Klingon Blood

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by Tiberius, Jun 16, 2013.

  1. Tiberius

    Tiberius Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2005
    Oh yeah, I'm going here.

    In ST6, it's pink. Everywhere else, it's regular red blood.

    Of course, it was pink is ST6 so that we'd be able to see that "this is not Klingon blood!" Such a plot device was not required anywhere else.

    So, given the importance given to Klingon blood colour, I personally tend to think that it's always "meant" to be that colour.

    Thoughts? Anyone agree or disagree?
     
  2. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2005
    Location:
    Real Gone
    Boldly going to a topic that's been discussed here many times.

    It's yet another example of lack of continuity in a franchise chock full of it.
     
  3. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Location:
    The Captain's Table
    ^I vaguely remember hearing that showing red blood would have changed the film's rating when it was released. I'm not sure if that's true, however.

    --Sran
     
  4. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2009
    Location:
    T'Girl
    My explanation is that the reason the blood looked like pepto bismol is because the unusual type of phasers (or unusual setting used) used by the assassins killed off large numbers of red blood cells in the area of the wound, leaving behind a higher than normal concentration of white blood cell. The result was "pink blood."

    Because a different type of phaser was used, is the reason McCoy was having trouble getting the wounds to close using medical equipment that normally should have worked.

    :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2013
  5. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    "Set phasers for pastel."
     
  6. LobsterAfternoon

    LobsterAfternoon Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2006
    Maybe Klingons have different blood types and those blood types can vary in color. The Chancellor may've had type, I dunno, "chopl'lkth" blood that appeared pink, while Worf has type, uh, "gash'blosh" blood, which appears dark red.
     
  7. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2001
    Location:
    On the run.
    ...Or it's just another oddity like the dozens of others scattered throughout Trek. It happens.
     
  8. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    Location:
    Shangri-La
    In the Star Trek Klingon video game they tried using the pink blood. Gowron taking a blood oath with pepto bismol just looked plain silly. So I think they made the right call.
     
  9. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2009
    Location:
    City of the Fallen Angels
    "Why do Klingons have pink blood?"

    "It is something we do not discuss with outsiders." :klingon:
     
  10. DonIago

    DonIago Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2001
    Location:
    Burlington, VT, USA
    Hell, if we're going to go there we could argue that the Augment virus is responsible for the change in color.
     
  11. FormerLurker

    FormerLurker Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 17, 2009
    I always figured it was pink because of radiation from Praxis.
     
    X24actor likes this.
  12. Kevman7987

    Kevman7987 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 20, 2013
    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    In that case I think it might be true because of the amount of blood shown. Instead of Klingon's bleeding from wounds, they were spraying blood out of wounds and there was blood everywhere when gravity was restored. IT WAS A BLOODBATH!

    A little bit of red blood lets you keep PG, gallons of red blood takes you to PG-13 or R. Gallons of Pepto Bismol lets you keep the PG.

    Makes sense to me.
     
  13. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Location:
    The Captain's Table
    That makes sense and fits with what I was told before. Thanks!

    --Sran
     
  14. DS9forever

    DS9forever Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2007
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Isn't there a version of ST VI where the blood is red?
     
  15. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2009
    Location:
    T'Girl
    Probably wouldn't be that hard to alter the color to dark red while changing nothing else in the frame.

    :).
     
  16. TheSubCommander

    TheSubCommander Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 5, 2013
    I have heard that explanation too. Bright red everywhere=PG-13 or R.

    Similarly, I also heard that this reason is similar to why in the movie Taxi Driver, they had to wash out the color red at the ending shoot out scene, because if it were left natural colors, Taxi Driver would have been rated X.
     
  17. FormerLurker

    FormerLurker Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 17, 2009
    Reminds me of the dinosaur entry in the 1964 World Book encyclopedia. In the illustrations showing T-Rex attacking and feeding on other dinosaurs, all the blood is bright pink.
     
  18. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    Of course, there was a more viable alternative than red or pink blood...no blood at all. When, before or since, have we ever seen a phaser cause bloody wounds?
     
  19. FormerLurker

    FormerLurker Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 17, 2009
    That may have been the point. After all, which do you think will inspire a Klingon to revenge, a missing man, or a bloody corpse?
     
  20. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    Phasers can kill without disintegrating. An energy beam should burn, not slice.