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Published Aug 23, 2023

The Starfleet Insignia Explained

No Star Trek symbol captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta.

StarTrek.com

"The Starfleet Symbol." "The Arrowhead." "The Delta."

Star Trek uses symbols to convey a lot of things, but none captures the eye or imagination quite like the delta. In the years since The Original Series first aired, fans have tried to determine the meaning behind the various insignia shapes we see in the show. To most, it seems that the iconic delta shape is some sort of ship assignment patch meant to represent the U.S.S. Enterprise .

Some arrive at this conclusion because they see various Starfleet personnel wearing a number of different insignia. However, like any puzzle without a key, it’s impossible to precisely interpret the meaning of these other insignia.

The hidden key to the puzzle was finally uncovered a few years ago. The discovery was a memorandum written by producer Robert H. (Bob) Justman to  costume designer William Ware (Bill) Theiss . The subject? STARSHIP EMBLEMS.

A copy of that memorandum has been digitized from the Gene Roddenberry  Star Trek  Television Series Collection (held in the Library Special Collections division of the Young Research Library at UCLA in Irvine, California) and is shown below:

This memo, written during the production of the episode "The Omega Glory," and referencing Captain Ron Tracey, nullifies the long-held assumption that Starfleet assigned different insignia shapes to starships during TOS. Theiss’ inclusion of an alternate insignia for the  Exeter 's captain and chief medical officer, unfortunately, downplays how genuinely ubiquitous the delta insignia is within the  Star Trek  universe. As a result, fans of the series are left with conflicting visual information regarding the meaning of the insignia worn throughout the original series.

Nearly 50 years after Bob Justman wrote his memo, we now have the opportunity to clarify the use of each and every Starfleet uniform insignia used in   TOS. With a wee bit of Scotty's ingenuity, and a pinch of Vulcan logic, the complete picture of what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the delta insignia should snap into focus.

There are six Starfleet duty insignia used in The Original Series:

• Starship Duty Insignia (Fleet personnel emblem)
• Spacecraft Duty Insignia (Auxiliary Fleet/ Merchant Marine personnel emblem)
• Outpost Duty Insignia (Outpost and Colony personnel emblem)
• Cadet Duty Insignia (Starfleet Academy student emblem)
• Starbase Duty Insignia (Headquarters,  Space stations, Drydocks, and Ground installation personnel emblem)
• Fleet Command Insignia (Senior field commander personnel emblem)

In the  Star Trek  universe, the delta emblem is a direct descendant of the vector component of the old NASA (and later UESPA) logos in use during Earth’s space programs of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Those symbols were worn by some of the first space explorers and adorned uniforms and ships during humanity’s first steps into the final frontier.

United Earth Space Probe Agency integrated with Starfleet as the leading United Earth space exploration service.

The delta insignia was first drawn in 1964 by costume designer William Ware Theiss with input from series creator Gene Roddenberry. The delta — or “Arrowhead” as Bill Theiss called it — has evolved into a revered symbol and one that's synonymous with  Star Trek  today.

The delta also conveys information about the wearer’s duties aboard ship using a series of division symbols. When paired with a distinctive, elongated “star,” the insignia represents someone assigned to the Command division aboard ship. When it displays the “planet” symbol, it represents the Sciences division, a stylized “e” stands for Engineering (later Operations), and a red “Swiss Cross” is worn by starship personnel assigned to the Nursing Corps.

Captain James T. Kirk wearing the Starship Duty Insignia, Command Division.

Let’s continue our study of  Star Trek ’s insignia with personnel assigned to other starships that are wearing the delta insignia.

Before we knew about this memo, we assumed that each ship had its own unique insignia, but there are problems that theory doesn't account for. For instance, does it bother you, or at least seem odd to see the surly guys in Starbase 11’s Officer's Club (in the episode "Court Martial") giving “their captain” a hard time over the presumed death of their mutual friend Ben Finney? Or, to see deceased crew members aboard the  U.S.S. Defiant  (in the episode "The Tholian Web") wearing the delta insignia?

If different starships had different symbols, why weren't they wearing them? Simple. The memo makes it clear that those Starfleet officers are not assigned to the  Enterprise ; they are simply wearing Starfleet’s standard-issue Starship Duty Insignia.

Non-Enterprise Starfleet personnel in Starbase 11’s Officer’s Club in Court Martial, and Below: Deceased U.S.S. Defiant crew member wearing the Starship Duty Insignia in "The Tholian Web."

By now, you might be saying, “What about U.S.S. Exeter ’s Captain Ron Tracey and his chief surgeon, Dr. Carter?” As these two insignia patches are the error being addressed in the memo, they need no further explanation. They alone are the anomaly (an anomaly Theiss never repeated), which led to the misconception that every ship has its own assignment insignia.

Above: Captain Ron Tracey of the U.S.S. Exeter, and Below: his CMO, Dr. Carter.

As you can see here, Theiss thoughtfully, if erroneously, provided both officers with unique assignment insignia patches, and in keeping with his fastidious reputation, insured both patches included their appropriate division symbols.

Early in TOS, we get our first look at non-delta insignia. In the episode "Charlie X,"  Antares ’ Captain Rampart and his first officer are wearing the Spacecraft Duty Insignia, which indicates that they are assigned to an auxiliary spacecraft serving in Starfleet's Merchant Marine Corps — just as Justman points out in his memo. 

Antares' Captain Rampart, and his XO wearing the Merchant Marine Spacecraft Duty Insignia.

Not long after that, we get a look at another new insignia. The Outpost Duty Insignia is worn by Starfleet personnel assigned to outposts on the very edge of Federation space, the frontier. This emblem is characterized by a gold spikelet against a black background. Warning: Do not put yourself in a situation where this insignia goes on your uniform. Personnel wearing this badge never seem to live happily ever after.

Outpost Crew from "Balance of Terror" & "Arena" pictured wearing the Outpost Duty Insignia.

A few episodes later, the Enterprise takes shore leave and Kirk reminisces about his days at the Academy. Worn by students attending Starfleet Academy, the Cadet Duty Insignia is characterized by a pewter colored, smaller version of the Starbase Duty Insignia.

Second Class Midshipman Finnegan wearing the Cadet Duty Insignia.

First seen in "The Menagerie," the Starbase Duty Insignia is worn by personnel assigned to Federation Starbases, which include Starfleet Headquarters, space stations, drydocks, and other ground installations. The emblem, which is devoid of any departmental symbol, is a stylized representation of an “Evening Starflower” (a flowering plant native to the western hemisphere of Earth).

Above: Admiral James Komack of Starfleet Command - Sector 9, and Below: Admiral Fitzpatrick.

Miss Piper, assistant to Commodore Mendez, and Lt. Areel Shaw Starbase 11 JAG Officer wearing the Starbase Duty Insignia.

So how does Commodore Wesley in "The Ultimate Computer," or Commodore Decker in "The Doomsday Machine," fit into the spectrum of Starfleet insignia?

Well, let’s talk about commodores for a moment. A commodore is a flag officer rank, one position above captain. A starship captain usually commands a single vessel, but a commodore ordinarily commands more than one ship. Usually, commodores command a group of ships (either close to their flagship or distant), or in the case of TOS, they normally command a starbase.

In charge of evaluating the operational performance of the M5 computer while it's in total control of a starship, Commodore Wesley sits in temporary command of the  U.S.S. Lexington  to lead a battle fleet in war games against the  Enterprise . Throughout the episode, Commodore Wesley continues to wear his Starbase Duty Insignia, while the  Lexington  crew would have been wearing the delta.

Commodore Bob Wesley in the transporter room briefing Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock about the M5 computer.

Finally, we come to one of my favorite characters ever — Commodore Matt Decker in "The Doomsday Machine." We saved him for last because we could only properly discuss his insignia and what it means after we talked about Starfleet’s other symbols first.

William Windom as Commodore Matt Decker

Unlike Commodore Bob Wesley, who was only in temporary command of the  Lexington , Matt Decker is a Flag Officer with permanent field command of a starship. In fact, he's the only Flag Officer we see in  Star Trek  with a field command. As a consequence of Commodore Decker's rank and status as Commander of the  U.S.S. Constellation  (his flagship), he wears the Fleet Command Insignia denoting his status as a Flag Officer in the field. If we had seen Commodore Decker's crew (may they rest in peace), we would have seen the delta shape insignia in use on their uniforms. Commodore Decker's own first officer would have held the rank of Captain and worn the Starship Duty Insignia.

It should be noted that "The Doomsday Machine," which was filmed early in Season 2, is not referenced in Bob Justman’s memo. Some speculate that Decker’s absence from the memo is further indication of the inconsistent use of emblems in  Star Trek , but that presupposes that the production staff missed that detail. However, the very existence of the Justman memo, and a whole forest of others just like it, demonstrates that the opposite is true.

The production team of  Star Trek  worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of the future they were busy creating held up under scrutiny. Gene Roddenberry was notoriously rewriting scripts himself to ensure no less than exactly what he wanted ended up on-screen, and that fastidious nature permeated the entire production staff. That Decker’s unique emblem is not mentioned in the production memo indicates that his particular insignia isn't an error at all; but represents something else.

Check out Commodore Decker's insignia. Remember that when Theiss created the insignia for Captain Ron Tracey, he went out of his way to ensure it was emblazoned with a Command Star department symbol. Commodore Decker has no such departmental symbol in his insignia patch, which places it in the same design lineage as the Starbase Duty Insignia, which is also devoid of any departmental symbol.

At this point in  Star Trek , we’ve seen a number of flag officers; but they have all worn the Starflower shape, which indicates assignment to a starbase, while Matt Decker alone in TOS series serves as a flag officer in permanent command of a starship. He is wearing an insignia that conveys his unique status, the Fleet Command Insignia, and if you look closely, you'll see that Matt Decker’s emblem is visually related to the Starbase Duty Insignia. Decker’s insignia is a stylized representation of an individual petal from the same “Evening Starflower” emblem that comprises the starbase symbol. This insignia isn't mentioned in the production memo because it's not an error at all.

Hopefully, by now, you can see how consistent the  Star Trek  costume department really was in their use of insignia, and that Bill Thiess never repeated the error he made during "The Omega Glory" after it was pointed out by the memo.

Returning to the delta, Roddenberry and Justman intended it to be a very special symbol that communicates something important. The insignia worn on Starfleet uniforms is the equivalent of the badges worn by U.S. Service members — to show how they serve, not where they serve. Both men served with distinction in World War II. Roddenberry was an Army Air Corps pilot and Justman was a radio operator in the Navy. In the air and at sea, they understood the value of visual communication. In uniform, they themselves carried those values on their chests, on their collars, and on their sleeves. Twenty years after they wore their own various insignia, they helped to create something new — a symbol to inspire others. In the 1960s, the Starfleet delta had far more in common with the golden pin awarded to a NASA astronaut than a simple mission patch, and it was intended to equal that proud emblem in both use and sentiment.

The NASA Astronaut Pin. There are two versions of this pin, a silver pin awarded to those who complete their training, and a gold pin awarded only to astronauts who have flown in space.

The delta proclaims that the person wearing it has achieved the goal of every cadet entering the Academy, and the dream of many a devoted fan — to serve aboard a starship and set sail in an endless sea of stars.

Starfleet Insignia Badge, Command Division from Star Trek Discovery

They used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to.

Captain James T. Kirk

I am grateful to have an experienced and learned group of expert Star Trek fans who helped with the research on this article — Steve Fronczek, Creative Services Manager, ANOVOS; Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Quigley, United States Navy; and Dayton Ward, Star Trek author.

