Summary

  • Species 8472 were introduced in Star Trek: Voyager as the deadly aliens that scared the Borg Collective, impressing viewers with their CGI design.
  • Captain Janeway formed an alliance with the Borg to combat the dangerous Species 8472, who had the ability to wipe out all life in their galaxy.
  • Peace was eventually negotiated with Species 8472, but their potential return as antagonists in the Star Trek universe remains a possibility, especially with the destruction of the Borg and Starfleet's presence in the Delta Quadrant.

Species 8472 were introduced in Star Trek: Voyager season 3, billed as the Star Trek villains that were deadly enough to scare the Borg Collective. Impressed by the advances in CGI that allowed Voyager's VFX team to realize the sentient macro viral life forms in "Macrocosm", plans were made to create a pure computer-animated alien species. Executive Producers Jeri Taylor and Brannon Braga, and CGI Effects Director Dan Curry are all credited with the genesis of this unique Star Trek alien. Voyager season 3 finally introduced the Borg, but the team wasn't willing to rest on their laurels when it came to big bads for Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to face.

At a 2009 Star Trek convention in New Jersey, Kate Mulgrew stated (via Star Trek: Voyager aliens, and they proved popular with fans. It's easy to see why, as they resembled H.R. Giger's iconic Xenomorph designs for Ridley Scott's Alien, representing something truly extraterrestrial, hitherto unseen in Star Trek. So dangerous were Species 8472 that Captain Janeway entered into an alliance with the Borg Collective to defeat them. However, in keeping with the more open-minded and accepting worldview of Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek vision, the terrifying aliens were actually just misunderstood.

Star Trek: Voyager's Species 8472 Explained

An alien lies on an operating table aboard the USS Voyager in Star Trek

Janeway first encountered Species 8472 in the Star Trek: Voyager season 3 finale "Scorpion", when Kes (Jennifer Lien) learned of the aliens' intention to wipe out all life in their galaxy via her telepathic gifts. Telepathy was the only way that the aliens had to communicate until they began to replicate the Human form later in Voyager. Species 8472 had an incredible immune system that purged all foreign bodies, like Borg nanoprobes from their bodies, making them a formidable opponent. The DNA of Species 8472 was also deadly to other species as their cells were capable of consuming infected bodies from the inside.

In Star Trek: Voyager's season 4 premiere, it became clear that the Borg had triggered a conflict with Species 8472 by entering into their native realm of fluidic space. This aggressive action was enough to convince Species 8472 that all life forms in non-fluidic space were hostile and must be destroyed. This belief wasn't helped by Janeway's Borg alliance to fight Species 8472. Later, to prepare for an invasion of the Federation, Species 8472 created a staging ground in the form of a fully-inhabited replica of Starfleet Academy. However, thanks to a budding - if unconventional - romance between Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and the member of Species 8472 masquerading as Commander Valerie Archer (Kate Vernon), peace was negotiated with the aliens.

Will Species 8472 Return In Star Trek?

iral Janeway looks concerened as a Species 8472 alien stands behind her.

Peace can sometimes be a fragile thing in the Star Trek universe, so it's certainly possible that Species 8472 could return as antagonists. They were convinced in Star Trek: Voyager season 5 that the Federation posed no threat to them, but times do change. The final destruction of the Borg Collective and Starfleet's increasing presence in the Delta Quadrant in the early 25th century could be enough to inspire some of Species 8472 to question their assessment of the Federation.

One of the more likely modern starships to encounter Species 8472 would be Star Trek: Prodigy's new Voyager because the fully CGI aliens would work brilliantly in animation. In Prodigy season 1, Janeway stated a desire to right some of the wrongs from Voyager's original journey. The initial aggression between the Federation representatives and Species 8472 could be one of the Star Trek: Voyager mistakes that she wishes to rectify. Returning to fluidic space for an update on their progression could ease Janeway's conscience over her short-lived alliance with the Borg.