Klingons

Klingons are an alien warrior race that features in Star Trek.

History

The Klingons were an alien humanoid species that were native to the planet Qo'noS. (TNG: Sins of the Father) Their origins were traced to an ancient humanoid race who around 4.5 billion years ago seeded many worlds with the DNA to guide evolution to a form resembling their own with the resultant Klingon's being one of he species that developed these DNA sequences. (TNG: The Chase)

Under Molors reign, live-sacrifices were gathered and sacrificed at the shrines based in the volcanic chimneys. After his defeat by Kahless, this practice was abandoned and the temples were built-over though there were still followers of Molor that still existed in the centuries afterwards. (DIS: Will You Take My Hand?) With the tyrant Molor killed, Kahless the Unforgettable founded the Klingon Empire at some point in the 9th century where he came to be revered by future generations of Klingons. (TNG: Rightful Heir) Over time, the warrior caste began to grow in popularity among the Klingon people until it came to dominate their society. (ENT: Judgment) In the 14th century, their homeworld was invaded by an interstellar species they called the Hur'q (Outsider) that came from the Gamma Quadrant who invaded and plundered Qo'noS whereupon they stole the Sword of Kahless after which they retreated to their own territory. (DS9: The Sword of Kahless) At one point, the Second Dynasty came to rule the empire until General K'Trelan assassinated Emperor Reclaw and put to death all members of the Imperial family. Over the next 10 years, the empire came to be ruled by an elected council by the people with this being referred to as the Dark Time. It was noted that several notable reforms were introduced in this period though it came to an end with the rise of the Third Dynasty. They came to take the titles and names of the original Imperial family thus crating the illusion of an unbroken bloodline. (DS9: You Are Cordially Invited)

By 2151, the empire had become divided with factions blaming each other for attacks on each other. In reality, these were staged attacks made by the Suliban Cabal who were looking to start a Klingon civil war. Evidence of this was uncovered with the data placed by a Suliban named Sarin who had it placed within the blood of a courier named Klaang. Klaang was set to return to Qo'noS but was pursued by assassins from the Cabal causing him to crash on Earth. The courier came to kill his pursuers but was injured by a human farmer which was first contact between mankind and the Klingons. The Vulcans then set about to ensure that a diplomatic incident did not occur and Starfleet decided to launch their first warp 5 ship the U.S.S. Enterprise under Captain Jonathan Archer on a mission to return Klaang to Qo'noS. Despite the Cabal's attempts, they failed in preventing Klaang's return to the High Council where the evidence within his blood was presented to the empire thus averting a civil war. (ENT: Broken Bow)

Over the course of the century, encounters between the Klingons and Starfleet were noted to had become more rare. (DIS: The Vulcan Hello)

By 2256, the twenty-four Great Houses were noted to had waged war against one another with the empire having been in disarray for generations. This was until T'Kuvma who was of noble heritage but not on the High Council decided to have the Beacon of Kahless lighted. This alongside a provocation was made with the Federation as he believed that fighting a common foe would unite the Klingon Empire. This culminated in the Battle of the Binary Stars where T'Kuvma united his people under the creed of "remain Klingon". T'Kuvma was martyred in the battle but he managed to rally all Klingons under a common cause as he believd that the Federation was an existential threat to their way of life. (DIS: Battle at the Binary Stars) The disastrous first contact centuries ago led to decades of war being fought against the Klingon Empire. (TNG: First Contact) Kol of House Kor used the aftermath of T'Kuvma's death to grow his powerbase and managed to secure the loyalty of many of the Ship of the Deads crew. (DIS: The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry) He then consolidated his power in the Klingon High Council and removed anyone that would not pledge their loyalty to him. (DIS: Lethe) From the Ship of the Dead, Kol spread cloaking technology throughout the Klingon fleet thus giving them a key advantage over the Federation. (DIS: Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum)

