerful as they say; it's all just smoke and mirrors.
• Teleportation : They often appear out of nowhere.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight : During their first encounter with Q, the Enterprise-D crew acknowledged he was potentially dangerous, but failed to find him at all awe-inspiring. Picard outright implies that the Federation had already become accustomed to dealing with pushy, god-like energy beings (which, if Captain Kirk's career is anything to go by, is quite true).
• Quinn sought to kill himself rather than be stuck with these people for one more second. The Q do not even acknowledge each other, having exhausted all conversation over the eons. Horrifying.
• The renegade Q seemed to really enjoy life, and opposed Quinn's courtroom battle to end his existence. Quinn tries to make Janeway understand in her own terms by suggesting she think about what her life as an explorer would be like if there was nothing left to explore. Q tries to bribe Janeway with the chance to spend her life with him (just like Vash), which can be interpreted as a desperate need to be able to see the universe through the eyes of a humanoid. It demonstrates exactly what Quinn was saying: that there is nothing left to explore and the only alternative Q can think of is to see it afresh through a mortal's eyes.
• World of Silence : A consequence of their Creative Sterility . In Quinn's words: "It's all been said. Everyone has seen everything, heard everything. They haven't had to speak to each other for ten millennia. There's nothing left to say."
• You Cannot Grasp the True Form : A non-malevolent variation. Mortals can't perceive the Q in their natural appearance, to say nothing of the realm they inhabit.

• Cadre of Foreign Bodyguards : Well, elite slave bodyguards: when the Romulans were introduced in Enterprise Season 4 - after Nemesis came out - the production team dusted off some of the leftover Reman costumes to give them a cameo, because logically they should have been around (see "Remember the New Guy"). A powerful Romulan senator appears with Reman bodyguards hovering behind him to intimidate his subordinates.
• Earth-Shattering Kaboom : While not explicitly stated, it's implied that the supernova that destroyed Romulus also wiped out Remus.
• Looks Like Orlok : Their appearance was directly inspired by the Trope Namer , Nosferatu , although the Remans look more bat-like.
• Mind Rape : At least some Remans are telepathic, which Shinzon's viceroy uses to physically assault Deanna Troi in Nemesis .
• Mooks : Seem to serve as these to high-ranking Romulans, with the implication in Enterprise that if a Romulan screws up sufficiently, he's handed over to the Remans.
• Named After Their Planet : The planet Remus.
• Proud Warrior Race : Unlike the Romulans, who are more of a Proud Soldier Race, the Remans seem to relish combat.
• Remember the New Guy? : They supposedly saw a lot of action in the Dominion War , but weren't actually seen on-screen until Star Trek: Nemesis , set four years later.
• Slave Mooks : They do a lot of the Empire's dilithium mining, and were frequently used as Cannon Fodder during the Dominion War.
• Tidally Locked Planet : Remus is one. The Remans live on the dark side, hence their photosensitivity.

• After the End : Romulus was destroyed in 2387 after its star blew up, so the Romulan Star Empire ceased to exist after this cataclysmic event. The government which then emerged among the survivors is called the Romulan Free State, but it's nowhere near as powerful as its predecessor once was.
• Alien Blood : Their blood is green because it's copper-based.
• Amazon Brigade : The Qowat Milat is a very ancient order of Romulan warrior nuns, reputed to be among the best single-combat fighters in the galaxy.
• Ancient Conspiracy : The Zhat Vash is a secret society which predates the Tal Shiar that has been pulling the strings behind the scenes for most of Romulan history.
• Surprisingly, given some of the below tropes, many Romulan antagonists have sympathetic motivations, backstories, or otherwise admirable traits.
• The Zhat Vash is even more immoral, deceitful and ruthless than the Tal Shiar, but its mission is to prevent Ganmadan ("the Day of Annihilation"), which is the destruction of all life in the galaxy. Those who serve this shady organization believe that sentient androids will be the root cause of this mass extinction, so their operatives will do anything (including sacrificing their own lives) to eliminate all Artificial Intelligence that they deem to be dangerous.
• Archaic Weapon for an Advanced Age : They have retained an ancient tradition of using swords in a duel, like Nero and his men, and it's not unusual to see a Romulan carry a sword in public, such as North Station on Vashti. A tan qalanq, which is an Absurdly Sharp Blade , is the main weapon of the Qowat Milat.
• Arch-Enemy : To the Federation, and vice versa. It was the Earth-Romulan War (and a series of attempted False Flag Operations that preceded it) in the 2150s that pursuaded the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites to bury the hatchet and form a powerful alliance to halt Romulan expansion into the Alpha Quadrant. The Romulans, still holding a grudge centuries later, are determined to find a way to break the alliance apart so they can take over the quadrant and ensure Romulan supremacy for the indefinite future.
• Balkanize Me : The Romulan Star Empire collapsed after their homeworld was destroyed by a supernova, so that by the time of Picard , their badly weakened successor is the Romulan Free State. According to invoked Word of God , the former territory of the Romulan Star Empire fragmented into several successor states. The Romulan Free State is by far the largest and most powerful of these, particularly because it's the successor state that the Tal Shiar decided to support. This is loosely similar to what happened in Star Trek Online , in which the Romulan Star Empire also balkanized into more than one successor state after their homeworld was destroyed in a supernova.
• Ban on A.I. : Unlike most races, the Romulans make no use whatsoever of Artificial Intelligence . Even their computers are purely numerical machines. The reason behind this is a Driving Question in Star Trek: Picard .
• Beast of the Apocalypse : In Romulan mythology, Ganmadan is a great pale hellbeast whose name means "the Day of Annihilation."
• On TNG . Not as powerful as the Borg, not as slippery as the Cardassians, but more recurring than either and are behind half the evil schemes in that series.
• They arguably became this again on Enterprise , until a planned arc involving the Federation-Romulan War was Cut Short .
• The Romulans (more specifically the Zhat Vash and the Tal Shiar) are also the main villains in Season 1 of Picard .
• In Picard , Romulus is gone, but the Tal Shiar is still active. It routinely monitors all incoming and outgoing transmissions on any Romulan facility, including the Romulan Reclamation Site. The movements of everyone on the Artifact are also tracked, social interactions are observed, and the Zhal Makh meditation chamber is under surveillance.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : On the surface, they still look almost identical to their Vulcan ancestors, and they're able to have interbreed (though admittedly that's not uncommon in Star Trek ). Inwardly, a few thousand years of separation mean there's just enough difference to make medical transplants impossible. The modern Romulan is actually more biologically compatible with a Klingon than a Vulcan.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : What the Tal Shiar views as honourable behaviour is very different from ours. Rios : They are treacherous, violent, ruthless and subtle. Their concept of honour is rooted in their skill at deceit.
• Catchphrase : A common Romulan salutation is "Jolan Tru." It's used as both "Hello" and "Goodbye," but the literal translation is unknown.
• Character Focus : Star Trek: Picard features not just one but two Romulan characters as part of its main cast, Narek and Elnor. This series is the first in the franchise to delve fairly deeply into Romulan culture, and we're introduced to many new elements such as the Zhat Vash, Romulan mythology, the Qowat Milat, qalankhkai, tan qalanq, shaipouin, pixmit, tan zhekran, Zhal Makh, etc.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder : The Romulans consider everything within their field of vision to be rightfully theirs. Accordingly, it goes against their character to honor any truce or treaty, even when the betrayal is utterly stupid (pissing off the Federation and Bajor during a war for their very survival, for example). Their tendency to betray people is frequently lampshaded , such as Weyoun's quote above.
• Contemplation Location : The Zhal Makh meditation chamber is a sealed room with a winding path painted on the wooden floor, and around it are lanterns. The participant is expected to walk barefoot along the path which represents the "journey into the center of the mind's most intimate space, where deepest truths are hidden."
• Cool Sword : The tan qalanq (the iconic weapon of the Qowat Milat ) is a straight, single-edged Absurdly Sharp Blade which happens to be evocative of some East Asian swords . Both the hilt and scabbard are wooden, so the tan qalanq's understated beauty mirrors the sisterhood's graceful Fantastic Fighting Style . When it's brandished by a Qowat Milat , this Romulan sword is as elegant as it is deadly, as a lone warrior nun can vanquish multiple foes armed with energy weapons and behead a person with one smooth stroke .
• Covert Group : The existence of the Zhat Vash is kept secret not just from the general public, but the Tal Shiar as well. Zhaban, who was once a member of the Romulan Secret Police , dismisses the ancient cabal as just a myth to frighten new recruits. However, the Zhat Vash is indeed real, and this shadowy group is The Unfettered to an even greater degree than the Tal Shiar.
• Create Your Own Hero : Ironically, the Romulans' attempt to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant through a series of False Flag Operations instead drove the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites to form The Federation to form a unified front against them. Multiple episodes have established that, without the Federation to oppose them, the Romulans would have taken over the whole Alpha Quadrant by the end of the 23rd century.
• Cultural Rebel : The Qowat Milat warrior nuns follow the doctrine of the Way of Absolute Candor, which runs entirely counter to everything that the secretive Romulans hold dear. Naturally, they are the enemies of the Tal Shiar, who fears them.
• Culture Police : Unlike the Klingons, who were depicted as "strong & silent" types before being retooled into Boisterous Bruisers , the Romulans went in the opposite direction. On TNG , the Romulans became much more rigid in style and demeanor, echoing Communist China upon which the new Romulans were based. This goes for the females, too. (No more long-legged femme fatales , like the ones we saw in TOS and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . note  However, Narissa in Picard is a sexy Romulan woman, but this is after the Romulan Star Empire collapsed, so presumably the survivors have a bit more freedom in how they dress. ) The Tal Shiar is everywhere, and everyone dresses inconspicuously on Romulus to avoid attracting their attention. They are the modest utilitarians to Cardassia's Gucci-wearing aesthetes. Garak : (grimly reminiscing) Ah, yes, Romulus. How well I remember it. You'll find the predominant color to be grey: The buildings, the clothes, the people. Did you know that the Romulan heart itself is grey? It's true. And altogether appropriate for such an unimaginative race.
• Decadent Court : All indications are that Romulan politics is extremely and possibly very literally cut-throat. Make the wrong move, piss off the wrong person, and it becomes easy to "disappear". Possibly into a Reman's stomach.
• Destroyer Deity : In Romulan mythology, the female twin khalagu ("demons") that bring about Ganmadan (" the Day of Annihilation ") are Seb-Natan ("the Foreteller") and Seb-Cheneb ("the Destroyer").
• Double Standard : Although it's perfectly acceptable for Romulan women to do anything their male counterparts can do, a Romulan man who has what is regarded to be a feminine occupation is subjected to Gendered Insults . Elnor, who was raised by the all-female Qowat Milat sect and follows their traditions, is taunted by the townspeople as a "sisterboy."
• The Dreaded : The Earth-Romulan War was so hard on the Federation founders that, even centuries later, the Federation is still terrified of going at war with them again, with only the Borg surpassing them.
• Duel to the Death : This is an ancient Romulan custom which is still practiced on the cusp of the 25th century as a nod to their roots as a Proud Warrior Race . In Picard , Tenqem challenges the eponymous character to a Sword Fight with the intent of killing him, and it's a long-standing tradition for a Zhat Vash and a Qowat Milat to fight each other to the death in unarmed combat.
• Earth-Shattering Kaboom : Romulus was destroyed in 2387 when its sun went supernova . Although Ambassador Spock attempted to prevent the supernova from striking the planet using red matter, he was ultimately unsuccessful and Romulus was blown to bits.
• Enemy Mine : With an alliance with the Cardassians, and a neutrality agreement with the Romulans, the Dominion had the Federation on the ropes. Captain Sisko realized they couldn't fight the war without help, and needed to convince the Romulans that their truce with the Founders would not last. To that end, he cooperated in assassinating a Romulan Senator and pinning it on the Dominion. And it worked! How very Romulan . Garak: And the more the Dominion denies their guilt, the more the Romulans will believe they're guilty, because that's exactly what they would have done in their place!
• Romulans also have gotten rid of the very unsavory side of their Vulcan heritage. They don't experience the Pon Farr and as such no longer partake in Vulcan rituals where a woman could have a man challenge her fiancé to a duel to the death and end up with a man she's forcefully married to and have sex with.
• This high level of gender equality is maintained even after they lose their homeworld. Their women continue to work alongside the men in all sorts of occupations (e.g. at the Romulan Reclamation Site, the head surgeon is a Romulan woman and there are Romulan females on the security team). However, Picard introduces a Double Standard where Romulan men who are judged to be effeminate are made fun of .
• Establishing Character Moment : " Balance of Terror " shows everything one needs to know about the Romulans: they're Vulcans who did not reject their warlike past, so devious their ships are invisible when it's supposed to be impossible, the Federation didn't know their faces until they chanced over a century after they fought a war with them, still honorable in their own way, and extremely dangerous when they actually bother to fight.
• Evil Counterpart Race : To the Vulcans, their ancestors. Because both species are Space Elves , the Romulans and the Vulcans are the Trek Verse equivalent of Dark Elves and High Elves, respectively.
• Evil Eyebrows : Theirs are accentuated by a distinct, "V"-shaped forehead ridge. In the films, the ridges are completely gone, but the eyebrows are still longer and hairier than the Vulcans. Picard establishes that Romulans with ridges are Northerners.
• Evil Is Bigger : In the 24th century, their warbirds are considerably larger than the Federation's flagship Galaxy -class starships or the Klingons' battleships, though partly as a result of huge negative spaces in the hull. A D'deridex -class warbird has a volumetric coefficient less than half that of the Galaxy-class and slightly less than the much flatter Klingon Vor'cha -class battlecruiser. However, the sheer size of the warbird ( the DS9 Technical Manual gives a length of 1,041.65 meters and other sources give even larger) gives it twice the volume of the 643-meter Galaxy -class and close to ten times the volume of the 481-meter Vor'cha .
• Evil Virtues : Picard makes it clear the same Romulan embrace of emotions makes them also prone to compassionate moments and sincerely caring about those close to them. As a result, many of them are Worthy Opponents and they are genuinely concerned about keeping their workplace safe.
• The Faceless : Romulans were aware of Humanity for some time before Earth knew of them. Infiltrating the highest levels of the Vulcan High Command, the Romulans got a full scope of Earth's capabilities. The Enterprise NX-01 inadvertently encountered a Romulan minefield at one point, officially the first time Humanity became aware of the Romulans. Even after fighting the Earth-Romulan War, it wasn't until the 23rd century that Humans actually saw the Romulans without their helmets on. ( ENT : "Minefield"; TOS : "Balance of Terror")
• Although the hand-to-hand combat practiced by the Qowat Milat sisterhood hasn't been named onscreen in Picard , it's nevertheless the first time in the franchise that a specific Romulan martial arts is showcased. It's more "fantastic" than that of the Klingons or the Vulcans because the Romulan warrior nuns develop Super-Reflexes during their training that are fast enough dodge multiple energy weapons fire note  which is a very rare ability in the Trek Verse because it was only exhibited beforehand by Soong-type androids and Augments . This Amazon Brigade is remarkably adept at wielding a tan qalanq while also utilizing Combat Parkour , Hit-and-Run Tactics and stealth to single-handedly defeat several opponents.
• Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity : Romulans use "disruptors", which are a kind of Ray Gun like the phaser, but unlike phasers they always kill and their blast is green.
• The Romulans believe themselves superior to everyone, and still cling to the idea that one day, the Romulan Empire will rule the entire galaxy. ( TNG : "The Neutral Zone", "Data's Day", "The Enemy") According to Miles O'Brien, there was no piece of technology that the Romulans didn't claim they invented before everyone else.
• Picard reveals they have a deep fear of sentient AI, and helped pressure the Federation into the synth ban even after the destruction of their homeworld. Moreover, the series also shows that some Romulan-owned businesses on Vashti feature "Romulans Only" signs, and the planet is the hotbed for the Romulan Rebirth movement. The Zhal Makh, a form of Romulan meditation, is taboo to non-Romulans. The Romulan pejorative for humans is "round-ears" and the Romulan slur for xBs is "half-meat."
• Fashionable Asymmetry : In their TOS appearances, the male Romulans wore gold tunics with a sash over their shoulder. (Violet sashes for commanders, blue for the worker bees.) The ladies, however, wore form-fitting uniform with a violet sleeve.
• The loose explanation they came up with is that the capital planets of the Romulans and Klingons are in the Alpha Quadrant, but most of their empires are located in the Beta Quadrant. The dividing line between Alpha and Beta runs through Earth. Most of the Federation is in the Alpha Quadrant, but parts spill over into the Beta Quadrant. If the disk of the galaxy is viewed top-down with Earth at the bottom, the Romulans and Klingons are "east" of the Federation, while the Cardassians are "west." The Romulans are located core-wards from the Klingons (which also explains why advanced Borg scouting attacks hit both the Romulans and Federation, but not the Klingons).
• Fictional Flag : Theirs is a stylized bird-of-prey gripping two planets (Romulus and Remus) in its talons.
• Glass Cannon : The Romulans are the only major political power consistently shown to fully match the Federation's technology level — the Klingons mostly rely on brute strength, and while the Cardassians are intelligent, their ships are limited by their poor resource base. In contrast, Romulan ships are tricked out with all sorts of advanced technology (like artificial singularity power cores), not to mention they invented the cloaking device (so theirs are always better than the knockoffs they gave the Klingons). The only drawback is that their technology is a little too advanced to easily repair battle damage — while a half-crippled Federation ship's engineers can repair their own leaking warp core in a few hours with tape and a little glue. The Romulans work around this by embracing a first strike battle strategy: most of their advancements are focused on devastating weapons and refined cloaking devices, at the cost of difficult maintenance, as well as inferior engine speed. The TOS Enterprise was able to defeat a Romulan Bird-of-Prey by engaging in a drawn-out, running battle, which the latter couldn't sustain because their two advantages (cloak and extremely powerful plasma weapon) required so much power that they ate through their power reserves in no time flat.
• Heel–Race Turn : Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery reveals that centuries after Spock's disappearance in 2387 , his efforts to reunite the Vulcans and the Romulans paid off, and the Romulans not only returned to Vulcan, but joined the Federation as well.
• How The Migthy Have Fallen : The destruction of their homeworld renders them a scattered, defeated people, far from the feared, imposing empire they used to be.
• Interservice Rivalry : As with the Cardassians, the regular military hates the Tal Shiar, who can pull rank on them with impunity. Some commanders are more vocal about their dislike than others.
• Lady of War : The franchise has featured several female Romulan military commanders. When presented as a Worthy Opponent , they will likely be this.
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste : The image-conscious Romulans prefer to play a waiting game with their opponents, attempting to trick them into breaking — or appearing to break — an agreement so as to give them a solid justification for striking.
• Man Behind the Man : If some villain is implied to have a secret benefactor, the benefactor will probably be the Romulans. Especially if the villain is a Vulcan or a Klingon, just to show how traitorous or gullible they are as both species regard the Romulans as long-standing enemies.
• Manipulative Bastard : They spend a lot of their screen time on Enterprise setting the Alpha Quadrant's major players against each other.
• The Qowat Milat is an all-female sect. On rare occasions, the warrior nuns may teach a man their ways (such as Elnor), but even after he completes the training, he can never be higher than The Apprentice in terms of his official position within the order.
• Although the Zhat Vash accepts men into its ranks (such as Narek), the cabal is run by women, and only women are allowed contact with the Admonition. When Oh speaks to the female initiates, she informs them that their foremothers were the first ones to visit the octonary star system, which indicates that the precursor of the Zhat Vash was also matriarchal.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much : In contrast to the secretive nature of mainstream Romulan society, the Qowat Milat follow the Way of Absolute Candor — or, as TVTropers would call it, Brutal Honesty .
• Mythopoeia : Narek provides the most detailed account of the Ganmadan myth. note  The quote below has been edited slightly from the original dialogue. "A story of the end of everything. Some say it dates back from long before our ancestors first arrived on Vulcan. The story of Ganmadan ("the Day of Annihilation") begins with two sisters, twin khalagu ("demons") who come at the end of time to open the way and unleash the ch'khalagu ("very bad demons"). One sister is called Seb-Natan, the Foreteller. She plays a drum made from the skin of children. She strikes it with a chain of skulls so hard and so long that her heart bursts from the effort. The other sister is called Seb-Cheneb ("the Destroyer"). She carries the horn from a great pale hellbeast called Ganmadan. When she blows a blast on the horn, it will unleash all the ch'khalagu who have been waiting since the beginning of time. The sky will crack, and through the crack in the sky, the ch'khalagu will come ravening. You know about the Thousand Days of Pain. The streets will be slick with entrails of half-devoured corpses. The worlds will burn. And the ch'khalagu will feast and nurse their brats on blood, and pick their teeth with bones."
• Named After Their Planet : Their adopted homeworld, Romulus.
• National Stereotypes : Picard establishes that Romulans who are from the Northern part of Romulus are stereotyped as being stubborn.
• Star Trek has a number of Neutral Zones, each established after a never-seen war sometime during the 23rd century, but the buffer around Romulus is the most notorious and the most-fortified. In fact, almost everybody in the Trek Verse just refers to it as "the Neutral Zone," rather than by its proper name (the Romulan Neutral Zone).
• Picard establishes that the Romulan Neutral Zone collapsed after the destruction of Romulus. Without any official form of law enforcement, the whole region devolved into a Wretched Hive crawling with warlords and criminals.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain : The Coalition of Planets that would eventually become the Federation was formed in large part as a response to the threat of the Romulan Star Empire and its attempts to destabilize neighboring civilizations so they wouldn't become such a threat.
• Noble Bird of Prey : When Surak's reforms spread rapidly across Vulcan in the 4th century, a minority rejected Surak's ideals. Those rebels adopted a raptor as their symbol, becoming known as "those who marched beneath the raptor's wings," which became the symbol of the Romulan Star Empire. Their warships are designated "Bird-of-Prey" (not to be confused with the Klingon Bird-of-Prey from the same century) and the "Warbird" (24th century battleship). The latter sports a unique wrap-around design and stretches about twice as long as a Federation Galaxy -class, but with a lower top speed.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis : They're one of the most dangerous alien empires that the Federation has ever faced because they act like a rational, pragmatic, and ruthless real-life political power. They're not a bunch of Boisterous Bruiser , Honor Before Reason warriors like the Klingons, nor are they pretentiously obsessed with the public displays and outward trappings of totalitarian power like the Cardassians (who believe their own propaganda even though in terms of tech and resources, they're something of a paper tiger). They make it a point to only attack when their enemies are weak -- preferably after destabilizing them with covert intelligence operations — but will not hesitate to retreat when they're losing to shepherd their resources. Facing the Romulans isn't acting out the fantasy of the small, but plucky Good Guy alliance defeating the barbaric alien hordes through superior technology (Klingons), or the triumph of individualism against the horde of hive-minded alien locusts (the Borg): they're just as smart as the Federation itself. The fact that they're not a bunch of moustache-twirling comic book villains actually makes them a lot more dangerous.
• The Nose Knows : Romulans are confirmed to possess similar superior olfactory sense as Vulcans do in Picard because Narissa is able to detect Soji's scent on Narek, and after she bends down to sniff his neck, she observes that the combination of Narek's and Soji's scents is carnal.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat : In Picard , the Romulan Star Empire is no more, but its successor, the Romulan Free State, is still a bureaucratic nightmare. Naáshala : My residency was supposed to start six months ago, but the Romulan Free State revoked it when I was halfway here. I have no idea why, or why they finally reinstated it. Soji : Well, that sounds about right.
• Officer and a Gentleman : In the novels, they often come across as dignified and ultra-conservative aristocrats rather then simply as bad guys, although the Romulan commanders that appear on TV sometimes do have that aspect to them. The more "admirable" ones seem to behave this way.
• Our Demons Are Different : In Romulan mythology, there are at least two different types of demonic creatures; the twin sisters Seb-Cheneb and Seb-Natan are khalagu ("demons"), and the former can summon ch'khalagu ("very bad demons") who will ferociously devour all living beings.
• Laris mentions that calling the Tal Shiar the "Romulan Secret Police " is redundant, since the word "secret" applies to every facet of Romulan society. She also reveals the existence of the Zhat Vash, who are secretive even by Romulan standards. Zhaban: "Zhat Vash" is a term sometimes used to refer to the dead — the only reliable keepers of secrets. Picard: Ominous. Laris: No, fitting, because that's the sole purpose of the Zhat Vash — to keep a secret so profound and terrible, just learning it can break a person's mind.
• Romulans perpetuate lies about the true effectiveness of some of their technology to trick aliens into not using it. Picard : [Romulan forensic molecular reconstruction methods] are also unreliable, and the results are dubious at best. Laris : Ah yeah, that's exactly what we wanted you to think.
• Narek trolls Soji in what is the most humorous exchange about Romulan secrecy in the franchise. Soji : Can I ask you a question? Narek : Sure, just don't expect an answer. Soji : Are we allowed to be sleeping together, or is that a secret? Narek : Very much the latter. Soji : Is everything Romulans do a secret? Narek : Ooh, I'm not at liberty to divulge that. Soji : Is your name actually Narek? Narek : It's one of them. Soji : So is there anything you can tell me about yourself? Narek : Yes. I'm a very private person.
• Hugh is surprised that Soji has read Ramdha's Romulan dossier because he doesn't have access to it even though he's the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project. Soji : Usually I find that if I ask people for help, they're happy to give it. Hugh : That has not been my experience, in particular with Romulans.
• In Ramdha's pixmit card set, there's an image of a shaipouin, which is a false door. Soji : Traditional Romulan houses always have a false front door that's never used. You have to go around the back.
• Narek mentions to Soji that: Narek : Terran passenger lists are a matter of public record, which is shocking for a Romulan sensibility.
• Withholding the truth is such an ingrained behaviour that Romulans naturally assume that everyone else must be doing the same thing. Soji : Romulans love secrets. You think everyone's hiding something. Narek : Everyone is hiding something. Whether they know it or not.
• Romulans use different names depending on who they're with. Soji : Romulans have a name for outsiders, and a name for family, but your true name, you save for the one you give your heart to.
• Of course, all this gets turned on its head when the Romulans return to Vulcan and join The Federation . They end up becoming more honest and less secretive than their Vulcan brethren.
• Powered by a Black Hole : Some Romulan ships, including their iconic D'deridex -class warbird, use artificial "quantum singularities" to power their reactors in lieu of a traditional matter- antimatter warp core.
• The Romulan Empire wants to start a war with the Federation, but only the Federation. Their plots are thus focused on either making the Federation seem like the aggressor so their allies won't also join the fight, or trying to sever those alliances directly so the Federation will be isolated. Primarily, the Romulans are concerned that any war with the Federation would also entangle the Klingons, who would be more than happy to aid the Federation if the two powers came to blows. Indeed, the one time the Romulans successfully tricked Picard into making such a blunder, they backed down because Picard wisely roped in the Klingons anticipating such an outcome.
• Since the Romulan population was decimated after Romulus was destroyed, the infamously xenophobic species, whose survivors are governed ( sometimes loosely ) by the newly-formed Romulan Free State, has to make some small concessions in terms of cooperating with other aliens. At the Romulan Reclamation Site, there are scientists of various backgrounds who are working there, including Federation citizens (e.g. Trills, Andorians, etc.), whom the now-defunct Romulan Star Empire has long viewed as the enemy. Hugh, an ex-Borg drone who's either human or a Human Alien with Federation citizenship, is the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project, which is independent of the Romulan Free State by treaty.
• Proportional Aging : Picard notes that, unlike him, Zani hasn't aged at all since they last met fourteen years ago. Romulans have a longer life span than humans, and hence they age more slowly.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy : More like a Proud Soldier Race, given their disciplined and strict way of life. However, they must have been a Proud Warrior Race in the distant past (possibly as far back as when they were still living on Vulcan) because some Romulans still continue the tradition of sword fighting and duels. The Qowat Milat sisterhood is a relic from that era, being an order of warrior nuns who preach the Way of Absolute Candor and who may choose to bind their sword to a quest that they deem to be worthy (i.e. a lost cause).
• Sort of a Foil to Khan in that way: both the Romulans and Khan's Augment genetic supermen were the losing side of a global war who fled to deep space, and their homeworlds couldn't follow them because they'd been recently devastated by a nuclear exchange.
• Rubber-Forehead Alien : Star Trek: Picard demonstrates that there are variations to their rubber-foreheadedness; Northerners have more prominent forehead ridges (although not to nearly the same extent as Klingons).
• Secret Police : Known as the Tal Shiar. Although as ex-member Laris points out in Picard , given how many elements of Romulan society are secretive, calling them that is a little redundant.
• Self-Disposing Villain : The Zhat Vash destroyed the Starfleet armada that would have saved their people from the supernova, thus ending the Romulan Star Empire and leaving the Romulan people a collection of refugees under the nominal authority of the Romulan Free State, a barely functioning entity that seems incapable of protecting or helping anyone.
• Shoulders of Doom : The infamous "mattress cover" costumes used on TNG . It's hard to look menacing when dressed up like a character from Dynasty (1981) .
• Sickly Green Glow : Most of their technology emits a green light.
• Smug Snake : The typical Romulan from TNG onward is one who doesn't bother hiding their belief that they are better than whoever they're talking to, and enjoy promoting their superiority.
• Snakes Are Sinister : Picard introduces the Snakehead, a Romulan scout ship, which reinforces the theme of Romulan culture identifying itself with predatory animals (the most famous being the raptor) to reflect its history of violence and conquest. The curved "wings" of the vessel are somewhat reminiscent of the hood of a cobra.
• Sneaky Spy Species : Formerly depicted as another Proud Warrior Race , by TNG they are now notorious for their duplicitousness. Quite apart from their habit of spying on other races and waiting to strike, their infamous Tal Shiar keeps a close eye on their civilian populace at all times, and is rivalled in efficiency only by the Cardassian Obsidian Order.
• The Social Darwinist : Romulan babies with birth defects are killed because they are regarded as a waste of resources. In general, any form of weakness is not tolerated. Narek : You find vulnerability and brokenness beautiful? Soji : Is that strange? To find beauty in imperfection? Narek : It's certainly not very Romulan.
• Space Cold War : Throughout the franchise, they are depicted as frosty, Machiavellian schemers who are always at war or in an uneasy truce with the Federation.
• Space Elves : If Vulcans are the archetypal Space Elves, then Romulans, their sneaky and treacherous "cousins," are the equivalent of Space Dark Elves. Along with their pointy ears, Romulans are stronger, longer-lived and have a heightened sense of smell compared to humans. The most Elf-like character in the franchise is Elnor, who looks like he had transported from Middle-earth to the Trek Verse . note  His name means "Star-Run" in Sindarin, which is another way of saying "Star-Trek."
• Space Romans : The two habitable planets in their solar system are called Romulus and Remus. Their raptor emblem is reminiscent of Ancient Rome 's aquila note  which is Latin for "eagle" . They have a Senate and they're ruled by a Praetor, with the Proconsul and the Vice-Proconsul just below that, and the other members are Senators. Centurion is a rank in their military. In TOS , their soldiers wore bronze-ish helmets.
• Spikes of Villainy : Their soldiers wear baldrics lined with spikes.
• Stealth in Space : The Romulans almost never fly anywhere without the cloak permanently switched on.
• Stereotype Flip : In the 32nd Century, the secretive Romulans have become more open and understanding, whereas the Vulcans have become insular and secretive, albeit for different reasons. The two had reunified by that time, and the Romulan population on the renamed homeworld of Ni'Var were the ones more in favor of remaining with the Federation after The Burn (Romulans being the foe that precipitated the proto-Federation to form in the first place ).
• Although overall, they are still very composed and disciplined. Ironically, despite their imperialistic empire, they seem to contradict the idea that Vulcans who don't control their emotions are a dangerous menace, since on a personal level, they rarely lose their temper or hint at uncontrollable emotions.
• Even the modern Vulcans admit that the Romulans aren't nearly as bad as the barbaric ancient Vulcans used to be.
• Strong as They Need to Be : Similar to Klingons, on the few occasions they've gotten into physical altercations with Enterprise crew members, they really haven't given them too much trouble even though they should be about as strong as Vulcans. In contrast, Kirk handily gets his ass kicked whenever he ends up having to fight Spock for one reason or another. The 2009 Star Trek reboot does show the Romulans as being somewhat stronger than humans, but still not to the degree that Spock is (although Spock is biologically unique and also benefits from Vulcan mental discipline and bodily control).
• There Are No Coincidences : One quirk of Romulan culture is that they do not believe in the concept of "luck", good or bad. If something goes wrong, it's either unintentional (someone screwed up) or on purpose (treachery).
• Token Evil Teammate : In their Enemy Mine alliance with many other Alpha Quadrant powers to combat the Dominion.
• Took a Level in Jerkass : In TOS and Star Trek VI , they were treated with far more respect and deference by the Federation. Romulan diplomats are even allowed to attend Presidential briefings. This underscores just how foul and alien the Klingons are judged to be. The dynamic was reversed in TNG , the Klingons becoming allies to the Federation while the Romulans grew more insular as a result of an alliance they perceived as a threat to themselves.
• Ungovernable Galaxy : After Romulus was obliterated when its star exploded, the Romulan Star Empire no longer exists, and without assistance from the Federation, the Neutral Zone collapsed. The Romulan Free State emerged from the ashes, but this new government doesn't have the resources to patrol such a vast region, so large areas have become lawless, including the planet Vashti where over 250,000 Romulan refugees reside.
• Unrealistic Black Hole : The Romulans use artificial singularities to power their warp drives, as opposed to the matter-antimatter reaction of most starships.
• Wild Card : The Romulans have always been the most opportunistic of Alpha Quadrant races, and with the Dominion incursion, they are put in the perfect position to watch their biggest rivals slug it out in a long, futile war. This could explain why Starfleet or the Klingons didn't approach Romulus for help at once: they could go either way. Since the Federation was taking such heavy losses already, it would just about have finished them off to have a third fleet turn against them.
• Worthy Opponent : Several of the most memorable Romulan characters in TOS , as well as a number of times in the novelizations.
• You Are Number 6 : Being an Obstructive Bureaucrat , the Romulan Free State assigns numerical designations to every employee and patient at the Romulan Reclamation Site, such as Patient 8923 stroke 3 (the "Nameless" Borg drone who undergoes the reclamation procedure) and Employee badge 74983 stroke 2 (Dr. Soji Asha).