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This article was originally published on October 7, 2018

John Cooley is a lifelong Star Trek fan.

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What is Starfleet in ‘Star Trek?’

The Star Trek universe depicts Earth as a member world of a united and peaceful Federation, the borders of which are protected by Starfleet , an organization that showcases the best of what each member world has to offer.

Starfleet grew out of a period on Earth known as the “ Post Atomic Horror .” After World War III in the mid-21st century, the planet descended into chaos, which only ceased after first contact with the peaceful alien race known as the Vulcans. The realization that humanity was no longer alone in the universe prompted those in charge to get their act together, fast. By the mid-22nd century, Starfleet was Earth’s primary arm for space exploration.

At the time, Starfleet was made up of a bunch of cocky test pilots. It was after the invention and extensive testing of an advanced warp drive that the Vulcans supervised the still-troubled Earth’s construction of their first deep-space exploration vessel, the Enterprise NX-01. Captained by Jonathan Archer and with a crew of enthusiastic but unseasoned fellow astronauts, plus a Vulcan liaison officer named T’Pol, the NX-01 would go down in history as one of Earth’s most successful ventures into unknown space. Their adventures were chronicled in the series Star Trek: Enterprise .

By the 23rd century, and with the formation of the United Federation of Planets (UFP), the name “Starfleet” was adopted for the collective space exploration force of the entire UFP. Tasked not only with exploration but also diplomacy, humanitarianism, research, and — when the tense political climate of the galaxy called for it — military defense, Starfleet was a robust and wide-ranging organization. One of the most well-known captains of the era was James Kirk (of The Original Series ), who commanded a new USS Enterprise on a five-year mission into deep space, which saw the crew make contact with a myriad of new worlds and survive innumerable dangers .

Serving in Starfleet was the dream of many Federation citizens. But with so many applicants and so few places, a strenuous selection process was put in place, resulting in the famous Starfleet Academy , located in San Francisco on Earth. Anyone wanting to join Starfleet, or serve on a prestigious ship, would undergo a rigorous academic, physical, and psychological training program.

The 24th century and beyond

Starfleet’s prestige grew to great heights during the 24th century. Starfleet captains were given an incredible amount of authority and, with it, responsibility. Exploring uncharted space often meant that a Starfleet captain would be the representative of the entire Federation to any newly-contacted peoples, and with starships capable of leveling entire worlds under their command, the expectations and obligations placed upon them were immense. A Starfleet captain was expected to not only serve as an amiable point of first contact for new worlds, but could also be embroiled in local affairs and would have to navigate them while adhering to Starfleet’s Prime Directive of non-interference.

The 24th century saw a number of devastating interstellar conflicts that tested Starfleet principles to their limits. First came the Borg, who reached Earth before being repelled by the crew of the Enterprise-D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( The Next Generation ). Then came the shapeshifting Changelings and the Dominion they ruled over, who initiated a war with the Federation and its neighbors that became catastrophic in its death toll. However, this era also saw the Federation’s first foray into the unexplored Delta Quadrant, in which Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager deliberately stranded themselves in the distant region of space in order to protect an embattled alien world, and began a long journey home that saw them make first contact with countless species.

As of Star Trek: Picard , Starfleet’s ethos of exploration continues into the 25th century.

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Starfleet is one of playable factions in Star Trek Online . Starfleet is the military, defensive, and exploratory branch of the United Federation of Planets , which is an alliance of more than 150 planetary governments, spread out over 8,000 light years. Notable members of the Federation, who actively serve in Starfleet, include Humans , Vulcans , Andorians and Tellarites . These species work in cooperation to uphold their principles of justice, equality, and rights, as well as expand and share their knowledge and resources for the purpose of space exploration and peaceful cooperation with other races.

• 1.2 Uniform
• 1.4 Command
• 1.5 Departments and agencies
• 1.6 Important facilities
• 2.1 Classes
• 2.3 Starships
• 3 Storyline missions
• 4.1 Starships
• 4.2 Ground Forces
• 6 External Links

Background [ | ]

Starfleet Command's insignia

Starfleet's insignia as a combadge

Starfleet dates back to United Earth in the mid-2130s where it was tasked to "...seek out new life and new civilizations," and "...go boldly where no man has gone before.". Starfleet played an instrumental role in bringing the founders of the Federation together in the lead up to the Earth-Romulan War. On the founding of the Federation in 2161, Starfleet became the Federation's primary exploratory and defense organisation bringing together crews from across the Federation.

As the Federation expanded, so did Starfleet's crews with a myriad of new species joining its ranks. Often, Starfleets deep space exploration prompted conflict with those fearing the Federation's expansion, such as the Klingons and Cardassians . As such, Starfleet's peaceful mission of exploration has seen frequent interruptions to defend the Federation from invasion. However it was only the encounter with the Borg that prompted the Federation to create outright warships such as the U.S.S. Defiant in the 24th century.

By the late 24th century, the Starfleet deemed the Borg threat had subsided and refocused on exploration. Starfleet also expanded its admission guidelines to accept non-Federation citizens to Starfleet Academy without command-level recommendation.

In the 25th century, Starfleet found itself called once again to its defensive role as the Federation-Klingon War started in 2405. It rapidly found itself embroiled again in multiple conflicts, including the return of the Borg in 2409.

Emblem [ | ]

Starfleet insignias have, at various points in the organization's history, shown the wearer's division in its centre. A star signifies tactical, a stylized spiral signifies engineering and a circle with longitudinal lines signifying science. Note the assocition of these icons, and division colors, differs slightly between Star Trek Online and main Star Trek canon .

Uniform [ | ]

Starfleet Uniform in 2409; a white top section is a command uniform. Red highlights indicate command or tactical, yellow: operations and blue: sciences

In 2410, Starfleet's uniform is the Odyssey design , although captain's have considerable leeway in the uniform regulations for their crew. Starfleet uniforms are typically color coded to the wearer's division (in Star Trek Online: red for tactical, yellow for engineering and blue for science; note that this deviates from canon ) while rank is indicated by a series of collar pips (this varies by time period).

Ranks [ | ]

Starfleet ranks roughly mirror those of the US navy, with crew being given ranks of Cadet , Ensign , Lieutenant Junior Grade , Lieutenant , Lieutenant Commander and Commander . Ship commanders are usually at the rank of Captain , but sometimes a commander is referred to as Captain even if they are at a different rank. Senior officers hold the ranks of Vice , Rear , Admiral and Fleet Admiral .

Command [ | ]

Starfleet Command , based in San Francisco , is the fleet's operating authority and answers directly to the Federation President, Aennik Okeg . Starfleet Command runs the fleet's day-to-day operations, with Fleet Admiral Jorel Quinn , based on Earth Space Dock , being the most senior officer encountered.

Departments and agencies [ | ]

Major Starfleet bodies include;

• Starfleet Medical : the most senior medical staff of Starfleet who take the lead on combatting major contagious and medical research.
• Starfleet Intelligence : the Federation's intelligence agency. Not to be confused with Section 31 .
• Starfleet Corps of Engineers : are the fleet's finest technical minds and the creators of most of the Starfleet's most advanced ships and technology (alongside the, independent, Daystrom Institute ).

Important facilities [ | ]

Deep Space 9

Deep Space K-7

Earth Spacedock

Starbase 39

Starfleet Academy

Utopia Planitia Shipyards

Player Characters [ | ]

Upon starting a new Starfleet character, players must choose a career (analogous to a 'class' from other MMORPGs ) and a species (or race). The career determines the character's native abilities, and the race determines the character's innate traits, and in certain cases, special abilities. In ground combat, the career choice and racial traits drastically affect the gameplay and strategies used by the player.

When the player completes the tutorial (or skips it), a Starfleet Light Cruiser is assigned to them, which acts as the player's avatar in space and sector space , and is the primary method of combat and interaction in space. The character's career affects the type of gameplay strategies used by the player, as well as the customizable Bridge Officer abilities and ship consoles.

Classes [ | ]

In Star Trek Online , players may choose which career they wish their character to adopt. Players are able to choose from the following three career paths:

Each profession has its own advantages in the gameplay of Star Trek Online, but does not restrict what playable starships are available, nor the main skill progression beyond a handful of unique abilities and traits.

Races [ | ]

Starfleet characters have a diverse range of playable races to choose from including long standing Federation members such as Andorians and Vulcans, to Starfleet allies such as the Ferengi and Talaxians. Most races are free to play, while some are paid for.

Each race offers unique traits and abilities which can aid a certain type of play. Once the race is chosen, it cannot be changed so it is advisable to choose carefully.

The Federation includes hundreds of members, with non-playable species in-game including the Aenar , Deltans , Denobulans , Ithenites , Risians , Violaceans and Zambeans . Dozens of other non-Federation species have been seen to serve in Starfleet including Capellans , Ktarian , Xenexians and Photonic lifeforms to name a few.

Starships [ | ]

There are three main types of playable Starfleet vessel, each with numerous sub-types for different ranks and styles of play, and each of those sub-types with a number of cosmetic variants. The types of vessel are generally biased towards a specific class, but players of any class can captain any type of vessel.

Storyline missions [ | ]

The only arc completely exclusive to the 25th Century Starfleet faction is the tutorial arc. Following “Welcome to Earth Spacedock” , TOS Starfleet and DSC Starfleet characters join all 25th Century Starfleet missions for the Klingon War and Romulan arcs. Federation-aligned Dominion characters can also play these missions while Romulan Republic and Klingon Empire characters join from “The Vault” onwards.

Military (NPCs) [ | ]

The Federation's primary military branch, Starfleet, possesses a wide array of diverse vessels suited for space exploration, combat, defense, diplomatic, and scientific profiles. Starfleet vessels typically carry a "U.S.S." prefix .

Ground Forces [ | ]

Bosses [ | ].

• The faction icon for Starfleet NPCs occasionally lists them as Federation. References to the faction can use Federation and Starfleet interchangeably, although in canon they are distinct organizations.

External Links [ | ]

• Starfleet at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
• Starfleet at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek Wiki.
• ↑ Twitter post by Christine Thompson (14 July 2014)
• 2 Playable starship
• 3 Gold-Pressed Latinum

Star Trek: How Starfleet Has Evolved Over The Centuries

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Perhaps the most important feature of Star Trek is Starfleet, the exploratory fleet of spaceships that was originally commissioned by United Earth to chart the galaxy. Every series and movie in the Star Trek franchise has had Starfleet at the front and center of their stories, and for good reason. Starfleet permits its officers to pursue the diplomatic aspirations of the United Federation of Planets , and within the Prime timeline, it has done so for almost a thousand years. It’s a hallmark of the collaborative future shared by hundreds of sentient species, and its successes are the result of many years of effort.

Starfleet has its origins on Earth, which accounts for the largely human-centric crews that tend to populate its ships. Starfleet Headquarters and Starfleet Academy are also based on Earth, and its partner organization, the United Federation of Planets, was founded there as well. Yet during the thousand years Starfleet has been operational, the Federation expanded to accommodate almost four hundred planets , and presumably integrated their diverse cultures into its armada. Starfleet represents the best of the Federation and its member worlds, including the triumphs and tragedies that have occurred over the millennia it has been in service.

