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Published Apr 30, 2024

Who Are the Breen?

Never turn your back on the mysterious yet aggressive humanoid species.

StarTrek.com

The Breen are a reclusive and mysterious species whose government has long been considered a major power in the Alpha Quadrant.

Although details about them are often blended with hearsay, we have assembled a helpful briefing to get you up-to-speed on all things Breen.

Political Past

"The Changing Face of Evil"

During the Klingon Second Empire, an entire Klingon fleet was dispatched to conquer the Breen homeworld, but no ships or soldiers ever returned from the mission. This fearsome reputation continued into the 2360s and 2370s, when the Breen were initially considered suspects in an apparent attack on the U.S.S. Vico (in " Hero Worship ") and the Federation's Amargosa Observatory. The Breen also engaged in hostilities against the Cardassians, having destroyed the transport Ravinok and forced the survivors to mine dilithium.

The Dominion confined a Breen in Internment Camp 371 as part of its bid to infiltrate the Alpha Quadrant, but the prisoner was killed in an escape attempt. Given the Breen's clashes with so many other species, it's no surprise that the Romulans allegedly developed the saying, "Never turn your back on a Breen." Oddly enough, the Ferengi had managed to establish a rapport with the Breen and opened trade negotiations with them by 2373.

The Breen cover themselves in distinctive full-body suits, and their ever-present helmets mask their appearance from outsiders and process their speech through a metallic filter. Rumors of the Breen homeworld being a frozen wasteland lend credence to the theory that these suits are for environmental or refrigeration purposes, though Weyoun claimed that Breen has a comfortable climate.

Nevertheless, the Breen are often considered synonymous with all things cold by their interstellar neighbors. In the 24th Century, Data stated that the Breen are not detectable through empathic means, while Dr. Bashir noted that they do not have any blood.

"Mirrors"

According to Worf, no one had ever seen a Breen and lived to tell about it, which explains why the Federation did not immediately recognize the courier L'ak as a Breen in 3191. With the Breen finally unmasked, the species is shown to be capable of changing between two faces — a translucent and emerald-like flexible form, and a smooth, pale-green humanoid one. The latter shape takes focus and strength to hold, but unlike their more radiant appearance, the humanoid variant allows them to breathe the same atmosphere as most Federation species. The fluid that leaks out of a stab wound suffered by L'ak may indicate that Bashir's "no blood" observation is limited to the Breen's "other" face.

"By Inferno's Light"

As one might expect when dealing with a populace who conceal their faces from other species, the Breen are incredibly secretive. In the 2370s, Worf asserts that the Breen are without honor and do not tolerate incursions into their space matches, while U.S.S. Voyager 's Emergency Medical Hologram classifies them as a warlike species (as mentioned in " Elogium "). These comments reflect the Klingons' failed invasion of the Breen homeworld, but much more insight can be gained from the interaction between L'ak and his uncle, the Breen Primarch, as seen in " Mirrors ."

The Primarch is displeased with L'ak's relationship with Moll, viewing the human as a "lesser being" and showcasing the Breen's intolerance toward non-Breen species. Great emphasis is placed on royal lines and family lineage, with the Primarch referring to L'ak's humanoid face as an insult to his heritage. In the Primarch's opinion, the Breen have evolved past that form as it makes them unfocused, inflexible, and weak. Ordering L'ak to redeem himself by killing Moll and the irrevocable nature of an Erigah — a Breen blood bounty — seem to reinforce the Federation's belief that the Breen are dangerous and cannot be trusted with the Progenitors' technology.

The Dominion War

"Strange Bedfellows"

In 2375, Thot Gor allies the Breen Confederacy with the Dominion and quickly musters a fleet that succeeds in attacking Starfleet Headquarters on Earth. Equipped with organic-based ships, the Breen military helps the Dominion retake the Chin’toka system. The favoritism the Founder shows the Breen becomes a factor that pushes Damar into mounting a resistance against the Dominion. Breen energy-dampening weapons devastate enemy ships, though the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans soon devise a countermeasure which permits them to launch an offensive into Cardassian territory.

