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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...

star trek next gen aliens

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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…

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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.

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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.

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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

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…

  • Cancelled comics
  • IDW Publishing

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses

  • View history

The comic was announced at the MCM London Comic Con on October 28, 2016. Dirk Wood of IDW and Matt Parkinson of Dark Horse took the opportunity to announce a new crossover series for April of 2017. In addition to the Xenomorphs , the comic was to feature familiar Star Trek alien races such as the Borg and the Romulans, which were described as playing a vital role in the plot. [2] However, in late December 2016, Randy Stradley announced via his Facebook account that the comic series had been cancelled. [4]

Had it been published, Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses would have been preceded by Aliens/Vampirella , published concurrently with DC Comics/Dark Horse Comics: Batman vs. Predator , and would have been followed by Archie vs. Predator II .

  • Alien film series cast members Raymond Cruz , Brad Dourif , Idris Elba , Nicole Fellows , Jenette Goldstein , Leland Orser , Ron Perlman , Mark Rolston , Winona Ryder and Eddie Yansick have all appeared in various Star Trek live action media. Of these actors, only Rolston appeared in the original The Next Generation television series, while Goldstein appeared in the first Next Generation feature film, Star Trek Generations .

Gallery [ ]

Work-in-progress cover art by Tristan Jones.[5]

References [ ]

  • ↑ " Bleeding Cool - Star Trek: The Next Generation vs Aliens from IDW and Dark Horse for April 2017, Announced at MCM London Comic Con ". Retrieved on 2016-10-28.
  • ↑ 2.0 2.1 " IDW - STAR TREK / ALIENS CROSSOVER PRIMED TO (CHEST)BURST IN 2017 ". Retrieved on 2016-10-31.
  • ↑ " AVPGalaxy - Star Trek: The Next Generation vs. Aliens (Dark Horse & IDW) ". Retrieved on 2017-02-02.
  • ↑ " Facebook - Randy Stradley Dark Horse ". Retrieved on 2016-12-27.
  • ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 " AVPGalaxy - Star Trek: The Next Generation vs. Aliens (Dark Horse & IDW) ". Retrieved on 2017-02-02.
  • 1 Yautja (Predator)
  • 3 Xenomorph XX121 (Alien)

The UBJ

The Evolution of Romulans’ Appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation

W hen the Romulans made their comeback in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” fans noticed a distinct change in their appearance compared to the original series. Despite being an offshoot of the Vulcan species, the Romulans’ evolution on a different planet over the centuries led to their distinct look. The challenge was to differentiate them from their Vulcan relatives without overly altering their recognizable features, as Michael Westmore, head of the makeup department, elaborated:

“Visibility was key for the Romulans; they needed to come across as credible adversaries rather than one-dimensional villains. The difficulty was that physically, Vulcans and Romulans were quite alike with similar skin tones, hairstyles, pointed ears, and upward-angled eyebrows. Even clothing did little to underscore their differences. So the question stood—how could we highlight the distinctions between these two cultures?”

To solve this, Westmore introduced a signature forehead design for the Romulans:

“I crafted a unique forehead style with a central dip and indented temples, aiming for subtlety over a brutish look. It gave them a constant ‘angry eyes’ expression they couldn’t shake off.”

The result was effective. While there is no formal explanation for the Romulans’ evolved foreheads in-universe, some discrepancies in species appearances have been justified eventually, as with the Klingons’ altered looks being attributed to genetic experiments by an ancestor of Lieutenant Commander Data.

FAQ Section

Q: Why do Romulans look different in The Next Generation compared to the Original Series?

A: Michael Westmore, responsible for the makeup, wanted to ensure the Romulans were taken seriously and not just as cliché villains. He achieved this by creating a distinctive forehead design that was subtle but conveyed a permanently sullen expression differentiating them from Vulcans.

Q: Is there an in-universe explanation for the change in the Romulans’ appearance?

A: No official in-universe explanation has been provided for the change in the Romulans’ appearance as there has been for the Klingons. The change is typically accepted by fans without question.

The revamped look of the Romulans in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” illustrates the creativity and thought put into developing a species that could maintain its heritage while also signaling its divergence from Vulcan culture. Michael Westmore’s ingenious makeup design remains a testament to subtle yet impactful character development within the “Star Trek” universe. While not every species’ transformation has been explained within the lore, the dedication to creating compelling alien appearances has undeniably enriched the franchise.

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Screen Rant

15 most powerful beings in star trek, ranked.

Here's the only guide you'll need to Star Trek's most powerful alien beings, from A to Z. Or should that be A to Q?

Star Trek never made it a secret what the different crews were trying to do. They are all about seeking out new life forms and new civilizations. Accordingly, everyone from Kirk to Picard and beyond has encountered a variety of wildly different alien races.

Sometimes, these aliens end up being harmful and malevolent, like the crafty Romulans. Other times, they are violent enemies that later become allies, like the belligerent Klingons. This kind of diversity is what makes Star Trek feel like such a real and vibrant universe.

However, some alien beings go beyond races like the Klingons and Romulans. The different crews encountered alien beings who had powers and abilities beyond those of other creatures. These beings sometimes bordered on the godlike, and their whims and desires have helped reshape the galaxy in their own image.

These alien beings are sometimes benevolent and helpful, giving our protagonists a greater understanding of the way that the universe around them works. At other times, these beings are malicious and violent, threatening to put an end to all life as we know it within the Star Trek universe.

You don't need a holodeck to research these alien beings. Just keep scrolling for our guide to 15 Most Powerful Beings In Star Trek, Ranked !

15. The Traveler

star trek next gen aliens

At the top of our list we have The Traveler. His default form was of a balding guy with pincer-looking hands, but he has the ability to appear as anyone else. We only get a glimpse of The Traveler in a few episodes. However, this is more than enough to show us how powerful he is.

First, we find out that The Traveler has advanced knowledge of warp speed and warp propulsion in general and helped the Enterprise travel to the ends of the universe. Later, he helped Wesley Crusher rescue his mom from a shrinking warp bubble reality. Finally, we see that he has the ability (now shared by Wesley Crusher) to freeze time and exist outside of time.

Based on these glimpses, The Traveler is on the bottom of our list, but we've likely only seen a small amount of what he can truly do.

star trek next gen aliens

Sometimes, Star Trek likes to play with the intersection of fiction and history. That's what happened when Kirk and crew encountered Apollo on a distant planet. That's right: the Greek god Apollo. According to Star Trek , these “gods” were all aliens who simply visited Earth long ago, and Apollo is the last surviving member of their race.

He demonstrates many abilities, like grabbing ships out of space with a giant force field, and he could destroy these ships with but a thought. He could stop the crew from using their advanced technology whenever he wanted, and Apollo could hurl lightning bolts at those who angered him. He could even transport people from place to place with a wave of his hand!

If the Enterprise crew had not been able to find and destroy the temple that was the source of his power, Apollo would be much higher on this list.

13. The Edo God

star trek next gen aliens

Sometimes, Star Trek likes to return to the idea of what a “god” really is in a universe of super-powerful aliens. That happens early in The Next Generation when the crew encounters a being who calls himself the god of the planet Edo. We only get a small taste of his powers, but he seems to have the strength to back up his claim!

This being seemed to have the ability to effortlessly spy on what people said both on the Enterprise and the planet below. It could also avoid sensors whenever it wanted and could block communication. It could send probes through ships, mind meld with androids, and block transporter beams. Combined with the ability to destroy the Enterprise and other ships, this was a “god” with whom Picard did not want to mess!

