hunter species star trek voyager

• The Original Series
• The Next Generation
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Project Daedalus

Su’kal, the war without, the war within.

Aboard the starship Voyager, a new threat is detected in their journey home. The Kazon, a ruthless and resourceful species, have been tracking their movements and are determined to thwart their progress. As the Kazon prepare to attack, the crew is faced with the daunting task of finding a way to outwit their pursuers.

Captain Janeway and her crew face a difficult decision on how best to proceed in these hostile waters. As they attempt to formulate a plan, they discover the presence of a powerful and enigmatic force that may be able to aid their cause. This entity is known as the Hunters, an ancient alien race that has been charged with protecting the galaxy from all threats.

The Hunters offer to help the Voyager crew, but their assistance comes with a price. In exchange for their help, the Hunters demand that the Voyager crew surrender a portion of their resources to them. Faced with the ultimatum, the crew must decide if they are willing to trust a race they know nothing about in order to save their ship.

Despite reservations from the crew, Janeway decides to enlist the help of the Hunters in their fight against the Kazon. As the Hunters and the Kazon engage in a fierce battle, it becomes clear that the Voyager crew will not be able to make it to safety without assistance. With the Kazon’s superior numbers and weaponry, it appears that the crew is doomed to fail in their mission to reach home.

Fortunately, the Hunters prove to be invaluable allies. With their advanced weaponry and techniques, they are able to fend off the Kazon attackers and give the Voyager crew time to come up with a plan. Despite their victory, the Hunters demand their payment from the crew and Janeway must find a way to appease the Hunters without compromising the safety of her crew.

With the help of the Hunters, the Voyager crew manage to escape the Kazon’s assault and begin to make their way home. Though the crew is grateful for the Hunters’ assistance, they also find themselves wondering if the cost of their help was too high. The crew must come to terms with the consequences of their decision to enlist the help of an alien race with a dubious reputation.

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Star Trek: Voyager - Who Are The Hirogen?

This lesser-known race of aliens is Star Trek's answer to the Predator.

Writing the beloved ongoing Star Trek franchise comes with many challenges. Every episode is a new adventure, every old idea can be constantly remixed, and every character can have a fascinating interplay with their allies or enemies. One of the fun tasks of Star Trek creators is designing new alien species. Sometimes they borrow inspiration from iconic examples, like the Hirogen, which takes inspiration from the Yautja of Predator fame.

Voyager is the fifth Star Trek series. It had a lot on its shoulders, between accompanying Deep Space Nine , launching the UPN network, and bringing the franchise's first female main character to life. Star Trek was in a time of reckless experimentation, and some ideas turned out better than others.

RELATED: Star Trek: Voyager - Who Is Seska?

Who are the Hirogen?

The Hirogen are a species of humanoid aliens known for their obsession with hunting. They're considerably larger, stronger, and more aware than most bipedal aliens. They can survive toxic atmospheres and shrug off impressive amounts of harmful drugs. Hirogen culture is entirely built upon hunting . They view all other beings as potential prey and collect trophies from those they kill. Their society is stratified into hunting parties who spend almost all their time pursuing targets. This cultural desire has forced the Hirogen into a nomadic lifestyle. They consistently travel the galaxy to find unique prey. Individual Hirogen are rewarded for their triumphs, but the species is suffering. Though they are obsessed with killing, their need to hunt is more complex than a sadistic power trip.

The Hirogen value "worthy prey" above all else. If their target puts up a fight, it's considered worthy. As long as the victim is strong enough to add danger to the experience, the Hirogen will claim trophies from their corpse. Unlike many warrior cultures, Hirogen hunters must study their prey before attacking. Skill is as important a virtue as strength to the Hirogen. Hunting came with many rituals. Hirogen paint their faces, select specific weapons for unique targets, and consistently strive to hunt new prey. When they capture their targets alive, they learn everything they can. Hirogen have firm rules against showing sympathy to their victims. They also forbid causing unnecessary suffering, encouraging hunters to kill quickly and painlessly. It's said that the Hirogen once had an advanced civilization, but their increasingly unproductive hunts forced them to become nomads. Members of the species gradually discovered that their way of life was unsustainable. Their obsession quickly became self-destructive, but they had no interest in stopping.

What inspired the Hirogen?

Behind-the-scenes conversations revealed several inspirations for the Hirogen. Screenwriters Brannon Braga and Bryan Fuller initially set out to create a broad, threatening alien race. The Hirogen were humanoid, like most Star Trek aliens , but they were considerably better built. Football players inspired the Hirogen's initial design. They have mottled skin inspired by Gila monster scales. Braga wanted actors over six foot six to play the Hirogen, but casting on short notice made that challenging. They settled on a few tall performers with smaller Hirogen filling the ranks. Crew members mentioned some similarities with the ill-fated Voyager species, the Kazon, but they have deliberate differences.

The Hirogen have been called Star Trek 's answer to the Predator . Crew members, including writer/producer Joe Menosky, have acknowledged the inspiration. The Yautja doesn't look much like the Hirogen, but their cultures are similar. They're both aliens that hunt lesser species, value competition in their targets, and claim trophies. Several depictions of the Hirogen putting skulls on display are identical to shots from Predator 2 . Hirogen armor resembles the Yautja's formal wear, missing the iconic dreadlocks. The Hirogen provide a more intellectual take on an interstellar trophy-hunting culture . Star Trek adds nuance to even the most explosive of old-fashioned action movies.

Where do the Hirogen appear?

The Hirogen appear in nine episodes of Voyager . They're best known for the two-part episode "The Killing Game." Twenty years after their final appearance in the show that originated the species, a Hirogen appeared in Star Trek: Picard . Much of the Hirogen was assimilated by the Borg Collective. A Hirogen who escaped the cyborgs' grasp is executed in the 2020 episode "Nepenthe." They can be found in novels like Demons of Air and Darkness . Fans can also find the Hirogen in video games, including Star Trek Online and Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force .

The Hirogen aren't the most complex race in Star Trek history . They started from the humble desire to pit the Voyager crew against stronger foes and became one of their mightiest adversaries. Voyager demonstrated its love of nuance by adapting a beloved sci-fi concept into something more intriguing. Whereas the Predator movies use their antagonists as metaphors or horror premises, Star Trek makes a broader point about the nature of trophy-hunting and the virtues of conservation. The Hirogen are more fascinating than their brief lifespan gave them credit for.

MORE: Star Trek: Is Voyager More Advanced Than The Enterprise?

