10 Laziest Star Trek Alien Designs

5. El-Aurian

Star Trek Guinan Generations
CBS

When one casts Whoopi Goldberg in a guest spot, one doesn't hide her face. In fact, Whoopi herself went a little further and shaved off her eyebrows for the part, giving her a slightly more alien look. This would be the extent of design work that the El-Aurian people faced.

With the exception of the non-speaking extras in Star Trek: Generations, there have been only three El-Aurians in the franchise. First, of course, is Guinan, the bartender aboard the Enterprise-D, and bestower of wisdom. Next, there was Marcus Mazur, played by Chris Sarandon, in Deep Space Nine. He was initially conceived as a recurring foil for Quark, but this never actually panned out.

Last, to date, is Tolian Soran, played by a scenery chewing Malcolm McDowell. Physically, each of these characters seem to have very little in common - El-Aurians are known for their ability to listen, as well as noticing when things go wrong with reality. In practice, El-Aurians are closer to races like Lanthanites than many others, bar a seeming fondness for scarves, hats, and star-destroying probes.

 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

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"