12. Guardian of Forever

star trek next gen aliens

The Guardian of Forever has a pretty direct name, and it is a pretty direct alien being. This creature is a living doorway to all of space and time. We only see it once, when a crazed McCoy transports into Earth's past and Kirk and Spock are forced to follow in order to save the future that McCoy destroys.

If the Guardian could itself go back and forth in time, it would be a lot higher on this list. Still, the power it has is incredibly: a single person stepping through this Guardian at the right time can completely alter the lives of trillions of future beings. Throw in the fact that the Guardian seemingly has knowledge of all of the past and future, and this is a powerful being to reckon with.

11. Nagilum

star trek next gen aliens

Nagilum is a one-off Star Trek villain that was nonetheless very memorable. He does not have a definitive form and seems to control how he appears to anyone he interacts with. He comes from outside the universe, and when he visited the Enterprise , he brought only misery and pain.

First, he's insanely intelligent, with a mind so vast that Deanna Troi (whose whole gig is reading feelings and understanding minds) could not detect it. This creature wanted to understand humanity by watching them undergo various conditions, and he didn't hesitate to kill a crew member so he could understand death.

Picard managed to end his sadistic experiments by threatening to destroy his own ship. Nonetheless, Nagilum's ability to effortlessly wreck the lives of the best and brightest in Starfleet makes him one of their deadlier foes.

10. The Crystalline Entity

The mass email about "blowing some crystal" ended up being really misleading.

The Crystalline Entity is one of the creatures on this list that is best understood by the crew. This is because it once killed everyone on the colony where Data was found by Starfleet. As near as anyone can tell, this thing only has one goal: to feed on life wherever it can find it!

To this end, it has a pretty limited power set, but that power makes an impact: its ability to drain energy has allowed it to effortlessly destroy starships and consume the population of entire planets. Some fans underestimate its power because Dr. Kila Marr is able to destroy it with graviton pulses. However, she had been studying the Crystalline Entity for forty-six years before this, and literally no one else in the galaxy had been able to so much as hurt it before she ended its reign of terror.

9. V'Ger

Crew of the USS Enterprise on V'ger in Star Trek The Motion Picture.

When it comes to modern alien “Big Bads” in Star Trek , V'Ger is basically the granddaddy of them all. This is the alien being that makes a beeline for Earth in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , and the threat is big enough that Kirk has to hop back in the captain's chair and get the whole gang together. The movie soon makes it clear why this thing is such a threat!

First, it seems impervious to harm, and it's able to make torpedos that Klingons fire simply disappear. It can also shoot out bolts of plasma energy that can destroy powerful starships with a single blast. V'Ger could scan crew on starships and then create perfect recreations of them, and at a whim, it could easily destroy an entire planet. If Kirk and Spock hadn't reasoned with it, this thing could have destroyed the galaxy!

8. Organians

star trek next gen aliens

Those watching Star Trek: Discovery may wonder why Starfleet and the Klingons didn't annihilate each other long ago. The answer is the next group of beings on our list: the Organians. These creatures wield incredible power and were able to impose a peace treaty between the Klingons and Starfleet that turned their open conflict into more of a cold war.

These guys can do a little bit of everything. Individual Organians can sense the galaxy around them, cloud the minds of others, and increase the heat of pretty much anything. More impressively, they are capable of neutralizing and potentially destroying entire fleets of starships. They can possess bodies, resurrect the dead, and likely have many more abilities. Fortunately, they've dedicated their lives to peace and understanding instead of war.

7. Pah-Wraiths

star trek next gen aliens

Since the very beginning, the plot of Deep Space Nine has revolved around the mysterious wormhole aliens known as The Prophets (more on them in a minute). As the show went on, though, we got more details about their natural enemies, the Pah-Wraiths (who were actually exiled Prophets). These things were driven by evil and malice and had the power to back it up.

Like the Prophets, these are non-corporeal beings. They are basically fire spirits, and they can give corporeal beings dream-like visions and actually take over people's bodies. These possessed beings actually have a variety of powers only hinted at, and a possessed Dukat uses these powers to kill Jadzia Dax.

These guys are bad news, and they are only held back by their imprisonment on Bajor. If Dukat had succeeded in freeing them, they may well have destroyed the galaxy.

6. The Prophets

star trek next gen aliens

More than a few episodes of Deep Space Nine let us see what the wormhole aliens known as The Prophets can do. Most of the time, they consider themselves more like guides, and they are content to send orbs of prophecy to the Bajorans and prophetic visions to Sisko. But they are capable of so much more.

First of all, the orbs they produce are capable of altering reality in a major way. We can see this most clearly when a Klingon uses an Orb of Time to try to completely change the past. Second, Sisko successfully negotiates with the Prophets and causes them to wipe out an entire Dominion fleet that is traveling the wormhole, so they have great cosmic power. Throw in their ability to perceive time in a non-linear fashion, and they have the secrets of the universe to make them that much more powerful.

5. The Founders

star trek next gen aliens

From the very beginning of Deep Space Nine , Odo was haunted by the need to find out where he came from. The show eventually answered this by introducing The Founders, which were an entire race of shape-shifting aliens. And they nearly brought the galaxy to its knees.

These Founders are powerful enough on their own— being able to shift into anything or anyone makes them great at things like espionage and combat, and they are relatively difficult to kill. And the Founders ended up creating an entire army of Jem'hadar soldiers and Vorta to help them take over large chunks of the galaxy.

In terms of prolonged conflict, the Federation had never encountered a more major threat than these Founders and their Dominion. However, there are other beings that exceed them in terms of raw power.

4. Species 8472

Species 8472 - Star Trek: Voyager

We are introduced to the sheer power of Species 8472 in the most dramatic way: by seeing them take out multiple Borg ships! Since we previously saw that it took the destruction of thirty-nine Starfleet ships to stop a single Borg cube, seeing this new species effortlessly take out these cubes lets you know they mean business.

Species 8472 live in a special section of the galaxy known as “fluidic space.” They were chilling peacefully there until the Borg tried to assimilate them, causing this new species to wage war on the Borg and kill billions of drones. The reason that these aliens aren't higher on the list is that Captain Janeway and the Borg developed a special warhead that kills them, and this drove them (mostly) back to fluidic space. Later, Janeway successfully convinced them that the Federation is not a threat to them or their way of life.

star trek next gen aliens

When it comes to alien species, the Borg represent the single greatest enemy to the Federation and pretty much all biological life. They operate by assimilating other species and cultures, meaning they are constantly improving their weapons and technology. This also lets them quickly adapt to things like Starfleet phasers, making them a virtually unstoppable threat.

In addition to their raw power, what makes the Borg so powerful and dangerous is their plans to conquer the galaxy. They won't rest until everything they've encountered is either destroyed or assimilated.

There's also the grim reality that every single victory against the Borg is destined to be short-lived: if they lose drones, they assimilate more. If they lose cubes, they make more. And the Borg Queen seems unable to stay dead. This makes it easy to believe the Borg when they tell Picard and crew “ resistance is futile! ”

2. Kevin Uxbridge

star trek next gen aliens

Kevin Uxbridge is a one-off alien that appears in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . At first, he appears to be nothing more than an elderly man living with his wife on an otherwise desolate planet. Soon, though, the crew discovers that there is much more to him.