• Gamma Quadrant

Hunter (species)

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The Hunters are a technologically advanced humanoid non-player race native to the Gamma Quadrant . Their life centers around hunting the Tosk . The hunt is highly ritualized. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine )

• 2 Appearance
• 3 Duty officers
• 5 External links

History [ | ]

One Tosk accidentally came through the Bajoran wormhole in the 24th century and the hunt continued on Deep Space 9 . When the Hunters finally subdued him, they promised to avoid the wormhole in the future. (DS9 episode " Captive Pursuit ")

Appearance [ | ]

The Hunters are a reptilian species. They have the same forehead detail as the Tosk but the rest of the face is smooth. The skin color is lime green.

Duty officers [ | ]

Hunter duty officers are only available for the Klingon Empire .

See also [ | ]

• Instruments of Pursuit , a two-piece Tosk Hunter Lobi ground set
• Hirogen , another hunting species

External links [ | ]

• Hunter at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.

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Star Trek: Voyager

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home. Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home. Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

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• Trivia When auditioning for the part of the holographic doctor, Robert Picardo was asked to say the line "Somebody forgot to turn off my program." He did so, then ad-libbed "I'm a doctor, not a light bulb" and got the part.
• Goofs There is speculation that the way the Ocampa are shown to have offspring is an impossible situation, as a species where the female can only have offspring at one event in her life would half in population every generation, even if every single member had offspring. While Ocampa females can only become pregnant once in their lifetime, if was never stated how many children could be born at one time. Kes mentions having an uncle, implying that multiple births from one pregnancy are possible.

Seven of Nine : Fun will now commence.

• Alternate versions Several episodes, such as the show's debut and finale, were originally aired as 2-hour TV-movies. For syndication, these episodes were reedited into two-part episodes to fit one-hour timeslots.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (1999)

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10 Background Characters Star Trek Fans Love

• Background characters in Star Trek add depth to the universe, making it feel lived-in and real.
• Beloved regular faces like Lt. M'Ress, Nurse Ogawa, and Mr. Mot enhance Star Trek shows.
• From Lt. Linus to Dr. Migleemo, each background character brings their own unique charm to the series.

There's something about beloved Star Trek background characters that really helps its universe feel lived-in and real. While the primary action is taking place, it's up to the background actors to make the sets look like genuine places where people are going about their business. These are the folks at the bridge stations who aren't in the opening credits. They're the assistants to the main characters. They're the beloved regular faces spotted among the crowds in establishing shots, and the names floating around duty rosters and civilian gossip that remind viewers that there's more to Star Trek than the captains and chief engineers.

There are so many background characters from all of the Star Trek shows who are beloved by fans, of course. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Promenade is full of colorful background characters without names or personal histories, like the singing Klingon chef (Ron Taylor). Star Trek: Voyager features recurring background characters, since being stuck in the Delta Quadrant means no new Starfleet officers can join the crew. Star Trek: The Next Generation features background characters who sometimes level up to become proper guest stars , and in one famous case, a series regular: the "most important person in Starfleet" and original lower-decker, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney). Here are 10 background characters Star Trek fans love.

20 Best New Star Trek Characters Of The Last 20 Years

Lt. m'ress (majel barrett), star trek: the animated series.

Lt. M'Ress is a Caitian officer with a seat on the USS Enterprise bridge, created for Star Trek: The Animated Series when Star Trek 's jump to animation meant that the aliens in Star Trek were no longer restrained by what the makeup department could physically create. As the first Caitian in Star Trek , M'Ress sets the standard for the feline alien species , later echoed by Star Trek 's other animated Caitian, Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

Like many background characters, M'Ress' cool character design is a top reason for her appeal, but M'Ress earns her spot on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise by being a capable officer. M'Ress' duties as relief communications officer include communication within the Enterprise as well as to outside vehicles, along with scientific duties as situations arise, similar to the duties of primary communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).

Lt. M'Ress appeared in 2 episodes of the "anything but canon" animated web series Star Trek: very Short Treks, voiced by Cristina Milizia.

Lt. T'Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski)

Star trek: picard.

The starship action of Star Trek: Picard season 3 takes place primarily aboard the USS Titan-A, and as such, introduces a brand-new bridge crew of younger Starfleet officers, one of which is the Vulcan Lt. T'Veen. T'Veen stands out as both a woman and a Vulcan for her striking bald appearance , marking her look as both novel and unique. Actor Stephanie Czajkowski suggests that T'Veen may have some Deltan ancestry, but in reality, T'Veen's lack of locks comes from Czajkowski's own battles with cancer.

When Vadic (Amanda Plummer) commandeers the Titan in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 8, "Surrender" , T'Veen is one of the Titan bridge officers used as leverage against Vadic's request for Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). At this point in Picard , the Titan's crew are painted as candidates for a potential spinoff show, but Lt. T'Veen's shocking death at Vadic's hand sends the message that no one is safe.

Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff)

Star trek: the next generation, star trek: lower decks.

The original claim to fame for Ensign Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff) is being the eager young engineer who unfortunately spills hot chocolate on Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation , season 2, episode 16, "Q Who". Serving on the USS Enterprise-D with Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is Gomez's dream job, and the chocolate-covered Captain isn't going to earn her any high marks. La Forge recognizes Gomez's talent as an antimatter specialist, and helps Sonya focus, despite the gaffe.

Lycia Naff makes a triumphant return to Star Trek as Captain Sonya Gomez in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, "First First Contact", commanding the USS Archimedes with the same compassionate focus on problem-solving that La Forge had as Gomez's mentor. Captain Gomez's story is proof that Star Trek characters do learn from their earliest mistakes , and can come out on top in the end.

Mr. Mot (Ken Thorley)

Star trek: the next generation.

In an interesting twist, Mr. Mot is a barber working on the USS Enterprise-D, and happens to be a Bolian, a species that has no hair of their own. Nonetheless, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) says that the civilian Mot is the best barber in Starfleet . There's more to being a barber than just cutting hair, after all, and Mot's listening ears are available to anyone who comes to sit in his barbershop chair, as long as they don't mind receiving a little free advice on the side.

The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur.

After providing excellent service to the crew on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mot grew even more successful. The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur, which is evident by the presence of Mr. Mot's Hair Emporium as one of the many businesses in Stardust City, on the planet Freecloud, as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 5, "Stardust City Rag".

Bolians are named for Star Trek director Cliff Bole, who directed a total of 42 episodes between his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager .

10 Star Trek Characters Fans See Themselves In

Groundskeeper boothby (ray walston), star trek: the next generation, star trek: voyager.