"What You Leave Behind"

With their armada surrounded at Cardassia Prime, the Founder promises the Breen control of Romulus and Earth in a last-ditch effort to motivate them into fighting to the bitter end. The Breen leader vows to join the frontlines, but the Federation Alliance is bolstered by vessels from the Cardassian fleet. The Dominion and Breen Confederacy’s defeat proves inevitable, and the Founder eventually agrees to a complete surrender.

A 32nd Century Future

In the late 32nd Century, the Breen government is now known as the Breen Imperium. An independent entity that is separate from Osyraa's Emerald Chain, the Imperium runs its own space stations and trading hubs where couriers can sell their goods. While faction wars between rivals vying for control of Breen space have raged for years, continued infighting over a new leader has made the Imperium a growing threat and alarmed some Federation worlds.

When a time bug overtakes the U.S.S. Discovery -A, as seen in " Face the Strange ," Captain Burnham witnesses a possible future in which the Breen secure the Progenitors' technology for themselves and launch a devastating attack on the Federation. By 3218, the Discovery is found to be adrift and Federation Headquarters has been obliterated. Once back in the year 3191, Burnham uses the glimpse into the future as evidence that the Breen Imperium must not be allowed to obtain the Progenitors' power.

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider, StarWars.com, and ILM.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Originally meant to be just a one-off species of the Star Trek franchise, the Breen were first mentioned in the fourth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1990. Even though they were referenced in several other episodes from then on, they did not actually appear on-screen until the episode "Indiscretion" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1996.

The writers admitted that they had previously used the name "Breen" whenever they needed a random alien species for a storyline. Hence, not much was known about them up until much later on. So, who exactly are the Breen, and where do they fit into the expansive universe of Star Trek ?

RELATED: Star Trek: Exploring The Deep Space 9 Problem

What Do the Breen Look Like?

There is a lot of speculation on what these bloodless creatures actually look like, as the Breen are always seen in environmental suits that cover them from head to toe. It is suggested that this is because their home planet experiences extremely low temperatures. During the Dominion War, the Dominion and Cardassian leaders receive intelligence reports that describe the Breen planet as "a frozen wasteland." However, the Vorta field supervisor Weyoun describes it "quite comfortable" later on.

The Breen’s suits feature metal armor and a detachable and 'vented snout,' giving the impression they are a snouted species. The top of the helmet has a visor that either glows green, or has green and red lights on it. The suits are of two types: a standard suit that most of the Breen wear, and a more elaborate suit worn by Thots, the authority figures of the Breen Confederacy. (The Thots are comparable to the Legate of the Cardassian military in terms of rank, according to the Cardassian leader Damar.) With distinct gold lines running across the helmet, this decorative suit reinforces the elevated status of the Breen leaders.

They are also more resilient than other humanoids. For example, when a Breen is struck by the Klingon warrior Worf , the Breen seems to be completely unaffected by the attack and proceeds to assault him instead. The Klingons have famously coined the phrase: "No one has ever seen [a Breen] and lived to speak of it." This is partially in reference to the fact that Breen are extremely territorial; a fleet of Klingon warships had been sent to conquer their home world during the Klingon Second Empire, which never returned and was never heard from again.

The Breen also have an unusual and incomprehensible speech, further adding to their mysterious image. The scratchy, electronic warbles cannot even be deciphered by the universal translator, which is not the case with most of the other species in the franchise. Empathic species such as Betazoids are also unable to sense the Breen’s feelings and emotions, much like the Ferengi .

What Role Did the Breen Play in the Dominion War?

The Dominion, a planetary alliance in the Gamma Quadrant , came into conflict with the Alpha Quadrant powers, ultimately leading to the Dominion War seen throughout much of the Deep Space 9 series. Although the Breen have never been inclined to make political alliances, the writers felt that their involvement could heighten the stakes of the war. Thus, talks with the Female Changeling, the head of the Dominion, led to Breen leader Thot Gor agreeing to provide reinforcements in 2375. The Dominion were interested in the Breen’s military weapons , and made a deal with them: they would hand over the control of several Cardassian and Federation planets once the war was won. However, it is later implied that this was a false promise.