RELATED: Star Trek: The Biggest Problem With The Portrayal Of Alien Species

Starfleet is considerably older than the Federation, created as the natural successor to NASA once the deeper realms of space were opened up by Zefram Cochrane’s warp drive. As seen with the wayward Earth probe in Star Trek: Voyager S7 E21, “Friendship One,” Starfleet began as the United Earth Space Probe Agency. This organization was designed to facilitate human beings’ exploration of the galaxy in the late 21st century. Its function was to build on Cochrane’s innovations and to match the Vulcans’ scientific acumen . However, such success wasn’t achieved until multiple planets agreed to participate in the Federation. UESPA transitioned to what audiences will recognize as Starfleet in the 22nd century, and its birthplace of San Francisco ended up becoming the heart of the Federation.

Starfleet developed exponentially along with its capability for warp travel. In Star Trek: Enterprise S1 E1, “Broken Bow,” audiences are shown Jonathan Archer’s new ship, the NX-class Enterprise, which is in possession of a warp five engine. The ship was designed by Captain W.M. Jefferies, Henry Archer (Captain Archer’s father), and Zefram Cochrane himself. He was the one who first proposed Starfleet’s famous mantra: “To seek out new life forms and new civilizations” and to “go boldly where no man has gone before.” Starfleet, which was only a decade or so old during the events of Star Trek: Enterprise , devised this superior version of warp without help, and it allowed the organization to fulfill its goals of interstellar discovery. This encouraged further discussion about interplanetary collaboration, and expanded Starfleet to include even more alien races.

When Starfleet came under the authority of the United Federation of Planets, it had to change how it operated. Most branches of Starfleet were absorbed into the Federation, though some were made redundant or secret. Earth’s Military Assault Command Operations unit was dissolved due to its use of military tactics unsuited to exploratory missions, and the espionage group known as Section 31 became a lesser known part of Starfleet Intelligence . Starfleet has ties to old Earth navies, as hinted with hierarchal titles such as Captain, Admiral and Lieutenant. Yet, it was the mandate of every starship crew to approach new peoples as diplomats and messengers, not soldiers.

During times of war, however, Starfleet was able to create a significant display of force by organizing into fleets of ships that would attack and defend under one admiral or captain. This was seen most clearly in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S6 E5, “Favor the Bold.” In this episode, a massive fleet made up of Starfleet ships and the Klingon Defense Force challenged the onslaught of the Cardassian military.

Starfleet’s development from the 22nd to the 24th century can be seen in its ships. These vessels go from Archer’s NX-class Enterprise to Picard’s behemoth Enterprise-E, a Sovereign-class ship that makes its maiden voyage in Star Trek: First Contact . Starfleet possesses dozens of starship classes seen throughout each movie and series, and which vary in modern iterations of Star Trek stories. Picard’s original ship, the Enterprise-D, was a Galaxy-class, the most advanced during the time of his crew’s first missions. The Intrepid-class Voyager lasts many years in the Delta Quadrant under Captain Janeway. Meanwhile, the scrappy California-class Cerritos carries the crew of Star Trek: Lower Decks through considerable chaos.

Starfleet maintains its status quo for much of its on-screen history, but in the time travel escapades of Star Trek: Discovery , audiences see how much can change over a thousand years of space travel. In S3 E1, “That Hope Is You, Part 1,” protagonist Michael Burnham, closely followed by the rest of the Discovery’s crew, makes landfall in the 32nd century, traveling almost a thousand years into the future. They receive a lukewarm welcome, and are surprised by the scarcity of Federation resources.

The skeleton crew learns of a 31st century incident called ‘The Burn,’ a tragedy in which every active warp core exploded simultaneously, destroying most Starfleet ships and their crews. According to Starfleet’s commander-in-chief in Star Trek: Discovery S3 E7, “Die Trying”, this reduced the United Federation of Planets from 350 member worlds to 38, and destroyed the Federation as a galactic superpower. This season of the series displays advanced technology and many unknown species. It shows how Starfleet has evolved since its conception in the 22nd century, but also demonstrates that it suffered incalculable losses.

Starfleet began as a space-faring splinter of the United Earth Space Probe Agency, but rapidly made a reputation for itself among other known sentient species. Its relatively humble beginnings have brought it from the mind of Zefram Cochrane to the distant reaches of the galaxy, and even transgressed temporal barriers. The simple NX-class that could barely scratch warp five hurtled through the centuries. It advanced and grew, managed to stay afloat the entire time.

As seen in Star Trek: Discovery , Starfleet goes through unimaginable tragedy as it crosses the threshold of the fourth millennium. The fact that Starfleet and the Federation both survive The Burn is a testament to the enduring power of Starfleet’s goals, and to the devotion of its people to its aspirational ideals. Starfleet’s ships and technology evolves over the centuries, but its message of exploration and cooperation doesn’t need to.

MORE: Star Trek: Exploring The Conditional Love Of The Federation

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Star Trek: Discovery boldly goes where no Trek has gone before by saying religion is... OK, actually

‘Whistlespeak’ breaks from Trek tradition to be pretty chill about believing in a higher power

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Star Trek’s future is a secular one. Franchise creator Gene Roddenberry was an avowed atheist , and the series and its spin-offs have routinely criticized organized religion as manipulative, illogical, and detrimental to the evolution of a society. Individual members of the human race may have an undefined spirituality, a curiosity about the afterlife, or a sense of wonder at the unknown or unknowable, but specific religious beliefs are typically reserved for alien cultures.

But, if Trek’s fervently pro-science and anti-superstition has remained constant, so have the attempts by different storytellers within the franchise to approach religion from other, more tolerant angles. And the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery , “Whistlespeak,” may present Trek ’s most even-handed take on faith to date.

Religion as childhood fantasy

Somewhat restrained by the standards and practices of 1960s television, Star Trek: The Original Series used sci-fi allegories to criticize religion as an institution that stifled advancement and expression. In two episodes (“The Return of the Archons” and “The Apple”), Captain James T. Kirk and his Enterprise crew encountered a planet where a population was cowed into willful ignorance or repression by a deity that turned out to be a computer, which Kirk summarily destroyed.

In the 1980s, however, Star Trek’s writers were free to take the gloves off and criticize religion directly. In the 1989 Next Generation episode “Who Watches the Watchers,” Captain Jean-Luc Picard is mistaken for a god by a Bronze Age civilization for whom religion is already a thing of the past. Picard is mortified to be the catalyst for what he, in no uncertain terms, views as a societal regression, and steps in to reveal the truth to his new worshippers, even at the risk of his own life.

The position of “Who Watches the Watchers,” and of Star Trek at large, is that people turn to the supernatural when there are questions they can’t answer, but that the answers will always come, eventually. The willingness to pursue those answers and the patience to avoid drawing rash conclusions is a sign of maturity. By contrast, inventing digestible but unsupportable explanations for life’s mysteries is a sign of immaturity , a phase to be grown out of.

Other people’s gods

After Gene Roddenberry’s death in 1991, there was a gradual shift in the way Star Trek stories approached religion. The human species had still exited the evolutionary stage at which religion was practiced, but many of their peers in the galactic community — such as the Klingons and the Bajorans — held strong religious beliefs. And these beliefs began to be explored in much greater detail.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the human members of the command crew go to great lengths to not only respect but participate in the Klingon rituals of their comrade, Lt. Commander Worf. Ahead of Worf’s marriage to Jadzia Dax, his colleagues Captain Sisko, Chief O’Brien, and Dr. Bashir join him for four days of fasting and physical exhaustion (though not without complaint). When Jadzia is murdered and Worf fears her death has not earned her a place in the Klingon Valhalla of Sto-Vo-Kor, Bashir and O’Brien follow Worf on a potential suicide mission to win glory in her honor. Worf’s friends are content to take Klingon religion at face value, and the existence of Sto-Vo-Kor is never questioned.

During this era of Star Trek, alien religious beliefs were not merely tolerated, but validated. This is an important wrinkle in the case of the Bajoran religion on Deep Space Nine , whose worshiped Prophets are undeniably real: a species of non-corporeal beings who live outside of time and periodically intervene in the development of the nearby planet Bajor. Whether or not the Prophets have done the things the Bajorans worship them for is not up for debate, only whether or not they should be treated with religious reverence. Through DS9 ’s exploration of Bajoran politics, religious power is as dangerous as the person wielding desires it to be — not inherently malevolent or infantilizing towards its people. But, of course, since the existence of the Bajoran gods can be scientifically proven, their value as an analog to real-life religion is limited.

Discovery’s middle way

The streaming era of Star Trek under executive producer Alex Kurtzman, which began in 2017, has seen some new, minor references to religious practices in human society. For example, an unnamed background character serving aboard the USS Cerritos on Star Trek: Lower Decks can be seen wearing a hijab, indicating that some semblance of Islamic tradition is still observed in the 24th century. Not long after we meet Captain Christopher Pike during the second season of Star Trek: Discovery , we learn that his father taught both science and comparative religion.

But “Whistlespeak,” which comes midway through Discovery ’s fifth and final season, returns fully to the Original Series’ territory of a classic “weird alien religion” episode, and with a much more multi-faceted approach. Captain Burnham and her crew visit the planet Halem’no. which is nigh-uninhabitable except within the radius of a tower-like device that was secretly installed by a Federation scientist centuries earlier. The planet’s surviving inhabitants are a peaceful and friendly pre-warp civilization who believe that the towers are temples built by their gods.

Disguised as locals, Burnham and her friend and shipmate Lt. Sylvia Tilly join the faithful Halem’nites for a ceremonial marathon up to the towers as tribute to their divine saviors. It’s a joyful ritual that brings the entire community together, but there’s a shocking twist the Starfleet visitors only learn after the race is finished. Tilly and the marathon’s other winner, a Halem’nite named Ravah, are locked inside the tower, where they will eventually asphyxiate; a sacred sacrifice to keep the planet’s terrible storms at bay.

Though Starfleet officers are forbidden to interfere in the development of pre-warp civilizations, Burnham isn’t about to let Tilly (or Ravah) die to satisfy some arcane ritual. However, rather than tearing the whole society down like Kirk might have done, Burnham appeals directly to the community’s leader — Ravah’s father, Ohvahz — and implores him to stop the sacrifices, explaining the tower will do its work whether or not his child gives their life. Ohvahz is, naturally, open to the idea of not killing his child, but fears that revealing that their temple is actually an alien artifact will shatter his community and lead to violent conflict. What is their civilization without their faith and traditions?

“Better off,” is how Picard would probably answer. But Burnham’s response is more measured.

“There is still what you believe. Nothing we’ve shown you means gods don’t exist… it’s just that you know that there’s also us… Beliefs can evolve. Denying that can cause almost as much chaos as the worst storm.”

It’s probably no accident that Ravah, the teenager who’s supposed to be sacrificed in this episode, is gender non-binary, a trait which is not controversial for the Halem’nites but is condemned by many conservative religious groups here on present-day Earth. There’s also a parallel to the climate crisis, as the Halem’nites will need to learn to maintain the alien weather tower in order to keep their world safe. Would Christianity collapse if their leaders recognized that some of their flock don’t fit into the gender identities described in their holy texts, or that human intervention is required to undo human-made damage to the Earth? Probably not, and their inflexibility is only doing harm to their community. It’s not necessary to hold onto harmful policies or practices, nor is it necessary to throw out an entire system of beliefs because of new, contradictory, or unanticipated information.