It turns out Kevin is not a human but an alien being known as a Douwd. He's thousands of years old and has an array of fantastic powers. He's able to disrupt the mind of Counselor Troi and to manifest alien ships to attack the Enterprise to drive it off.

Eventually, Kevin admits that he is filled with guilt: when aliens known as the Husnock attacked this planet and killed Kevin's human wife, he retaliated by wiping out all Husnok throughout the entire galaxy. The ability to wipe out an entire race with a thought makes him insanely powerful!

Q talks animatedly to Picard in Star Trek TNG

Could there be anyone at the top of this list other than Q? He is the oldest and greatest of Captain Picard's enemies, although he sometimes has a surprising turn as an ally of humanity. In terms of power, though, it's almost impossible to measure everything Q can do.

As he is quick to remind the Enterprise crew, he is all-knowing and all-powerful. Whatever he thinks, he is able to make happen. This includes hurtling the Enterprise thousands of light years with a snap of his fingers and manifesting everything from mariachi bands to wacky time-travel adventures.

There's no way around it: Q is the closest that Star Trek has come to portraying a true god who is capable of doing whatever he wants whenever he wants to. It's fortunate that he ended up being a relatively benevolent god, though he constantly irked Picard with his mischievous nature.

Got a powerful Star Trek being we missed? Head on over to the comments!

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Whoopi Goldberg reveals why she joined Star Trek The Next Generation

"I'll talk to whoever but I need to be part of that."

preview for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Official Trailer (Paramount+)

Claiming that she loves horror movies, sci-fi and "everything", Goldberg shared that she originally asked The Next Generation 's LeVar Burton (who plays Geordi La Forge) to pass on her interest (via The Digital Fix ).

"'They're doing Star Trek ? Oh my god, tell him [ Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry] I want to play,'" Goldberg recalled saying to Burton.

"So a year goes by, I hear nothing, and I see him and I said, 'Did you tell him?' He said 'Yeah, but they didn't believe me.'"

whoopi goldberg

Related: Star Trek: Discovery final season trailer promises emotional goodbye

After asking Burton for Roddenberry's number, Goldberg persisted: "I said 'I'll talk to whoever but I need to be part of that.'

"I say I want to have a meeting, can I come in, and can I explain why. And they said sure. I think, in my head now, they thought 'This b***h is crazy. She is never going to come and do this show. She's a movie person.'"

Despite this, Goldberg won over Roddenberry after he questioned her interest in the show:

"I go, and Gene Roddenberry says 'You have to explain this to me. Why do you want to do this?' I said, 'Gene, do you know that before Lieutenant Uhura, Black people didn’t exist in the future?'

whoopi goldberg, star trek, guinan

Related: Patrick Stewart reveals why Ian McKellen almost made him turn down Star Trek

"It’s true. No science fiction existed with us in any of the movies, in anything. This is the first time we appear in the future. Not only do we appear in the future, but this is a gorgeous woman and she’s the communications officer! I said, 'You did this in 1963.'"

Goldberg went on to appear in seasons 2 to 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation as alien bartender Guinan. Her love of sci-fi remains as she has since appeared in Star Trek: Picard and also recently revealed she wanted a role in Doctor Who .

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Divya Soni is a freelance news reporter for Digital Spy.

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Memory Alpha

Schisms (episode)

  • View history
  • 1.2 Act One
  • 1.3 Act Two
  • 1.4 Act Three
  • 1.5 Act Four
  • 1.6 Act Five
  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3.1 Production history
  • 3.2 Story and script
  • 3.3 Production
  • 3.4 Continuity
  • 3.5 Reception
  • 3.6 Apocrypha
  • 3.7 Video and DVD releases
  • 4.1 Starring
  • 4.2 Also starring
  • 4.3 Guest stars
  • 4.4 Co-stars
  • 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
  • 4.6 Stunt double
  • 4.7 Stand-ins
  • 4.8.1 "Ode to Spot" references
  • 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

William T. Riker is tossing and turning in bed in his quarters , having trouble getting to sleep. He struggles to get out of bed and groans as he makes his way to his Head. After washing his face, he hears a buzzer on his wall panel and checks and realizes he is late and shakes his head in disbelief.

Geordi La Forge and Data work on charting the cluster and the former orders Lieutenant Shipley to triangulate the sector points. Riker comes in and apologizes for being late. La Forge brings him up to speed and tells him how he is attempting to speed up the process of charting the immense globular cluster. He just listens and struggles to pay attention. La Forge wants to boost the long-range sensor array using the warp drive . Afterward, Data asks Riker if he will be attending his poetry reading later in the afternoon in Ten Forward . Riker tiredly tells him he " wouldn't miss it for the world. " La Forge grins at Riker and tells him he can't wait to see what Data has come up with.

Later that afternoon, Data reads some of his poetry. The rhyme and meter are perfect, but there is no emotional content to it as most of the audience looks rather bored. Riker is very obviously tired, falling asleep twice while Data recites a self-made poem he wrote for his cat , Spot , titled " Ode to Spot ".

Act One [ ]

Riker talks to Doctor Crusher and explains how he has been on edge all day, and almost swatting away her scanning device on the medical tricorder , complaining that it's too close to him. She finds nothing wrong with him, aside from muscle tension in his neck and suggests a warm milk toddy , a recipe from Captain Picard 's Aunt Adele .

La Forge, Data, and Shipley execute their plan for the sensor array and the results have increased active scanner output by 26%. Delighted at the results, La Forge wants to inform astrophysics laboratory about his new "La Forge Sensor Array", a task that Shipley is delighted to perform. Data then takes La Forge aside to ask about his poetry, saying he noticed people were distracted. While his form was good, La Forge recommends focusing on what he wants to say rather than on how he is saying it. Suddenly, there is a power grid overload in cargo bay 4, the location where they were routing power to amplify the sensors . Concerns mount as La Forge says he has three people working in there and wants damage control and medical teams there.

Lieutenant Worf and a security guard arrive outside, followed by Crusher and two medical personnel with a stretcher . Shipley and La Forge stand clear as Data opens the door. However, they find nothing but three people working, which draws a nervous question from one of them, asking if there is something wrong.

La Forge concludes to Riker that it was a glitch in the internal sensors which caused a pattern recognition failure, in part of his modifications. Riker suggests running a level 3 diagnostic on the internal sensor network and wants to pick the conversation up in the morning and get a fresh start, with obvious fatigue in his voice. Before leaving, Riker asks La Forge to stop by his quarters at 0700 in the morning, since he's having trouble waking up; La Forge agrees to do so.

A warm milk toddy materializes in the replicator ; Riker drinks it down, showing a mild disapproval of its taste. He lies down in his bed and quickly drifts off to sleep. What seems to be moments later, La Forge is seen walking in the corridor , acknowledging a passing crewman, and stopping at Riker's quarters to wake him the following morning, as asked. Despite the fact that Riker incredulously says he just went to bed, La Forge assures him that it is in fact 0700 hours, leaving Riker not only exhausted but completely puzzled.

Act Two [ ]

Worf is getting a haircut from Mr. Mot , the ship's barber . He asks to have his hair trimmed, but not as short as last time, which Mot apologizes for once again for his mistake. Engaging in small talk about how luxurious Klingon hair is and ways to keep it healthy, the way Mot's scissors come at Worf's face causes him to react strongly by grabbing Mot's wrist, but clearly, he doesn't know exactly why, and Worf leaves his shop in a hurry.