To honor their partnership, the Breen ‘gifted’ Worf and the Deep Space 9 counselor Ezri Dax to the Dominion. They went on to win the Second Battle of Chin'toka, after destroying most of the ships that belonged to the Federation and causing major damage to Earth. A highly advanced weapon called the energy dissipator, which can drain a starship’s power systems, enable the Breen’s victory. Only the Klingon’s ship turned out to be immune to the device, while the rest were defeated.

The growing relations between the Breen and the Dominion caused the Cardassian Union, another major ally, to become bitter. Cardassian leader Damar was not pleased with the terms of the alliance between the two parties, which gave the Breen full access to the Dominion’s database — which wasn't permitted to the Cardassians. This turned out to be one of the major reasons why Damar eventually chose to switch to the other side and lead a rebellion to free Cardassia .

This major development, combined with the fact that the Federation have created a defense against the energy-dampening weapon, led to power shifts in the war. Thot Pran, who succeeded Thot Gor as military commander, asked the Female Changeling for confirmation that the Dominion were not surrendering, but strategizing for another attack instead. This, once again, showcases how the Breen are ruthless fighters. The Romulans, much like the Klingons, have a saying regarding this race: "Never turn your back on a Breen." This is demonstrated when a captive Breen takes a disruptor from the holster of a guard when his back is turned, and uses it to kill two guards at once.

In the Battle of Cardassia, the Breen fought on the front lines, even ahead of the tough and devoted Jem'Hadar forces of the Dominion. They proved to be a tough adversary for the Federation once again. Even though they lost the war, the story arc could not have been as compelling without their formidable strength and their willingness to die for the cause till the very end.

As allies of the Dominion, the Breen are present at the signing of the Treaty of Bajor. Though their status after the war has not been discussed in any later media, the treaty has no implications regarding the Breen, seemingly leaving them in the clear.

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We wanted to give these guys something special. I couldn't make them the toughest guys in the galaxy — that's the Jem'Hadar. Or the most arrogant guys — that's the Cardassians. Or the most untrustworthy guys — that's the Vorta. So we decided to make them the most  mysterious  guys in the galaxy.

10. Not To Be Indiscreet, But May I Have Your Helmet?

I wasn't really in the mood to come up with a new alien race. So I said, 'Let's not see them. Let's just put them in costume because they normally live in the cold.'

Jack Kiely is a writer with a PhD in French and almost certainly an unhealthy obsession with Star Trek.

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Podcast: All Access Gets To Know The Breen In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 505, “Mirrors”

| April 26, 2024 | By: All Access Star Trek Pod Team 29 comments so far

[ Discovery 505 review starts at 17:00]

Anthony and Laurie start with a  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds production update, then round up the latest on the William Shatner documentary, a new  Discovery coffee table book, and IDW’s “Star Trek: Celebrations” comic. Then they play some audio from Tony’s recent interview with Carlos Cisco, co-writer of this week’s  Star Trek: Discovery  episode, “Mirrors.” After that, they give “Mirrors” a full review; Tony liked it more than Laurie, but they both enjoyed the Moll and L’ak backstory. After a quick reminder about the PanCAN Purple Stride walk happening this weekend, the wrap up the pod with a Paramount business update courtesy of The Town and a recent interview with makeup legend Michael Westmore on The 7th Rule .

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Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments, and should you be so inclined,  please review us on Apple .

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I hear you on missing stuff. “The Ultimate Computer” made the rounds on one of the legacy channels last night. In the opening scenes, McCoy, Kirk and Spock make their way to engineering to see Dr. Daystrom. After some conversation, McCoy starts going off on the tech, Daystrom looks square at him and asks “who are you”? In all the times I’ve seen this episode over the decades, Daystrom throwing shade at McCoy had never registered on me…..

I can hear it in William Marshall’s voice as I read it! Hey, it’s always fun to discover something new in TOS episodes I’ve seen a thousand times. There’s a great scene in “Wink of an Eye” where Kirk is asking McCoy if he’s going crazy and Nurse Chapel is totally eavesdropping in the background… it’s so funny! I think I only noticed it for the first time a few years ago.

