Andorian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Andorians are a species of humanoids native to the moon Andoria, which orbits the planet Andor, placed in Star Trek: Enterprise in the Procyon System. Their defining traits are their blue skin, two cranial antennae, and characteristically white hair.
Contents |
[edit] Andorian biology
Andorians have several variations, which have been seen on TOS (Star Trek: The Original Series), the Star Trek Movies, and on the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise. As originally portrayed, Andorians were pale blue, thin in stature, usually tall, deceptively soft-spoken (possibly lisping). They sported "Prince Valiant"-style white hair, and were represented as having no ears, having instead large bony antennae located on the crown of the skull.
This point was retconned in Enterprise: in that series, Andorians possessed visible ears, and their cranial antennae were small, movable, and located on the forehead. Non-canon sources make the case that the "eared" Andorians were in fact a separate species called the Threllvians, supposedly a subservient and conquered race the "antennae-only" Andorians had brought into their sphere of influence centuries ago.
Despite hailing from an icy world, Andorians are extraordinarily tolerant to warm climates, able to survive in climates approaching the boiling point of water while only losing 10% of their body weight after two days. Andorian cities are built underground, to take maximum advantage of geothermal vents in the planet's crust. Andorian military officers routinely carry with them an ice cutting blade similar to those used by ice miners; soldiers routinely use such blades in combat. (Andorians disdain the use of beam weapons, as they are themselves vulnerable to infections caused by such weapons).
There are at least two subspecies of Andorians, the "blue skins" who make up the majority of their population, and the reclusive "light blue-white skined" Aenar, who were long considered a myth until contact was first made with the blue skins about 2104. Aenar are blind and have telepathic and telemetric abilities.
Andorians have blue blood. Their antennae are used for gesturing as well as for balance. If cut off, an antenna will grow back after several months. Aenar appear to use their antennae also as telepathic receptors.
Andorian females seem to be taller on average than Andorian males.
[edit] Andorian culture
Andorians describe themselves as a violent and warlike species; in the 2150s, their hand weapons did not have a 'stun' setting. Andorians have a concept of a superior being; one portrayal of which was glimpsed at the planet Sha Ka Ree.
Aenar culture is basically co-operative. There are no formal rulers and leaders are appointed as the need arises.
The Andorians have made several cultural contributions to the Alpha Quadrant. The Andorian Academy of Art is considered the best school of its type. Andorian ale is a potent blue alcoholic beverage. 'Andorian blues' is a style of jazz music that was apparently inspired by this race.
Andorians seen in the background of Star Trek: The Motion Picture wore jewelry featuring prominent geode stones. Women wore kimono-like clothing. They carried a flabbjellah, a combination of weapon and musical instrument.
According to Lt.Commander Data in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Data's Day" "Andorian marriages require four people, unless...". The "unless" is unknown, but may be assumed to apply to Shran's marriage to Jhamel, as seen in the final episode of Enterprise.
[edit] Andorian history
The first sea-going vessel to successfully circumnavigate Andor was the ice cutter Kumari. Centuries later, a starship of the Andorian Imperial Guard would assume the name of the great vessel.
At some point in their past, Andorians waged an atomic war.
In 1154, Andorians achieved warp travel. (Star Trek Star Charts)
Their first contact with the Vulcans was promising, but relations soured in time. The threat of mutual annihilation existed as early as the 1950s. In the 2060s, the two species held eight-year-long territorial negotiations.
About 2104, blue skins made contact with the Aenar, dispelling their mythological status.
Andorians terraformed a planet called Weytahn, only to have it annexed by the Vulcans. In 2151, the Andorian Imperial Guard uncovered a Vulcan spying station concealed on the monastery world P'Jem.
In 2153, the Imperial Guard sent a ship into the Delphic Expanse in an unsuccessful attempt to capture a Xindi weapon for use against the Vulcans. Andorian Commander Shran proved instrumental in countering a Xindi threat to Earth in 2154.
In 2161, Andorians were one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets.
In the 2260s, Andorians participated in the Babel Conference, represented in part by Ambassador Shras.
In the 2270s, a number of Andorians joined the crew of the refitted starship Enterprise. In 2291, a painting of a notable Andorian hung in the conference room of the Enterprise-A.
In 2371, Andorian gerontological Doctor Chirurgeon Ghee P'Trell was nominated for the Carrington Award.
[edit] Non-canonical information
The information below comes from licenced, but non-canon sources.
A 1970s technical fiction book, The Starfleet Medical Manual, made the further assertion explaining that the antennae of Andorians indicated that the species were the only known semi-insectoid race in Federation territory. The antennae functioned as both "quadriscopic" vision receptors and for focussed hearing. However, none of these points were ever shown on a Star Trek film or series, although they were repeated in the 1980s book Worlds of the Federation. Furthermore, the assertion that they were the only semi-insectoid race seems untrue based on the later series Enterprise as the Xindi had an insectoid race (although it could be argued these were a wholly-insectoid race, not a semi-insectoid race, and so may have been excluded).
In the Deep Space Nine relaunch novels, the idea that Andorians have four-person marriages has been extended to say they have four sexes, two of which are roughly equivalent to "male" and two of which are roughly "female". A significant subplot in the books was that the unlikelihood of compatible foursomes resulted in an extremely low reproduction rate, which combined with genetic weaknesses led to the near extinction of the species.
Similarly, the short-lived Marvel comic Star Trek: Starfleet Academy mentions "complex" marital structures, but in this case more flexible, where one or more fathers can be involved. Andorians are also described as being passionate and having had a violent history.
[edit] Appearances
| # | Episode | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 210 | "Journey to Babel" | Orion spy posing as an Andorian Ambassador's aide frames Sarek for murder; |
| 216 | "The Gamesters of Triskelion" | One of the slaves of Triskelion |
| 314 | "Whom Gods Destroy" | One of the mental patients was Andorian |
| 318 | "The Lights of Zetar" | Two Andorian scholars were present at Memory Alpha at the time of its destruction |
| # | Episode | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 102 | "Yesteryear" | Spock replaced by Andorian first officer in alternate timeline |
| 112 | "The Time Trap" | Andorian on the Elysian Council |
| Episode | Appearance |
|---|---|
| "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" | Three ambassadors in crowd at Starfleet Headquarters; two crew on Enterprise Rec Deck |
| "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" | Two members on the Federation Council |
| "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" | Script suggests one "face of God" was Andorian; see bonus scenes of two-disk DVD |
| # | Episode | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 316 | "The Offspring" | A young Andorian female is shown as one possible choice of appearance for Data's new child, Lal. |
| 319 | "Captain's Holiday" | Andorian tourist on Risa |
| # | Episode | Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 107 | "The Andorian Incident" | |
| 115 | "Shadows of P'Jem" | |
| 123 | "Fallen Hero" | |
| 215 | "Cease Fire" | |
| 313 | "Proving Ground" | |
| 409 | "Kir'Shara" | |
| 412 | "Babel One" | |
| 413 | "United" | |
| 414 | "The Aenar" | |
| 418 | "In a Mirror, Darkly" | |
| 419 | "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" | |
| 420 | "Demons" | |
| 421 | "Terra Prime" | |
| 422 | "These Are the Voyages..." |
[edit] External links
- Andorian article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki.
- A Rogues' Gallery of Andorians
