Klingon The Klingons ( " tlhIngan " in Klingonese ) were a humanoid warrior species that originated from the planet Qo ' noS ( pronounced " Kronos " ) , an M - class planet in the Beta Quadrant . One of the major powers of the galaxy , the Klingons were a proud , tradition - bound people who valued honor and combat . The aggressive Klingon culture had made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared . History and politics . Recorded history begins with the story of the creation of Kotar and his mate , who were recognized as the first Klingons . Together they were responsible for destroying the god s who created them . ( ) Kahless the Unforgettable founded the Klingon Empire some time in the 9th century through the performance of many heroic feats . He unified the Klingon people when he killed the tyrant Molor . Kahless came to be revered in Klingon society to the point of near - deification , and many aspects of Klingon culture came to revolve around an emulation of Kahless ' life . ( ) The warrior ethos had been an important aspect of Klingon society since the time of Kahless , but the warrior aspects became much more dominant beginning in the early 22nd century . Over time , the warrior caste gained greater prominence to the point where the Klingons widely came to be regarded as a " warrior race . " ( ) The Klingons ' relationship with Human s and the Federation was rocky at best . Following the disastrous first contact between Klingons and Humans in the Broken Bow Incident , tense rivalries and unavoidable conflicts often developed between the two races . ( ; ) In the year 2154 , the Klingons gained access to the genetic material of Human Augment s and tried to adapt this genetic engineering to improve themselves . The test subjects did gain increased strength and intelligence , but then , their neural pathways started to degrade and they died in agony . One of the subjects suffered from the Levodian flu , which was modified by the Augment DNA to become a fatal , airborne , mutagenic plague that spread rampantly through the Empire , from world to world . In the first stage of this plague , Klingons lost the ridges on their foreheads and began to look more Human . With the help of a Klingon scientist named Antaak , Dr . Phlox of the Earth starship was able to formulate a cure that halted the genetic effects of the virus in the first stage . This retained the changes in appearance , along with some minor neural re - ordering . The neural ordering caused changes in the emotional make - up of the Klingons . For example , the infected started to feel fear . Even though the infected did not develop any stage - two characteristics – such as enhanced strength , speed , or endurance – they did not die from it . This left millions of Klingons changed . These alterations were even passed on to their children . ( ) In the 2250s and 2260s , groups of Klingons with and without ridges had been encountered by the Federation . ( ; ) By the 2270s it had become more commonplace to encounter Klingons with forehead ridges than not . ( , et al . ) Klingons did not discuss the circumstances of this mutation with outsiders and , by the 24th century , the reason for smooth - forehead Klingons was not widely known outside the Empire . ( ; ) By 2223 , relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire degenerated to a point of relentless hostility , which lasted for several decades . ( ; ) The lingering tensions between Klingons and Humans continued to rise , eventually leading to the Battle of Donatu V , near Sherman ' s Planet in 2245 and the Battle of the Binary Stars in 2256 , which was provoked by T ' Kuvma in order to unite the squabbling Great House s against the Federation . ( ; ) This resulted in the Federation - Klingon War of 2256 - 57 , where the Klingon Empire successfully invaded and occupied nearly twenty percent of Federation space . ( ) Later , another conflict erupted into what was considered the Federation - Klingon War of 2267 . The Organian s quickly intervened and ended the war after only four days of fighting . ( ) Over the next several decades an uneasy peace developed , broken only by brief but fierce skirmishes and conflicts . ( ; ) A true and lasting peace finally came in 2293 , with the signing of the Khitomer Accords , thanks to the efforts of Chancellor Gorkon and the Human Starfleet officer James T . Kirk . ( ; ; ; ) Since then , despite several periods of rocky relations ( see Federation - Klingon War ( 2372 - 73 ) ) , the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been steadfast allies , especially in the face of Dominion aggression in the 2370s . ( ) The Klingon relationship with the Romulan people was extremely erratic . The Klingons typically regarded the Romulan Star Empire as a " blood enemy " since at least the 23rd century . Sporadic Romulan attacks against Klingon colonies , such as the Khitomer Massacre , and interference in Klingon affairs , including the Klingon Civil War , continued to sour relationships between the two peoples . ( ; ) Parallel universes . In the mirror universe , the Klingons were