Which aliens had the best designs in Star Trek and which ones had the worst designs? I think the Jem'Hadar had very good designs, presenting a very unique and fearsome visage. The worst I would have to say the Ilari from the Voyager episode "Warlord", just humans with extra nostrils, both lazy and goofy looking.
Best and worst alien designs in Star Trek
- Thread starter The Overlord
- Start date
Any alien who had that stretch of skin that ran from the nose to the chin, going over the mouth. What possible evolutionary advantage did that give? The ability to only drink through a straw for the rest of one's life? See Fallit Kot from the episode "Melora" (DS9) for an example.
Mick Fleetwood, as an Antedean in TNG: Manhunt. Best or worst?
Mick Fleetwood, as an Antedean in TNG: Manhunt. Best or worst?
"What a handsome race!"
There were too many for me to even remember, much less choose a best and worst. But two things always ticked me off with TNG and DS9s aliens:
1) That they'd make a character a brand new never-seen-before alien for no particular reason, like the woman Geordi fell for on that space station (who acted like a California 20-something anyway), or the technician in the D's warp nacelle when it was sabotaged that time. Those characters could have been either humans, or an established race, rather than a whole new experiment in stupid forehead appliances.
2) stupid forehead appliances, when plastered onto the face a beautiful female guest star. Ellen Brye, Marta DuBois - gorgeous women that I suddenly have to look at with stupid latex crap on the faces.
Ya know what, I take back my first paragraph. I vote the Cardassians as the stupidest-looking aliens. Spoons? SPOONS on the heads?! Cobra necks and scales, yet, clearly established as mammals by Mary Crosby's mammaries.
1) That they'd make a character a brand new never-seen-before alien for no particular reason, like the woman Geordi fell for on that space station (who acted like a California 20-something anyway), or the technician in the D's warp nacelle when it was sabotaged that time. Those characters could have been either humans, or an established race, rather than a whole new experiment in stupid forehead appliances.
2) stupid forehead appliances, when plastered onto the face a beautiful female guest star. Ellen Brye, Marta DuBois - gorgeous women that I suddenly have to look at with stupid latex crap on the faces.
Ya know what, I take back my first paragraph. I vote the Cardassians as the stupidest-looking aliens. Spoons? SPOONS on the heads?! Cobra necks and scales, yet, clearly established as mammals by Mary Crosby's mammaries.
The Jems were cool, a lot of nice variation, plus despite their fearsome look, there was something bovine about them, leading to the interesting possibility that they had been evolved from some grazing animal.
Worst: Skreeans, the dandruff people. UGH!
Go home, you refugee from the Star Wars galaxy!
Worst: Skreeans, the dandruff people. UGH!
Mick Fleetwood, as an Antedean in TNG: Manhunt. Best or worst?
Go home, you refugee from the Star Wars galaxy!
Worst designs? Well, actually all TOS aliens except for the Gorn and the Tholians. At least they designed something there.
Mammals evolved from reptiles on Earth. It's quite likely* that mammals evolving on another world could have retained more reptilian traits than we did here on earth. Cardassians have my vote as the best humanoid aliens in Trek, with Andorians (TOS and ENT iterations, not the godawful TMP and TNG versions) a very close runner-up.
*"Quite likely" to be taken only in the context of Star Trek biology.
Last edited:
Actually, we humans have such creatures in our very own ancestry (i.e. creatures with a blend of mammalian and reptilian characteristics). Not by the time the primates evolved, of course, but there is nothing to say that on another world...or even an alternate version of our own, that our therapsids could not have evolved into something that would seem to us like a hybrid of reptilian and mammalian.
At least when I write the Cardassians, I have defined them as a type of therapsid. Mammal-like in certain respects--including the reproductive aspect--but reptilian-like in others. There is no reason that a race of beings couldn't have evolved that way.
My vote for the best goes to the Vulcans. Not for any kind of special makeup or foam appliances but for their costumes. They always gave them the best and the classiest wardrobe.
Second best undoubtly goes to the Ferengi. They were comical characters and their design fits them well. The ears are insane!
Third goes to the Borg. Given the one sentence description the design team got of the Borg, their idea to shop at Home Depot for the costumes were just short of genius. Given the same situation, I don't think I could've been that creative.
Second best undoubtly goes to the Ferengi. They were comical characters and their design fits them well. The ears are insane!
Third goes to the Borg. Given the one sentence description the design team got of the Borg, their idea to shop at Home Depot for the costumes were just short of genius. Given the same situation, I don't think I could've been that creative.
Now I had no idea they went to Home Depot for that stuff! Very interesting! Do you happen to have any interviews or things like that? I would be interested in reading it. 
As far as the best design, I vote for the Cardassians. The Borg are also runners-up.
As far as the best design, I vote for the Cardassians. The Borg are also runners-up.
I agree completely! They were just phoning that one in.
Best: Horta, Sheliak, Salt Vampire, Giant Space Amoeba, The Doomsday Machine, Gorn, Tosk, Hunters, Jem'Hadar, Vorta.
Worst: hundreds-way tie, including all of the "funny forehead aliens," "funny ear aliens," "funny nose aliens," and "completely human aliens that are called aliens despite looking and acting 100% human."
Trek has very, very few good alien designs in comparison to a vast amount of horrible ones.
Worst: hundreds-way tie, including all of the "funny forehead aliens," "funny ear aliens," "funny nose aliens," and "completely human aliens that are called aliens despite looking and acting 100% human."
Trek has very, very few good alien designs in comparison to a vast amount of horrible ones.
Mick Fleetwood, as an Antedean in TNG: Manhunt. Best or worst?
Hahaha. The worst by a country mile. It's a testament to the acting skills of Patric Stewart that he could act on the same set as on of these without losing bowel control laughing.
The best are the the Borg. I love the idea of 'cyber zombies'. If only they were a little more like George A.Romero's zombies.
What was the name of the race where there was a piece of cartilage (okay, latex 
) that connected the end of his nose to his chin? I think it was on VOY, maybe TNG...
I'm still wondering how the poor guy ate, for crying out loud.
Cheers,
-CM-
) that connected the end of his nose to his chin? I think it was on VOY, maybe TNG...I'm still wondering how the poor guy ate, for crying out loud.
Cheers,
-CM-
Similar threads
