Klingons & generational uniqueness (as an excuse)

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Coming up with in-universe explanations is a fun game to play, especially when it comes to things like significant makeup/prosthetics changes that occur over the decades of Trek. With the Klingons in-mind, the concept of generational uniqueness crossed my mind - which is an idea that's FULL OF PLOTHOLES, I KNOW, but just for fun...

What if a species didn't look exactly the same way from 1 generation to the next? There are all sorts of pictures that depict humanity at different stages, but apart from the idea of evolution, what if there were just basic biological distinctions that affected an entire race, creating distinctive looks for each generation? Perhaps only every 3 or 4 generations, rather than every single one. (Worf & Alexander would be happy about that.)

It could be tied to planetary phenomena, but then every Klingon who wasn't born on the homeworld would have different development, so maybe something that's inherent to the DNA.

As makeup/prosthetics continue to improve, it'll be cool to see how our ST species continue to develop under the creative care of backstage talent. For an in-universe solution, I thought I'd throw this idea in the mix just for fun.

 

[Lord Garth]

Last year I equated Klingons to a Metal Band. Cutting-and-pasting:

The Evolution of the Klingons if they were a Heavy Metal Band
TOS: They're starting out but they don't have their look yet.
The Movies: Hardcore Klingons. They get their look. They have their edge.
TNG & DS9: They gain ultimate fame. They're more mainstream. This is their height.
Discovery: Then, for no reason... they shave their heads! And they want to be hardcore again, except harder.

 

[Discofan]

Last year I equated Klingons to a Metal Band. Cutting-and-pasting:

The Evolution of the Klingons if they were a Heavy Metal Band
TOS: They're starting out but they don't have their look yet.
The Movies: Hardcore Klingons. They get their look. They have their edge.
TNG & DS9: They gain ultimate fame. They're more mainstream. This is their height.
Discovery: Then, for no reason... they shave their heads! And they want to be hardcore again, except harder.

FYI: They let their hair grow after the war. So it was likely a war thing.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Hmm... almost like Klingons were like butterflies that go through different stages in their lives where they look very different, except with Klingons, sometimes the stages change after a few generations, and sometimes they change during an individual's life (like the TOS Klingons as seen on DS9).

I prefer the "it's meta changes in the makeup and you aren't supposed to notice in-universe" explanation, but it's certainly interesting.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Last year I equated Klingons to a Metal Band. Cutting-and-pasting:

The Evolution of the Klingons if they were a Heavy Metal Band
TOS: They're starting out but they don't have their look yet.
The Movies: Hardcore Klingons. They get their look. They have their edge.
TNG & DS9: They gain ultimate fame. They're more mainstream. This is their height.
Discovery: Then, for no reason... they shave their heads! And they want to be hardcore again, except harder.

Some time ago, my friend asked me to join his horror glam rock band (lots of fake blood 'n stuff), and I was totally flattered, but had to decline the offer because I'm not the blood-spitting type, although I do like to rock out. Within your scale there, "The Movies" category might be where I'm at personally.

 

[Henoch]

Last year I equated Klingons to a Metal Band. Cutting-and-pasting:

The Evolution of the Klingons if they were a Heavy Metal Band
TOS: They're starting out but they don't have their look yet.
The Movies: Hardcore Klingons. They get their look. They have their edge.
TNG & DS9: They gain ultimate fame. They're more mainstream. This is their height.
Discovery: Then, for no reason... they shave their heads! And they want to be hardcore again, except harder.

Sounds like KISS. (We'll see if they come back and shave their heads after this last tour.)

 

[Lord Garth]

Sounds like KISS. (We'll see if they come back and shave their heads after this last tour.)

They were who I was thinking of.

 

[fireproof78]

I prefer the idea that Klingon is not one specific species but a title of several under the control of whomever dominates at the time. Over time, the with the different species interbreeding, those races became less distinct.

 

[Henoch]

Klingons use genetic augmentation like a fashion fad. Styles come and go. They're so vain.

 

[Ovation]

Klingons use genetic augmentation like a fashion fad. Styles come and go. They're so vain.

They probably think this song is about them.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I prefer the idea that Klingon is not one specific species but a title of several under the control of whomever dominates at the time. Over time, the with the different species interbreeding, those races became less distinct.

This is probably my second favorite explanation, and a close second - it makes the idea that it's an "Empire" make more sense to me if there's multiple worlds with subject species. I mean, there doesn't *have* to be, but it feels more correct to me.

 

[Discofan]

Hmm... almost like Klingons were like butterflies that go through different stages in their lives where they look very different, except with Klingons, sometimes the stages change after a few generations, and sometimes they change during an individual's life (like the TOS Klingons as seen on DS9).

I prefer the "it's meta changes in the makeup and you aren't supposed to notice in-universe" explanation, but it's certainly interesting.

Georgiou from the MU described them as cancer cells.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

This is probably my second favorite explanation, and a close second - it makes the idea that it's an "Empire" make more sense to me if there's multiple worlds with subject species. I mean, there doesn't *have* to be, but it feels more correct to me.

I think there are multiple explanations that would work - and you cited some excellent ones - it's just interesting to think about, beyond what we're familiar with here.

 

[Timo]

Indeed, despite all the talk about Klingons being traditionalists, the underlying factor here might be that they are much more likely to do "different" than us arch-conservative humans who tend to fear simple tattoos or perforations or even new haircuts. They might embrace weird biologies, exaggerating the effects of puberty, aging or the favorite plague of the day; they might imitate species they recently conquered or annihilated; they might accentuate clan identity, or do wedding skulls or birthday nostrils; they would see no point in hiding war wounds or then might take extra pains to fake those.

If the Klingon reproductive cycle catered for a slight bit of generational variation, this might be accentuated for fashion, meaning members of one and the same generation might sport half a dozen looks during their lives. Or more, if they happened to become Dahar Masters or Thought Admirals or decided to honor the looks of their distant ancestors...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Delta Vega]

Last year I equated Klingons to a Metal Band. Cutting-and-pasting:

The Evolution of the Klingons if they were a Heavy Metal Band
TOS: They're starting out but they don't have their look yet.
The Movies: Hardcore Klingons. They get their look. They have their edge.
TNG & DS9: They gain ultimate fame. They're more mainstream. This is their height.
Discovery: Then, for no reason... they shave their heads! And they want to be hardcore again, except harder.

TOS Klingons do strike me as members of a 1966 psychedelic West Coast band who have the hair just starting to grow, but not quite the finished counter culture hippie look that would follow.
So I can see the band analogy.

 

[Discofan]

TOS Klingons like to rub charcoal on their faces, maybe they want to spy on federation coalminers or something...

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Another explanation, Klingons tend to interbreed only with their own house and region so you get divergent evolution. Then after the 23rd century interbreeding became more common.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I like the idea that the reason DSC Klingons look the way that they do, is because they tried a cure for the Augment virus but it went into overdrive and made them look "too Klingon".

 

[Forbin]

The simplest explanation is that the Empire is an empire. It's made up of hundred of planets, and the Klingon military services are made up of people from different planets. Look at the US armed forces - we have people of every ethnic derivation on Earth serving. The simplest explanation is that back in TOS we'd only met Klingons from a planet of people who looked mostly human.

Of course later series and movie blew that idea completely out of the water.

 

[Discofan]

Klingons spend years headbutting each other and that's why their skull is so thick. It's like the tip of the fingers of someone who's played the guitar for many years.