10 Darkest Star Trek Moments That You've Never Seen

When can one say that something is so dark, so damaging, and so affecting - yet it has never truly been seen or shown? These are those events in Star Trek's history, spanning almost sixty years in our universe, and hundreds in theirs. 

Some of the true power of impact comes from what we don't see - what do our brains concoct when left to their own devices? In that graveyard surrounding Wolf 359, did we not see hundreds of Borg, lying in wait, ready to destroy all life?

With the respect each of these events is given in Trek, one does wonder when, inevitably, they will make it to our screens. Some have been shown in part, like Wolf 359 above, while some remain in the wilds of dialogue, spoken of in hushed voices and hesitant revelation. 

We now also have something else to contend with: temporal shift. Captain Pike referred to events in the 21st Century that varied with the way they had been described before - so where does this leave the avid Trek historian, memorial enthusiast, and continuity officers? Let's dive in.

Though the actual explosion was depicted in an unintentionally hilarious manner on Star Trek: Discovery (seriously, a sky full of ships just exploded, cut to next scene!), the true impacts of The Burn were only explored in discussion, rather than in depiction. 

The Burn, when one accepts the cause, could be a fascinating way to explore what truly makes the Federation what it is. The tangible and immediate effect was the end of warp drive as we knew it, for fear of dilithium igniting and destroying the ship. What does this mean for a vast interstellar alliance? 

We do know that the Federation began to fracture, but what of other dilithium-equipped powers? Would there be an inevitable power grab? As this led to a destabilisation in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, would shorter-distance neighbours suddenly find themselves alone in a vast nothingness? 

Star Trek has always relied on warp drive to transport the audience from one planet to the next, but what happens when that fundamental part of the franchise's makeup is lost? What is Star Trek without some star trekkin'? 

And what of the lonely outposts, surrounded by space on all sides, condemned to make their own way? The Federation may have begun to re-form quickly thanks to the arrival of Discovery and her spore drive, but after a century shattered like glass, surely there are some truly dark stories to tell.