Geordi La Forge's VISOR cuts out

" Are you all right, Geordi? " " I don't know. I just got a very weird feeling. Maybe I should go to sickbay. "

La Forge is trying to diagnose the sensor problem back in the cargo bay. He can't find it, so, at Riker's suggestion, he disables the modifications. While they were walking together, La Forge lets out a yawn and excuses himself to Riker, which it seems this has been happening for quite some time. La Forge quips that after this survey is complete, they could all use a little shore leave . As he is about to run a structural integrity scan, his VISOR cuts out, making him extremely dizzy , the second time today it did that. After another strange feeling, he goes to sickbay , leaving Data to continue the diagnosis.

Doctor Crusher finds that there is a bacterial infection around La Forge's neural implants , interrupting the data stream, but it doesn't match any bacterial strain in the medical database. She runs an additional scan to check that there are no other additional signs of infection.

When La Forge returns, Data indicates he is just starting the integrity scan and thought La Forge just left. Confused, La Forge tells him that has been gone for more than an hour. After comparing his internal chronometer with the ship's computer, Data is surprised to learn that La Forge is correct – his chronometer is off by ninety minutes, seventeen seconds. Data decides to run a self-diagnostic later, and La Forge calls for a team from Engineering to have the cargo bay examined; his VISOR, a sensor glitch, and now Data's chronometer are not a coincidence.

On the bridge , Riker is about to teach Ensign Sariel Rager how to compensate for gravimetric interference in a globular cluster for a course correction, but when he sits down at the conn, he suddenly has an odd reaction to the console. He runs his hand over the smooth forward edge of the helm, then gets out of the chair and resumes his seat, apparently deciding that Stellar cartography won't get their better angle.

Later, La Forge and Data detect a subspace particle emission within Cargo Bay 4. With the use of a tricorder , they locate a glow from the plasma conduit they were examining before, which draws all the personnel in the bay to watch.

Act Three [ ]

They examine it and conclude that this is a subspace rift , and on the other side is something that is so deep into subspace it shouldn't exist in this universe, as it is, according to Data, composed of tetryon particles which are normally unstable in normal space. Picard asks if the rift poses a danger to the Enterprise , which La Forge says only if it spreads. If it does, they can beam the bulkhead out and erect a force field in its place. Picard wants that option ready just in case and orders them to continue their analysis.

Riker explains to Counselor Deanna Troi in Ten Forward that he suddenly felt trapped sitting in front of the conn console on the bridge, and she tells him he is the third person to mention having a fear response provoked by an object. When she gets everyone together in the observation lounge , including Worf, La Forge and Kaminer , they all start to realize they are remembering the same thing. They all begin to describe a vague, but consistent, picture.

The room

" We've all been here before… "

On Riker's suggestion, they all go into the holodeck and begin to reconstruct the room. Starting with a table, they assemble a long, rectangular, inclined metal table; followed by a dark room with a bright light overhead. With things starting to come into place, they add a restraining arm to the table with a control panel, and a metal swing-arm at the head. Worf then adds a scissor-like device to the swing-arm, and Riker adds whispers to the room, but Kaminer switches them to clicks. With Riker increasing the volume, speed and number of the clicks in the room, La Forge horrifyingly concludes that he has been in this room, and Riker adds that they've all been in the room before.

Act Four [ ]

In sickbay, with everyone being examined, Picard is briefed on Crusher's findings: she has found high serotonin levels in each of those who had these strange memories, mainly in the hippocampus , suggesting they were exposed to a neuro-sedative . Furthermore, they each had minute tetryon particle traces in their subdermal tissues, the same traces as in the cargo bay. Data arrives and reports that, after completing his self-diagnostic, he has concluded he was not aboard the Enterprise for the lost time in the cargo bay. When Picard asks the computer if anyone is missing, it identifies two crew members unaccounted for: Lieutenant Edward Hagler and Ensign Rager, who have been gone since almost 2332 hours using an unknown method of departure. He immediately contacts the bridge to raise shields and orders a level 4 security alert. They conclude that to locate their missing crew members, they have to find the source of the tetryon emissions. Just then, one of Crusher's men alerts her to a shocking discovery: it appears that Riker's arm has been surgically removed and then reattached, almost invisibly, except with a point-zero-two micron difference. Riker's concern grows exponentially.

With Shipley working on the analysis, he directs La Forge's to a very concerning discovery: the tetryon emissions in the cargo bay have intensified and coalesced, the beginning of a spatial rupture . They decide to put a subspace containment field around it in case it expands as it would present a threat of a hull breach if not contained.

The Enterprise 's internal sensors have not picked up anything unusual other than the rupture in Cargo Bay 4. Picard orders that a metallurgical analysis be conducted on the ship's hull, as he believes subspace field incursions may have left a trace. Just then, Worf reports that Lieutenant Hagler has been returned to the Enterprise and in his quarters. When Dr. Crusher comes rushing to his quarters, he is in severe distress and collapses on the deck floor. When Picard and Riker rush to help the doctor, she finds Hagler's blood turning into a liquid polymer , and calls for a plasma infusion unit to Deck 9.

At the next staff meeting in the observation lounge, La Forge tells them that the subspace containment field isn't working. There is no way to beam the affected sections into space since the transporter cannot get a positive lock on the affected sections due to severe nucleonic interference and they have about 5 or 6 hours before the hull ruptures. La Forge also explains that the only way to close the rupture is with a coherent graviton pulse, but that has to be done at the source, and finding the specific tertiary subspace manifold where the abducting aliens dwell within the infinite number of domains which exist is almost impossible.

Worf suggests creating a homing device, allowing them to track it when someone is taken but they have no way to get the device to the source. Riker disagrees and volunteers to take the device directly to the source, noting that he has been taken every night. The captain also asks Crusher if she can counteract the effects of the sedative the aliens have been administering which would give him an advantage. She gives Riker a high dosage of a neuro-stimulant which would give him about 12 hours. La Forge gives him a tricorder that's locked into a continuous cycle to record what they can of the subspace domain, and a modified sensor relay emitter to transmit a subspace beacon. When the indicator lights up, it means they've locked on to his location.

Riker is laying on his bed in uniform with his mission equipment and armed with a phaser , waiting for the inevitable. Suddenly, a bright rift appears at the foot of his bed, and he is levitated and pulled through it feet first. Worf informs Picard that Riker has been taken from the Enterprise .

Act Five [ ]

Solanogen-based lifeform

One of the solanogen-based lifeforms

Riker finds himself on an examination table in a room with several hooded aliens who appear to be busy with other tasks. The clicking sound is revealed to be their language. The missing Ensign Rager is unconscious on a similar table nearby, but there are tubes sticking into her right arm. Riker looks around at what he can, feigning unconsciousness whenever they come by to work with him.

La Forge has trouble finding Riker in subspace which they covered the entire high-width subspace energy band and are working on adjacent levels. With only 14 minutes left in the containment field, they decide to reinforce it with auxiliary power, but it won't be much.

The aliens continue their work on Rager by taking a skin sample from her leg, and then proceed to work on Riker, while he continues to feign unconsciousness. Just then, he sees his relay emitter begin to light up, indicating the Enterprise has locked on to their location.

