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r/startrek • … • u/entitledfanman

Star Trek and Fantasy Races

I'm probably 40 years late to this realization, but I was talking with a friend the other day about how Klingons are essentially Sci Fi Orcs, and I had a realization that a lot of the major/recurring Star Trek species are essentially just traditional Fantasy races dropped into a Sci Fi setting. Here's the ones I can think of:

Klingons: as mentioned, Orcs. Warrior culture that is almost singularly focused on glory in combat. Complex honor culture, rich story telling tradition. On average bigger and stronger than the other species. Brutal physical appearance and design preferences.

Vulcans: High Elves. An aloof, seemingly emotionless people that far predate humanity (on the Galactic stage in this case), pretty much always portrayed as highly intelligent and have a strong preference towards diplomacy. In Fantasy they're often depicted as having a good working relationship with humans.Bonus points for pointy ears and having longer lifes than humans.

Romulans: Dark Elves. Always the opposite of whatever makes the High Elves serene and aloof. Normally brutal, back stabbers, and cunning; normally prefer subterfuge over direct warfare.

Ferengi: Goblins. A diminutive, hunched over race with big ears that's obsessed with gold(plated latinum), conniving by nature, always more of an annoyance than actually a threat.

Borg would have to be some kind of undead army, this taking your "dead" and turning them into mindless servants of some great mind that controls all members of this "race" simultaneously.

Not quite sure where to put Cardassians. I just finished TNG and frankly they're largely interchangeable with Romulans in the plots in that series; if they become more identifiable in later series, let me know.

If anyone has any other ideas of Star Trek species being plug-ins for Fantasy races, let me know!

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