• Always Chaotic Evil : Played surprisingly straight. Even though they are intelligent enough to carry on a conversation and can apparently feed off ordinary table salt (though they need quite a bit of it), they seem to prefer sucking it out of other lifeforms, and it's never explained why.
• Dying Race : Only a handful of them are still alive, and they've resorted to feeding off of other lifeforms to survive.
• The Famine : A bad one wiped the vast majority of them out.
• Humanoid Aliens : They have a generally humanoid build, but are covered in light gray fur, have noseless faces and gaping, jawless mouths, and large, three-fingered hands covered in suction-cup-like growths.
• Hungry Menace : They tend to feed often and heavily, and it's implied they might never feel truly full .
• Literal Maneater : Their usual method for stalking prey is to take on a form that their intended target finds pleasing or trustworthy, then lure them into a remote area to feed. Note that they'll go after either gender, and don't seem picky about what form they take to lure in prey.
• Master of Illusion : They use their Psychic Powers to put up an illusion of being a trusted or attractive individual. Since this illusion is projected straight into a target's mind, they can appear as a different person to different people in a crowd.
• Our Vampires Are Different : Alien beings that absorb salt from their prey.
• Paranoia Fuel : They seem to have become this in-universe; especially since it was discovered that the individual on M-113 was NOT The Last of His Kind ...
• Super-Toughness : One of them easily tanks several punches from Spock, a half-Vulcan three times stronger than a human of similar build. It then easily backhands him into a wall, displaying Super-Strength .
• This Was His True Form : Their illusions will fade upon death, allowing people to see what they truly are.
• Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth : They can't process the copper-based blood of Vulcans, giving them a measure of safety from being stalked.
• Trademark Favorite Food : Salt. It's their entire diet.

• Bizarre Alien Biology : Those huge eyes give them incredible vision, but their multiple complex sinuses make it hell to get a cold. They also shed their skin once a year.
• Gargle Blaster : Saurian Brandy is extremely potent, and more popular than one might expect. It apparently "sneaks up" on you, suggesting it's not actually strong-tasting, but has a very high alcohol content.
• The Ghost : Right up until season 2 of Discovery . Saurian Brandy has been part of the franchise as far back as the first season of the original series, but the only appearance of the species themselves until very recently was a single obscured scene in a large crowd.
• Lizard Folk : Though they're more affable than most examples.
• Named After Their Planet : Sauria. 
• Starfish Language : Their language is made of clicks and pops, and even the universal translator of the 23rd century has some trouble wrangling it.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : They are able to communicate emotional states through a chemical compound that works regardless of species.
• Crippling Overspecialization : Their technology is focused on keeping themselves safe, such that they have no weapons to speak of. Their capture orbs are their only means of containing hostile vessels, and when those don't work they have no backup plan.
• Dyson Sphere : Their homeworld's sun, and that of their new star system, are surrounded by "Dyson rings", made from the same silicon-ellanium alloy that their DMA controller is made from.
• Good Counterpart : Unknown Species 10-C are a collective of beings, not unlike The Borg or The Dominion. Unlike either one of them, who were a race of cyborgs bent on total galactic assimilation and a race of xenophobic conquerors respectively, the 10-C are simply an average group of beings with remarkably advanced technology, choosing to hide from the galaxy because of losing their homeworld to a disaster. They do cause destruction, but their DMA is no weapon; it's a mining device they don't realize is wiping out innocent life. By contrast, the Borg would happily assimilate any race that they thought would improve their collective consciousness, regardless of how the actual species felt, and The Dominion would take over any race of "solids" that stood in their way, and punish any form of resistance against them. What truly distinguishes the 10-C from the others is that when The Federation arrives to alert them of what has transpired, the 10-C, despite some initial communication difficulties, are eventually able to understand and work to rectify the damage. Compare that to The Borg or The Dominion, whom Starfleet wiped out and bested in the Dominion War respectively.
• Higher-Tech Species : A millenium after the likes of Picard, Janeway, and Sisko, these guys make the Federation of that time look like children by comparison. Dr. Hirai classified them as a Type II Kardashev civilization , as their energy consumption is greater than the output of entire stars.
• Hive Mind : The 10-C exist as one mind, not just many voices as one but seemingly no distinction between individuals and the whole. This is why they have trouble understanding the damage the DMA is causing, because a single lifeform being an individual is alien to them. The diplomats and the crew of the Discovery don't realize this until T'Rina performs a Mind Meld .
• Homeworld Evacuation : Their original homeworld, a gas giant in extragalactic space, was destroyed by an asteroid bombardment in the 22nd century. The survivors colonized a star system two light-years away and terraformed its three planets into duplicates of their homeworld.
• My God, What Have I Done? : They're collectively horrified when they realize how much damage their DMA has caused.
• Never Be Hurt Again : After their original homeworld was obliterated and a fair number of them killed because they couldn't all be evacuated, their entire civilization became focused on making sure such a tragedy never befell them again. The hyperfield exists for the sole purpose of making sure nothing can get to them.
• Obliviously Evil : They deployed the DMA in the Milky Way assuming it wasn't home to sapient life, because they categorized such life as being like them. They are horrified when they realize what they've done.
• Small Universe After All : A rare example for Star Trek . Their homeworld, or at least their current residence, lies outside the galactic barrier, making it difficult to attempt First Contact with them.
• Starfish Aliens : The 10-C are gigantic, insect-like beings that dwell in the atmosphere of gas giants.
• Starfish Language : They communicate through pheromones that convey emotion, and can generate complex patterns of lights from what constitutes their face. They're so alien that they have to devise a bridge language using mathematical concepts just to communicate on a level that Federation species can understand.
• Stealth in Space : Their new home system is protected by a hyperfield that completely conceals all forms of radiation, rendering it impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look.
• Strolling on Jupiter : Their ruined homeworld was a gas giant until it was bombarded by a swarm of asteroids, burning off much of the atmosphere and leaving the solid core exposed enough for humanoids to explore.
• Sufficiently Advanced Alien : A reconstruction . While plenty of omnipotent, god-like aliens have appeared in Star Trek , they're usually played for laughs or otherwise left behind at the end of the episode. 10-C, by contrast, are played for drama — they are unbelievably advanced compared to the Federation and its neighbors, capable of cloaking entire solar systems and deploying mining equipment that can strip-mine entire sectors of boronite on a whim. Part of the reason the galaxy votes against destroying the DMA is that they're terrified that 10-C might retaliate with their actual weapons .
• Terraform : Their new home system contains three gas giants of identical mass and composition. It's implied that the 10-C terraformed them to be exact replicas of their original homeworld.

• Absolute Xenophobe : Species 8472 considers the existence of other species that can enter their dimension to be an existential threat to their own survival, and respond with total annihilation. The Voyager crew do manage to persuade them that the Federation will leave them alone, ending the potential Species 8472 threat to the Alpha Quadrant.
• Absurdly Sharp Claws : The main mode of attack. One swipe can decapitate a helmeted Hirogen.
• Anti-Villain : Genocidal, utterly destructive, nigh unstoppable — and isolationist, only attacking the galaxy because the Borg effectively tried to wipe them out in their Fluidic Space and Species 8472 went all out in making sure nothing encroached upon them again. Once they're properly informed that the Federation means them no harm and intends for them to continue living in isolation, a truce is struck and they leave without so much as a fuss.
• Curb-Stomp Battle : Their immunity to Borg nanoprobes and weaponry made their war a decidedly one-sided affair, with the extinction of the Collective a foregone conclusion until the Voyager crew intervened.
• They use organic technology which the Borg are unable to assimilate, and ridiculously outgun them. Case in point: a single Bioship destroyed a fleet of Borg cubes, and the only reason the Bioship took even temporary damage was that a Cube performed a suicide run.
• On a personal level, they are Lightning Bruisers that are twice as tall as humans, strong enough to match or exceed almost any shown species, capable of surviving in a vacuum, and possessing a Healing Factor that makes them practically unkillable and immune to even Borg probes and nanites, with telepathic powers on top of it.
• On top of that, they are highly intelligent, capable of scheming, infiltration and manipulation, the latter two being things that the Borg suck at. It's lucky for the ST universe that they chose to start their annihilation campaign in the Delta Quadrant and against the Borg. Otherwise the Federation and their peer societies would have never known what hit them.
• Earth-Shattering Kaboom : The only known race in Trek to do this repeatedly, Species 8472 prefers to simply destroy planets entirely rather than try to conquer them. After all, their goal isn't conquest, it's extermination.
• Eviler than Thou : They're more lethal than even the Borg . Yes, the near-unstoppable , all-consuming cybernetic Hive Mind that has been the terror of the galaxy for centuries is completely outclassed by the genetically superior, highly territorial eldritch aliens. The Borg want to assimilate everyone into their collective; Species 8472 wants to annihilate every other living thing because they consider it an affront to their vaunted purity. The good news for the galaxy, however, is that Species 8472 fundamentally just want to be left alone in their dimension, and cease their incursions when Voyager 's crew persuades them that the Federation will respect their isolation.
• Evil Is Visceral : Their ships are organic and the (CGI) aliens themselves look "more organic" than the usual Rubber Forehead Alien because they don't wear clothes, have extra limbs and strange eyes with complicated irises. Also, they hail from something called fluidic space.
• Evil Versus Oblivion : Species 8472's war with the Borg: the latter is a deadly force that wants to assimilate the galaxy, the former is an unstoppable juggernaut that wants to destroy it entirely. Contrary to what the Borg claim, Species 8472 are not aggressors; it had in fact long been known that the Borg themselves started the war between the two species by invading fluidic space to assimilate their technology. Species 8472 "merely" launched a counter-invasion to end the threat to fluidic space forever .
• A Form You Are Comfortable With : Concerned about the threat posed by Voyager , Species 8472 dons meatsuits and builds a recreation of Starfleet Academy as a staging ground for an intelligence gathering mission on Earth. The plan is uncovered by Voyager and peace talks commence. Voyager eventually convinces them that the Federation has no quarrel with them.
• Genocide Backfire : The Borg discovered and invaded their native dimension, known as Fluidic Space, intending to assimilate their species like so many others. 8472 not only drove them out of their realm, but launched a counter-invasion of the Milky Way that threatened to wipe out not only the entire Collective, but everything besides .
• Their incredibly powerful regenerative capabilities are also the primary reason why they pose such a threat to the Borg. Species 8472 is outright immune to Borg assimilation because any Borg nanites that are injected into their blood stream will be dismantled by their immune system faster than they can replicate.
• Kryptonite-Proof Suit : Their autoimmune system makes them impervious to Borg assimilation, destroying the nanites before they can even take hold.
• Lean and Mean : They are a bit on the thin side.
• Living Ship : They travel around in a type of organic spacecraft known only as a bioship, which is composed of the same flesh as their pilots. The bioship's main weapon is powerful enough to destroy a Borg cube in only a few shots. Likewise, when a Borg cube rammed a bioship, both vessels were blown to bits despite the comparatively smaller mass of the bioship. The weapons of eight bioships (referred to in Star Trek: Armada II as "Species 8472 battleships") can combine firepower to destroy an entire planet. And they also heal like their pilots.
• Mind Rape : They subject Kes to violent and disturbing visions, premonitions, and threats whenever they're close enough to sense her thoughts.
• Poisonous Person : Their somatic cells can become extremely virulent when in a foreign blood-stream. When a member of Species 8472 attacks a victim with its claws, some of the former's cells are left in the wound. These stray cells multiply rapidly, consuming their prey from the inside out while the victim remains conscious .
• Social Darwinist : Implied to have this mindset from their first statement of intent to Voyager 's crew: "The weak shall perish."
• Super-Strength : Strong enough to charge through walls, send people flying, figuratively and literally crush the super strong cyborgs that are the Borg, amd tear through starship hulls.
• Telepathy : Species 8472 is telepathic and can send Kes and Tuvok messages.
• The Only Way To Be Sure : They decided the best way to prevent the Borg or any other hostile race from invading Fluidic Space again was to completely sterilize the entire Milky Way galaxy of life.
• Ultimate Life Form : The Borg view them as "the apex of biological evolution." Unfortunately for them, it turns out they're also capable of No Selling their assimilation techniques.
• You Are Number 6 : Their real name is unknown. "Species 8472" is their boilerplate Borg designation. Star Trek Online , which is non-canon, calls them "Undine."