During this time, the Klingon moon of Praxis suffered a catastrophic explosion that devastated their homeworld and left the empire in an emergency as their primary energy production facility was gone. As a result, the Klingon Empire was said to had roughly 50 years of life left before a complete and utter collapse as their people were begin a slow decline towards death. This event was detected by the Federation with Spock moving forward with a peace initiative with Klingon Chancellor Gorkon with the goal of ending hostilities between with the empire. A peace summit was to be arranged with the U.S.S. Enterprise under Captain Kirk being asked with escorting the Chancellor to Earth. However, a conspiracy from both respective governments worked to sabotage the peace initiative with this seeing the death of Gorkon. The danger of war threatened to spiral out of control with a further attempt at bringing peace with this being held at Camp Khitomer. Assassins later attempted to eliminate the Federation's President who was saved by the timely arrival of Captain Kirk who defeated one of the conspirators who was Klingon General Chang. Thus, the signing of the Khitomer Peace Accords was made thus ending the state of hostilities between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. (TOS: Stark Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Overview

Biology

Genetically, they were related to other humanoid races which was attributed to the fact that many of them were created by a progenitor species. (Episode: The Chase) A feature inherent in their physiology was the brak'lul that referred to their biology's characteristic for redundancies with all vital bodily functions being protected by a redundant organ or system. As a result, Klingons possessed two livers, an eight-chambered heart, 23 ribs, two stomachs, and three lungs. (Episode: Ethics) Their craniums were encased in an exoskeleton that possessed a feature known as the tricipital lobe. (Episode: Descent) Klingon blood contained ribosomes that were compatible for transfusion with a Romulan. (Episode: The Enemy) Certain Klingons were at times born with a rare mutation that made their skin translucent white with these being considered freaks of nature by larger Klingon society. (DIS: Will You Take My Hand?)

At one point, they came to be afflicted by the Augment virus which was a mutation that spread through the Levodian flu. It resulted in the Klingon species losing their cranial ridges for a time. (ENT: Affliction) They were noted for not liking the cold compared to races like the Trill. (Episode: Change of Heart) Tribbles were noted to react violently to the presence of a Klingon even if they were in disguise. (TOS: The Trouble with Tribbles)

Klingon women went through pregnancies that typically ran for thirty weeks though this could be shorter with mixed species. (Episode: Lineage) Similar to other mammalian races, Klingon females were able to lactate in order to breast-feed infants. (Episode: A Matter of Honor) During maturity, they experienced a form of puberty when becoming adults that was known as jak'tahla. (TNG: Star Trek IX: Insurrection)

Their lifespan varied with them being able to live over 150 years with even those in advanced old age being strong enough for combat. (Episode: Blood Oath)

Society

Their species were noted for being a warrior race that did not embrace others but conquered. (Episode: You Are Cordially Invited) Originally, there were multiple classes within Klingon society but over time the warriors began to grow in power in their civilization. (Episode: Judgment) Families that were born to the warrior caste were expected to continue in this role with parents disowning their children if they chose a different path such as medicine. (Episode: Divergence) Those that wanted to join their family had to prove worthy of their acceptance. (Episode: You Are Cordially Invited) Klingons were said to hold a shorter mourning period compared to humans as they accepted death more readily. An issue only emerged over the dead concerning the nature of the demised as depending on circumstances it means the individual might not be sent to Sto-Vo-Kor. Those destined needed to eat the heart of their enemy and die in glorious battle. Failure to achieve these meant that the deceased was forever barred from the gates of the afterlife. The only means for them to be admitted into Sto-Vo-Kor was if a great battle was won in their name. (Episode: Image in the Sand) Prior to such a quest, the assembled warriors gathering for the task shed blood in order to prove that they were not frightened of death. On completion, words were spoken in Klingon for the deceased entry into the afterlife. (Episode: Shadows and Symbols) It was said that even when half-drunk they remained the finest warriors in the galaxy. (Episode: The Killing Game, Part II)

Klingon's were not as capable of coping under incarceration when compared to humans. (Episode: Inquisition)

If a Klingon warrior struck another with the back of his hand then this was interpreted as a challenge to the death. Klingon warriors spoke proudly to each other and did not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering were considered insults in Klingon society. (DS9: Apocalypse Rising)

One type of gambling game was t'Sang (Translation: Obliterate them) that involved a large floor based board, pieces and dice. (DIS: Will You Take My Hand?)