Mr. Boothby is a positive influence on generations of Starfleet officers at Starfleet Academy, but one would be wrong to assume that Boothby is an accomplished instructor working to shape young minds, because Boothby works at Starfleet Academy as the head groundskeeper. Groundskeeper Boothby's no-nonsense approach to the natural development of the Academy's flora also applies to how Boothby interacts with Starfleet cadets .

Boothby's influence on the USS Voyager crew was evident in Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episode 4, "In the Flesh", when a Species 8472 leader took on the guise of Boothby in a Starfleet Academy simulation, instead of a high-ranking Admiral.

Sometimes, Boothby's advice is harsh, as was the case with Jean-Luc Picard as a Starfleet Academy cadet. But in the end, Boothby always has an uncanny sensibility for knowing exactly how to cultivate the best forms of both botanical specimens and future Starfleet officers.

Lt. Kayshon (Carl Tart)

Star trek: lower decks.

Lt. Kayshon has the honor of being the first Tamarian in Starfleet , debuting in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 2, "Kayshon, His Eyes Open", as the USS Cerritos' new security officer. The Tamarians, first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 2, "Darmok", have a puzzling metaphorical language reliant on background knowledge of Tamarian culture. The Tamarian phrases from "Darmok" have been adopted by Star Trek fans as a fun way to signal our fandom to each other, so it makes sense that a Tamarian officer should show up on Star Trek: Lower Decks , itself a celebration of Star Trek 's own weird and wonderful moments.

Kayshon spends more time in the background after his first episode, still part of the USS Cerritos' security team. The years between "Picard and Dathon at El-Adred" and Kayshon's assignment to the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks mean the communication gap between Kayshon and the rest of the USS Cerritos' crew is much smaller than it might have been in the past. Kayshon communicates in Federation Standard, but still slips into Tamarian metaphor from time to time, which just adds new phrases to the Tamarian lexicon.

Dr. Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins)

In Dr. Migleemo, Star Trek: Lower Decks continues the tradition that was established with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on Star Trek: The Next Generation by having a counselor aboard the USS Cerritos . Strictly speaking, Migleemo is not the galaxy's best counselor , with a whole plateful of food metaphors that don't always land butter-side-up, but Migleemo's heart is always in the right place.

As a bird-like alien of an unspecified species, Dr. Migleemo's character design pays homage to Star Trek: The Animated Series , since a bird man in a tweed suit may not translate that well to live action, but works perfectly for animation.

Even though Migleemo is bad at his job, it's in a way that's not actively harmful, but makes you want to root for him, just like any other lower decker on the Cerritos. Sometimes Migleemo gets it right , after all, like counseling Ensign D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) in the senior science officer training program in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 3, "Mining the Mind's Mines".

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake)

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) usually has assistants in the background of the USS Enterprise-D's sick bay, and one of these, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, is a regular background character starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4. Ogawa grows as a character over the course of TNG 's final four seasons , receiving a full name as of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 18, "Cause and Effect", and developing as a character through Ogawa's casual conversations with Dr. Crusher about Alyssa's dating history.

Nurse Ogawa gets more to do when Ogawa is one of the four USS Enterprise-D junior officers at the heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, "Lower Decks" , focusing on the friendship between often-overlooked characters. Ogawa's story focuses on Alyssa's relationship with Lieutenant Andrew Powell, and culminates in their off-screen engagement.

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa also appears in two Star Trek movies: Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact .

Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson)

Star trek: discovery.

With Lt. Linus, Star Trek: Discovery shows in a casual, but meaningful way what it looks like to actively include someone with unique needs . Arriving in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Lt. Linus is a Saurian science officer who never fails to provide a little levity just by being himself. By all accounts, Linus is well-liked among the USS Discovery's crew , with plenty of crew members referring to Linus and Saurian customs relatively favorably.

Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Starfleet easily makes accommodations available for Linus' differences in biology , granting personal time set aside for annual shedding, and providing heat lamps in Linus' quarters as needed. After Star Trek: Discovery 's time jump , Linus takes a little more time to understand the new 32nd-century technology, but he's never admonished for catching up to the learning curve. Instead, Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Every DS9 Alien In Star Trek: Discovery

Morn (mark allen shepherd), star trek: deep space nine.

Morn is a fixture in Quark's Bar from the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the perennial barfly occupying the same seat at the end of the table. According to the other patrons at Quark's, Morn rarely shuts up, but the joke is, of course, that Morn is always cut off before delivering any speaking lines. Instead, the picture of who Morn really is slowly comes together through other people's comments and conversation about Morn, with the speculation about Morn's true identity finally coming to a head in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 12, "Who Mourns for Morn". Morn's apparent death is a blow to the community and all who knew him, but also reveals surprising facts about DS9 's Morn , like Morn's secret riches and tactical mind, confirming that there was more to the enigmatic Lurian than Morn's signature bar stool.

True to form, Morn is seated at Quark's Bar when the USS Cerritos visits Deep Space Nine in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 6, "Hear All, Trust Nothing".

Sometimes the Star Trek characters who aren't major players become some of the most beloved characters. When background characters on Star Trek attract the eyes of viewers with interesting character designs or memorable moments, they may wind up in expanded roles as their Star Trek shows go on. These featured background characters will get lines and names, and might even have a major part in an episode or two, but most live out their lives off-screen. From the bridge crew to the lower decks, from Starfleet officers to civilians, it's the unsung heroes in the background who keep Star Trek moving while the main action is taking place.

Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Addressed One of Deep Space Nine’s Biggest Unanswered Questions

The Star Trek: Discovery episode "Mirrors" includes a HUGE reveal about the Breen, an odd alien species from Deep Space Nine.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

“I wonder what the Breen look like under those helmets?” asks Ezri Dax in the Deep Space Nine season seven episode “‘Till Death Do Us Part.” That’s a strange question, given that Ezri and Worf had been captured by the Breen and interrogated for some time. But despite their close and uncomfortable contact with the hostile alien species, neither hostage learned much about them.

“They say no one has ever seen one and lived to speak of it,” Worf answers.

Ezri continues in her usual lighthearted manner. “Maybe they’re all furry. It’s supposed to be very cold on Breen.”

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“One thing is certain.”

“They’re horrible cooks?”

“They are dangerous,” responds Worf, with even greater gravity than the Klingon usually assumes. “They do not tolerate incursions into their space. During the Second Empire, Chancellor Mow’ga sent a fleet of Klingon ships to conquer their homeworld, and they were never heard from again.”