Great podcast per usual!

I agree with most of the thoughts about Discovery and per usual agree with Laurie this was the weakest of the season so far. There were just waaay too many missed opportunities, not very much happening and clear it was very much shot on a budget.

But it is cool to see the Breen back. That was a big plus.

But I really enjoyed the section where you guys talked about how Discovery was originally trying to avoid canon it’s first year compared to today and be more its own thing. I have been saying this forever now and believe Discovery was originally just a reboot but simply not called that. Everything about that first season just felt so off from Trek of old.

They were clearly trying to reboot the franchise for a different time and audience and move away from the old style and canon of the classic shows.

But I think they really underestimated how much fans wanted the old style and canon back and panicked once the complaints flowed in and why we got Spock and Pike the next season and Picard was announced after that.

I have also said this before as well but if Discovery was a bigger success than the other shows would be in its image, both look and style. Instead they been running from it with the other shows.

SNW is a direct spin off and yet it feels and acts like the Roddenberry/Berman era of shows being episodic again, A and B stories and doing alien/anomaly/crisis of the week. There is not a single episode (OK maybe the musical lol) that couldn’t fit into any of the old shows TOS-ENT.

It is ironic the new era tried to be something different from Berman Trek just to basically be that again with shows like LDS, Prodigy, Picard season 3 and SNW. It just proves A. nostalgia is always a strong tool and B. Old fans ultimately still control this franchise for better or for worse.

My personal take on SNW is that they’re not getting the canon balance right either. They rely too heavily on TOS instead of forging their own path more. It’s why I’ve been so happy with Discovery’s approach this season, particularly when they take something we don’t know a lot about but have heard of and then add to it. SNW has all the ingredients to tell brand-new stories with new aliens and characters, and I hope they start doing more of that and less leaning back into TOS.

Oh yeah fully agree. I think you know my feelings on SNW and while I certainly like the show it’s canon issues really frustrates me and I really think they are overdoing the TOS fan service.

But I was never surprised about the latter. I actually predicted Kirk would show up on the first season finale way before we were told Kirk would be on the show itself. I figured they were going to make it more a TOS ‘prequel’ than a Pike show and sadly proven right.

But I truly truly hope we don’t get a TOS show when SNW is over. They may do it but I really hope they do something different and more original if there is a spin off. I just have zero interest in reliving the show and so far not a fan of Wesley’s Kirk at all, so even less so.

As I’m sure you know, I’m with you on that one!

It is weird that Discovery was trying to evade Trek canon when the whole first season plot revolved around a war with the Klingons, followed by a journey to the Mirror Universe. The central character is Spock’s adopted sister, and because of that we encounter Sarek and Amanda. Also Harry Mudd is prominent in the season, and the season ends with the appearance of the Enterprise.

RIght? It was a weird mish-mosh of what they leaned into (as the saying goes) and what they wanted to avoid. I will say I loved the choices they made with Amanda.

Hi Tony and Laurie. I felt compelled to thank you both for the podcast. You put a lot of work into each episode despite currently not getting much in the way of feedback or comments. I can’t help but notice that in general, comments across the Discovery articles seem quite low in terms of numbers compared to previous shows. In particular, Picard S3 where for example, some episode reviews garnered +600 comments, so many in fact, that I could only get round to reading a fraction of them. Perhaps Discovery is more niche than previous Trek series.

While I did enjoy last weeks episode, watching Discovery for me still feels a bit like watching The Cage. It’s labelled Start Trek and has Trek iconography scattered throughout and yet IMO it lacks the warmth and connection I felt towards other series.

Thank you, Scott! Appreciate the comment. It’s true I am greedy for comments and we don’t seem to get a lot of them, or reviews on Apple. It sometimes feels like we are just out there in the void! I am always interested to hear what people think of the podcast, what they’d like us to do more of or less of.

I would really like the Shuttlepod back on a regular basis. It was cathartic for me because I felt that it aligned with my view of Star Trek in general, whereas with All Access, I like you both and enjoy listening to you, but I’m frequently disagreeing with your opinions on these shows and the state of the franchise.