• Abusive Precursors : They created the Delphic Expanse a thousand years ago for the purpose of transforming our galaxy into something their race can inhabit.
• Diabolus ex Nihilo : We never do learn why they want to invade the galaxy, but they've been working on it since at least the twelfth century.
• God Guise : The Xindi referred to the Sphere-Builders as "the Guardians," and revered them as religious figures. After the destruction of the Xindi homeworld, the Builders appeared to the Xindi survivors (convenient, that), lending them maps to habitable planets and resources. Similarly, the Triannons referred to them as "the Makers," and believed that they were transforming the Delphic Expanse into a paradise for their eventual return.
• Greater-Scope Villain : Of the Temporal Cold War. Their relation to the Suliban and the Na'Kuhl is unclear, but it's a good bet that the Sphere Builders' mission was by far the most destructive of that conflict, and their ability to examine alternate timelines put them perilously close to achieving it.
• Hand Blast : Demonstrate the ability to fire energy balls from their hands when they personally attack the Enterprise .
• Hoist by His Own Petard : As a result of their plan to destroy Earth, Enterprise ended up destroying the sphere network, making it unlikely they'll invade in the future.
• Hostile Terraforming : The Spheres are used to make normal space habitable for their race prior to invasion. In the Bad Future seen in "Azati Prime", they wiped out 50,000 light-years of space (1/3rd of the galaxy) before The Federation finally pushed them back in the 26th century.
• Immune to Bullets : Being transdimensional beings, phaser shots just pass right through them. Dr. Phlox eventually comes up with a method of rotating the phaser frequency that makes the phasers come close enough to hitting them that they're finally forced to retreat.
• It's the Only Way to Be Sure : They're desperate to prevent the Federation from being founded, and are constantly pushing the Xindi to exterminate mankind down to the last child to make sure there won't be any chance of a revival.
• Near-Villain Victory : In the episode "Twilight," Archer is impaired with transdimensional parasites and because of this, the Xindi succeed in destroying Earth. The Sphere Builders would have been victorious in their goal of conquering the galaxy, had Phlox not found a way to eliminate the parasites in the present while also eliminating them in the past. This resets the timeline and ultimately ensures the Builders' defeat.
• Rubber-Forehead Alien : Hairless, with a vertical ridge along the bridge of their nose and a slightly different skull shape.
• Sinister Geometry : The spheres, which are nineteen kilometers across and made entirely of a single alloy.
• Time Travel for Fun and Profit : Using their inter-dimensional abilities, the Builders foresaw that the Federation would repel their eventual invasion, and sought to snuff Earth out preemptively.

• All There in the Manual : The Srivani are never actually referred to by their species name onscreen, only in the shooting script.
• Artistic License – Biology : Certain features of the scientific method include controlling the variables of each experiment and being able to repeat results, something that's hard to see as possible with 100 different experiments done on a crew of various races, all of which (except for Neelix) live tens of thousands of light years away.
• Barcode Tattoo : How they're ultimately detected: they mark their subjects with these on fragments of their DNA , only visible with specialized non-medical equipment on the highest magnification settings.
• Condescending Calmness : After being caught, the alien scientist tries to talk to Janeway in this manner. She's too pissed off to buy it.
• Cow Tools : Their medical devices are all the more menacing because it's hard to tell exactly what they're doing.
• Does This Remind You of Anything? : It's not hard to draw parallels between the Srivani and war criminals like Nazi physician Josef Mengele, or the Imperial Japanese Army's Unit 731, though the Srivani at least claim to be doing their experiments for the betterment of others, instead of the aforementioned subjects For the Evulz approach.
• For Science! : The Srivani have taken this excuse to a ludicrous extreme, using it to justify live experimentation on sentient beings. Alzen: Please understand that there's a purpose to our actions. The data we gather from you may help us cure physical and psychological disorders that afflict millions. Isn't that worth some discomfort?
• Just One Second Out of Sync : In addition to their medical technology, the Srivani use a phasing cloak to make themselves and their experiments invisible.
• Moral Myopia : The Srivani apparently see themselves as noble scientists doing what's needed to make life better for others. That they accomplish this by making unwilling victims of their experiments apparently doesn't factor into the equation.
• No Sympathy : The one Srivani that is captured refuses to release Voyager 's crew or stop the experiments ahead of schedule, even going so far as to say she shouldn't even be talking to Janeway, much less answering some of her questions.
• Playing with Syringes : The aliens come across as an entire civilization who do what they do with the flimsiest of justifications. They routinely do medical experiments on sentient creatures, mutilating, torturing them, and even killing them if they feel it will benefit their medical research to do so. They feel completely justified in their actions and not only do they feel no remorse or regret over their actions, they feel that what they do is noble and beneficial. Genetically deforming, maiming and killing the crew of Voyager is the Nightmare Fuel evidence of their crimes and that is only the tip of the iceberg. What is really terrifying is that their flimsy justifications allow them to murder entire societies with impunity and go on torturing and killing as many sentient creatures as they feel is necessary for their "research."
• See the Invisible : A low-power phaser burst set to a certain frequency will render the Srivani's personal cloaks ineffective, as will the same setting on any visual scanning equipment.
• Stupid Evil : The Srivani seem completely taken by surprise when Janeway puts Voyager on a suicide course in an effort to force them off the ship.
• Unwitting Test Subject : Much of the Voyager crew (sans the Doctor) are made this, and Alzen unashamedly admits her people do this to any and everyone they can, all in the name of advancing their medical research.
• You Know Too Much : It's only implied, but given that the Srivani immediately take steps to neutralize B'Elanna and the Doctor when they stumble upon what's going on, it's logical to assume they do the same in any other situation where they're on the verge of being detected.

• Bald of Evil : They have no hair, and the majority of them that we see are bad news.
• Does This Remind You of Anything? : An alien race called the Suliban are being used as terrorist frontmen, in a show made in the early 00s.
• From Nobody to Nightmare : The Suliban were originally just a backwards race from a nondescript world. Thanks to Future Guy's genetic meddling, they now have a host of superpowers and cloaking technology, making them a threat to many of the spacefaring species in the Alpha/Beta quadrants.
• Giving Radio to the Romans : Their technology and genetic upgrades come from Future Guy, who offers them in exchange for the Suliban helping him achieve his ends in the Temporal Cold War.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much : Not all of them work for Future Guy. In "Broken Bow" Archer encounters a Suliban resistance against the Cabal, and in "Detained" the Tandarans have an internment camp full of innocent Suliban civilians.
• Mysterious Employer : They're essentially footsoldiers for Future Guy, a shadowy figure from the 28th century, whose identity was never revealed in the show.
• Rubber Man : Thanks to Future Guy, many Suliban have the ability to squeeze through tight cracks and bend their limbs at unnatural angles.
• Space Nomads : After their homeworld became uninhabitable, the Suliban scattered across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Many of them live among alien populations such as the Tandarans, while others live in space stations called Helixes.
• Starter Villain : Served as the main recurring antagonists of Enterprise for the beginning of the show, before being replaced by the more credible threat of the Xindi in Season 3.
• Stealth in Space : Their ships have cloaking devices, which gives them a significant advantage against the more well-established species in their area of operation.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : In the 23rd and 24th centuries, despite being a well-known species in the 22nd.
• Visible Invisibility : They have a cloaking ability similar to that of the Jem'Hadar, one of the many genetic gifts from Future Guy.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting : Silik and Sarin, at least, are capable of changing their appearance to match other humanoids. Another reward from Future Guy, no doubt.
• Zerg Rush : Most of their starships are small single-pilot pods known as "cell ships". They're not very powerful on their own, but they can be a threat in large numbers and can even link together to form larger ships or space stations. The largest individual ship we see is a light cruiser which crews twenty Suliban.

Homeworld: Talax A race of space warthogs who inhabit many sectors of the Delta Quadrant (like the Kazon, their race was scattered following a war). They share much in common with Bolians, including a knack for cooking, although their jolly nature is taken up to eleven.

• Binary Suns : Their homeworld is located in a trinary system.
• Classy Cravat : The men all wear these.
• Hollywood Tone-Deaf : Talaxian vocal cords are actually incapable of singing on-key, although Neelix managed to wheeze out a halfway-decent ditty.
• Hot Blooded Sideburns : Negated by Talaxian pacifism. However, tugging on their whiskers is considered a pleasurable come-on.
• Named After Their Planet : Their home planet was called Talax.
• The Scrounger : This seems to be their species' hat, following the conquest of their homeworld by the Haakonians. Most of the Talaxians we see across Voyager are just trying to make a living and don't have much in the way of political motivations. It's not even clear if they still have a government.
• Spare Body Parts : Surprisingly, Talaxians have two spinal columns, similar to Klingons.
• Unaffected by Spice : It was hinted at that Talaxians have a higher tolerance for spicy foods than other races. In "Faces", Neelix prepares a 'watered-down' plomeek soup, a mere sip of which knocks a sturdy Vulcan flat. Neelix, however, is able to guzzle down the soup as a beverage.

Homeworld: Talos IV The very first antagonistic aliens created for Star Trek . A species of incredibly powerful telepaths, the Talosians eke out a blissful existence beneath the ruined surface of their homeworld, Talos IV. Little is known about their culture or technology, but Starfleet has barred all access to Talos — punishable by death — for fear of their telepathic abilities becoming a danger to the Federation.

• After the End : The Talosians destroyed their old civilization in a nuclear war thousands of years ago, and the survivors moved underground to escape the ensuing holocaust.
• Binary Suns : Talos is a circumbinary system, with eleven planets orbiting two suns clustered at the center.
• Creative Sterility : As a consequence of using their telepathic projections to escape the bleak realities of their post-apocalyptic lives, the Talosians have forgotten how to use or maintain most of the technology built by their ancestors.
• Dying Race : The Keeper fears the Talosians are facing extinction as a result of their Creative Sterility , hence his plan to create a colony of human slaves on Talos IV.
• Godzilla Threshold : Starfleet General Order 7: "No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV." As of 2267 it's the only regulation that carries the threat of capital punishment if broken. The exact rationale for this directive is never explicitly stated, but presumably the Talosians' telepathic powers scared the bigwigs quite a bit.
• My Brain Is Big : The most non-human thing about them is their enlarged cranium.
• Named After Their Planet : The species' true name is unknown; the name "Talosian" is given to them by the crew of the Enterprise .
• Numbered Homeworld : Talos IV. Again, that's the Federation's name for their planet — the local name is unknown.
• Psychic Static : The only way to block out their telepathy is anger and hatred, thoughts too primitive for them to handle.
• Telepathy : Their signature ability. Not only can they read minds, they can project complex and incredibly realistic illusions into the minds of others across galactic distances.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist : They're not bad guys, just desperate. Everything they put Captain Pike and his crew through is part of a last-ditch attempt to stave off extinction, and when they finally accept that they've failed they allow their prisoners to go free with no hard feelings.
• We Will Use Manual Labor in the Future : The Talosians tried to create a colony of human slaves through Captain Pike and Vina in order to stave off extinction.

    Tamarians  "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra." Debut: TNG , " Darmok "

Homeworld: Sigma Tama IV A scaly, humanoid race whose most distinctive feature is their incredibly unusual language. Diplomacy with them was nearly impossible, because all of their spoken grammar, syntax, and vocabulary are non-literal, poetic allusions to a rich and detailed literary and mythical culture they memorize in childhood. Their language has been loosely described as something along the lines as "if humans spoke entirely in Shakespeare references that only make sense if you've memorized the author's entire works". This essentially turned anything they said into Word Salad when put into translation technology.

Once Picard, Troi, and Data were able to puzzle out how their language worked, progress was made on integrating them into the galactic community.

• Anthropic Principle : The writers have admitted that the Tamarian language would not be practical for such an advanced society (science, medicine, and a whole lot of other disciplines would be nearly impossible to discuss). Short stories have introduced the concept that Tamarians have a secondary music-like language used exclusively for science and mathematics.
• Lost in Translation : The Tamarians speak entirely in allegories referencing their people's mythology and literature. The universal translator can translate the words of their speech, but without the context behind their phrases, actual communication proves difficult. By Star Trek: Lower Decks , Starfleet has managed to update the universal translator to accurately convey the intent behind their language, though it slips every so often.
• Noodle Incident : Much like human pop-culture references, it is implied that many of their allegories are based on real events.
• Planet of Hats : Zig-zagged. Their culture is portrayed as pretty understandable if you read their literature, but their language is basically the main thing that makes them unique.
• Popcultural Osmosis Failure : Aliens who communicate soley by exchanging (their) pop-culture references—which make no sense to anyone else.
• Serious Business : Memorizing stories by heart is this in their culture.
• Speaks in Shout-Outs : Their spoken language is all either references to, or quotes from their myths and literature.
• Strange-Syntax Speaker : The Tamarians are an entire civilization of these. Forget subject-verb-object in any order, the language consists almost exclusively of "proper noun, prepositional phrase."

    Targs  Debut: TNG , " Where No One Has Gone Before "

• Full-Boar Action : They look much like Terran boars, except bigger and with spikes covering their heads and spines.
• Hot-Blooded : Wild targs are every bit as tempermental as the Klingons they share their planet with. They can, however, still be domesticated as both Worf and Martok had pet targs in their pasts.
• Older Than They Look : In Enterprise , Antaak, a Klingon doctor who looks to be in his sixies at least, claims that his pet targ was his first patient when he was a child. This indicates that targs can live for decades, much longer than pigs or boars on Earth.

• Alien Blood : Their blood contains hemerytherin and is purple in color.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : Blustering insults represent formal politeness; a conversation begins with complaints and insults. In the Tellarite mind, this is simply testing whether or not your ideas are rigorous and well thought out enough to withstand healthy critique.
• Fantastic Slurs : The name "Pog" was reserved for Tellarites who were considered runts.
• Hufflepuff House : One of the founding races of the Federation, but get very little screentime or mentions.
• Jews Love to Argue : Of all the TOS races to be brought back in Enterprise , these guys are painted with the broadest brush. "Sarek said something in a scene once that was meant to demonstrate that he was stand-offish and kinda rude , but we like Sarek, so it's now the defining attribute of this species ."
• Named After Their Planet : Tellar Prime, or simply Tellar.
• Our Dwarves Are All the Same : Short, hairy, and with a bad attitude, the Tellarites are Space Dwarves to the Vulcans' Space Elves .
• Pig Man : They have distinctive snouts, often wore beards, and their hands were sometimes hoof-like in appearance. Their lower jaw usually possessed a pair of small tusks, some more prominant than others, which give them a rather swine-like appearance. Doesn't help that in "Star Trek: 25th Anniversary" shows that in terms of religion, the wolf-like Krognik demon was the equivalent of the Devil.
• Stealth Pun : They're porcine aliens who are infamous for being stubborn. In other words, they're "pig-headed".
• Undying Loyalty : The Tellarites are the only founding members of the Federation to stay members in the aftermath of the Burn. The Humans left out of a desire to defend themselves, the Vulcans left because the Federation refused to stop the experiments they believed caused the Burn, and the Andorians came under the control of the Emerald Chain, but the Tellarites stuck with the Federation.

Homeworld: Earth (or Terra ) An alternate human species hailing from the Mirror Universe . In that reality they have forged a brutal Empire that rules through terror and frequently enslaves or exterminates aliens, making for a stark Evil Counterpart to The Federation .

• Absolute Xenophobe : They're characterized this way in Discovery , but TOS and Enterprise portray them as more Equal-Opportunity Evil despite still being human-centric.
• Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome : 22nd century Terrans have all the tech of their counterparts and more (an Enterprise NX-01 with a cloaking device, tractor beam and escape pods, all features the "good" Enterprise lacks)... but they're also violent, bigoted assholes who got that tech via murdering and enslaving the crap out of everyone they run into. The theft of the Prime universe Constitution -class Defiant ensures that they remain roughly on par with the Federation into the 23rd century, before they were ultimately conquered.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder : This is practically a way of life for them, to the point that it's amazing they have enough people to run an empire.
• Do Not Go Gentle : According to the 32nd century historian Kovich, a Terran with a terminal disease will look for a way to go down fighting and die a good death.
• The Empire : The Terran Empire is very much this, being devoted to conquest and control of alien races, and even provides the page image.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil : Aliens are permitted to join Starfleet and even serve as officers, although they're still largely treated as second-class citizens. This has the effect of an Enterprise NX-01 which is actually more cosmopolitan than the good version, in terms of crew — regular Enterprise is eighty-odd humans, one Denobulan and a Vulcan who didn't want to be there; mirror Enterprise has Tellarites and multiple Vulcans in its crew, and the I.S.S. Avenger has Orions and Andorians serving as bridge officers.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones : Despite being almost entirely made up of evil xenophobes trying to conquer everything in sight, plenty of them are capable of love and loyalty. Mirror Georgiou and Lorca loved their Burnham (maternally and romantically, respectively). Mirror Lorca had at least one follower who was loyal years after he disappeared, apparently dead. He was also tortured by a different Mirror Starfleet Officer for getting his (the Officer's) sister killed.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good : The majority of them are vicious, raving nutcases who are incapable of acting good for even five seconds (Mirror Kirk and co were apparently outed almost instantly after manifesting in the prime universe). Mirror Georgiou isn't able to restrain her Fantastic Racism and arrogance for that long. Even after turning vaguely good-ish, some of them (Mirror Bashir, for example) are still unstable psychos. However, there are a few occasional subversions, such as Smiley O'Brien , or Mirror Gabriel Lorca , who was able to impersonate his prime counterpart for a few months.
• Evil Counterpart : To the United Federation of Planets .
• Evil Is Hammy : Mirror Kirk, Mirror Archer, Mirror Georgiou, Mirror Lorca... you'd think the Empire went into space mainly to find unchewed scenery.
• Fantastic Racism : Their hat until Deep Space Nine .
• For the Evulz : They essentially live by the credo of doing stuff for no other reason than "felt like it". That's the exact words a Federation historian describes them with.
• From Nobody to Nightmare : Terrans went from a gaggle of post-apocalyptic barbarians to a bona-fide galactic empire in less than a century.
• Heel–Face Turn : In Deep Space Nine they're fighting for freedom against the Klingons and Cardassians, and have largely left their xenophobia behind. They've even got aliens such as Trill and Ferengi in their ranks!
• In Spite of a Nail : Despite their radically different history from that of the Federation, the same people generally end up in the same places at the same time.
• In the Blood : During Discovery , it's suggested their many, many unpleasant traits are actually partly biological. Mirror Geogiou casts scorn on this one, and this may have been an interrogation tactic rather than actual truth.
• It Amused Me : Dr. Kovich describes the Terrans as the only known species that does what it does (conquest and murder mostly) "because we feel like it".
• Klingon Promotion : A common way for Terran Starfleet officers to advance in rank. Unlike Klingons, who actually have systems in place, Terrans will just do it at the drop of a hat (although Chekhov's dialogue in "Mirror, Mirror" suggests that whoever's gunning for the promotion had better have a good excuse ready).
• La Résistance : After being enslaved by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, the Terrans eventually put together a rebellion to try to win their freedom back.
• Laser-Guided Karma : After two centuries of violently killing everyone who didn't bend the knee to them, they were overthrown by a Klingon-Cardassian alliance.
• Made a Slave : The entire race suffers this after the Terran Empire is overthrown by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, in a nice stroke of irony.
• Planet Terra : Zig-zagged. In the 2150s, mirror Earth is still called Earth, but a century later it's known as Terra.
• Sigil Spam : The Terran Empire plasters its logo everywhere , from the hulls of their ships to doors and computer monitors.
• Space-Filling Empire : The Terran Empire is said to control an astonishingly huge tract of the galaxy by the 23rd century, more territory than prime-universe Starfleet has even explored in its century of existence.
• Technology Uplift : Terrans were just a bunch of violent maniacs stuck on an insignicant little blue-green planet 'till some guy called Zefram Cochrane cobbled together a primitive warp-capable vessel, which attracted some nearby Vulcans (who up until that point had figured mankind was too primitive to bother with). The minute the Vulcans landed, the inhabitants of Bozeman, Montana mugged them and stole their ship, and from there...
• The Unfettered : The more bonkers ones tend not to be constrained by little things like morality, empathy, sanity, reality... they'll just do what they want, consequences be damned.
• The War of Earthly Aggression : Their colonies and subject races are constantly rebelling, and the Terran Empire exists in a near-constant state of civil war. Once such uprising nearly toppled them in the 2150s; another is underway a century later. Ironically, when they finally started to get their act together and reform the Empire into something less brutal, the Klingons and Cardassians swept in and conquered them in no time flat.
• Weakened by the Light : Terrans are slightly photosensitive compared to prime universe humans, which is a major plot point in Star Trek: Discovery .

