star trek into darkness klingons

• View history

The Klingons ( tlhIngan in Klingonese ) were a humanoid warrior species that originated from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos ), an M-class planet in the Beta Quadrant . One of the major powers of the galaxy , the Klingons were a proud, tradition-bound people who valued honor and combat. The aggressive Klingon culture had made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared.

• 1.1 Parallel universes
• 3.1 Origins
• 3.2.1 Anatomy
• 3.2.2 Augment virus
• 3.2.3 Hybridization
• 3.2.4 Physiology
• 4 Religion and tradition
• 5 Science and education
• 6.1 See also
• 8 Klingon space
• 9 Food and beverages
• 10.1 Appearances
• 10.2 Background information
• 10.3 Apocrypha
• 10.4 External links

History and politics [ ]

A clone of Emperor Kahless

Recorded history begins with the story of the creation of Kortar and his mate , who were recognized as the first Klingons. Together they were responsible for destroying the gods who created them. ( VOY : " Barge of the Dead ")

Kahless the Unforgettable founded the Klingon Empire some time in the 9th century through the performance of many heroic feats. He unified the Klingon people when he killed the tyrant Molor . Kahless came to be revered in Klingon society to the point of near-deification, and many aspects of Klingon culture came to revolve around an emulation of Kahless' life. ( TNG : " Rightful Heir ")

The warrior ethos had been an important aspect of Klingon society since the time of Kahless, but the warrior aspects became much more dominant beginning in the early 22nd century . Over time, the warrior caste gained greater prominence to the point where the Klingons widely came to be regarded as a "warrior race." ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Judgment ")

A Klingon's cranial ridges dissolving

The Klingons' relationship with Humans and the Federation was rocky at best. Following the disastrous first contact between the two species during in the Broken Bow Incident , tense rivalries and unavoidable conflicts often developed between the two races. ( ENT : " Broken Bow "; TNG : " First Contact ") In the year 2154 , the Klingons gained access to the genetic material of Human Augments and tried to adapt this genetic engineering to improve themselves. The test subjects did gain increased strength and intelligence, but then, their neural pathways started to degrade and they died in agony. One of the subjects suffered from the Levodian flu , which was modified by the Augment DNA to become a fatal, airborne, mutagenic plague that spread rampantly through the Empire, from world to world. In the first stage of this plague , Klingons lost the ridges on their foreheads and began to look more Human. With the help of a Klingon scientist named Antaak , Dr. Phlox of the Earth starship Enterprise was able, using the DNA of Captain Archer , to formulate a cure that halted the genetic effects of the virus in the first stage. This retained the changes in appearance, along with some minor neural re-ordering. The neural ordering caused changes in the emotional make-up of the Klingons. For example, the infected started to feel fear. Even though the infected did not develop any stage-two characteristics – such as enhanced strength, speed, or endurance – they did not die from it. This left millions of Klingons changed. These alterations were even passed on to their children. ( ENT : " Affliction ", " Divergence ")

In the 2250s and 2260s , groups of Klingons with and without ridges had been encountered by the Federation. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello "; TOS : " Errand of Mercy ") By the 2270s it had become more commonplace to encounter Klingons with forehead ridges than not. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , et al.) Klingons did not discuss the circumstances of this mutation with outsiders and, by the 24th century , the reason for smooth-forehead Klingons was not widely known outside the Empire. ( ENT : " Affliction ", " Divergence "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

By 2223 , relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire degenerated to a point of relentless hostility, which lasted for several decades. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; TNG : " First Contact ")

T'Kuvma , a Klingon leader in 2256

The lingering tensions between Klingons and Humans continued to rise, eventually leading to the Battle of Donatu V , near Sherman's Planet in 2245 and the Battle of the Binary Stars in 2256 , which was provoked by T'Kuvma in order to unite the squabbling Great Houses against the Federation. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles "; DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars ") This resulted in the first Federation-Klingon War , where the Klingon Empire successfully invaded and occupied nearly twenty percent of Federation space. ( DIS : " The War Without, The War Within ")

Later, another conflict erupted into the Federation-Klingon War of 2267 . The Organians quickly intervened and ended the war after only four days of fighting. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ", " Errand of Mercy ") Over the next several decades an uneasy peace developed, broken only by brief but fierce skirmishes and conflicts. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ) A true and lasting peace finally came in 2293 , with the signing of the Khitomer Accords , thanks to the efforts of Chancellor Gorkon and the Human Starfleet officer James T. Kirk . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; TNG : " Unification II "; VOY : " Flashback "; DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ") Since then, despite several periods of rocky relations (see Federation-Klingon War (2372-73) ), the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been steadfast allies, especially in the face of Dominion aggression in the 2370s . ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ", " By Inferno's Light ")

Qo'noS on fire during the Civil War

The Klingon relationship with the Romulan people was extremely erratic. The Klingons typically regarded the Romulan Star Empire as a "blood enemy" since at least the 23rd century . Sporadic Romulan attacks against Klingon colonies , such as the Khitomer Massacre , and interference in Klingon affairs, including the Klingon Civil War , continued to sour relations between the two peoples. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident "; TNG : " The Neutral Zone ", " The Enemy ", " Sins of The Father ", " Redemption II ")

Parallel universes [ ]

In the mirror universe , the Klingons were one of the races subjugated by the Terran Empire . ( DIS : " Vaulting Ambition ") By the 24th century Klingons and Cardassians founded the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance and eventually defeated their Terran occupiers. ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

In the alternate reality , in 2233 , the crew of the USS Kelvin briefly considered whether a particular lightning storm effect, observed by the Kelvin near the edge of Klingon space, might be Klingon in origin. Starfleet discarded this possibility. The phenomenon preceded the arrival of the Romulan mining vessel Narada from the prime universe . The Narada attacked and obliterated an armada of 47 Klingon warbirds in 2258 . ( Star Trek )

Klingon patrol officers

By 2259 in the alternate reality, after Starfleet's first contact with the Empire, the Klingons had conquered and occupied two planets known to the Federation and fired on Starfleet ships half a dozen times. Tensions between the two powers were high and an all-out war was considered inevitable. During that year, before surrendering to the Federation, Khan Noonien Singh destroyed three D4-class patrol ships on the Klingon homeworld, killing the crews of the vessels. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

According to Daniels , the Klingons joined the Federation by the 26th century in one possible timeline. ( ENT : " Azati Prime ")

Society [ ]

Klingon society was extremely complex. Before its decline in the mid-22nd century and again in the late 23rd century, Klingon society was based on a feudal system organized around traditional Great Houses of noble lineage, to which various parts of the population owed fealty. The Great Houses are traditionally represented in the Klingon High Council , which was led by a Chancellor , replacing the heredity leader of Emperor .

The decline of Klingon culture was demonstrated in the acts of the Klingons themselves. They stopped caring about their weapons to the point that they let them rust and even stopped caring for true honor. ( ENT : " Marauders ", " Judgment ") Sometime after the augment virus took hold of the Klingon Empire , a new regime took control, turning the Empire into an authoritarian state that kept tabs on all who served. ( DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars "; TOS : " Errand of Mercy ") The old ways returned in the latter 23rd and early 24th centuries respectively.

Males traditionally dominated public life in the Empire, assuming the leading roles in politics and the military with only rare exceptions. ( TNG : " Redemption ") There were three notable exceptions to the prohibition of women serving on the High Council. In 2257 L'Rell rose to High Chancellor and Dennas served on the High Council. The third instance occurred in 2293 when Azetbur became Chancellor of the High Council after her father, Gorkon, was assassinated ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ). Women traditionally dominated the household and the management of the family's affairs. ( DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ") Klingon women were treated as equals, except in politics and matters of inheritance. Law prohibited them from serving in the High Council and they could not take control of their Houses unless they had the money and no male successors of the lineage. Otherwise, Klingon women were expected to exhibit the same physical prowess and lust for blood and honor as the men.

Klingon society functioned through a system of family reputation and honor. Tradition was an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances was considered a grievous insult to society, an insult not forgotten easily. An offense usually brought shame to the offender's name for several generations. The highest shame was discommendation , an action by the High Council to officially strip a Klingon of his personal or family honor. Bloodlines and relations were also taken very seriously by any "true" Klingon. Lines comprised more than mere family members. ( TNG : " New Ground ")

The military was integral to Klingon society, as it provides opportunities for warriors to die in battle. For the same purpose, the Empire often seeks to expand through conquest. Discipline was strictly enforced, by one's superiors and subordinates both; the latter may assassinate his superior and take his place. This gives Humans the false impression that there are no rules, but in fact, this can be done only under certain conditions, dereliction of duty and cowardice among them, and the challenge can be made only to a direct superior. ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor ", " Sins of The Father ")

An integral part of tradition was the various rituals that marked milestones in a Klingon's life or the history of the Empire. Most notable of the rites was the Rite of Succession , which a future leader of the Empire had to complete with a valid Arbiter of Succession ( Captain Jean-Luc Picard , in the case of Gowron ) overseeing the proceedings. Before the Rite could begin, there was another elaborate ceremony needed to confirm the death of the previous leader. This was known as the Sonchi ceremony . ( TNG : " Reunion ") Individual Klingon warriors were expected to go through the Rite of Ascension to be recognized as a full adult. ( TNG : " The Icarus Factor ") If the house that an individual Klingon belonged to was dissolved or fell into dishonor, he could be adopted into another house through the R'uustai or alternative ceremonies that symbolically marked the joining of kinship and allegiance. ( TNG : " The Bonding "; DS9 : " Sons of Mogh ", " Soldiers of the Empire ", " Sons and Daughters "). The Right of Vengeance , allowed Klingons to seek redress for the deaths of their family members by engaging the one responsible in single combat. The right was so important, that even the discommended could claim it against important political figures, as the discommended Worf was able to challenge Duras (a candidate for the title of Chancellor. ( TNG : " Reunion ")

Klingons were extremely territorial. According to the first known Klingon linguist, there was no such thing as an "insignificant corner of Klingon space". ( ENT : " Bounty ")

Evolution [ ]

Origins [ ].

Worf's transformation into a de-evolved Klingon

Like their Human, Cardassian , Vulcan , and Romulan counterparts, Klingons and many of the Milky Way's species all shared a common ancestry back to the ancient humanoids and the DNA code they produced and seeded across the galaxy. Though each evolved under separate conditions from each other, their shared DNA allowed these species to remain roughly compatible and viable with each other. ( TNG : " The Chase ", " Genesis "; VOY : " Distant Origin ", " Threshold ")

Possessing extreme strength and speed, early Klingons were quite large, weighing up to 200 kilograms . They were armored with an exoskeleton , with spines and bony plates protruding from their sides, upper arms, and back, arms ended with clawed pincers. On their face were venom sacs , filled with bio-acidic compound and spitting glands inside their mouth that were used for defense and to mark territory. Along with these sacs, these early Klingons had two mandibles protruded from their lower jaw. ( TNG : " Genesis ")

These prehistoric males used vocalizations to frighten other predators , mark its territory, and commence its mating process. These early Klingons mating rituals involving biting its intended mate, to induce pheromone production in the sebaceous glands . Once the mate was ready, the pheromones drew the male Klingon back to its location. ( TNG : " Genesis ")

The Modern Warrior [ ]

Modern Klingons developed a varied line of physical attributes, ranging from well pronounced cranial ridges to what was best described with the dysphemism "pointy-headed", as coined by Harry Mudd .

