Main alien races

[esim345]

Jirin - I agree that a part in a big story is more important than a part in a small story. But I'd say a part in six small stories is comparable to a part in one big story. And the Breen were part of a big story, but I wouldn't say they were central to it. So I'd still say the Vidiians were more important than the Breen.

 

[Bisz]

Jirin - I agree that a part in a big story is more important than a part in a small story. But I'd say a part in six small stories is comparable to a part in one big story. And the Breen were part of a big story, but I wouldn't say they were central to it. So I'd still say the Vidiians were more important than the Breen.

I would side with Jirin and take the Breen over the Vidiians.

The Breen's major role in the central arc of DS9 puts them into the main category ahead of the Vidiians.

 

[T'Girl]

Big difference between the Vidiians and the Breen is that we got to know and to a degree understand the Vidians and their backstory, and the motivations behind their actions.

And the Breen?

Did we even once hear one of their names?

Anyone in the Hero group have a romance with one?

 

[The Wormhole]

Did we even once hear one of their names?

Twice. Gor and Pran.

Anyone in the Hero group have a romance with one?

Bashir was roommates with one at the Dominion prison camp. I guess theoretically anything could have happened...

 

[T'Girl]

It does get cold in those Dominion prison camps.

 

[Cicero]

To me, a race becomes "main" when it joins the standard tropes of Star Trek. The Andorians, for example, have been universally known among Trek fans since TOS, and (aside from their brief ban from TNG-era materials) have made consistent appearances in ancillary products. The Tellarites, on the other hand, nearly disappeared until ENT revived them and made them far more recognizable to the average Trek fan.

Using that criteria (species in parenthesis are part of the standard tropes of their series; those with asterisks are borderline as general cases – while someone might know them as, e.g. "Neelix's species" they wouldn't recall the race's name; italics indicate non-trope level development on a previous series):

TOS
Romulan
Talosian
Orion
Gorn
Horta
Klingon
Andorian
Tholian

TNG
Betazoid
Q
Ferengi
Bolian
Borg

DS9
Bajoran
Changeling
Trill
Cardassian
Vorta
Jem'Hadar
Breen

VOY
(Ocampa)
(Talaxian)*
(Kazon)
(Vidiian)
Species 8472
(Hirogen)

ENT
(Suliban)
(Denobulan)*
Tellarite
(Xindi)