Homeworld: Tholia A temperamental and isolationist species of crystalline builds. The Tholians aren't on good terms with the Federation, generally staying in the borders of their own territory, responding to any violation of their territory with force. By the 24th century, diplomatic relations with the Federation are still decidedly frosty.

• Beehive Barrier : Their famous Tholian Webs, energy barriers generated by their ships, which can imprison and destroy other ships. The more Tholians there are around, the quicker they can make them.
• Berserk Button : Don't lie to them. They take it poorly.
• Bystander Syndrome : They decided to sit out the Dominion War, signing a non-aggression treaty.
• Crystalline Creature : They resemble crystalline centaurs, with six radially-symmetrical legs, a pillar-like torso, two arms and a roughly diamond-shaped head. They also require a temperature of 404 degrees fahrenheit to feel comfortable, and freeze solid and shatter at temperatures humans can tolerate.
• Evil Is Burning Hot : Their preferred climate has a temperature of 480 Kelvin. Tholia is often speculated to be a Y-class planet , the most hostile environment possible for humanoids.
• Extremophile Lifeforms : Their preferred environment is hundreds of degrees hot. An M-class environment will kill them instantly.
• Ludicrous Precision : Punctuality is their hat . If they grant you "one hour and fifty-three minutes" for a rescue mission, you have exactly that long to finish up before they open fire.
• Named After Their Planet : The planet Tholia.
• Real Life Writes the Plot : Or in the case, means the plot doesn't get written. Ron Moore wanted to use the Tholians during DS9 , but the technology required to depict them just didn't exist in the 90s. It wasn't until season 4 of Enterprise that the Tholians could be shown in all their glory.
• Silicon-Based Life : According to the script for "The Tholian Web", though not stated outright on screen. They provide the page image for this trope.
• Spider People : A vaguely-humanoid head and torso with claws and six legs. It's hinted that they can produce webbing ("Tholian silk"), which presumably inspired their signature starship weapons.
• Starfish Aliens : They stand out as one of the odder species. Insectoid androgynous crystalline things, who survive in extreme heat and can even function as short-range living communicators.
• Weaksauce Weakness : The cold. Since they operate at extremely high temperatures, lowering it causes them pain. Lower it far enough, and they shatter .

Homeworld: Iota Geminorium IV Headless, legless cat bodies which can reproduce by the thousands. Most of a tribble's physiognomy is comprised of the uterus, as they are born pregnant.

• Big Eater : Actually, a tribble can subsist on very little (a crumb is enough to spawn a litter of ten), but their appetites are apparently bottomless.
• The Blank : Tribbles have eyes and mouths, but they are located near the belly and are so small as to be imperceptible. The original prop tribbles were based on a lucky rabbit's foot keychain.
• Body of Bodies : Huckster Cyrano Jones attempted to genetically modify the tribbles to reproduce less, making them safe for human ecosystems and "a great pet." Unbeknowst to Jones at the time, his lab work was "slipshod" and caused the Tribbles to instead grow to huge size. Dr. McCoy figured out that these so called giant tribbles were actually a colony of tribbles, similar to a rat king.
• Cuteness Proximity : Proximity to tribbles has been known to induce cooing and petting in all non-Klingon lifeforms. Not even Changelings and Vulcans are immune.
• The Dreaded : Their voracious appetites and rabbit-like rate of reproduction make them a cause of concern. Klingons are quite unnerved by them, in particular, considering them an ecological disaster and singlehandedly carrying out their extermination.
• Explosive Breeder : Assuming an average litter of ten, every twelve hours. And there's every indication Tribbles breed a lot faster than that. McCoy even figured the little things are born pregnant. McCoy : Which seems to be quite a time-saver!
• Fantastic Racism : They hate Klingons, who hate them back so deeply they were prepared to declare war just to get their hands on one of the tribbles' natural predators. Worf: THE FEELING'S... the feeling's mutual .
• Fling a Light into the Future : A number of tribbles were accidentally brought back to Deep Space Nine from the past, and the species was re-established, undoing the Klingon Empire's efforts to bring about the extinction of the tribble. Deep Space 9 was subsequently overrun with the creatures. Sisko : I'm open to suggestions people. Dax : We could build a new station.
• Happy Fun Ball : Klingon hunting parties were no match for the tribble. Eventually, they got fed up and plotted a course to the tribble homeworld, blowing it to smithereens. Odo : Another glorious chapter in Klingon history. Tell me, do they still sing songs of 'The Great Tribble Hunt?'
• Horde of Alien Locusts : Much like actual locusts, they can swiftly devastate a planet's entire ecosystem, and are capable of swiftly stripping the agricultural base from entire planets.
• Multiple-Choice Past : In Star Trek: Enterprise 's "The Breach", Phlox claims that the tribbles' Explosive Breeding is an evolved response to living on a Death World swarming with reptilian predators. However, the Star Trek: Discovery Short Trek "The Trouble with Edward" (set a century after that) contradicts this by making it the result of a Mad Scientist who wanted to speed up their reproduction to use them as a food source.
• Non-Malicious Monster : They hold no ill will towards anyone with the exception of Klingons and their euphoria-inducing effects can even be used in a positive manner. However, their Explosive Breeding combined with their cuteness often causes those who encounter them to be too distracted by their adorableness to properly manage their inevitable population explosion until it's too late.
• The Nose Knows : A tribble can detect a Klingon no matter what they look like.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter : Tribbles evolved to purr whenever they're touched by a humanoid. The cooing sound produces a tranquilizing effect—but the fun ends there. Tribbles are also used as a healing device by petting them while on away missions in the Orion Pirates video game and in Star Trek Online .
• Sitcom Archnemesis : Klingons are unique among Star Trek's races in their extreme hatred of the creatures. The feeling was apparently mutual, because tribbles emit a loud shrieking noise instead of their normal soothing purr in the presence of Klingons. This caused problems for Arne Darvin, an undercover Klingon spy. During The Animated Series , they were prepared to go to war with the Federation over access to tribbles' natural predator; that's how much they hate tribbles.

Homeworld: Trill Trills have evolved to coexist with an ageless alien slug (known as a symbiont) in their abdomen. Ordinary Trills are weak, standard humanoids; when "joined," however, they gain the knowledge and experience of the symbiont's previous hosts. Left to their own devices, the symbionts are an endangered species, living out a dull existence in underground pools. The Trills sported a rubber forehead on TNG, but makeup artist Micheal Westmore unashamedly changed their look when Terry Farrell was cast as one. Westmore then suggested, meh, just give her spots like we gave Famke , and the rest is history.

• Alien Sea : According to Jadzia, Trill's oceans have a purple tint compared to those of Earth.
• They are noted for their cold hands, for some reason. This is probably the least bizarre thing about them.
• The brain of a joined Trill has two cerebral nuclei and two brain wave patterns. Dr. Bashir compared them with two linked computers, which both work for the same task.
• Body Surf : In a toss-up, the life of the symbiont matters more than its host's. In the event of sudden injury, sometimes the body is sacrificed to keep the worm alive.
• Likewise, the symbiont will also die unless returned to their habitat (pools of nutrient-rich milk on the Trill homeworld) or rejoined within 48 hours.
• Depopulation Bomb : As revealed in Star Trek: Discovery 's third season, the Burn in the 31st century devastated the Trill population, to the point that the symbionts actually outnumbered the hosts for a change, and forced most of them to return to their homeworld to stave off extinction.
• Early-Installment Weirdness : It's not a fault of TNG that DS9 would later state that the Trill have a much larger presence in the Federation than is initially shown (Curzon Dax was responsible for the signing of the Khitomer accords, probably the single most important piece of legislation next to the Prime Directive) but in hindsight it jars with the " The Host ", which goes to great pains to show that nobody in Starfleet (not even the esteemed Dr. Bev) knows anything about the nature of these beings. The TNG Trill also have rubber foreheads rather than spots, and the symbiote is shown as totally taking over the host instead of forming a combined consciousness; the hosts are seemingly a bit dim rather than fully sapient beings in their own right.
• Fantastic Caste System : The joined have more prestige then the unjoined.
• Government Conspiracy : The official records state that the viability rate for Trills to become hosts for symbionts is one in every thousand. What the Symbiosis Commission is hiding, however, is that approximately half of the total Trill population is capable of bonding with a symbiont. The reason for the deception is that there are simply too few symbionts in existence, and letting the truth of host viability be revealed would cause civil unrest and place the symbionts at risk. When Jadzia Dax started to fall deathly ill due to the emergence of suppressed memories from Joran, a previous host that had been designated as "unviable," the Symbiosis Commission was prepared to let her die to protect this secret.
• The Hedonist : A largely positive example. As part of their contribution to their symbiont's massive library of experiences, Trill hosts are encouraged to indulge in just about every pleasure under the sun(s).
• Heroic Host : The Dax symbiont helped negotiate the Khitomer accords, and even (gulp) dated Bones McCoy in medical school.
• Human Aliens : At least for the humanoid Trill. The only outside difference is the leopard-like spots on the neck. The Trill symbionts? Not so much.
• Immortality Bisexuality : Dax has been married six times: four times as the bride, and twice as the groom. In one episode, Jadzia Dax bucks the system and kisses her former spouse, who happens to be a lady. Odan tried to put the moves on Dr. Crusher once his symbiont was transplanted into a woman but she emphatically said no, although she claimed it was discomfort with a partner who could so dramatically change rather than because she was uncomfortable with a female partner.
• Kangaroo Pouch Ride : The symbionts are surgically inserted through a slit in their host's abdomen.
• The zhian'tara , the Trill answer to the Vulcan katra. It allows joined Trill to convene with their previous hosts for a day. During the rite, the personalities of the old hosts are telepathically implanted into willing participants (usually loved ones or friends) by an employee of the Symbiosis Commission.
• Trills can also commune with old hosts on their own using the Rite of Emergence, although it only works on one personality. This involves lots of chanting and an incense pot full of mud; possibly the kind the symbionts live in, although this is just conjecture.
• Little Bit Beastly : The spots go "all the way down," baby.
• Living Forever Is Awesome : Joined Trills have a big legacy to live up to. With that in mind, the most important quality looked for in candidates (after high intelligence and aptitude in their chosen field) seems to be a bon vivant personalty that has a good chance to nurture a noted scientist, artist, or politician.
• Loss of Identity : Unjoined Trill without a strong enough will and personality run the risk of being overwhelmed by their symbiote's if joined. This is one of the reasons that potential hosts are vetted carefully; for example, Ezri (who was not meant to be a host) spends months being uncomfortably barraged by Dax's memories and emotions before finally getting a handle on them.
• Magic by Any Other Name : There's no small amount of mysticism surrounding the symbionts and the joining process, which often manifest as what can only be described as supernatural forces. In addition to the zhian'tara mentioned above, the symbionts seem to be the Domain Holders of their caves beneath the surface of Trill, and can temporarily Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence at will, sometimes bringing their hosts along for the ride.
• The Masquerade : It is widely believed that only a small fraction (0.1%) of the humanoid Trill population is suitable for being joined with a symbiont, which is why unjoined Trill have to undergo such an extensive vetting process to become a candidate for being a host. In truth, almost half of all humanoid Trill are capable of being joined. The Trill government continues to perpetuate the myth, lest the symbionts become a commodity to be bought, sold and fought over. As long as it is widely believed that only the chosen few can become hosts, the government reasons, such piracy can be avoided.
• Named After Their Planet : Their homeworld is simply called "Trill". A planet called Trillius Prime was mentioned in Star Trek: Enterprise , but it's not clear if they're the same place.
• No Biochemical Barriers : In rare cases, symbionts can be joined with non-Trills, but the differences in biology means this is normally only a stop-gap. Commander Riker was briefly joined to the Odan symbiont in "The Host" so that Odan could complete peace negotiations, and to keep Odan alive until a replacement host arrived. While this ordeal saved Odan's life, it nearly killed Riker. On the other hand, a human named Adira has been successfully joined with a squid and survived with nothing worse than temporary amnesia, but only with the benefit of medical technology a millenia more advanced than Riker had access to.
• The Nth Doctor / Really 700 Years Old : The symbionts. The humanoid Trill have a lifespan close to humans'.
• Progressively Prettier : In addition to the forehead, we never see Dax's enflamed belly bulge out disturbingly as Odan's does in "The Host", and more importantly he doesn't sport the distinctive Trill markings. There are definite perks to being a Trek regular.
• Trill Guardians (the monk-like unjoined Trill who care for the symbiotes in their natural habitat) seem to possess an assortment of semi-mystical abilities similar to those used by Vulcans, such as the ability to transfer memories / consciousness through touch (even to telepathy-resistant races like Changelings and Ferengi), as well as seemingly being able to "sense" intimate details about a symbiote simply by looking at the host. These abilities don't seem to be possessed by the general Trill population, including joined Trill.
• Unjoined symbiotes in their pools communicate via bioelectrical signals.
• Weaksauce Weakness : Trill are strongly allergic to insect bites, because the toxins interfere with the biochemical reactions between host and symbiont.
• You're Nothing Without Your Phlebotinum : The symbionts are helpless, slimy worms who possess the cumulative knowledge of their previous hosts, but lack the important stuff, like hands.

    Vau N'Akat  "There is no barrier we cannot overcome, for we are Vau N'Akat." Debut: PRO , " Lost and Found "

• Alien Hair : Of the "hair tentacle" variety.
• Bad Future : In a possible 25th century, the Vau N'Akat destroyed themselves in a civil war following First Contact with the Federation.
• Disappears into Light : When a Vau N'Akat dies, their body evaporates into blue particles.
• Dying Race : The Diviner maintains that he and Gwyn are the Last of Their Kind . The truth is more complicated: as of 2383, their homeworld and civilization are still alive and well, but he's a time traveler who witnessed their self-destruction in the 25th century and went back in time to prevent it. It's revealed in the second half of season 1 that at least one other traveled back in time as well, hiding herself among Vice-Admiral Janeway's crew. To the extent that their race survives in the future, their civilization has been decimated but a small fraction survived the war.
• Fantastic Racism : Prior to First Contact with the Federation, the Vau N'Akat believed they were the apex of creation. A large percentage of their population were unwilling to accept that they were just one of countless intelligent species, and pushed for isolationism rather than maintaining diplomatic relations with aliens. This divide sparked a civil war on their homeworld that ultimately destroyed their civilization, and only the worst of them made it out the other side.
• Foil : The Vau N'Akat's story of first contact is an inversion of humanity's. Whereas humans were struggling to recover from the worst conflict in their history when they first learned of extraterrestrials, and quickly unified into a thriving new society, Vau N'Akat civilization was at its apex when the Federation found them, after which they devolved into a civil war that left them nearly extinct. (Additionally, both races had an attempt made to avert first contact using Time Travel . For humans, it was by an enemy attempting to destroy them. For the Vau N'Akat, it was by themselves attempting to prevent their own destruction.)
• Mecha-Mooks : Their standing military consists mainly of robots. The two types seen so far are "Watchers", scorpion-like drones which serve as sentries and guards, and "Drednoks", which are intelligent Do-Anything Starfish Robots used as soldiers and special operatives.
• Meaningful Name : "Solum", the name of their homeworld, has two (unrelated) meanings in Latin. One is "ground" or "soil" (meaning that, just like humanity, their homeworld is essentially called "Earth"). The other is "alone", or "isolated". The Vau N'Akat believed they were alone in the universe until the Federation made contact — and many of their people wanted to stay that way, which led to an apocalyptic civil war.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist : Those that survived the civil war want to destroy the entire Federation to prevent their Bad Future , eschewing more rational attempts at communication, because they also want revenge against the Federation for not helping when the civil war broke out.
• Psychic Block Defense : They're naturally resistant to telepathy, though not completely immune.
• Telepathy : Though they evidently can't read the minds of other species, they are able to mentally communicate with one-another, though they usually don't.
• Rubber-Forehead Aliens : Humanoids with a pale complexion and some other alien features.
• Unreliable Narrator : Just about everything we know about them comes from the Diviner and the Vindicator, a zealous xenophobe with a rose-colored view of his species' glory days and an even more zealous member willing to murder one the few survivors for turning against the plan respectively.

    Vendorians 

• Becoming the Mask : According to "The Survivor", a Vendorian who stays in one form too long runs the risk of losing their own identity.
• Face Full of Alien Wing-Wong : They reproduce by implanting egg sacs in other people's throats, then watching them burst out of their chest.
• Jerkass : Not evil (breeding method aside), but they aren't liked by other races because they're held to be preachy and obnoxious. Plus, they do keep tricking people into morality tests, often by stranding them in caves.
• More Expendable Than You : Apparently leaving a perfectly functioning vehicle with only enough room for one person in a dangerous environment is a "classic" Vendorian morality test. At least according to Ensign Levy, who is a conspiracy nut of the worst kind.
• No Mere Windmill : Some believe the Vendorians were just made up by conspiracy nuts in order to ascribe meaning to a random and chaotic universe. This is merely what the Vendorians want people to think.
• Not Me This Time : While they do often have a habit of manipulating other species to teach them life lessons, they don't take credit for the Klingon Civil War of the 2370s.
• Secret Test of Character : It's their hat.
• Starfish Aliens : In their natural form, they look like hovering octopuses with glowing eyes.

• All Genes Are Codominant : They are able to steal organs from every other sentient race for transplant with no risk of rejection, a feat which even current Federation medical science cannot replicate. Despite this, they seem unable to actually cure the phage to begin with.
• Asshole Victim : Their first appearance was stealing Neelix's lungs, something not even he deserved, and Janeway only let them go after warning if they attacked Voyager in the future, she would shoot first and ask questions never. Their later appearances involved killing Mauve Shirt and wearing his face, performing live experimentation on B'Elanna, and being entirely too excited to learn they had a new mother and newborn baby within their grasp. Suffice to say fans have very little sympathy for any Vidiian not named Danara Pel.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror : The Phage has ravaged their culture's morals as well as their bodies, since the increasingly-extreme measures they constantly undertake to survive having the flesh melt off their bones day by day has ground away at them.
• Deadly Doctor : Vidiians wield a surgical instrument as a weapon. It acts as a combination phaser, medical tricorder, and transporter tag.
• Driven to Villainy : The Vidiians are driven to their organ raids out of extreme desperation; before the Phage struck, they were a peaceful and cultured race of scientists.
• Facial Horror : The current crop no longer even remotely resemble their original selves.
• Meaningful Name : The name for the disease comes from Greek φᾰγεῖν phagein, which means "to eat." The organs of people suffering from the Phage literally devour themselves.
• Misapplied Phlebotinum : The Vidiians are able to split hybrid humanoids into fully functional beings. Doing so, they should be able to create as many organs as possible to meet their needs, or cure the Phage.
• Mix-and-Match Man : Their bodies are patchwork of different alien skins — anything they can lay their hands on.
• Organ Theft : Trying to cure the phage has become an obsession with the Vidiians and many of their politicians and scientists have never developed compassion for the people that keep them alive. Scenes of them walking through the ship, gunning redshirts down and cataloguing their organs for later extraction are appalling (with the EMH trying to help a pregnant women proving to be particularly tense).
• Something We Forgot : The Phage was eventually cured by the same alien "Think Tank" which tried to recruit Seven, but Voyager had long since passed Vidiian space by then.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show : Their makeup and modus operandi is rather grotesque compared to the rest of the show, even compared to all of the many visually and morally unappealing Rubber-Forehead Aliens that litter the show. In the aptly-titled "Faces", one of the Vidiians steals a goldshirt's face and applies it over his own in an evident attempt to appeal to a romantic partner.
• Weaponized Teleportation : With their hand-held weapons, Vidiian organ harvesters can zap a victim and "beam" organs straight from their bodies.
• Was Once a Man : The Vidiians are introduced as a race of Frankenstein's monsters, composed of a grotesque patchwork of body parts taken from other species, which in turn are deteriorating due to the phage. It's fairly jarring when in a later episode they compile a holographic recreation of what a healthy, uninfected Vidiian would look like: they basically look like humans , without even much Rubber-Forehead Alien going on. Their hairline is a bit taller (sort of a reverse-widow's peak), and they have a slight forehead ridge, a single line extending up from the nose to their hairline, but otherwise, like humans. The contrast lets you see just how badly the phage has ravaged their bodies (compared to if a healthy Vidiian looked like a Klingon or a Ferengi). They make the holographic recreation so they can interact with a comatose female Vidiian doctor (linking her brain to the holo-projectors). Even though her brain will die if it stays hooked up to the holo-projectors for more than a few weeks, for a time she seriously considers that living for a few weeks as a healthy person would be preferable to a long life trapped in her decaying, patchwork body. She also apologizes that the Vidiians were driven to their organ-snatching by utter desperation, until after a while many of them just stopped caring where they got the parts from.