Anatomy [ ]

Like most humanoids, the essence of the Klingon anatomical form consisted of a head , neck , torso , and four limbs .

Internally, the Klingon anatomy was markedly different from that of other humanoids. There was a great deal more multiple redundancies in their organs, a principle they called brak'lul . This allowed Klingons to survive severe injuries in battle. They had twenty-three ribs , two livers , an eight-chambered heart , three lungs , two urinary tracts , and even redundant neural function as well as multiple stomachs . Some geneticists believed that the extra organs, notably the third lung, evolved to give Klingons greater stamina on the battlefield. Klingons had relatively little knowledge of their own biology and their medicine was very poorly developed. This was largely due to their warrior traditions – a Klingon who was wounded was expected to be left to either survive through his own strength, die, or undergo the hegh'bat , a form of ritual suicide. ( TNG : " Ethics "; VOY : " Lineage "; DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ") Conversely, their society having dueled and killed each other for generations taught them what is immediately lethal for their species. ( TNG : " Reunion "; DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ")

The most distinctive feature of the modern Klingon was a sagittal crest, beginning on the forehead and often continuing over the skull. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , et al.) Klingons head shape differed between individuals, with some having skulls that extended backwards into an elongated cone shape. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " Choose Your Pain ", " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad ") The cranium, itself, was encased in an exoskeleton, which possessed a feature known as the tricipital lobe . ( TNG : " Descent ")

The lower half of the face tended to follow a familiar humanoid appearance, and even the ridges on the back of their heads if any tend to be less pronounced and slight, leaving the general shape as Human skull and covered in more skin than bone (see Chang for example), it was in these regions where hair was most likely seen to grow. Eyebrows tend to grow in a more diagonal direction than other humanoids, but also had noticeably diagonal suborbital ridges where eyebrows otherwise existed.

Klingons ears included both external auricle and pinna and recessed pinna. External auricle structures tended to be rounded, and the recessed pinna tended to come to a point before forming into the back of the head, Klingons of the alternate reality had pointed auricles of a similar size and shape to the recessed pinna, with slight ridges along the top. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Klingon eye

Klingon eyes were generally round in size and shape (consisting of varying shades with white sclera). They may flash more white of their eyes which they use to intimidate a rival or enemy. ( TNG : " Reunion "; DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ") Other Klingon eyes had large corneas, pink sclera, and almost gem-like reflective quality to them. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", et al.) Klingons, especially females, were said to lack tear ducts . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) However, for males Klingon myth stated that Kahless once filled the ocean with his tears, and at least one Klingon, Kurn , produced tears. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part II "; DS9 : " Sons of Mogh ")

They also had more physically pronounced cheeks, and a vertical ridge that went down their chin into their neck which expanded into ridges on their upper chest and shoulders and between the breasts of at least the females. The neck structure varied from smooth flesh to flesh containing pits and bony structures that led up the side of their head, and down the back of their head and spine.

Klingon nose

Klingon noses tended to vary having between several slight horizontal ridges on the brow of their noses, or a single vertical ridge or crack from the top of the brow to the tip of the nose to being wider and flatter, nearly flush against the forehead. They also had heavier ridges over their nostrils, compared to the two minimally ridged or un-ridged nostrils. The nose tended to lay flatter on the face than in other Klingons as well and wider. ( TNG : " Heart of Glory "; DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ")

Klingon teeth typically consisted of two sharp fangs (incisors) with crooked or sharpened teeth (it was said they sharpen their teeth, often before going into battle). ( VOY : " Unimatrix Zero "; ENT : " Broken Bow "; DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ") However, not exclusive, others had pronounced thick lips with sharp teeth, with each tooth being considerably larger size. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", et al.)

Klingons of both sexes usually had hair on their heads while male Klingons often had facial hair as well. ( TOS : " Day of the Dove "; TNG : " Redemption ") Hair was usually long, curly and wavy, described as thick and luxuriant. ( TNG : " Schisms ") Accelerated hair growth was often experienced by Klingons during puberty, or jak'tahla , along with severe mood swings and unusual aggressive tendencies. ( Star Trek: Insurrection ) Klingon hair greyed with age. ( DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ") Other Klingons were completely bald , lacking facial hair. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", et al.) For Klingons with hair, cases of receding hairlines or full or partial baldness existed during 2160s , and later in the 2260s through 2290s ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; Star Trek Into Darkness ; ENT : " Divergence "; TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ", " Day of the Dove "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ") Klingons as young as those who had reached the Age of Ascension , typically did not wear beards. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part II "; DS9 : " Sons and Daughters ", " You Are Cordially Invited ", " Penumbra ") Klingons of the alternate reality vary from balding and no facial hair, to those with long hair and beards. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Some Klingons also had sharp thick talons on their hands that make up the end of their digits.

The chest of the Klingon males appeared to be largely smooth and slick, while the females had a large chest area with ridges that came down to the top of their breasts across their shoulders. The backs of these Klingons were highly covered with ridges from shoulder to shoulder and across the small of their back radiating from highly defined and thickly ridged spines. The sides of the abdomen of at least the females appeared to be highly defined with rib-like ridges as well. The buttocks region was even heavily ridged. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello ", " Battle at the Binary Stars ", " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum ", " Into the Forest I Go ")

Klingons had ridged spines, chests and feet (though these ridges and other armor like structures extend out covering almost the entire back, sides and abdominal region on the 'pointy-headed' Klingons). ( TNG : " Ethics "; DS9 : " Sons of Mogh "; ENT : " Broken Bow ") After birth, some Klingon infants experienced a pronounced curvature to the spine, a form of scoliosis, which was correctable by surgery. This "defect" tended to run in Klingon families, especially among females. Federation medicine, fortunately, advanced beyond that, allowing an additional choice of treatment involving genetic modification of the fetus. ( VOY : " Lineage ")

Augment virus [ ]

The anatomy of a Klingon male afflicted with the Augment virus

Klingons afflicted with the augment virus , propagated by a mutation of the Levodian flu was inadvertently created by Klingon researchers who were attempting to bio-engineer enhanced warriors using DNA from genetically-modified Human embryos left over from Earth 's Eugenics Wars . These Klingons lost their cranial ridge features, and were in essence, remarkably similar in appearance to modern Humans. ( ENT : " Affliction ", et al.)

Though the cure for the virus had been distributed throughout the Empire, the afflicted Klingons' DNA had been altered by the virus, and condition was passed onto the descendants of the infected. Initially there were millions of Klingons who had to live with the disfigurement for well over a century. ( ENT : " Divergence "; TOS : " Errand of Mercy ", et al.)

Though Human in appearance and distinguishable primarily by tricorder readings alone, Tribbles were still able to single out and identify these Klingons. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ")

Hybridization [ ]

Klingon pregnancies normally ran thirty weeks, but with mixed species, gestation times were shorter. As early as seven weeks (at which point a Human fetus doesn't even have legs) a fetus with a single Klingon grandparent was already able to kick the uterine wall hard enough to be felt externally. ( VOY : " Lineage ") Klingons were said to have a different, not fully compatible number of reproductive organs than Humans. ( DIS : " Choose Your Pain ") However, basic anatomy does actually appear to align between Humans and Klingons. ( DIS : " Into the Forest I Go ") Whenever Klingons interbred with other species they showed characteristics of both species.

The odds against Klingon-Human conceptions were rather high. However, when successful, Klingon and Human metabolisms sometimes clashed, causing biochemical fluctuations in the mother, which may lead to fainting. Klingon traits remained dominant for several generations, even with a single ancestor; therefore, a child even ¼ Klingon still possessed forehead ridges. It is possible to see the eventual phenotype of a hybrid while the fetus is still gestating using a holographic program and projection. If early enough in development, genetic manipulation can be taken to remove Klingon DNA from the developing fetus. ( VOY : " Lineage ")

Hybridization revealed that Klingon DNA tended to be more dominantly expressive in the physical appearance of their offspring .

This was found to be especially true in the case of hair color and appearance of cranial ridges, especially with Humans. ( VOY : " Lineage "; TNG : " Reunion ", et al.) In the case of Romulan -Klingon hybridization, the ears were the only visible telltale indication of their non-Klingon heritage. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part II ")

Physiology [ ]

Skin colors ranged from olive, brown, and black to pearlescent/metallic across the entire spectrum of the rainbow, varying from purple, pink, burgundy red, yellowish tan, dark orange, umber brown, grey, blue, dark green, coal black, and chalky white. Their skin had a shimmery slick metallic semi-reflective sheen to it. Albino Klingons were often considered outcasts in Klingon society. ( DIS : " Battle at the Binary Stars ")

Klingon children matured far more quickly than Human children. At the age of only one Earth year, a Klingon child had the appearance a Human child had at about four. By the age of eight Earth years, a Klingon attained the maturity a Human did not reach until about age sixteen. ( TNG : " Reunion "; DS9 : " Sons and Daughters ") Rop'ngor was a common childhood disease among Klingons. ( TNG : " Up The Long Ladder ") When Klingon children began growing into adults, they went through jak'tahla , a Klingon form of puberty. ( Star Trek: Insurrection ) Like other mammalian species, Klingon females were capable of lactating to breast-feed infants. ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor ")

Klingons tended to live for over 150 years. Even into advanced old age, Klingons were usually still strong enough for combat, but were still susceptible to various mental conditions associated with old age. ( DS9 : " Blood Oath ", " Once More Unto the Breach ")

Klingons were notably stronger than most humanoids, at least as strong as Vulcans. They might have even been stronger, as the half-Klingon B'Elanna Torres was able to wrestle with the Vulcan Vorik on equal grounds and eventually defeat him, despite the fact that he was larger than her. However, despite their endurance and general robustness, Klingons had a considerably lower tolerance to the cold than Humans. ( VOY : " Blood Fever ", " Displaced "; DS9 : " Change of Heart ", " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

The Klingon sense of smell was notably acute; in fact, it was powerful enough to be used effectively to track down prey during a hunt. Their sense of smell was also suggested to play an integral role in their mating practices. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part II ", " Genesis ")

Doctor Julian Bashir once sarcastically noted that the natural odor produced by Klingons was comparable to an "earthy, peaty aroma with a touch of lilac ." ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ") To Humans and Vulcans alike, Klingon ships smelled bad. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; ENT : " Sleeping Dogs ") For example, Leonard McCoy once referred to the environment of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, operated until recently by Klingons, as having a "stench." ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Klingons such as Kurn had the instinctive ability to sense the decision to kill by looking into the eyes of their opponents. ( DS9 : " Sons of Mogh ") Worf despite being raised by Humans on Earth, retained this ability when he sensed Martok's warrior spirit returning enough to win their duel without killing Worf. ( DS9 : " Soldiers of the Empire ")

Klingon blood floating in zero gravity

Klingon blood could contain ribosomes that were compatible for transfusion with a Romulan. ( TNG : " The Enemy ") Klingon blood varied in color from dark red to more of a lightish pink. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , DIS : " Point of Light ")

Klingon nutritional requirements were typical of most humanoids, whereas, Dr. Pulaski once noted that, while their food was considered by most to be unpalatable, usually, "what kills us, kills them." ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor ") One exception of this observation was the tea used in the Klingon tea ceremony , which was toxic to the point of being deadly to Humans, and capable of seriously sickening Klingons, as it did. ( TNG : " Up The Long Ladder ")

Religion and tradition [ ]

Klingon death ritual

Ritual was a very important element in Klingon society.