La Forge locks in the subspace energy level of 16.2 keV and prepares to initiate the graviton pulse with the emitters at full power according to Shipley, but they have about four minutes left before the containment field fails. When the field then fluctuates, the Enterprise crew are forced to begin the graviton pulse. When this starts, the aliens attempt to counteract it, so La Forge starts adding a random shift to the frequency, but it doesn't help. He and Shipley are forced to channel all of the graviton energy into a single burst, which works, and they prepare to fire another blast at the rift.

Successful rescue

Rescue successful

As the aliens are concentrating on keeping the rift open, Riker frees himself from the table, and proceeds to rescue Rager after she indicates she is aware of his presence. He gets off the table and approaches the ensign, shooting one of the aliens who attempts to interfere. Just as Shipley and La Forge ready one final blast and finally collapse the rift, Riker jumps through the rift with Rager in his arms, and lands in the cargo bay with Data rushing over to assist them moments before it collapses.

However, the aliens send something unknown through the rift, which passes through the Enterprise 's hull and out into space.

Data and La Forge examine the tricorder readings and conclude that these solanogen-based lifeforms had created a pocket of "normal" universe within their subspatial domain, allowing them to examine and experiment on their victims taken from the Enterprise . They'd been attempting to establish a pocket of their subspace realm inside the ship's cargo bay. La Forge hypothesizes that they discovered the ship due to his modified sensor signal and suggests that they warn Starfleet not to perform such a modification on other vessels in the future. The alien intent behind the abduction and experimentation was unclear, and there is some discussion of whether or not the energy sent through the rift was a probe of some sort, as Data notes they may be simply explorers like themselves. Although he and Rager were lucky to escape, Riker notes that Lieutenant Hagler is dead and the experimentation on the various crew members indicates that the motivation behind them was beyond mere curiosity.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature, An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature. "

" Your hesitation suggests you are trying to protect my feelings. However, since I have none, I would prefer you to be honest. "

" Oh, excuse me. " " I know the feeling. "

" It's such a pleasure to cut sometimes I get carried away! "

" Good morning. " " Morning? I just went to bed! " " Commander, it's 0700 hours. "

" I've been in this room before. " " We've all been here before. "

" Whoever it was that sent that thing was more than simply curious... "

" Have you dreamed about scissors recently? "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

  • Final draft script: 14 August 1992 [1]
  • Premiere airdate: 19 October 1992
  • First UK airdate: 9 August 1995

Story and script [ ]

  • Although hardly the first Trek episode in which characters have been abducted by aliens, "Schisms" marks Trek 's first foray into the phenomenon of alien abduction in the popular sense. Set designer Richard James compared the episode to Close Encounters of the Third Kind . Brannon Braga noted, " Getting kidnapped by aliens is not very fresh. I was more interested in those first four acts, the mystery and the weirdness and seeing our people losing their minds, which is not something you get to see very often. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 262)
  • An aspect Braga was very proud of in this episode was Data's poetry reading. He stated, " That was a decision to do a cold teaser and the poetry reading was an idea that we had been kicking around for quite a while. The things that's great about the teaser is that it's still advancing the plot with Riker falling asleep, even though you don't think that's going to have anything to do with the story. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 262)
  • Actor Brent Spiner was highly impressed with Data's poem, " Ode to Spot ." He recalled, " I couldn't believe it because not only did it rhyme but it's technobabble and it also had something to say. It had a really sweet point of view towards the cat. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 262)
  • The character of Kaminer was named after author Wendy Kaminer . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 221))
  • The Amargosa Diaspora was named after the Amargosa Desert and a pet finch of Braga's mother. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 221))
  • A schism is a split or division. As such, the title refers to the splits in subspace that allow the aliens to abduct crewmembers.

Production [ ]

  • Co-producer Wendy Neuss , sound editor Jim Wolvington and supervising sound editor Bill Wistrom were tasked with creating the clicking language for the aliens. Neuss recalled it was among the funniest experiences she had on The Next Generation . She explained, " We had decided what kind of clicks we wanted with Rick [Berman] and Peter [Lauritson] at the spotting session. Then the three of us actually sat there one night and wrote a script in English and then transposed it to 'clicks.' We wanted it to be organic, not synthesized, and we had a cadence to it; we decided where the clicks should be and what kind of feeling they should have. Then we brought in the group [of] people to do it – so in addition to the individual clickers we had group clicking: you see five people clicking, really intently, like the professionals that they are. And I just had to leave the stage – that's when you think, 'I can't believe I'm doing this!' " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 221))

Continuity [ ]

Enterprise-D barbershop, 2369

The re-used wall decoration at the barbershop

  • The stellar formations of the Amargosa Diaspora seen at the beginning of the episode turned up again later in the season to represent the Borgolis Nebula in " Lessons ".
  • This is the final appearance of the Bolian barber Mot (although Picard later masqueraded as Mot in " Starship Mine "), as well as conn officer Sariel Rager . Mot did reappear later in " The Chase ", but the scene was deleted .
  • The versatility of the main biobed in sickbay is seen in this episode. Riker is seen putting his arm on top of a retractable transparent scanner sheet while sitting on the bed. A scan of his forearm is then seen on a viewscreen , showing that it was severed by the aliens.
  • Picard's Aunt Adele was previously mentioned in " Ensign Ro " and " Cause And Effect ". In "Ensign Ro", Picard gave Admiral Kennelly her cure for the common cold , ginger tea with honey . In "Cause and Effect", he gave Crusher her recipe for steamed milk with nutmeg when she had trouble sleeping. Here, Crusher gives Riker her recipe for warm milk toddy .
  • This episode marks the only time in the series that Riker takes the conn of the USS Enterprise -D , albeit briefly. The next time he would take the helm of an Enterprise would be the USS Enterprise -E in Star Trek: Insurrection .
  • The poem "Ode to Spot" later appeared in " A Fistful of Datas ".
  • The wall decoration in the barbershop can also be seen in the Proconsul Neral 's office in the fifth season episodes " Unification I " and " Unification II ", in the reception area at Arkaria Base in the episode " Starship Mine ", in the observation lounge in the seventh season episode " Parallels ", in the office of Minister Kray in the Star Trek: Voyager first season episode " Ex Post Facto ", in Neelix's quarters in the episode " Jetrel ", and in Annorax ready room aboard the Krenim weapon ship in the fourth season episode " Year of Hell ".