A martial art practiced by the species was Mok'bara that could also be employed as a meditation exercise. (TNG: Clues)

Within the Klingon legal system, a warrior could not challenge a ruling of the High Council in a right of combat. Instead, they assigned the role to a close compatriot who took the title of cha'DIch and were provided a weapon for personal combat. (TNG: Sins of the Father)

Klingons believed in a mythical paradise known as Qui'Tu which was said to be a place where the gods resided. (TOS: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

It was said that the gates of Gre'thor were guarded by the monster figure known as Fek'lhr. (TNG: Devil's Due)

The blood-red waters on the way to Gre'thor was said to be inhabited by pale serpent-like creatures called Kos'Karii. (VOY: Barge of the Dead)

Their beliefs held the view that their gods forged the male Klingon heart with fire and steel. Its fierceness and power led to these deities to claim that this was the strongest heart in all the heavens that none could challenge it. However, this heart weakened and their gods asked the male Klingon why he had done so. The warrior responded that it was because he was alone and the gods realized their error. Thus, they forged a second female heart to be complement it but beat stronger than the first. This led to the first striking against the second one in jealously but the second was tempered by wisdom and thus did not slay the first heart. The female Klingon thus stated that with their combined strength none could challenge their might and their power led to the deities being feared. Before they could flee, the two Klingon hearts destroyed the gods that created them and turned the heavens into ashes. As such, it was believed that none could stop the beating of two Klingon hearts. (Episode: You Are Cordially Invited)

One group within their civilization were the Followers of Molor who revered the tyrant Molor. Such individuals were distinguished by their practices such as getting an extra drink and setting it on fire with this being a specific step made by this group. (DIS: Will You Take My Hand?)

The path of warrior begins with the first Rite of Ascension when a child was approaching the Age of Inclusion that symbolically meant they were becoming a warrior. The ceremony preparation involved the testing of their fighting skills along with the teachings of Kahless with these being challenging. To do so, the child had to prepare their own Kor'tova candles with the flame representing the fire that burnt in the Klingon heart. During these moments, they needed to declare their intention of becoming a warrior by lighting the candle but any refusal to do so before the age of thirteen meant that the child could never become a true warrior in their life. There existed a second Rite of Ascension conducted further along their life with this ceremony involving the use of painstiks. (Episode: Firstborn)

One concept in their civilization was the Hegh'bat that was traditional ritual suicide that was dictated to by their law and rituals. It stated that when a Klingon could not stand to face their enemies as a warrior then they ended up as a burden to their fiends and family. During such a time, they were to conduct the Hegh'bat with the honour of this falling to a family member typically the oldest son whose duty was to pass the injured warrior their knife so that they could plunge it into their heart. Once the warrior was dead, the warrior that aided them was to remove the blade and wipe it on their sleeves. (TNG: Ethics)

A celebrated event within their society was the Kot'baval Festival where Klingon's honored the actions of Kahless when he defeated the tyrant Molor in single combat. These celebrations were conducted on various colonies where re-enactments were made of the duel between the two individuals. In these battles, bystanders and even children were able to participate in the fight against the person representing Molor. However, the completion of the ceremonial battle was only achieved when the person representing Kahless arrived to defeat the tyrant. (Episode: Firstborn)