Klingons did not believe in fate; however, they did appear to believe in some form of luck . ( DS9 : " Rules of Engagement ", " Tears of the Prophets ")

A Klingon who was unable to fight, and hence unable to live as a warrior anymore, had the traditional obligation of committing the hegh'bat , which was the Klingon ritual suicide. Tradition dictated that the eldest son or a close personal friend must assist. That person's role was to hand the dying Klingon a knife so that he could plunge it into his heart, remove it, and then wipe the blood on his own sleeve. ( TNG : " Ethics ")

Klingon rituals included the R'uustai , a bonding ceremony which joined two people together in a relationship similar to brotherhood. ( TNG : " The Bonding ") Klingon tradition held that "the son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade." ( TNG : " Ethics ")

If a Klingon warrior struck another Klingon with the back of his hand, it was interpreted as a challenge to the death. Klingon warriors spoke proudly to each other; they did not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering were considered insults in Klingon society. ( DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ")

According to Worf, taking hostages was considered by Klingons to be a cowardly act. Although, there was an incident in which a Klingon aimed his disruptor at the Enterprise-D's warp core, thus taking the ship hostage, in effect. ( TNG : " Heart of Glory ")

When choosing a mate, it was traditional for a female Klingon to bite the male's face, allowing her to taste his blood and get his scent. Males were also known to bite the face of the female they were interested in. ( VOY : " Blood Fever ", " Prophecy ", " Infinite Regress ")

A Klingon can divorce their mate by backhanding them across the face and saying “N’Gos tlhogh cha” which means “our marriage is done”. (Star Trek Adventures: “the Klingon Empire Core Rule Book)

Worf once told Wesley Crusher that, per Klingon mating rituals , " Men do not roar. Women roar. Then they hurl heavy objects. And claw at you. " Of men, Worf said, " He reads love poetry. He ducks a lot. " ( TNG : " The Dauphin ") Klingon daughters traditionally were given a piece of jewelry called a jinaq when they became old enough to select a mate. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part II ")

Long hair was important part of the ancient traditions of Klingons as told in the legend of Kahless ; it was said he took a lock of his long hair thrusting into the caldera of the volcano of Kri'stak, where it began to burn, and then after plunging it into the lake of Lusor, he molded and twisted into his legendary Sword of Kahless , which he used to kill the tyrant Molor, and then gave it the name Bat'leth, the sword of honor. ( TNG : " Rightful Heir ") To grow a beard was an ancient tradition, to Klingons in the 24th century especially it was a symbol of courage, which they were against shaving (though they were okay with a trim). Klingons did not like having too much hair removed either, letting it continue to grow, and only a little bit of trimming. ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ", " Schisms ", " Family ").

Science and education [ ]

As of the 2150s , the warrior caste had a dominant role in Klingon society, causing science and education to be neglected virtues. Nevertheless, Kolos ' father was a teacher and his mother a biologist at a university . Antaak , on the other hand, was disowned by his father when he chose to become a " healer ", i.e., a doctor. In 2149 , he was an expert in metagenic research and attended an Interspecies Medical Exchange conference, albeit in disguise, as the Klingons were not invited. By 2151 , Klingons possessed technology to encrypt intelligence data within an operative 's DNA . ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " Judgment ", " Affliction ")

As of 2154 , medical research was not considered "a priority" for the Klingon High Council, which was why the Empire did not possess the medical expertise to confront the Augment virus without assistance . ( ENT : " Affliction ")

By the late 23rd century , the Klingon Empire sent out expeditions, one of which made first contact with the Ventaxians in 2297 . Hired Klingon craftsmen went on to construct homes on Ventax II . ( TNG : " Devil's Due ")

As of 2365 and onward, Klingon vessels had dedicated science stations . ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor "; DS9 : " Soldiers of the Empire ")

In 2369 , Kurak was a warp field specialist from Qo'noS. While she was a brilliant expert in the field of subspace morphology , her efforts went unappreciated by her fellow Klingons. ( TNG : " Suspicions ")

Although the concept of a healer tending a warrior's wounds after a glorious battle was considered sufficiently honorable to be mentioned in songs (e.g., Dr. Bashir and Worf at Internment Camp 371 ), Klingon medical expertise kept having a bad reputation in the 24th century . In 2367 , Lt. Cmdr. Hobson of the USS Sutherland remarked that no one would ever suggest a Klingon to be a good ship's counselor , as he considered them unsuited for such a position. In 2374 , Klingon General Martok preferred to be treated by the Human Dr. Bashir, opining that "Klingons make great warriors, but terrible doctors." In 2376 , when Lewis Zimmerman was faced being treated by an "obsolete" EMH Mark I , he claimed he would be "better off being treated by a Klingon field medic ". In one particularly extreme case, the crew of Kohlar's battle cruiser , a Klingon generational ship, lived with the Nehret , a fatal virus, for over a century, without ever even considering it might be an actual illness, instead believing it was simply " old age " that kills those unlucky enough to not die in combat. ( TNG : " Redemption II "; DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ", " A Time to Stand "; VOY : " Life Line ", " Prophecy ")

In the year 2404 of an alternate timeline that diverged in 2378 , Klingon scientist Korath created the chrono deflector , a time travel device. ( VOY : " Endgame ")

Technology [ ]

According to Quark , Klingons achieved warp drive sometime after 1947 . By the year 2152 , Klingon vessels were capable of warp 6 . ( DS9 : " Little Green Men "; ENT : " Judgment ")

As of the early 2150s , Klingon vessels were comparatively advanced. In contrast to their Earth Starfleet counterparts, Klingon ships were equipped with photon torpedos , deflector shields , tractor beam emitters , and had thicker hulls reinforced with a coherent molecular alloy . However, as of 2151 , Klingons had no knowledge of holodeck technology. ( ENT : " Unexpected ", " Sleeping Dogs ", " Judgment ", " The Augments ")

By 2256 , cloaking screens began to be used on Klingon vessels, such as the Sarcophagus , but Starfleet was quickly able to penetrate them. As of 2268 , the Klingon D7 class battlecruiser design was used by the Romulans. In 2269 , Starfleet assumed at least Cmdr. Kor's IKS Klothos to possess effective cloaking capability against their sensors, a technology thought to be uniquely Romulan the previous year. Kor would later reminisce that, when his ship was equipped with a cloak, it was still a new piece of technology for the Klingons, understood only by a handful of engineers in the Imperial Fleet. By 2285 , at least one more Klingon ship was definitely using a cloaking device. ( DIS : " The Vulcan Hello "; TOS : " The Enterprise Incident "; TAS : " The Time Trap "; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; DS9 : " Once More Unto the Breach ")

As of 2367 , Klingon transporter systems had a range of 20,000 kellicams , which was a common Klingon unit of length measurement as early as 2285 . (e.g., Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; TNG : " Redemption ")

See also [ ]

• Klingon starship classes
• Klingon starships
• Klingon blade weapons
• Klingon language
• List of Klingons
• List of unnamed Klingons

Klingon space [ ]

• See : Klingon space

Food and beverages [ ]

• See : Klingon foods and beverages

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

A list of all appearances of Klingons (excluding the regular appearances of Worf and B'Elanna Torres).

• " Errand of Mercy " ( Season 1 )
• " Friday's Child " ( Season 2 )
• " The Trouble with Tribbles "
• " A Private Little War "
• " Elaan of Troyius " ( Season 3 )
• " Day of the Dove "
• " The Savage Curtain " ( Excalbian recreation only)
• " More Tribbles, More Troubles " ( Season 1 )
• " The Time Trap "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact ( Borg drones )
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• " Hide And Q " ( illusion only) ( Season 1 )
• " Heart of Glory "
• " A Matter Of Honor " ( Season 2 )
• " The Icarus Factor " ( holograms only)
• " The Emissary "
• " Shades of Gray " (archive footage only)
• " The Offspring " (hologram only) ( Season 3 )
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Reunion " ( Season 4 )
• " Future Imperfect " (hologram only)
• " The Drumhead "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II " ( Season 5 )
• " Unification II "
• " Unification I "
• " New Ground "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " Rascals " ( Season 6 )
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " The Chase "
• " Suspicions "
• " Rightful Heir "
• " Gambit, Part II " ( Season 7 )
• " Firstborn "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " Past Prologue " ( Season 1 )
• " Dramatis Personae "
• " Invasive Procedures " ( Season 2 )
• " Playing God "
• " Blood Oath "
• " The Maquis, Part II "
• " Crossover "
• " The House of Quark " ( Season 3 )
• " Visionary "
• " Through the Looking Glass "
• " The Way of the Warrior " ( Season 4 )
• " The Sword of Kahless "
• " Return to Grace "
• " Sons of Mogh "
• " Rules of Engagement "
• " Shattered Mirror "
• " Broken Link "
• " Apocalypse Rising " ( Season 5 )
• " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places "
• " Nor the Battle to the Strong "
• " Trials and Tribble-ations "
• " In Purgatory's Shadow "
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " Soldiers of the Empire "
• " Children of Time "
• " Blaze of Glory "
• " Call to Arms "
• " A Time to Stand " ( Season 6 )
• " Sons and Daughters "
• " Favor the Bold "
• " Sacrifice of Angels "
• " You Are Cordially Invited "
• " In the Pale Moonlight "
• " His Way "
• " The Reckoning "
• " Tears of the Prophets "
• " Image in the Sand " ( Season 7 )
• " Shadows and Symbols "
• " Treachery, Faith and the Great River "
• " Once More Unto the Breach "
• " The Emperor's New Cloak "
• " Chimera "
• " Strange Bedfellows "
• " The Changing Face of Evil "
• " When It Rains... "
• " Tacking Into the Wind "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind "
• " Flashback " ( Season 3 )
• " Real Life " (hologram only)
• " Day of Honor " (hologram only) ( Season 4 )
• " The Killing Game " (hologram only)
• " The Killing Game, Part II " (hologram only)
• " Infinite Regress " ( Borg drone) ( Season 5 )
• " Someone to Watch Over Me " ( photo only)
• " Barge of the Dead " ( dream only) ( Season 6 )
• " Unimatrix Zero " (Borg drone)
• " Unimatrix Zero, Part II " (Borg drone) ( Season 7 )
• " Flesh and Blood " (hologram only)
• " Lineage "
• " Prophecy "
• " Endgame "
• " Broken Bow " ( Season 1 )
• " Unexpected "
• " Sleeping Dogs "
• " Marauders " ( Season 2 )
• " Judgment "
• " The Expanse "
• " Borderland " ( Season 4 )
• " The Augments "
• " Affliction "
• " Divergence "
• " The Vulcan Hello " ( Season 1 )
• " Battle at the Binary Stars "
• " Context Is for Kings "
• " The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry "
• " Choose Your Pain "
• " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad " (as Ash Tyler)
• " Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum "
• " Into the Forest I Go "
• " Despite Yourself "
• " The Wolf Inside "
• " Vaulting Ambition "
• " The War Without, The War Within "
• " Will You Take My Hand? "
• " Point of Light " ( Season 2 )
• " Perpetual Infinity "
• " Through the Valley of Shadows "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "
• ST : " The Escape Artist " ( Season 1 )
• " Envoys " ( Season 1 )
• " Temporal Edict "
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open " ( Season 2 )
• " We'll Always Have Tom Paris "
• " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers "
• " wej Duj "
• " The Least Dangerous Game " ( Season 3 )
• " Mining The Mind's Mines " ( nightmarish illusions only)
• " Room for Growth "
• " Reflections "
• " Hear All, Trust Nothing "
• " The Stars At Night " ( sculpture only)
• " Twovix " ( Season 4 )
• " The Inner Fight "
• " Kobayashi " (holograms only) ( Season 1 )
• " Crossroads "
• " Preludes "
• " The Broken Circle " ( Season 2 )
• " Under the Cloak of War "
• " Subspace Rhapsody "

Background information [ ]

• See : Depicting Klingons

The Klingons are the only non-Federation species to have appeared in twelve films. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , they attempt to attack V'ger and are vaporized. They appear in the simulation of the Kobayashi Maru test in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . They are the primary villains after the Genesis technology in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , the primary vessel is a Klingon Bird-of-Prey and the Klingon ambassador appears early on, to have Kirk extradited . In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , a Klingon ambassador is featured again, on Nimbus III , and they also appear as secondary villains, as a young brash Klingon officer chases Kirk for the glory of defeating an infamous enemy of the Empire. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , General Chang is the primary villain as a Klingon and they also appear throughout the film during the peace process of the Khitomer Accords .