Reception [ ]

  • Director Robert Wiemer , Brannon Braga , and Michael Piller were all disappointed at the look of the aliens, and decided not to bring them back, despite the open ending. Braga stated, " I felt they looked like monks – fish monks – and monks aren't terrifying. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 221))
  • Braga was additionally displeased with previews for the episode. He stated, " Unfortunately, the trailer also gave everything away, 'Aliens are using the Enterprise crew as Human guinea pigs.' They showed everything during the coming attractions the week before, which was really annoying. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 262)
  • Wiemer thought the alien scenes were too "languid" and should have used more cuts to create an off-balance feeling. " There was a story consensus to do lighting control, smoke control, to limit what one saw, but it's always harder to paint with light when you're on the crush of time. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 221))

Apocrypha [ ]

  • In the game Star Trek Online , the first mission in the story arc known as Solanae Dyson Sphere draws heavily on this episode. During the course of the mission, the solanogen-based lifeforms were identified as servants of the Iconians while the player rescues Starfleet, Klingon , and Romulan teams, with the aid of Ambassador Worf. One of the Romulan captives would end up slain by the same procedure (and cause of death) that killed Lieutenant Hagler.
  • The Star Trek: Titan novel Sight Unseen tells a different version: in 2386 , now-Admiral William T. Riker, Lieutenant Commander Sariel Rager, and their comrades on the USS Titan encounter the Solanae while Starfleet is working with a new-to-warp species called the Dinac. The Solanae's home realm is revealed to be entropically decaying toward complete dissolution in less than 300 years, prompting the Solanae leadership to order experiments on Milky Way Galaxy species as a prelude to exodus by forcible colonization. With the help of exiled dissidents called the Ciari (who include Xikkix, the man who experimented upon Riker and Rager years before), the Titan crew foil the Solanae's plans to deploy a biogenic weapon against the Dinac homeworld.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

  • UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 66, 17 May 1993
  • As part of the TNG Season 6 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

  • Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
  • Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

  • LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
  • Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
  • Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
  • Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
  • Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

  • Lanei Chapman as Sariel Rager
  • Ken Thorley as Mot

Co-stars [ ]

  • Angelina Fiordellisi as Kaminer
  • Scott T. Trost as Shipley
  • Angelo McCabe as Crewman
  • John Nelson as Medical Technician
  • Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

  • Lena Banks as operations division ensign
  • Michael Braveheart as Martinez
  • Tyce Bune as Edward Hagler
  • Debbie David as Russell
  • Cameron as Kellogg
  • David Paul Christian as Ten Forward waiter
  • Brian Ciari as solanogen-based lifeform
  • Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
  • Tony Cruz as Lopez
  • Elliot Durant III as operations division ensign
  • Holiday Freeman as command division officer
  • Grace Harrell as operations division officer
  • Melanie Hathorn as sciences officer
  • Kerry Hoyt as operations division ensign
  • Hunt as operations division officer
  • Gary Hunter as science division officer
  • Kai as science division officer
  • Arvo Katajisto as Torigan
  • Ron Large as command division officer
  • Mark Lentry as civilian
  • Debbie Marsh as command division ensign
  • Ivonne Perez as command officer
  • Brandy Pickett as science division officer
  • Victor Sein as technician
  • Noriko Suzuki as operations division ensign
  • Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
  • Female civilian
  • Female command division ensign
  • Four solanogen-based lifeforms
  • Operations division lieutenant j.g.
  • Science division officer
  • Starfleet officer (voice)

Stunt double [ ]

  • Tom Morga as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes

Stand-ins [ ]

  • David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
  • Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
  • Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
  • Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
  • Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
  • Joycelyn Robinson – stand-in for Lanei Chapman
  • Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
  • Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

Adele ; alien lifeform ; Amargosa Diaspora ; amino acid ; arm ; analysis ; anapestic tetrameter ; anti-grav lift ; astrophysics laboratory ; aunt ; auxiliary power ; bacteria ; barbershop ; beard ; bench ; blade ; blood ; bulkhead ; cargo bay 4 ; cat ; centimeter ; chronometer ; classification ; coherent graviton pulse ; conditioning agent ; conduit ; conference table ; cycle ; deflector grid ; denouement ; design parameter ; diagnostic ; diagnostic team ; dream ; EM signature ; emotional response ; EPS mains ; EPS explosion ; explorer ; FGC-13 ; fish ; force field ; Galaxy class decks ; globular cluster ; gravimetric disturbance ; gravimetric interference ; graviton ; graviton emitter ; haiku ; heat ; hedonism ; height ; hippocampus ; holodeck ; homing device ; honeycomb ; hull ; hull breach ; internal chronometer ; internal sensor network ; isolinear chip ; joke ; Jorkemo ; Keats, John ; keV ; lactose ; Latin language ; level 3 diagnostic ; liquid polymer ; LT Lepton Emission Subharmonic Analysis ; medical tricorder ; metal ( metallic ); metallurgical analysis ; meter (distance); meter (poetry) ; minute ; molecular structure ; moon ; muscle ; neural input ; neuro-sedative ; neuro-stimulant ; non-sentient ; nucleonic interference ; number one ; ocean ; ode ; " Ode to Spot "; orbit ; oversleeping ; plasma infusion unit ; poetry ; probe ; quasi-molecular flux ; radius ; recharge ; recipe ; rectangular ; red ; REM sleep ; resonance tissue scan ; sand ; scientific discovery ; scissors ; sector ; security alert ; sedative ; self-diagnostic ; sensor array ; sensor ghost ; sensor relay emitter ; serotonin ; servo fluid system ; shields ; shore leave ; sickbay ; snoring ; solanogen ; solanogen-based lifeform ; sonnet ; spatial rupture ; Spot ; Starfleet ; Stellar cartography ; structural integrity ; subatomic level ; subspace ; subspace containment field ; subspace energy ; subspace field tap ; subspace field incursion ; surface area ; sunflower ; table ; tertiary subspace manifold ; tetryons ; tide ; tidal effect ; tricorder ; ulna ; universe ; visual cortex ; warm milk toddy (aka hot milk toddy); warp field ; warp grid coupler ; warp-power transfer ; wave ; world

"Ode to Spot" references [ ]

acrobatic talents ; carnivore ; counterbalance ; endotherm ; Felis catus ; quadruped ; subvocal oscillations ; tail ; taxonomic nomenclature

External links [ ]

  • " Schisms " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • " Schisms " at Wikipedia
  • "Schisms" at StarTrek.com
  • " "Schisms" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
  • "Schisms" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
  • 1 Kenneth Mitchell
  • 3 Kol (Klingon)

Star Trek: TNG Producer Reveals Scrapped Plan for Geordi's True Identity

One original plan for Geordi's backstory was tossed before it came to be on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge could have had an entirely different backstory if one alternate plan for the character had seen the light of day.

Portrayed by LeVar Burton, Geordi stood out as one of the most recognizable characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation . That's in part due to the unique visor he'd wear to help him see, as Geordi had been blind since birth. However, there were plans at one point during TNG 's run to reveal that Geordi was part-alien without even realizing it. Per Screen Rant , this was revealed by Star Trek: TNG executive producer Jeri Taylor in the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross. As Taylor explained, the idea was for Geordi to learn his true heritage in one episode before the plan was ultimately scrapped.

Star Trek Holiday Gift Guide Feature 4-way image against a spacey background

Holiday Gift Guide for Star Trek Fans

"We wanted to make Geordi an alien ," Taylor said. "He was going to discover that his father was not who he thought he was, and his mother had an almost Rosemary’s Baby–kind of thing and had been impregnated by an alien. As a result, Geordi was actually half alien and now, at his present age, his people were coming back to get him. I thought that would have given Geordi’s character a lot of elaboration."

Geordi La Forge Has Long Been a Fan Favorite

Geordi would remain a fan favorite with Trekkies, regardless, sticking around for the duration of the show while appearing in all of the TNG feature films. More recently, Burton reprised the role of Geordi for appearances in Star Trek: Picard , which essentially served as a legacy sequel series for TNG . The new show also revealed Geordi to now be a father with his children following in his footsteps. Burton has teased that this opens the door for another Star Trek spinoff that would focus on the next generation. One of the character's kids was played by his real-life daughter , Mica Burton.

star trek next gen aliens

Section 31: Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek Movie Sets Filming Start Date

It's unclear if Burton will ever return as Geordi in Star Trek , or if his appearance in the series finale of Picard was the character's final bow. Meanwhile, Burton has been popping up elsewhere. He recently had a voiceover supporting role in the Nancy Drew spinoff series Tom Swift . Burton is also planning to host a game show adaptation of the classic board game Trivial Pursuit .