one of the races subjugated by the Terran Empire . ( : " Vaulting Ambition " ) . By the 24th century Klingons and Cardassians founded the Klingon - Cardassian Alliance and eventually defeated their Terran occupiers . ( ) " In the alternate reality , in 2233 , the crew of the briefly considered whether a particular lightning storm effect , observed by the " Kelvin " near the edge of Klingon space , might be Klingon in origin . Starfleet discarded this possibility . The phenomenon preceded the arrival of the Romulan mining vessel " Narada " from the prime universe . The " Narada " attacked and obliterated an armada of 47 Klingon Warbird s in 2258 . The Klingons in this timeline have cloaking technology by 2258 earlier than their Prime Universe timeline counterparts . ( ) " " By 2259 in the alternate reality , after Starfleet ' s first contact with the Empire , the Klingons had conquered and occupied two planets known to the Federation and fired on Starfleet ships half a dozen times . Tensions between the two powers were high and an all - out war was considered inevitable . During that year , before surrendering to the Federation , destroyed three patrol ship s on the Klingon homeworld , killing the crews of the vessels . ( ) " " According to , the Klingons joined the Federation by the 26th century in a possible timeline . " ( ) " Society . Klingon society was extremely complex . Before its decline in the mid - 22nd century and again in the late 23rd century , Klingon society was based on a feudal system organized around traditional Great House s of noble lineage , to which various parts of the population owed fealty . The Great Houses are traditionally represented in the Klingon High Council , which was led by a Chancellor , replacing the heredity leader of Emperor . The decline of Klingon culture was demonstrated in the acts of the Klingons themselves . They stopped caring about their weapons to the point that they let them rust and even stopped caring for true honor . ( ) Sometime after the augment virus took hold of the Klingon Empire , a new regime took control , turning the Empire into an authoritarian state that kept tabs on all who served . ( ) The old ways returned in the latter 23rd and early 24th centuries respectively . Males traditionally dominated public life in the Empire , assuming the leading roles in politics and the military with only rare exceptions . ( ) A notable exception to the prohibition of women serving on the High Council came when Azetbur became Chancellor of the High Council after her father , Gorkon , was assassinated in 2293 . ( ) Women , in turn , traditionally dominated the household and the management of the family ' s affairs . ( ) Klingon women were treated as equals , except in politics and matters of inheritance . Law prohibited them from serving in the High Council and they could not take control of their Houses unless they had the money and no male successors of the lineage . Otherwise , Klingon women were expected to exhibit the same physical prowess and lust for blood and honor as the men . Klingon society functioned through a system of family reputation and honor . Tradition was an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances was considered a grievous insult to society , an insult not forgotten easily . An offense usually brought shame to the offender ' s name for several generations . The highest shame was discommendation , an action by the High Council to officially strip a Klingon of his personal or family honor . Bloodlines and relations were also taken very seriously by any " true " Klingon . Lines comprised more than mere family members . ( ) The military was integral to Klingon society , as it provides opportunities for warriors to die in battle . For the same purpose , the Empire often seeks to expand through conquest . Discipline was strictly enforced , by one ' s superiors and subordinates both ; the latter may assassinate his superior and take his place . This gives Humans the false impression that there are no rules , but in fact , this can be done only under certain conditions , dereliction of duty and cowardice among them , and the challenge can be made only to a direct superior . ( ) An integral part of tradition was the various rituals that marked milestones in a Klingon ' s life or the history of the Empire . Most notable of the rites was the Rite of Succession , which a future leader of the Empire had to complete with a valid Arbiter of Succession ( Captain Jean - Luc Picard , in the case of Gowron ) overseeing the proceedings . Before the Rite could begin , there was another elaborate ceremony needed to confirm the death of the previous leader . This was known as the Sonchi ceremony . ( ) Individual Klingon warriors were expected to go through the Rite of Ascension to be recognized as a full adult . ( ) If the house that an individual Klingon belonged to was dissolved or fell into dishonor , he could be adopted into another house through the R ' uustai or alternative ceremonies that symbolically marked the joining of kinship and allegiance . ( ; ) Klingons were extremely territorial . According to the first known Klingon linguist , there was no such thing as an " insignificant corner of Klingon space " . ( ) Evolution . Origins . Like their Human , Cardassian , Vulcan , and Romulan counterparts , Klingons and many of the Milky Way ' s species all shared a common ancestry back to the ancient humanoid s and the DNA code they produced and seeded across the galaxy . Though each evolved under separate conditions from each other , their shared DNA allowed these species to remain roughly compatible and viable with each other . ( ; ) Possessing extreme strength and speed , early Klingons were quite large , weighing up to 200 kilogram s . They were armored with an exoskeleton , with spines and bony plates protruding from their sides , upper arms , and back , arms ended with clawed pincers . On their face were venom sac s , filled with bio - acidic compound and spitting glands inside their mouth that were used for defense and to mark territory . Along with these sacs , these early Klingons had two mandibles protruded from their lower jaw . ( ) These prehistoric males used vocalizations to frighten other predator s , mark its territory , and commence its mating process . These early Klingons mating rituals involving biting its intended mate , to induce pheromone production in the sebaceous gland s . Once the mate was ready , the pheromones drew the male Klingon back to its location . ( ) The Modern Warrior . Modern Klingons developed a varied line of physical attributes , ranging from well pronounced cranial ridge s to what was best described with the dysphemism " pointy - headed " , as coined by Harry Mudd . Anatomy . Like most humanoids , the essence of the Klingon anatomical form consisted of a head , neck , torso , and four limb s . Internally , the Klingon anatomy was markedly different from that of other humanoids . There was a great deal more multiple redundancy in their organs , a principle they called " brak ' lul " . This allowed Klingons to survive severe injuries in battle . They had twenty - three rib s , two liver s , an eight - chambered heart , three lung s , two urinary tracts , and even redundant neural function as well as multiple stomach s . Some geneticists believed that the extra organs , notably the third lung , evolved to give Klingons greater stamina on the battlefield . Klingons had relatively little knowledge of their own biology and their medicine was very poorly developed . This was largely due to their warrior traditions – a Klingon who was wounded was expected to be left to either survive through his own strength , die , or undergo the " hegh ' bat " , a form of ritual suicide . ( ; ; ) The most distinctive feature of the modern Klingon was a sagittal crest , beginning on the forehead and often continuing over the skull . ( , et al . ) Klingons head shape differed between individuals , with some having skulls that extended backwards into a elongated cone shape . ( ) The cranium , itself , was encased in an exoskeleton , which possessed a feature known as the tricipital lobe . ( ) The lower half of the face tended to follow familiar humanoid appearance , and even the ridges on back of their heads if any tend to be less pronounced and slight , leaving the general shape as Human skull and covered in more skin than bone ( see for example ) , it was in these regions where hair was most likely seen to grow . Eyebrows tend to grow in a more diagonal direction than other humanoids , but also had noticeably diagonal suborbital ridges where eyebrows otherwise existed . Klingons ears included both external auricle and pinna and recessed pinna . External auricle structures tended to be rounded , and the recessed pinna tended to come to a point before forming into the back of the head , Klingons of the alternate reality had pointed auricles of a similar size and shape to the recessed pinna , with slight ridges along the top . ( ) Klingon eyes generally round in size and shape ( consisting of varying shades with white sclera ) . They may flash more white of their eyes which they use to intimidate a rival or enemy . ( ; ) Other Klingon eyes had large corneas , pink sclera , and almost gem - like reflective quality to them . ( , et al . ) Klingons , especially females , were said to lack tear duct s . ( ) However , for males Klingon myth stated that Kahless once filled the ocean with his tears , and at least one Klingon , Kurn , produced tears . ( ; ) They also had more physically pronounced cheeks , and a vertical ridge that went down their chin into their neck which expanded into ridges on their upper chest and shoulders and between the breasts of at least the females . The neck structure varied from smooth flesh to flesh containing pits and bony structures that led up the side of their head , and down the back of their head and spine . Klingon noses tended to vary having between several slight horizontal ridges on the brow of their noses , or a single vertical ridge or crack from the top of the brow to the tip of the nose to being wider and flatter , nearly flush against the forehead . They also had heavier ridges over