In all TNG movies, Worf appears despite his commitments to Deep Space 9 , and the Duras sisters appear in Star Trek Generations . At least three Borg drones seen in Star Trek: First Contact are also of Klingon origin.

Star Trek: Picard is currently the only series in which no Klingons appear (though an image of Klingons from a TNG episode does appear in first episode during a news report). Martok ’s skull appears in season 2; and Worf appears in Season 3.

The Klingon ships once again appear in the Kobayashi Maru scenario in the film Star Trek . Their full appearance was cut from the film, their prevalence up to then leading Damon Lindelof – who worked on the movie as a producer and a writer of the film's screenplay – to remark, " What Trek film would be complete without Klingons? The answer is... ours. " ( deleted scene "Klingons Take Over Narada" audio commentary , Star Trek  (Special Edition and Three disc Blu-ray) ) Klingons were shown on Ketha Province of Qo'noS in Star Trek Into Darkness . Klingons do not appear in Star Trek Beyond however in Star Trek Beyond - The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow , it is revealed a Klingon was intended to appear in the film, but ultimately cut.

Alex Kurtzman has explained that if Worf is ever introduced into Star Trek: Picard , he would look the same as he did in previous shows, and explained that Discovery Klingons differences are regional racial differences like the differences between Romulans is explained in Picard.

Apocrypha [ ]

In the novel Summon the Thunder , part of the Star Trek: Vanguard series, the Klingons who had a Human appearance (descendants of the victims of the Klingon Augment virus) are referred to as " QuchHa ", or "the unhappy ones". They usually served in their own units although they also were known to mix with the rest of the fleet on occasion.

" Against Their Nature ", the first installment of " Star Trek: Klingons - Blood Will Tell ", an IDW Comics series which tells the stories of " Errand of Mercy ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ", " A Private Little War ", and " Day of the Dove " from the Klingon point of view, suggests that, while Phlox and Antaak's cure removed Augment strength and Augment intelligence, those affected retained the superior ambition of Augments, and as such these Klingons were largely responsible for the Empire's expansion in the century between Star Trek: Enterprise and TOS , eventually becoming powerful enough to achieve a majority on the High Council.

In the novel Pawns and Symbols , Klingons are discovered to be color blind in the Human sense, unable to distinguish red from black. It is also discovered that their vision extends into the ultraviolet, to 32,000 Ångströms .

In the novel Ishmael , the Klingons are described as having been economically conquered and uplifted by the Karsid empire. The Klingons then rebelled and overthrew the Karsids, obtaining their high technology. This was given as one reason for why the Klingons were the way they were, and also how they could have developed star-faring technology given their current social structure.

In Star Trek Online , most Klingons are once again enemies with the Federation by 2399, having taken advantage of the Romulans by conquering much of their territory in the wake of the death of Shinzon and then the destruction of Romulus . The Klingons have also conquered the Gorn , the Orions , and the Nausicaans . Evidently, Klingons are seen joining Starfleet, if unlocked. The Federation-based mission "Past Imperfect" gives a possible answer to how the Augment virus' alterations was eventually cured by revealing that the mad Klingon Admiral B'Vat had kidnapped Miral Paris and brought her to the past, where they used her Klingon/Human DNA to manufacture a cure.

In the online game Star Trek Timelines , includes all three types of Klingons appearing from their various respective eras accurately portraying each character's respective and different physiological differences in appearances. Kor , Koloth , Kang appear reflecting the 23rd century TOS era "Human-augment" part of the history, T'Kuvma appears representing the 23rd century era Klingon/Federation war, characters such as Chang, Kruge, Colonel Worf representing the 2270s-90s period, characters such as Gowron , Worf , Martok , Alexander , B'Elanna Torres , and Duras Sisters appear reflecting the 24th century.

The Discovery related event which introduces T'Kuvma and involves Katherine Janeway (including a 24th century Klingon variant Janeway) is described as such " The USS Shenzhou has arrived in the 24th Century, engulfed in a destructive temporal anomaly. Starfleet has yet to make contact with the crew, but the anomaly has brought all manner of things from the Shenzhou's time into the present day... " [4]

External links [ ]

• Klingon at StarTrek.com
• Klingon at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Klingon at Wikipedia
• The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads  at Ex Astris Scientia
• KlingonSearch.com – dedicated Klingon search portal
• 2 Reaction control thruster

Filed under:

Star Trek has never known exactly what Klingons look like, until now (maybe)

As Strange New Worlds shows us, whatever you think Klingons look like, you’re wrong

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Star Trek has never known exactly what Klingons look like, until now (maybe)

Apart from the benevolent pointy-eared Vulcans , there’s no fictional alien species more iconic than the Klingons — not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture at large. The spacefaring warriors have evolved over half a century from generic Cold War antagonists into a complicated and spiritual culture that evokes both medieval Vikings and feudal samurai. There is a complete, functional Klingon language studied and spoken by fans around the world, who routinely don the familiar armor and forehead ridges at fan conventions. Most people who are even casually familiar with Star Trek would recognize a Klingon should one pass by on the street ( perhaps in Las Vegas , this or any August), and even applaud the remarkable accuracy of their makeup and attire.

And yet, there is not, nor has there ever been, one definitive Klingon makeup design. Despite fan uproar practically every time a substantive change is made to the craggy foreheads and wispy beards of the space conquerors, their look has been in flux from the beginning, and will likely continue to evolve along with the production technology behind Star Trek itself . In honor of the return of a more familiar appearance in the season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , we’ve taken a deep dive into the rocky history of science fiction’s most famous forehead, from 1966 to today.

The brownface era

The Klingons were introduced during the first season of Star Trek , in the 1967 episode “Errand of Mercy.” Writer/producer Gene L. Coon used the story’s conflict between the United Federation of Planets and the rival Klingon Empire over a non-aligned planet as an allegory for Cold War proxy conflicts, but — according to the exhaustively researched book These Are the Voyages: TOS, Season One by Marc Cushman and Susan Osborn — offered only the barest physical description for the new antagonists. In the terse and insensitive parlance of a 1960s television producer, Coon referred to the Klingons merely as “hard-looking Asian types.”

It fell to makeup artist Fred Phillips and actor John Colicos (who had been cast as the episode’s lead Klingon, Kor) to decide what the character — and species — would look like. Colicos takes credit (or blame) for the Klingons’ original look, asking for a “vaguely Asian” makeup effect patterned after conqueror Genghis Khan. At Colicos’ direction, Phillips applied bushy eyebrows, a Fu Manchu, and a heavy layer of greenish-brown makeup to Colicos’ face to make him appear “not of this world.”

Though this became the accepted canonical 23rd-century “ TOS -era” look, the Klingons’ appearance actually fluctuated over the course of the series. In season 2’s Klingon stories, “Friday’s Child” and “The Trouble with Tribbles,” no false eyebrows or dark makeup were used on the (exclusively white) Klingon actors, only short beards, some of them very obviously prosthetic. The brown face paint would return in season 3, and all Klingons who appeared in its short-lived sequel, Star Trek: The Animated Series , would have a brown or orange hue to their skin. This includes individual Klingons who had previously appeared without dark makeup.

There are two major takeaways to any study of the early history of Klingon makeup design. First, that there has never been a point when the look of the Klingons wasn’t changing, and second, that we’re very lucky it did. Ardent Star Trek canonistas rail against any change to Star Trek as a production that cannot be easily explained in-universe, and for almost 40 years, the ever-changing Klingon forehead was exactly that. But maintaining the canon — either through offensive makeup or typecasting — is a dicey proposition.

In short: Change is good.

Enter the latex

When Star Trek made the leap to the big screen for 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture , advances in makeup effects and a much larger budget allowed for the Klingons to receive a complete visual overhaul. Costume designer Robert Fletcher drew the first sketches of the new Klingons, adding a single knobby ridge that extended from the spine to the bridge of their nose. Fletcher wanted the Klingons to look as alien as possible, like a moloch lizard, but according to Fletcher, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry strongly disagreed with this and wanted the Klingons to appear mostly human. The two came to a compromise, which Fletcher calls “a hairy crustacean.” Fletcher considered the Klingons’ forehead ridges to be the vestigial remains of a species that once had a rigid exoskeleton, a concept that was also incorporated into their costume design.

This concept was translated into a latex makeup design by Original Series makeup artist Fred Phillips and future Oscar-winner Ve Neill, along with a team that included makeup assistant Rick Stratton. By some accounts, it was Stratton who suggested that the Klingons should also have gnarly dental prosthetics, a suggestion that he claims was made mostly to assure himself an extra day’s paid work. Stained, jagged teeth would remain a constant.

Fletcher was called upon to further refine the new forehead design for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . From here on out, rather than having the appearance of a single, thick spine that wrapped all the way up their necks and down to their noses, which obscured most actors’ faces beyond recognition, Klingons would appear to have a bony but less pronounced plate under their foreheads. The Search for Spock also established the idea of Klingon men growing out their hair.

This became the basic blueprint for the iconic Klingon, with makeup effects from this era being reused for years to come. But even during this era of limited revisions, there was a great deal of variation. According to Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens’ book The Art of Star Trek , Star Trek V director William Shatner encouraged makeup supervisor Richard Snell to make every featured Klingon’s forehead “as unique as a fingerprint.” As Star Trek had recently returned to television with The Next Generation and would continue to introduce new Klingons by the dozen, with the new set of forehead prosthetics designed and maintained by the legendary Michael Westmore. Westmore made an effort to create unique forehead ridge designs for every Klingon guest star, a decision he came to regret as more and more of them appeared on the show.

Over the next decade of stories, it became implied that forehead patterns were inherited traits, which reduced that workload somewhat. For instance, Worf, his brother Duras, and his son Alexander all share a similar set of forehead ridges, while the rival Duras family has their own unique “crest” of sorts. Westmore would remain in charge of Star Trek’s makeup effects department throughout the entire run of The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager , and Enterprise , plus the four feature films released during this era, which cemented his version of the Klingon makeup design as the one most accepted by fans.

