10 Most Fearsome Alien Races In Star Trek

Created by writer Paul Schneider, the Romulans were designed as a thought experiment: what if the ancient Romans had been around in the days of space flight? One of the most iconic and longest serving antagonists in the Star Trek universe, there are scarier creatures than the Romulans, but few with the ability to cause so much organised chaos.

Believed to be of a similar origin to the Vulcans, the Romulans retain all the logic and know-how of their pointy eared brethren, but add incredible militaristic intelligence and a hunger for war. In their first appearance, 1966’s “Balance of Terror”, an early classic episode, they go head to head with the Enterprise in a deep space shootout, cementing themselves as one of the most credible threats to Kirk and co in the galaxy.

Since then they’ve reappeared as antagonists in most iterations of Star Trek, on screen and in print, and have cemented themselves as one of the richest and most destructive creatures in the wider Trek universe. The new Picard show has a heavy Romulan focus, showing how much life there is in these 50 plus year old inventions.