their nostrils , compared to the two minimally ridged or un - ridged nostrils . The nose tended to lay flatter on the face than in other Klingons as well and wider . ( ; ) Klingon teeth typically consisted of two sharp fangs ( incisors ) with crooked or sharpened teeth ( it was said they sharpen their teeth , often before going into battle ) . ( ; ; ) However , not exclusive , others had pronounced thick lips with sharp teeth , with each tooth being considerably larger size . ( , et al . ) Klingons of both sexes usually had hair on their heads while male Klingons often had facial hair as well . ( ; ) Hair was usually long , curly and wavy , described as thick and luxuriant . ( ) Accelerated hair growth was often experienced by Klingons during puberty , or " jak ' tahla " , along with severe mood swings and unusual aggressive tendencies . ( ) Klingon hair greyed with age . ( ) Other Klingons were completely bald , lacking facial hair . ( , et al . ) For Klingons with hair , cases of receding hairlines or full or partial baldness existed during 2160s , and later in the 2260s through 2290s ( ; ; ; ; ; ) Klingons as young as those who had reached the Age of Ascension , typically did not wear beards . ( ; ) " Klingons of the alternate reality vary from balding and no facial hair , to those with long hair and beards . " ( ) Klingons also had sharp thick talons on their hands that make up the end of their digits . The chest of the Klingon males appeared to be largely smooth and slick , while the females had a large chest area with ridges that came down to the top of their breasts across their shoulders . The backs of these Klingons were highly covered with ridges from shoulder to shoulder and across the small of their back radiating from highly defined and thickly ridged spines . The sides of the abdomen of at least the females appeared to be highly defined with rib - like ridges as well . The buttocks region was even heavily ridged . ( ) Klingons had ridged spines , chests and feet ( though these ridges and other armor like structures extend out covering almost the entire back , sides and abdominal region on the ' pointy - headed ' Klingons ) . ( ; ; ) After birth , some Klingon infants experienced a pronounced curvature to the spine , a form of scoliosis , which was correctable by surgery . This " defect " tended to run in Klingon families , especially among females . Federation medicine , fortunately , advanced beyond that , allowing an additional choice of treatment involving genetic modification of the fetus . ( ) Augment virus . Klingons afflicted with the augment virus , propagated by a mutation of the Levodian flu was inadvertently created by Klingon researcher s who were attempting to bio - engineer enhanced warriors using DNA from genetically - modified Human embryo s left over from Earth ' s Eugenics Wars . These Klingons lost their cranial ridge features , and were in essence , remarkably similar in appearance to modern Human s . ( , et al . ) Though the cure for the virus had been distributed throughout the Empire , the afflicted Klingons ' DNA had been altered by the virus , the Human appearance and genetic traits were passed onto the descendants of the infected . Initially there were millions of Klingons who had to live with the disfigurement for well over a century . ( ; , et al . ) Though Human in appearance and distinguishable primarily by tricorder readings alone , Tribble s were still able to single out and identify these Klingons . ( ) Hybridization . Klingon pregnancies normally ran thirty weeks , but with mixed species , gestation times were shorter . ( ) Klingons were said to have a different , not fully compatible number of reproductive organs than Humans . ( ) However , basic anatomy does actually appear to align between Humans and Klingons . ( ) The odds against Klingon - Human conceptions were rather high . However , when successful , Klingon and Human metabolisms sometimes clashed , causing biochemical fluctuations in the mother , which may lead to fainting . Klingon traits remained dominant for several generations , even with a single ancestor ; therefore , a child even ¼ Klingon still possessed forehead ridges , if he or she carried the gene . ( ) Hybrid ization revealed that Klingon DNA tended to be more dominantly expressive in the physical appearance of their offspring . This was found to be especially true in the case of hair color and appearance of cranial ridges , especially with Humans . ( ; , et al . ) In the case of Romulan - Klingon hybridization , the ears were the only telltale indication of their non - Klingon heritage . ( ) Physiology . Skin colors ranged from olive , brown , and black to pearlescent / metallic across the entire spectrum of the rainbow , varying from purple , pink , burgundy red , yellowish tan , dark orange , umber brown , grey , blue , dark green , coal black , and chalky white . Their skin had a shimmery slick metallic semi - reflective sheen to it . Albino Klingons were often considered outcasts in Klingon society . ( ) Klingon children matured far more quickly than Human children . At the