The Motion Picture ’s opening scenes introduced viewers to big-budget Star Trek, beginning with the new-and-improved Klingons. This radical redesign of The Original Series ’ most iconic villains was merely a consequence of this production’s superior resources, and was never meant to draw attention to itself. However, the rest of the film’s first act is preoccupied with the unveiling of the “almost entirely new” USS Enterprise, emphasizing that the characters are aware of the ship’s top-to-bottom, inside-out refit. Viewers were told to ignore the first aesthetic upgrade but to make a big deal out of the rest of them. This is arguably the moment that broke Trekkies’ brains forever.

For the next 17 years, Star Trek productions successfully evaded the “Klingon forehead problem,” continuing to treat their change in appearance as a retroactive, behind-the-scenes alteration rather than a canonical event. A 1994 episode of Deep Space Nine even brought back the three most popular Klingons from The Original Series , all portrayed by their original actors but sporting the modern craggy foreheads and long, wavy locks. The message was clear: This is how the Klingons look, and how they have always looked. Don’t worry about it.

In 1996, however, Deep Space Nine celebrated Trek’s 30th birthday with “Trials and Tribble-ations,” a comedic time-travel story in which the DS9 crew revisits the events of the 1967 classic “The Trouble with Tribbles,” splicing the modern crew into scenes Forrest Gump -style. By this point, Klingon Starfleet hero Worf had joined the DS9 cast, and since “The Trouble with Tribbles” employs Klingons as its central antagonists, this meant showing both TOS and TNG -era Klingons on screen at the same time. This would force the writers to acknowledge the discontinuity, which Deep Space Nine ’s writers weren’t interested in doing. Rather than make an issue of it, writers Ronald D. Moore and René Echevarria decided to play it for laughs, with Worf reluctantly admitting that yes, those are Klingons, there is a story behind why they look different, and no, he’s not going to talk about it. That’s because in the writers’ eyes, no story could have possibly made sense.

“There’s not a single explanation that is anything less than preposterous,” Moore said in a DS9 DVD featurette.

Eight years later, Star Trek: Enterprise dedicated two full episodes to a preposterous explanation as to why Klingons look different. From the very beginning of the prequel, set a century before The Original Series , Enterprise honored the new Klingon makeup effects, which had been in use for decades and were familiar to a new generation of fans. This was in line with an overall creative decision not to allow the limitations of a 1960s series to dictate how storytellers in the 2000s depicted the distant future. However, during Enterprise ’s fourth and final season, the show became more fixated than ever on the franchise’s past, leading to the two-part episode, “Affliction” and “Divergence,” in which a genetic augmentation turned virus mutates most Klingons to more closely resemble humans in both appearance and temperament. Only a handful of old-school, “mutated” Klingons appear in the episode, and though there’s no documentation on how it was applied, the makeup certainly looks faithful to the original (read: not great).

It is implied that the Klingons spend the next century working on a cure, after which they purge all evidence of this shameful event from their history. This two-parter would turn out to be the Klingons’ final appearance on Enterprise , as the series would be canceled shortly thereafter. All future Star Trek productions would employ some variation on the bumpy-headed Klingon design that Trekkies had come to know, though not all attempts proved to be very popular…

Baldly going

The cancellation of Enterprise in 2005 brought an end to the continuous 18-year run of Star Trek on television under executive producer Rick Berman, but the franchise was almost immediately revived under new management, with director J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot production company at the helm. Now rebooted as a blockbuster feature film series, Trek once again received the benefit of a fresh start on the big screen, equipped with the latest production innovations and a new set of creative contributors. Though teased behind helmets that obscured their faces in scenes that were shot for 2009’s Star Trek that were ultimately cut for time, the next iteration of the Klingon makeup design was unveiled in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness .

This new design, created by makeup effects artists David LeRoy Anderson and Neville Page, had to hold up under the unforgiving eye of IMAX cameras. They were sculpted digitally and then 3D printed as reference for the final latex sculpts. While many of the background Klingons had long manes and beards under their helmets, their leader, portrayed by Sean Blakemore, is totally hairless. This allows him to show off not only a triangular ridged forehead but a central, spine-like ridge that wraps all the way from his brow to his back, harkening back to the original Motion Picture revamp.

Anderson and Page made one major addition to the Klingon aesthetic: scarification and ceremonial piercings, not only through the ears but through the forehead ridges themselves. In a featurette included with the Into Darkness Blu-ray, Page suggests that these piercings are akin to painting icons on the side of a warplane, with each one representing a victory. Apart from this ornamentation, Anderson and Page’s Klingons were not an enormous departure from what had been depicted before, though that hardly dissuaded canonistas — who generally reviled the Abrams films — from harping on the change.

However, criticism of the Into Darkness Klingons paled in comparison to the outrage that surrounded the next iteration of the Klingon makeup design, which debuted in the opening minutes of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series, which would shepherd a prolific new era for the franchise on streaming television, was as bold an aesthetic departure from the TNG era as The Motion Picture had been from TOS . There were a number of canon-fudging new elements on Discovery , but none received quite as much hate as the new Klingons, or as haters on social media dubbed them, “Klingorcs.” Where Into Darkness had been an incremental change in the Klingon aesthetic, Discovery was a total overhaul designed by Neville Page and Glenn Hetrick of Alchemy FX Studios, based on the input of original showrunner Bryan Fuller.

According to a promotional interview with CBS News , Fuller mandated that the Klingons should be hairless, leading Page and Hetrick to consider what might have been hidden underneath the Klingons’ locks. They decided that Klingons’ famous head ridges would house sensory pits that grant them a greater ability to defend themselves from ambush, and that these ridges should continue along the entire circumference of their skulls. The skulls themselves were elongated, evoking the shape of the tall headdresses worn by some pharaohs of Upper Egypt. In a final touch, the new Klingons had a variety of grayscale skin tones not found in humans.

Page credits the influence of H.R. Giger in creating this more alien and unsettling Klingon appearance. The new makeup effects employed the latest in available technology, including 3D sculpting and printing that allowed the makeup team to mass-produce forehead elements and mix and match them so that each character could have a subtly different design. The makeup was accompanied by a dramatically different costume design intended to distort the shape of actors’ bodies and imply additional organs inside their frame.

Honorable retreat

After the backlash against the new look (and the early departure of Fuller), the second season of Discovery immediately rolled back some of the show’s more aggressive changes to the Klingon design. To begin with, long hair was back in fashion (explained in-story by the end of their war with the Federation), but there were also more subtle changes, like the softening of some of the more pronounced alien facial features.

This design was better received, but the controversy seemed to make the producers of newer Star Trek shows nervous about including the Klingons in further stories. Animated shows Lower Decks and Prodigy employed the TNG Klingon designs, while the following five seasons of live-action Trek ( Discovery seasons 3 and 4, Picard seasons 1 and 2, and Strange New Worlds season 1) would feature no Klingons whatsoever. When the fan-favorite Worf returned for the final season of Star Trek: Picard , he appeared with his familiar “turtlehead” latex appliance, honoring current Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman’s promise back in 2020 that, regardless of Discovery ’s Klingon redesign, Worf would always “look like Worf.”

Finally, later that year, the initial trailers for season 2 of Strange New Worlds signaled the return of the Klingons, back in the long-haired, craggy-headed flesh. Gone were the extra-bulky bodies, the implied sensor pits, and the inhuman flesh tones. The makeup itself is clearly new, but the aesthetic is unmistakably retro, reproducing the appearance of TNG -era Klingons with modern techniques and resources.

This likely signals the end of bold experimentation with the Klingon forehead. The fans have spoken, and while conceding to the demands of an audience that invariably demands more of what they already have can often be dangerous, few would argue that the online mob was wrong about this one. Still, it would be a mistake to characterize this design reversion as a return to the “real” Klingon forehead. There is no such thing, and there never will be. Like all ongoing fictional narratives (or even complete ones), Star Trek is always changing, as well it should. Attempts to innovate on established concepts and intellectual property should be applauded, even when they’re not entirely successful. Otherwise, we could end up staring into the mirror 50 years from now, embarrassed, with brown foundation and glued-on eyebrows on our faces.

Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

Star trek: discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants, the 10 horniest episodes of star trek, ranked by cultural impact, loading comments....

What Do the ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Klingons Look Like?

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

J.J. Abrams filmed a scene for 2009's 'Star Trek' that featured Klingons but the scene was eventually cut from the movie. While Abrams has been cagey about Khan, he's always been up front that there would - finally - be Klingons in ' Star Trek Into Darkness .' Up until now, we've only seen a fleeting glimpse of what a J.J. Abrams Klingon looked like with its helmet on. But today we get our first look at the 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Klingons without their masks. And the verdict is?

Abrams has said that you won't need to know much about 'Star Trek' history or Klingons to understand 'Star Trek Into Darkness' but that hardcore Trekkies will notice a difference in the Klingons in this movie. "Their role in this is definitely adversarial," explains Abrams refusing to elaborate as he does so often.

But in a new featurette, we get to see at least one way the 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Klingons are different: their look.

If you blink, you might miss it, but in a brief feature on Uhura is about a half-second glimpse of a Klingon sans-helmet. And because we're quick with the screengrabbing, we caught it for you.

We ran this by our resident 'Star Trek' expert Jordan Hoffman who had this to say: "Ahhh! It looks... different ? What's with the lips? And what's with the earrings? I have never seen a Klingon with earrings. A bandolier, yes, but an earring, no. It looks a little more like the Klingons from 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' than the Klingons we've come to know from 'The Next Generation' or 'Deep Space Nine.' Klingon Empire insignia is legit though."

We've included a screenshot of the Klingon in question plus the original video where we captured it. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

More From ScreenCrush

Unmasked Klingon From 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Revealed; See New TV Spots And Images

J.J. Abrams has done a pretty great job keeping Star Trek Into Darkness details under wraps, even during this last-ditch deluge of marketing materials, but little bits and pieces have been trickling out here and there. Today we have our first look at an unmasked Abrams-style Klingon from the movie, along with three TV spots, another clip, and a bunch of images. Hit the jump to see it all.

Paramount unveiled a new promo highlighting Zoe Saldana 's Uhura, with icy narration from John Harrison ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) about her weaknesses.

We've seen similar videos for Kirk  ( Chris Pine ) and Spock  ( Zachary Quinto ) previously, so it's nice to get some better insight into this iconic character. But even more intriguing is the fact that it gives us our first peek at a helmetless Klingon from Abrams' vision of the Star Trek universe.

Abrams originally planned to put Klingons in his 2009 Star Trek but wound up cutting the scene, so we haven't been able to get a very good look at them yet. The new Klingons aren't exactly like the ones from the TV series, but for the most part the design doesn't look too drastically different. How they'll fit into the story isn't totally clear yet, but Abrams has previously said their role would be "definitely adversarial."

In addition to the Uhura-centric promo, Paramount has revealed two new TV spots. They're similar in style, but the first is mostly about Kirk while the second is more about the John Harrison threat.

If you've got room for one more Star Trek video in your life, there's also this new clip featuring Kirk and Scotty ( Simon Pegg ) making a run for it against some very dramatic music.

Then there are these stills from the LA Times , which mostly show Kirk and Spock doing their thing.

Looks good, right? You're not the only one that thinks so. As reported by Variety , early tracking indicates that Star Trek Into Darkness will make around $85 million domestically in its opening weekend. Possibly even more, if word-of-mouth is good. That's enough to make this the biggest Star Trek movie opening ever, beating out even 2009's Star Trek by about $10 million. All the more reason to get excited for the film's debut on  May 17 .