• "Ass" in Ambassador : They have the half-placating, half-goading attitude of somebody who's very close to royalty. Also, they're immune to almost all forms of poison, a trait the Founders implemented into their "recipe." One can only speculate how many Vorta were bumped off before they got the hint.
• Bandwagon Technique : One of the arguments they use when trying to persuade people over to the dark side- I mean, the Dominion.
• Because You Were Nice to Me : The Vorta believe, perhaps apocryphally, that they previously existed as timid, ape-like aliens living in hollowed-out trees. Legend has it that one day, a family of Vorta hid a Changeling from an angry mob of "solids" that were pursuing it. In return, the Changeling promised that one day they would be transformed into powerful beings and placed at the head of a vast interstellar empire; the Founders kept their word by gene-sequencing the Vorta into humanoids (at the cost of dampening their senses, such as sight and smell) to be employed as their tools of conquest.
• Blessed with Suck : Vorta only have a ridiculously limited sense of taste, a feature installed in their genes to remind them of their humble origins. They generally have no appreciation for art. Combine that with an intrinsic belief in the Founders as gods, bad eyesight, and zero sex life, and the Vorta might have been happier as monkeys.
• Brain Uploading : The Changelings succeeded in being able to clone people with everything intact, including memory. Bradley Thompson ( DS9 writer and co-producer on Battlestar Galactica ) hypothesized, "...they download their memories every so often into some kind of 'brain jar.' It's just like backing up a computer program. You still have what you had the previous time you backed it up. But if you had a bad disk or something like that, it's going to be a corrupted copy."
• Came Back Wrong : The cloning process has a few bugs in the personality area, meaning sometimes the clone isn't an exact match for their predecessor. They're a bit reluctant to broadcast this fact.
• Vorta clothing always features a flashy Arabian pattern on the robe or undershirt, again piggybacking on the Jihadist undertones of the Founders.
• Cloning Gambit : Each Vorta has several clones on standby at all times, all of whom share their predecessor's memories. The main Vorta of the series, Weyoun, was actually the fourth one when he first appeared. He was on his eighth life when the base holding his clones was destroyed, and was finally Out of Continues when Garak shot him in the finale.
• Compulsive Liar : A common characteristic. While it does catch people off guard, anyone who has dealt with the Vorta more than once quickly learns not to trust them. On a number of occasions, this lack of trustworthiness seems bafflingly detrimental, notably in "The Ship", but when you consider who they work for ...
• Cyanide Pill : The termination implant; they are supposed to activate it immediately upon capture, but not all do. Apparently the Founders made them a little too devious.
• "You know Captain, if I'd had just two more vials of White, you never would have had a chance." – a Vorta's gratitude.
• Dr. Feelgood : A Vorta and his ever-present drug suitcase. In addition to organizing troops and waiting on the Founders, a Vorta's main job is distributing ketracel-white — the drug which ensures the loyalty of the Jem'Hadar — to his assigned unit. Not the safest job in the universe.
• Evil Counterpart Race : A species of pointy-eared, conflict-averse diplomats and academics like the Vulcans, but with their Manipulative Bastard tendencies and cultural superiority complex dialed up signficantly.
• Expendable Clone : Part of the Vorta's schtick was that they were grown as clones and had the memories of their identical predecessor imprinted on them. Their Changeling bosses are not above killing them en masse just to motivate the next Vorta in line to work a little harder.
• Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon : It's been observed how the ugly aliens in Star Trek are always the evil ones, whereas the humanoid aliens are treated more sympathetically. The Xindi-Reptilians are the most aggressive faction on ENT, for example, whereas the Xindi-Primates are more cautious. Now look at what DS9 did so well when presenting its antagonists. When the viewer first meets the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta, the audience's sympathy lies with the Vorta because it looks more humanoid and helpless. As the show goes on, however, the viewer realizes that the Jem'Hadar are actually more capable of honor and a degree of empathy than the Vorta are.
• Fanservice with a Smile : In "The Ship", Kilana kept calling time-outs in the midst of battle to offer refreshments to Sisko's twitchy crew.
• Fashionable Asymmetry : The standard attire for men and women, usually a tunic or jacket with a crooked collar and missing sleeve. Weyoun wears a sort of two-toned, double-breasted jacket: The right half is solid (brown or blue leather, for that extra touch of sleaze), while the left half is sleeveless and made from cloth.
• Faux Affably Evil : Vorta are jerks and relish the suffering of races who defied Dominion rule. The big smile is just a pretense. Weyoun: This is a momentous day. You and I have just taken the first step towards insuring peace between our peoples. ( smash cut to Captain's Office) Sisko: They're going to attack. [...] The moment I said we were not going to remove the mine we both knew there'd be war. Everything else was just words, a feeble attempt to lull the other into a false sense of security.
• Food as Bribe : For some reason, when latinum and flattery doesn't work, Vorta resort to using cuisine as a bargaining tactic.
• Flaunting Your Fleets : A lone Vorta is no threat at all, but can very well have a swarm of Jem'Hadar ships and ground units at their disposal.
• General Failure : Despite being accorded positions of authority in the Dominion, their aptitude for military matters is practically non-existent. The strict hierarchy of the Dominion states that a Jem'Hadar can't question the orders of any Vorta, even if they're clearly wrongheaded or cruel (such as the Vorta abandoning his entire unit to save himself). Pop quiz: Which of the two races are bred for war , and which is a colorblind wimp who won't even touch a phaser?
• Goggles Do Something Unusual : The Jem'Hadar don't include viewscreens on their ships: rather they use a headseat eyepiece (picture an alien buying his Google glasses in installments…) that allows them to observe what's going on outside the hull. There are two headsets allotted to each ship: One for the Vorta, and another for his Jem'Hadar "First." Cardassians and Bajorans are able to use them with ease, but the headsets can cause splitting headaches for humans after a while. Garak : It's like having a viewscreen inside your brain.
• Happiness in Slavery : Exemplified when Odo tells a Weyoun that Vorta and Jem'Hadar only view Changelings as gods because they're programmed to. Weyoun's response? "Of course. That's what gods do ."
• Henchmen Race : They exist for no other reason than to the serve the whole, but unlike the Borg, it's a one-way street. The chain of authority doesn't care for their input. The same goes for the Jem'Hadar.
• Like a God to Me : They're programmed to worship the Founders as gods, and no amount of pointing out they're not (and are pretty lacking on the Sufficiently Advanced Aliens front compared to some of the beings Starfleet have met) will change their minds.
• Manchild : When they're not being devious, they can come across as curious and easily excited about new things, which complements their youthful appearance.
• Mean Boss : A lot of Vorta are pretty awful to their Jem'Hadar troops, but usually the First specifically, since he's the only one they have the authority to chide. Most times, the Jem'Hadar just bear it, though in Weyoun's first appearance, he got vaporized after mouthing off one time too many.
• Mouth of Sauron : Every Vorta takes directions from one of the shadowy Founders, then relays them to those further down the chain. Chatting with a Vorta is the closest most people will ever get to meeting the Founders.
• The Napoleon : Vorta have cooler heads than the Andorians, but on the demerit side, they tend to be arrogant and petty, without a sense of honour. The tallest one we see is Yelgrun, played by Iggy Pop (admittedly something of a invoked miscasting according to Word of God). In general, they come across as Hobbits IN SPACE : they look affable, with their youthful appearances and piercing blue-white eyes, but just underneath the surface lie generous helpings of cruelty and deceptiveness.
• The Neidermeyer : Vorta are particularly callous and cruel toward their soldiers. Sometimes the Jem'Hadar get fed up and vaporize them, but more often they keep a stiff upper lip and take it. Sisko: I was on a mission with the Jem'Hadar once—before the war, of course. They were good. Tough, professional. It was an honour to serve with them. But their Vorta, (grimaces at the memory) ...he was something different.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse : The baseline bargaining tactic for enrolling new planets into the Dominion. Robert Hewitt Wolfe put it succinctly: "Hey, you're nice people, here's some M-16s and some popcorn, and whatever else you want baby, alcohol, fire-water? All you have to do is sign this little contract and we'll make you cool.' Then there's the Jem'Hadar. So the Vorta say, 'Oh, you don't want to play ball? Then meet these guys. They're gonna kick your asses."
• Sycophantic Servant : In fact, this trope is the hat of the entire Vorta race. They were genetically altered to regard the Founders of the Dominion as living gods. They are well aware of this, and take it in stride. After all, doesn't the Bible say that God created man to serve Him? Weyoun: What's the point of being a god if there's no one to worship you?
• They Killed Kenny : If one Vorta gets killed, the Founders usually just clone him or her again.
• Trademark Favorite Food : They enjoy kava nuts and rippleberries, as they did before they were genetically engineered, but little else.
• Transhuman : They were, supposedly, uplifted from ape-like beings into what they are now by the Changelings. The other main Dominion race, the Jem'Hadar, are also genetically tailored by the Changelings into loyal super-soldiers; it's possible they originated from a more pacifist race.
• Undying Loyalty : The Vorta will do anything — even die — for the sake of the Founders.
• You Are Number 6 : How else do you keep count? Damar: Clones. Keeping track of 'em's a full-time job.
• Younger Than They Look : Many Vorta, being clones, are younger than they look. Consider Weyoun, who has a propensity for getting killed (often). Many of the Weyoun clones are merely months or even weeks old when we meet them, and some have lifespans shorter than a year.

Homeworld: Vulcan (or Ni'Var) The original Space Elves , and Trek 's most iconic alien race, famous for their strict adherence to logic and reason. They were the first extraterrestrial species to make First Contact with Humans. They offered huge assistance to a devastated post-World War III Earth, enabling the elimination of world poverty, disease and crime. Nevertheless, many humans still cannot bear their pointy ears ; their arrogance; their freezer-temperature sex drives (Vulcans get freaky approximately once every seven years). Vulcans appear in all seven Trek series, four of which feature a Vulcan or a half-Vulcan as a crewmember.

• After the End : Like humans, the Vulcans were once a warlike species who decimated their planet with nuclear weapons before becoming enlightened.
• Alien Blood : Green, on account of being copper based. It's also a lot chillier than human blood, according to McCoy .
• Alien Non-Interference Clause : They left pre-warp planets alone before the Federation established the Prime Directive.
• Antiquated Linguistics : The non-Spock Vulcans seen in the original series speak in somewhat archaic forms; Sarek introducing Amanda as "she who is my wife", while T'Pau goes all the way up to "thees" and "thous". Later depictions walk back on this, with Vulcans just speaking in more formal language, though Sarek still introduces his wives the same way.
• Arranged Marriage : Vulcan marriages are determined at birth. If, for whatever reason, the female does not want to go through with the marriage, then the ceremony of koon-ut-kal-if-fee ("marriage or challenge") is invoked: The male fights for the right to keep his mate against a challenger of her choosing. This is a Duel to the Death .
• The Atoner : They were once a Proud Warrior Race that was probably even fiercer then Klingons or humans . Horror at the results of this made them turn to the teachings of Surak and follow the rather painful creed of the time of the show to control their violent emotions. And Romulans are Vulcans who did not follow Surak. Although they are not as aggressive as their ancestors, either, they are a warlike, militaristic society.
• Bad Samaritan : Vulcans were concerned that we could either be powerful allies or end up like the Klingons. They banked on the latter, and sat back and watched as Florida was obliterated.
• Badass Bookworm : A Vulcan's idea of a wild night is thirteen hours of meditation followed by a seaweed TV dinner. You could probably take one of these weenies in a fight... right? Sisko : I, uh, ended up in the Infirmary with a separated shoulder, two cracked ribs and a very bruised ego. Kassidy : HAHAHAHAHA
• Beware the Quiet Ones : The Vulcans may at times seem like the nerds of the Federation, but they will be violent and ruthless if it's the logical thing to do. Star Trek: Discovery revealed that Vulcan's early contacts with the Klingons often involved immediately opening fire since logic dictated that was the only way to win the Klingons' respect.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing : In spite of their famed logical stoicism, Vulcans are extremely catty when they want to be, and in fact tend to be so more often than not, although this is more common with guest characters like Spock's bullies or Solok than main characters.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : A Vulcan's heart is located on the right side of the torso, in between the ribs and pelvis. Dr. McCoy : He's lucky that his heart is where his liver should be, or he'd be dead!
• The Vulcans are always the heavies in Star Trek: Enterprise , hiding behind religious piety while secretly harboring deep-seated racist and totalitarian beliefs. Indeed, their temple on P'Jem, the most sacred of Vulcan monasteries, is where their covert surveillance apparatus is stashed. In "Twilight" (which took place in an apocalyptic future), T'Pol speculates that her government deliberately withheld technology from Earth for 100 years to leave them utterly dependent on Vulcan and unable to defend themselves. When coupled with the Vulcans' treatment of other races (including half-breeds), this paints them in an especially negative light, much like the Visitors of V who pretended to offer friendship to humans while secretly pursuing their own agenda. This was a sticking point with some fans.
• Yet another invoked Author's Saving Throw was hatched by producer Manny Coto to explain why 23rd century Vulcans are so dramatically different, revealing that the Head of Vulcan High Command, V'Las, had actually be conspiring with the Romulans to reunite their people. Romulans being Romulans, this entailed stirring up trouble and souring relations between Vulancs and other races. Furthermore, the aborted Season Five was planned to cover the Earth-Romulan War, possibly leading into an Enemy Mine scenario that would've worked well to smooth over Vulcan's rocky relationships with other races.
• Character Tics : The Vulcan salute, usually accompanied with the phrases "Live long and prosper" and "Peace and long life." Nimoy based it on a Jewish blessing representing the Hebrew letter Shin (ש).
• Church Militant : The Syrannites are this for Vulcans. Subverted as it's revealed that instead of the radical terrorists they're portrayed as by the Vulcan High Command, they're actually be a peaceful movement who desire to return the Vulcans back to the original teachings of Surak. And they succeed.
• The Complainer Is Always Wrong : The Vulcan Science Academy spent much of Enterprise dubbing things like time-travel "impossible." This is despite the fact that their first rule of metaphysics is "nothing unreal exists."
• Cultural Rebel : The V'tosh ka'tur is a small group of Vulcans who embrace both emotions and logic.
• Death World : Vulcans are a pretty tough bunch, but given Vulcan itself, that might not be much of a surprise. The planet largely consists of deserts filled with giant bear-like creatures, the weather is volatile, the oxygen is pretty thin, and there's a good deal of active volcanoes around.
• Depending on the Writer : Much like the Time Lords in Doctor Who , the attitude of Vulcans can vary wildly. In the 23rd century, the Vulcans whom Kirk encounters are stuffy bureaucratic types, barring "Amok Time" which examines the contradictory nature of the Vulcan psyche. A few are mildly antagonistic. In Star Trek VI , Valeris conspired to kill the Klingon Chancellor and the Federation President —a twist which spawned multiple " Fix Fic " novels explaining how Valeris hadn't been 'trained' properly—without the knowledge of the Vulcan High Command. At their worst, the Vulcans in DS9 and VOY are at best condescending jerks.
• Duel to the Death : Oddly all duels we have seen never resulted in a death, guess they didn't feel like changing the name.
• E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi : The ENT episode "Carbon Creek" implies that Velcro was given to us by stranded Vulcans.
• Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity : Vulcans prefer the lirpa as a weapon during ceremonial combat. It's a staff with a fan-shaped blade on one end and a hefty counter-weight on the other, good for slashing or bludgeoning enemies.
• Fantastic Racism : Despite their devotion to logic and being one of the founding members of the Federation, this, surprisingly, is not uncommon on their approach towards a foreign species, especially Humans. This perhaps comes to show that Vulcans, while intellectually prominent, are not by any means flawless. Now, to be fair, Vulcans, like any other race, can be on the receiving end of this as well. Slurs like "pointy," "pointy-eared" or "green-blooded" have been used to refer to them. Some don't like the Vulcans merely because they find some of them to be uncompromising and stubborn at times and thus assume all Vulcans are like that.
• Feel No Pain : Vulcans are substantially more resilient to anything that harms or afflicts humans and other humanoids. In "Kir'Shara", Soval says this is because their mental disciplines allow them to suppress pain.
• Fluffy Tamer : Vulcans keep sehlats as pets. Sehlats are large mammals which Spock's mother refers to as "a fat teddy-bear with teeth." It looks like the combination of a bear and a set of knives. They might not actually be fully domesticated, given T'Pol's comments on how Vulcan children are never late with their sehlat's dinner.
• Good Is Impotent : Zig-zagged. The Romulans, having embraced war and avarice, also lost the ability to pull off mind melds or nerve pinches. On the other hand however, the Romulans don't appear to be susceptible to severe emotional disorders to the same degree as Vulcans, and have not been evidenced experiencing anything like pon farr . More pressingly, the Romulans despite starting with a smaller population are clearly far more powerful in terms of sheer military might than the Vulcans, being able to convincingly oppose the Federation, which is basically the Vulcans plus a hundred other weak species.
• Hates Being Touched : Justified due to their telepathic abilities. And since the palm is the focal point of mind melds, it's rare for a Vulcan to even shake your hand.
• Hate Plague : Bendii Syndrome, a condition that can afflict Vulcans over the age of two hundred, causing their telepathy to start broadcasting their repressed emotions outward, while at the same time they lose control of the ones that stay put. And at two hundred years old, that's a lot of repressed emotions. There Is No Cure , either.
• Heavyworlder : Due to evolving on a harsh desert heavy-gravity world, Vulcans have about three times normal human strength and, combined with their high degree of mental control over their bodies, can withstand a number of environmental hazards much better than humans can.
• Hive Mind : TOS implied on two occasions that Vulcans have some form of low-key connection to each other. First, when a ship crewed entirely by Vulcans is destroyed and Spock senses their death, and second when Spock is sent back in time before the race adopted Surak's teachings and began to behave as the savage Vulcans of the time did.
• Insufferable Genius : Do not argue with a Vulcan. You will lose. Quark however, managed to successfully out-logic a Vulcan by applying a capitalist variation of game theory to conflict resolution, which goes to show that it is possible.
• Kryptonite Factor : Long-term exposure to trellium-D not only strips them of emotional control, it's turned them into mindlessly-violent shamblers.
• Kung-Fu Jesus : Vulcan's answer to Jesus and Moses, a wise man named Surak, saved the species by devising a new philosophy based on logic. Surak concluded that the root of the problems on Vulcan lay in the uncontrolled outpouring of its peoples' emotions. Although this new ideology spread rapidly across Vulcan, a minority known as "those who march beneath the Raptor's wings" rejected Surak's message. A destructive war began including the use of atomic bombs, and among the victims was Surak himself.
• Laser-Guided Karma : The Vulcans refuse to lend Humanity any aid during the Xindi Incident, even though the Earth is facing certain destruction should the Xindi attack again. With the loss of Earth, human civilization would be pushed back a few centuries, thereby keeping us off the galactic stage and out of the Vulcans' hair. The destruction of Vulcan in the new Kelvin Timeline of Star Trek (2009) could be considered severe karmic payback for this.
• Living Memory : Some Vulcans can "cheat death" by implanting their katra — essentially their memory — into another person via mind-meld ( "Rememberrrr..." ). Dr. Bashir in the episode "The Passenger" explains this away as " synaptic pattern displacement ."
• Long-Lived : There are instances of them living over two hundred and twenty years. Spock is 157 when he goes back in time and ends up trapped in an Alternate Reality TOS-Era. note  Having died in 2263 in Star Trek Beyond , his final age was approximately 162. Some have speculated his half-Human genealogy may have shortened his Vulcan lifespan.
• Mate or Die : Every seven years, Vulcan males and females experience an overpowering mating drive known as pon farr , often focused on a single object of desire (or a holographic facsimile thereof). Once triggered, Vulcans must have sexual contact with someone , or else face insanity and death. If a mate is not available, there are other ways to relieve the effects of the pon farr . The first is meditation; The second is violence. This is seen in the Voyager episode "Blood Fever", when B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Vorik fight in the traditional Vulcan manner. The violence ends the pon farr. The other option is extreme shock; in the TOS episode "Amok Time", Spock believed he had killed James T. Kirk, his "best friend," thus providing sufficient shock to nullify the effects of pon farr.
• The Vulcan Mind Meld has some limited aspects of a Mental Fusion , most notably that the exchange of thoughts through the psychic connection defaults to being two-way unless the Vulcan is adept enough to maintain full control over the meld.
• Few can handle the high-grade emotions of a Vulcan getting beamed directly into their skull. Vulcans respect this, and usually don't perform melds on an unwilling victim. Usually.
• Somebody as logic-bound as Tuvok needs a reasonable motive for Lon Suder's (a psychopath) crime. It highlights his lack of understanding of emotional behavior in that he does not consider 'I didn't like the way he looked at me' as a good enough reason. He wants to mind meld with Suder because he thinks that it will give the killer some peace in his mind, and Tuvok will gain some valuable insight on how to prevent crimes on the ship. What he fails to realize is it's a trade off: If Suder gains some of Tuvok's inner peace then of course Tuvok will be infected by Suder's inner turmoil.
• My Skull Runneth Over : Picard's decision to perform a mind meld with Sarek to conceal the Vulcan's growing senility. It's probably the riskiest thing we ever see him do. If it goes wrong there is every possibility that he could be afflicted by the same mental illness. He admits to feelings of apprehension about the process but even he couldn't predict the outpouring of such a forceful regrets and feelings that would nuke his mind. It's uncomfortable to watch and reveals many of Sarek's inner demons to the audience. Picard nearly has a stroke from the wild flux of emotions: sinister, giddy, sleazy, and bitter all in the span of a minute or two. He had to endure that for hours. Patrick Stewart got a migraine from filming this scene.
• Named After Their Planet : The planet Vulcan, although it was later re-named Ni'Var.
• Neat Freak : Vulcans do not like to touch their food with their hands, preferring to use utensils whenever possible. Even if it's a breadstick.
• Nerves of Steel : Vulcans are chill dudes. According to McCoy , Spock (and presumably all Vulcans) have almost no blood pressure. With an average body temperature of 91°F, they don't even need to sweat . ("That green ice water you call blood!")
• The Nose Knows : According to Enterprise , Vulcan noses are particularly sensitive, which makes things difficult being around all those smelly humans, to the extent they have to take nasal numbing agents just to get through the day.
• No Sense of Humor : Vulcans are renowned for this, although many of them are Deadpan Snarkers instead. They would arguably be the most deadpan of snarkers, ever.
• Not So Stoic : Even though Vulcans pride themselves on being The Stoic via Emotion Suppression , there are times when sufficient stimuli (such as a powerfully traumatic event, or the onset of the pon farr ) can break a Vulcan's self-control.
• Out of Focus : They rarely appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation . This was a deliberate choice by Gene Roddenberry to differentiate TNG from The Original Series . They don't appear much in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine either.
• The Paralyzer : Vulcan Nerve Pinch. This is not a canonical name for the attack, but the writers on VOY finally caved and had Tom refer to it by that name. This move is not, in fact, exclusive to Vulcans only: at least one non-Vulcan character per show has mastered it, usually the replacement Spock (Data, Odo, Seven of Nine). Picard also acquired the ability after mind-melding with Sarek.
• Vulcans need to keep their emotions in check, or else they risk turning into raving lunatics.
• To the extent that a Vulcan can be driven utterly insane by the horrors of war , become a deranged serial killer, yet never once give up the sincere belief that what they are doing is complete and utterly logical ( DS9 : "Field of Fire").
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage : Vulcan marriages are arranged at birth and, for the most part, tend to have quite happy marriages, although they will break off the marriage if it isn't.
• Please Select New City Name : Following the Vulcan-Romulan re-unification, the planet Vulcan was renamed Ni'Var, which means "two form" (in reference to the two cultures now sharing the planet).
• Rage Breaking Point : Vulcans have to live with this trope, due to their culture of logic over emotion. They spend years training to keep them in check, but when anything breaks that control down, Vulcans can become as violent as their ancestors were.
• Realpolitik : As one might expect, Vulcan foreign policy tends to lean toward ruthless pragmatism, particularly back in the early 22nd century when they were under a military government. Syrran : Vulcans do not lie. Archer : I've dealt with the High Command. Vulcans can lie and cheat with the best of them.
• Repression Never Ends Well : A double-edged sword. For Vulcans, repressing their emotions is necessary because the alternative has been demonstrably proven as so much worse. Problem is, when difficulties with that repression arise, Vulcans get reluctant to talk about to outsiders out of embarrassment (a very emotional reaction) and try to repress it further, often leaving them ill-equipped to deal with it when "ignore the emotions and hope they go away" isn't an option.
• Screw You, Elves! : The only loveable Vulcans in Star Trek are the ones already affiliated with Starfleet or other organizations within the Federation, and even then they can be pretty rude. Native Vulcans are brusque, speciesist, and rather uncooperative in their relations with other races. They barely mask their low regard for the illogical aliens they begrudgingly work with. Vulcans also discriminate against those who marry outside of the race.
• Single-Biome Planet : Vulcan is almost entirely arid, although Star Trek: Discovery sometimes subverts this by depicting lush vegetation on the surface.
• The Sleepless : Downplayed. They still need sleep, but can go for ten days without it.
• The Smart Guy : Vulcans are the most scholarly among the Alien races, being mathematically and scientifically proficient. The Vulcan Science Academy is the most advanced and prestigious educational and research institute in the Federation.
• The Spock : Trope Namers , makers , and codifiers .
• Spock Speak : Vulcans speak in a low, dull monotone and generally avoid using contractions.
• Stereotype Flip : In the 32nd Century, Vulcans are now insular and suspicious like Romulans, while Romulans have in turn become more open and understanding. Interestingly, the Vulcans, one of the four founding races of the Federation, tended to be the ones more in favor of seceding after The Burn, while their newly reunified Romulan brethern were more in favor.
• Strange Salute : The Vulcan greeting is holding the hand up straight and spreading the fingers out, but keeping the index and middle finger touching, and the same with the ring finger and pinky.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality : A solid Type 2. Just because they're governed by logic doesn't mean they are a hive mind. A Vulcan can 'reason' themselves all the way into, for example, committing treason ( Star Trek VI ) or running guns for Maquis settlers ( DS9 : "The Maquis"), if it seems logical to do so. Gul Dukat: You believe her? Why? Because Vulcans don't lie? Sisko: As a rule, they don't. Gul Dukat: They don't blow up ships, either , "as a rule."
• Super-Strength : Vulcans are about three times as strong as an average human, owing to Vulcan's higher gravity — although a phaser blast will still take one down easily.
• The Teetotaler : For obvious reasons, Vulcans are said not to drink alcohol, although they are depicted indulging for ceremonial rituals or when the storyline warrants. In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Repression", Humans and Vulcans are shown drinking a Vulcan alcoholic drink called "Vulcan Brandy." A Vulcan's constitution is probably immune to our comparatively weak alcohol. Spock : My father's race was spared the dubious benefits of alcohol. McCoy : Now I know why they were conquered.
• Telepathy : Although they are most often shown using Touch Telepathy , Vulcans have demonstrated other forms of telepathy, even Mind Control , on occasion.
• Took a Level in Jerkass : In the prequel series Enterprise , the Vulcans are presented as quasi-antagonists for the first three seasons, foiling Earth's attempts to explore the Quadrant. Season Four revealed a militaristic sect had taken over and was colluding with Romulus to conquer Vulcan.
• Touch Telepathy : The famous Vulcan Mind Meld, which is so well known in popular culture that the term is often used to describe Touch Telepathy generally. Some Vulcans with very advanced skill can use telepathy without touch, but this often requires great effort or that the target also be telepathic.
• Tranquil Fury : Contrary to what one might assume from their stoic personalities, Vulcans are a race that are constantly reigning in their passions. It was those passions that led to a devastating global war, and it is those same passions they chose to restrain in the pursuit of logic and reason. In Voyager , when Tuvok confronts a telepathic criminal who essentially sells negative emotions like drugs, he gives him a taste of just how extremely and utterly bloody pissed a Vulcan can be when the criminal attempts to force a mind-meld, essentially causing the foul villain to overdose on Tuvok's rage . And then, of course, there is pon farr .
• Unusual Ears : The distinct Pointy Ears of Vulcans are often lampshaded by bob-earred humans. Soval: What is their fixation with our ears? T'Pol: I believe they are envious.
• One of the early TOS novels postulated that Vulcans were vegetarians partly because the herbivores previously used as meat died off during Surak's time.
• The most common reason given for their vegetarianism is the same one that led them to pacifism. They are such a violent and destructive race that they have to go to extreme lengths to not destroy themselves/conquer the universe/destroy the universe. This includes eating spinach, rather than sating their bloodlust with meat.
• However, it's mentioned that the Rite of Ta'loth involves young Vulcans being sent into the desert armed only with a ritual blade, implying that when push comes to shove, they will eat meat in order to survive. Unless these deserts are commonly populated with aforementioned Man-Eating Plant , of course.
• Will Not Tell a Lie : Vulcans have a reputation for being truthful, both in and out of universe, but this is rarely the case. It's more that they won't lie unnecessarily ; if they do find it necessary to do so they are perfectly capable of doing so, and are quite good at it , even when not employing Double Speak and half truths . *The Wrath of Khan* Saavik: ( raises eyebrow ) You lied. Spock: I exaggerated . *The Undiscovered Country* Spock: A lie? Valeris: A choice.
• Calvinball : Learn as you go games where the tasks seem to be generated at random and require the player to intuit what's going on, if they can.
• First Contact : Not exactly Starfleet's most triumphant example. The Wadi delegation immediately heads to Quark's and spends several hours there cleaning him out, before trapping much of the station's command crew in one of their games. When confronted about putting several people through emotional turmoil, they laugh it off and leave.
• Human Aliens : Much less rubber forehead-y than any of the Gamma cultures that would follow, looking like humans with markings on their heads.
• Planet of Hats : An entire society of gamers.
• Poor Communication Kills : Wadi apparently don't feel the need to explain to people that despite appearances their games are not actually fatal; on losing players get transported back out.
• Troll : Trapping people in games they don't understand. While the games aren't fatal, they never give anyone a head's up, much less ask if they want to play the games. Lower Decks suggests they're still at it several years after the Dominion War. By this point, Starfleet's reaction seems to be annoyance. Boimler: You're always trapping people in games! Stop trapping people in games!