Until today, that bit of dialogue encapsulated everything that Trekkies knew about the Breen. First mentioned in The Next Generation, the Breen appeared most prominently in the final season of Deep Space Nine , in which the Breen presented a threat that undid whatever gains the Federation had made in the Dominion War.

When the Dominion first entered the Alpha Quadrant through a wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant, they threatened to immediately overwhelm the Federation. As a result, the Federation had to align with longtime antagonists the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire. That confederation was more than a match for the Dominion/Cardassian alliance, but then the Dominion upped its hand by enlisting the terrifying Breen. It would take a miracle for the Alpha Quadrant forces to win. Fortunately, the Federation had a miracle on its side in the form of the Prophets (and the morally flexible Section 31 ) and won the war.

The Breen rarely appeared after Deep Space Nine concluded, and it’s easy to see why. They felt like they came from another universe, even moreso than the alien oddities that often appeared on Star Trek . With their monocular helmets and gravelly, indistinguishable voices, they felt like something out of Star Wars — specifically, they felt like riffs on Princess Leia’s bounty hunter disguise at the start of Return of the Jedi . Although they get a couple of nods in Voyager and, of course, Lower Decks , the Breen were largely relegated to a handful of non-canon novels.

That is, until the Star Trek: Discovery season five episode “ Mirrors .” In that episode, we finally learn that L’ak, a courier who has been chasing past Discovery in a search for Progenitor tech with his partner Moll, is a Breen who doesn’t wear helmet that hides his face, showing us for the first time what the species actually looks like under the armor. That’s a surprise because L’ak appeared to be just a regular green-skinned alien, a little lizard-esque in appearance, almost like a Reptilian Xindi from Enterprise .

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In fact, “Mirrors” does a lot more than just show us the face of the Breen. We also learn more about their culture, getting a sense of why they refuse to use a Universal Translator in conversation with other races and of their political system. In a move that recalls another Star Wars property, The Mandalorian , the Breen consider their helmets their true faces, and in fact have a transparent look when they remove that helmet.

But as L’ak makes clear, the Breen have the capacity to change, something hinted by the warmth and softness performer Elias Toufexis brings to his imposing character. Not only has L’ak made his skin non-translucent, but he’s adopted Federation Standard (aka English) and moved beyond his hierarchical culture.

Those changes are a good thing, because the Breen have always created problems for Star Trek canon. As many fans have noted, although Worf insisted that no one had seen the Breen under their costumes, Kira and others stole Breen uniforms to move behind enemy lines at one point on the series. They must have gotten a glimpse of the Breen then, right?

For Ronald D. Moore , one of the key creatives during the ’90s Star Trek era, that’s not necessarily the case. “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,” Moore said in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . “Or maybe there’s a little slug, some tiny little creature in there. I never wanted them to be humanoid in any way.”

“Mirrors” goes against Moore’s wishes then, but that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Discovery started its life by radically altering the Klingons. Looks like it will be ending its life by radically altering the Breen. But this time, it’s for the better.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Screen Rant

Star trek: voyager & ds9 crossed over in the mirror universe.

Despite being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, a Star Trek: Voyager crew member briefly crossed over into the Mirror Universe to join the DS9 cast.

• Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine crossed over within the Mirror Universe, bringing the shows together across vast cosmic distances.
• The crossovers featuring characters like Tuvok and Doctor Zimmerman added depth to the interconnected Star Trek universe.
• Despite differing tones, Voyager and DS9 remain beloved shows, delighting audiences through streaming platforms today.

Despite being separated by thousands of light years, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine crossed over inside the Mirror Universe. Voyager and Deep Space Nine were very different in tone, due to the differing approaches of the shows' respective producers, Brannon Braga and Ira Steven Behr. Where DS9 was a serialized drama that tackled huge themes, Voyager embraced a traditional episodic approach that could sometimes feel disposable and regressive . Despite their differences in tone, DS9 and Voyager are two beloved Star Trek TV shows that still delight audiences to this day via streaming, which is a testament to the versatility and timelessness of the franchise.

As the USS Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant, it was hard, but not impossible, for Star Trek: Voyager to cross over into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Alpha and Gamma Quadrant settings. In fact, there was a surprising number of Star Trek characters who guested on Voyager from Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) to Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Creative approaches such as intervention by Q (John de Lancie), glimpses of Starfleet's attempts to locate the missing USS Voyager, and even the Mirror Universe allowed Star Trek: Voyager to crossover with its 1990s contemporaries, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Every 1990s Era Star Trek Crossover

Star trek: voyager’s tuvok crossed over with ds9’s mirror universe, star trek: deep space nine, season 3, episode 19, "through the looking glass".

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 19, "Through the Looking Glass", Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) is captured and taken to the Mirror Universe by "Smiley" O'Brien (Colm Meaney). The Rebellion in the Mirror Universe wanted Prime Sisko to convince the ex-wife of his Terran counterpart to join the resistance against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance . As Sisko is taken to the Terran Rebellion's enclave, he meets the Mirror Universe variants of his DS9 crew mates. In the same scene Sisko also meets the Mirror Universe version of Star Trek: Voyager 's Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ), leading a more logic-driven faction of the Rebellion.

Mirror Tuvok is the only Mirror Universe variant of a Star Trek: Voyager character that has appeared on TV.

Tuvok was included in "Through the Looking Glass" at the request of Rick Berman , who presumably wanted to strengthen the links between Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . DS9 season 3 and Voyager season 1 aired concurrently with each other, and "Through the Looking Glass" aired on April 17, 1995, a week when there was no new episode of Voyager . In this gap between "State of Flux" and "Heroes and Demons", therefore, a brief crossover between Voyager and DS9 was a good way to keep the fledgling Star Trek show in the minds of the audience.

Every Voyager & DS9 Star Trek Crossover

"Through the Looking Glass" isn't the only crossover between Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Voyager pilot "Caretaker" features the USS Voyager depart from Deep Space Nine to search for the missing Tuvok and the Maquis ship, the Valjean in the Badlands. As with McCoy and Picard in the previous Star Trek pilots, DS9 's Quark (Armin Shimerman) appeared in "Caretaker" to pass the baton to Voyager . In a scene that demonstrated how green the young Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) was, he almost falls for one of Quark's latest scams, until he's rescued by Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill).

Gul Evek (Richard Poe) and Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd) are the two other Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters that appear in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot.

