Star Trek: 10 Alien Races That Only Appeared Once
3. Nibirians
The Nibirans are a fairly primitive pre-warp civilisation distinctive for their white, plaster-like skin and dark eyes. They're not yet ready for first contact and are portrayed as having a strong religious belief system at the core of their society.
But hey, not that Kirk is bothered with that when it comes to saving their populace from an imminent and brutal volcanic eruption. The chase through the red foliage with spears and arrows whistling past Kirk and McCoy made this very memorable and a highlight of a film that divides opinion. Truth be told it was quite the experience in 3D.
The introduction of the Nibirians gave the second reboot movie a cold open very much in keeping with a regular episode. This also providing an effective platform to demonstrate the relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy ahead of the Khan encounter as well as illustrating just how focused Kirk was on preserving life at all costs.
It would have been interesting to see them again in Beyond, perhaps having developed their beliefs around the Enterprise that they unfortunately witness rising from the ocean.