Meanwhile, aboard Discovery, Dr. Hugh Culber has been trying to make sense of his own spiritual awakening, a feeling of connection to a higher power that has lingered with him since an out-of-body experience on a recent away mission. As a scientist, Culber’s first instinct is to investigate, understand, and catalog this sensation, but the explanation eludes him. He seeks the advice of his friend Cleveland Booker, a non-human with his own spiritual life, who essentially asks him, “Why do you need to understand it?” With this guidance, Culber decides that the value of his new spirituality is in how it feels, not where it comes from.

The approach to religion in “Whistlespeak” does not broadly condemn religion like The Original Series or The Next Generation , or rationalize and tolerate faith as a quirk of the other, like Deep Space Nine . Instead, “Whistlespeak” questions why a philosophy that is rooted in the unknowable should be attached to absolutes. Spirituality is what you make of it, whether that’s on an individual or community level. Religion can do harm, but it doesn’t have to, so long as its leaders and its believers are willing to embrace uncertainty. In this way, at least, science and religion can find some common ground.

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....

Why Michael Burnham Was Right to Violate Star Trek's Most Sacred Rule

In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham violates a major Federation rule, but was right to do so for a reason that's not so obvious.

• Star Trek: Discovery explores the consequences of violating the Prime Directive in Season 5, offering a unique perspective on moral decision-making.
• Breaking the Prime Directive is often portrayed as the morally right choice for Starfleet characters, despite being against official protocol.
• "Whistlespeak" highlights the complicated nature of Prime Directive violations, showing that even good intentions can have unintended negative effects.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery , Season 5, Episode 6, "Whistlespeak," which premiered on Paramount+ on May 2, 2024.

As Star Trek: Discovery plays out its final season, the sixth episode of Season 5 is a fresh take on a classic franchise premise. In Episode 6, "Whistlespeak," Captain Michael Burnham and Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly undertake an away mission on a planet that has not yet discovered warp drive. They are not the first Federation people to visit, and the scenario they face is one not seen since The Original Series . Michael Burnham violated the Prime Directive, Starfleet's most sacred rule, and she was probably right to do it.

When the Prime Directive was first instituted in Star Trek it was a unique statement against colonialism in the 1960s when America was looking spread "democracy" everywhere. Many of the stories in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and even new series like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds bring up the Prime Directive in order to break it. While this is not the right thing to do in the eyes of Starfleet, it is often painted as the morally right decision for the characters. Even the second reboot film, Star Trek Into Darkness , begins with Captain Kirk and company violating the Prime Directive to save both an indigenous population from destruction and Commander Spock. However, the far-future setting of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 allowed the storytellers to offer a unique perspective on the consequences of the Prime Directive well after the moral intervention first takes place.

Why Michael Burnham Violated the Prime Directive on Star Trek: Discovery

A 57-year-old star trek mystery has finally been solved.

In "Whistlespeak," Burnham and company have to find the fourth piece of the puzzle that will lead them to the technology of the Progenitors. These ancient aliens are the founders of all humanoid life in the galaxy, and two space-pirates named Moll and L'ak are looking for it to sell to the highest bidder. The situation that leads them to the planet of Halem'no, where advanced technology is the only thing keeping its indigenous population from dying in planet-wide storms. These weather control towers were built by Denobulans, the species of Dr. Phlox from Star Trek: Enterprise . Apparently, their planet faces similar weather troubles. The Denobulans built the towers, itself a Prime Directive violation.

It's not clear if the Denobulans were caught in the act. The "Mother Compeer," whose fatal journey inspired a sacrificial ritual, may have been aware of this technology. In order to fix it, she sacrificed herself and the people built a religion around it. Michael only reveals the presence of the USS Discovery and that the towers are technological in order to save Tilly . She won this race in order to find the clue, not knowing it would end with her death. But in doing so, Burnham and the Discovery crew can help the locals learn to fix the towers rather than needlessly sacrifice themselves.

Over the centuries, four of the five weather control towers stopped functioning due to lack of maintenance. Perhaps the Denobulans would secretly return and repair them, until "the Burn" made warp travel all but impossible. They also may have thought in the intervening 800 years the society would advance enough to figure out how to fix them on their own. The opposite happened. The towers' failure led them to create a brutal ritual and build a religion around it. This is the cost of violating the Prime Directive even for the best of reasons. It also suggests once Starfleet's General Order Number One is violated, it's best for them to come to clean to the people on the planet.

Starfleet Has an Exception to the Prime Directive

How star trek: prodigy improved a discarded deep space nine premise.

In Star Trek: The Original Series the USS Enterprise is sent to check in on a pre-warp culture that was contacted by early Earth travelers before the Prime Directive. Season 2, Episode 17's "A Piece of the Action" revealed the people of Sigma Iota III based their entire society around a book the explorers left behind about Chicago organized crime in the 20th Century. This was very much like what happened to the people of Halem'no with a key difference: the Denobulans didn't reveal themselves. For all the downsides of the Sigma Iotian culture, being a gangster wasn't a religion. With no answers for how the "High Summit" protected them, the people of Halem'no had to create a mythology around it.

The Denobulans saved these people without fully violating the Prime Directive, but they did not foresee the consequences of doing it. Kirk and company were allowed to visit the Sigma Iotians because the Prime Directive had been, essentially, violated . Since the Denobulans kept themselves a secret, Captain Burnham and Tilly couldn't fully help the people understand what they needed to do to fix their weather and, possibly, reclaim the land lost to the "dust" when the other four towers failed. Just as Kirk and company likely affected the culture after their visit, Burnham and her crew do the same on Halem'no.

In fairness to the Prime Directive purists, Ohnahz told Burnham that attempts to stop the sacrifices led to violence among the people before. Yet, this was because there was no answer to replace the mythology. Now that they know shifting around some iso-linear chips can fix the towers, there would likely be less discord among the inhabitants. Burnham broke the Prime Directive out of desperation to save Tilly, but the effects of her doing so might be even more positive than the Denobulans only half-breaking it .

Countless Starfleet Crews Break the Prime Directive for Good Reasons

How star trek: discovery's trill story connects to dax on deep space nine.

In "A Piece of the Action," Kirk, Spock and McCoy use the culture they developed to try to push the people towards a more sensible societal order . Burnham and the others were less aggressive in this approach, but it was ultimately what happened. In the first Prime Directive-breaking episode, "Return of the Archons," Kirk and Spock destroy a computer controlling a society. After he's successful in talking the computer to death, the Enterprise leaves Starfleet personnel behind to help guide the culture , much in the way Burnham promises to teach Ohnahz and the others to repair the weather control towers.

In Star Trek: TNG's "Who Watches the Watchers," Starfleet observes a pre-warp culture from an invisible "duck blind." The plan inevitably goes awry, and Captain Picard becomes the subject of worship by the culture. Rather than letting the religion continue, he dissuades the culture by revealing the truth . If the Denobulans had done something similar, countless more lives could have been saved because the other four towers wouldn't have failed. Again, it's possible the Denobulans had a contingency for tower maintenance that was disrupted when the Burn happened, making warp travel difficult.

What makes "Whistlespeak" such a fresh take on this concept is the addition of time. To the Denobulans in the 23rd or 24th Century, saving these people was an unquestionably moral good. They could help and, thus, they should. Yet, in only half-violating the Prime Directive, they may have impeded the society's technological development. Instead of scientific advancement, they believed feats of endurance and sacrificing their lives was what pleased the "gods," the language they used to describe the effects of technology. While Michael Burnham was right to come clean with Ohnahz, the episode also suggests saving a culture for the right reasons may not be "saving" them at all.

How the Prime Directive Is Both Good and Bad In Star Trek

Discovery's michael burnham deserves her own star trek movie.

The Prime Directive, like many of Star Trek 's best concepts, came from an idea of Gene Roddenberry's that was developed in scripts by the "other Gene," Gene L. Coon . In the 1960s, many Westerners thought it was a moral duty of developed cultures to bring education (and, usually, a religion of their own) to "primitive" cultures. This almost always leads to Imperialism, which is what Star Trek 's Genes were railing against . Anti-colonialism was not a popular way of thinking in the 1960s, and the kind of message that sci-fi allegory is perfect to explain. In The Original Series' "A Private Little War," Kirk regrettably breaks the Prime Directive to arm a society in an allegory for the Vietnam War.

The Prime Directive is mostly broken for Spider-Man's favorite reason . With the great power of Starfleet's technology, they have an equally great responsibility to use it to help those in need. "A Piece of the Action" is meant to show what happens when cultural influence is used irresponsibly. However, "Whistlespeak" presents a scenario where even responsible Prime Directive breaking can have a deleterious effect . The indigenous people of Halem'no likely prefer their brutal religious practices to total annihilation. Yet, the episode reveals that something as simple as mechanical entropy can make breaking the Prime Directive for "good" reason equally problematic.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery’s 4 starfleet ships saving federation hq identified & they’re not enterprise or voyager.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery reveals seven of nine's surprising legacy, 5 star trek: discovery characters who left burnham’s ship (& who came back).

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7, "Erigah"

• Four Starfleet ships defended Federation HQ in "Erigah" on Star Trek: Discovery, but the USS Voyager-J and the 32nd century USS Enterprise were absent.
• Breen arrived for a blood bounty and President T'Rina negotiated with Primarch Ruhn in a tense face-off.
• The identified Starfleet ships backing up Federation HQ in "Erigah" were USS Excalibur-M, USS Credence, USS LaMar, and USS Locherer.

The four Starfleet ships that arrived to defend Federation HQ in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah," have been identified, and the USS Voyager-J and 32nd century USS Enterprise weren't among them. Written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, "Erigah" brought the Breen to the United Federation of Planets' doorstep to collect the Eriagh (Breen blood bounty) on L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow). President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) led the Federation's tense negotiations with the Breen's Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo), and four starships warped in to join the USS Discovery in facing the Breen's massive Dreadnought.

On X, Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49), who was a renowned researcher on Star Trek: Picard season 3, identified the first two Starfleet ships to back up Federation HQ in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah ", as the USS Excalibur-M and the USS Credence. Check out Hillebrand's posts below:

The final two Starfleet ships warping to the rescue in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7 are the USS LaMar and the USS Locherer , according to Memory Alpha . The Locherer was the starship that captured Moll and L'ak at the start of "Erigah."

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Where Are USS Voyager-J & USS Enterprise In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5?

Other starships are helping the uss discovery.

The USS Voyager-J and a future version of the USS Enterprise are confirmed to be in service in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, but neither have been seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Voyager-J was shown in Star Trek: Discovery season 3 , and Lt. Commander Nillson (Sara Mitich) transferred to Voyager-J from the USS Discovery before Star Trek: Discovery season 5 began. Voyager-J was also outfitted with a prototype Pathway Drive, Starfleet's new warp system meant to replace the USS Discovery's spore drive .

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced the USS Antares.

Star Trek: Discovery has yet to show the 32nd-century USS Enterprise or determine what generation the legendary starship has reached. The Enterprise was mentioned in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, joining the USS Voyager-J to scan a subspace rift left behind by the Dark Matter Anomaly. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced the USS Antares, the starship formerly commanded by Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie). Since Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is its final season, it's unknown whether the USS Enterprise or USS Voyager-J will be seen before the series ends.

Source: X, Memory Alpha

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

• View history

The Breen were a reclusive, powerful, and warlike humanoid race native to the planet Breen in the Alpha Quadrant . Shrouded in mystery, the Breen were also one of the most underestimated races inhabiting that quadrant of space .

