Hello friends, this is an article I wrote for my Star Trek blog, which you can find here: https://boldlygo.blog! I am pasting the full contents of the article below to facilitate discussion. I would love to hear y'alls thoughts on the topic, and feel free to check out my other articles if you are interested 
--------------------
Next to the Enterprise, the Borg Cube remains one of the most iconic ships in all of Star Trek. The collective species has similarly found itself engrained within western culture. From uniformly chanting “Resistance is Futile!”, to creative and passionate cosplays, Hollywood parodies, and more – the Borg have captivated the world. This species remains just as terrifying, entrancing, and culturally relevant as ever. As I rewatched The Best of Both Worlds for the billionth time, I felt a nagging urge to write about this wonderful, horrifying collective. What is it that makes them so memorable?
Failed Villains
Across all of storytelling there exists no shortage of captivating villains, both historically and literarily. A villain can be insane, enraged, intelligent, greedy, realistic, outlandish, and on and on and on! So what makes us decide one villain is great whereas another is not? That’s a question which could be pondered and argued until the end of time. As a result, I wish to establish common ground on what I feel constitutes a poor villain.
Villains draw us into the world, help us relate to the protagonist, and carries the plot forward. For this to work, there must be a significant challenge to the protagonists. Recurring villains can lose their excitement when we know exactly how they can be defeated. This results in viewers feeling less immersed in the narrative conflict. Most writers will tweak their antagonist just enough to combat this. When a villain fails to experience growth upon their return I simply lose interest. I believe the Daleks from Doctor Who to be a good example of this failure. This species has been in the series for decades, but each appearance their impact feels more and more forgetful.
Relating to the antagonist of a story creates deeply emotional and complex journeys. It also establishes a unique opportunity for viewers to introspect onto their own lives. Admittedly, this is not a set-in-stone requirement to be considered a good villain. Plenty of great villains exist who are entirely deplorable. This is, however, a personal preference of mine and will be discussed later on.
Honey I Shrunk the Borg
One word immediately comes to mind when you see or hear of the Borg – Collectivism. The hive mind is an immediately terrifying thought to ponder. What makes this species particularly unique is the origin for each and every member. On a grand scale there exists a singular Borg, but on an individual level there is an endless abyss of enslaved humans. This fact alone offers a unique level of sympathy toward the villain. After all, they did not choose to become this way – they were simply assimilated.
Every time we are presented with the Borg, we see those two halves clash in spectacular ways. We fear the collective, but sympathize with the individuality found within. Within Star Trek canon there are a few notable moments of exploration surrounding this concept. The first being the infamous Locutus of Borg, when Picard succumbs to assimilation and joins the collective. Not only was this a monumental event for television at the time, it was followed up by Picard’s emotional breakdown with his brother. We were shown the fear, guilt, and self-hatred that the beloved captain endured as a result of his assimilation. Seven of Nine‘s introduction within Voyager allowed for a more prolonged exploration of this topic. Here we see beyond the trauma Seven endured and gain a glimpse into the difficulties of escaping the collective overtime. Decades later, her complex character remains just as captivating in Star Trek: Picard.
This is one of the core pillars of what makes the Borg such a captivating antagonist. The development of prolonged trauma surrounding the species only further exacerbates an already terrifying villain. It allows for their presence to be explored without even showing up, while also maintaining the same level of immersion. After all, who among us are fearless toward the prospect of losing one’s self?
Adapt and Overcome
The Borg have a unique weapon in their arsenal – the Hive Mind. Whenever they face a formidable foe they quickly adapt and counter their advances. From a lore perspective, this means characters are forced into a creative life or death encounter each and every time. On the narrative side, however, this is nothing short of pure genius.
As a result of the antagonist’s core design they are ever-changing. This forces writers to be creative in how they go about incorporating the Borg. For viewers, it means that same level of fear and captivation remains present each time. Their design inherently combats villain fatigue while also encouraging creativity.
Think of it like Superman‘s kryptonite. It ultimately renders the potential of villains because we know what they must do in order to win. On top of that, we have also seen Superman survive these attacks countless times before. The result being a dwindling connection with both the antagonists and the protagonist.
The Academy Taught Me
My final point is a very simple one that has less to do with the villain’s design and more to do with how they were handled. Because the Borg are designed to be an ever-changing threat to the Federation, there can only be so many successful encounters before viewers feel disconnected from the protagonist’s struggle. In other words, they cannot become as common as Klingons.
In the decades following the Borg’s introduction, the writers have been very thoughtful in how they bring everyone’s favorite collective back. Despite literal hundreds of hours being added to canon since then, the Borg remain a rare and creative sight to behold. This level of restraint has kept the iconic species alive across three generations of Star Trek fans.
Permission to Speak Freely
There is no shortage of literary exploration to be done in regards to the Borg. The topics I have examined are what I believe to be most impactful to me as a fan. The horror of losing one’s individuality, the trauma that comes with being assimilated, the ever-adapting force set out to destroy humanity, and the dedicated team of writers who worked to ensure it remains fresh.