Star Trek: The Next Generation is streaming on Paramount+ as well as the free streaming service Pluto TV.

Source: Screen Rant

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: TNG (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

The Outcast

  • Episode aired Mar 14, 1992

Jonathan Frakes and Melinda Culea in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

While aiding an androgynous race who lost a couple of members in an unmapped region of space, Riker falls for one of them, which can lead to trouble if detected, since the alien race does no... Read all While aiding an androgynous race who lost a couple of members in an unmapped region of space, Riker falls for one of them, which can lead to trouble if detected, since the alien race does not endorse gender specificity. While aiding an androgynous race who lost a couple of members in an unmapped region of space, Riker falls for one of them, which can lead to trouble if detected, since the alien race does not endorse gender specificity.

  • Robert Scheerer
  • Gene Roddenberry
  • Jeri Taylor
  • Brannon Braga
  • Patrick Stewart
  • Jonathan Frakes
  • LeVar Burton
  • 33 User reviews
  • 9 Critic reviews

Melinda Culea in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

  • Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

  • Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

LeVar Burton

  • Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

  • Lieutenant Worf

Gates McFadden

  • Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

  • Counselor Deanna Troi

Brent Spiner

  • Lieutenant Commander Data

Melinda Culea

  • Ensign Gates
  • (uncredited)
  • Operations Division Officer
  • Crewman Nelson

Lena Banks

  • Starfleet Ensign
  • Enterprise-D Ops Officer
  • Crewman Martinez
  • J'naii Civilian
  • All cast & crew
  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

  • Trivia One of three TNG episodes where LeVar Burton has a beard, the others being A Fistful of Datas (1992) and The Quality of Life (1992) . Burton actually preferred facial hair, but the producers did not, which is why his beards never last for very long.
  • Goofs Soren tells Commander Riker that there are no 'hes' and 'shes' in Soren's species, but when she later speaks of her former classmate, she too uses the terms 'he' and 'him'. However, as Riker has said he feels uncomfortable using the pronoun "it," it's likely that Soren is simply adjusting her language to accommodate Riker. Also the classmate felt being male so using "he" would be logical choice.

Soren : My parents were pilots. I was flying with them before I could walk. As soon as I was old enough, I entered flight school. Krite was my instructor.

Commander William T. Riker : He had a good student.

Soren : "He"? Commander, there are no he's or she's in a species without gender.

Commander William T. Riker : Okay. For two days, I've been trying to construct sentences without personal pronouns. Now I give up. What should I use, 'it'? To us, that's rude.

  • Connections Featured in Tvennesnack: Episod 1 (2021)
  • Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 33

  • Jun 6, 2023
  • March 14, 1992 (United States)
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  • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
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Technical specs

  • Runtime 45 minutes
  • Dolby Digital

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Home » Hot off the Press » The Star Trek Election, Part II: Biden’s Brain

star trek next gen aliens

CAPTAIN KIRK: You have him on complete Life Support. Was he dead? DR. MCCOY: He was worse than dead. CAPTAIN KIRK: What do you mean? DR. MCCOY: Jim … CAPTAIN KIRK: Come on, Bones, what’s the mystery? DR. MCCOY: His brain is gone. —From Star Trek , Spock’s Brain

Longtime readers of my writing here know how much I think real life reflects the brilliance of classic Star Trek (not the endless PC leeching on it that followed). Unlike practically anyone in Hollywoke today, the artists who crafted the original series understood reality enough to present a moralistic, futuristic parable for it. They had served in war, seen men killed, saved lives, raised families, and read great books, concepts mostly alien to the imitative, ideological internet generations that followed.

President Biden is Mr. Spock after an advanced alien female removed his brain.

Before creating Star Trek , Gene Rodenberry was an Army Air Force ace with 89 combat missions in World War II, an airline pilot, then an LA cop — all jobs where no modern writer-producer has gone before. He and other contributors to the show used science-fiction to project their imagination, vision, passion, and angst about the world into the adventures of one military starship exploring the universe while attempting to maintain peace. In Joe Biden’s America, adventure, exploration, and peace are no longer futuristic elements but extinct ones. But Star Trek was there first.  (READ MORE from Lou Aguilar: Laura  and the Feminist Delusion )

Four years ago, during the 2020 election, I warned in The   American Spectator that candidate Biden was the personification of John Gill from the Star Trek episode, Patterns of Force . Gill was a once respected, now near mindless leader drugged up to appear physically and mentally competent in order to figurehead a new Nazi Reich. The real power behind Gill has formed a police state where resistors are shot or jailed. Sound familiar? Star Trek was there first.

But too many citizens failed to heed my warning via Star Trek , and questionably elected Joe “John Gill’ Biden president. The result has been predictably, lamentably, interminably catastrophic. In four years, we’ve had 13 servicemembers killed and many more wounded during a disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, two ongoing wars, millions of illegal aliens pouring across the open border, an economy in shambles, normalized crime, barbarized major cities, political opponents imprisoned and/or persecuted, and dangerously short military recruitment levels.

In Star Trek , Captain James T. Kirk inspired real men to join a space force:

They used to say if Man could fly, he’d have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to. Do you wish that the first Apollo mission hadn’t reached the moon? [This episode, Return to Tomorrow , aired in February 1968, more than a year before the first Apollo mission did reach the moon.] Or that we hadn’t gone on to Mars, then to the nearest star? That’s like saying that you wished you still operated with scalpels and sewed your patients up with catgut like your great, great, great, great grandfather used to … Dr. McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential in any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this. But I must point out that the possibility, the potential for knowledge and advancement is equally great. Risk — risk is our business. That’s what this starship is all about. That’s why we’re aboard her.

Compare Captain Kirk’s inspiring speech to the one given last week by United States Space Force Lieutenant-Colonel Bree Fram, a man who identifies as a woman.

All too often, I hear leaders talk about providing everyone with dignity and respect like it’s an aspirational goal. That’s not good enough. Dignity and respect is the bare minimum. It’s the floor of where we can be. We must set our sights higher and focus on intentional inclusivity. Because there are still far too many people out there — not just LGBTQ individuals — that feel marginalized, shut out, and discriminated against … So for all of you out there. I ask you to set out your symbols of pride, share your pronouns in your emails, particularly if you’re a person who doesn’t feel they need to.

Fram’s speech might swell military enlistment with the kind of people the Armed Forces needs — in a Star Trek: The Next Generation fantasy. Apart from his high rank in U.S. Space Force, Fram co-leads the Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team. The fact that the Air Force even has an LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team must delight war strategists in Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran. Yet it’s a Biden Administration priority. Because compared to vegetating candidate “John Gill” Biden in 2020, President Biden is Mr. Spock after an advanced alien female removed his brain.

The Season Three opener, Spock’s Brain , is one of the weakest episodes of the entire series. In it, the Enterprise crew searches through a solar system for Spock’s brain, stolen by an alien with a technology beyond 23rd century human capability. Yet even this lesser episode anticipated Joe Biden who, like the brainless Spock, cannot function unless directed by remote control.  (READ MORE: The Conservative Writer’s Block )

There’s one more political lesson that can be learned from classic Star Trek , which may predict the election result this November. In the episode, The Deadly Years , Captain Kirk gets relieved of command and replaced by an incompetent fool. Very soon, the Enterprise is surrounded by Romulan warships and targeted for destruction with the new captain at a total loss. “What am I going to do?” he whines to himself.

