TheStar Trekfranchise has introduced dozens of humanoid alien races, most of which have immediately faded from public consciousness. A few have stuck in the minds of fans for generations. NoStar Trekrace seems more iconic to newcomers, fans, and uninformed observers than the Klingon. Their rubber foreheads and unique way of speaking have reached beyond the fandom. But how do these memorable warriors travel through space?
Thestarships ofStar Trekaren’t as important as one might think they’d be. Most ships appear, perform their role in the story, and fly away. MostStar Trekshows take place in a single Starfleet vessel, but the vehicles of other people and cultures are less crucial to the story.
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How Many Different Types Of Klingon Ships Are There?
There are more than twenty classes of Klingon ships inStar Trek. Several other ships appear but are not identified by the series. The first Klingon ship to appearinThe Original Serieswas a D7-class battlecruiser. It was designed to resemble a manta ray in shape and color. Production designer Matt Jefferies created the D7. The original model still sits in the Smithsonian alongside the Enterprise. TheK’t’inga-class battlecruiser was introduced in the firstStar Trekfilm as an upgrade to the D7.Star Trek III: The Search for Spockintroduced the iconic Bird-of-Prey vessels, of which there are two classes. Those vessels were all common inThe Original Seriesera of the franchise.
By the time ofThe Next Generation, Klingon vessels had become more dangerous and powerful. TheVor’cha-class attack cruiser first appeared in the 81st episode ofThe Next Generation. Elements of the new ship resemble Starfleet vessels, acting as a sort of middle-ground between the Bird-of-Prey and the Enterprise. TheNegh’Var-class warship first appeared in the series finaleofThe Next Generation. It’s considerably larger than most other Klingon ships. WhenStar Trek: Enterprisepremiered, work started on the D4-class battlecruiser. It was meant to resemble the D7, but it wasn’t finished in time for its intended debut. It did eventually appear inStar Trek: Into Darkness. The Raptor-class ship was the first new Klingon vessel to appear inEnterprise. The D5 serves as personal transport for high-ranking Klingons. Other vessels were mentioned once and never again. The BortaS bir, Par’tok, Qoj, Qugh, Toron, Jach, and other minor Klingon ships appeared briefly throughout the shows.
What Is the Most Powerful Klingon Ship?
The answer to this question depends heavily on the era. The most consistent winner would be theNegh’Var-class warship. TheNegh’Varis a massive ship that is armed with a tremendous arsenal. Itsports 20 disruptor banks, four torpedo launchers, and one gigantic disruptor cannon protruding from the front. It can also completely cloak itself. TheNegh’Varshares many physical details with theVor’cha-class attack cruiser because it was designed to be a larger version. It only appears in a few episodes ofDeep Space 9andThe Next Generation. Its best showcase comes in theDS9episode “The Way of the Warrior.” It’s never participated in a big fleet battle.
TheNegh’Varhas since been supplanted in power by the Sarcophagus. The Ship of the Dead is the flagship of the Klingon House of T’Kuvma. Like theNegh’Var, the massive Sarcophagus could cloak itself to escape from sight and radar. The Sarcophagus was several times larger thanthe largest Starfleet cruiser. It measured close to 700 meters in length. The vessel is armored with countless interlocking metal pods, like a spacefaring chain mail. It’s armed with enough directed energyweapons and torpedoes toobliterate the surface of a habitable planet. The Sarcophagus was destroyed by the USS Discovery, possibly handing the top spot back to theNegh’Var.
What Is the Most Common Klingon Ship?
The Bird-of-Prey is the most common Klingon ship intheStar Trekfranchise. It first appeared in the third feature film and immediately became one of the most iconic designs. There were two main variants of the Bird-of-Prey when it was introduced, but there have since been dozens of slight variations in various shows. The same phenomenon has struck the original D7. In both cases, this is a side effect of modernStar Trek’s love of callbacks. The show frequently brings back old ideas with fresh spins. The D7 and Bird-of-Prey have a ton of nostalgia behind them, so they’ll keep showing up.
The Klingons have a ton of interesting ships, even if they all serve the same basic purpose. From the original designs to their most modern incarnation,every Klingon ship isdesigned to be intimidating, powerful, and dangerous. When a Klingon vessel pops up in an episode ofStar Trek, there’s a 90% chance that the current Starfleet ship will be going to war with it. Those Klingons are single-minded, but they still keep innovating.
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