Klingons: Different appearances, artificial cranial deformation/head binding

[Kor]

If all these different types of Klingons coexist on Qo'noS, it would really be in the best interests of a strong unified empire for the leadership to push the idea that they all have equal standing as Klingon "nationals," whether they actually fully originate from Qo'noS or not.

Kor

 

[Norsehound]

If T'kuvma was making a big deal about racial purity with his faction, it could be a sentiment shared by other klingons in different ways against the other permutations of the Klingons. It could also be yet another reason why Klingons fight among themselves.

I would like to see two different depictions of the Klinks in a single scene together. I think that would do more for the believably of the myriad faces of the Klingons than trying to handwave it with a virus. We've run into other empires with multiple species that evolved on a single planet -look at the Xindi. Why can't we go back to this explanation for the Klingons?

 

[fireproof78]

Props also for all of their dialogue being in Klingon... helps me believe they take this alien culture thing seriously.

indeed. Regardless of whether or not people like the design, I appreciate the different view of Klingon culture and making it more alien.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Some of the changes between "ridged" Klingons however, could be due to two remaining factors 1). Klingons being cross related with subject peoples (as is common in human history's empires), and 2). Klingon physical body modification (hair depilation, skull binding, etc).

• 1). (1966-1969) Star Trek: The Original Series
• 2). (1979) Star Trek I
• 3). (1984-1991) Star Trek III, IV, V and VI
• 4). (1987-2005) Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep: Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek Enterprise
• 5). (2011) Star Trek Into Darkness
• 6). (2017-Present) Star Trek: Discovery

There is little difference between 3 and 4 (head appliances seem smoother in the films). There are strong links between 5 and 6 (such as holes distal to the nostrils, on the cheek), but the 6th type of Klingons sometimes have very elongated skulls.

The hair accounts for a lot of the differences between Klingons, as in Star Trek I: The Motion Picture, they were given a Samurai's bald hairstyle, and in later Star Treks, they were given almost Elizabethan hairstyles inspired by Shakespeare, followed by long flowing hair similar to many ancient cultures. It is possible that the more pronounced features of Klingons 5 and 6 represent a more relict population with aboriginal features, where the most frequently seen Klingons of TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT were more cosmopolitan in their heritage. Finally, several ancient peoples of Earth performed head binding to shape skulls into a more conical shape, sometimes to differentiate social rank; the Huns, ancient South American cultures, etc. So it is possible that the Klingons seen in DSC practice this, or that it is a social trend at this time.

Late to the thread, but I like the fashion/head-binding idea. Not all variations in people are down to nature, so that works. I also recall that a few months ago somebody posted a photo around in which they'd photoshopped hair onto the Discovery Klingons, and when you do that they're not actually particularly different from the 80s/90s ones.

 

[INACTIVERedDwarf]

I posted this in the wrong thread, meant to be this one. Here are some excerpts from the interesting article on the Season Two changes for Klingon makeup:

TrekMovie: STLV18: Designer Promises New Klingon Look For ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2, Hints At Hair

On Sunday at Star Trek Las Vegas, Star Trek: Discovery makeup designer and lifelong Star Trek fan Glenn Hetrick held a short panel mostly about the process he and his team went through in the show’s first season, with much of the conversation about creating the look for the Klingons. His talk was accompanied by a slideshow of images of work from the first season, which are mostly taken from a gallery on his AlchemyFX website.

Hetrick also talked about the Klingons in the second season of Discovery, promisingna new look. He dug into some deep stuff about Klingon lore, rituals, and hair.

"As we move into season two, it has been while since we have been with our characters. It has been a while since we have seen our Klingon friends. So, everything keeps evolving. The story has evolved. And I can guarantee you this, you are going to be blown away that they have a completely new look, yet again, going into season two."
​

Differed Houses Vary By Genetics Too

To throw another angle on this, Hetrick said that some of the houses actually have genetic differences. He pointed out that a Klingon from the first season from House Antaak had a “cranial ridge extension that goes down on to his chin.” Hetrick added, “Only that house has that genetic signature. Their chins have ridges too.”

And if you want to go further down the rabbit hole, Antaak was the doctor from Star Trek: Enterprise who inadvertently created ridgeless Klingons through genetic engineering, and was last seen as a victim of his own science.

"In season two, you are going to see much different designs. You are going to see different houses you haven’t seen before. One of the most important things to us was that at this point in canon, as we head towards the current version of unification, the houses really each grow up on different planets. It is an Empire, it is not just Qo’noS… We have seen six of the great houses in close up in season one. As we move forward into the next season, I promise that we will continue exploring and unpacking and unfolding that infinitely interesting story of what the Klingon culture looks like on a wider level."
​

Putting it all together, Hetrick seems to be saying that in season two, the Klingons we see may not be as different as the ones we are used to. It’s possible that hair removal was a ritual, practiced by some of the Houses, or possibly a genetic trait that varies by House.

Regardless, Hetrick seems to be asking for patience, promising there is more to come.
​

They are hinting at a lot of things we have talked about on this forum, including the possibility ("House Antaak") that the Klingons have been engaging in some form of eugenics or interbreeding with other humanoids on their occupied planets, creating genetic differences between houses.