• Art Evolution : The Xindi-Insectoids returned in the Star Trek: Discovery episode "...But to Connect." Their depiction is much more humanoid while having distinct insectoid features.
• There are six Xindi races, all of which evolved on the same planet, which are stated to be "about as genetically different as humans and Neanderthals". Two of the races are a human-like one and a humanoid sloth-like race. Primates and sloths are loosely related in that they are both mammals. The next is an aquatic dolphin/seal-like race. Okay, maybe an aquatic ape adapted to living in the sea. The Xindi-Avians went extinct in the war that destroyed their homeworld so we never got to see one (a giraffe skull was used to represent their skull). But... the Xindi-Reptilians are blatantly lizard-men, yet are still "about as different from the Xindi-Humanoids and Xindi-Arboreals (sloths) as humans and Neanderthals". The Xindi-Insectoids are, further, vaguely humanoid insects. Vertebrates and arthropods are not that closely related.
• A humanoid-sized insect would be unlikely to be evolutionarily viable, at least on a planet presumed to be roughly equivalent in gravity and atmospheric pressure to Earth. The reason exoskeletons are common among small insects, but rarely seen in organisms larger than a tortoise, is because the Square-Cube Law is not kind to them at larger sizes. Though the Xindi-Insectoids don't get a lot of on-screen action, it is enough to show that they are faster and more durable than they ought to be compared to their endoskeletal cousins.
• Beauty Equals Goodness : More or less. The Primate and Arboreal Xindi (the two closest to humans) are the ones who take Archer's side, while the Reptilians and Insectoids (definitely not human-like) continue the campaign to destroy Earth. The Aquatics come closest to inverting this trope, as they're not humanoid but keep the coolest heads and eventually join Archer.
• The Primates are seen as the most honest and trustworthy Xindi species. It was a Primate scientist who designed the planet-destroying weapons intended for Earth, albeit reluctantly.
• The Aquatics, characterized as being perpetually cool-headed, have by far the largest and most powerful warships in the Xindi fleet.
• Big Creepy-Crawlies : The Insectoids are giant ants.
• Dying Race : Between the loss of their homeworld, their constant in-fighting , and the Negative Space Wedgies slowly consuming the Expanse, they're having a tough time keeping themselves alive. The events of Enterprise resolve the latter problem, at least.
• Earth-Shattering Kaboom : Their century-long civil war ended when the Reptilians and Insectoids, who were losing, set off explosions in Xindus' fault lines that shattered the planet .
• Hot-Blooded : The Reptilians are perpetually grouchy, making even the most bad-tempered Klingon look mellow.
• Kill All Humans : They went through a phase of this during Enterprise 's third season, convinced that humans would one day do the same to them.
• Jerkass : The reptilians, to a man... er, lizard. An old arboreal saying claims that arguing with them is like arguing with the sun - you accomplish nothing and come away burned.
• Made of Iron : Reptillians can shrug off the stun setting of phasers.
• Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering : And how . Even when united in wanting to wipe out Humanity, they simply cannot stop arguing. First it was about what methods, form and delivery the attack should take, then after they fixed on the Planet Killer design, they began arguing about when and how it should be deployed. And even after the idea of a bio-weapon was rejected, the Reptilians still pursued it behind the council's back.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat : The Aquatics have this as their Hat . One Primate councilor recalls a minor incident during which it took the Aquatic councilors six days to agree to attend the meeting . He does, however, credit them with being a voice of reason more often than not.
• Planet of Hats : Reptilians, Insectoids, and Aquatics are aggressive, impulsive, and deliberate, respectively.
• Space Nomads : The survivors of their homeworld's destruction wander the Delphic Expanse, occassionally setting up shop on various planets for a time but lacking a true world to call their own.
• Token Evil Teammate : The Reptilians are the most outright aggressive of all the Xindi species, and are typically the ones leading the charge when it comes to attacking humanity. Following them are the Insectoids, who tend to work with the Reptilians (until the Reptilians get so extreme that even the Insectoids have second thoughts ).
• Two-Keyed Lock : Each species has a set of command codes. Three out of five are needed to activate the Weapon.
• The Unintelligible : The Insectoids and the Aquatics don't speak the same language as everyone else. The Insectoids speak in clicks and hisses, and the Aquatics in whale-song like noises (although the Aquatics do learn to speak English via translator).
• Well-Intentioned Extremist : The Xindi were tricked into believing that humanity would wipe them out in a few centuries, hence their attempts to exterminate us.
• What Happened to the Mouse? : As a result of debuting in a series set before all other ones but produced after the bulk of the ones it's a prequel to. They were some of Earth's most prominent enemies from its early days of exploration, and are never heard from again past the 22nd century (outside of the Star Trek Expanded Universe and Star Trek Beyond , anyway). According to Daniels, they do join The Federation at some point prior to the 26th century. The Xindi-Insectoid do finally make a reappearance in season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery and the Xindi-Reptilians make an appearance in Star Trek: Prodigy.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? : Arboreal Xindi don't like water. Reptilians dislike heights.
• Star Trek Species: E to M
• Characters/Star Trek Species
• Characters/Star Trek

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Image Fixer
• New Articles
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

Star Trek Universe

All related material from the Star Trek franchise.

All items (523)

• Adosian Slug

• Alvanian Bee
• Alvanian Cave Sloth
• Alvanian Spine Mite
• Alverian Dung Beetle
• Ana'siuolo

• Andorian Amoeba
• Andorian Bull
• Andorian Redbat

• Arcturian Dog Bird

• Automated Repair Station

• Bantan Tree

• Degebian Mountain Goat

• Denebian (Star Trek)

• Denobulan Lemur

• Droog-Beetle

Star Trek: The Essential Alien Species

In Star Trek ‘s opening narration, producers clearly established the show’s premise early on.

“… to seek out new life, and new civilizations …”

Star Trek is about exploration, and one of the most important parts of that mandate is the meeting of new and interesting alien species. Over the years, Star Trek and its spin-off shows have introduced us to dozens of unique alien races, each with their own look, history, and enduring characters.

Some of these species, like the Vulcans and the Klingons, have entered the greater realm of pop culture. Even people who are not fans of the series know about many of these alien species. The Vulcan nerve pinch and salute are ubiquitous within the science-fiction fan community and people endlessly parody it as well. Klingons are so well known that they have an official language, and fans have even translated some Shakespearean works into Klingon .

Here we take a look at some of the most enduring alien species of the Star Trek universe.

Alongside Humans, Vulcans, and Tellarites, the militaristic Andorians are one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets . A belligerent species, the Andorians shared a fraught history with the Vulcans. This history includes a protracted cold war that erupted into armed conflict on several occasions. The Andorian’s relations with the Humans were cemented by the respectful but antagonistic relationship between Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander Thy’lek Shran of the Imperial Guard .

The original series first introduced the Andorians, but it was not until Enterprise that they made their presence felt. Andorians hail from the frozen moon of Andoria. They have blue skin, white hair, and their most prominent trait is their twin antennae. The Andorians share their planet with a blind, telepathic subspecies known as the Aenar . With the Humans, Vulcans, and Tellarites, the Andorians were part of a multi-species effort to prevent a Romulan stealth raider from triggering wars between the alliance’s species. The alliance paved the way for the coalition that would become the United Federation of Planets.

Essential Episodes:  “ The Andorian Incident “, “ Shadows of P’Jem “, “ Kir’Shara “, “ Babel One “, “ United “, and “ The Aenar “.

Embodied by the half-Human Spock ,  Vulcans are possibly the franchise’s best known alien species. Stoic, logical, and seemingly emotionless, Vulcans embrace rational and carefully considered thought. Despite their reverence of logic, many Vulcan rituals involve spiritual elements. They have the ability to initiate telepathic mind melds , and their living spirit – or katra – can be transferred between Vulcans and even Humans.

Although many consider Vulcans emotionless, they insist that they feel emotions, they just do not let feelings control or influence their actions. Applying logic to a situation is always a Vulcan’s preferred method of approaching a situation. As a result, emotional responses from other species, especially Humans, often baffle them. Vulcans are one of the best represented alien species on Star Trek.  Three of the five series aired to date including Vulcan crew members including Spock in  Star Trek , Tuvok  in  Star Trek: Voyager , and T’Pol  in  Star Trek: Enterprise .

Essential Episodes:  “ Broken Bow “, “The Andorian Incident”, “ The Forge “, “ Awakening “, “Kir’Shara”, “ Amok Time “, and “ Sarek “.

Impatient, stubborn, pig-headed, and ugly, the Tellarites love a good argument. They consider it bad form to be polite to those they have recently met. Their preferred method of opening a conversation is through complaints and insults. In short, many consider the Tellarites to be excellent politicians. Tellarites were founding members of the United Federation of Planets, alongside the Humans, Vulcans, and Andorians.

Before the Federation’s formation, Tellarite relations with other races were less than cordial. A Romulan stealth raider threatened to incite war between the four species until a multi-species alliance was formed to track down and destroy the raider. Although introduced in the original series, Tellarites were not seen on screen again until Enterprise .

Essential Episodes:  “ Bounty “, “Babel One”, “United”, and “Journey to Babel”.

Klingons live for battle. The warrior spirit flows through them, and satisfaction of personal honor drives a Klingon’s life. They are formidable warriors, and there is nothing more honorable than victory. Klingons prefer close, personal combat using their edged weapons – the two-bladed bat’leth , the single bladed mek’leth , or the d’k tahg  dagger – to inflict damage on their enemies. Klingons build their starships for combat and arm them with torpedo launchers, disruptor banks and cloaking devices for sudden, swift attacks.

However, Klingons are not above compromising honor to preserve the Empire. The Klingon High Council willingly slandered the name of Worf’s father. High Council did this to avoid placing the public blame on the true culprit, the father of the politically powerful Duras . The Council believed that Worf’s status as a Starfleet officer would stop him from contesting the charges. So Worf accepted the  discommendation from the Klingon Empire to avoid a civil war. But the corruption ran deep, with Chancellors such as Gowron putting personal honor above the interests of the Empire. Some Klingons lamented the loss of other aspects of Klingon culture such as the legal profession for the way of the warrior.

Essential Episodes:  “Broken Bow”, “ Judgment “, “ Affliction “, “ Errand of Mercy “, “ The Trouble with Tribbles “, “ Day of the Dove “, “ Sins of the Father “, “ Redemption “, “ Blood Oath “, “ Way of the Warrior “, and “ Taking into the Wind “.

Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcan species, and share many of their physical traits. They occupy the twin worlds of Romulus and Remus , subjugating the native Remans . Their society is structured and ordered with a strong military, effective intelligence arm, and ruled by a representative Senate. Subterfuge and infiltration are key weapons in the Romulan arsenal. They possess powerful cloaking devices that allow their ships to move undetected through the galaxy and power their starships with artificial singularities.

Romulans are secretive and often work behind the scenes to destabilize their enemies. Romulan deceit and treachery is legendary. Despite fighting a war with Humans, the Federation did not know what a Romulan looked liked until the mid-22nd century. For much of the 23rd century, the Romulans cut themselves off from the galaxy. They broke their self-imposed isolation upon the destruction of their outposts along the Neutral Zone, possibly by the Borg.

Essential Episodes:  “ Minefield “, “Babel One”, “United”, “The Aenar”, “ Balance of Terror “, “ The Enterprise Incident “, “Unification”, “ In the Pale Moonlight “, and “ Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges “.

Initially introduced in The Next Generation , writers intended the Ferengi to be a new major recurring threat for the crew. Unfortunately, they did not resonate with fans and the production shelved plans to continue their development. Subsequently, they retooled them into a more comical role. Acquiring wealth drives the Ferengi. The

Acquiring wealth drives the Ferengi. The Rules of Acquisition rule their lives and business dealings, and there are guidelines for nearly every conceivable situation. Ferengi have no qualms about swindling customers to achieve the best deals.

Ferengi society is heavily biased against females. For a long time, society forbade Ferengi females to wear clothes or earn their own profit. Reformations to Ferengi society began to redress these issues after many females proved they had a head for business.

Ferengi dabble in a wide range of business ventures and do not worry about the legality of said business. They are often arms dealers and smugglers, and even Ferengi like Quark who runs a bar on the Federation-controlled space station Deep Space Nine was known to engage in illegal activity, much to the chagrin of local authorities.

Essential Episodes:  “ The Last Outpost “, “ The Nagus “, “ Rules of Acquisition “, “ Family Business “, “ Body Parts “, “ Ferengi Love Songs “, and “ The Magnificent Ferengi “.

Deeply spiritual and religious, the Bajorans worship the Prophets . Despite the revelation of their true nature as non-corporeal, non-linear alien beings who learned to love baseball, Bajorans still revere the Prophets. The Cardassians annexed the Bajoran homeworld of Bajor, and they occupied the world for 50 years before withdrawing. The Bajorans fought a bloody insurgency to free their homeworld. Many Bajorans felt betrayed by the Provisional Government when they invited the Federation to take control of an orbiting space station abandoned by the Cardassians and renamed Deep Space Nine.

Bajoran society began the painful rebuilding process, and by recommendation of Captain Benjamin Sisko , remained neutral during most of the Dominion War . Post-occupation Bajor was fraught with internal conflict as opposing factions sought to control the newly-freed planet. The discovery of the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant established the Bajorans as a power in the Alpha Quadrant. However, they relied on the presence of the Federation to legitimize their claim.

Essential Episodes:  “ Ensign Ro “, “ The Emissary “, “ Duet “, “ The Homecoming “, “ The Circle “, “ The Siege “, “ Shakaar “, “ Accession “, and “ Tears of the Prophets “.

The militaristic Cardassian Union is effectively a police state ruled by the military Central Command and the intelligence arm known as the Obsidian Order . A civilian government known as the Detapa Council  is the “official” governing body of the Union but, in reality, has little power. All criminal trials within the Cardassian Union are for show only – officials decide the trial verdict in advance.

The Cardassians annexed and ruled Bajor for 50 years. During the occupation, they committed countless atrocities, and Bajoran society struggled to rebuild in the wake of their departure. The post-annexation years saw Cardassian fortunes flounder; rumors of a Founder takeover of the Cardassian government led the Klingons to declare war and ravage Cardassian space. Left with little choice, they allied with the Dominion and fought the combined Federation, Klingon, and Romulan forces. In the last stages of the war, the Cardassians rebelled against their Dominion allies as the Dominion would often use Cardassian forces as expendable assets.

