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I remember Zoe Saldana saying that she couldn't stop herself flirting with the JJ Klingons as she found them really handsome. Oh and controversially I like the JJ Klingons too - even if they do look a bit like they belong in a Fantasy Franchise more than a sci fi one - I think they pushed the Worf look a little without tipping it past a point that they no longer look like the same species. If Discovery had gone with this look I'd have had no real complaints - their D4 (fighter like ships) are a little odd - they look a little Romulan like a small bird. But otherwise I like them. Other than that I like the TNG era look when the Klingons dress up and are wearing jerkins and cloaks. Overall though I'd say the Klingons work better than the Romulans in terms of costume and make up. I guess if Picard managed to do something right (not much) but something it was it's Romulans.
Really the kelvin time line no sorry i respect the decision but for me it's the TNG/DS9 klingons for me but good work and a big thumbs up to you from one fan to another . Live long and prosper
Those are pain clips that are stapled into the nerve of the head spine, it keeps them angry and focased and proves to other Klingons who is tougher, an heirloom of Klingon pride distinction. at least thats what I say they are.
In one of the Discovery "making of" features, they discussed that one of the inspirations for the new look of the Klingons was H.R. Giger. The only problem with that H.R. Giger's Alien has been one of the most imitated designs in sci-fi, to the point where even Giger himself wanted to distance himself from it in new designs (such as for the film Species).
The TMP Klingons were called " Warrior Caste". They were stationed on the then new K'tinga class battle cruisers. 2272. That explains their looks. They stood a little taller than your average Klingon. That's why they were sent after the VGER cloud.
And how they design their (discovery) bat'leth is awful, why design a blade that is for defensive purpose? they're blade, they cut stuff, it's like design a gun with a barrel bend into a U shape pointing at the user so that your enemy cant used your weapon against you
Yeah I watched that, interesting they chose gigar though when gigars aesthetic is done right it's really bloody cool. The game scorn handles that very well.
I can see why you would like the Kelven timeline Klingons. But I still have to go with the TNG-ENT Klingons. More specifically, when someone stole Michael Dorn's headpiece and they had to make a new one. That felt like the best Klingons. Think that was season 3 or 4 of TNG. The ridges didn't extend as far back on the head.
Yeah, I'd swap #1 and #2 on the list. That said, I agree with all of the points he makes in this video, barring his preference for no hair. Hair makes them look suitably wild and feral.
Seconded I would go TNG / ST3 and then Kelvin.. Kelvins were different, but still Klingon.. Klingon 2.0 if you will... Definitely threatening and yet calculated much more so than TNG.. And I agree the piercings ( as often seen in warrior tribes on earth ) reflected a badassness that was a missed opportunity in the TNG era kilgons.
Seconded. The TNG-era Klingons had an amazing range of character and expression, all thanks to costume and makeup. Star Trek will never match Star Wars in the "weird alien" department, nor should it (maybe?) Let Trek be Trek.
Warrior cultures often had long hair. Greeks Hoplites and their hero Achilles had long hair. Vikings are known to have long hair. Samurai also had long hair, but tied in a knot.
Absolutely! Though there were famous groups that kept their hair short (Roman Legions, for one), it's not too hard to simply tie your hair back, braid it, or keep it under a hat or helmet.
@@BogeyTheBear No it was a status symbol. Only people who had time to care for them had them. Warriors (professional ones, no one time raiders) had plenty of time in between battles to comb out lice, wash them and dry them. A comb, tweezers and a razor are common warrior burial items known from archeological sites. It was same for Slavs, Germanics (Including Norse), some Celtic tribes and later for medieval nobility (knights). Peasants toiled fields from sunrise to sunset and thus had no time for such luxury as long hair. Poor man's graves usually do not have any of aforementioned items so we can assume they did not need them because they had short hair.
This makes sense, actually. The Kelvin Klingons did a modern update of the 24th century design. The Discovery Klingons seemed to take those and just warped their heads into bizarre almost Xenomorph shape.
The very fact that a video ranking the various designs of the same alien species is even possible, is a pretty concise reminder that the meticulously consistent canon which nostalgic Trek purists love to evangelize, never existed at all.
I'll be honest with you though when they do stuff like radically alter the designs it takes me out of it and I'll confess does stop me enjoying the show. I'm not a huge Trekkie and I don't know or even care about every little piece of canon. But on the other hand I watch Star Trek for escapism and in order for me to escape into a story like Star Trek it has to feel somewhat real and therefore be at least somewhat consistent. Otherwise the illusion is gone and I can't forget I'm watching a TV Show. And I'll be honest with you I kind of resent being made to feel bad about that. Everyone enjoys things for different reasons and if you can turn your brain off and not care about big stylistic shifts and when what you're watching is inconsistent then good for you. But I think for a lot of people myself included it's frustrating.
You could make the argument that Trek has been majorly overhauled in both design and tone on 5 different occasions, first with TMP, then with TWOK, next was TNG, and finally Kelvin timeline and DSC era. Each featured radical redesigns, with Klingons, the Enterprise, the uniforms and in style and tone. It's always a soft reboot with in canon explanations for those differences, but those are superficial at best. For example, there is no way that the refit Enterprise is the same ship as the original. Overall shape is similar, but look in detail and all of the shapes and dimensions are off. Refit is just code for "we had a bigger budget and designed a better ship". Honestly, Trek would never have survived for 50 years if it didn't reinvent itself every now and then.
1) TNG Klingons 2) Kelven Time 3) TOS Klingons 4) Discovery Klingons Reason why I ranked TOS over Discovery is that TOS Klingons uniforms look more practical then the Discovery costumes.
@@edkwon Oh my...... not an appearance from the "everything is racist" brigade. TNG Klingons riff heavily from Japanese Samurai. Nobody calls them racist. TOS Klingons looking like the Mongols is the exact same thing...... Seriously stop looking for things to be offended by on other people's behalf.
The second I saw piercings on Klingon ridges it was this feeling of this is so perfect and makes so much sense why hasn't it been on day one it's an excellent design choice that I think works really well and I hope we see more of in the future
I would never call Kelvin Klingons my favorite(Movie/Next Gen will always win), but after seeing what we got in Discovery, I would've 1000% preferred them. At least I could've believed that they were a different sect/racial group of the Classic designs.
Discovery Klingons have all the hallmarks of designers raised on videogames. Overdesgned to the point of not being practical can only function in a game. I'm shocked that these designs were greenlit for TV. (This isn't a dig at games, btw. I'm just saying that unless you're making animated characters, you need to choose a designer with film or theatre experience).
There was a practical reason for caking on that much makeup and prosthetic. Otherwise you would be able to instantly tell that Voq was who he turned out to be later on, the moment you saw his face you'd be like "Oh, that is so OBVIOUSLY Voq in disguise"
To me they look quite vampiric in design particularly the armour, as well as highly impractical for a race with a strong warrior society. I did like the attempt to show the minuet differences between the klingon houses but i would have much prefered the do so with the old armour
@@Ericshadowblade The armor was almost straight out of the concept artwork for the Motion Picture costumes, which they couldn't create at the time because they were too budget intensive, especially for such a short scene.
