Star Trek: Everything We NOW Know About The Klingons
Now that we know the Klingons a little better than before, they still bring glory to our houses.
While the Klingons are one of Star Trek's oldest villains (depending on the week), they remain in a constant state of evolution. In previous lists, we have discussed their development through the decades, as well as those behind-the-scenes secrets that give further depth to these honourable foes.
First introduced in Errand Of Mercy, the Klingons have been, at times, the Federation's greatest enemies, while other times serving as their strongest allies. Accords have been signed, torn up, and re-signed in the face of greater peril. All the while, these gagh lovers have remained somewhat consistent in their search for glory and honour.
With the arrival of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017, Strange New Worlds in 2022, and Starfleet Academy in 2026, the Klingons have continued to evolve (and devolve) as new episodes dropped. They are far from confined to live-action, with Lower Decks and Prodigy joining the ongoing journey.
There may always be a question of ridges (or lack thereof) with these children of Kahless, yet even across the universes, there are some things that are forever, while others are only temporary. Blood, sweat, and now tears won't get in the way of giving us advancement, in whatever house we find them from week to week.
We largely know the story of the Klingons before the arrival of streaming, but what did the removal of advertisements and the insertion of a skip intro button do for and to them?
10. They Don't All Look The Same
While this fact has been apparent for quite some time, introducing the changes that Star Trek: Discovery (in particular) made to the Empire has both broadened the Klingons and created a number of headaches. The vastly different Klingons first seen in The Vulcan Hello were, at that point, a new and unique addition to Trek lore.
Certain anatomical facts about Klingons were already confirmed. They had several redundant internal systems. This directly led to Worf surviving an accident and operation where other races may not. These Klingons were bald, with elongated heads, wearing armour that seemingly doubled their physical size.
While the baldness was explained away (these Klingons shaved their heads during wartime), other elements were more difficult to reconcile. To be blunt: they looked nothing like the Klingons of Kirk's (TV) era. Or the Klingons of Kirk's (movie) era. Or the Klingons of Picard, Sisko, Janeway, and even Archer's eras.
However, Star Trek: Picard offers a possible explanation here, though their focus was on the Romulans. In The End Is The Beginning, Laris (a smooth-headed Romulan) derisively describes an invading V-headed Romulan as 'from the north'. In an instant, two different aesthetics of Romulans became canon.
While the extreme differences between the Discovery Klingons and their peers may introduce more geographical distance between them, one must also remember that the Klingon Empire was built on conquest. It may be a leap of logic, but if these Klingons simply evolved on a different world, they fit as easily into canon as a beligerant Northern Romulan.