age of only one Earth year , a Klingon child had the appearance a Human child had at about four . By the age of eight Earth years , a Klingon attained the maturity a Human did not reach until about age sixteen . ( ; ) When Klingon children began growing into adults , they went through " jak ' tahla " , a Klingon form of puberty . ( ) Like other mammal ian species , Klingon females were capable of lactating to breast - feed infants . ( ) Klingons tended to live for over 150 years . Even into advanced old age , they tended to still be strong enough for combat , but were susceptible to memory loss . ( ) While as a whole , Klingons were larger and physically stronger than most species , they possessed a much lower tolerance to the cold . ( ; ) Doctor Julian Bashir once sarcastically noted that the natural odor produced by Klingons was comparable to an " earthy , peaty aroma with a touch of lilac . " ( ) To Humans and Vulcans alike , Klingon ships smelled bad . ( ; ) For example , Leonard McCoy once referred to the environment of a Klingon Bird - of - Prey , operated until recently by Klingons , as having a " stench . " ( ) Klingons such as Kurn had the instinctive ability to sense the decision to kill by looking into the eye s of their opponents . ( ) Worf despite being raised by Humans on Earth , retained this ability when he sensed Martok ' s warrior spirit returning enough to win their duel without killing Worf . ( ) Klingon blood could contain ribosomes that were compatible for transfusion with a Romulan . ( ) Klingon nutritional requirements were typical of most humanoids , whereas , Dr . Pulaski once noted that , while their food was considered by most to be unpalatable , usually , " what kills us , kills them . " ( ) One exception of this observation was the tea used in the Klingon tea ceremony , which was toxic to the point of being deadly to Humans , and capable of seriously sickening Klingons , as it did . ( ) Religion and tradition . Ritual was a very important element in Klingon society . While the Klingons were not a religious people as such , they did believe that deities existed at one time . However , Klingon warriors supposedly slew their god s , as they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth . ( ) Klingons did not believe in fate ; however , they did appear to believe in some form of luck . ( ) At least until the 23rd century , some Klingons buried their dead in sarcophagi . ( ) However , by the 24th century , many Klingons tended to believe that when a Klingon died , the spirit was considered to have exited the body , leaving behind a worthless shell to be disposed of . ( ) In the Klingon death ritual , it was traditional for those on hand to howl into the sky , as a warning to the afterlife that a Klingon warrior was about to arrive . ( ; ) In some cases , a funeral dirge was sung in memory of the deceased , or friends sat with the body to protect it from predators , a practice known as " ak ' voh " . ( ) Furthermore , a Klingon who was unable to fight , and hence unable to live as a warrior anymore , had the traditional obligation of committing the " hegh ' bat " , which was the Klingon ritual suicide . Tradition dictated that the eldest son or a close personal friend must assist . That person ' s role was to hand the dying Klingon a knife so that he could plunge it into his heart , remove it , and then wipe the blood on his own sleeve . ( ) The Klingon afterlife was supposedly divided into two branches . The dishonored were taken to Gre ' thor aboard the Barge of the Dead , a vessel captained by Kortar , the first Klingon . Kortar was supposedly the one who had originally killed the gods who created him and was condemned to ferry the dishonored to Gre ' thor as a punishment . Once in Gre ' thor , the dishonored were watched over by Fek ' lhr , a vaguely Klingon - esque figure . While it may be tempting to view Fek ' lhr as the Klingon equivalent of the Human devil , according to a statement made by Kang , the Klingons had no devil . ( ; ; ) Those who died honorably supposedly went to " Sto - vo - kor " , where Kahless was said to await them . However , should a noble warrior die in a manner that might not merit a place in " Sto - vo - kor " , such as being assassinated in a surprise attack , he may still earn a place , if others dedicated a great battle to his name , thus showing that he had earned respect among the living . ( ; ; ) Klingon rituals included the " R ' uustai " , a bonding ceremony which joined two people together in a relationship similar to brotherhood . ( ) Klingon tradition held that " the son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade . " ( ) If a Klingon warrior struck another Klingon with the back of his hand , it was interpreted as a challenge to the death . Klingon warriors spoke proudly to each other ; they did not whisper or keep their distance . Standing far away or whispering were considered insults in Klingon society . ( ) According to Worf , taking hostages was considered by Klingons to be a cowardly act . Although , there was an incident in which a Klingon aimed his disruptor