Over the decades, there have been many fascinating extraterrestrial species who appear on Star Trek. But it’s possible that the one with the most unusual origin story just might be the Kzinti.
For this week’s Trek Tuesday, we’re examining the curious case of the Kzinti. How do you feel about this singular species? Be sure and let Geek Girl Authority know, either here in the comment section or over on social media.
Kzinti Origins and The Animated Series
The Kzinti first appeared in a non-Star Trek short story: “The Soft Weapon” by Larry Niven. The short story was part of the Known Space universe, created by Niven. He was later recruited to write for Star Trek: The Animated Series by D.C. Fontana. During a meeting with Franchise Creator Gene Roddenberry, the Great Bird of the Galaxy (Roddenberry) suggested Niven adapt the short story into a Star Trek episode. Thus, “The Soft Weapon” was adapted into The Animated Series episode “The Slaver Weapon.”
“The Soft Weapon” already included Kzinti, stasis boxes and the titular “Slaver Weapon.” All of these elements were included in “The Slaver Weapon” episode. Three members of the Kzinti species play prominent roles in the episode. Furthermore, because only Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) appear in the “The Slaver Weapon,” these guest-starring characters get a bigger part than they might have in an episode featuring the entire U.S.S. Enterprise crew.
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At least one element of the episode’s lore does not line up with the current Star Trek canon. Sulu states that wars between the humans and Kzinti took place two centuries earlier. “The Slaver Weapon” is set in 2269. However, according to Star Trek: First Contact, humans first made contact with extraterrestrials in 2063 — and this was with the friendly and peaceful Vulcans. However, Sulu may have just been speaking casually with regard to the timeline.
Finally, the Kzinti had a few other small appearances on The Animated Series. In “The Infinite Vulcan” they are mentioned as possible threats by the throwback antagonist. Plus, the species had a brief cameo in the episode “The Time Trap.”
Kzinti Characteristics
The Kzinti are presented as adept carnivorous hunters. They exclusively eat meat, and in “The Slaver Weapon,” they state that they have tasted human flesh in the past. This was during the four wars against humanity Kzinti supposedly took part in during the 21st century. Furthermore, it is suggested that Kzinti social structures are extremely sexist. They state that females of their species are “dumb animals,” and they also underestimated females of other species.
For many years, the Kzinti were not mentioned in Star Trek. This is true for many narrative elements that were introduced on The Animated Series. However, the species did have its defenders. Jimmy Diggs, a freelance writer who contributed to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, was a staunch defender of the Kzinti.
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Diggs pitched ideas for Kzinti-themed episodes and a CGI-generated movie featuring the species, Star Trek: The Lions of the Night. You can watch an animated for the movie’s concept here. Diggs even personally commissioned a redesign of the Kzinti and their ships. Eventually, he advocated for the inclusion of the Kzinti in Star Trek: Enterprise. However, none of these concepts came to fruition.
The Modern Era
However, with more recent widespread acceptance and celebration of The Animated Series by Trekkies, the Kzinti (and other species introduced on the animated show) have begun getting their due.
In Star Trek: Picard Season 1’s “Nepenthe,” William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) mentions the Kzinti in dialogue. He states that they are “causing a little trouble” near the planet.
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And on Star Trek: Lower Decks, the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes a recurring Kzinti character, Ensign Taylor (Fred Tatasciore). Taylor is primarily a background character, although he appears in 13 episodes of Lower Decks. This is more than 20% of the total episodes produced. Furthermore, he has a more significant role in Season 2’s “The Spy Humongous” and Season 5’s “Dos Cerritos.”
According to the Star Trek Adventures: Star Trek: Lower Decks Campaign Guide, the Kzinti were enemies of many Franchise factions before suffering significant losses during the Dominion War. They subsequently signed peace treaties with their former enemies. Furthermore, a female rights movement was undertaken by the species around the same time. Thus, many Kzinti women were elevated in their politics and military. While the Lower Decks Campaign Guide isn’t Franchise canon, the developments track with the fact that Taylor is an ensign in Starfleet.
The Star Trek episodes discussed in this article are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
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