Within the family, the women traditionally dominated the household and management of the family's affairs. (DS9: You Are Cordially Invited) Klingon tradition held that the son of a Klingon was a man the day they could first hold a blade. (TNG: Ethics) Klingon daughters traditionally wore given a piece of jewelry called a jinaq when they became old enough to select a mate. (TNG: Birthright, Part II) In the family, a respected position was that of a Gin'tak who were advisers so trusted that they had become part of the family. Such individuals put the good of the House they served above all other matters including those of personal honor. One of their rights was the capacity to invoke the ya'nora kor if they felt the actions of a member of the House threatened the standing of the family. (TNG: Firstborn) Certain families were known to use a ghojmoK (nurse maid) when caring for young Klingons. (TNG: Sins of the Father)

Klingon society produced Basai Masters that was a title bestowed on poets of extraordinary renown and passion. (DS9: Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places) Legendary warriors were awarded the title of Dahar Master that were respected figures in Klingon society. (DS9: Blood Oath)

The legends of Kahless were recorded in a series of scrolls known as the paq'batlh. One of the texts that were part of them was the Eleventh Tome of Klavek which spoke of how Kahless had journeyed into the underworld to rescue his brothers soul and take him to the afterlife. It stated that when he returned to the land of the living that he bore a scar from his journey that indicating that his journey into the afterlife was real. (Episode: Barge of the Dead)

After death, a practice made by Klingons was the Ak'voh where the comrades of a warrior guarded the remains from predators to ensure that their spirit made the long journey to Sto-vo-kor. (Episode: The Ship)

Within their beliefs was a place similar to the Garden of Eden that was known as Qui'Tu. (Movie: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

Darseks were a unit of currency within Klingon society. (Episode: Firstborn)

Members

• Kahless :
• Koloth :
• Kang :
• Kor :
• Koloth :
• Kruge :
• Gowron :
• Chang :
• Martok :
• Sirella : wife of Martok and head of his house who believed deeply in Klingon tradition who desired the purity of their race leading to her opposing Jadzia's marriage to Worf but ultimately agreed to officiate their wedding. (Episode: You Are Cordially Invited)
• Worf :
• Kurn :
• Chang :
• Kruge :
• Duras :
• Mogh :
• Klaang : a male Klingon warrior who in 2151 served as a courier that carried information about the staged Suliban attacks on the empire. (Episode: Broken Bow)
• Kol :
• Miral :
• T'Kuvma :
• Voq :
• L'Rell :

Notes

• The Klingons were created by Gene L. Coon where they made their first appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Alternate Versions

• In the Mirror Universe, it was established that the Klingons had existed in that reality where they became foes of the Terran Empire. The Terrans decided to destroy the Klingon homeworld of qo'noS leaving it as a ball of dust in space with this scattering the species across space. Despite that, the Klingons persisted where they helped in forming alien resistance movements that opposed the Terran Empire.
• In the Kelvin Timeline, an alternate reality was established when the Romulan Nero journeyed back in time and altered historical events.

In other media

Video games

• In Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard, the Klingons featured in the video game set during The Next Generation era where the player was a member of the Klingon Honor Guard.
• In Star Trek: Klingon Academy, the game went through the view point of the Klingons during the time prior to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country where it showed the events that led to the Klingon Empire seeking peace with the United Federation of Planets. The manual stated that the Klingon Empire united under a single banner to drive the invading Hur'q from their world and made advances gleaned from the alien technology allowing them to go into space and conquer neighbouring systems.
• In Star Trek: Armada, the Klingon Empire served as one of the playable factions in the real-time strategy game.
• In Star Trek: Armada II, the Klingon Empire once again served as a playable faction in the real-time strategy game.
• In Star Trek Online, Klingons were playable characters in the setting of the MMORPG.

Appearances

• Star Trek: The Original Series: "Errand of Mercy"
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Chase"
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Firstborn"
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9: "You Are Cordially Invited"
• Star Trek: Voyager:
• Star Trek: Enterprise:
• Star Trek: Discovery:
• Star Trek: Lower Decks:

External Links

• Star Trek Website Entry
• Memory Alpha Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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