A version of Star Trek: Voyager 's Doctor (Robert Picardo) appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 16, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" alongside his creator Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (also Picardo). Technically, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine marks the first real appearance by the EMH's creator, who had previously appeared in Voyager as a holographic replica. The real Zimmerman would later appear in Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 24, "Life Line", which also featured Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) further strengthening the bonds between different corners of the Star Trek universe.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Species 8472

• View history

Species 8472 was the Borg designation for a non-humanoid species native to a dimension called fluidic space , accessible through quantum singularities . Their highly developed biology and organic technology rendered them tactically superior even to the Borg , who considered them the "apex of biological evolution ". Seven of Nine rated Species 8472 devious and highly intelligent, claiming it would seek the most efficient means of destroying its opponent. ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Scorpion, Part II ", " Prey ") The species' name for itself is unknown, having only been referred to by their Borg designation.

• 1.1 War with the Borg
• 1.2 The Federation "threat"
• 1.3 Aftermath
• 4 Technology
• 5 Individuals
• 6.1 Appearances
• 6.2.1 Origins
• 6.2.2 Designing the alien
• 6.2.3 Digital modeling
• 6.2.4 Reception
• 6.3 Apocrypha
• 6.4 Further reading
• 6.5 External links

History [ ]

War with the borg [ ].

The Borg encountered Species 8472 in 2373 , after finding their way into fluidic space to search for more species worthy of assimilation . However, Species 8472 proved immune to assimilation and the invasion of their realm provoked a war ; according to Seven of Nine , Species 8472 was the first species to offer "true resistance to the Borg" in their long history . With their superior biological technology , Species 8472 drove the Borg back and launched a counter-invasion of the galaxy , annihilating large numbers of Borg drones , ships and even planets .

The Federation starship USS Voyager encountered Species 8472 around this time, during which a member of the species telepathically communicated their genocidal intentions to Kes . Upon realizing this, Captain Kathryn Janeway decided to ally with the Borg to stop Species 8472, while also ensuring safe passage through Borg space . Armed with bio-molecular warheads which contained modified nanoprobes developed by The Doctor , Voyager destroyed a number of Species 8472 bio-ships in fluidic and normal space. Species 8472 withdrew to their realm, soon after, in fear of the new weapon. ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Scorpion, Part II ", " Prey "). The consequences of Janeway's actions with Species 8472 almost resulted in Janeway being assimilated by the Borg. ( VOY : " Hope and Fear ")

A member of Species 8472 struggles with a Hirogen hunter.

One member of Species 8472 was left behind in normal space and was relentlessly tracked by a pair of Hirogen hunters for several months . This individual later boarded Voyager in an attempt to return home to fluidic space. Captain Janeway intended to aid its effort, but Seven of Nine refused. Shortly afterward, as the Species 8472 grappled with a Hirogen hunter, Seven took the opportunity to beam them both to a nearby Hirogen ship . ( VOY : " Prey ")

The Federation "threat" [ ]

Their conflict with Voyager led Species 8472 to dismiss the Borg as "irrelevant" and focus their efforts on Humanity , as they had proven themselves much more dangerous with the use of the bio-molecular warhead. In response, they built several terraspheres in the Delta Quadrant containing simulations of Starfleet Headquarters , and genetically modified themselves to resemble Alpha Quadrant species. Their goal was reconnaissance : to infiltrate Earth and gather intelligence on Starfleet 's military capabilities and plans. Some Species 8472 were uncomfortable experiencing the lives of lifeforms so different from themselves, while others found elements of it enjoyable.

In 2375 , Voyager discovered Terrasphere 8 by chance after detecting an ersatz Federation signal. Species 8472 subsequently captured Commander Chakotay , who was on a reconnaissance mission on the terrasphere, believing a Federation attack was imminent. The crew of Voyager managed to convince them that they had no contact with Earth and no hostile intentions, and were able to broker a cease-fire in which they offered the modified nanoprobes in exchange for data on Species 8472's technology. Afterward, Species 8472 returned to fluidic space. ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Aftermath [ ]

The Borg continued to patrol a border with fluidic space in the Beta Quadrant . Axum suggested that he would try to make contact with Species 8472 after he was liberated from " Unimatrix Zero " in 2377 . ( VOY : " Unimatrix Zero, Part II ")

Biology [ ]

Close-up of a Species 8472 eye

Two members of Species 8472 courting

Species 8472 stood approximately three meters tall and were tripedal. Their eyes had cruciform pupils and they lacked obvious mouths , nostrils , and ears . They had an epidermis . They were immensely strong, able to dismember humanoid limbs, and rip through bulkheads with ease. They did not breathe oxygen and apparently did not need any atmosphere for survival. They could walk without the aid of gravity , being able to cling to surfaces. ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Prey ", " In the Flesh ") Species 8472 had as many as five sexes . ( VOY : " Someone to Watch Over Me ")

Species 8472 blood cells

Each cell of a Species 8472 contained over a hundred times the DNA of a human cell; the DNA had a triple helix structure and, as of 2374 , was the most densely coded of any lifeform known to the Federation . Species 8472 possessed an extraordinarily powerful immune system , capable of immediately destroying nearly any foreign agent whether chemical, biological, or technological. This rendered them immune to Borg assimilation . The Species, however, were susceptible to a modified form of Borg nanoprobe that could evade detection by their immune system and disintegrate their cells. ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Scorpion, Part II ") If Species 8472 cells were introduced into another lifeform, they rapidly proliferated and began to consume it from the inside out. ( VOY : " Scorpion ") Their blood consisted of DNA and polyfluidic compounds . ( VOY : " Prey ") In desperate situations, they could commit suicide by releasing a cellular toxin into their bloodstreams. ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Species 8472 was highly resistant to almost all forms of technology . Their bodies generated a bioelectric field that blocked sensors and impeded transporter locks. They could penetrate force fields and withstand quantities of weapons fire that would be lethal to most other lifeforms. Even when injured to the point of appearing dead, they could regenerate. ( VOY : " Prey ")

In their native form, Species 8472 was only known to communicate via telepathy (though they could produce some rudimentary sounds, such as shrieks, hisses and growls). They could initiate mental contact with other telepathic species , such as Ocampa and Vulcans , though to the recipient such experiences were physically taxing and difficult to understand. ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Prey ") Species 8472 did not sleep . ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Culture [ ]

Being the only known inhabitants of fluidic space, Species 8472 was intensely xenophobic . They regarded all other lifeforms as impure and weak, and a threat to their genetic integrity. In response to the Borg "contaminating" their realm, Species 8472 intended to purge all life from the Milky Way Galaxy . ( VOY : " Scorpion ", " Scorpion, Part II ")

However, some members of Species 8472 gained a new appreciation for the experiences of humanoid species after assuming their forms. For example, " Valerie Archer " expressed fondness for various works of Federation art , literature , and music . ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Technology [ ]