IDW Debuts First Look at J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek Into Darkness" Klingons

IDW has released the cover for "Star Trek: Countdown To Darkness" #4, which presents fans with the first detailed look at the new Klingons in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" universe.

A close up of a Klingon in a deleted scene from J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek"

Last year, rumors began of Klingons appearing in J.J. Abrams' upcoming film "Star Trek Into Darkness," which continues the adventures of crew of the Enterprise introduced in 2009's "Star Trek." The alien race appeared in a deleted scene from Abrams' first "Star Trek" movie and the director teased their appearance in "Star Trek Into Darkness" during a skit for the MTV Movie Awards last year. TrekNews even reported last year that Klingons were actually confirmed to appear in the film, but Abrams and crew continued to stay tight-lipped on the subject.

While it's not a full confirmation that Klingons will appear in "Star Trek Into Darkness," IDW Publishing's recently-debuted cover for "Star Trek: Countdown To Darkness" #4 (the final issue of the miniseries) makes a very strong case for the appearance, featuring the best look fans have seen yet of Abrams' take on the warrior race. "Countdown To Darkness" is the official prequel comic for "Star Trek Into Darkness" written by Mike Johnson with a story by Roberto Orci and art by David Messina. The fourth and final issue hits stands the month before the film's May release.

Check out the cover for "Star Trek: Countdown To Darkness" #4 below.

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Casts Light On Klingons

Cast aside your wrathful [article id="1701637"]Khan-spiracy theories[/article] for a few moments, if you're able. There are other corners of "Star Trek Into Darkness" worth exploring beyond the secret identity of [article id="1701247"]Benedict Cumberbatch's enigmatic John Harrison[/article], after all -- indeed, other villains, too.

In an interview with MTV News, "Star Trek" helmer J.J. Abrams dove head first into two of the newest components to his take on the fan-revered sci-fi universe. But "new" is actually "old" in this case, as Abrams recontextualizes some familiar foes for the "Trek" sequel: the Klingons.

As far as recognizable aliens in "Trek" lore are concerned, Klingons are second only to Vulcans, standing in the way of Starfleet cadets time and time again. That will certainly be the case in "Into Darkness," according to Abrams. "Their role in this is definitely adversarial," he teased, "and you'll see how that plays out."

But the warrior race isn't always in opposition to our heroes, as evidenced by the tremendously popular character Worf on the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and, later, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Still, that kind of knowledge won't be essential for any "Into Darkness" viewer stepping into the world of "Star Trek" for the first time. Said Abrams, "You don't need to know any preexisting stories to enjoy this film."

Even as the Klingons are making a comeback, it should be noted that the forehead-heavy aliens almost returned to the big-screen in Abrams' original "Star Trek" movie. "We had shot some stuff that had Klingons in [our first 'Star Trek' film], and we cut the scene," said the filmmaker. "It's a deleted scene on the DVD. But they're back in this one."

Completely new to Abrams' vision -- but not new at all to die-hard "Trek" fans -- is Carol Marcus, the Starfleet scientist played by British actress Alice Eve in "Into Darkness." Marcus first appeared in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," where she was presented as a former flame of Captain James T. Kirk's and the mother of his son, David. Whether or not Marcus' inclusion in "Into Darkness" solidifies the Cumberbatch-is-Khan theory remains a matter of heavy debate. What isn't debatable, according to Abrams, is the crucial role that Marcus plays in the coming story. Rather than simply providing a pretty face to bat her eyelashes at Chris Pine's Kirk, Eve's character is an active participant in "Into Darkness," the director promises.

"[She's] someone who is part of the adventure," he teased. "Her role is important. She wouldn't be in the movie otherwise."

Check out everything we've got on "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Latest News

POV VMA SUBMISSION FORM

MTV Video Music Awards Will Return to New Jersey for September Show

Scream’s Ghostface Accepts Best Movie And Best Fight: ‘Movies Don’t Create Psychos’

Anthony Ramos And Dominique Fishback Ramp Up The Tension In New 'Transformers' Clip

Joseph Quinn Acknowledges The Power Of 'Stranger Things' Fans

Ariel And Prince Eric's Romantic Night Ends With A Splash In New 'Little Mermaid' Clip

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

into darkness klingons vs disco klingons

Discussion in ' Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe ' started by pst , May 21, 2018 .

pst Commodore Commodore

as part of our little anniversary celebration (or evisceration) of star trek into darkness, i’ve been thinking about those klingons. i think the scene they're showcased in is the best sequence in the movie and the costumes, helmets, makeup and yeah even the piercings make the klingons look pretty badass: neville page designed them as well as the klingons in star trek: discovery. they share a lot of traits, but the disco klingon is obviously more extreme, with elongated heads, extra nostrils and all sorts of other flourishes. the into darkness klingons are more restrained. page did design even more ambitious klingons for into darkness before pulling it back to something simpler and easier to accomplish with prosthetics: funnily enough, even the more ambitious klingon still isn't as extreme as the discovery version. so what are your thoughts and preferences? i remember folks being upset by the portrayal of the klingons in the kelvin timeline, but in hindsight, they were pretty conservative compared to what we have now on CBS all access.  

WarpFactorZ Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Except for in TOS, Klingons are dark-skinned, bumpy-headed creatures. They're all basically the same to me.  

F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

I loved the Klingon costumes and helmets in Into Darkness . IMHO its the best they've ever looked. I loved the bright blue eyes under the helmet. And then he unmasked and I was, like, it's okay, I guess . I wish they'd pushed the look further like Discovery did. The Klingon ships, the D7ish Warbird in '09 and D4 Bird of Prey in ID were awesome too. I loved how disruptor blasts were reimagined as Stargate Atlantis -style physical missiles during the chase on Kronos. Discovery Klingons look okay. I loved T'Kuvma's look and the variation between clans and roles is a great change from a million perms and recycled TMP armour. But the makeup is very heavy and restricts facial movement somewhat.  

BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

The Into Darkness Klingons are my favorite version of the modern look.  

Kor Fleet Admiral Admiral

I like the designs! See partway down this old thread for more: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/concept-art-and-set-photos.213325/page-9 Sufficiently alien while still looking admirable rather than hideous like the STD Klingons. Kor  

Kor said: ↑ Sufficiently alien while still looking admirable rather than hideous like the STD Klingons. Click to expand...

pst said: ↑ i don't think they're hideous, but definitely not as elegant as the STID klingons. i actually really love the look of kol and ujilli in discovery. the backs of those heads tho. oh and let's not forget about the klingons cut from star trek 2009 in post production and (more interestingly) the one who was supposed to be on altamid in star trek beyond: even here it's a slightly beefier, more aggressive design than into darkness, but still believably klingon. Click to expand...

M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

I liked the look of the STID Klingons. They looked badass and intimidating. Right up until Khan showed up and blew dozens of them or so away.  

Smellmet Commodore Commodore

The STID Klingons looked far better than the ones in Discovery in my opinion, and are probably my favourite iteration of them, looks-wise.  

Saul Vice Admiral Admiral

The Klingons in Star Trek Into Darkness were fantastic. Not only were they badass looking they actually looked scary as hell and definitely not a group you want to encounter. Into Darkness made Klingons scary and intimidating again. They were Cold, silent and deadly. Compared with Discovery Klingons who just like to talk your friggin ear off and looked pretty bad, especially those weird head shapes. The faces were so caked in prosthetics that all the actors sounded like they had stuffed noses. Darn shame we never got to see more of the Into Darkness Klingons.  

I get what they were going for, they wanted to make them look more 'alien' but their overall design (especially the godawful ships) just jarred too much for me. It's a shame because I think the look of a lot of the rest of the show is excellent, (some dubious FX choices notwithstanding) especially the Federation ships and their interiors. The STID Klingons were different enough to be a successful update, but still respected what had came before, which is how it should be done.  

WarpFactorZ said: ↑ The "never used Klingons" look quite a bit like the Disco Klingons, I think. Click to expand...

I already prefer that.  

CorporalClegg Admiral Admiral

IMO the elongated, Xenomorphish head is the DISCO Klingons' only redeeming quality. By the by -- I love the ID guys. I think they should become the new standard.  

STEPhon IT Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

pst said: ↑ if the klingons in discovery season 2 have the backs of their heads slimmed down like this, i wouldn't complain. fixed it for you. Click to expand...

Gavin70 Commander Red Shirt

STEPhon IT said: ↑ H.R. Giger-itis??? Click to expand...

Terok Nor Commodore Commodore

pst said: ↑ so what are your thoughts and preferences? i remember folks being upset by the portrayal of the klingons in the kelvin timeline, but in hindsight, they were pretty conservative compared to what we have now on CBS all access. Click to expand...

fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

I like both the ST ID Klingons and the DSC Klingons so much more than any iteration before.  

Dukhat Admiral Admiral

fireproof78 said: ↑ I like both the ST ID Klingons and the DSC Klingons so much more than any iteration before. Click to expand...

• Log in with Facebook
• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?
• Search titles only

Separate names with a comma.

• Search this thread only
• Display results as threads

Useful Searches

• Recent Posts

• Cast & crew

Star Trek Into Darkness: The Klingon Home World

An examination of incorporating Klingons into the film, keeping them familiar but also making them unique to this universe, construction of the Kronos set, Klingon costume design and makeup,... Read all An examination of incorporating Klingons into the film, keeping them familiar but also making them unique to this universe, construction of the Kronos set, Klingon costume design and makeup, and coaching the actors in the Klingon language. An examination of incorporating Klingons into the film, keeping them familiar but also making them unique to this universe, construction of the Kronos set, Klingon costume design and makeup, and coaching the actors in the Klingon language.

• J.J. Abrams
• Neville Page

• Self - Producer

• Self - Director …

• Self - Creature Designer

• Self - Production Designer

• Self - VFX Supervisor …
• Self - Dimmer Operator
• (as Joshua Thatcher)

• Self - Art Director
• (as Andrew E.W. Murdock)

• Self - 'Uhura'

• Self - 'Klingon'

• Self - Makeup Effects Artist
• Self - Language Consultant

• Self - Consultant ['Alien' Languages]
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Included as an extra on the bluray release of Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
• Connections Features Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

User reviews

• September 10, 2013 (United States)
• United States
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 8 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

J.J. Abrams Talks Klingons and the Role of Carol Marcus in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

J.J. Abrams revealed some minor details on the role of the Klingons in Star Trek Into Darkness, and adds that Carol Marcus won't be a love-interest.

I'm surprised the highly-secretive J.J. Abrams is saying anything about Star Trek Into Darkness , but he spoke with MTV to discuss a few details regarding the Klingons and the role of Carol Marcus ( Alice Eve ).  The Klingons were previously seen in Star Trek deleted scenes to show that Nero (Eric Bana) was their prisoner for a matter of years before managing to escape and go back to waiting for Spock to come through the wormhole.  Abrams sneakily revealed the fan-favorite race back in June , and he tells MTV, "Their role in this is definitely that of adversary, and you'll see how that plays out."

Hit the jump to find out how Carol Marcus figures into the story.  The film also stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood , and Benedict Cumberbatch .  Star Trek Into Darkness opens in IMAX 3D on May 15th, and in 2D and 3D on May 17th.

Abrams tells MTV that fans shouldn't expect the film to slow down to create a romantic development between Kirk and Marcus:

"(Kirk) meets her fairly early on and again she plays a science officer, she's someone who is a part of the adventure.  I think Chris is right, because it's very much an action adventure movie and once that gets going it's a very difficult thing to park the story. So it's very difficult to do a romantic interlude. Her role is important, she wouldn't be in the movie otherwise."