Only Kirk’s timely return saves the ship. Hopefully, another displaced leader’s comeback will rescue the ship of state this year.

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COMMENTS

  1. List of Star Trek aliens

    Star Trek aliens have been featured in Time magazine, which described how they are essential to the franchise's narrative. Key. Abbreviation Title Date(s) Medium TC "The Cage" (Star ... Star Trek: The Next Generation features Counsellor Deanna Troi, a half-Betazoid half-human, as a prominent cast member and part of the bridge crew. She is ...

  2. 7 Aliens Introduced In Star Trek: TNG Season 1 (& Who Was Important)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 introduced 7 new alien species, including the Bynars, Benzites, and Travelers. These aliens brought fascinating and important contributions to the Trek universe, with some making major appearances in subsequent series. The season also introduced iconic characters like Q and established the Ferengi as ...

  3. Star Trek Confirms Its 'Conspiracy' Parasites Are Way More Terrifying

    Star Trek: Defiant #12 reveals the parasites from the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Conspiracy" are more destructive and deadly than fans of the franchise previously realized.; These aliens inflict horrifying body horror on their hosts, causing excruciating pain and destruction to their victims. The return of the parasites fulfills one of The Next Generation's greatest ...

  4. Conspiracy (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1) List of episodes. " Conspiracy " is the twenty-fifth and penultimate episode of the first season of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, originally aired on May 9, 1988, in the United States. The premise was conceived by the show's creator Gene ...

  5. Allegiance (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation. ) " Allegiance " is the 18th episode of the third season of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 66th episode of the series overall. It was originally released on March 26, 1990, in broadcast syndication . Set in the 24th century, the series follows the ...

  6. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Allegiance (TV Episode 1990)

    Allegiance: Directed by Winrich Kolbe. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. Picard is kidnapped and held with three different aliens and meanwhile replaced with a replica as impostor captain.

  7. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Liaisons (TV Episode 1993)

    Liaisons: Directed by Cliff Bole. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. On a diplomatic mission, Worf, Troi and the Captain deal with three aliens who explore foreign concepts with extreme, singular focus.

  8. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Suddenly Human (TV Episode 1990)

    Suddenly Human: Directed by Gabrielle Beaumont. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. On a rescue mission to an alien shipwrecked training mission, they discover one of its trainees to be a human.

  9. Star Trek: The Next Generation & Aliens Crossover Series Announced

    For all the boldly going through space that Star Trek is known for, it's about time the Enterprise crew run into some familiar, and terrifying, faces. The Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens crossover, "Acceptable Losses," is set to hit comic stands in April 2017. Sources: Bleeding Cool, IDW

  10. Star Trek's Pakleds: TNG's Dumb Aliens Explained

    The Pakleds, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's dumbest aliens, have gone from being minor nuisances to more substantial antagonists in Star Trek: Lower Decks. The Pakleds only made one appearance ...

  11. Antedian

    Background information [] "an-TEE-DEE-an" was the pronunciation of this name from the script's pronunciation guide. According to an internal reference document, listing all the aliens seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was circulated around the time of the production of TNG Season 5, the Antedians were given the description of "Fishlike in appearance with purplish-silver scales ...

  12. Who Are Star Trek's Bynar? The Cybernetically Enhanced Aliens ...

    In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "11001001," these aliens find out that a supernova near their system had generated an electromagnetic pulse that threatened to wipe out all of the ...

  13. Benzite

    According to an internal reference document, listing all the aliens seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was circulated around the time of the production of TNG Season 5, the Benzites were given the description of "As a race, they show a sincere but sometimes annoying eagerness to please that can be perceived as superiority, they ...

  14. Star Trek: The 50 Best Alien Races

    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 ...

  15. Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987, to May 23, 1994, in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over seven seasons. ... "Legacy". A new alien race, the Cardassians, made their first appearance in "The Wounded".

  16. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Darmok (TV Episode 1991)

    Darmok: Directed by Winrich Kolbe. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. Picard must learn to communicate with a race that speaks in metaphor under a difficult set of circumstances.

  17. Darmok (episode)

    A mission report for this episode, by John Sayers, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 18, pp. 12-15. Merchandising [] A scene of "Darmok" between Dathon and Picard replaced with cats is featured in Jenny Parks' 2018 book Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats. Video and DVD releases []

  18. Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses

    Apr 2017. Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses was a cancelled limited crossover comic book series that was to be published by IDW Publishing and Dark Horse Comics from April 2017. [1] It was to have been written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, and illustrated by J. K. Woodward, [2] with cover art by Tristan Jones.

  19. The Evolution of Romulans' Appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation

    W hen the Romulans made their comeback in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," fans noticed a distinct change in their appearance compared to the original series. Despite being an offshoot of the ...

  20. Schisms (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    The episode was released as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season six DVD box set in the United States on December 3, 2002. A remastered HD version was released on Blu-ray optical disc, on June 24, 2014. On May 5, 1998 this episode was released on LaserDisc in the United States, paired with "True Q". See also. Alien abduction

  21. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Attached (TV Episode 1993)

    Attached: Directed by Jonathan Frakes. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher discover things about one another when they are captured by an opposing alien race, due to the fact that the Enterprise has come to allow the planet's other civilization the choice of being part of the Federation.

  22. Most Powerful Beings In Star Trek, Ranked

    Sometimes, Star Trek likes to return to the idea of what a "god" really is in a universe of super-powerful aliens. That happens early in The Next Generation when the crew encounters a being who calls himself the god of the planet Edo. We only get a small taste of his powers, but he seems to have the strength to back up his claim! This being seemed to have the ability to effortlessly spy on ...

  23. Whoopi Goldberg reveals why she joined Star Trek The Next Generation

    Goldberg went on to appear in seasons 2 to 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation as alien bartender Guinan. Her love of sci-fi remains as she has since appeared in Star Trek: Picard and also ...

  24. Schisms (episode)

    (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 221)) The Amargosa Diaspora was named after the Amargosa Desert and a pet finch of Braga's mother. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 221)) A schism is a split or division. As such, the title refers to the splits in subspace that allow the aliens to abduct crewmembers.

  25. Star Trek: TNG Producer Reveals Scrapped Plan for Geordi's True ...

    However, there were plans at one point during TNG's run to reveal that Geordi was part-alien without even realizing it. Per Screen Rant, this was revealed by Star Trek: TNG executive producer Jeri Taylor in the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross. As Taylor explained, the idea was for Geordi to ...

  26. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" The Outcast (TV Episode 1992)

    The Outcast: Directed by Robert Scheerer. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. While aiding an androgynous race who lost a couple of members in an unmapped region of space, Riker falls for one of them, which can lead to trouble if detected, since the alien race does not endorse gender specificity.

  27. The Outcast (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation. ) " The Outcast " is the 117th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season. In this episode, Riker falls in love with Soren, a member of an androgynous race which finds gender specificity unacceptable.

  28. The Star Trek Election, Part II: Biden's Brain

    Fram's speech might swell military enlistment with the kind of people the Armed Forces needs — in a Star Trek: The Next Generation fantasy. Apart from his high rank in U.S. Space Force, Fram ...