A console on a bio-ship

Species 8472 used highly advanced organic technology . Their bio-ships were composed of the same biological material as Species 8472, and thus shared both their resistance to technology and their vulnerability to modified nanoprobes. Eight bio-ships working in tandem with an energy focusing ship wielded enough firepower to destroy a planet . ( VOY : " Scorpion ") Species 8472 also possessed sophisticated genetic engineering techniques that allowed them to mimic other lifeforms; this deception, which was maintained through periodic isomorphic injections , could be revealed only through a microcellular scan . While in such mimicked forms, they were functionally a member of the target species and biologically required to live as that species did. A Human or Vulcan form for example was limited to breathing the same atmospheric gasses, required sleep, and was vulnerable to the Vulcan neck pinch . ( VOY : " In the Flesh ") Species 8472 was able to make use of both holographic technology and particle synthesis . ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

Individuals [ ]

• " Valerie Archer "
• " Boothby "
• " Bullock "
• " David Gentry "
• " Jason Hayek "
• " O'Halloran "
• " Reiskin "
• Unnamed Species 8472
• Terrasphere 8 personnel

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Scorpion "
• " Scorpion, Part II "
• " In the Flesh "
• " Someone to Watch Over Me " ( holophoto )

Background information [ ]

Origins [ ].

In the first draft script of "Scorpion", this type of alien was initially referred to as "Species 84729" when the draft was submitted on 18 February 1997 . The species was renamed to its eventual designation by the time a particular revision of the initial draft of the teleplay was issued on 24 February 1997.

The creation of Species 8472 was inspired by the success of previous visual effects in the series, particularly the design of the macrovirus in " Macrocosm ". Visual Effects Supervisor Ronald B. Moore commented, " [Executive Producer Jeri Taylor ] saw that we could do that and maybe, if we had something with a little more meat on it, literally, that we could try to move forward. " ("Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", VOY Season 3 DVD special features) According to Taylor herself, Species 8472 was originally conceived by Brannon Braga , who co-wrote " Scorpion ". ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)

Visual Effects Producer Dan Curry was also influential in the genesis of the Species 8472 design. CGI Effects Director Ron Thornton said, " From what I understand [...] Dan Curry, God bless him, managed to convince the producers it would be a really good idea to do a wicked, computer-generated character, something that wasn't a guy in a suit or a guy with chewing gum on his nose. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37) Curry himself remarked, " When we were originally going to have that species, I suggested to the producers that instead of doing it [as] a guy in a suit, let's take advantage of some of the new CG technology, and do something that can't be a guy in a suit. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 74) Director David Livingston noted, " There was no choice but to create a CGI model. We couldn't do something realistic [in live action]. " ("Braving the Unknown: Season Three", VOY Season 3 DVD special features)

The process of designing Species 8472 began with the script of "Scorpion". Dan Curry recollected, " We had a script for a very vicious alien creature that had to be so powerful and so fearsome that it was able to chop up and destroy the Borg. " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features) Concept artist Steve Burg elaborated, " It said it was big, and ferocious, and terrifying, and moved very quickly; it was 14 feet tall at one point. That was about it. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 28) In the script of "Scorpion" (both the first draft and final draft), the species was described as being at least ten feet tall and wearing an alien breathing apparatus. [1] CGI animator John Teska recalled how he and the rest of CGI effects house Foundation Imaging heard about the conversations over the script: " As there were, you know, script discussions happening at Paramount , we started to get the early word that there may be a new nemesis, a new character that would make even the Borg afraid. And it was very exciting just to know that there's going to be a CG character, that it was going to be a major player for that season. " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features)

Designing the alien [ ]

A conceptual progenitor of Species 8472

Dan Curry came up with the concept of having the aliens each be three-legged. By this stage, he had spent lots of time pondering the potentiality of a tripod alien, motivated by several inspirations. He noted, " I guess it goes back to the old fifties' sci-fi book Day of the Triffids , about these tripod plants that come to Earth and cause trouble. " Another influence on the tripod design was a similarly three-legged, alien character that had appeared in a science-fiction fantasy play that Curry had written, designed and directed, as one of his thesis projects in grad school. " That was a comedic creature, " he noted, " but when this came along, I thought, 'Well, hey, wouldn't it be cool to do a tripod creature?' " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features) Yet another relevant influence was knowing that Foundation Imaging, who were commissioned to design the creature, would likely be able to handle such a lifeform. " I knew also that on 'Hypernauts' Foundation had done a tripod creature that was a kind of pet antelope called a gloose, " explained Curry. " Ron Thornton had shown me a tape of the character. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 27-28) After deciding that Species 8472 would be tripedal, Dan Curry did some sketches that he later characterized as "very, very crude." ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features)

The prospect of demonstrating that the aliens were not being played by actors had an impact on the tripedal nature of Species 8472 as well as their overall design. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 74) However, Dan Curry initially waited to relay the concept of the alien's three-legged form to Foundation Imaging, because Ronald B. Moore wanted to avoid imposing a particular design on the team. Moore recounted, " We approached Ron Thornton at Foundation and said, 'Look, here's what we're trying to do. Why don't you have your guys draw something up, and we'll look it over' [....] I would never presume to jump on that three-legged thing unless it was a script point. I'll just say, 'Show me some alien creatures.' " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 28)

Endeavoring to focus the design, Foundation Imaging brought Steve Burg into the process, he having worked as a concept artist on multiple movies and actually having been responsible for the gloose design. Burg worked with Ron Thornton, who passed all of Dan Curry's and Ron Moore's remarks on to him. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 28) During Burg's tenure on the project, the communication between him and Curry was profuse, with them exchanging many sketches and ideas. ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features; Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 74)

As Moore had planned, Burg commenced his work on the project by consulting the few details about the alien that were available in the script, including the ultimately changed notion of it having a height of fourteen feet. With very little guidelines to proceed from, however, Burg's first drawing of the alien failed to impress the producers, who deemed it as too conventional, overly similar to the creatures designed for 'Alien' and 'Predator'. Burg later admitted, " I have to say I agree [....] It does have sort of a mantis-like feeling and I think that kept on through [the design process], but I think there was a miscalculation in that we began by making it too derivative, not of Star Trek things, but of other creature designs. There are definitely similarities between the head and the alien from 'Predator.' I think it was the head they were most concerned about. They wanted something like the alien, but they didn't want a rip-off. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 28 & 30)