For those who need a refresher on their Trek lore, in the original timeline, Kirk was in a relationship with Marcus, but the two went their separate ways.  Kirk later discovered that he had fathered a child, David, with Marcus.  Mother and son were working on the Genesis Device, which Khan attempted to turn into weapon in The Wrath of Khan .

Here's the interview with Abrams:

Here's the official synopsis for Star Trek Into Darkness :

In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness. When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Discovery Klingons and Star Trek's Continuity

Considering that its creators tell us that Discovery takes place in the Prime Universe, it is not possible to simply overlook the radical visual alterations made for the series. Without an official blessing, it is not possible for fans to dismiss Discovery and slap a "total reboot" or even a "non-canon" label on it, even if it is effectively a reboot and disregards essential parts of the canon. So even though much about Discovery feels wrong (not to say *is* wrong), EAS has to take care of issues like the Klingon redesign in some fashion. However, that still doesn't mean that EAS will cobble together speculative theories to make Discovery fit with canon.

Justifications

Various arguments are brought forward in defense of the redesign:

• The producers as well as some fans argue that the Klingons were changed before , when the so far human-looking make-up of TOS made way for the TMP appearance with the forehead ridge appliances. And even the TMP Klingons did not remain totally visually consistent, so some don't think it is a big issue if everything is changed yet again.
• Some defenders of the new look pretend that it is close enough to that of the TMP Klingons, the only notable difference being the lack of hair, and only in the first season.
• Another rationale brought forward is that the DIS Klingons, and particularly the House of T'Kuvma on their sarcophagus ship, could be a so far isolated sub-species of the Empire that for some reason becomes powerful in just one decade, only to vanish again or to undergo a mutation. This is not hinted at in Discovery though, and the series never shows any Klingons with old make-up for that matter.
• It is often cited as an important point that there are 24 Klingon houses with different looks now. But this new diversity is not in line with the unified warrior race we know from all TOS sequels as well as prequels.
• One frequently stated argument is that the redesign was sort of required to use of the most recent make-up techniques and to let the Klingons appear truly alien. The question is whether the intent to make them more alien doesn't go beyond the limitations of a "merely visual" alteration.
• Make-up FX designer Glenn Hetrick defended his new Klingons, calling the redesign an "evolutionary imperative" , based on the assumption that the species is a "cross between reptilian and avian" . But he ignores that the Klingons were always mammalians, and shouldn't "evolve" to birds or reptiles, not in an artistic and much less in a biological sense.
• Finally, a drawing of a hairless Klingon with an exoskeleton by Robert Fletcher for TMP was unearthed as a rationale for the redesign, as if a pre-production sketch discarded 40 years ago suddenly overruled the canon Klingon appearance in more than 400 episodes.

Speculation and wishful thinking doesn't help to make sense of the DIS Klingons, so let us stick with the facts. The following analysis shows how much the Discovery Klingons were changed and whether or not it could be possible to make them fit with canon. And yes, canon definitely includes visuals , as opposed to what some people want to make us believe in the wake of Discovery's repercussions.

Comparison of "Classic" and Discovery Klingons

We may want to add to the list that Discovery Klingons are unwieldy, compared to any of their predecessors of classic Star Trek. They also speak slowly, and with distorted voices.

Season 2 adjustment

In a revision of the revision, the Discovery Klingons get back their hair for season 2. Additionally, a few new characters such as Kol-Sha in DIS: "Point of Light" and the unnamed man on L'Rell's bridge in "Such Sweet Sorrow II" are given a make-up that is closer to the universally accepted look. L'Rell even loses a third of her skull volume, but this particular change remains an inexplicable exception. Other "long-headed" Klingons can still be seen in season 2. The growth of hair is explained in DIS: "Point of Light" as a tradition after the end of a war, as previously suggested by Mary Chieffo at New York Comic Con. The previous idea that there are sensory organs that must not be covered with hair is definitely obsolete now.

The notion that all Klingons without exception are bald during a war is absurd, considering that classic Klingons were more or less always at war in the 22nd, in the 23rd and in the 24th century and all of them always had hair (the only exception being General Chang). All Klingons of the different houses of Discovery, in contrast, had no hair even before T'Kuvma made the surprising suggestion to go to war against the Federation. Klingon children had no hair in T'Kuvma's flashback, and Mirror Voq was hairless as well. Perhaps the political changes brought about by L'Rell are the actual reason why Klingons grow hair again and never give up this custom again. But this conflicts with the uninterrupted continuity of classic "hairy" Klingons, and quite paradoxically Discovery postulates that the Klingons have totally conformist traditions at a time when they are said to be totally divided.

In any case, those Discovery Klingons must have amazing razors!

The beginning of the 100-year isolation of the Klingons mentioned in DIS: "The Vulcan Hello" corresponds to the time of ENT: "Divergence" when the Klingons began to mutate from the TMP to the TOS look. This period (in which no human has seen any Klingons?!) may serve as a loophole to explain the new mutation in a future episode.

• We should rule this out from the outset because the frequency of changes is so obviously ridiculous, even if it may not be a hard rule that all Klingons underwent all stages of the many metamorphoses.
• Where is the amazement about the new Klingon look? Burnham is just unfamiliar with the Torchbearer, but no one seems to have a problem with T'Kuvma's appearance.
• Also, would T'Kuvma's people celebrate their current, mutated state as the "pure" Klingon appearance? Totally unthinkable.
• If they are mutated, wouldn't the Klingons at least want to keep their hair?

DIS Klingons were an isolated sub-species that vanished after DIS

In season 1, the focus is on T'Kuvma and his closest allies. They all share the rare traits, while the actual majority of Klingons, the ones that might look as in TMP or even in TOS, are what seems to be a minority in Discovery.

• This theory would necessitate the appearance of a sufficient number of "old" Klingons in the series besides T'Kuvma's alleged sub-species. Perhaps the guy from "Such Sweet Sorrow II" would qualify but hardly anyone else.
• The 24 other houses, at least all of them who appear in "The Vulcan Hello", share the look of T'Kuvma's. There are some variations regarding the skull shape, but none that looks like an "old" Klingon. The main distinguishing mark is the styling (less heavily decorated costumes and weapons than T'Kuvma's house, for instance, and different hairstyles since season 2), rather than the biology.
• The gray-skinned DIS Klingon Kol is a member of the House of Kor (and an enemy of T'Kuvma). We can take for granted that this is the same house that Kor of TOS: "Errand of Mercy" belongs to. Kor underwent a metamorphosis (back) to his original Klingon look between TOS and his appearances on DS9. Could his relative Kol (and his father Kol-Sha) belong to a still completely different looking sub-species? Very implausible.
• Where were the DIS Klingons before DIS and where will they go after DIS? It may have to do with the sub-species being isolationist, but in season 2 it becomes apparent that even on Qo'noS they are the only type of Klingons to exist. The DIS Klingons would not simply disappear without a trace, and with never being referred to again.

(All) Klingons always looked like in DIS

The official policy, as by the repeated affirmations of the producers, is that Discovery is set in the Prime Universe and adheres to canon. If this is true, they have exempted visuals from canon, so Discovery is a reboot, but "only" on the visual side. In other words, we have to imagine that all Klingons always looked like in DIS. The return of their hair in season 2 is supposed to make the acceptance of the official policy easier but raises even more questions.

• The Klingon look of TOS was already iconic when TMP was produced. Many fans, as well as many people working behind the scenes, would have been upset if TMP had invalidated the look of TOS, even though it was the obvious choice for many years. Then DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" came along and set a standard: Visuals must not be ignored . If Klingons looked different in the past, so be it. If that doesn't fit with canon, we can and maybe have to try to corroborate its canon status, in this particular case with the ENT double feature "Affliction" and "Divergence". Not everyone may like this retcon, but it is how Star Trek used to work.
• Do we want Worf to look like in DIS ? Or any other prominent Klingon? Even with hair that would be unthinkable. Michael Dorn more or less ruled out that he would ever want to wear such a thick make-up that doesn't allow true acting, and even Alex Kurtzman conceded that Worf would have to remain Worf, should he appear on PIC.
• Hybrids like K'Ehleyr and B'Elanna may not even exist, seeing how non-humanoid the DIS Klingons are.
• In TNG: "Birthright II", Worf discovers that Ba'el has pointed ears, unlike the other Klingons, because she is a Klingon-Romulan hybrid. This plot point would be invalidated if all Klingons have pointed ears anyway, and much more alien than either humans or Romulans.
• As already mentioned, it makes no sense for Klingons to shave all their hair (and beards) during a war because they are a warrior race that is more or less always at war.
• The canon story of the ENT episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence" would be rendered absurd, as we would have to see in our minds something very different than what appears on screen. Since it is unbelievable that the DIS Klingons could profit from human genes and might mutate to human-looking Klingons, perhaps it would be better to abandon this whole ENT story, and ultimately the whole idea of human-looking TOS Klingons. Discovery would effectively become an incompatible reboot, not only visually.
• Mudd's description of the new Klingons as "pointy headed bastards" further corroborates their different look and jeopardizes the idea of a visual update we may be able to ignore.

DIS is a total reboot with no ties to the old Star Trek

Well, that is a conclusion we may draw for ourselves. But it is not supported by the official canon policy, which dictates that Discovery is "only" a visual reimagination.

Summarizing, Discovery fails to do two substantial things to justify the total redesign of the Klingons: give us a sufficient number of "classic" Klingons, and serve us some explanation why key figures of the Empire of the 23rd century (as well as their ships and styling) don't look familiar at all. The series has chosen to show only Klingons that look like T'Kuvma, L'Rell and Voq, by which Discovery implicitly declares itself a (total or visual) reboot, irrespective of all affirmations to the contrary.

The Klingons get back their hair and some other familiar features in season 2, but this is only damage control, in an attempt to make the unloved reboot series a bit more relatable.

Visual continuity has always been a quality mark of Star Trek, and an important part of its canon . With the extreme redesign of the Klingons and of everything related to them (such as the starships ), Discovery has abandoned this longstanding principle. The purported reason is that the producers of the series wanted to appeal to a "modern audience". But does this mean a total reboot was inevitable?

It is clear that Discovery couldn't have been made with the crude visual effects of the 1960s, with sets consisting of colorfully illuminated walls and with mustached TOS Klingons. There are wonderful fan-made TOS revivals such as Star Trek New Voyages and Star Trek Continues, but hardly any fan would honestly demand from a modern TV series to look like that (although this is a customary strawman used in an attempt to discredit my actual position). In fact, we already have an awesome and well-established Klingon make-up and styling since "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". There was nothing wrong or dated about the iconic look of the TMP Klingons and about their almost equally famous ship designs, like the D7/K't'inga or the Bird-of-Prey. They used to be the arguably most recognizable aliens of any science fiction series. Even casual fans and people with otherwise no ties to Star Trek were fond of the Klingon looks.

Still, the makers of Discovery decided to throw this legacy away. They replaced our beloved Klingons with a clumsy race that is barely capable of clear articulation and whose styling is ridiculously overblown. They turned one of the most formidable sci-fi civilizations ever created into a pseudo-religious xenophobic sect with foolish leaders. I could feel a little bit better about the unwarranted redesign of the Klingons if it were successful. The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 suffered a similar fate in Discovery, but the visual reboot of the ship in "Will You Take My Hand?" is at least aesthetically pleasing and still looks like an Enterprise. In contrast, everything about the all-new Klingons is just appalling.