So would I! They have a lot of schedules to wrangle. We do try to have them on our podcast whenever they’re free.

The irony for me Laurie is that I actually do try to post in every podcast discussion and there is always so much I want to say. But a lot of the times I don’t post until a few days later since I don’t always have time to listen to it right away. But when I do it looks like everyone has already moved on so I just don’t always bother.

There was a podcast you guys made maybe a month ago that I had so much to say I literally wanted to make a five point post to counter all the discussions you guys said in it lol. But by the time I could sit down and write it it was nearly a week later and I thought what was the point when there were only a few posts and I figured no one would even see it by then so didn’t bother.

It is obviously true there are fewer posts for the podcast but I think mostly due to the fact everything you guys talk about are usually things that has already been discussed ad nauseam on the boards like the latest episode review. You guys are going over news that’s already been posted so people have had their say about it and usually not a lot more to add; unless there is a specific point made in the podcast itself that’s been highlighted for the first time.

But I truly love listening to it and listen to every one of them. I make a comment about 60% of the time but as said the discussions dry up so quickly here that after a few days it just doesn’t seem worth it unfortunately.

But you guys definitely have advid listeners who enjoy listening to your thoughts. I’m certainly one of them especially since I agree with nearly all your thoughts lol.

So glad to hear it. Obviously we talk about stories that are already up on the site, so the discussions are already happening. I get it! I just always hope that if people like things we do or don’t like things we do, they’ll let us know. (Like the way we review shows; is it bothersome that we just jump all over the place and don’t go from beginning to end?)

Hi Laurie. How about you and Tony team up with the Shuttle pod crew to do an end of season Discovery review and also a look back at the series; highs, lows and legacy. By the way I totally agree about your SNW comments. I really enjoy the show and think the cast is terrific but would like them to explore new ground far more than they currently do.

Most of them don’t watch Discovery! But we will definitely do that topic when the show is done, and hopefully Matt can join us for it.

I’m very surprised to hear that your colleagues (and for me great podcasters) don’t watch Discovery. I have to say that if such knowledgeable and learned ST experts don’t find it worth watching (and I’m sure for their own very good reasons), what chance did the show really have. I know that my UK Trek family have long since bailed, most exiting at the end of S3.

“Most of them don’t watch Discovery.”

Wow that sort of says it all when dedicated Trek fans who have their own podcast don’t bother to watch the show. I could be wrong but I don’t think Mark Altman watches it either or he just doesn’t talk about it on his podcast.

From what I gather so called nu-Trek isn’t Altman et al’s bag at all. In contrast they were huge fans of Picard S3 (I am too). The Blu-ray is wonderful by the way.

People like me are guilty of not often commenting on the podcast, but I LOVE the podcast, and look forward to it every week!! I will try and do better! Please keep up the great work!!!

Thank you so much, Phil! That put a smile on my face.

A lot of people have been pointing out the lower discussions about Discovery this season. It really is noticable especially compared to the shows first three seasons which were much more active to say the least.

And yes compared to Picard season 3 is night and day. I went and looked up that seasons episode 5 discussion as a comparison and that got around 450 comments vs Discovery’s current episode 5 that only has around 110 comments currently. And what’s crazy is that is the highest number of posts so far all season.

So yeah it’s definitely a lack of discussions here and all across the bigger sites as well. It doesn’t mean people aren’t watching it obviously but it’s also clear there is much less passion for the show today, especially one that is ending very soon.

Good points. I’ll be interested to see the streaming viewing figures if they are made available.

What we have found is that there are some people who come rushing to all the Discovery posts to tell us how much they hate it, and we are being more vigilant about getting rid of those comments. If someone watches the show and hates it, fair! But there are a lot of comments from people who just want to shit on its existence (and clearly aren’t watching it), so those go, as well as anything racist or homophobic, which obviously happens a lot with this show too.

Yeah I understand but I don’t think that alone is the reason for less posts either because as I said it’s down everywhere else I post and lurk. That includes TrekCre, Reddit, Trek BBS etc. It’s a very obvious gap. Reddit is the more obvious because those posts usually go on the thousands when an episode is reviewed.