I hated the new Klingon designs on Discovery. My first reaction was “What the f**k?”. You’re spot on in saying it was overdesigned. The extra set of nostrils and extended headgear made the new design barely resembling the traditional design that the fans love. The redesign of the Klingons in the Kelvin timeline was great. It didn’t stray too far from the traditional design. The new costumes is sort of a combination of medieval knights and gestapo. Plus I love the piercings on the forehead ridges. As for the facial hair, the designer moved away from the fu Manchu style and more toward a full viking beard.
I got a great description for the Kelvin Timeline Klingon helmets. Imagine if Predator wasn't a film made by humans on Earth in 1987, but instead by Klingons on Qo'nos. This is how they would design the Predator's helmet I think.
At least the TOS Klingons have that cheesy classic rose-tinted glasses kind of charm to them, I haven’t met a single person that unironically likes the Discovery design.
Once they started growing out hair again, they start to look okay, but even then it's rediculous. They try and save face in Disco season 2 by saying they've started growing out their hair again or something, but could you imagine the nightmare it would be to try and shave around those head ridges? Insanity. I've always been just fine with Discovery for what it is, I like it, but those designs were a huge whiff.
I can't understand why anyone would get angry about one other person's opinion. I like hearing opinions different from my own. And is there anything with lower stakes than taste in science fiction aesthetics?
And as Voltaire put it "And what is with the Klingons? Remember, in the day they looked like Puerto Ricans and they dressed in gold lamé now they look like heavy metal rockers from the dead with leather pants and frizzy hair and lobsters on their heads"
As someone who repudiates what Abrams did to Star Trek, I find it continually astonishing that you can make sense so often on other matters, but can keep rating the Kelvan timeline so highly.
What about the Enterprise genetic experiment Klingons? They did have distinctive makeup to TOS with a design that would have been used going forward if the show had not been cancelled.
The show was already cancelled before that episode aired. The fourth season was just to get the episode count necessary for syndication, there was no intention to continue the show beyond it... which is probably why they seemed to not at all care when outside writers were brought in to work on certain S4 episodes. They were probably like "Do whatever. You're already cancelled anyway"
At least Enterprise tried to create an in universe explanation for TOS Klingons. It might be kinda dumb, but I like it. Makes more sense than the orc Klingons from Discovery.
Actually, it perfectly explains the orc Klingons from Discovery. Enterprise had proven that Klingon physical features are easily succeptible to genetic modification and viral mutation. So any attempts to reverse the physical effects would likely result in extreme physical abnormalities. Some Klingons would simply rather have too much ridge-head than not enough. Even their battle cry "Remain Klingon" further accentuates that they likely went to great lengths to bring those features back. The Klingon in Enterprise himself said that cosmetic alteration would become very popular.
The Batarians occupy the same narrative role in Mass Effect as the Klingons did in Star Trek (direct territorial/resource rivals to humans) and the Discovery Klingons look very much like two-eyed Batarians.
@@connormacleod4922 Well... actually they kind of do. They just don't call them slaves. They call them 'subjects of the Empire'. Same end result - you work hard for your betters or you get beaten to death. And they also had a bit of a Roman style in regard to their slaves - they could rise in society if you impressed them, though you'd always be second class to a Klingon. They also had a bit more of a 'hands off' approach, with them basically ignoring you so long as you provided the demanded tithes on time and didn't give them any attitude when they arrived to collect.
@@andromidius Well at least with the Klingons you had or have a chance. Batarians don't give you chances, and they subject you to brutal practices for their amusement.
Honestly I really like the Klingon Cleav ship ( the one that went through one of the Section 31 ships during the final of Discovery season 2). That idea of using a ship to cut another ship apart is so Klingon to me that I'm surprised it hasn't happened before
That’s interesting I think I’ve always sort of dismissed the Kelvin Klingons because I didn’t like that film very much and just felt those Klingons were underused My favourite was always TMP Klingons - I just remember seeing them for the first time in the theatre as a 10 year old not knowing they had been redesigned and being blown away by them - that V’ger attack sequence at the beginning of that film was so mind blowing to me - the Klingon ships didn’t explode they just electrocuted and than disappeared
it just doesn't explain how it spread across the entire empire,... nor how the effects diminished a century later,... and how nobody in the 23rd Century who saw smooth-headed Klingons had any reaction to those who's ridges had grown back. Hell,... the moment in DS9 when Bashir says "Those are Klingons?", there would still be people alive who would have seen them without ridges,... not to mention him and O'Brien idolizing a captain who met those same Klingons on at least four separate occasions, then ridged-Klingons on another three. I preferred when we just said "they always had ridges, they simply couldn't do the heavy makeup in the 60's"... but a tongue in cheek joke during an anniversary episode messed that all up forever. "They are Klingons, and it is a long story" was NEVER meant to be taken seriously.... But that's fandom for you, we take EVERYTHING too seriously
We have the same favorite Klingon design! So awesome to find someone else who loves their design from Into Darkness. Also I’m The crazy hedgehog lady on your Patreon. Love your channel, and thank you so much for all the great entertainment and content. My hedgehog (Quillemina) and I think you rock. 👍🏻🦔
The Kelvin Klingon cranial ridges were like cookie cutter Klingons. No distinctions. So no thank you. TMP+ Klingons were the best. Not thrilled about DSC Klingons.
I wonder if the much more damaged version of Q'onos and Praxis seen in the Kelvin movies is a result of them using the Narada in warfare while they held Nero in captivity.
The Kelvin-movies dialed up the Klingons to 11, Discovery to 13. Design-overkill wherever possible. Just the bat´leth as an example: TNG and DS9 presented a sleek weapon. Kelvin: more spikes and edges. Discovery: what the hell am I looking at - a bow with pincers?
Pragmatically speaking the DSC batleth was more usable as a weapon. Other people have covered the issues with TNG batleths and their designer, they have shitty reach and are cumbersome and slow and the so called martial artist they hired was a fraud. But while sticking with the basic concept the DSC version works a lot better and even somewhat resembles actual functional weapons.
It's no great surprise to find the TOS Kingons at the bottom of your list. And I suppose it's warranted. But I wouldn't judge too harshly, given the severe material and financial limitations under which the original series was produced--the proverbial "shoestring budget," as they say. On the whole, I'd say they did pretty well given the constraints within which they had to work.
I was looking to see if someone would mention the budget restrictions from TOS. Star Trek TMP was the first actualization of Klingon appearance. Star Trek New Voyages, though not canon, and Enterprise made the connection that not all Klingons on were infected by the augment virus. By the time we meet Kor, Kang Koloth on DS9, a complete cure was found and all those infected, including offspring, regained their racial appearance or they received cranial implants.
"I wanna stop the comments section being as terrible as it was in the last few supplementals," Rowan said, a bottle of petrol in one hand, an oily rag in the other, and a lighter in his back pocket with the words 'TOS Klingons are boring' etched into it.
@@edkwon oh I'm not disputing that at all, I just know that a certain subset of TOS stans go ballistic whenever you imply that the omnissiah Gene Rodenberry didn't nail everything in that show.
@@edkwon To be "racist", they have to be aimed at a specific race, in insulting or uncomplimentary manner. Not true. It was a cheap, quick costume, as Rowan pointed out. BUT, despite the blandness, which IS a fair criticism, elements of that did go forward, like the swarthy look, beards, and general appearance of costumes, lines, boots, sashes and so forth. Which created an iconic look which lasted for decades, combined with their ships. Which is why the STD designers were fools.
@@filmandpage1138 Lots, my guess. But the suck is now and that won't change. STD is not one of those that will age well or become more highly regarded with time.