• 1.1 Alliance with the Dominion
• 1.2 Continued aggression
• 1.3 32nd century
• 2 Alternate timelines and realities
• 4.1 Treatment of prisoners
• 4.2 Language
• 5 Science and technology
• 6 Mirror universe
• 7 Individuals
• 8 Territory
• 9.1 Appearances
• 9.2.1 Initial references
• 9.2.2 First appearance
• 9.2.3 Interim
• 9.2.4 Return
• 9.2.5 Uncertainties and trivia
• 9.2.6 32nd century return and unmasking
• 9.2.7 Reception
• 9.3 Apocrypha
• 9.4 External links

History and politics [ ]

Historically , the Klingons were among the first to discover that the Breen did not tolerate incursions into their space. During the Klingon Second Empire , Chancellor Mow'ga ordered an entire fleet of Klingon warships to invade and conquer the Breen homeworld . The fleet never returned and was never heard from again. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

The Romulans ' contact with the Breen led to their coining a saying: " Never turn your back on a Breen. " ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ")

Breen privateers during the 24th century often conducted indiscriminate raids against other Alpha Quadrant species. This included the Breen attack and capture of a Cardassian Central Command vessel , the Ravinok , in 2366 . The survivors of that attack were used for slave labor in Breen-operated dilithium mines on Dozaria . ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ")

Even by the 24th century , much was still unknown about the Breen and their government , known as the Breen Confederacy . ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ", " The Dogs of War ") The Federation had limited knowledge of the Breen, however, and was aware of Breen outposts located in Sector 97 in 2368 . That same year, Starfleet feared the Breen might have attacked the science vessel SS Vico there. ( TNG : " Hero Worship ")

In 2370 , the Breen participated in a palio held at Federation space station Deep Space 3 , during which the Ferengi attempted to bribe a Breen pilot into deliberately losing the race. ( TNG : " Interface ")

In 2371 , evidence seemed to briefly indicate that the Breen may have attacked another Federation space station, the Amargosa observatory , though the true aggressors were, moments later, determined to have been Romulans. ( Star Trek Generations ) Nevertheless, by about this point, the Breen were considered one of the most warlike species known to the Federation. ( VOY : " Elogium ")

Breen in a dilithium mine on Dozaria

In 2372 , the Breen captors on Dozaria were located by Kira Nerys and Gul Dukat . Dukat stated that he didn't approve of what the Breen were doing, by employing the survivors of the Ravinok as slaves but did "admire their ingenuity." The Breen guards were ambushed by him and Kira, so that they could free one of the Breen's prisoners: Dukat's daughter , Tora Ziyal . ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ") Later that year, Breen privateers raided the Bajoran colony of Free Haven ; they were, however, successfully driven away by the USS Defiant . ( DS9 : " To the Death ")

By 2373 , the Cardassian Union maintained an embassy on the Breen homeworld. ( DS9 : " Return to Grace ") The same year, Breen settlements on Portas V , near the Demilitarized Zone , dealt with the Maquis , supplying them with cold storage units . ( DS9 : " For the Uniform ")

A Breen prisoner and a Jem'Hadar guard kill each other

Whereas a Breen individual was held captive by the Dominion at Internment Camp 371 in 2373 (before killing a couple of Jem'Hadar guards there and, in retaliation, being shot to death in that year), other species like the Ferengi had developed closer ties with the Breen by the late 24th century, as both species conducted trade negotiations in 2373. ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ", " By Inferno's Light ", " Ferengi Love Songs ") Once, in 2374 , Ferengi engineer Rom referred to the Breen as one of the top three toughest mercenary species that he and his brother , Quark , could find (the others being Klingons and Nausicaans ). Rom suggested including the Breen in a commando team which would be sent to rescue his and Quark's mother , Ishka , who was being held prisoner by the Dominion, but Quark declined the Breen's involvement, opting for the rescue operation to be attempted by Ferengi only. Ishka's captor, Vorta clone Yelgrun , considered Breen annoying, though not as much as Ferengi. ( DS9 : " The Magnificent Ferengi ")

It was noted by Ezri Dax in 2375 , when she and Worf were captured by the Breen on the planet Goralis III , that they were a long way from Breen space . ( DS9 : " Penumbra ") The Breen interrogated Worf and Dax, but the information which the pair consequently provided was somewhat confusing. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ", " Strange Bedfellows ") In Worf's opinion, the Breen were not only dangerous but also had no honor . ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

In 2380 , Lieutenant Barbara Brinson suspected Ensign Beckett Mariner of being a Breen infiltrator. ( LD : " Cupid's Errant Arrow ")

Alliance with the Dominion [ ]

Watched by Weyoun and Damar , Thot Gor meets the Female Changeling for the first time

Meanwhile, Breen representative Thot Gor had been extensively conversing over subspace with the Female Changeling , the leader of the Dominion, in discussions that she found to be particularly productive. ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ") The Breen were of no personal interest to her other than the military advantage they could provide against the Federation Alliance in the Dominion War , in which the Female Changeling was determined to lead the Dominion to victory. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ") In 2375, the Breen moved from a policy of low-level hostilities toward most other major powers to one of open warfare when they allied themselves with the Dominion as reinforcements. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ", " Strange Bedfellows ") To mark the historic moment when the two parties first met in person, the Breen presented Worf and Ezri Dax as gifts to the Dominion. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

The Breen with Damar

According to the terms of alliance , the Breen Confederacy received several planets in the Cardassian Union as compensation for joining the war. Despite being welcomed by the Female Changeling and Vorta leader Weyoun , the Breen were mistrusted by the leader of the Cardassian Union, Legate Damar , who was frustrated by the details of their treaty with the Dominion. For instance, the Breen were thereafter allowed unlimited access to the Dominion's database , whereas Damar was annoyed at them being permitted to use it at all. His frustration over how the Breen were being received led Damar to begin a Cardassian rebellion against the Dominion and enable Ezri Dax and Worf to escape back to Federation space. ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ") Even for the Cardassian rebels, the addition of the Breen made the Dominion more formidable than ever. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ")

Remains of San Francisco after the Breen attack during the Dominion War

Shortly after joining with the Dominion, the Breen attacked Earth , assaulting Starfleet Headquarters and destroying the nearby Golden Gate Bridge . Most of the Breen attack force was destroyed by Starfleet, though the majority of the damage on Earth had been done by that time.

The Breen were so secretive that the only thing Starfleet knew about them, up to then, was that they were a race of warriors , an aspect of the Breen which the Klingons learned in light of their attack on Earth, as not even the Klingons had ever attempted such a strike. Even Weyoun and Damar considered the Breen to be "full of surprises," albeit for different reasons. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ")

Employment of a devastating Breen weapon results in the destruction of the USS Defiant

A short time later, the Breen assisted Dominion forces in breaking the lines at Chin'toka , launching a counteroffensive against the Federation Alliance there and breaking through in two places. To Rom's son , Starfleet Ensign Nog , the Breen now seemed unstoppable, though Worf refuted this opinion, believing that every foe could somehow be overcome. A major battle which followed, known as the Second Battle of Chin'toka , was won by the Dominion thanks to a unique Breen device, a kind of energy-dampening weapon which could completely drain all the main power systems of a starship . Those vessels which were destroyed by the Breen weapon during the battle included the USS Defiant . ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ") In fact, the only ship immune to the weapon was a Klingon Bird-of-Prey , the IKS Ki'tang , which serendipitously survived thanks to an adjustment the chief engineer had made to the ship's tritium intermix in the warp core . ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ") Under orders from the Female Changeling, the Breen allowed escape pods to carry Federation survivors to safety (believing they would sow fear in the enemy ranks after what they had witnessed), and the Breen were thanked for the decisive part they had served in the battle. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ") Both this defeat and the Breen's devastating assault on Earth dealt a huge blow to the Federation Alliance's morale. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ", " When It Rains... ") The Breen were also being used to defend numerous Dominion facilities. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ")

Breen engineers were assigned to begin retrofitting Dominion ships with the energy-dampening weapon. The engineers were instructed to accelerate the installation program, an order that had been sent from the Female Changeling and was relayed to the engineers by Thot Pran , a Breen official. According to one report (from Kelvas V ), the Breen would start installing the weapon on Jem'Hadar fighters within a week. ( DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ") Although the Klingon fleet was able to make the needed adjustments against the weapon, the Federation and the Romulans were still unable to defend against the Breen. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ", " The Dogs of War ") Hence, the Breen were prevented from acquiring final victory for the Dominion only because the Klingon vessels were present. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ", " Tacking Into the Wind ") When the Federation finally did create a defense against the energy-dampening weapon, they forced the Dominion fleet to retreat. Thot Pran expressed an extreme distaste for surrender , and required the reassurance of the Female Changeling that, instead of surrendering, they were actually regrouping and attempting to redouble their shipbuilding and replenishment efforts. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

Thot Pran with the Female Changeling and Weyoun, reviewing plans for the forthcoming Battle of Cardassia

With the necessary countermeasures against the Breen's energy-dampening weapon obtained, the Federation Alliance was able to go on the offensive once again, choosing to try to invade Cardassia Prime itself. In hopes of raising the Breen's will to fight, the Female Changeling offered them control of Earth and Romulus if they succeeded in winning the battle. However, she then told Weyoun this was merely a political promise, designed just as motivation. While every Breen soldier on Cardassia was participating in a concerted search for Damar, the Breen, in the interest of maintaining their alliance with the Dominion, were positioned ahead of the Jem'Hadar by the Female Changeling, under pressure from Thot Pran.

During the ensuing Battle of Cardassia , the Breen were still able to inflict major casualties on the allies, even without the use of their energy-dampening weapon. Up to a third of the allies' entire fleet was destroyed during the battle, including the Romulan flagship , even though sabotage by the Cardassian rebellion resulted in the Dominion fleet being out of contact with their headquarters until midway through the battle. The Breen continued to fight for the Dominion until the end of the war, demonstrating a willingness to die for the cause which matched that of the Jem'Hadar. However, when the Cardassian forces switched sides mid-battle, the Dominion and Breen were forced to withdraw to Cardassia Prime. The Breen leaders left Dominion Headquarters in order to fight on the front lines , and both Damar and Weyoun were shot to death shortly thereafter. At the Dominion defense perimeter in orbit of the planet, the Breen were to be targeted by the Klingons, in a three-pronged attack that saw the Romulans, Cardassians and Starfleet focus on other targets.

