Star Trek: 10 Unique Next Generation Alien Races You Forgot About
8. Benzite - Coming Of Age
The Benzites, or Benzenites, have popped up a few times through Star Trek, originating in the first season episode of The Next Generation - Coming Of Age. There, Wesley Crusher goes up against Mordock, a Starfleet Academy hopeful.
The Benzites were shown as having two opposable thumbs on each hand, an inability to breathe standard air, necessitating a breathing apparatus, and a strong cranium in shades of blue. They were meticulous in their approach to any situation, often bringing them into conflict with their colleagues.
On a Benzite ship, no officer would report a strange phenomenon without first conducting a thorough review. In A Matter Of Honor, this left another Benzite, Mendon, in hot water when he was given a dressing down for this very trait.
By the 2370s, at least one other Benzite, Hoya, was shown to be able to breathe normal air, though perhaps not for very long. She was almost immediately killed in a Jem'hadar attack. Her homeworld was also captured by the Dominion, though it was later liberated by the Romulans.