Star Trek: Everything We NOW Know About The Klingons

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.