The Breen leaders witness the signing of the Treaty of Bajor

After Odo convinced the Female Changeling to surrender, the Breen and their allies stood down, finally bringing an end to the Dominion War. As allies of the Dominion, Breen representatives were present during the signing of the Treaty of Bajor . ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Continued aggression [ ]

Despite ceasing open hostilities with other major Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers, by 2381 the Breen had made at least one incursion into the Delos system and occupied the planet Brekka . This incursion was accidentally discovered by the crew of the USS Cerritos . ( LD : " Trusted Sources ") However, it later emerged that Vice Admiral Les Buenamigo had prior knowledge of the Breen's presence on Brekka and had been setting the Cerritos up for a crisis that would "force" him to unveil the Texas -class USS Aledo . Cerritos captain Carol Freeman was outraged when she learned this, as Buenamigo's actions had needlessly put her crew in mortal danger. ( LD : " The Stars At Night ")

Before the Burn in the 31st century , there was some diplomatic contact between the Federation and the Breen, but no official contact afterwards. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

32nd century [ ]

The Breen remained antagonists of the Federation in the 32nd century, by which time the Breen Confederacy had been succeeded by the Breen Imperium . Following the death of the Breen Emperor , disparate branches of the royal bloodline began making competing claims to the throne. As a result, six primarchs of the Yod-Thot royalty cast went to war with each other for control of the Imperium, two of whom were Ruhn and Tahal . ( DIS : " Red Directive ", " Mirrors ", " Erigah ")

At some point, Tahal took over the planet Kellerun , turning it into an outpost and enslaving the Kelleruns . When some resisted, Tahal brutally executed them, only sparing Rayner out of respect for his Breen-like fighting spirit and determination. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

L'ak , one of two couriers who was searching for the Progenitors ' technology, was actually a Breen, the nephew of primarch Ruhn and a direct descendant of the deceased emperor, making L'ak the Scion of the Breen Imperium. Whoever controlled L'ak had a legitimate claim to the throne through him, but L'ak hated being the Scion and rebelled against his uncle after falling in love with Moll , resulting in the two getting an erigah placed on their heads. L'ak and Moll sought the Progenitors' technology, hoping to trade it for the release of the blood bounty , although Captain Michael Burnham warned that the Breen would be more likely to simply kill L'ak and take it for themselves. ( DIS : " Mirrors ", " Erigah ")

After Moll and L'ak were captured by the Federation, Ruhn traveled into Federation space to get them, the first time that the Breen had crossed into Federation territory since the Breen attack on Earth . Learning that L'ak was the Scion, President T'Rina of Ni'Var attempted to negotiate a deal with Ruhn to keep L'ak so that none of the Breen factions would have him, leaving Ruhn to take the throne through battle and threatening to give L'ak to Tahal otherwise. However, in a failed escape attempt, L'ak accidentally gave himself an overdose of tricordrazine and died despite the best efforts of Doctor Hugh Culber and a Breen medic. Although Ruhn threatened war against the Federation for it, planning to use his nephew's corpse to unite the Breen under his leadership, Moll revealed the search for the Progenitors' technology which could give Ruhn the power that he needed, hoping that she could use it to resurrect L'ak. With no other choice, the Federation allowed Ruhn to take Moll with him, leaving the Federation and the Breen in a race to find the Progenitors' technology. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Alternate timelines and realities [ ]

In an alternate timeline where the USS Discovery wasn't rescued from the time cycling in time, the Progenitor technology came into the possession of the Breen, particularly Primarch Ruhn , who used it to stage a devastating attack on the Federation just a few weeks after Discovery 's rescue; Commander Rayner suggested that it had been sold to the Breen by Moll and L'ak . By 3218 , Ruhn's dreadnaught was patrolling the wreckage of the USS Federation . After learning that L'ak was a Breen himself seeking to trade the technology in exchange for his freedom, Burnham suggested that the Breen simply killed L'ak and Moll instead and took it for themselves. When Ruhn came to collect the pair from the Federation, Burnham recognized his Breen dreadnaught as the ship that she had seen in the alternate timeline. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ", " Mirrors ", " Erigah ")

Physiology [ ]

The face of L'ak in a fluid state

The face of L'ak in a solid state

In their true forms, Breen were humanoids capable of surviving in multiple environments. They also had two faces: a solid state one, where their flesh-based skin was green; and a fluid state consisting of green transulcent fluid that the Breen were taught was their true face. While L'ak argued that both were part of their true form, being half of their nature, Primarch Ruhn claimed that the Breen had evolved past their more solid state and that taking on that form just made them weak. ( DIS : " Mirrors ")

The Breen had no blood or other liquid circulatory system . ( DS9 : " In Purgatory's Shadow ") The species was one of many whose thoughts and emotions were not detectable by empathic species, such as Betazoids . ( TNG : " The Loss ") The Breen had at least two genders : male and female. ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ", et al. ; DIS : " Erigah ") Breen appeared physically more resilient than most humanoids. When Worf struck a Breen, the Breen proceeded to incapacitate Worf with a neural truncheon , seemingly oblivious to the assault. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ") However, they still had vital organs, at least in their solid state, and could suffer injuries that would be fatal over time if not properly treated. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

The Breen usually wore refrigeration suits . Doctor Hugh Culber discovered in 3191 that the blend of subzero gasses in the refrigeration suits provoked an immune response that was unique to the Breen. This response triggered a somatic cellular regeneration that, given enough time, could enable a Breen to heal from near-fatal wounds. Nonetheless, even as by the late 32nd century , the United Federation of Planets still knew very little about Breen physiology, to the point that they couldn't even treat a wound aside from easing the Breen in question's pain. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Even as late as the 32nd century , no one appeared to have seen a Breen outside of their suits, at least not without realizing it, as no one was aware that L'ak was actually a Breen due to L'ak never been seen using a refrigeration suit. According to Worf , no outsider had ever seen what a Breen looked like under their refrigeration suits and lived. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ") Due to this, there were many rumors regarding Breen.

Even shortly before the Dominion War was concluded, their appearance remained so completely unknown to their allies that Weyoun could not avoid wondering what the Breen looked like. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ") Ezri Dax once had a dream that featured a male Breen taking off his helmet to reveal he was actually Julian Bashir .

Worf firmly concluded that the species didn't have claws , although Ezri Dax wasn't sure of this belief. She, on the other hand, speculated that the Breen might be covered in fur , due to their home planet purportedly having a remarkably cold climate . ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ") Dukat expected Dozaria's climate would be about fifty degrees too hot for the species, so he expressed extreme surprise at finding Breen guards on that planet. ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ") However, while the intelligence reports available to Cardassian and Dominion leaders during the Dominion War reported their homeworld to be a frozen wasteland, Weyoun remarked (in his capacity as a diplomat) that the planet was really "quite comfortable." ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ")

Society and culture [ ]

The Breen commonly experienced pregnancy at a young age. ( VOY : " Elogium ") Newborn Breen were referred to as "hatchlings". ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Breen entertained and taught their offspring with nursery rhymes . A particular example of a Breen nursery rhyme was made up of a heterophonic, five-line verse with an alternating tetrameter and pentameter structure. These were nonsensical phrases, strung together because they rhymed (at least to the Breen). Breen music which accompanied this nursery rhyme was written on a Lyxian scale . ( DS9 : " For the Uniform ")

Based on how algae paste tasted, Ezri Dax humorously speculated that the Breen were "horrible cooks ." ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

Breen marriage symbols

Married Breen scarred themselves with matching symbols on their forearms . Marriage to a non-Breen was considered to be an "abomination", but even so the partners were legally entitled to stay together in life or death. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

The Breen rank structure included the title thot, which was implied to be greater than that of a Cardassian legate . ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ") Other Breen worked as engineers, including at least four at the Kelvas facility . ( DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ") The Breen Imperium of the 32nd century was ruled by a royal caste called the Yod-Thot , which included the primarchs . Ruhn was described as being "Breen Primarch of the Sixth Flight ." ( DIS : " Mirrors ") The Breen were originally ruled by a Breen Emperor , but after the last emperor's death the disparate branches of the royal bloodline began making competing claims for the throne, resulting in a civil war between six primarchs. Ruhn's nephew L'ak was the last direct descendant of the emperor and as such, he was considered to be the Scion of the Breen Imperium. If one of the primarchs could control L'ak, they would have a legitimate claim to the throne. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

The Breen had a blood bounty called erigah which could only be released by the Breen themselves. ( DIS : " Mirrors ")

According to Commander Rayner , genocide was a necessity to the Breen and their version of the Prime Directive . ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Breen medics , at least in the 32nd century , could be distinguished by a glowing symbol in the middle of their armor. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Treatment of prisoners [ ]

The Breen were known to use slave labor, and at least some of these slaves were captured in raids on other species. When the Breen were using Bajoran slaves to mine dilithium ore , there were always at least eight guards within the mines. ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ")

The Breen were very prudent when dealing with prisoners. When capturing prisoners, the Breen typically stunned them from long range with their disruptors , rather than approaching them and risking close combat. When Worf and Ezri Dax were discovered by the Breen on Goralis while sleeping , the Breen used this technique to subdue them. The Breen also fed their prisoners a diet of algae paste. ( DS9 : " Penumbra ", " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

Aboard starships, the Breen typically sent in three guards at a time when they wished to remove a single prisoner from a cell that was being shared with other prisoners. Although Worf made various attempts at escape, they all failed, including an attempt to persuade the Breen guards that Ezri was sick, as well as an attempt to short-circuit the door of their cell. When Worf attempted to attack the Breen guards, they used a type of neural truncheon to paralyze him. Even after he fell to the ground, partially paralyzed, two Breen guards continued to use the truncheons on him to ensure he would not get back up, before two guards removed Ezri from the cell. ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ") In another incident, Worf simply showed signs of anger towards Weyoun and was again shocked by the neural truncheon. ( DS9 : " Strange Bedfellows ") On the other hand, a holographic Breen , enhanced by the Hirogen and participating in Iden's Rebellion of 2377 , once helped restrain B'Elanna Torres , but did so in a way that was relatively very careful, taking Torres by the arm to a position where a force field could be activated around her. ( VOY : " Flesh and Blood ")

To extract information from captives, the Breen used cortical implants , despite the fact that they caused extreme mental and physical side effects to the recipient, including severe pain and hallucinations . ( DS9 : " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

Language [ ]

See: Breen language

Science and technology [ ]

Given that most known humanoid species lived on class M planets with an average temperature far above the supposed temperature of Breen, the Breen were largely thought to have had to develop refrigeration suits in order to co-exist with others. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ") Underneath the suits, the Breen typically existed in their fluid state, believing that they had evolved beyond their solid state, although they were capable of taking on both. ( DIS : " Mirrors ") Doctor Hugh Culber discovered in 3191 that the subzero gasses in the suits provoked a unique immune response in the Breen triggering their somatic cellular regeneration . ( DIS : " Erigah ")

The Breen were known for their knowledge of sophisticated cold storage units, summed up in a statement Captain Benjamin Sisko once made: " If anyone knows how to keep things cold, it's the Breen. " ( DS9 : " For the Uniform ")

A Breen ship

By 2373 , the Breen were among multiple species known by Starfleet to use organic-based vessels . ( VOY : " Scorpion ") Some of their vessels were even believed to be fitted with cloaking devices . ( TNG : " Hero Worship ") During the mid- 2370s , Breen interceptors utilized energy-dampening weapons. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ", et al. ) The expediency with which the Breen could mobilize large fleets of ships surprised Damar. ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ") The Breen's piloting skills likewise impressed Nog. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

The Breen were known to use type 3 disruptors, in common with the Romulans and Klingons. ( Star Trek Generations ) The Breen also manufactured a portable hand-held cannon , the CRM 114 , which was designed to target moving objects and surface emplacements. It was among numerous weapons dealt by Ferengi arms dealer Gaila in the mid-2370s. ( DS9 : " Business as Usual ") A holographic facsimile of a pistol was almost used by the holographic Breen in Iden's Rebellion, moments prior to that Breen being deactivated. ( VOY : " Flesh and Blood ")

The Breen made use of memory-probing technology, in the form of cortical implants, and neural truncheons for subduing prisoners. ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ", " 'Til Death Do Us Part ")

By the late 32nd century , the Breen possessed massive dreadnaught -class starships which were so enormous that they massively dwarfed even the USS Federation . The dreadnaughts were the Breen's most powerful warship class. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Mirror universe [ ]

In the mirror universe , Intendant Kira once told Benjamin Sisko that Breen icicles were warmer than Professor Jennifer Sisko . ( DS9 : " Shattered Mirror ")

Individuals [ ]

• Unnamed Breen

Territory [ ]

• See : Breen space

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Indiscretion " ( Season 4 )
• " In Purgatory's Shadow " ( Season 5 )
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " Penumbra " ( Season 7 )
• " 'Til Death Do Us Part "
• " Strange Bedfellows "
• " The Changing Face of Evil "
• " Tacking Into the Wind "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind "
• VOY : " Flesh and Blood " ( hologram ) ( Season 7 )
• LD : " Trusted Sources " ( Season 3 )
• " Red Directive " ( Season 5 )
• " Under the Twin Moons "
• " Jinaal " (image only)
• " Face the Strange "
• " Mirrors "

Background information [ ]

In the final draft scripts of " Indiscretion " and " Return to Grace ", the term "Breen" was listed in the pronunciation guide, phonetically notated as "BREEN". [4] [5]

In the Norwegian language, the term "Breen" means glacier.

