The Star Trek franchise has introduced dozens of humanoid alien races, most of which have immediately faded from public consciousness. A few have stuck in the minds of fans for generations. No Star Trek race seems more iconic to newcomers, fans, and uninformed observers than the Klingon. Their rubber foreheads and unique way of speaking have reached beyond the fandom. But how do these memorable warriors travel through space?
The starships of Star Trek aren't as important as one might think they'd be. Most ships appear, perform their role in the story, and fly away. Most Star Trek shows take place in a single Starfleet vessel, but the vehicles of other people and cultures are less crucial to the story.
How Many Different Types Of Klingon Ships Are There?
There are more than twenty classes of Klingon ships in Star Trek. Several other ships appear but are not identified by the series. The first Klingon ship to appear in The Original Series was a D7-class battlecruiser. It was designed to resemble a manta ray in shape and color. Production designer Matt Jefferies created the D7. The original model still sits in the Smithsonian alongside the Enterprise. The K't'inga-class battlecruiser was introduced in the first Star Trek film as an upgrade to the D7. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock introduced the iconic Bird-of-Prey vessels, of which there are two classes. Those vessels were all common in The Original Series era of the franchise.
By the time of The Next Generation, Klingon vessels had become more dangerous and powerful. The Vor'cha-class attack cruiser first appeared in the 81st episode of The Next Generation. Elements of the new ship resemble Starfleet vessels, acting as a sort of middle-ground between the Bird-of-Prey and the Enterprise. The Negh'Var-class warship first appeared in the series finale of The Next Generation. It's considerably larger than most other Klingon ships. When Star Trek: Enterprise premiered, work started on the D4-class battlecruiser. It was meant to resemble the D7, but it wasn't finished in time for its intended debut. It did eventually appear in Star Trek: Into Darkness. The Raptor-class ship was the first new Klingon vessel to appear in Enterprise. The D5 serves as personal transport for high-ranking Klingons. Other vessels were mentioned once and never again. The BortaS bir, Par'tok, Qoj, Qugh, Toron, Jach, and other minor Klingon ships appeared briefly throughout the shows.
What Is the Most Powerful Klingon Ship?
The answer to this question depends heavily on the era. The most consistent winner would be the Negh'Var-class warship. The Negh'Var is a massive ship that is armed with a tremendous arsenal. It sports 20 disruptor banks, four torpedo launchers, and one gigantic disruptor cannon protruding from the front. It can also completely cloak itself. The Negh'Var shares many physical details with the Vor'cha-class attack cruiser because it was designed to be a larger version. It only appears in a few episodes of Deep Space 9 and The Next Generation. Its best showcase comes in the DS9 episode "The Way of the Warrior." It's never participated in a big fleet battle.
The Negh'Var has since been supplanted in power by the Sarcophagus. The Ship of the Dead is the flagship of the Klingon House of T'Kuvma. Like the Negh'Var, the massive Sarcophagus could cloak itself to escape from sight and radar. The Sarcophagus was several times larger than the largest Starfleet cruiser. It measured close to 700 meters in length. The vessel is armored with countless interlocking metal pods, like a spacefaring chain mail. It's armed with enough directed energy weapons and torpedoes to obliterate the surface of a habitable planet. The Sarcophagus was destroyed by the USS Discovery, possibly handing the top spot back to the Negh'Var.
What Is the Most Common Klingon Ship?
The Bird-of-Prey is the most common Klingon ship in the Star Trek franchise. It first appeared in the third feature film and immediately became one of the most iconic designs. There were two main variants of the Bird-of-Prey when it was introduced, but there have since been dozens of slight variations in various shows. The same phenomenon has struck the original D7. In both cases, this is a side effect of modern Star Trek's love of callbacks. The show frequently brings back old ideas with fresh spins. The D7 and Bird-of-Prey have a ton of nostalgia behind them, so they'll keep showing up.
The Klingons have a ton of interesting ships, even if they all serve the same basic purpose. From the original designs to their most modern incarnation, every Klingon ship is designed to be intimidating, powerful, and dangerous. When a Klingon vessel pops up in an episode of Star Trek, there's a 90% chance that the current Starfleet ship will be going to war with it. Those Klingons are single-minded, but they still keep innovating.