Top 10 Aliens of the Trek Universe

VULCANS, ROMULANS AND TRIBBLES, OH MY! HERE ARE THE SPECIES YOU NEED TO KNOW

BY COURTNEY MIFSUD

VULCAN

Planet: Vulcan

Powers: Nerve pinch, mind meld

Notables: Spock, Sarek, T’Pau

Though known for devotion to logic and reason over emotion, the Vulcans have a history of extreme violence and aggression. Surak, a revered figure, preached a philosophy of logic, which came to dominate Vulcan and fuel its sophisticated civilization. An offshoot group who rejected Surak’s teachings founded Romulan society.

Appeared in: TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT

FERENGI

Planet: Ferenginar

Favorite object: Bars of latinum converted to gold, a currency

Notables: Quark, the Grand Nagus

A culture of ultra-capitalists, the Ferengi are primarily focused on commerce. The Rules of Acquisition provide a code for all Ferengi to become successful and profitable; cosmetically enlarged earlobes are signs of wealth. Their greed has allowed them to stay neutral in galactic conflicts. Their male-dominated society is taking early steps toward equality.

Appeared in: TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT

KLINGON

Planet: Q’onoS

Weapon of choice: Bat’leth, the Sword of Honor

Notables: Kor, Worf

Combative and driven by honor, the Klingons are one of the leading military forces in the galaxy. The Klingon Empire is seemingly resource-poor, which contributes to a conquest-oriented mentality—and decades of hostility with the Federation and the Romulan Empire, in spite of erratic alliances. The Klingons eventually allied with the Federation to defeat the Dominion.

Appeared in: TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT

CHANGELING

Origin: Gamma Quadrant

Powers: Shape-shifting, the Great Link

Notables: Odo

Morphogenic enzymes give these beings the ability to shape-shift. Changelings can take on any form, even a cloud of fog. The Founders, a group of Changelings, forged the Dominion in an attempt to stabilize the chaos around them. Despite their power, the Founders don’t care much for individual identity and consider themselves parts of a larger unit.

Appeared in: DS9

CARDASSIAN

Planet: Cardassia Prime

Notables: Gul Dukat, Elim Garak, Damar

Treacherous and aggressive, the Cardassians have battled the Federation, Romulans and even the Klingons. Despite a penchant for combat, Cardassians highly regard the arts. But the price of the culture’s militancy has been high: the race fought three major wars in a century, the third resulting in the loss of almost a billion Cardassian lives.

Appeared in: TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT

ROMULAN

Planets: Romulus and Remus

Favorite tech: Cloaking device

Notables: Tomalak

Having renounced the Vulcan enlightenment, a splinter group formed what grew into the Romulan Star Empire. Political status and military duty are paramount in Romulan society, which warred against the Federation before an eventual peace treaty. The relationship remains filled with tension and mutual distrust.

Appeared in: TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT

BORG

Origin: Delta Quadrant

Power: Shared consciousness

Notables: Seven of Nine

Striving for a perfect society, the cybernetic Borg Collective operates by forcibly assimilating other species. The Borg grew into one of the most powerful species in the galaxy, conquering thousands of worlds. It would remain formidable until a war with Species 8472 allowed for the formation of a strong resistance movement.

Appeared in: TNG, DS9, ENT, VOY

BAJORAN

Planet: Bajor

Leader: A religious figure called the Kai

Notables: Kira Nerys, Ro Laren, Winn Adami

With a rich and spiritual ancestry, the Bajorans are rebuilding after a decades-long occupation of their planet by the Cardassian Union. The brutality of the occupation inspired a fierce Bajoran resistance movement. Eventually the Cardassians withdrew; a fragile Bajoran government partners with the Federation.

Appeared in: TNG, DS9, VOY

SPECIES 8472

Origin: Unknown

Weapon of choice: Infectious claws

Other power: Telepathic communication

Designated by the Borg Collective as Species 8472, the tripedal species resides in fluidic space, a separate dimension. Species 8472 is immune to the Borg’s assimilation and proved to be its first concrete danger. With the Borg posing a mutual threat, Voyager’s Capt. Janeway negotiated a tense cease-fire between Starfleet and Species 8472.

Appeared in: VOY

TRIBBLE

Planet: Iota Geminorum IV

Powers: Accelerated reproduction, tranquilizing sound emission

Non-sentient and small, a single Tribble might seem unthreatening. But give it enough food, and the born-pregnant fluffball will rapidly reproduce, birthing about 10 Tribbles per hour. While Tribbles emit a sound that soothes humans, they react violently to Klingons. Not ones to take a threat lightly, the Klingons set out to hunt down the Tribbles and destroy their home world.

Appeared in: TOS, TNG, DS9, ENT

key: TOS: The original series; TNG: The Next GEneration; DS9: Deep Space Nine; VOY: Voyager; ENT: Enterprise