Some of the actors and stunt performers to have worn the Breen costumes are Cathy DeBuono , Todd Slayton , Max Omega , Wade Kelly , Dennis Madalone , and Tom Morga .

Initial references [ ]

Ira Steven Behr once described the Breen, considering the references to them on Star Trek: The Next Generation , as "sort of a running joke" in TNG. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 277)) Marco Palmieri similarly reasoned that contemplating all the canonical facts about Breen biology is " enough to give the impression that as each new tidbit about the Breen was being conceived, little thought was given to the composite picture being created. And it may well be that this is exactly how the Breen started. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 156 , p. 49)

The first evidence of the Breen was in the TNG Season 4 episode " The Loss ", in which Data , during a meeting of the USS Enterprise -D 's senior staff , mentions the Breen as one of "many races that are not empathically detectable." Both in that episode and the next installment to mention the Breen, TNG Season 5 's " Hero Worship ", the Breen are cited as a possible culprit by Data, firstly in regard to Deanna Troi losing her empathic Betazoid abilities and secondly concerning the destruction of the SS Vico . In both cases, the Breen are found not to be the cause.

Jeri Taylor proposed exploring the Breen in an ultimately abandoned season finalé that would have ended TNG Season 6 . [6] [7] In a memo which initially outlined the story (a document which was sent from Taylor to Michael Piller on 21 January 1992 ), the Breen were described as "a bellicose, brutal species who inhabit a distant but expanding empire." In the narrative, a Breen delegation was to be met and escorted to Earth by the Enterprise -D, formally establishing diplomatic relations between the Breen and the Federation. Although the Federation had long been happy that the Breen lived far from Federation space and had been expecting the species to be adversarial, the Breen had recently made the first tentative step toward establishing ties with the Federation. The unpleasantness of the species, however, became apparent to the Enterprise -D crew when the two groups met. They arranged an initial joint mission, whereby Starfleet scientists were sent on a Breen vessel to investigate a recently discovered phenomenon, but the ship suddenly vanished without explanation. In response, the Breen volatilely accused the Enterprise of being duplicitously responsible for the ship's disappearance, but the Enterprise then discovered the Breen ship, caught in an anomaly, and attempted to rescue it, the Starfleet crew jeopardizing their own vessel in the process. Jeri Taylor was of the opinion that using the story as an opportunity to introduce the Breen as a new adversary "would infuse new energy into the 7th season ." [8] In a revised version of the plot (relayed by Taylor to Piller in a memo dated 16 February 1992 ), she suggested that the Breen delegation meet with the starship Indiana , under Riker 's command, rather than the Enterprise , though the latter still undertook the rescue attempt (much to Riker's chagrin). When Riker opted to go to the aid of the Enterprise while it was endangered due to the anomaly, the Breen were unsettled by this decision. The volatile Breen were thereafter encountered by Captain Picard , when he came aboard the Indiana , moments before he was blown out of the ship, through a rupture in its hull, and out into space. [9]

Although the Breen and their involvement in the palio on DS3 are discussed as essentially smalltalk between Picard and Vice Admiral Marcus Holt in TNG Season 7 entry " Interface ", the Breen's function as suspects was not finished. They weren't referenced at all in the first draft script of Star Trek Generations , despite being mentioned on-screen in the final version of that film , wherein Riker cites them as potentially responsible for the attack on the Amargosa observatory, though this is later determined not to have been the case.

First appearance [ ]

When the DS9 writing staff required a villain for DS9 Season 4 episode "Indiscretion", an opportunity to physically depict the Breen presented itself. " We just struck on the idea to use the Breen, " stated Robert Hewitt Wolfe . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 277))

In the script of "Indiscretion", the Breen were described as " tall, well-armed humanoids in dark, armored pressure suits which protect them from [...] harsh atmosphere. " [10]

The hidden manner in which the Breen were portrayed – fully clothed, wearing masks and helmets – was influenced by the fact "Indiscretion" came very soon after episodes which featured large numbers of Klingons and Jem'Hadar (namely, " The Way of the Warrior " and " Hippocratic Oath " respectively). " I wasn't really in the mood to come up with a new alien race, " explained Ira Steven Behr. " So I said, 'Let's not see them. Let's just put them in costume because they normally live in the cold.' " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 277)) An additional motive for Behr deciding that the Breen should appear in fully enclosed costumes was that this would cut down on make-up expenses. ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 69, p. 17)

When the Breen helmets were being designed for "Indiscretion", it was decided that they would give viewers the suggestion of a snout, like that of an Arctic Wolf . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 277)) Terry J. Erdmann recalled about the Breen, " They were never supposed to be important at all, so when the wardrobe department first made Breen costumes, they were kind of simple; they just made a mask and put them on some guys who were going to stand in the background. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 17 , p. 93)

Interim [ ]

The word "Breen" was listed in the pronunciation guide for the final draft script of DS9 Season 5 installment " Let He Who Is Without Sin... ", which noted that it "rhymes with 'green'." However, the term wasn't actually used anywhere else in that teleplay. [11]

The Breen were not referenced in the first draft script of fifth season outing " For the Uniform ", despite the species being talked about in the final version of that episode.

In the first draft script of DS9 : " Sons and Daughters ", the Breen were referenced, by Jake Sisko , as having fought Bel Torthap , a writer whom Jake respected. This reference to the species lasted at least two versions of the first draft script: the original (dated 1 July 1997 ) and a revision (dated 8 July 1997). However, the Breen weren't mentioned at all in the final draft of the script for "Sons and Daughters" (issued on 11 July 1997). [12]

Thus, as of the start of DS9 Season 6 (in September 1997 ), the show's writing staff didn't have any plans to feature the Breen in the series. However, Ronald D. Moore didn't rule out such a possibility, remarking, " We could explore them in the future. " ( AOL chat , 1997 )

Mentioned above , a Breen named " Aaioa Uree " was originally to have appeared in DS9 Season 7 outing " Field of Fire ", but this idea was ultimately scrapped.

At the start of a nine-episode arc that was designed to bring an end to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Breen were brought into the Dominion War by the show's writers. Thus, the species went from having been used only "a handful of times" prior to DS9 Season 7 to becoming "major players" (as worded by First Assistant Director B.C. Cameron ) in the first of those installments, " Penumbra ". Their introduction into the conflict was motivated by the writers feeling sure that the Breen would heighten the stakes of the war. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (pp. 685 & 702)) Christopher L. Bennett observed that there was probably an additional reason why the Breen were introduced into the Dominion War. " I think the main reason for bringing in the Breen, " he said, " was to establish that the Dominion saw Cardassia as disposable – not the partners they'd promised, but just a stepping-stone toward their conquest of the quadrant, to be tossed aside as soon as they'd outlived their usefulness (if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor). It was a motivator for Damar's – and Cardassia's – journey toward rebellion. " [13] As the writing staff didn't have the entire war worked out when they brought the Breen into it, they were uncertain how much would ultimately be learned about the Breen in the series. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 685)) Nonetheless, the Breen ended up as the last major villains to be introduced in DS9. Also, the fact that so little had been established about them, thus far, gave Designer John Eaves a feeling of particular freeness while designing the Breen ship, for "Penumbra". ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 69, pp. 10 & 11)

The DS9 writing staff wanted to make the Breen seem highly mysterious. " We wanted to give these guys something special, " commented Ira Steven Behr. " I couldn't make them the toughest guys in the galaxy – that's the Jem'Hadar. Or the most arrogant guys – that's the Cardassians. Or the most untrustworthy guys – that's the Vorta. So we decided to make them the most mysterious guys in the galaxy, with voices that really grate on the audience. " Behr has also said that the Breen's distinctive, scratchy voice, which was first spoken in " 'Til Death Do Us Part ", was inspired by the guitar feedback on Lou Reed 's album Metal Machine Music . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 703))

When they decided to bring the Breen back, DS9's creative staff had to reuse the same costumes which had already been created for the species. " One day, the wardrobe department gets this call. 'Guess what? We're going to use the Breen,' " Terry J. Erdmann related. " Well, those masks that those poor actors are wearing have a long bill on the front, with only a tiny hole at the end for them to breathe. They snap on to the back, so they are difficult to put on and off, and the eye holes were in the wrong place, so they really couldn't see. But these almost unusable costumes were established, so they were stuck with them. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 17 , p. 93) Not only did the costumes hamper breathing and seeing (the latter of which caused background extra Wade Kelly, when B.C. Cameron asked him to walk across a room, to repeatedly stumble noisily on set, during production on " Strange Bedfellows "), but wearing them also brought a host of other problems too. B.C. Cameron pointed out, " They're wearing big, clumsy boots, and their outfits are layered like an armadillo, making it very hard for them to move. " Regarding the difficulties of using the Breen helmets, Steve Oster explained, " They're held together with magnets and they fall off any time someone bumps them. And before we redesigned them, the switches for the little blinky lights were on the inside of the helmet. " This meant the helmets had to be removed from the actors every time the lights needed to be turned on. " And for some reason we never did figure out, " continued Oster, " the nine-volt batteries only lasted minutes before they burned out. " Thot Gor actor Todd Slayton considered "the biggest problem with the Breen mask" was the tiny hole for breathing, which he estimated was about eight inches away from the wearer's nose. He also noted that the viewing lens in the mask often steamed up quite quickly. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 702))

During the course of writing the Dominion War, the DS9 writers were very intent on establishing the Breen as extremely formidable, tough aliens. This inspired the introduction of the Breen energy-dampening weapon and the destruction of the USS Defiant , in " The Changing Face of Evil ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 693))

The final Breen to be depicted (in live action) was the holographic individual in VOY : " Flesh and Blood ". The final draft script of "Flesh and Blood, Part I" called for multiple holographic Breen to appear in the episode, although only one is present in the final version.