Following this initial rejection, Ron Thornton advised Steve Burg to produce several quick sketches featuring a variety of looks that the producers could choose from. " The next batch were just basic silhouettes, " Burg explained. " Some have three legs; some have two legs; some of them have a split tripodal base, with below the knee bifurcated. I don't think I had any real strong idea. " The three-legged approach to some of these renderings meant that the design was nearing what Dan Curry was looking for. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 30) Although some of the images showed the creature with very viscerally sharp teeth, Ron Moore steered the design away from this direction, as the creature also had to look intelligent. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 29 & 30) " One thing that Ron mentioned, which he may have gotten from Paramount, was that the thing was to have practically no mouth, " stated Burg. " One way of making it look smart is to not give it big teeth, like a Tyrannosaurus or something. If something looks very nasty and it doesn't have obvious claws or teeth, you figure it works on a whole other level. " The producers selected one of the drawings, which suggested the creature's height as well as looking suitably alien, and asked Burg to concentrate on developing it. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 30)

Steve Burg's assignment of fleshing out the chosen sketch involved a fair amount of work, as it was a view of the creature from behind and therefore didn't show its face. As he started by focusing on its alien anatomy and tackling how it might realistically move, the design continued its transformation into a more definite form. Even though Burg supported the notion of the creature having a tripod design as sounding "great," it took him a while to overcome the challenge of the alien having not only three legs but also a front and back. " The biggest problem was dealing with that third leg, " Burg commented. " In the end it became like a Human leg, but it started out as more of a symmetrical tripod; all the legs pointed out from the middle and the body was more centrally located [....] I think it moved back toward something you could relate to; it became sort of a centaur. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 30)

Even while the creature's appearance was evolving with each successive drawing, Steve Burg was forming a considerably clear idea of how it was to look, later saying, " I think that once this guy got underway he began to take on his own identity [....] At a certain point, something clicked and everyone started to see what this creature was. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 30-31)

Refining Species 8472's face

Work progressed on refining the face. One concept that Steve Burg submitted for the head was judged as being not alien-looking enough, with the producers concerned that it might be mistaken for a mask. They consequently requested that Burg sketch out some alternatives. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 31) " Since the head/face is really where the creature is expressed, it was not at all surprising that they wanted to evaluate several possible directions before committing to a more finalized concept, " said Burg. " I remember I just sat down and churned out a whole bunch of weird alien heads. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 31 & 32)

According to Dan Curry, he was responsible for deciding that the alien's neck shouldn't be a thick solid structure. " I had [...] the idea of having the neck muscles be separate tubes that you could see through, so it couldn't possibly be a guy in a suit, " Curry said. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 74) However, according to Steve Burg, this facet of the extraterrestrial came about due to him refining the shape of its head. " Somewhere in the middle of doing that I started gravitating toward the sort of tripod neck structure, " Burg related. " That seemed like a good way of making it something that obviously a person could not be wearing, even if you were in a closeup. I tend to think in terms of mechanical devices when I design, and the neck turned into a sort of flight simulator thing. That seemed to click with everybody. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 31-32) Regardless of who devised the arrangement of the neck, Ron Moore clarified, " I think that what we were trying to do was get something that didn't look like a guy in a suit. If we could design something where you could see its spinal column, and the muscles separate so you would have little openings, that would help us give it other than the look of a guy in a suit. So we tried to get that. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 95) Likewise, Ron Thornton remarked, " We wanted to make sure it had lots of open spaces in it. For example, the neck is actually three very thin muscles, so there couldn't possibly be a guy in a suit. We did the same with arms as well, giving them extra joints and things. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37)

From the various drawings of the alien's head, the producers chose two or three images. " [They] were similar to each other; sort of variations on a theme, " concluded Steve Burg. " They decided that was the direction they wanted to go. " Making the alien internally consistent allowed Burg to connect the head to the torso – a task that, thanks to the creature's relatively humanoid form, was fairly easy to achieve. " It was just a matter of maintaining the style through the body, " Burg remembered, " putting muscles under the skin that were kind of like what you saw in the head and extending that through the torso. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 32)

Digital modeling [ ]

Teska with the digital model of Species 8472

Once Steve Burg was finished externally crafting Species 8472, his drawings for the alien were handed over to John Teska, who was made responsible for building the model, turning Burg's designs into computer-generated reality. These examples of concept artwork included drawings that demonstrated the creature's full height as well as the approved head designs. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 31-33) Teska was delighted to join the project. " When I started to be brought into the process, " he remembered, " and I saw some of the sketches that were being done by Steve Burg, you know, I was totally excited because it was a non-humanoid. It didn't look like the usual guys with just facial changes. This one had this very strange kind of neck and very strange body structure, with three legs and everything. So, you know, as an animator, as a character designer or creature person, I was totally jazzed about bringing this guy to life. In this case, Steve Burg had had several meetings with Paramount, so they had several different designs [....] There were many drawings and there were features on each one they liked. So, Paramount and Dan Curry came to me and talked about these different designs, and said, 'Could you put them all together and basically create a creature out of that?' So, I didn't have any singular drawing of, 'This is the final creature.' " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features)

With John Teska's involvement, the alien design continued to develop. " The very first thing I did, " Teska recalled, " was, once I had these drawings, was just did a very simple, blocky kind of shape, just to kind of get the proportions and figure out how big the head, how big the body and everything would be, and then gave that back to Paramount. So, it became a back-and-forth thing, going from very blocky, crude... then working up to the finer details. And then, ultimately, the paint maps and the textures were done several weeks later. So, it sort of evolved over the course of his creation. " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features)

John Teska based the finer details of the design on the few facts that were available about the aliens. Even though their vague backstory did not provide much insight into the creatures' origins, the fact they were to be established as communicating psychically indicated that they wouldn't have to be depicted as talking much. " So, one of the key things was getting kind of an expressive, weird forehead and just a feeling that they were different, " Teska mused. " But then, also knowing how they attacked people – they're always described as really vicious and just tearing – and that they cause infection just by tearing at you or whatever, so.... Really, I mean, that was what drove the animation, was just trying to find a way to make them feel just really fast and menacing, you know, whereas the Borg always had numbers on their side and always had that sort of zombie, 'we're going to get you, no matter what' thing. But with Species 8472, it was just more of the surprise that they'll just... burst your doorway and start slashing. " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features) Similarly, Ron Thornton stated, " A lot of it was creating a personality for the creature in the first place [....] What we wanted to do here was something [...] like a leopard on attack. It would burst through the wall and completely decimate the Borg. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37) Ron Moore concurred that the desire to separate the look of each of the aliens from "a guy in a suit" also influenced how the visual effects team designed the aliens' movement. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 95)