For example the latest episode Mirrors has around 400 posts which sounds decent but every episode review in season 4 usually had double that or more. Some got into the thousands.

Maybe it’s just been off the air too long. It has been two years.

Could be. I saw a Tweet from Patrick Kwok-Choon (Rhys) saying they filmed it so long ago, he doesn’t even remember what happened!

In his defense: It’s not like he’s getting a lot of particularly memorable material ;-)

I agree with Tony about them leaving the map… When Burnham left her quarters she just left the map on the desk, and I was thinking just that. I mean, what if the cleaning lady breaks it or just moves it somewhere. They do that, they break things and don’t tell you, figuring you won’t notice. They have to think about those things.

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Ds9’s breen comeback sets up star trek: discovery’s darkest future timeline.

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Every DS9 Alien In Star Trek: Discovery

Star trek: discovery vs. ds9's breen is now inevitable, star trek: discovery’s captain burnham opening starfleet academy is ironic.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery, season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange".

• The Breen's return in "Star Trek: Discovery" sets up a dark future timeline for the crew.
• Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner travel between past, present, and future to face a chilling alternate 32nd-century universe.
• The Breen's possession of Progenitors' technology spells doom for the Federation unless stopped.

The return of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Breen sets up a dark future timeline for the crew of Star Trek: Discovery . The Breen Imperium is one of the biggest threats to the peace and stability of the Federation in Discovery 's 32nd century, proving that their defeat during DS9 's Dominion War did nothing to suppress their hostile urges. Discovery season 5, episode 4 , "Face the Strange", written by Sean Cochran, and directed by Lee Rose , reveals that the Breen are potential buyers for the Progenitors' technology, a prize that could have devastating consequences for the future of the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange", Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) are thrown between past, present, and future by a Krenim time bug. Over the course of their travels in time, they arrive in a dark future timeline where the Breen used the Progenitors' technology to destroy the USS Discovery and the entire Federation. As well as answering the mystery about the timeline of Star Trek: Short Treks ' "Calypso" , this dark alternate future acts as a warning to Burnham and Rayner about what will happen if they let the Progenitors' technology fall into the wrong hands.

Star Trek: Discovery has reintroduced many popular aliens from Deep Space Nine. Here are all of the species who have survived into the 32nd century.

Who Were The Breen In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

The breen nearly changed the course of the dominion war..

The Breen were first mentioned in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 11, "Hero Worship" , when they were suspected of attacking the SS Vico. However, the Breen wouldn't appear on screen until Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4, episode 5, "Indiscretion", in which Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) infiltrate one of their labor camps. "Indiscretion" established that the Breen wore refrigeration suits, presumably to maintain their body temperatures on hot worlds like Dozaria. The Breen were also an incredibly warlike species, which made them crucial allies of the Dominion following their defeat in the First Battle of the Chin'toka System .

The Romulans have an old proverb "Never turn your back on a Breen", inspired by their untrustworthy reputation.

The Breen and the Dominion's negotiations led to an alliance that lasted until the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Breen had superior technology, including an energy-dampening weapon that could disable the Federation Alliance's ships, including the USS Defiant. The Breen's energy dissipater played a crucial role in the Second Battle of the Chin'toka System, severely weakening the Federation Alliance's armada and their morale . The Breen planned to roll out their energy dampening weapon across the entire Dominion fleet, but were foiled by a covert mission led by Colonel Kira Nerys, Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) and Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois).

In tandem with Kira's mission, the Federation Alliance used a series of countermeasures against the Breen's weapon. These measures helped the Federation Alliance to turn the tide against the Dominion, launching a final assault on Cardassia Prime and eventually winning the war. Breen representatives were present at the historic signing of the Treaty of Bajor, putting an end to their war against the Federation. However, 800 years after the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , it appears that the Breen are just as big a threat in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

The Breen later made an incursion into the Delos System, where they attacked the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 9, "Trusted Sources".

DS9’s Breen Create Star Trek: Discovery’s Darkest Future Timeline

"but the outcome you feared came to pass. the progenitor's technology fell into the wrong hands." - zora.

