Star Trek: 10 Things We Now Know About The Breen

Before L'ak, no Breen had ever not been suited and booted, even if they had been de-clothed off-screen. According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, the original design for the Breen outfits was influenced by "the visual suggestion that the Breen are a snouted species, like an artic wolf," having a "headpiece with room for a muzzle". Whilst they were visually impressive, the outfits provided several challenges for the actors wearing them. As assistant director B.C. Cameron stated in the Deep Space Nine Companion,

The problem was, the people in the costumes cannot see, they cannot breathe, they're wearing big, clumsy boots, and their outfits are layered like an armadillo, making it very hard for them to move.

Such restrictions caused an unfortunately comedic moment on set during the filming of Strange Bedfellows. Breen background artist Wade Kelly, unable to see, bumped into the wall, and from there, tripped over the threshold of the doorway. "He sounded kind of like the Tin Man falling over in The Wizard of Oz," noted director René Auberjonois.

Over the centuries, the 'refrigeration suits' (if that is what they are) have been streamlined. Lupine is not the biology, so gone is the pointy nose, replaced by a flatter mouthpiece. The essential elements that characterised the original design remain, however — especially the iconic green bar across the eyes. New suit has also brought renewed speculation about why the Breen wear them in the first place. We are, slowly, getting some answers.