When they teased the helmets in the Kelvin timeline, I was hoping it could be a tie-in to the ridges/no ridges situation. Following the augment virus, all warriors could have been required to wear helmets planet-side or in various postings in order to appear as a unified force and to avoid discrimination among the ranks. Ridge-less warriors would all serve on the same ships and be sent to the frontiers of the Empire, like the systems bordering on Federation space. Once onboard their ships, it could be a custom on ridge-less warrior ships to chuck all those helmets into a storage locker due to pride and to only wear them when dealing with other Klingons.
Glenn Hetrick had given an interview, talking about the Disco redesign of the Andorians & Tellarites, that it was important not to get too crazy, so people could immediately recognize both species, then he didn't take his own advice with the Klingons. I think they look amazing, just not as Klingons, should have just been a new alien species. I'm still particular to TNG/DS9 Klingons, but the Kelvin ones are pretty good.
@@stevebruns1833 Yea, its like he forgot a lot of the criticism he used to give the artists, especially in regards to allowing actors to speak in prosthetics. I think his design is pretty cool, just not as Klingons, because its too much of a departure and as he put it, isn't instantly recognizable. Bummer Syfy canceled Face/Off too, it was one of the few decent "reality" shows worth watching.
I loved the Kelvin timeline Klingons; in fact, I really enjoyed the world building as a whole. It was well thought out without seeming over done. They also stuck to the ingenuity that the OG Star Trek used to create sets; in some BTS the set designers explained that they used lamp shades, etc to make the transporter set. I enjoyed the drag of the Discovery Klingons, I feel like that would be more ornamental for special occasions but otherwise Kelvin was the best. I feel like the lower level Klingons who would constantly be fighting would have no hair and the higher levels would grow their hair out. But I enjoyed that they didn't have hair either, it was practical and honestly quite striking in addition to the ridge piercings.
I think most people imagine the TNG/DS9/VOY ear when they think Klingons. I think it’s unfair to base the Kelvin Klingons on just the one we saw (maybe pierced ridges were unique to him). But I think we can all agree that the discovery Klingons looked a lot better when they added hair
I really like the Kelvin Klingons too, they look genuinely mean and threatening. I think I agree with your assessment really, the Disco Klingons were over designed. Something between the TNG and Kelvin Klingons would have worked well for Disco. Saying that, by Disco S2, they were toned down a bit and looked better.
I actually quite like the DSC Klingons. I can see your point of them being overdesigned, but to me that stylized look highlighted their alien-ness. Which as you say was probably the point. It was different to anything we've seen before, and at first I wasn't sure about it. But I kinda dig it. They look very theatrical which fits with the Klingon culture as we know it. Never gave the Kelvin design much thought, they amount to nothing more than a cameo in the movie, but you gave me a new appreciation for their design. But ultimately, I gotta give the top spot the the movie/TNG era designs. Because in that era the Klingon culture took shape and became what we now know it to be. Special mention to TUC's General Chang. He was the baddest looking Klingon. The bald head, the bolted on eye patch. Glorious!
TUC and Chang are two of my favourite Trek staples, right up there with Q Between the Sheakspeare, the eye patch, and the Bird of Prey, TUC was truly something special
I actually like the Discovery Klingons - they seem more alien than the more simple TNG ones, but the Kelvin ones never seemed all that impressive to me
All the people that have a issue of a Klingon without hair. They forgot that General Chang was bald and Worf's hair was very short in first season, later grew out.
I think the Disco Klingon design would have been awesome... if they were something other than Klingons. There's a TNG episode that says that Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians and Humans have a common ancestor/proto-species, so Klingons kinda have to be designed closer to the other humanoids.
I've always thought that the STD Klingon design aesthetic resembled the Necromongers from Chronicles of Riddick. Also, the best Klingon Design from Into Darkness was the rejected bird of prey by Pierre Drolet.
I'd completely forgotten the Kelven ones even existed, that entire range of movies left essentially no impact on me. It's a decent enough design, cool silhouette. But they don't actually do anything, reducing them to Nausicaan-level of cool looking, yet still wasted potential.
Agreed completely with this ranking. Yes, Into Darkness was terrible in so many ways, but the Klingon designs stand out as one of the few bright spots. Discovery, on the other hand... ugh. I feel like the overwhelming negative reaction to the design was one of the reasons they decided to move the show to the far future... and I can't help but notice we didn't see the Klingons at all in S3.
Maybe it comes down to Deep Space Nine Bias, but I have say that the Prime Movies/TNG/DS9/ Enterprise designs are my favorite designs. The Discovery Design is the kind that works much better on paper in my eyes.
I think the kelvin time line design was the best design personally for me and I loved this video and your analysis, the klingons are my favourite alien race in star trek so any video on them is always gonna draw me in. Seeing someone else who gets really passionate about kilingons really gives me hope that people are gonna love the alien races in my own science fiction universe I'm developing that I'm working on while I'm at university and will be releasing the first phase of creative projects in it in the upcoming two years, video games and animated motion comic series and published graphic novels. I'm gonna do a card based table top rpg too. So this gives me a lot hope and enthusiastic reassurance that people will love my sci Fi universe.
The headridges on the lobster head , Worf Klingons are made from molds of dinosaur spines. They're all different because they use different dino spines for different Klingons.
I’m just getting started in fully immersing myself in Star Trek for the first time (I’ve only seen the original series all the way through) but IMO Worf is exactly how Klingons should look
I'd count the Disco Season 2 Kingons as a design of their own, given they _heavily_ moderated the design down to something much more in keeping with Movie/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT designs. Had the Season 2 design been the Season 1 design, there would probably have been a lot of complaining, but I don't think people would've had quite the same problem with them. I'd entirely forgotten about the Kelvin Klingons, and they're fine. The costumes are the best element. I've never seen the fact that Klingons generally have long hair to be much of an issue, as no Klingon worth their qagh would let you get that close in a fight without you being presented with your own intestines first.
Except for all those times we see exactly that happen lol, one thing I can say about the batleth is it's perfectly designed for a cinematic fight, naturally made for those tropetastic shooting matches with snarling banter.
The hair thing definitely made a difference for me in terms of getting used to the new Klingon look in Discovery. I do think if they had some of the long viking hair on the new design it would have clicked for me right away. I know there's an argument that short hair is "practical," for a warrior, but the Klingons were never necessarily the most practical people. The vikings were also a bunch of bloodthirsty bastards, so using that design element always made a ton of sense to me intuitively. That said, Kelvin cranium jewelry is one of those things that made a ton of sense once you saw it. It's surprising in retrospect that it wasn't a part of the design before 2009.
Great video! I was never a fan of the Kelvin Klingons but I feel like I didn't notice as much about them as you did. They always reminded me of the Uruki-hai from LOTR, but without an interesting one that stands out. I really like the TNG era style, so I would put them at number 1, then Discovery, then Kelvin then TOS.
For me, TNG era wins because they look less alien, and more human. Given the big reveal in The Chase that all the races in the galaxy have a common progenitor, I always have a soft spot for “basically a human, with some extra bits” aliens. I loved the Disco Klingons as being super alien, but that went against The Chase, and that knocked them down a few places. Same with the Kelvin Klingons.