It is true that Star Trek had plenty of inconsistent visuals already before Discovery, and few people have cared more for them than me. But with the new Klingons and some other questionable design decisions the makers of the series cross a line. We're not talking about the Trills , a race that appeared just once on TNG before it was decided to alter their appearance for DS9. We're not talking about make-up updates thanks to new techniques, like the moving antennae of the Andorians on Enterprise. We're not talking about something that may ever make sense in canon or only in our headcanon, like the previous changes to the Klingons. Discovery is and will always be visually incompatible with everything that came before. The visuals are one of several aspects in which Discovery is Star Trek in name only.

Discovery does not try to extend the painting the way that all previous series did, including Enterprise. It paints all over the canvas of the existing Star Trek. Setting the series in the 2250s was the first big mistake because canon problems are inevitable once new stories are shoehorned into an era that is already taken by an old series. It is odd how the producers themselves lament this setting as if they didn't anticipate the problems (Discovery being the third prequel in a row).

The second mistake, the visual redefinition, may have been more tolerable in a series set in an unclaimed era, and preferably in the future. It may have even been possible without any harm to the old Star Trek. Imagine Discovery were set in the 25th century and the new aliens are no Klingons but a race not yet encountered. The story could be still the same; only the token nostalgia, such as the character of Sarek, would have to be removed to that end.

With its actual setting, however, the series only adds insult to injury in a "historical" in-universe context. It is like the redesigned Klingons, ship designs, clothes and interiors speak to us, saying that the look of the old Star Trek was crap and that only the latest visual update is endorsed. I don't want to imply that the Discovery producers and production designers hate the style of the pre-existing Star Trek and wanted to get away with it at any rate. They may have done their best to make the design of the series work for themselves. But whatever their self-perception is, they totally failed to pay the old Star Trek the due respect. From now, watching the old Star Trek with the old Klingons is impaired by the knowledge that the manufacturer has ended the support for this legacy product.

It is good that the Klingons got back their hair and familiar looking ships in season 2. While this is only a small step on a very painful way to reconcile DIS with classic Star Trek, it shows that the people in charge listen to justified complaints and are willing to revise at least the worst errors of the series. Yet, I would have preferred a series that wouldn't make such glaringly obvious errors in the first place.

Update Notice

The Klingons vanished after the second season of Discovery, probably because the people in charge had recognized the complete redesign was unpopular. All members of the species that appeared in Lower Decks, Prodigy and Picard were TMP-Klingons. In the second season of Strange New Worlds, finally, the classic canon look of the species even returns to the "re-imagined" universe. As far as we can tell, Discovery Klingons are gone for good.

If Discovery Klingons never show up again (except perhaps in flashbacks using stock footage), we may be allowed to ignore these outliers in a greater in-universe context where Klingons are otherwise half-way consistent. In other words, we only have to acknowledge the existence of Discovery Klingons while we are watching Discovery.

The Klingon Forehead Problem - the history of the legendary continuity problem until Enterprise

The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads - fairly complete gallery and commentary

Dealing with Discovery Klingons - four options how future episode may handle the Klingon dilemma

The Visual Continuity of Star Trek - examples of if and how visual continuity was maintained through the generations

Discoverse Continuity Problems - where DIS and SNW are not in line with classic Star Trek

Thanks to Chris for the hint about the STID Klingons with hair and to Charles Eavenson II for the mentions of Klingon hair and claws, as well as the observation about the "reptilian ears".

https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/dis-klingons.htm

Last modified: 04 Nov 2023

© Ex Astris Scientia 1998-2024, Legal Terms

This website is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc. or the Star Trek franchise.

Fleet Yards

I'm Glad Star Trek Into Darkness Deleted Kirk Lying In His Captain's Log

• Deleting the scene of Captain Kirk lying in his log was a wise move by J.J. Abrams, as it painted Kirk in a poor light.
• Spock emerges as the true hero in Star Trek Into Darkness, adhering to Starfleet values while Kirk falters repeatedly.
• Kirk's actions in the film make him harder to root for, as Spock shines in his ability to effectively manage escalating crises.

Star Trek Into Darkness deleted a scene in which Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) publicly lies in his Captain's log, which painted him in a terrible light. The second Star Trek reboot film directed by J.J. Abrams pits Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise against two foes: the genetically engineered madman Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the diabolically corrupt Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). But in many ways, Captain Kirk's worst enemy in Star Trek Into Darkness is himself.

Before Captain Kirk tangled with Khan and Marcus to prevent all-out war the Klingons, Star Trek Into Darkness opened with the USS Enterprise's disastrous mission on the planet Nibiru. Ordered to simply survey the primitive world, Kirk allowed the natives to see the Starship Enterprise as he tried to rescue Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) from a volcano. While Kirk's intentions to save Nirbiru from a planetary apocalypse were noble, Jim's reckless actions grossly violated Star Trek 's Prime Directive . Worse, Kirk lied about it.

Star Trek Into Darkness Ending & Problems Explained

Kirk lying in his captain's log in star trek into darkness' deleted scene makes him worse, falsifying a captain's log in front of his crew is indefensible..

A deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness posted by @AosdailyBTS on X shows Captain Kirk composing his Captain's log about the Nibiru mission on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Kirk blatantly lies about what transpired on Nibiru, claiming he "thought it wise to stay off the planet altogether" and calling the catastrophe "uneventful." Making matters worse, Captain Kirk spun his falsities and mockery of Starfleet's code of honor in full view of his appalled bridge crew . Check out the scene below:

J.J. Abrams was wise to leave this scene out of Star Trek Into Darkness' final cut. The arrogant way Kirk lies in his Captain's log is indefensible, and it casts James in a poor light. As it plays out in Star Trek Into Darkness , Kirk does lie in his log, and he's called out by Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) immediately after Spock filed a truthful report in his log. But to actually see Kirk so flippantly lie in front of his crew is a blight on his character , and makes Kirk harder to root for in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Star Trek Into Darkness Made Spock A Better Enterprise Captain Than Kirk

Spock rose to the occasion in star trek into darkness.

In many ways, Chris Pine's young Captain Kirk is at his nadir in Star Trek Into Darkness, while Spock shines as the hero Kirk ought to be . Star Trek Into Darkness paints Spock as unable to "break a rule," but the Vulcan Science Officer acts honorably throughout the film, and maintains Starfleet's values while Captain Kirk repeatedly falters. It's Spock who told the truth about Nibiru because ethics demanded it, and Spock again successfully argued against the immorality of Kirk firing torpedoes to kill Khan instead of apprehending him for a trial.

Spock rose to the occasion and captured Khan with Lt. Nyota Uhura's (Zoe Saldana) help.

Kirk admitted to Spock that, "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I only know what I can do." Comparatively, the Vulcan didn't take a false step as he effectively managed Star Trek Into Darkness ' escalating crises. To Kirk's credit, he did align the Enterprise's warp core to save the ship , which led his (temporary) death by radiation poisoning. Without Kirk, Spock rose to the occasion and captured Khan with Lt. Nyota Uhura's (Zoe Saldana) help, bringing the madman to justice and resurrecting Kirk with Khan's "super blood." Vulcans cannot tell a lie, unlike Captain Kirk, and Star Trek Into Darkness was better for Spock doing what Kirk could not.

Source: @aosdailyBTS on X

Star Trek Into Darkness is streaming on Paramount+

Release Date

Cast Peter Weller, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Cho, Alice Eve

Franchise(s)

Where To Stream Paramount+

Screen Rant

Star trek into darkness deleted scene shows what carol marcus & picard's jack crusher have in common.

A deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness answers why Carol Marcus is British in the Kelvin timeline, and what she has in common with Jack Crusher.

• Dr. Carol Marcus and Jack Crusher share British accents from their upbringing in London, linking their Star Trek legacies.
• Carol Marcus investigated her father's shady torpedoes on the USS Enterprise, filled with frozen Khan followers.
• Both characters have potential futures in the Star Trek universe, with Carol possibly appearing in "Strange New Worlds."

A deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness reveals why Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) is British in the alternate Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies, and the reason is something Carol has in common with Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) in Star Trek: Picard . Dr. Marcus, the daughter of the diabolical Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller), came aboard the USS Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) to investigate her father transporting experimental torpedoes on Kirk's ship. Carol learned the torpedoes contained the cryogenically frozen followers of Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Although they exist in separate Star Trek timelines , Carol Marcus in Star Trek Into Darkness and Jack Crusher in Star Trek: Picard season 3 are both Starfleet royalty . Jack is the son of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), although the son never knew his father until the events of Picard season 3. Jack inherited organic Borg DNA from his father, but Picard saved Jack from the tragic fate of becoming Vox of Borg. Together with the crew of the USS Enterprise-D, they slayed the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) and saved the galaxy.

Star Trek Into Darkness Ending & Problems Explained

Star trek into darkness' deleted scene explains carol marcus' british accent is similar to jack crusher's, carol and star trek picard's jack crusher have similar upbringings.

A deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness posted by @AosdailyBTS on X shows Captain Kirk quizzing Dr. Carol Marcus about why she is aboard the Starship Enterprise. When Kirk tells Marcus to "drop the accent," Carol reveals her British accent is real because she was raised in London by her mother while her father, Admiral Marcus, ran Starfleet. Check out the deleted scene below:

Carol's backstory of being raised in London is just like Jack Crusher's. As Dr. Beverly Crusher explained to Jean-Luc in Star Trek: Picard season 3, she and Jack lived in London when he was young, and the accent just "stuck." Amusingly, Beverly explains that it must be the Picard DNA that affords Jack a British accent as if accents can be inherited like Jack's organic Borg DNA . But Carol Marcus, whose backstory was established in Star Trek Into Darkness ten years before Star Trek: Picard season 3, had an absentee Admiral father and gained a British accent while living in London with her mother, just like Jack Crusher.

Star Trek Into Darkness ' deleted scene takes place right before the controversial moment when Carol strips to her underwear and is ogled by Captain Kirk.

Carol Marcus' Star Trek Future Vs. Jack Crusher's Star Trek Future

Carol's comeback may be sooner than jack's.

Both Carol Marcus and Jack Crusher have tentative Star Trek futures. Carol was name-dropped in Star Trek 's first-ever musica l episode, when Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) told Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) that he has a pregnant girlfriend named Carol. This could mean Carol Marcus may appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 , although it's unlikely that she will be played by Alice Eve on the Paramount+ series.

There's no telling if the Kelvin Timeline's Carol will be seen again if Star Trek 4 happens.

Jack Crusher's Star Trek future depends on whether Star Trek: Picard season 3's proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, happens . Despite ardent fan demand, and the actors and creatives' willingness to return, no Picard spinoff is in development at Paramount+. This means Ensign Jack Crusher's adventures aboard the USS Enterprise-G and what comes of Jack meeting Q (John de Lancie) are in drydock. There's a chance Picard could continue as a Star Trek streaming movie on Paramount+, but Alice Eve's version of Carol Marcus wasn't in Star Trek Beyond and there's no telling if the Kelvin Timeline's Carol will be seen again if Star Trek 4 happens.

Source: @aosdailyBTS on X

Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek: Picard season 3 are streaming on Paramount+