Uncertainties and trivia [ ]

Ultimately, Deep Space Nine never made clear how the Breen actually looked inside their costumes. Whereas First Assistant Director Lou Race "always" suspected the Breen looked similar to Donald Duck (owing to the beak-like part of their helmets), Make-Up Supervisor Michael Westmore admitted that he wasn't really sure how they looked. However, he also reflected, " I actually had an unused head in the lab that would have been great. I thought we could put a little bit of a snout onto it, so we could justify the snout on the helmet. But we never had the opportunity to show one of them. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (pp. 701-702))

It was also left unclear whether anyone had ever seen a Breen and survived the experience. In "'Til Death Do Us Part", Worf states, " No one has ever seen [a Breen] and lived to speak of it. " However, "Indiscretion" implies that Kira and Dukat must have gotten a look at a pair of Breen whose uniforms they stole. Compounding the continuity problem, Kira is implied as having dispatched another Breen, again for his uniform, in DS9 series finalé " What You Leave Behind ". In hindsight, Ronald D. Moore regarded this continuity glitch as one of numerous frustrating details that, due to their sheer quantity, the creative team hadn't managed to keep track of. On the other hand, Ira Steven Behr proposed an in-universe explanation, saying, " There's nothing in those helmets. I don't think there's a guy in there, which is something we never got around to saying. " After a pause, he added, " Or maybe there's a little slug, some tiny little creature in there. I never wanted them to be humanoid in any way. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 702)) Despite this, not only did the aforementioned script of "Indiscretion" regard the Breen as "humanoid" but so do the reference works Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 54) and Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 35) as well as the StarTrek.com database entry about the species. [14]

The model for the Breen helmet closely resembles a Ubese Bounty Hunter suit that Princess Leia wore to Jabba the Hutt 's Palace in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi . [15]

32nd century return and unmasking [ ]

Glenn Hetrick of Star Trek: Discovery expressed an interest in the Breen appearing in that series without their masks. Hetrick commented, " No one in the universe, as per Worf, has ever seen what they look like under the refrigeration suits. So, that is definitely – as many times as I can put it forth – I want to get one of those refrigeration suits off and see what the Breen look like. " [16]

Carlos Cisco lobbied hard for the Breen to appear in DIS Season 5 . " The Breen were one of my strongest pushes for the season. Early on a couple of us who were really into the lore were asked for ideas on the season big bads and [staff writer] Eric [Robbins] was pushing for the Vidiians and I was like we should do the Breen.” Because, A: They’re not going to have horrible makeup, and B: We can just put a bunch of big guys in suits and they don’t need to talk. Being mindful of the COVID protocols , the suits and masks would be really great. And then there were all the possibilities for the Breen because in every season Discovery is trying to do something we have never seen before. And getting to unmask the Breen was a really big privilege. "

Regarding their appearance, Cisco said, " I don’t remember where in the process we landed on “gelatinous” but when we hit the art team with that they came back to us with deep sea fish like the Barreleye Fish with a see-through head. We got really excited about that. So we started talking about what is this species? Why do they wear the suits? So, the thing we landed on is they have this soft gelatinous form and also a hardened form. Our thinking was that the Breen came up on a very harsh planet with a harsh environment. So they developed a way to protect themselves which was hardening their outer shell into basically a skin, but that takes an immense amount of concentration and energy, making them slower, more sluggish, less intelligent, basically. Over time, they compensated for that by creating the refrigeration suits. Then culturally, it became anathema for them to display that solid face, especially to outsiders, because it was essentially a sign of weakness. " [17]

Reception [ ]

The writers of Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection (issue 69, pp. 16 & 17) approved of the Breen. They regarded them as "vitally important to the Dominion War" and further remarked, " Despite the hazards of the costume, the Breen proved a tough and formidable adversary that ratcheted up the threat to the Federation in the final months of the Dominion War. Without them, the final story arc would not have been so tense and compelling. "

Marco Palmieri wrote, " You have to hand it to the Breen: For a civilization that started out as a sometimes-mentioned but never seen running gag on The Next Generation , they eventually came incredibly close to handing the Founders a decisive victory in the Dominion War. Along the way, the Breen not only destroyed the Starship Defiant , they succeeded where no other enemy empire had before: attacking Starfleet Headquarters on Earth. Even the Klingons had reason to fear them [...] [considering] an Imperial fleet sent to conquer the Breen homeworld was never heard from again. That's not a bad résumé as Star Trek villains go. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 156 , p. 48)

Gary Russell cited the Breen as his favorite race. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 30 , p. 63)

Apocrypha [ ]

In the novel Zero Sum Game , the Breen are revealed to be comprised of several different species, with "Breen" as the name of a society, rather than a single species. The primary reason for this is to judge individuals on their skills and abilities rather than their physical appearance. In reality, however, this approach was taken by Zero Sum Game author David Mack because he believed that trying to reconcile all the canonical "facts" about the Breen's physiology would otherwise be impossible, as he thought there were too many discrepancies. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 156 , p. 50)

Among the species in the Breen Confederacy mentioned in Zero Sum Game , only four were mentioned by name and described in some detail, and an additional fifth species was described in the novel Plagues of Night . Two more species were named in the novels Disavowed and The Hall of Heroes . They include:

• The Silwaan ( β ) , a humanoid species and a founding species of the Confederacy, who possessed (in the case of the character Chot Nar) bronze-tinted skin , white hair , and jade-colored eyes .
• The Fenrisal ( β ) , a furred , lupine humanoid species whose snouted facial structure served as the inspiration for the archetypical Breen helmet design.
• The Paclu ( β ) , a large, powerful humanoid species who often served in the Confederacy military thanks to their strength. They are noted to possess four-lobed brains that make their minds difficult to read, as well as an unspecified number of hearts .
• The Amoniri ( β ) , a humanoid species whose bodies possessed no blood and evaporated when exposed to normal M-class atmospheres, requiring them to wear actual refrigeration suits to function outside of their regular environment. They also served commonly in the Confederacy military alongside the Paclu.
• The Vironat ( β ) , a humanoid species with cleft arms and legs with highly accurate sensory organs located along their lengths that granted them exceptional tactile abilities, making them highly effective engineers. The enhanced sensory abilities of the species also rendered them prone to motion sickness .
• The Silgov ( β ) , a humanoid species that can easily mingle among the peoples of the Federation. Author David Mack has said that this is actually a mistake, which is meant to refer to the Silwaan. [18]
• The Kalystarians ( β ) , a humanoid species with no nose and a pale, scaly complexion.

The Breen were members of the Typhon Pact, an alliance of several powers antagonistic towards the Federation, which allied them with the Romulans, the Tholians , the Gorn , and the Tzenkethi .

Decipher 's Star Trek Roleplaying Game supplement Aliens explained the discrepancy over whether anyone had seen a Breen and lived by establishing that the Breen disintegrate upon exposure to atmosphere .

The video game Star Trek: Conquest features Breen as one of the people groups which players can assume the role of. Of the three types of commanders available – attack, defense, and movement – the Breen only have defense (2) and movement (1) available.

In Star Trek Online , the Breen were the main antagonists in a short episode arc. During the arc, the Breen invaded Deferi ( β ) space, hoping to acquire Preserver ( β ) technology.

External links [ ]

• Breen at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Breen at Wikipedia
• 3 Erigah (episode)

Star Trek's 2009 Reboot Changed Everything

Star Trek has been an important fixture of sci-fi TV for decades, and alongside its continued existence, movies have helped further flesh out the characters. But in both the movies and TV, the early 2000s weren’t kind to the franchise: 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis was a critical and commercial disaster, and Star Trek: Enterprise had a respectable four-season run, but the shortest of the shows since the original series. Change was in order, and it was eventually decided that would take the form of a reboot that took everyone by surprise.

Star Trek—that is, the reboot film released May 8, 2009—is one of those movies that showed up at just the right moment. At the time, movies based on old TV shows like Starsky & Hutch and Charlie’s Angels had found commercial successes, which gave this reboot some cultural context. It also helped that it was being helmed by a trio of filmmakers who knew how to make hits: J.J. Abrams was still riding the high off directing Mission: Impossible 3 (speaking of movies based on old TV shows), along with the almost-ended Lost and the still young Fringe . Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman had written Mission and were further on Paramount’s good side with the first Transformers movie. If there was anyone who could make a new Star Trek flick that’d get anyone’s attention, for better or worse, it’d be these guys.

It really can’t be understated how much Paramount was banking on this new Star Trek being a hit back then. The studio wanted, more than anything, to get audiences to care about Star Trek again, and how best to do that in the 2000s? By hyping up its action scenes and Kirk being quite the ladies man. That didn’t entirely go over well, much like Abrams’ comments that the movie would mainly be for non-Trekkies. Even with that, the movie couldn’t help but look interesting. Those trailers didn’t tell you a dang thing about its actual plot, but they had good vibes, and made you want to see how the Enterprise crew would come to be the adventurers our parents and grandparents had fallen in love with back in their day.

And fall in love, people did: the reboot movie was met with critical acclaim and later four Academy Award nominations, ultimately winning one for Best Makeup and being the only Trek movie to net an Oscar. Despite mixed reactions on the movie splitting off into its own timeline, critics and audiences loved the young cast’s takes on the original characters—especially Zachary Quinto’s Spock and Zoe Saldana’s Uhura—and their chemistry. With a $385.7 million box office, Star Trek succeeded in making people care about the franchise once more. But its high ended up coming down quicker than you’d think, and in the years since, the movies have been marooned in space.

A few years later, 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness left an odd taste in audiences’ mouths. It still made money, but something about it felt off: maybe it was how it did a more convoluted retelling of Wrath of Khan, or maybe it can be owed to its very weird B-plot with 9/11 parallels that feel like they belong in a completely different movie (or another franchise entirely). Star Trek Beyond , conversely, went for a considerably simpler approach and just functioned like a regular episode of the show. That energy, combined with a still-incredible needle drop , was the right move, even if the film wasn’t a smash hit when it dropped in 2016. Paramount’s spent years trying to get a fourth movie off the ground since then, and it’s anyone’s guess as to if it’ll actually happen.

Things have gone much better over in TV land: Star Trek: Discovery and Lower Decks , a pair of well-liked shows, are both ending after their respective fifth seasons—a run that feels like a miracle these days. Star Trek: Picard gave Next Generation fans the legacy sequel they’d been wanting for years, and Star Trek: Prodigy , despite how messily its schedule was handled, brought younger audiences into the fold. It’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that’ll be spearheading future TV plans, which currently include a Starfleet Academy show and the Paramount+ film focused on Michelle Yeoh’s Discovery character Phillipa Georgiou .

Star Trek 2009's biggest aftershock came outside of its franchise with the big reboot and legacy sequel boom of the 2010s. New takes on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, RoboCop , and Evil Dead were born from this movie’s success, even if it was just to revitalize its own series. Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman went on to become even bigger names in Hollywood: the former famously went on to revive Star Wars for the big screen, and is a producing powerhouse. Orci and Kurtzman went on to be involved with the Amazing Spider-Man movies, and create or executive produce shows like Sleepy Hollow and Fringe. When the duo separated, Kurtzman—following his directorial debut The Mummy , which failed to launch Universal’s Dark Universe—effectively became Star Trek’s equivalent to Kevin Feige. Orci, last we heard, was writing a Spider-Man adjacent movie for Sony that’s gone quiet in the years since its announcement.

All-in-all, Star Trek was a game-changer, and for better or worse, you don’t get our current movie landscape without it. With how big the franchise is right now, it’s understandable why Paramount’s wanted so much to get a fourth film off the ground—but is it possible by this point? That hypothetical (and surprising ) Star Trek 4 has been waylaid by shifting creatives for years, to the point you feel like someone should finally make the call to pull the plug. Not only did Beyond give the Kelvin universe its cleanest end after the passings of Anton Yelchin and Leonard Nimoy, fourth movies can sometimes be dicey, especially when their franchise wasn’t really built with it in mind. And it’s anyone’s guess as to if a Starfleet prequel set in the same timeline will rejuvenate it for more films or just be a small detour before we head back to Prime time.

In 2022, Chris Pine said the best way forward for Star Trek movies may require they be less bombastic, more geared toward fans, and cost less to make. It’s an easy sentiment to get behind, and that may really only be possible by junking Trek 4 and doing it with another movie. The Enterprise of the Kelvinverse had a good run, and after 15 years, it’s more than fine to boldly go in a new direction.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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