Star Trek: 10 Production Secrets You Never Knew About Klingons

The radical redesign of the Klingons for Star Trek: Discovery stemmed directly from an order that Bryan Fuller gave the creative team. Rather than the traditional Klingons that Star Trek audiences were used to, these Klingons had a large, elongated skull. This skull would be adorned with sensory pits that ran from the front to the back, much like a Python. Fuller wanted these Klingons to be able to see out the backs of their heads.

While this was being discussed, the story of Kahless removing a lock of his hair to form the first Bat'leth was considered when it came to making these Klingons bald. It was decided that it was a ceremonial decision, honouring the famous Klingon, that would be undertaken at a time of war. The Klingons in season two have their hair back again, which brings them a little more into line with traditional appearances.

Finally, the costume design was a collaboration between Gersha Phillips and Suttirat Anne Larlarb, though the latter departed the series along with Fuller. They envisioned a huge breastbone on each of the Klingons, protecting twice as many organs as a standard human had. Therefore, their armour was big and bulky, offering them greater protection.

There were further ideas for the eyes and faces of these Klingons, though the CGI team were limited by budget and the amount of screentime that they would receive.