Essential Episodes:  “ The Wounded “, “ Chain of Command “, “Duet”, “ Defiant “, “The Way of the Warrior”, “ Return to Grace “, and “ The Dogs of War “.

The Enterprise -D crew first encountered the Borg in the episode “ Q Who “. They quickly established themselves as a true threat to the Federation. Borg are a collection of species assimilated into a shared hive consciousness. They are relentless, terrifying and virtually unstoppable (until serious villain decay took hold in

Borg are a collection of species assimilated into a shared hive consciousness. They are relentless, terrifying and virtually unstoppable (until serious villain decay took hold in Voyager ). They exist solely to assimilate technology and biological lifeforms into their collective in an effort to raise all species to “perfection”. A queen rules the Borg, and their imposing vessels are simple geometric shapes. Even one ship could be considered an invasion.

Responsible for multiple incursions in Federation space, the Borg fought Starfleet at the Battle of Wolf 359 and the Battle of Sector 001 . They even attempted to stop First Contact between the Humans and the Vulcans through the use of time travel which resulted in an awesome movie . The Borg invasion of the Federation is probably the result of the pre-destination paradox. The Borg became aware of Earth because Borg drones in the past who survived the attempt to stop First Contact sent a communication to the Delta Quadrant. This alerted the collective to the presence of the planet. So the Borg investigate, leading to the events that cause the drones to travel to the past in the first place.

Essential Episodes:  “ Regeneration “, “Q Who”, “ The Best of Both Worlds “, “ First Contact “, “ Scorpion “, “ Dark Frontier “, “ Unimatrix Zero “, and “ Endgame “.

Introduced in the final episode of Enterprise ‘s season 2 , the Xindi  became the primary antagonists for season 3 . Time-travelling  Guardians  warn the Xindi that Humans would destroy them in the future. So, the Xindi build a weapon that destroys a section of Earth from Florida to Venezuela, killing seven million. Now forewarned of the Xindi intent to destroy Earth, the  Enterprise  head to the Delphic Expanse to stop them. Humanity would eventually stop the Guardians’ plans in the future, so they lied to the Xindi to eradicate all Humans. Eventually, everyone becomes friends, and the Xindi join the Federation.

Unlike most of the major alien races, the Xindi are not a single species, but six distinct species. These are the Avians , the Arboreals , the Primates , the Aquatics , the Insectoids , and the Reptilians . Despite their vastly differing outward appearance, the Xindi species share over 99.5% of their DNA. By the time the Enterprise encounters the Xindi, the Avians are extinct, and a Council that includes representatives from all five Xindi species governs the remaining five.

Essential Episodes:  “ The Expanse “, “ The Shipment “, “ Proving Ground “, “ Azati Prime “, “ The Council “, “ Countdown “, and “ Zero Hour “.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jun 8, 2023

The 10 Best Marine and Aquatic Species in the Star Trek Universe

Take a deep dive into the ocean life of Star Trek.

Getty Images / StarTrek.com

In Star Trek: Lower Decks ' "Much Ado About Boimler," some of our heroes helped the residents of a bog planet — “the worst kind of planet” — to fix a water filtration pump. Though the Khwopans are only briefly featured, we can see that they are clearly inspired by a real world animal — the axolotl .

StarTrek.com

10. The Antedeans

As seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s “ Manhunt ,” these sentients are basically the answer to the question, “What would happen if an otherwise normal bipedal humanoid had a fish head instead of a mammal head?”

The Star Trek universe contains some of the most imaginative science fiction out there, but also contains the notorious Alfa 177 canine. On a scale from a dog with a horn glued to its head to the crystalline entity, Antedeans are… solidly at the bottom of my list of the best marine and aquatic species in the Star Trek universe.

9. “The Fish”

There is a large Cardassian fish on the wall outside a restaurant on the promenade of Deep Space 9 . It looks awesome! I want to know more about it! Yet remarkably in 176 episodes and nearly 100 novels, we never learn the backstory of this incredible animal, which is referred to in The Making of Deep Space Nine as just “the fish.” I’m ranking it low for now with the option to move up once we learn more about it.

8. Livingston

Livingston is, of course, Captain Picard’s pet lionfish. These real-world animals are the source of major ecological disruptions , but are undeniably beautiful and kinda alien-looking. You don’t need to glue on a horn to make a real-world animal look bizarre if you use the right real-world animal!

Related to this, it’s completely realistic to imagine that a 24th Century marine biologist would have no interest in ever going offworld because there are still species to discover on the Great Barrier Reef and in the depths of Earth’s oceans. Call me, Hollywood!

7. The Squales of Planet Droplet

As seen in the Star Trek: Titan novel Over A Torrent Sea , the squales, or “squid-whales,” are a species of pre-warp but intelligent ocean creatures that resemble marine mammals with tentacles. The entire worldwide population can communicate with each other through echolocation, or what the novel calls “the deep sound channel forum,” a clear reference to the real-world “deep scattering layer” that allows marine mammals to communicate across vast distances in the ocean . Since these aliens live underwater, they can’t use fire, or, you know, hands, which somewhat limits the evolution of Earth-style technology, but the squales had impressive biotechnology (including non-warp spaceflight), and a complex society.

6. Regular whales and SPACE WHALES!

Humpback whales, of course, play a key role in Star Trek: The Voyage Home , but the Star Trek universe is also rich with references to SPACE WHALES!

The Gormagander gets Harry Mudd aboard Star Trek: Discovery in “Magic To Make The Sanest Man Go Mad;” Captain Pike recounts a battle with warp-capable space whales in the novel Where Sea Meets Sky , and the probe from The Voyage Home attacks a Romulan world in the process of killing its native whales in its titular novel, Probe . Sure, not all of these animals technically live in water, but SPACE WHALES!

5. The Selkies of Pacifica

Though the beautiful ocean world of Pacifica is frequently mentioned in the shows (that’s where those accursed Antedeans were going), we only meet the sentient natives, known as the Selkies, in the novels (especially the Titan novels).

As children and young adults, they’re amphibious, but as they age, they lose their lungs, become fully aquatic, and can only visit the surface when wearing a special suit. There are also some interesting cultural taboos associated with this transition discussed in a lot of detail the books that we won’t get into here because this is a family-friendly website, but… let’s just say that Commander Riker had an interesting social life before he settled down with Deanna Troi. I hope that with so much new Star Trek being created, we finally get to see the Pacifican underwater city of hi’Ley’ia on-screen!

4. The Alonis

Like the Selkies, these entirely-underwater sentients have live-in environmental suits to move through the rest of the known universe. Unlike the Selkies and our #1 entry on this list, the Alonis don’t have opposable thumbs, but have the psychic ability to telekinetically manipulate water to perform complex tasks for them. We’ve never seen the Alonis in the shows, but they’re common in the novels and eventually join the Federation.

3. The Yrythny

As seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Mission Gamma books, the Yrythny are an aquatic species that lives in the Gamma Quadrant. They lay their eggs and spend time at sea before returning to land. The hatchlings that return to the area where they were born are considered to be smarter and more capable, and play a leadership role in society.

Meanwhile, those who get lost are called “Wanderers” and basically serve as indentured servants in service of the “Houseborn,” who correctly found their way home. This was one of the best examples I’ve ever seen of incorporating real-world life history strategies into science fiction and imagining what it might mean for an advanced culture in the novels. Science learned from the Yrythny plays a key role in resolving a series-long conflict over multiple books concerning Andorian biology. Not every species on Earth has internal fertilization nor are raised by parents, and it’s cool to see different biological strategies and their impacts on culture explored in Star Trek societies.

2. Chelarian (aka Chelon/Rigellian)

These sentients are basically upright turtles (real-world sea turtles are in the family Cheloniidae), but unlike the “just glue a fish head on a human body” Antedeans, some aspects of the turtle-ness shine through in their behavior. They have shells and are fairly slow moving on land, but are quicker in the water, for example. But as we learn in the Vanguard novels, their shell also means that they can’t sit and have to instead kneel around a conference table. They also are capable of creating a powerful biotoxin (which, while many real-world reptiles can, turtles can not), and reproduce by laying eggs.

1. The Xindi-Aquatics

The whole Xindi plotline gets a lot of criticism from some fans, but I love the idea that multiple intelligent species can evolve on the same planet from different evolutionary lineages and have distinct cultural traits. And the Aquatics were definitely the best of the Xindi! According to the novels, they were the first of the Xindi to achieve intelligence, and were more peaceful, thoughtful, and deliberate than the others, with a language that sounds an awful lot like whalesong. These aliens definitely deserve a spot at #1 on this list!

Honorable mention: M.A.C.O.

I wish Star Trek featured more sharks. We do learn about the existence of Altarian dogfish in the context of a “baked Altairian dogfish sandwich,” and Worf’s promotion ceremony on the Holodeck in Star Trek Generations , which includes a plank-walking scene that also references feeding him to the sharks. Other than that, there’s not much — despite “Tiburon” being Spanish for shark, the Tiburonians aren’t shark-like at all! But sharks clearly exist in the Star Trek universe, as seen in the Military Assault Command Operations unit patch on Star Trek: Enterprise .

Earth Day | Star Trek Cares for the Environment

This article was originally published on October 20, 2020.

Get Updates By Email

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Dr. David Shiffman is a Washington, DC based marine conservation biologist and science writer. Follow him on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @ WhySharksMatter

Star Trek: Lower Decks streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel. The series will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, the Caribbean, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and South Korea.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• Societies and Cultures

• Create account

You can edit almost every page by Creating an account . Otherwise, see the FAQ .

List of Star Trek animals

This is a list of fictional extraterrestrial animal species from the science fiction universe of Star Trek . Like other aspects of stories in the franchise, they were recurring plot elements from one episode to another and sometimes from one series to another. Some have gained significance beyond the dedicated fans of the series; the furry, fast-breeding tribble has gained a place in popular culture and language.

This list describes the more notable fictional animals featured in Star Trek films or multiple episodes.

• 1 Cardassian vole
• 4 Regulan bloodworm
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Cardassian vole [ edit ]

The Cardassian vole is a fictional rodent species in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It was a pest aboard the space station , infesting Quark 's Bar as well as Ops where it chewed through wiring. It is quite unlike the voles of Earth, most notably in that it has six legs. It is also much bigger than a terrestrial vole.

Although he has denied it, Quark hosts vole fights. Morn has been known to assist him in setting up the events by painting numbers on the voles' backs.

Ceti eel [ edit ]

The Ceti eel appears in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . It is the only indigenous lifeform of Ceti Alpha V known to have survived after Ceti Alpha VI exploded and sent Ceti Alpha V into a different orbit. Ceti eels incubate their larvae between protective plates that line their backs. The slime-covered larva will seek out a larger animal, enter its skull through the ear and wrap itself around the cerebral cortex . This causes the subject intense pain and makes them susceptible to suggestion. As the larva grows, the host suffers from insanity and eventual death. Ceti eels bear a remarkable resemblance to antlion larvae.

Khan Noonien Singh and his followers were marooned on this planet by James T. Kirk . Khan's wife, Marla McGivers, was killed after becoming a host for one of these creatures. Twenty more of Khan's people were killed in the same fashion, forming the basis for Khan's vendetta against Kirk. In the film, Captain Clark Terrell and Commander Pavel Chekov were captured by Khan while conducting a close-range sensor scan on the planet. Khan put the larvae into their helmets, where the creatures crawled into the men’s ears and subsequently burrowed into their brains. Terrell later killed himself, but Chekov's larva exited his ear and was disintegrated by a phaser-blast from Admiral Kirk's phaser.

In popular culture, the Ceti eel is widely considered a terrifying creature. [1]

The 2009 reboot Star Trek film introduces "Centaurian slugs" with a similar appearance and function, as an homage.

A 2011 episode of Supernatural ("...And Then There Were None") showed a creature that took over the minds of people by burrowing into their heads in the same way as Ceti eels. The character Dean Winchester dubbed the creature the "Khan Worm".

Gagh [ edit ]

Gagh , written in the Klingon language as qagh (not capitalized), is a serpent worm that is eaten by Klingons while still alive . [2]

Regulan bloodworm [ edit ]

The Regulan bloodworm is a worm-like lifeform, native to the planet Regulus II. It is described as a soft, spineless creature that is medically useful for cleaning the lymphatic system ; however, Regulan bloodworms can also infect sentient races, causing sickness and death. [3]

The first reference to Regulan bloodworms was as an insult in the Star Trek episode " The Trouble with Tribbles ," written by David Gerrold . Gerrold also wrote an episode for Star Trek: The Next Generation , tentatively titled " Blood and Fire ", in which the Enterprise's crew comes across a derelict ship with a dead crew, all killed by a Regulan bloodworm infestation. The episode, which was meant to introduce a science-fiction analogue for the AIDS pandemic of the 1980s, was never produced, but a modified version was produced in the web series Star Trek: Phase II . [4]

This two-part episode (4x04 and 4x05, released in 2008) was also entitled "Blood and Fire". In it, the Enterprise crew attempts to rescue members of a federation vessel who unknown to them has violated a 100-year quarantine on visits to the Regulus system, and subsequently were contaminated by a deadly plague of "doomsday" Regulan bloodworms. In this episode, the creatures are seen as a universal threat to not only the Federation but also to the Klingon Empire as well. They are exposed as having been created by the Regulan civilization as a doomsday weapon , which resulted in the extinction of all life in the system. As it turns out, the covert operation of the Federation research vessel, led by an over-zealous Federation scientist, was actually designed to unleash the creatures on the Klingon Empire , causing mass genocide, while the Federation would be protected by a newly discovered cure for the infection. The analogy to the HIV virus and AIDS remains as two of the primary characters are males who were in love and had plans to marry. One, the nephew of Captain Kirk, Peter Kirk, narrowly escapes, but his husband-to-be, Alex Freeman, dies as the bloodworms attack.

The medical use of Regulan bloodworms was suggested or carried out by Doctor Phlox in the episodes " Two Days and Two Nights ", " Stratagem " and " Doctor's Orders " of Star Trek: Enterprise . Illustrations of the creatures were also featured in the schoolroom and infirmary of Deep Space Nine .

Sehlat [ edit ]

The sehlat is a large carnivore native to Vulcan . Sehlats have six-inch fangs and do not like to climb, preferring to remain on low ground. In 2154, Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander T'Pol were stalked by a wild sehlat in " The Forge ". [5]

Domesticated sehlats are a popular pet with Vulcan children. These sehlats are smaller, though not much so, and still quite aggressive: T'Pol, having owned one, notes that Vulcan children learn early never to be late with their sehlat's dinner. [6]

Spock had a pet sehlat named I-Chaya during his youth which originally belonged to his father, Sarek . I-Chaya died in 2237, as a result of injuries inflicted from an attack by a large creature called a le-matya . Spock chose to have his pet euthanized to end its suffering. [7] In the novelization of " Yesteryear " by Alan Dean Foster , it is revealed that sehlats originated in the "rainforests of Vulcan's southern hemisphere." [8]

Targ [ edit ]

The targ (in Klingon language : targh ) is a boar -like beast with sharp tusks. It is native to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS . Klingons both hunt the animal for food and keep it as a pet. [9]

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Where No One Has Gone Before " Lt. Worf saw his pet targ in a vision.

Computer-generated images of targs were created for the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " Affliction ". [10]

Tribble [ edit ]

The Tribble is a small, soft, furry creature which reproduces rapidly.

References [ edit ]

• ↑ Antlions in popular culture , AntlionPit. This page also describes the adult Ceti eel as resembling an oversized antlion larva.
• ↑ Gagh at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ Regulan bloodworm at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "Blood and Fire" , Star Trek - Phase II
• ↑ Sehlat at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "The Forge" (ENT)
• ↑ " Journey to Babel " (TOS), " Yesteryear " (TAS).
• ↑ Foster, Allen Dean, Star Trek, Log One . Ballantine, 1974
• ↑ Heart of targ at official website StarTrek.com
• ↑ "Production Report: 'Affliction'" . StarTrek.com Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

External links [ edit ]

• Category:Animals at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki )
• List of staff
• Gene Roddenberry
• Norway Corporation
• musical theme
• " Where no man has gone before "
• " Beam me up, Scotty "
• The God Thing
• Planet of the Titans
• Reference books
• A Klingon Christmas Carol
• Klingon opera
• How William Shatner Changed the World
• Beyond the Final Frontier
• The Captains
• Trek Nation
• For the Love of Spock
• Kirk and Uhura's kiss
• Comparison to Star Wars
• productions
• expanded universe
• Memory Alpha
• The Exhibition
• The Experience
• Galaxy Quest (1999 film)
• The Orville (2017 television series)

This article "List of Star Trek animals" is from Wikipedia . The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:List of Star Trek animals . Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies) [ edit ]

• List of fictional extraterrestrials by form
• List of Star Trek planets (T–Z)
• List of Star Trek planets (C–F)
• Creatures of Terabithia
• List of mammalian alien species
• List of Alien morphs in the Alien franchise
• List of Warriors ThunderClan characters
• Lists of fictional animals by work
• Star Trek lists
• Star Trek species
• Lists of fictional alien species
• Webarchive template wayback links

From Vulcans to Tribbles: Best 'Star Trek' Species

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek is bigger than ever right now. Thanks to the launch of the new streaming service Paramount+, Trekkies have been simply overwhelmed by the amount of new content at their disposal. The shows Discovery , Picard , Lower Decks, and Prodigy are all returning, and the prequel series Strange New Worlds is in active development. The franchise’s producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin have promised that there are many other new projects coming soon, and after years of delays, a new Star Trek movie is set to hit theaters on December 2023. The currently untitled fourth entry in the “Kelvin Timeline” series will be directed by WandaVision creator Matt Shakman .

It goes without saying that Star Trek is one of the most influential, iconic, and beloved media franchises in history. Between the various shows, films, books, comics, games, and tie-in material, Gene Rodenberry ’s landmark universe has one of the largest and most loyal fanbases ever. Rodenberry created an optimistic version of the future, where humanity had learned to co-exist with many alien species. In the franchise’s extensive history, these unique species have taken on in-depth cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Obsessive Star Trek fans have developed an Encyclopedic knowledge of their distinct characteristics. Star Trek is a massive property, and as a result there are subsections within the fandom that prefer different alien species of another based on what stories appeal to them. Some stories and films have featured different alien species more prominently than others. Narrowing down the greatest aliens is no easy task, but you can’t go wrong with these great species.

RELATED: 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Teaser Reveals New Look at Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura

You wouldn’t have Star Trek without the success of The Original Series , and you wouldn’t have The Original Series without Spock. Although the competition is fierce, there may not be another Star Trek character that is as beloved as Leonard Nimoy ’s Mr. Spock. Half-Vulcan and half-human, the logical character has been appearing in great Star Trek stories since 1966. The Vulcan race has been developed around his iconic performance, but there are many other great Vulcan characters in the universe’s history. The savior Surak, Spock’s father Sarek, the Enterprise hero Tuvok, and the ambassador Soval are just a few of the best.

The Vulcans’ sister species the Romulans are almost the complete opposite of their philosophical counterparts. The Romulan culture is based on conflict, and throughout the franchise’s history, the two alien species have frequently come into conflict. Romulans first appeared in The Original Series episode “Balance of Terror,” and their empire inspired many of the greatest Star Trek villains ever, including Spock’s tormentor Nero, the powerful Paraetor Neral, and the Federation’s rival Commander Tomalak.

There aren’t many Star Trek villains as truly frightening as The Borg. First appearing in The Next Generation , the hivelike species assimilates all of its opponents into servants of “The Collective.” Patrick Stewart ’s Captain Picard meets his greatest challenge in the beloved two-part storyline “The Best of Both Worlds,” where he is captured and assimilated to the villainous creatures. Picard deals with the post-traumatic stress disorder of his experiences well into the future; he’s forced to face his old enemies again in the excellent 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact . With the phrase “Resistance Is Futile,” The Borg is synonymous with immediate danger.

The Klingon Empire is one of the most powerful bodies in the Star Trek universe. The warrior species has a culture entirely based on combat and trial, with a caste-like system that divides them by their different rank. Kirk, Spock, and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew face off against the Klingons many times throughout the run of The Original Series . However, The Next Generation proved that not all Klingons were villains. The Next Generation fleshed out the Klingon culture in a more empathetic way, and introduced the USS Enterprise-D ’s Klingon security officer Worf. Worf’s bravery and loyalty made him one of the most valuable assets to Captain Picard’s crew, and he returned as a major part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ’s later seasons.

Cardassians

One of the most important new species introduced in The Next Generation was the Cardassians, who first appeared in the season four episode "The Wounded". Although the militaristic aliens were renowned for their brutality, unlike The Borg, each Cardassian character acted as an individual. The Cardassian species had developed their ruthless qualities as a result of many hardships, as their home planet had been ravaged by war and famine. The Cardassians kept their culture under strict authority, with a powerful surveillance system, dangerous police force, and strong nationalism within their military dictatorship. The Cardassians waged war against the Federation during Deep Space Nine when they joined the Dominion in an epic conflict.

While many of the most memorable Star Trek aliens are antagonists, the Ferengei are thankfully a great source of comedic relief. The quirky schemers tended to have greedy attitudes, but they haven’t historically been that malicious in nature. The Ferengei were more of a constant annoyance to Captain Picard’s Enterprise crew throughout The Next Generation than a threat like The Borg, and they even proved to be allies a few times. The Ferengi bartender Quark and his brother Rom added a great humorous addition to Deep Space Nine , which otherwise is one of the franchise’s more serious shows.

We’re always going to have a little trouble with Tribbles. The cute, furry species made their debut in the fifteenth episode of The Original Series season two, and fans are still a little divided on whether the adorable creatures are some of Star Trek ’s weakest features or one of its greatest assets. These plushy little guys tend to multiple, and they do it fast , causing problems for multiple generations of Star Trek heroes. Tribbled popped up again in The Animated Series episode “More Trouble, More Tribbles,” the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations,” and the Short Treks episode "The Trouble with Edward.” Amusingly, the Klingons considered the Tribbles to be their mortal enemies. Tribbles occasionally served a good purpose; in Star Trek Into Darkness , Bones is able to replicate Khan’s super blood in the Tribbles, thus saving Kirk’s life.