In the alternate timeline where Burnham and Rayner didn't destroy the Krenim chronophage in time, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) handed the Progenitors' technology to the Breen. The Breen used the incredibly powerful Progenitors' technology to launch a devastating attack against the Federation. Standing aboard a devastated USS Discovery, Burnham and Rayner look out at the ravaged remains of Federation Headquarters. After a false start during the Dominion War, the Breen will finally get to destroy the Federation once and for all unless Burnham and Rayner can stop them acquiring the Progenitors' technology .

Discovery's darkest timeline makes a fight between Burnham and DS9's Breen inevitable, seriously upping the stakes for Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

As Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) surmised earlier in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, the Progenitors' technology can both create life and destroy it. In the hands of the Breen, it will be used not to save lives, but to take them. It's unclear exactly what the destructive capabilities of the Progenitors' technology are. However, the fact that the USS Discovery is completely empty of organic life or material suggests that it could have the power to completely break down the building blocks of humanoid life in the galaxy . With such a devastating weapon in their arsenal, the Breen could rule the entire cosmos without opposition.

Star Trek: Discovery’s Future Breen Can Finish What They Started On DS9

"to launch an attack against starfleet headquarters... even my people never attempted that." - general martok.

Star Trek: Discovery 's dark future timeline isn't the first time that the Breen have attacked Federation Headquarters . The Breen's first act after allying themselves with the Dominion was to launch a devastating attack on Earth in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, episode 20, "The Changing Face of Evil". The Breen's attack on Earth in DS9 seriously damaged Federation Headquarters and took a huge chunk out of San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Starfleet fought off the attack, destroying the Breen interceptors, but the attack still had the desired effect of seriously damaging the morale of the Federation-Alliance .

The Breen attack on Earth took place in 2375, but the damage was apparently fully repaired by 2376, as revealed in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Pathfinder".

The Breen's attack in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine caused heavy civilian casualties and an unknown number of military losses. However, it was as much a psychological attack as it was a physical one, proving to the Federation that they couldn't even protect their homefront during the Dominion War. The Breen in the 32nd century seem not to care about getting into the heads of their enemies and are instead focused on their total destruction. They may have struck a powerful blow against the Federation 800 years ago, but in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, the Breen can finish the job with the help of the Progenitors' technology.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Breen attack on Earth

The Breen attack on Earth was a surprise attack against Earth launched by the forces of the Breen Confederacy in late 2375 . Although most of the attacking Breen interceptors were destroyed by Starfleet defenses, the raid caused massive damage to its intended target of Starfleet Headquarters , and the greater city of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge .

The attack was a major blow to Federation morale and an equally major boost to the power of the Dominion . This bold military strike marked the Breen 's entry into the Dominion War . Klingon General Martok remarked on the daring of the act, saying " even my people never attempted that. " ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ")

Several days later, Chief Miles O'Brien cited the attack as likely being responsible for Commander Hilliard 's odd behavior towards Doctor Julian Bashir . ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ") The damage caused by this attack was repaired by 2376 . ( VOY : " Pathfinder ")

In 3191 , as a Breen dreadnaught approached the USS Federation , Commander Rayner reminded Admiral Charles Vance and President T'Rina of the devastating attack on Earth which was the last time that the Breen had crossed into Federation space. Vance insisted that the Breen had only pulled it off because Starfleet was caught flat-footed and it wouldn't happen again. Shortly thereafter, Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly brought up the attack to Commander Paul Stamets , stating that the Breen had destroyed an entire city. ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The attack may have been the first successful attack on Earth to occur in nearly two centuries. Dialogue in " Homefront " and " Paradise Lost " suggests that the last such occasion was during either the Xindi incident or the Earth-Romulan War .

The damage caused by the Breen attack was limited in comparison to the massive planetary damage depicted in previous examples of orbital bombardment , such as in " The Die is Cast ". This suggests that perhaps Starfleet was able to mitigate the damage somehow or that Breen were reluctant to inflict massive civilian casualties, fearing retaliation.

In the first draft script of " The Changing Face of Evil ", the Breen were established as having used highly effective cloaking devices to carry out this attack. Weyoun speculated that the Federation would be finding bodies in the rubble for days after the incident.

