Strange New Worlds’ Klingon Redesign Fixed 6 Years of Star Trek Controversy

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For nearly six decades, Star Trek has profoundly shaped the science-fiction genre, and its dedicated fanbase continues to grow. While fans have welcomed the recent resurgence of Star Trek on television, some of the new directions taken haven’t been popular. Star Trek: Discovery launched a wave of new shows set within the original timeline, but it also introduced a divisive change that took a long time to address.

While Star Trek: Discovery generally received positive feedback from critics and fans, it did face criticism, particularly regarding the new look of the Klingons. These iconic aliens were so drastically redesigned that many viewers didn’t recognize them when the show first aired. The controversy lingered for about six years, but was surprisingly resolved with the debut of Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek Discovery Made Controversial Changes to the Klingons

The return of Star Trek to television in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery, after a twelve-year absence, was a highly anticipated event. While fans generally enjoyed the premiere episode, “The Vulcan Hello,” they were largely disappointed with the new depiction of the Klingons. The traditional image of a Klingon is quite specific: a humanoid being with brown skin, long hair, and a ridged forehead with a distinct pattern.

Fans were both confused and disappointed by the new look of the Klingons in Discovery. The changes were significant, going beyond just appearance. The Klingons now had larger, completely smooth heads, a darker gray skin tone, and an extra set of nostrils – a combination many found unsettling.

Beyond that, the show underwent significant visual changes, introducing redesigned starships, weapons, and a completely new look for the Klingons – their armor shifted from a tribal style to one resembling bone. The intention was to make them seem less human and more distinctly alien, offering a fresh take on the franchise. However, fans were frustrated by the lack of an in-universe explanation for these changes, until the writers addressed it in Season 2. While they explained the Klingons shaved their heads during times of war, this explanation didn’t fully resolve the fans’ concerns about the other, still-noticeable alterations.

Star Trek: Discovery Ignored Decades of Klingon Lore

Fans often struggle with changes to beloved media franchises. While updates can be positive, they need a clear and believable reason. The redesign of the Klingons, however, didn’t improve the show’s story or appearance.

Fans were upset by the new visual style and felt it ignored the established history of the series, which had been built over nearly sixty years. Since the show was a prequel set a decade before the original, viewers expected some explanation for the changed appearance of the characters. The show could have easily explained the redesign, like the previous series Enterprise did with a virus storyline for the Klingons, but the creators didn’t even attempt to do so.

Throughout the run of Star Trek, Klingon appearances changed, but the differences were usually minor enough that fans accepted them. They always remained recognizably Klingon, easily explained as members of different families or groups. However, many fans struggled to accept Klingons who looked significantly older or different, finding it jarring – like a beloved character being recast with an actor who completely changes their look and personality.

Fortunately, the unpopular change didn’t stick around for long. With so many shows branching out from Discovery, one of them eventually addressed the issue in a way that pleased most viewers.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Restored the Klingons

The Klingon designs in Discovery were overly complex and detailed, evoking the style of artist H.R. Giger. This meant more time and effort with makeup, and it made the Klingons feel less connected to the characters we’d seen before. However, Strange New Worlds, while connected to Discovery, essentially disregarded those complicated designs and returned the Klingons to their classic, recognizable appearance – the one fans preferred.

When the Klingons first appeared in the Season 2 premiere, “The Broken Circle,” the show didn’t bother explaining their new look. And honestly, it didn’t really need to. The creators seemed to realize fans disliked the design change and decided the best approach was to simply ignore it and move forward.

While this wasn’t the first installment in the series, it was definitely one of the best. It really shows how much the franchise has grown and improved, and how dedicated the creators are to giving fans what they want.

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2025-11-05 02:37