To me Disco Klingons are a disaster, since the Klingons aren't always bad guys. Star Trek at its finest (TNG IMO) never made any major alien race out like all of them are bad guys, not even Cardassians, Ferrengi, or even Romulas. To allow us to empathize with them and at least respect their cultural differences benefits from a reasonably human appearance in my strong opinion, at least enough to see their most subtle changes in facial expression. To make them so grotesque and hideous alienates [pun intended] audiences from being able to see things from their POV and empathize.
Posted a fan design in the Discord but I'm surprised you didn't mention the Concept Art for the Klingons for TMP where they had tentacle-like hands (probably dropped for cost reasons) and an armor design that Discovery seems to have drawn some inspiration from.
I like TNG overall, it was simple but effective As far as ship design, the Bird of Prey from Undiscovered Country is a classic, as was General Changs bolt patch
Regarding the Klingon home planet of Q'onos, I think it is very telling that in TNG and DS9 the planet was not unlike our own, definitely industrialized but with plenty of thriving nature to acknowledge. In those iterations I did not see Klingons as so much war-like as they were warriors of honor, easily motivated to fight but not out of malice so much as a sense of duty to protect themselves and their ways of life at any cost. Therefore, yes, I imagine plenty of wars occured throughout Klingon history, but I think they respect each other enough as fellow warriors, even if on opposing sides, not to take it to the point of destroying their planet in order to win the fight. Regardless of which side won the war, both sides would be committed to preserving their culture for future generations to uphold, and nuking their planet does not help that. Besides, they were very driven to fight by hand, even when being shot at, and I almost think using nukes would have been outside the realm of an honorable battle (yes I know they shoot disruptors and torpedoes in space but you can't fight hand to hand against an enemy starship). As evidence of this theory, consider how throughout the Klingon civil war in TNG the opposing armies frequently drank and partied together as brethren, even if they were going to fight each other the next day.
Have you seen raised by wolves if so what did you think? It has to be one of my favourite sci fi shows rn as I dont see a lot of people talking about it.
I agree. Glad they returned to a more classic design recently with Pivard Season 3 (Worf) and SNW Season 2. I thought the STID Klingons looked really intimidating and it looked like the ridges were more integrated into their skulls rather than just slapped on the forehead. I think SNW Klingons are somewhere between TNG and STID Klingons.
1. Kelvin timeline 2. TNG-era 3. Disco 4. TOS TOS make up is just racist (like those make up colors are literally named "orientals" so yeah nope), Disco design feels too bulky and restrictive, TNG era just looks like what we are all used to now, Kelvin timeline has the best update and mix of old school vs. new
Personally my ranking would be 1_Movies/TNG... (they are the Klingons I grew up with) 2_Kelvin timeline (same reasons as you, but I just prefer the others) 3_TOS (mostly because I loathe the Disco design) 4_Discovery (just told you why !). One thing though. You're talking ship designs. MY problem with the Kelvin timeline is the weapons. TO STAR WARS-ISH ! They emit phaser blast instead of phaser beams... weapon wise, I've always associated blast with Star Wars and beams with Star Trek... and those Kelvin-verse blasts are bothering me ! I know it's silly but it dies anyway ! Thanks for your videos.
On the subject of ranking videos, what do you think of Spencer's Enterprise A and why didn't you include the Beyond Enterprise in your Enterprise list?
Totally agree! The Abramsverse Klingons look the best. They’re different and new without being too over the top. The movie/TNG/etc. era Klingons looked like they just went to a Gwar concert.
Yeah, I'm normally pretty chill with lore, canon, all that. I get that Star Trek is a TV show and sometimes production and creative decisions are made that are outside the purview of canon, but even I was upset over Discovery Klingons. Klingons are at this point such an iconic alien design that to change them so drastically was just insane. The explanation that they wanted them to look more alien so that viewers would have a new impression of Klingons is noble, I get that. For the first time I'm hearing that and I can dig it. But still, maybe not THAT design. I agree that the design they got in the Kelvin films is probably the best version of that. They definitely look like Klingons as we understand them, just now their prosthetics have a top-tier movie budget so they can actually look good and properly alien.
What about the Enterprise "Augmented" Klingons? We only saw them briefly, but I think they look great and brilliantly and less problematic update the TOS design
Good stuff again Rowan, fully agree with your thoughts on the Kelvin and Discovery Klingon designs. Your ST supplemental series has made the last few months a lot more bearable, so thank you. Will there be a supplemental on the different Star Fleet/Enterprise uniforms?
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I remember Zoe Saldana saying that she couldn't stop herself flirting with the JJ Klingons as she found them really handsome. Oh and controversially I like the JJ Klingons too - even if they do look a bit like they belong in a Fantasy Franchise more than a sci fi one - I think they pushed the Worf look a little without tipping it past a point that they no longer look like the same species. If Discovery had gone with this look I'd have had no real complaints - their D4 (fighter like ships) are a little odd - they look a little Romulan like a small bird. But otherwise I like them.
Other than that I like the TNG era look when the Klingons dress up and are wearing jerkins and cloaks. Overall though I'd say the Klingons work better than the Romulans in terms of costume and make up. I guess if Picard managed to do something right (not much) but something it was it's Romulans.
Really the kelvin time line no sorry i respect the decision but for me it's the TNG/DS9 klingons for me but good work and a big thumbs up to you from one fan to another . Live long and prosper
Those are pain clips that are stapled into the nerve of the head spine, it keeps them angry and focased and proves to other Klingons who is tougher, an heirloom of Klingon pride distinction. at least thats what I say they are.
The DS9 Klingons are my favorite. The ascetic is from TNG and it was good. DS9 made them better by fleshing them out more as a race.
Totally agreed
I literally came to the comments to say that....how could humans breed with a discovery klingon.????.
Yes same for the Romulans they just look soo much better there.
In one of the Discovery "making of" features, they discussed that one of the inspirations for the new look of the Klingons was H.R. Giger. The only problem with that H.R. Giger's Alien has been one of the most imitated designs in sci-fi, to the point where even Giger himself wanted to distance himself from it in new designs (such as for the film Species).
Discovery Klingons look like fish bone costumes.
The TMP Klingons were called " Warrior Caste". They were stationed on the then new K'tinga class battle cruisers. 2272. That explains their looks. They stood a little taller than your average Klingon. That's why they were sent after the VGER cloud.
And how they design their (discovery) bat'leth is awful, why design a blade that is for defensive purpose? they're blade, they cut stuff, it's like design a gun with a barrel bend into a U shape pointing at the user so that your enemy cant used your weapon against you
Yeah I watched that, interesting they chose gigar though when gigars aesthetic is done right it's really bloody cool. The game scorn handles that very well.
I can see why you would like the Kelven timeline Klingons. But I still have to go with the TNG-ENT Klingons. More specifically, when someone stole Michael Dorn's headpiece and they had to make a new one. That felt like the best Klingons. Think that was season 3 or 4 of TNG. The ridges didn't extend as far back on the head.
Seconded
Yeah, I'd swap #1 and #2 on the list.
That said, I agree with all of the points he makes in this video, barring his preference for no hair. Hair makes them look suitably wild and feral.
Seconded I would go TNG / ST3 and then Kelvin.. Kelvins were different, but still Klingon.. Klingon 2.0 if you will... Definitely threatening and yet calculated much more so than TNG.. And I agree the piercings ( as often seen in warrior tribes on earth ) reflected a badassness that was a missed opportunity in the TNG era kilgons.