Apocrypha [ ]

The non- canon short story "Eleven Hours Out" from the anthology Tales of the Dominion War tells of major involvement of Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise -E in stopping the raiding Breen ships. It also states that an orbital defense platform was taken over by an agent of the Dominion and used to destroy any incoming vessels. "Safe Harbors" in the same anthology mentions that New York was attacked as well, But as Scotty and McCoy are piloting a runabout , they are relieved to see the Statue of Liberty survived intact. After the attack, the Breen officially announced that they were breaking off diplomatic relations with the Federation and entering into an alliance with the Dominion.

The non-canon Dominion War supplement for the Last Unicorn game goes further in-depth on the attack, stating that Beijing, Paris , and New York City were also attacked by Breen fighters, and a total of 22 million people were killed. Star Trek Online , however, claims that the attack only killed 2,147 people.

In the Star Trek Online Agents of Yesterday mission "Vorgon Conclusions", the player character is dropped off at this timeframe in pursuit of the Vorgon Ajur and Boratus . They are able to defeat a number of Breen ships and drive off an invasion of Starfleet Headquarters before confronting the two. Several "News Reports" that can be accessed during the mission reveal the state of the ongoing battle, including that the USS Cairo and the USS Enterprise -E participated in the battle, the latter would reinforce the Tales of the Dominion War short story.

External link [ ]

• Raid on San Francisco at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

Star Trek: Discovery writer explains why they changed up the Breen for the show

S tar Trek: Discovery brought the Breen back, last seen at the tale end of the Dominion War during the closing season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The alien race, specifically what they looked like was left in a shroud of mystery for decades. No one thought they'd ever find out what they looked like, let alone more about the alien species as a whole. That changed, however, with Discovery.

During the fifth and final season of the show, the creative heads of the show opted to bring back the alien race, leaving little left to the imagination as to what they look like or why they behave the way they do. In doing so, they pulled back the blinds, revealing a smove but ridged-faced alien, who has two states; a physical and a liquid one.

The reveal has been received well by some, not so well by others but it's another attempt by Star Trek to further expand on previous concepts. Yet, why did they go in the direction they did with the Breen? Well, Carlos Cisco decided to further explain the concepts on the 7th Rule Podcast , hosted by Deep Space Nine star Cirroc Lofton and co-host Ryan T. Husk. Cisco co-wrote the fifth episode of season five, "Mirrors", and explained to the podcast why they went in the direction that they did with the Breen, saying (via ScreenRant )

"Rewatching the episode, it’s a little muddy in there in terms of how we explained it...Our thinking was the Breen as sort of a natural species were bifurcated in the sense that they can be both gelatinous and solid in that sense. But the solid state takes an intense amount of focus and concentration in order to maintain. And it was basically there as this is your protective shell. This is how you stay safe. This is how you protect your soft, gelatinous innards from a hostile, outside world. And then as they developed the refrigeration suits, they lost the need for that both evolutionarily and culturally, and it became a sort of cultural anathema. You don’t show people your solid face because that means you’re weak...The way we talked about them was sort of like a meritocracy of warriors, but more structured than how we’ve seen Klingons. It’s not necessarily about how good you are at killing but it’s all about what your placement in the world is based on your performance. And the suits sort of erase any unique signifier about a person, making them hone in on what your actions and deeds are. There was talk along the season [of] are the multiple species under the mask? I think it’s not solidified either way… But we’re focused on these guys, these Jelly Breens, if you will

The Breen as a concept hasn't really been explored before and the explanations that Cisco gave are fine, but they feel like they're lacking something that makes them very unique. In a way they sound like the Borg with the concept being their suit hide their individuality. The idea that the Breen weren't a species but a group, made of different aliens gave the gimmick some more depth. Still similar to the Borg or the Xindi, but one that could've been explored further by having non-Breen species joining up due to their belief in the Breen way of life.

And not because they were forced to. That would've been a fun gimmick, but instead we got the Mane-E-Faces version of Star Trek aliens.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek: Discovery writer explains why they changed up the Breen for the show .