The question of how to execute some of the alien design aspects initially proved somewhat troublesome. John Teska explained, " There were a few things on this character [that were questionable; the open-neck structure] [...] became a little bit of a question, how to rig that, and then the same thing with the legs. " Dan Curry noted, " My faith in John Teska as an animator was so great that I just trusted he would be able to come up with a very convincing way to move it about. " Teska continued, " Of course, I thought a lot about, 'How would this guy walk?' " Ultimately, however, he needn't have worried so much about designing the way that the alien would move. He remarked, " Ironically, we never actually saw him walk more than one or two steps over the course of his life. He's always leaping into rooms and tearing people apart, but he never actually just walked down a hallway, in any of the shots. Really, I just had to think more about getting these attack motions. " ("The Birth of Species 8472", VOY Season 4 DVD special features) Teska took a week to build the CG model of Species 8472. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 33)

A difficulty similar to portraying the aliens walking through a corridor was how to fit such a tall alien into the corridors, in the first place. Ron Thornton commented, " That it would be something nasty which was supposed to be nine feet tall made it very difficult to do. It was a little tight, squeezing a nine-foot tall character into the corridors, but I think it worked out. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37)

Highly pleased with the general flexibility of Species 8472's final design, Ron Thornton enjoyed the process of animating the alien. " Suddenly, we could do a totally non-anthropomorphic creature, that was nasty, vicious, and has a personality, " he related. " The animator now becomes an actor and has to give a performance to this creature, and that's something I love to do. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 37)

Reception [ ]

Steve Burg was ultimately very satisfied with the design of Species 8472, including the input that John Teska had, and termed the final version of the aliens as "absolutely amazing." ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 33) Shortly following the initial broadcast of the species' introductory appearance in "Scorpion", Jeri Taylor said of the aliens, " I thought [they] [...] were really cool. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , p. 12) Likewise, the inclusion of Species 8472 in " Scorpion, Part II " made that fourth season premiere a particular highlight for Dan Curry, who remarked of the installment, " It was good to see Species 8472. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 74) The possibility that the aliens would make return appearances, after the "Scorpion" two-parter, was on the condition that they proved to be popular among viewers. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 96) Shortly after the fourth season began its initial broadcast, Brannon Braga said of Species 8472, " People seem to love them, and we're definitely going to see those aliens again this season. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 34 , p. 13)

Despite the general popularity of Species 8472, the feedback from some fans included repeated accusations that the aliens were slightly too reminiscent of the Shadows from Babylon 5 . ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 38) Indeed, the unofficial reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 188) even goes as far as to state that Foundation Imaging – which created the CGI for the first three seasons of the aforementioned series, prior to working on Star Trek: Voyager – was faced with a hurried deadline in regard to the creation of Species 8472's design, and that, according to Foundation employee Adam Lebowitz , the company completed the workload by modifying the Shadows at the wire-frame stage before giving them new skin textures. Ron Thornton – who also worked on Babylon 5 – denied the resemblance, however; he directly stated that the allegation of the reuse "wasn't true." ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 , p. 38)

Species 8472 relaxing with a cigarette

Cover of Lightwavin' #4

Species 8472 was featured on the cover of Lightwavin' #4.

In a 2003 interview, Nick Sagan admitted to liking Species 8472, remarking that he thought they (in common with the Vidiians ) were one of numerous "cool aliens" that succeeded in differentiating Star Trek: Voyager from previous Star Trek series. He also opined (about Species 8472, specifically), " I think they're great villains. " [2]

At the 2009 New Jersey Star Trek convention , Kate Mulgrew remarked to the audience that Species 8472 was her personal favorite of Star Trek: Voyager 's villains. [3]

Apocrypha [ ]

Species 8472 and their bioships appear as enemies in Star Trek: Voyager - The Arcade Game .

Species 8472 is one of the main races featured in the game Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force . In that game, the player must infiltrate a Borg cube infested with Species 8472 to locate a material called "isodesium". They are also the main enemy of the Borg and a playable race in Star Trek: Armada II , in which their ships are further depicted as biological in nature, being morphed from active embryos into various types, while stations, also biological, were morphed from passive embryos.

The short story " Places of Exile " in the Myriad Universes omnibus Infinity's Prism tells the tale of an alternate reality in which Voyager is attacked by Species 8472 and crippled. The crew has no choice but to stay in the Delta Quadrant and find a way to survive. Captain Janeway and the crew form a loose alliance of Delta Quadrant species called the "Delta Coalition". The crew also meets 8472 again but they need help from the Coalition. In this story, Species 8472 receive a name – the "Groundskeepers" (in keeping with the incarnation of " Boothby " seen in VOY : " In the Flesh ", who retained much of the personality of the original Boothby and plays a major role in the story).

In the game Star Trek Online , Species 8472 told the Klingons to call them the "Undine", revealed in the tie-in novel The Needs of the Many to roughly translate from the Undine language as "Groundskeepers". In the novel and the game itself, the Undine are major antagonists, having infiltrated the Federation, Klingon Defense Force , and many other factions at all levels. It is the discovery of this infiltration by the Klingon Empire, and the Federation's refusal to believe their warnings, that contribute to the outbreak of war between the Empire and Federation at the game's outset. It is later revealed that the Iconians had attacked the Undine in fluidic space, making them believe that the Alpha and Beta quadrant powers were mounting an invasion and provoking the Undines' actions, including infiltrating the various galactic powers, as well as attacking the Voth as they fought the allied forces of Starfleet, the KDF, and Romulan Republic in the Solanae Dyson sphere . The conflict reaches its climax after the Undine mount an assault on Spacedock One , and the attempt to deploy "Planet-Killer" weapons against Ferenginar , Gornar , Andoria , Qo'noS , and Cardassia Prime . After being repelled by the allied fleets, the Undine retreat back to the Delta Quadrant. Admiral Tuvok and the player manage to negotiate a truce between the Undine and the allied forces at the culmination of the story arc. Other in-game missions reveal that the Borg had developed a way to assimilate Undine into the Collective. Player characters, however, manage to destroy the prototypes and prevent the dissemination of that knowledge through the Collective.

Further reading [ ]

• Steve Burg, Species 8472 –design concept , Effects Special , Volume 1.1, 1998, pp. 60-66
• John Teska, Behind the Scenes: Building Species 8472 , Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 3 , 2001, pp. 82-88

External links [ ]

• Species 8472 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Species 8472 at the Star Trek Online Wiki