Seconded. The TNG-era Klingons had an amazing range of character and expression, all thanks to costume and makeup. Star Trek will never match Star Wars in the "weird alien" department, nor should it (maybe?) Let Trek be Trek.
Undiscovered country leading into TNG was my favourite design
Warrior cultures often had long hair. Greeks Hoplites and their hero Achilles had long hair. Vikings are known to have long hair. Samurai also had long hair, but tied in a knot.
Absolutely! Though there were famous groups that kept their hair short (Roman Legions, for one), it's not too hard to simply tie your hair back, braid it, or keep it under a hat or helmet.
I think the idea is long hair is what you want stuffed under your helmet to act as dunnage for a tight fit, if not for outright cushioning.
@@BogeyTheBear No it was a status symbol. Only people who had time to care for them had them. Warriors (professional ones, no one time raiders) had plenty of time in between battles to comb out lice, wash them and dry them. A comb, tweezers and a razor are common warrior burial items known from archeological sites. It was same for Slavs, Germanics (Including Norse), some Celtic tribes and later for medieval nobility (knights). Peasants toiled fields from sunrise to sunset and thus had no time for such luxury as long hair. Poor man's graves usually do not have any of aforementioned items so we can assume they did not need them because they had short hair.
This makes sense, actually. The Kelvin Klingons did a modern update of the 24th century design. The Discovery Klingons seemed to take those and just warped their heads into bizarre almost Xenomorph shape.
The very fact that a video ranking the various designs of the same alien species is even possible, is a pretty concise reminder that the meticulously consistent canon which nostalgic Trek purists love to evangelize, never existed at all.
RIP Klingon canon 1984-2017. Only 33 years of consistency.
I'll be honest with you though when they do stuff like radically alter the designs it takes me out of it and I'll confess does stop me enjoying the show.
I'm not a huge Trekkie and I don't know or even care about every little piece of canon.
But on the other hand I watch Star Trek for escapism and in order for me to escape into a story like Star Trek it has to feel somewhat real and therefore be at least somewhat consistent.
Otherwise the illusion is gone and I can't forget I'm watching a TV Show.
And I'll be honest with you I kind of resent being made to feel bad about that.
Everyone enjoys things for different reasons and if you can turn your brain off and not care about big stylistic shifts and when what you're watching is inconsistent then good for you.
But I think for a lot of people myself included it's frustrating.
@@upperbeaches
That is quite true.
Are you dumb? Klingons been KLINGONS for almost 40 years... keep shilling for blingons and klingorcs all you want, fact are facts.
You could make the argument that Trek has been majorly overhauled in both design and tone on 5 different occasions, first with TMP, then with TWOK, next was TNG, and finally Kelvin timeline and DSC era. Each featured radical redesigns, with Klingons, the Enterprise, the uniforms and in style and tone. It's always a soft reboot with in canon explanations for those differences, but those are superficial at best. For example, there is no way that the refit Enterprise is the same ship as the original. Overall shape is similar, but look in detail and all of the shapes and dimensions are off. Refit is just code for "we had a bigger budget and designed a better ship". Honestly, Trek would never have survived for 50 years if it didn't reinvent itself every now and then.
1) TNG Klingons
2) Kelven Time
3) TOS Klingons
4) Discovery Klingons
Reason why I ranked TOS over Discovery is that TOS Klingons uniforms look more practical then the Discovery costumes.
kelven hehehe
*kelvin
@@PolarBear-rc4ks I liked Kelvim better
The TOS Klingons were sloppy racist caricatures
Undiscovered Country leading into TNG
Kelvin
Original Series
were just basically a little extra hair
I'll take TOS basic over whatever the hell they did to Klingons in DISC.
The TOS Klingons were sloppy racist caricatures
@@edkwon Oh my...... not an appearance from the "everything is racist" brigade. TNG Klingons riff heavily from Japanese Samurai. Nobody calls them racist. TOS Klingons looking like the Mongols is the exact same thing...... Seriously stop looking for things to be offended by on other people's behalf.
@@edkwon shut up fool take your views and yourself and flush it
@@edkwon oh, shit the heck up,
I like the Discovery design, just hate kt for Klingons.
The second I saw piercings on Klingon ridges it was this feeling of this is so perfect and makes so much sense why hasn't it been on day one it's an excellent design choice that I think works really well and I hope we see more of in the future
When u go to a Trek convention or a Comic Con most people always cosplay as the TNG version because is the best.
I would never call Kelvin Klingons my favorite(Movie/Next Gen will always win), but after seeing what we got in Discovery, I would've 1000% preferred them. At least I could've believed that they were a different sect/racial group of the Classic designs.
Discovery Klingons have all the hallmarks of designers raised on videogames.
Overdesgned to the point of not being practical can only function in a game. I'm shocked that these designs were greenlit for TV. (This isn't a dig at games, btw. I'm just saying that unless you're making animated characters, you need to choose a designer with film or theatre experience).
Yeah...they look like the Cat Aliens in Wing Commander film...overdone and yet under achieved.
This goes for a lot of the new designs--overdone. Say what you will about the TOS era ships, but they look way more practical/possible. Less is more.
There was a practical reason for caking on that much makeup and prosthetic. Otherwise you would be able to instantly tell that Voq was who he turned out to be later on, the moment you saw his face you'd be like "Oh, that is so OBVIOUSLY Voq in disguise"
To me they look quite vampiric in design particularly the armour, as well as highly impractical for a race with a strong warrior society. I did like the attempt to show the minuet differences between the klingon houses but i would have much prefered the do so with the old armour
@@Ericshadowblade The armor was almost straight out of the concept artwork for the Motion Picture costumes, which they couldn't create at the time because they were too budget intensive, especially for such a short scene.
I hated the new Klingon designs on Discovery. My first reaction was “What the f**k?”. You’re spot on in saying it was overdesigned. The extra set of nostrils and extended headgear made the new design barely resembling the traditional design that the fans love.
The redesign of the Klingons in the Kelvin timeline was great. It didn’t stray too far from the traditional design. The new costumes is sort of a combination of medieval knights and gestapo. Plus I love the piercings on the forehead ridges. As for the facial hair, the designer moved away from the fu Manchu style and more toward a full viking beard.
They should have used the Klingons from the Kelvin timeline for discovery. At least they'd look close to worf, martok, etc.
That Enterprise episode finally told why TOS Klingons were human looking.
I always had the same theory.
The Kelvin Klingons just look like the perfect mix of all that came before. Love them.
The Kelvin Klingons seem to be wearing concept art for Darth Vader's helmet/mask.
I got a great description for the Kelvin Timeline Klingon helmets. Imagine if Predator wasn't a film made by humans on Earth in 1987, but instead by Klingons on Qo'nos. This is how they would design the Predator's helmet I think.
At least the TOS Klingons have that cheesy classic rose-tinted glasses kind of charm to them, I haven’t met a single person that unironically likes the Discovery design.
Once they started growing out hair again, they start to look okay, but even then it's rediculous. They try and save face in Disco season 2 by saying they've started growing out their hair again or something, but could you imagine the nightmare it would be to try and shave around those head ridges? Insanity. I've always been just fine with Discovery for what it is, I like it, but those designs were a huge whiff.
I can't understand why anyone would get angry about one other person's opinion. I like hearing opinions different from my own. And is there anything with lower stakes than taste in science fiction aesthetics?
Opinions are one thing, shilling for cbs is another.
