Star Trek is well-known for its many alien races. The logic-adhering Vulcans to Klingon warriors to the Trill with their symbionts, Star Trek’s universe is filled with interesting aliens with specific esthetics and cultures. Many of these aliens, as well as humans, are a part of the Federation of Planets, which encompasses one hundred and fifty planets. The Klingons and the Federation went from Cold War adversaries, to allies against the fascist Dominion. However, where there are great allies, there are bound to be enemies as well. The Borg, for instance, are terrifying in how they either destroy or assimilate and the Cardassians are xenophobic and ruthless. However, for every great race seen onscreen, there are still others that are only alluded to or given a few mentions throughout the franchise.
Although the Tzenkethi may not have had an official onscreen appearance, they have made their mark on Star Trek history. First mentioned in Deep Space Nine Season 3, Episode 26 “The Adversary”, Sisko, having just been promoted to captain, is approached by who he believes to be Ambassador Krajensky that a coup has taken place on the Tzenkethi. Krajensky requests that Sisko make an appearance to show that the Federation is committed to protecting their colonies close by the Tzenkethi homeland from whomever is now in charge. What is made clear through this brief exchange is that relations between the Federation and the Tzenkethi are not positive, but why is that? Also, have viewers really never seen the Tzenkethi onscreen?
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What Star Trek Alien Has The Coolest Design?
I’ve always thought that the Andorians looked really funky and cool. They’re such a well-done take on an archetypal sci-fi alien design, with their blue skin and antennae. They’ve been around since The Original Series and were one of the first extraterrestrial species in the franchise to look truly “alien.”
The Federation and the Tzenkethi Have Warred Before
The Tzenkethi and the Federation had previously warred against one another sometime in the mid-24th century before the events of The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine. When Sisko was serving onboard the USS Okinawa under Captain Leyton, they came across Tzenkethi a number of times. During one such instance, Leyton decided to pursue the Tzenkethi raiders through an asteroid belt. Although Sisko voiced his opinion that it was an unnecessary risk, eventually he had to admit that Leyton made the correct call in pursuing them. Other than that, what is known about the Tzenkethi is relatively little. They must be a warp capable civilization. They settled on other planets, including M’kemas III. Tzenketh is in proximity to Federation colonies. They are ruled by the Autarch, who appears to be the equivalent of an emperor, who is hinted to be difficult to deal with. Additionally, the wars must have been brief or relatively minor, since they aren’t mentioned very often. However, a Changeling, who first takes the appearance of Krajensky, tries to instigate another war in “The Adversary”. This implies that another war could be that much more devastating than the first and could lead to terrible consequences.
What Do They Look Like?
Since the Tzenkethi have never been confirmed to appear onscreen, there’s been some debate about what they should look like. Robert Hewitt Wolfe, the co-writer for “The Adversary” along with Ira Steven Behr, has stated that he thought of them as heavily armored lizard aliens. Non-canon media has had them being described as feline-like animals, similar to the Kzinti, to being very tall, humanoid, and attractive. The IDW Star Trek comic series is a little closer to Hewitt Wolfe’s vision, portraying them as heavily armed dinosaurs. The Tzenkethi here are brutal, just as violent as the Klingons without their code of conduct. As a result, they are a fearsome enemy. The Star Trek Online video game is even closer, portraying the Tzenkethi as still savage, but bipedal lizards with four arms. Additionally, there was a fan theory that the Tzenkethi actually did appear in an episode of Discovery. In Season 5, Episode 3 “Jinaal”, Ambassador Saru meets with representatives, one of whom could be a Tzenkethi. This seems especially promising, especially since the Discovery crew cannot venture into Tzenkethi territory until the diplomats come to an agreement. That said, Star Trek: Picard research assistant Jörg Hillebrand suggested on Twitter that the ambassador seen in that episode might be an updated look for the Selay. It is more than likely the Tzenkenthi have not made a canon onscreen debut yet.
Star Trek has an entire universe of interesting and mysterious aliens. Whether friend or foe, each alien race in Star Trek brings with it its own culture and ideals, making space that much more realized and interesting. The Tzenkethi are no exception. Having tussled with the Federation in the past and seemingly never to have buried the hatchet completely, the Tzenkethi remain an interesting enemy. Although they have made appearances in comics and novels, revealing them in a television show or movie would be celebrated by fans who have been wondering about the Tzenkethi since their first mention in DS9. For now, however, these unseen aliens will remain a mystery.
Star Trek
Star Trek is a space exploration franchise originally created by Gene Roddenberry. The series has spanned shows like The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Voyager. More recently, developer Scopely came out with Star Trek Fleet Command, a mobile title where you get to be captain of your own ship.