• TV Features
• Movie Features

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

A list of all animals mentioned.

All items (525)

• Ailurus lizard
• Akritirian chaka emu
• Aldebaran sea bass
• Aldebaran serpent

• Alfa 177 canine

• Algorian mammoth

• Altairan cave-fisher
• Altairian dogfish
• Altairian frog
• Alverian dung beetle
• Category:Andor animals

• Ankylosaurus

• Antarean glow fish
• Antarian foxbat

• Antosian dryworm
• Antosian ox
• Apatosaurus

• Arbazan vulture
• Argelian tree snake

• Category:Axanar animals
• Category:Bajor animals
• Baneriam hawk

• Beademungen

• Bekkir (animal)
• Belopian eel
• Belzoidian flea

• Category:Betazed animals

• Birsiban snake

• Brachiosaur

• Bya-chee bird
• Cadge lupus
• Calrissian chameleon

• Category:Cardassia animals
• Category:Cardassian animals

• Carnuiin round beetle

• Cartagan elephant

• Catabrian warthog
• Cattle beast

• Centurian space snake

• Comes-in-the-night-kills-many

• Category:Coroticus III animals

• Dalgorian water viper

• Darwellian long-tongue
• Degebian mountain goat
• Denarian smallfly
• Denebian bloodworm
• Denebian horned goat

• Denebian snail
• Derellian seaslug
• Desert silk flies

• Category:Dinosaurs

• Draconian air dragon

• Draken mole rat

• Drathan puppy lig

• Dumesite man-lobster
• Durnian slime-beast
• Category:Earth animals

• Electric eel

• Escallopolyp

• Category:Ferenginar animals
• Filian python
• Finorian flutter fly

• Flaked blood flea
• Flaming idiot fish
• Flanarian bird
• Flitterbird

• Fuchsia foam cricket

• Galia beast
• Garanian bolite
• Gaseous being of Madras IV

• Gonazian smoke fly
• Gooboo grub

• Gormenghastly
• Gorsonian zool

• Great Bird of the Galaxy
• Groundhopper

• Grumpackian tortoise

• Gunji jackdaw

• Qo'noS

Three targs discovered aboard the IKS Somraw

Boshar , a pet targ ( 2154 )

A targ ( 2364 )

Molly O'Brien's plush targ, Piggy

The targ was a herding animal native to Qo'noS .

• 1 Physiology and uses
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2 Background information
• 3.3 Apocrypha
• 3.4 External link

Physiology and uses [ ]

Targs were comparable in form to Terran boars but with spikes on their backs. They were usually dark brown, although some were spotted. Targs were generally regarded as "vicious and destructive" animals. Klingons kept domesticated targs as pets and livestock, and hunted wild targs for sport. The meat of the targ – including the heart – was eaten, while their shoulder fat was used to make var'Hama candles . ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor "; DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited "; VOY : " Day of Honor ") Targs produced milk ; targ milk could be used as an ingredient in beverages such as the Prakal II mixed drink . ( TNG : " In Theory ") Wistan gagh was packed in targ blood . ( DS9 : " Prodigal Daughter ")

Klingon wedding ceremonies sometimes involved the ritual sacrifice of a targ. ( DS9 : " A Time to Stand ") As part of the Day of Honor ceremony, the participant had to eat from the heart of a sanctified targ. ( VOY : " Day of Honor ")

Targ herds could be a collision hazard on Qo'noS; Klingon ground assault vehicles used targ scoops to clear the animals away from their path. ( VOY : " Elogium ") A behavior typically associated with targ was hiding in dirt. ( ENT : " Marauders ") The Hamar Mountains were abundant with targ. ( DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ")

Toby the targ was a popular children's character and purported holo-novel author of a series of children's works, published by Broht & Forrester . ( VOY : " Author, Author ", " Tsunkatse ")

The phrase "targ manure " (an expression used by Boothby ) was a slang term to describe a lie, or a made-up story (analogous to the Human expletive "bullshit"). ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Antaak 's possession of a targ he'd had since childhood suggests targ can live for several decades, far longer than the average lifespan of an Earth pig or boar.

History [ ]

According to Neelix in 2376 , Sarpek the Fearless was searching for his lost targ when he unearthed the Knife of Kirom . ( VOY : " Barge of the Dead ")

One of the earliest encounters Humans had with targs was when, in 2151 , members of the Enterprise NX-01 crew boarded the IKS Somraw in a rescue attempt. They found the carcasses of three targs, hanging up in the ship's galley , and also discovered three living targs, chained up behind a metallic door in the galley. ( ENT : " Sleeping Dogs ")

In the final draft script of "Sleeping Dogs", the three targ carcasses were referred to as "pig-like" and the living targs were described as "snarling boar-like animals." Though three of the latter targs appear in the episode, as many as six of them were scripted to be there.

The targs shown as being alive in "Sleeping Dogs" were depicted using a CGI model created at Foundation Imaging . Robert Bonchune recalled the creation of the shot; " The Targs were a big deal, even though they were in a throwaway shot. Everything beyond that door Hoshi opens was CG . John Teska had to build the pig; Dan was in on that too. They sat there getting this thing to look right. Then it was a big deal getting it approved and putting three of them in there, and attaching them to the chains, building the whole room and putting straw on the floor. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 9 , p. 48; [1] (X) ) One of the hanging targ corpses from the same episode was put up for auction on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction . Veteran Star Trek actor Vaughn Armstrong was very impressed by the effects of the computer-generated Targs. " I thought that was just so wonderful! " he remarked. [2]

During a conflict between Klingon troops led by Captain Korok and a combined force of colonists from a deuterium mining colony and officers from Enterprise , Korok described the behavior of his opponents when they were trying to evade him and his officers as "hiding in the dirt like targ." ( ENT : " Marauders ")

Later that year, Enterprise captain Jonathan Archer was provided a bone joint from a targ, served on a metal plate, while enduring imprisonment on Narendra III . Archer decided, based merely on the appearance of the meat, that he disliked Klingon cuisine and Denobulan doctor Phlox concurred that the food did not look appetizing. A while after Phlox advised Archer to eat the targ meat because it seemed to be rich in protein , Archer tried it but almost immediately spat it out, moments later telling Advocate Kolos that it tasted "a little underdone." ( ENT : " Judgment ")

Xanthan targ

In 2153 , what appeared to be a dead targ was seen hanging at its hind legs at the Xanthan floating bazaar . ( ENT : " Rajiin ")

This appears to be a reuse of a prop created for " Sleeping Dogs ". [3] (X)

In 2154 , Andorian Commander Shran remarked that he would prefer to live with targs than collaborate with Tellarites , an example of the hatred that existed between the Tellarites and Andorians. ( ENT : " United ")

In the final draft script of ENT : " Affliction ", a pair of targs were described as being kept as pets by Dr. Antaak. The audience was to glimpse them while the two targs were fighting with each other over a scrap of food. As evidenced by the episode's final version, though, these animals were ultimately reduced to a single targ: Boshar.

Both Martok and Worf owned pet targs at some point in their lives. ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows "; TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ") Martok once described a targ he had owned during his childhood as " a filthy, mangy beast, but in his bony breast beat the heart of a warrior " and "faithful" to its master but "ever-ready to follow the call of the wild." Martok's wife, Sirella , detested the creature. It escaped into forestland after she "accidentally" left the door of their home open while moving her belongings into the residence following their marriage. Despite Sirella being responsible for the loss of the creature, Martok later told Benjamin Sisko that he would "not trade Sirella for all the targs on Qo'nos". ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ")

In 2364 , an illusory replica of Worf's targ was created, from his memories of the animal he had as a pet when he was a child, on board the USS Enterprise -D . The creature appeared when the ship traveled a billion light years away from our galaxy and entered the outer rim of the universe , where the physical and mental world are integrated. As a pet, Tasha Yar asked if that was to him a " kittycat ", to which Worf concurred, " yes, I suppose you could call it that. " ( TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

This "Targ" was portrayed by the Russian wild boar Emmy-Lou . For its appearance as the targ, the animal wore an original costume designed by William Ware Theiss . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 3rd ed., p. 37)

After Ira Graves ' intellect was transferred from Data to the main computer of the USS Enterprise -D , Commander Riker claimed to Data – who had no memory of the events while Graves' mind had possessed him – that he had wrestled with a targ. Extremely puzzled by what had happened, Data wondered if he had won the contest. ( TNG : " The Schizoid Man ")

While residing on space station Deep Space 9 , one of Molly O'Brien 's toys, " Piggy ", was a plush targ. ( DS9 : " Fascination ")

In early 2373 , Odo told Benjamin Sisko that Sisko would need someone who could turn into Gowron 's pet targ to help infiltrate Ty'Gokor , something Odo was unable to do, after Odo had lost his shapeshifting ability several weeks earlier. ( DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ", " Broken Link ")

Quark once sold a herd of targs to an unknown party at some time in or prior to 2369 . In 2372 , he speculated that Odo had trashed quarters in the form of a targ. In 2373, he believed that by throwing away his bat'leth and kneeling before Thopok , Thopok would "be humiliated and slink away like a scalded targ." ( DS9 : " The Storyteller ", " Crossfire ", " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places ")

Q told Captain Kathryn Janeway that he could have mated with a Klingon targ for the purpose of creating a child, but that he instead chose her. ( VOY : " The Q and the Grey ")

B'Elanna Torres told Harry Kim that he looked like a speckled targ after he acquired facial spots due to a Taresian retrovirus . ( VOY : " Favorite Son ")

While arguing with Worf in a Cardassian prison cell, Ezri Dax told him, " The least you can do is stop acting like a self-righteous targ. " ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ")

After Worf was appointed Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire following the Dominion War , Martok was delighted as he had an ambassador who would go targ hunting with him. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

During a musical recital by Harry Kim, The Doctor commented to B'Elanna Torres that Kim's saxophone playing reminded him of a wounded targ. A month later, in 2378 , the EMH confessed this act to Kim and apologized for his indelicate behavior. ( VOY : " Renaissance Man ")

Dorg's targ

In 2381 , Captain Dorg had a pet targ aboard the IKS Che'Ta' . After the targ ate an officer's leg, Dorg ordered Ma'ah to take the targ for a walk until the leg passed, to prevent the targ from developing gas . When the targ passed the leg, Ma'ah described it as "an honorable movement ." When Ma'ah challenged Dorg for captaincy of the Che'ta' , the targ took Ma'ah's side, attacking Dorg and allowing Ma'ah to kill him. After Ma'ah became captain of the Che'ta' , he adopted the targ as his own. ( LD : " wej Duj ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Sleeping Dogs "
• " Exile " (archive footage only)
• " Affliction "
• " wej Duj "

Background information [ ]

Michael Dorn on set with wild boar Emmy-Lou

The targ received its name before it was decided what type of animal it was to be. In the revised final draft script of " Where No One Has Gone Before " (dated 30 July 1987 ), it is noted that the form of creature the targ is was "yet to be determined," though the script goes on to say "it is LARGE." [4] One early design for a targ was submitted by Rick Sternbach . This was far different from how the creature turned out, however, bearing much more of a reptilian appearance. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 48) Rob Bowman , who directed "Where No One Has Gone Before", explained, " The Klingon Targ basically went through five different designs. Nobody wanted it to look like anything on Earth, and yet they didn't want it too ridiculous-looking either. Finally, the producers just said, 'You decide.' " ( Starlog #136 [ page number? • edit ] )

The word "targ" has been featured in several pronunciation guides in DS9 scripts. These include " Apocalypse Rising " and " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places ", but both guides suggest pronouncing the word exactly as it is spelled. [5] [6] The word also appears in the pronunciation guide in the script for " Prodigal Daughter ", which alternatively instructs that the word is to be pronounced "targh". [7]

Animal meat eaten by Harrad-Sar in ENT : " Bound " may have been a skinned targ. The meat can be seen on Harrad-Sar's ship , during a scene in which three Orion slave girls dance. The episode's final draft script referred to the meat merely as "some kind of roasted animal." It is also possible that a Klingon monster dog seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Jackal mastiffs seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country were different breeds of targs based on similar appearances and similarity to canine breeds.

According to the reference book Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 3rd ed., p. 57, the menu at the Café des Artistes in TNG : " We'll Always Have Paris " included "Klingon Targ a la mode" among its delicacies. If true, this set a hidden precedent of targ being consumable that was followed by the introduction of both heart of targ and targ milk on TNG (in " A Matter Of Honor " and " In Theory ", respectively).

According to Doug Drexler , Star Trek: Enterprise prop master Craig Binkley lamented that he was struggling to find a food stylist who counted, among their cookery skills, being as creative as to make "flaming Targ testicles too!" This was immediately before Drexler told Binkley about Dorothy Duder , who went on to serve as the series' food stylist. [8]

According to Marc Okrand 's The Klingon Dictionary (p. 184), the Klingon name for this animal is "targh".

Apocrypha [ ]

In Star Trek Online , some Klingon NPCs referred to as "Targ Handlers" can summon targs that will attack the player. Additionally, in Klingon missions taking place in the Ketha lowlands , wild targs can be encountered. In one Federation mission, where the player uses a holographic disguise to slip past large numbers of Klingons unnoticed, targs can see through the disguise and attack anyways. Klingon players can also purchase targ pets; however, player-owned targs cannot fight.

During one of the missions in Star Trek: Elite Force II , a male Andorian and a female Klingon can be overheard negotiating for transport with a Human freighter captain in the bar on a Klingon station. The Andorian states he requires a large vessel to which the Human boasts her Wodan -class cargo ship can outhaul even the largest Romulan D'deridex -class starship. When asked what the cargo is, the Andorian replies, " Only myself, ten transport containers of domesticated targ and no questions asked. " They then disagree on the fee with the Klingon stating they could purchase their own Bird-of-Prey for the price the Human is asking. Eventually, they agree to pay half of the fee at the time and the second half when they reach their destination. This entire exchange is a reference to the famous cantina scene featuring Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker asking Han Solo for transport on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: A New Hope .

External link [ ]

• Targ at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)

Screen Rant

Star trek introduces its most powerful alien species of all time (shattering the fourth wall).

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek Introduces the Official Scientific Term for Its "Gods"

Star trek explains why it uses 'quadrants' despite the universe being infinite, i forgot star trek: discovery’s detmer was there since the beginning.

Warning: contains spoilers for "What's a Q to You?" appearing in Star Trek #500!

Star Trek just broke the fourth wall, and introduced a species even more powerful than Q. This is a new development for the Star Trek franchise, which hardly ever trafficks in meta-textual stories. Yet in “What’s a Q to You?” appearing in Star Trek #500, Q’s son comes to a shocking realization about the nature of the universe, introducing the franchise’s most powerful race yet.

“What’s a Q to You?” appearing in Star Trek #500, was written by Morgan Hampton and drawn by Megan Levens. Q Jr has contracted the Continuum’s equivalent of a cold. An unintended side effect is that Qs becomes even more aware of the fabric of reality, and this is Q Jr’s first time experiencing this. He learns of the existence of a race just outside the universe, one that watches– and observes. His father offers theories on whom the aliens are, but Qs is powerless against them. Q concludes his speech by telling his son there “are always bigger fish.”

Q Is One of Star Trek's Most Powerful, and Popular, Reoccuring Characters

Q is literally a god.

Introduced in “Encounter at Farpoint,” the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the trickster figure Q would go on to become one of the franchise’s most popular antagonists, not only menacing Captain Picard many times, but also Captains Janeway and Sisko as well. It was during one of Q’s encounters with Janeway that fans learned the Continuum was preparing for civil war, which could have destroyed the universe. Instead of going to war, a new Q was created: Q Jr. Q Jr recently starred in the wonderful Sons of Star Trek miniseries.

IDW's line of Star Trek comics continues to humanize the franchise's gods, revealing they actually have an official, scientific classification.

Every Q appearance drives home just how powerful he is. Q has shown the ability to manipulate energy and matter, and is highly intelligent, once boasting to Vash that “he knew everything.” Q was able to fling the Enterprise tens of thousands of light years into the Delta Quadrant and can travel through time. Despite the power, Star Trek has also seemingly put a limit to Q’s abilities, and as seen in Star Trek: Picard’s second season, they can even die, in a fashion. Furthermore, other Q can strip him of his powers, making him mortal.

The "Observers" Are Star Trek Fans

The observers redefine the heirarchy of the star trek universe.

Yet the “Observers,” introduced in Star Trek #500, elude even the Q, and for good reason: they are us, the fans. Q makes cryptic comments to his son, telling him that they (the Observers) cannot hear them, and thus they need word and thought balloons to communicate. Q Jr, able to see the balloons thanks to his cold, begins toying with them, and even tries to use his powers against the Observers, despite his father’s warnings. Q Jr learns a valuable lesson in humility during his encounter with the Observers.

The revelation of the existence of The Observers redefines the hierarchy of power in the Star Trek universe, and keeps with a theme that IDW has been exploring in their line: the relationship between gods and lesser beings.

The revelation of the existence of The Observers redefines the hierarchy of power in the Star Trek universe, and keeps with a theme that IDW has been exploring in their line: the relationship between gods and lesser beings. The “God War” that climaxed in Day of Blood riffed on this theme, and “What’s a Q to You” continues it. The Q, long thought to be the pinnacle of power in the franchise, has now been relegated to a lower rung on the ladder, ironic in light of their attitudes towards mortals.

Star Trek Only Broke The Fourth Wall Once (Sort Of)

Deep space nine employed it to glorious effect.

What makes the Observers a fascinating Star Trek species is they allow the franchise to break the fourth wall. The closest Trek has come to doing so was during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s sixth season, in the episode “Far Beyond the Stars.” Ben Sisko, in a Prophet-induced illusion, believed himself to be a 20th century science fiction writer named Benny Russell. Russell wrote stories set on a futuristic space station called Deep Space Nine, but thanks to racial prejudices of the times, his work went ignored. The episode ends with Sisko returning to normal, but the pain lingers.

The setup of “Far Beyond the Stars” could have sent Star Trek in a meta-textual direction, and it nearly happened. According to legend, Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr briefly contemplated ending the show by revealing it was, in fact, a television show based on the writings of Benny Russell. While this idea was brave, and gelled nicely with Deep Space Nine ’s iconoclastic approach to the franchise, it was overruled, and it was probably for the best.

Star Trek Needs To Do More Metatextual Stories

A meta star trek would go where no other show has gone before.

Yet, as seen in “What’s a Q to You?” the Star Trek franchise and meta concerns mesh well. Morgan Hampton and Megan Levens take full advantage of the possibilities offered by the comics medium. Q Jr regularly plays with the word balloons, twisting them and throwing them around. Q Jr also tries to manipulate the color scheme, but his failure to do so ultimately leads him to accept the lessons his father is trying to teach. Hampton and Levens crafted an excellent, meta-textual Star Trek story and made the case for more attempts in the future.

Star Trek #500 is on sale now from IDW Publishing.

Sam Richardson's Star Trek: Section 31 Role Has A Connection To The Undiscovered Country

As of this writing, Trekkies haven't been given too many details about the upcoming TV movie "Star Trek: Section 31." A recent teaser trailer revealed a lot, however . As was known, Section 31 is the shady, black ops division of Starfleet, tasked with infiltrating dangerous crime lairs or manipulating local politics to their own ends. They're the morally compromised arm of "Star Trek." In the upcoming film, the division is led by Empress Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who was previously a recurring character on "Star Trek: Discovery." Georgiou, to recap, was rescued from the evil "mirror" universe where she was a vicious tyrant who murdered millions. Now, after a slight redemption arc, she's been put in charge of a cadre of spies.

Said characters are a ragtag group of freelance badasses. The "Section 31" cast includes Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, and James Hiroyuki Liao.

Sam Richardson also appears in the movie as a member of Georgiou's team. The "I Think You Should Leave" and "Hocus Pocus 2" actor talked about his "Star Trek" role  on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast (via Trek Movie) , disclosing that he is playing a Chameloid — a shape-shifting species not seen in the sci-fi franchise since the 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." One might not recall the species' name, but one will almost certainly recall the character of Martia, played by supermodel Iman. Martia was a character James Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) encountered when they had been thrown into a Klingon prison located on a distant, arctic planet. She used her shape-shifting abilities to help Kirk and McCoy escape prison, before ultimately revealing herself to be in league with the film's evil conspirators.

However, despite them being members of the same species, Richardson was a little baffled as to why his character didn't choose to look like Iman.

Chameloids are coming back to Star Trek

Apart from their appearance in "Star Trek VI," little is known about Chameloids. All we know is they can shapeshift into other humanoids and perfectly imitate their voices. In "The Undiscovered Country," for example, Martia transforms into Kirk at one point, resulting in a scene where Shatner has a fistfight with himself. Chameloids are also one of many shapeshifting species in "Star Trek," a list that includes the Founders (the Changelings from "Deep Space Nine"), Allassomorphs (like the one Wesley Crusher fell in love with on "The Next Generation"), Vendorians (the squid monster from "Star Trek: The Animated Series"), and Devidians (the ones from the "Next Generation" episode "Time's Arrow"). There are also multiple species who alter their appearance using psychic manipulation or holograms. On "Star Trek," you can never really be sure you know who you're talking to.

Sam Richardson is aware he's playing the first Chameloid to appear on "Star Trek" since 1991, and his character shares one common feature with Martia: they both have bright yellow eyes. As he put it:

"So I play a physicist shapeshifter, what's called a Chameloid. This is the second time there's ever been a Chameloid in 'Star Trek.' The first time was Iman in ' Star Trek VI' [...]  It's actually very funny. With Iman, it's like this is a shapeshifter, you want to look good, [so you say] 'Yeah, I'll make myself Iman.' And then for me, it's like, 'Oh good, I'm going to make myself Sam Richardson.' I'm going to accept it."

It hasn't been revealed in print yet, but Richardson noted that his character's name sounds like "Quasi." The fact that his character is a physicist also reveals that "Section 31" may boast a typical "Star Trek" style crew with a scientist, an engineer, a doctor, a diplomat, a pilot, a security officer, and a command officer. The movie isn't due until 2025, however, so this must remain in the realm of speculation for the time being.