And as Voltaire put it "And what is with the Klingons? Remember, in the day they looked like Puerto Ricans and they dressed in gold lamé now they look like heavy metal rockers from the dead with leather pants and frizzy hair and lobsters on their heads"
As someone who repudiates what Abrams did to Star Trek, I find it continually astonishing that you can make sense so often on other matters, but can keep rating the Kelvan timeline so highly.
What about the Enterprise genetic experiment Klingons? They did have distinctive makeup to TOS with a design that would have been used going forward if the show had not been cancelled.
The show was already cancelled before that episode aired. The fourth season was just to get the episode count necessary for syndication, there was no intention to continue the show beyond it... which is probably why they seemed to not at all care when outside writers were brought in to work on certain S4 episodes. They were probably like "Do whatever. You're already cancelled anyway"
At least Enterprise tried to create an in universe explanation for TOS Klingons. It might be kinda dumb, but I like it. Makes more sense than the orc Klingons from Discovery.
Actually, it perfectly explains the orc Klingons from Discovery. Enterprise had proven that Klingon physical features are easily succeptible to genetic modification and viral mutation. So any attempts to reverse the physical effects would likely result in extreme physical abnormalities. Some Klingons would simply rather have too much ridge-head than not enough. Even their battle cry "Remain Klingon" further accentuates that they likely went to great lengths to bring those features back. The Klingon in Enterprise himself said that cosmetic alteration would become very popular.
The Discovery Klingons have some interesting design concepts, but to me they'd look more at home in Mass Effect or Halo.
The Batarians occupy the same narrative role in Mass Effect as the Klingons did in Star Trek (direct territorial/resource rivals to humans) and the Discovery Klingons look very much like two-eyed Batarians.
@@BogeyTheBear Nah, Batarians are nowhere NEAR Klingons. To compare the two would be insulting. Klingons have honor and they don't take slaves.
@@connormacleod4922 Well... actually they kind of do. They just don't call them slaves. They call them 'subjects of the Empire'. Same end result - you work hard for your betters or you get beaten to death. And they also had a bit of a Roman style in regard to their slaves - they could rise in society if you impressed them, though you'd always be second class to a Klingon. They also had a bit more of a 'hands off' approach, with them basically ignoring you so long as you provided the demanded tithes on time and didn't give them any attitude when they arrived to collect.
@@andromidius Well at least with the Klingons you had or have a chance. Batarians don't give you chances, and they subject you to brutal practices for their amusement.
Your raking is perfect.
Honestly I really like the Klingon Cleav ship ( the one that went through one of the Section 31 ships during the final of Discovery season 2). That idea of using a ship to cut another ship apart is so Klingon to me that I'm surprised it hasn't happened before
That’s interesting
I think I’ve always sort of dismissed the Kelvin Klingons because I didn’t like that film very much and just felt those Klingons were underused
My favourite was always TMP Klingons - I just remember seeing them for the first time in the theatre as a 10 year old not knowing they had been redesigned and being blown away by them - that V’ger attack sequence at the beginning of that film was so mind blowing to me - the Klingon ships didn’t explode they just electrocuted and than disappeared
I thought ST:Enterprise did a clever job retconning the look of the TOS Klingons
it just doesn't explain how it spread across the entire empire,... nor how the effects diminished a century later,... and how nobody in the 23rd Century who saw smooth-headed Klingons had any reaction to those who's ridges had grown back.
Hell,... the moment in DS9 when Bashir says "Those are Klingons?", there would still be people alive who would have seen them without ridges,... not to mention him and O'Brien idolizing a captain who met those same Klingons on at least four separate occasions, then ridged-Klingons on another three.
I preferred when we just said "they always had ridges, they simply couldn't do the heavy makeup in the 60's"... but a tongue in cheek joke during an anniversary episode messed that all up forever. "They are Klingons, and it is a long story" was NEVER meant to be taken seriously....
But that's fandom for you, we take EVERYTHING too seriously
@@k1productions87 watch enterprise. It explains it all
We can thank John Colicos for the ultimate look of the Klingons.🖖
Why would Praxis be destroyed in the JJ verse for?, in our universe that won't happen until the future. 2293.
We have the same favorite Klingon design! So awesome to find someone else who loves their design from Into Darkness.
Also I’m The crazy hedgehog lady on your Patreon. Love your channel, and thank you so much for all the great entertainment and content. My hedgehog (Quillemina) and I think you rock. 👍🏻🦔
I have long hair, I like Klingons with long hair, it is that simple.
If you knit your fingers together and place them on your forehead you'll look like a Klingon, I used to when I had hair!
Discovery Klingons reminded me Orcs. 😂 I really love the TNG/DS9 Klingons but I have to say the Kelvin Klingons were just AWESOME....
Tng ds9 Klingons are what they are for me
Kelvin Klingons wear helmets. Would be curious what they look like under the masks
The Kelvin Klingon cranial ridges were like cookie cutter Klingons. No distinctions. So no thank you. TMP+ Klingons were the best. Not thrilled about DSC Klingons.
They do actual look quite like Lotr movie orcs
I wonder if the much more damaged version of Q'onos and Praxis seen in the Kelvin movies is a result of them using the Narada in warfare while they held Nero in captivity.
The Kelvin-movies dialed up the Klingons to 11, Discovery to 13. Design-overkill wherever possible. Just the bat´leth as an example: TNG and DS9 presented a sleek weapon. Kelvin: more spikes and edges. Discovery: what the hell am I looking at - a bow with pincers?
Pragmatically speaking the DSC batleth was more usable as a weapon. Other people have covered the issues with TNG batleths and their designer, they have shitty reach and are cumbersome and slow and the so called martial artist they hired was a fraud.
But while sticking with the basic concept the DSC version works a lot better and even somewhat resembles actual functional weapons.
The new Klingons are a shadow of their former Ds9 brothers.
It's no great surprise to find the TOS Kingons at the bottom of your list. And I suppose it's warranted. But I wouldn't judge too harshly, given the severe material and financial limitations under which the original series was produced--the proverbial "shoestring budget," as they say. On the whole, I'd say they did pretty well given the constraints within which they had to work.
I was looking to see if someone would mention the budget restrictions from TOS. Star Trek TMP was the first actualization of Klingon appearance. Star Trek New Voyages, though not canon, and Enterprise made the connection that not all Klingons on were infected by the augment virus. By the time we meet Kor, Kang Koloth on DS9, a complete cure was found and all those infected, including offspring, regained their racial appearance or they received cranial implants.
Honestly, the JJ Kilngons are underrated design wise. We didn't get to see much of them but man I loved the way they looked
I'm sorry, but Discovery's Klingons look like demented telly tubbies.
"I wanna stop the comments section being as terrible as it was in the last few supplementals," Rowan said, a bottle of petrol in one hand, an oily rag in the other, and a lighter in his back pocket with the words 'TOS Klingons are boring' etched into it.
The TOS Klingons were sloppy racist caricatures
@@edkwon oh I'm not disputing that at all, I just know that a certain subset of TOS stans go ballistic whenever you imply that the omnissiah Gene Rodenberry didn't nail everything in that show.
@@edkwon To be "racist", they have to be aimed at a specific race, in insulting or uncomplimentary manner. Not true. It was a cheap, quick costume, as Rowan pointed out. BUT, despite the blandness, which IS a fair criticism, elements of that did go forward, like the swarthy look, beards, and general appearance of costumes, lines, boots, sashes and so forth. Which created an iconic look which lasted for decades, combined with their ships. Which is why the STD designers were fools.
