Star Trek Reveals Klingons Are More Like Humans Than You Think

Star Trek's Klingons are probably more like humans than you think, according to one scene from Star Trek: Lower Decks. In Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 5 finale, "The New Next Generation", the USS Cerritos and a small fleet of Klingon Birds of Prey are caught in a Schrödinger Field that transforms things into other versions of themselves from across Star Trek's vast multiverse. Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) sends over schematics to protect against the Schrödinger Field's changes, but the vindictive Klingon Captain Relga (Roxana Ortega) tosses Freeman's help out of the proverbial airlock.

Only the USS Cerritos' hull is left vulnerable to the Schrödinger Field's transformations, so the California-class Federation starship turns into different classes of Federation vessels, like the Sovereign class. Klingon starship design has stayed fairly consistent over the centuries, so it isn't as obvious that the Relga's Klingon Birds of Prey are subject to the same series of transformations. That changes when the historical change into a Klingon sailing barge creates a gruesome fate for an entire ship full of Klingon warriors, who immediately float to their deaths off the not-so-spaceworthy vessel.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Revealed Klingons Sailed Their Homeworld Like Humans Did On Earth

Lower Decks References Star Trek: Voyager's Barge Of The Dead

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Star Trek: Lower Decks changing a Klingon Bird of Prey into a Klingon sailing barge reveals that Klingons had an ancient naval tradition, just like humans did on Earth. The style of the Klingon barge is very similar to a human vessel, implying that Klingons once sailed the oceans of Q'onoS, centuries before Klingon warriors ever ventured into space—and long before humans' 16th to 19th century Age of Sail. The common link between Klingon and human sailing traditions could explain choosing the HMS Enterprise holodeck program for Worf's (Michael Dorn) promotion to Lieutenant Commander in Star Trek Generations.

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The Klingon sailing barge in Star Trek: Lower Decks is further supported by the legend that permeates the near-death experience of Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) in Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 3, "Barge of the Dead". The transformed Bird of Prey is almost exactly like the Klingon Barge of the Dead that brings dishonored souls to Gre'thor, or Klingon hell. The Schrödinger field even mimics the red skies that Voyager's Barge sails through (albeit unintentionally). A Klingon legend that features a sailing barge so prominently must have its roots in the reality of Klingon sailing culture.

Klingons Are Explorers, Not Just Warriors

Since Star Trek: DS9, Star Trek Leans Into Showing A Variety Of Klingons

The Klingon sailing barge hints that ancient Klingons, like humans, were also explorers, and not just warriors. For ancient Klingons, exploration was likely fueled by the warrior Houses' taste for conquest, which would have to be sated by sailing to further shores in order to encounter new enemies. Shipwrights and inventors enabled the expansion of the Klingon Empire with faster and more powerful means of transportation. Ancient naval traditions could have birthed the hierarchy of modern Klingon Houses, with greater honor for those with skills related to supporting the Empire's navy.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 22, "Suspicions", Klingon warp field specialist Kurak (Tricia O'Neil) tells Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) that Klingon scientists aren't highly regarded, compared to warriors.

Klingon culture props up warriors for their glorious reputations, but scientists, explorers, and even farmers can bring honor to the Klingon Empire after General Martok (J.G. Hertzler) rose from humble beginnings to become Chancellor. In Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 13, "A Tribble Called Quest", Klingon geneticist Dr. K'Ruvang's (Jorge Gutierrez) seeks to restore his honor by manipulating tribble genetics to make them less formidable. Captain Ma'ah (Jon Curry) and Malor (Sam Witwer) are bloodwine makers in Star Trek: Lower Decks, with a legacy that might even stretch all the way back to Klingon sailing barges.