10 Best Star Trek Villains In Only One Episode

7. The Invaders - The Next Generation, Conspiracy

star trek the next generation Conspiracy
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These aliens had such promise. They were supposed to appear in a trilogy of episodes but ended up only appearing in one, serving in Conspiracy as a stand-in for what would later become the genesis for the Borg.

They are initially referenced in Coming of Age, where Admiral Quinn and Commander Remmick interrogate the crew of the Enterprise. Yet it is not until Conspiracy that they appear in the flesh, so to speak.

They are both frightening and insidious. While their appearance may not be all that disturbing today, their impact certainly was. They bring Starfleet to its knees effectively, getting right into the heart of Starfleet command. They manage to destroy star ships and because of them, many high ranking Starfleet officials are killed. Were they not identified, there is no telling how much damage they could do.

Like many species in science fiction, they are affected by that one major weakness - once the Queen dies, the rest fall like flies. Not even the Borg were immune to this in Star Trek: First Contact, and so it is forgiveable. However, they are still out there. That message that they transmitted from Earth was certainly beamed out into the Galaxy.

These are a race who could easily return in Star Trek: Picard. There are so many unanswered questions - where are they from? How did they arrive originally? What do they really want? Is anyone immune to their influence? With a slightly bigger budget, these bugs could do some serious damage to the 24th century.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"