@@gimmeboobes Make a person wonder what things will be considered "racist" about Star Trek: Discovery 50 years from now.
@@filmandpage1138 Lots, my guess. But the suck is now and that won't change. STD is not one of those that will age well or become more highly regarded with time.
To me the most redeemable thing about the Kelvin Time line is the Klingons. As usual great video bro.
When they teased the helmets in the Kelvin timeline, I was hoping it could be a tie-in to the ridges/no ridges situation. Following the augment virus, all warriors could have been required to wear helmets planet-side or in various postings in order to appear as a unified force and to avoid discrimination among the ranks. Ridge-less warriors would all serve on the same ships and be sent to the frontiers of the Empire, like the systems bordering on Federation space. Once onboard their ships, it could be a custom on ridge-less warrior ships to chuck all those helmets into a storage locker due to pride and to only wear them when dealing with other Klingons.
I'm like General Chang was like the first shaved head Klingon all the critics of head shaved Klingons forgot.
Just him, not the entire race...
Did the xindi reptiles take their fashion sense from discovery Klingons?
Glenn Hetrick had given an interview, talking about the Disco redesign of the Andorians & Tellarites, that it was important not to get too crazy, so people could immediately recognize both species, then he didn't take his own advice with the Klingons. I think they look amazing, just not as Klingons, should have just been a new alien species. I'm still particular to TNG/DS9 Klingons, but the Kelvin ones are pretty good.
So sad, because I really dug Glen on Face/Off--and Michael Westmore was right there, too. It didn't read as a "tribute to," more like a "pissing on."
@@stevebruns1833 Yea, its like he forgot a lot of the criticism he used to give the artists, especially in regards to allowing actors to speak in prosthetics. I think his design is pretty cool, just not as Klingons, because its too much of a departure and as he put it, isn't instantly recognizable. Bummer Syfy canceled Face/Off too, it was one of the few decent "reality" shows worth watching.
I loved the Kelvin timeline Klingons; in fact, I really enjoyed the world building as a whole. It was well thought out without seeming over done. They also stuck to the ingenuity that the OG Star Trek used to create sets; in some BTS the set designers explained that they used lamp shades, etc to make the transporter set. I enjoyed the drag of the Discovery Klingons, I feel like that would be more ornamental for special occasions but otherwise Kelvin was the best. I feel like the lower level Klingons who would constantly be fighting would have no hair and the higher levels would grow their hair out. But I enjoyed that they didn't have hair either, it was practical and honestly quite striking in addition to the ridge piercings.
The Klingons are the best thing about Kelvin. Also maybe rank acrual alien designs of all species in Star Trek or divide it by show if need be.
I think most people imagine the TNG/DS9/VOY ear when they think Klingons. I think it’s unfair to base the Kelvin Klingons on just the one we saw (maybe pierced ridges were unique to him). But I think we can all agree that the discovery Klingons looked a lot better when they added hair
I thought I was the only one that liked the Into Darkness Klingons!
I really like the Kelvin Klingons too, they look genuinely mean and threatening. I think I agree with your assessment really, the Disco Klingons were over designed. Something between the TNG and Kelvin Klingons would have worked well for Disco. Saying that, by Disco S2, they were toned down a bit and looked better.
Great video as always. Really enjoy the lists.
I actually quite like the DSC Klingons. I can see your point of them being overdesigned, but to me that stylized look highlighted their alien-ness. Which as you say was probably the point. It was different to anything we've seen before, and at first I wasn't sure about it. But I kinda dig it. They look very theatrical which fits with the Klingon culture as we know it. Never gave the Kelvin design much thought, they amount to nothing more than a cameo in the movie, but you gave me a new appreciation for their design. But ultimately, I gotta give the top spot the the movie/TNG era designs. Because in that era the Klingon culture took shape and became what we now know it to be. Special mention to TUC's General Chang. He was the baddest looking Klingon. The bald head, the bolted on eye patch. Glorious!
TUC and Chang are two of my favourite Trek staples, right up there with Q
Between the Sheakspeare, the eye patch, and the Bird of Prey, TUC was truly something special
I never thought of those creatures from the Kelven time-line were Klingons.
I actually like the Discovery Klingons - they seem more alien than the more simple TNG ones, but the Kelvin ones never seemed all that impressive to me
People gonna hate, but you are spot on.
I favourite Klingon’s are the tmp klingons
I don't acknowledge discovery Klingons as canon. Worfs ancestors look like that ?
Your lack of acknowledgement doesn't matter - they are canon regardless.
@@andromidius canon is different for each person. we all have our own perception of what we watch&read.
All the people that have a issue of a Klingon without hair. They forgot that General Chang was bald and Worf's hair was very short in first season, later grew out.
I think the Disco Klingon design would have been awesome... if they were something other than Klingons. There's a TNG episode that says that Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians and Humans have a common ancestor/proto-species, so Klingons kinda have to be designed closer to the other humanoids.
The plot of the first season relies on them being similar
TOS Klingons: Often viewed on black & white television sets with, perhaps, a 20" screen - and relatively few viewers who had color television sets.
I've always thought that the STD Klingon design aesthetic resembled the Necromongers from Chronicles of Riddick.
Also, the best Klingon Design from Into Darkness was the rejected bird of prey by Pierre Drolet.
I'd completely forgotten the Kelven ones even existed, that entire range of movies left essentially no impact on me.
It's a decent enough design, cool silhouette. But they don't actually do anything, reducing them to Nausicaan-level of cool looking, yet still wasted potential.
ST:D Klingons looked alright to me in Season 2. They backed off quite a bit on the costumes and they (thank god) put the hair back in.
Somewhere inbetween the Search for Spock and Kelvin Klingons would be right for my taste tbh.
I really like the idea of the kelvin!klingon helmet basically being their version of a deaths-head/skull mask
Agreed completely with this ranking. Yes, Into Darkness was terrible in so many ways, but the Klingon designs stand out as one of the few bright spots.
Discovery, on the other hand... ugh. I feel like the overwhelming negative reaction to the design was one of the reasons they decided to move the show to the far future... and I can't help but notice we didn't see the Klingons at all in S3.
The first version looks like how someone with 1 dollar cosplays as a Klingon
Maybe it comes down to Deep Space Nine Bias, but I have say that the Prime Movies/TNG/DS9/ Enterprise designs are my favorite designs.
The Discovery Design is the kind that works much better on paper in my eyes.
you nailed it
Kelvin Klingon were strangely attractive
I think the kelvin time line design was the best design personally for me and I loved this video and your analysis, the klingons are my favourite alien race in star trek so any video on them is always gonna draw me in. Seeing someone else who gets really passionate about kilingons really gives me hope that people are gonna love the alien races in my own science fiction universe I'm developing that I'm working on while I'm at university and will be releasing the first phase of creative projects in it in the upcoming two years, video games and animated motion comic series and published graphic novels. I'm gonna do a card based table top rpg too. So this gives me a lot hope and enthusiastic reassurance that people will love my sci Fi universe.
The headridges on the lobster head , Worf Klingons are made from molds of dinosaur spines. They're all different because they use different dino spines for different Klingons.