You will love the Borg. Resistance is futile!
--------------------
Next to the Enterprise, the Borg Cube remains one of the most iconic ships in all of Star Trek. The collective species has similarly found itself engrained within western culture. From uniformly chanting “Resistance is Futile!”, to creative and passionate cosplays, Hollywood parodies, and more – the Borg have captivated the world. This species remains just as terrifying, entrancing, and culturally relevant as ever. As I rewatched The Best of Both Worlds for the billionth time, I felt a nagging urge to write about this wonderful, horrifying collective. What is it that makes them so memorable?
Failed Villains
Across all of storytelling there exists no shortage of captivating villains, both historically and literarily. A villain can be insane, enraged, intelligent, greedy, realistic, outlandish, and on and on and on! So what makes us decide one villain is great whereas another is not? That’s a question which could be pondered and argued until the end of time. As a result, I wish to establish common ground on what I feel constitutes a poor villain.
Villains draw us into the world, help us relate to the protagonist, and carries the plot forward. For this to work, there must be a significant challenge to the protagonists. Recurring villains can lose their excitement when we know exactly how they can be defeated. This results in viewers feeling less immersed in the narrative conflict. Most writers will tweak their antagonist just enough to combat this. When a villain fails to experience growth upon their return I simply lose interest. I believe the Daleks from Doctor Who to be a good example of this failure. This species has been in the series for decades, but each appearance their impact feels more and more forgetful.
Relating to the antagonist of a story creates deeply emotional and complex journeys. It also establishes a unique opportunity for viewers to introspect onto their own lives. Admittedly, this is not a set-in-stone requirement to be considered a good villain. Plenty of great villains exist who are entirely deplorable. This is, however, a personal preference of mine and will be discussed later on.
Honey I Shrunk the Borg
One word immediately comes to mind when you see or hear of the Borg – Collectivism. The hive mind is an immediately terrifying thought to ponder. What makes this species particularly unique is the origin for each and every member. On a grand scale there exists a singular Borg, but on an individual level there is an endless abyss of enslaved humans. This fact alone offers a unique level of sympathy toward the villain. After all, they did not choose to become this way – they were simply assimilated.
Every time we are presented with the Borg, we see those two halves clash in spectacular ways. We fear the collective, but sympathize with the individuality found within. Within Star Trek canon there are a few notable moments of exploration surrounding this concept. The first being the infamous Locutus of Borg, when Picard succumbs to assimilation and joins the collective. Not only was this a monumental event for television at the time, it was followed up by Picard’s emotional breakdown with his brother. We were shown the fear, guilt, and self-hatred that the beloved captain endured as a result of his assimilation. Seven of Nine‘s introduction within Voyager allowed for a more prolonged exploration of this topic. Here we see beyond the trauma Seven endured and gain a glimpse into the difficulties of escaping the collective overtime. Decades later, her complex character remains just as captivating in Star Trek: Picard.
This is one of the core pillars of what makes the Borg such a captivating antagonist. The development of prolonged trauma surrounding the species only further exacerbates an already terrifying villain. It allows for their presence to be explored without even showing up, while also maintaining the same level of immersion. After all, who among us are fearless toward the prospect of losing one’s self?
Adapt and Overcome
The Borg have a unique weapon in their arsenal – the Hive Mind. Whenever they face a formidable foe they quickly adapt and counter their advances. From a lore perspective, this means characters are forced into a creative life or death encounter each and every time. On the narrative side, however, this is nothing short of pure genius.
As a result of the antagonist’s core design they are ever-changing. This forces writers to be creative in how they go about incorporating the Borg. For viewers, it means that same level of fear and captivation remains present each time. Their design inherently combats villain fatigue while also encouraging creativity.
Think of it like Superman‘s kryptonite. It ultimately renders the potential of villains because we know what they must do in order to win. On top of that, we have also seen Superman survive these attacks countless times before. The result being a dwindling connection with both the antagonists and the protagonist.
The Academy Taught Me
My final point is a very simple one that has less to do with the villain’s design and more to do with how they were handled. Because the Borg are designed to be an ever-changing threat to the Federation, there can only be so many successful encounters before viewers feel disconnected from the protagonist’s struggle. In other words, they cannot become as common as Klingons.
In the decades following the Borg’s introduction, the writers have been very thoughtful in how they bring everyone’s favorite collective back. Despite literal hundreds of hours being added to canon since then, the Borg remain a rare and creative sight to behold. This level of restraint has kept the iconic species alive across three generations of Star Trek fans.
Permission to Speak Freely
There is no shortage of literary exploration to be done in regards to the Borg. The topics I have examined are what I believe to be most impactful to me as a fan. The horror of losing one’s individuality, the trauma that comes with being assimilated, the ever-adapting force set out to destroy humanity, and the dedicated team of writers who worked to ensure it remains fresh.
You will love the Borg. Resistance is futile!
.