 

[Tuskin38]

Which one is the Klingon from House Antaak?

 

[Timo]

It would seem consistent with the ENT Augment debacle that Klingons would go for body modification at the drop of a hat. But oddly inconsistent with the very same saga that Klingons would pay little attention to looks.

Nevertheless, it would be pretty delightful to see Klingons all hot and bothered about racial purity which encompasses two dozen utterly dissimilar phenotypes and, for all we know, genotypes.

Although it would also be fine for T'Kumva be a classic neo-Nazi who even shaves his hair as a sign of his allegiance to the idea. It's then just a question of why only lots of other neo-Nazis from assorted Houses answered to the call of the Light of Kahless, while all the different-looking folks stayed home. Perhaps True and Devout Kahlessianism at that time called for head-shaving, whereas at other times it calls for the curly eighties hair? And Kahlessians always were a sorry minority, only ever rising to prominence in lean times such as early TNG, and falling on the wayside when the Empire was at the heights of success and victories were easy to come by.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Tuskin38]

Oh there are pictures in the actual article, this is the guy from House Antaak apparently

https://scifanatic-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/hetrick-antaak.jpg

Hetrick mentions in that article that he is aware of the lore with Kahless and his hair being used to make the first Bat’leth. They seem to have gone from sensory organs to the hair being cut off because of ritualistic reasons.

 

[Jadeb]

Hetrick mentions in that article that he is aware of the lore with Kahless and his hair being used to make the first Bat’leth. They seem to have gone from sensory organs to the hair being cut off because of ritualistic reasons.

Continuity matters, and we've always been at war with Eastasia.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I posted this in the wrong thread, meant to be this one. Here are some excerpts from the interesting article on the Season Two changes for Klingon makeup:

TrekMovie: STLV18: Designer Promises New Klingon Look For ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2, Hints At Hair

On Sunday at Star Trek Las Vegas, Star Trek: Discovery makeup designer and lifelong Star Trek fan Glenn Hetrick held a short panel mostly about the process he and his team went through in the show’s first season, with much of the conversation about creating the look for the Klingons. His talk was accompanied by a slideshow of images of work from the first season, which are mostly taken from a gallery on his AlchemyFX website.

Hetrick also talked about the Klingons in the second season of Discovery, promisingna new look. He dug into some deep stuff about Klingon lore, rituals, and hair.

"As we move into season two, it has been while since we have been with our characters. It has been a while since we have seen our Klingon friends. So, everything keeps evolving. The story has evolved. And I can guarantee you this, you are going to be blown away that they have a completely new look, yet again, going into season two."
​

Differed Houses Vary By Genetics Too

To throw another angle on this, Hetrick said that some of the houses actually have genetic differences. He pointed out that a Klingon from the first season from House Antaak had a “cranial ridge extension that goes down on to his chin.” Hetrick added, “Only that house has that genetic signature. Their chins have ridges too.”

And if you want to go further down the rabbit hole, Antaak was the doctor from Star Trek: Enterprise who inadvertently created ridgeless Klingons through genetic engineering, and was last seen as a victim of his own science.

"In season two, you are going to see much different designs. You are going to see different houses you haven’t seen before. One of the most important things to us was that at this point in canon, as we head towards the current version of unification, the houses really each grow up on different planets. It is an Empire, it is not just Qo’noS… We have seen six of the great houses in close up in season one. As we move forward into the next season, I promise that we will continue exploring and unpacking and unfolding that infinitely interesting story of what the Klingon culture looks like on a wider level."
​

Putting it all together, Hetrick seems to be saying that in season two, the Klingons we see may not be as different as the ones we are used to. It’s possible that hair removal was a ritual, practiced by some of the Houses, or possibly a genetic trait that varies by House.

Regardless, Hetrick seems to be asking for patience, promising there is more to come.​

They are hinting at a lot of things we have talked about on this forum, including the possibility ("House Antaak") that the Klingons have been engaging in some form of eugenics or interbreeding with other humanoids on their occupied planets, creating genetic differences between houses.

I like the idea that House Antaak are genetic engineering their people. Although it still doesn't work with the ENT-TOS smooth-headed Klingon continuity, the idea they're augmenting themselves is a cool one.

 

[fireproof78]

"In season two, you are going to see much different designs. You are going to see different houses you haven’t seen before. One of the most important things to us was that at this point in canon, as we head towards the current version of unification, the houses really each grow up on different planets. It is an Empire, it is not just Qo’noS… We have seen six of the great houses in close up in season one. As we move forward into the next season, I promise that we will continue exploring and unpacking and unfolding that infinitely interesting story of what the Klingon culture looks like on a wider level."

Yes, please. Thank you for sharing that quote. Again, makes more interested in Klingons.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

It's nice that the timeline seems to be correcting itself over time and after some good old fan outrage. Who knows, maybe the new stuff they do to expand the Klingon culture is going to be really cool! It would be nice to have a success story out of the initial Klingon redesign debacle; something good out of something really lame.

 

[Tuskin38]

This isn't make up, but there was a Klingon wearing a uniform similar to the ones in TNG/DS9 in the season finale.