I’m just getting started in fully immersing myself in Star Trek for the first time (I’ve only seen the original series all the way through) but IMO Worf is exactly how Klingons should look
I'd count the Disco Season 2 Kingons as a design of their own, given they _heavily_ moderated the design down to something much more in keeping with Movie/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT designs. Had the Season 2 design been the Season 1 design, there would probably have been a lot of complaining, but I don't think people would've had quite the same problem with them.
I'd entirely forgotten about the Kelvin Klingons, and they're fine. The costumes are the best element. I've never seen the fact that Klingons generally have long hair to be much of an issue, as no Klingon worth their qagh would let you get that close in a fight without you being presented with your own intestines first.
Except for all those times we see exactly that happen lol, one thing I can say about the batleth is it's perfectly designed for a cinematic fight, naturally made for those tropetastic shooting matches with snarling banter.
The hair thing definitely made a difference for me in terms of getting used to the new Klingon look in Discovery. I do think if they had some of the long viking hair on the new design it would have clicked for me right away. I know there's an argument that short hair is "practical," for a warrior, but the Klingons were never necessarily the most practical people. The vikings were also a bunch of bloodthirsty bastards, so using that design element always made a ton of sense to me intuitively.
That said, Kelvin cranium jewelry is one of those things that made a ton of sense once you saw it. It's surprising in retrospect that it wasn't a part of the design before 2009.
Great video! I was never a fan of the Kelvin Klingons but I feel like I didn't notice as much about them as you did. They always reminded me of the Uruki-hai from LOTR, but without an interesting one that stands out. I really like the TNG era style, so I would put them at number 1, then Discovery, then Kelvin then TOS.
For me, TNG era wins because they look less alien, and more human.
Given the big reveal in The Chase that all the races in the galaxy have a common progenitor, I always have a soft spot for “basically a human, with some extra bits” aliens.
I loved the Disco Klingons as being super alien, but that went against The Chase, and that knocked them down a few places. Same with the Kelvin Klingons.
To me Disco Klingons are a disaster, since the Klingons aren't always bad guys. Star Trek at its finest (TNG IMO) never made any major alien race out like all of them are bad guys, not even Cardassians, Ferrengi, or even Romulas. To allow us to empathize with them and at least respect their cultural differences benefits from a reasonably human appearance in my strong opinion, at least enough to see their most subtle changes in facial expression. To make them so grotesque and hideous alienates [pun intended] audiences from being able to see things from their POV and empathize.
Love the Classic Klingons!
If you ask me, the Klingon design is one of the few things TMP got exactly right.
Posted a fan design in the Discord but I'm surprised you didn't mention the Concept Art for the Klingons for TMP where they had tentacle-like hands (probably dropped for cost reasons) and an armor design that Discovery seems to have drawn some inspiration from.
I'd rather have the "boring" and "under designed" Klingons instead of the Klingorcs of Discovery.
I like TNG overall, it was simple but effective
As far as ship design, the Bird of Prey from Undiscovered Country is a classic, as was General Changs bolt patch
Star Trek III Klingons started the main look for the Kilgons for almost 20 years. I also count TMP Klingons as being the early version of that look.
though ST3 had given them way too much eyebrow. That would change come ST4 and then TNG a year later
Regarding the Klingon home planet of Q'onos, I think it is very telling that in TNG and DS9 the planet was not unlike our own, definitely industrialized but with plenty of thriving nature to acknowledge. In those iterations I did not see Klingons as so much war-like as they were warriors of honor, easily motivated to fight but not out of malice so much as a sense of duty to protect themselves and their ways of life at any cost. Therefore, yes, I imagine plenty of wars occured throughout Klingon history, but I think they respect each other enough as fellow warriors, even if on opposing sides, not to take it to the point of destroying their planet in order to win the fight. Regardless of which side won the war, both sides would be committed to preserving their culture for future generations to uphold, and nuking their planet does not help that. Besides, they were very driven to fight by hand, even when being shot at, and I almost think using nukes would have been outside the realm of an honorable battle (yes I know they shoot disruptors and torpedoes in space but you can't fight hand to hand against an enemy starship). As evidence of this theory, consider how throughout the Klingon civil war in TNG the opposing armies frequently drank and partied together as brethren, even if they were going to fight each other the next day.
Have you seen raised by wolves if so what did you think? It has to be one of my favourite sci fi shows rn as I dont see a lot of people talking about it.
You went with the Blingons. To each their own I suppose.
The Disco Klingons are the ones I hate. I can deal with the others for the most part
I agree. Glad they returned to a more classic design recently with Pivard Season 3 (Worf) and SNW Season 2. I thought the STID Klingons looked really intimidating and it looked like the ridges were more integrated into their skulls rather than just slapped on the forehead. I think SNW Klingons are somewhere between TNG and STID Klingons.
The JJ Klingons helmets look lot like Nord helmets.
1. Kelvin timeline
2. TNG-era
3. Disco
4. TOS
TOS make up is just racist (like those make up colors are literally named "orientals" so yeah nope), Disco design feels too bulky and restrictive, TNG era just looks like what we are all used to now, Kelvin timeline has the best update and mix of old school vs. new
My biggest gripe about the DSC Klingons is that some were blue or purple.
When I heard your top pic I had to check this hadn't come out on April 1st.
Personally my ranking would be
1_Movies/TNG... (they are the Klingons I grew up with)
2_Kelvin timeline (same reasons as you, but I just prefer the others)
3_TOS (mostly because I loathe the Disco design)
4_Discovery (just told you why !).
One thing though. You're talking ship designs. MY problem with the Kelvin timeline is the weapons. TO STAR WARS-ISH ! They emit phaser blast instead of phaser beams... weapon wise, I've always associated blast with Star Wars and beams with Star Trek... and those Kelvin-verse blasts are bothering me ! I know it's silly but it dies anyway !
Thanks for your videos.
On the subject of ranking videos, what do you think of Spencer's Enterprise A and why didn't you include the Beyond Enterprise in your Enterprise list?
Because I had never heard of it until now. I think it looks quite nice though :)
@@RowanJColeman I mean why didn't you include the 'Scrawny' Enterprise from Star Trek Beyond in your list?
Totally agree! The Abramsverse Klingons look the best. They’re different and new without being too over the top. The movie/TNG/etc. era Klingons looked like they just went to a Gwar concert.
Ah !! Af ellow colour blind Scottish guy! . It warms my heart.
I like the Kelvin timeline Klingon's 2, for what it's worth...
Yeah, I'm normally pretty chill with lore, canon, all that. I get that Star Trek is a TV show and sometimes production and creative decisions are made that are outside the purview of canon, but even I was upset over Discovery Klingons. Klingons are at this point such an iconic alien design that to change them so drastically was just insane. The explanation that they wanted them to look more alien so that viewers would have a new impression of Klingons is noble, I get that. For the first time I'm hearing that and I can dig it. But still, maybe not THAT design. I agree that the design they got in the Kelvin films is probably the best version of that. They definitely look like Klingons as we understand them, just now their prosthetics have a top-tier movie budget so they can actually look good and properly alien.
Can’t see any problems with any of that. Well done. I agree btw.
What about the Enterprise "Augmented" Klingons?
We only saw them briefly, but I think they look great and brilliantly and less problematic update the TOS design
Good stuff again Rowan, fully agree with your thoughts on the Kelvin and Discovery Klingon designs. Your ST supplemental series has made the last few months a lot more bearable, so thank you. Will there be a supplemental on the different Star Fleet/Enterprise uniforms?