at the Enterprise - D ' s warp core , thus taking the ship hostage , in effect . ( ) When going into battle , Klingon warriors often sang the traditional warriors ' anthem , which was essentially an invocation to Kahless and a pledge to win a good death in battle . ( ) When choosing a mate , it was traditional for a female Klingon to bite the male ' s face , allowing her to taste his blood and get his scent . Males were also known to bite the face of the female they were interested in . ( ) Worf once told Wesley Crusher that , per Klingon mating rituals , " " Men do not roar . Women roar . Then they hurl heavy objects . And claw at you . " " Of men , Worf said , " " He reads love poetry . He ducks a lot . " " ( ) Klingon daughters traditionally were given a piece of jewelry called a jinaq when they became old enough to select a mate . ( ) Long hair was important part of the ancient traditions of Klingons as told in the legend of Kahless ; it was said he took a lock of his long hair thrusting into the caldera of the volcano of Kri ' stak , where it began to burn , and then after plunging it into the lake of Lusor , he molded and twisted into his legendary Sword of Kahless , which he used to kill the tyrant Molor , and then gave it the name Bat ' leth , the sword of honor . ( ) To grow a beard was an ancient tradition , to Klingons in the 24th century especially it was a symbol of courage , which they were against shaving ( though they were okay with a trim ) . Klingons did not like having too much hair removed either , letting it continue to grow , and only a little bit of trimming . ( ) . Science and education . As of the 2150s , the warrior caste had a dominant role in Klingon society , causing science and education to be neglected virtues . Nevertheless , ' father was a teacher and his mother a biologist at a university . Antaak , on the other hand , was disowned by his father when he chose do become a " healer " , i . e . , a doctor . In 2149 , he was an expert in metagenic research and attended an Interspecies Medical Exchange conference , albeit in disguise , as the Klingons were not invited . By 2151 , Klingons possessed technology to encrypt intelligence data within an operative ' s DNA . ( ) As of 2154 , medical research was not considered " a priority " for the Klingon High Council , which was why the Empire did not possess the medical expertise to confront the Augment virus without assistance . ( ) By the late 23rd century , the Klingon Empire sent out expeditions , one of which made first contact with the Ventaxian s in 2297 . Hired Klingon craftsmen went on to construct homes on Ventax II . ( ) As of 2365 and onward , Klingon vessels had dedicated science stations . ( ; ) In 2369 , Kurak was a warp field specialist from Qo ' noS . While she was a brilliant expert in the field of subspace morphology , her efforts went unappreciated by her fellow Klingons . ( ) Although the concept of a healer tending a warrior ' s wounds after a glorious battle was considered sufficiently honorable to be mentioned in song s ( e . g . , Dr . Bashir and Worf at Internment Camp 371 ) , Klingon medical expertise kept having a bad reputation in the 24th century . In 2367 , Lt . Cmdr . Hobson of the remarked that no one would ever suggest a Klingon to be a good ship ' s counselor , as he considered them unsuited for such a position . In 2374 , Klingon General Martok preferred to be treated by the Human Dr . Bashir , opining that " Klingons make great warriors but terrible doctors . " In 2376 , when Lewis Zimmerman was faced being treated by an " obsolete " EMH Mark I , he claimed he would be " better off being treated by a Klingon field medic " . ( ; ; ) " In the year 2404 of an alternate timeline that diverged in 2378 , Klingon scientist Korath created the chrono deflector , a time travel device . ( ) " Technology . According to Quark , Klingons achieved warp drive sometime after 1947 . By the year 2152 , Klingon vessels were capable of warp 6 . ( ; ) As of the early 2150s , Klingon vessels were comparatively advanced . In contrast to their Earth Starfleet counterparts , Klingon ships were equipped with photon torpedo s , deflector shield s , tractor beam emitter s , and had thicker hull s reinforced with a coherent molecular alloy . However , as of 2151 , Klingons had no knowledge of holodeck technology . ( ) By 2256 , cloaking screens began to be used on Klingon vessels , such as the " Sarcophagus " , but Starfleet was quickly able to penetrate them . As of 2268 , the Klingon D7 class battlecruiser design was used by the Romulans . In 2269 , Starfleet assumed at least Cmdr . Kor ' s to possess effective cloaking capability against their sensors , a technology thought to be uniquely Romulan the previous year . Kor would later reminisce that , when his ship was equipped with a cloak , it was still a new piece of technology for the Klingons , understood only by a handful of engineer s in the Imperial Fleet . By 2285 , at least one more Klingon ship was definitely using a cloaking device . ( ; ; ; ; ) As of 2367 , Klingon transporter systems had a range of 20 , 000 " kellicam s " , which was a common Klingon unit of length measurement as early as 2285 . ( e . g . , ; ) Appendices . Appearances . A list of all appearances of Klingons ( excluding appearances of Worf and B ' Elanna Torres ) . Background information . The Klingons are the only non - Federation species to have appeared in twelve films . In , they attempt to attack " V ' ger " and are vaporized . They appear in the simulation of the " Kobayashi Maru " test in . They are the primary villains after the Genesis technology in . In , the primary vessel is a Klingon Bird - of - Prey and the Klingon ambassador appears early on , to have Kirk extradited . In , a Klingon ambassador is featured again , on Nimbus III , and they also appear as secondary villains , as a young brash Klingon officer chases Kirk for the glory of defeating an infamous enemy of the Empire . In , General is the primary villain as a Klingon and they also appear throughout the film during the peace process of the Khitomer Accords . In all TNG movies , Worf appears despite his commitments to Deep Space 9 , and the Duras sisters appear in . At least three Borg drones seen in are also of Klingon origin . The Klingon ships once again appear in the " Kobayashi Maru " scenario in the film . Their full appearance was cut from the film , their prevalence up to then leading Damon Lindelof – who worked on the movie as a producer and a writer of the film ' s screenplay – to remark , " " What " Trek " film would be complete without Klingons ? The answer is . . . ours . " " ( deleted scene " Klingons Take Over Narada " audio commentary , and Three disc Blu - ray ) ) Klingons were shown on Ketha Province of Qo ' noS in . Klingons do not appear in however in " Star Trek Beyond - The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow " , it is revealed a Klingon was intended to appear in the film , but ultimately cut . Apocrypha . In the novel " Summon the Thunder " , part of the " " series , the Klingons who had a Human appearance ( descendants of the victims of the Klingon Augment virus ) are referred to as " " QuchHa " " , or " the unhappy ones " . They usually served in their own units although they also were known to mix with the rest of the fleet on occasion . " Against Their Nature " , the first installment of " " , an IDW Comics series which tells the stories of , , , and from the Klingon point of view , suggests that , while Phlox and Antaak ' s cure removed Augment strength and Augment intelligence , those affected retained the superior ambition of Augments , and as such these Klingons were largely responsible for the Empire ' s expansion in the century between " " and TOS , eventually becoming powerful enough to achieve a majority on the High Council . In the novel " Pawns and Symbols " , Klingons are discovered to be color - blind in the Human sense , unable to distinguish red from black . It is also discovered that their vision extends into the ultraviolet , to 32 , 000 Ångström s . In the novel " " , the Klingons are described as having been economically conquered and uplifted by the Karsid empire . The Klingons then rebelled and overthrew the Karsids , obtaining their high technology . This was given as one reason for why the Klingons were the way they were , and also how they could have developed star - faring technology given their current social structure . In " Star Trek Online " , most Klingons are once again enemies with the Federation by 2399 , having taken advantage of the Romulans by conquering much of their territory in the wake of the death of Shinzon and then the destruction of Romulus . The Klingons have also conquered the Gorn , the Orion s , and the Nausicaan s . Evidently , Klingons are seen joining Starfleet , if unlocked . The Federation - based mission " Past Imperfect " gives a possible answer to how the Augment virus ' alterations was eventually cured by revealing that the mad Klingon Admiral B ' Vat had kidnapped Miral Paris and brought her to the past , where they used her Klingon / Human DNA to manufacture a cure . In the online game " Star Trek Timelines " , includes all three types of Klingons appearing from their various respective eras accurately portraying each character ' s respective and different physiological differences in appearances . Kor , Koloth , Kang appear reflecting the 23rd century TOS era " Human - augment " part of the history , T ' Kuvma appears representing the 23rd century era Klingon / Federation war , characters such as Chang , Kruge , Colonel Worf representing the 2270s - 90s period , characters such as Gowron , Worf , Martok , Alexander , B ' Elanna Torres , and Duras Sisters appear reflecting the 24th century . The " Discovery " related event which introduces T ' Kuvma and involves Katherine Janeway ( including a 24th century Klingon variant Janeway ) is described as such " " The USS " Shenzhou " has arrived in the 24th Century , engulfed in a destructive temporal anomaly . Starfleet has yet to make contact with the crew , but the anomaly has brought all manner of things from the Shenzhou ' s time into the present day . . . " "