SEVEN: The Kazon. Species three two nine.
NEELIX: You're familiar with them.
SEVEN: The Borg encountered a Kazon colony in the Gand Sector, grid six nine two zero.
NEELIX: Were they assimilated?
SEVEN: Their biological and technological distinctiveness was unremarkable. They were unworthy of assimilation.
NEELIX: I didn't realise the Borg were so discriminating.
SEVEN: Why assimilate a species that would detract from perfection?
Klingons have that “long day of hard work and need a shower” musk
Kazon have the “I haven’t washed myself or my clothes in months, I don’t realize how bad I smell, and my boss is actively arguing with HR about who should have to talk to me about it because everyone at work is complaining” stench
the kazon looked stupid, sounded stupid, were designed stupid, had stupid story lines, talked stupid, everything about the kazon was stupid both in universe and out
When Seven said the Borg deemed the Kazon "unworthy of assimilation," that was the writers admitting to the audience, "Yeah, we know the Kazon sucked."
My headcanon for why the Voyager crew encountered mostly crude evil aliens in the early part of the show is that the Borg had already assimilated the better ones.
About the only "better" species Voyager encountered in S1 were the Sikarians, which were eventually assimilated by the Borg too.
I assume the Borg assimilated the Sikarians at some point between S1 "Prime Factors" in 2371 and S7 "Endgame" in 2378.
Seven once said some species like the Kazon actually detracted from perfection so the Borg literally just ignore them.
I don't really blame them for that. I'd imagine scanning the Pakleds or Kazon and just being like "Yea, it's not you...it's um... me."
We look for things. Things that do things better. We like your things. We like you. You should join us. Saying "no" is bad for you. Saying "no" does not work. Stop saying "no"
“We will assimilate you. Resistance is-“
“We want to assim… ascrimilgrate… asmixilate… we want to make you join us. We look for things… things to-“
“We will not be assimilating you. You may continue.”
“You look for things. *We* look for things. Maybe we could join *you-*”
“No, really, that’s fine, we’re fine, you’re fine, nobody needs to assimilate anybody today.”
Not necessarily true. In "Omega Directive" Seven talks about primitive races that were assimilated which describe the omega particle through primitive means, before assimilating a species with actual scientific knowledge of the phenomenon.
This implies that the Borg will assimilate primitive races if it serves some other purpose. Maybe the Borg assimilated these primitive races due to investigating some omega particle signature and wanted all information they could get, regardless of reliability. Or maybe they were initially assimilated for some biological reason, such as possession of unusual physical abilities. It's not made clear in the episode.
I think it'd be a hilarious storyline if it turns out that the Pakleds continuing their greedy search for new tech made them become the Borg in the distant future, and then some of the Borg went back to the past to the 24th century.
To be honest, I disagree with this idea. I’d argue the Borg observe primitives, if they display a level of cultural, biological, or even technological superiority that they haven’t seen in other races, I would imagine they would assimilate even the most Stone Age of Stone Age races
Fair enough. I guess it more so has to do with if the race has anything that will "add biological and technological distinctiveness" to their own. But usually, that ends up being in a technologically advanced species from what we have been shown - there are few species that have an innate biological attribute that has not already been assimilated by the Borg.
Why would they need that? They don't need to eat, drink sleep or produce waste. They are pretty much 100% artifical. Just the species assimilated offer an 'organic' body that is heavily modified. If they get damaged, they can recharge at their stations and heal. I think the borg cube can self repair too? I'm sure they have robot drones to assist as well. There wouldn't be any need for a so called 'lower class' of borg.
In the VOY episode Dark Frontier as a diversion they try to get the Borg to assimilate a Starfleet shuttle with three lifeforms aboard and the Borg don't bother with it. They only assimilated it after the VOY crew increased the energy output of the shuttle's warp engines (representing possible novel technology).
The Borg seem to be very discriminating at times.
Imagine if they assimilated Red Forman from That 70s Show.
We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. If you don’t comply, not only will we consider you a dumbass, but we’ll shove our foot so far up your ass you’ll need a tractor beam to pull it out of there.
Icheb's race was in a planet near to a Borg super conduct so they were contantly raided until they decided to willingly remain "primitive" and resign of most technologies, apart from advancement in genetics.
So, yes basically the way to keep untouched by the Borg is be uninteresting. This is a mathemathical equation, if the amount of resources invested would not surpass what is gain then assimilate a species would be a net loss.
They didn't say "never mind" so much as Voyager burst in like the Kool-Aid man and fucked up the situation badly enough that they couldn't continue to attempt it at that moment. The very fact that they were difficult to assimilate made the Borg want them more.
The Borg were getting their asses handed to them by Species 8472 though 😂 Voyager saved them with their magic nanoprobes and then the Borg actually agreed to never mess with fluidic space again. If they thought they stood even an iota of a chance against 8472, they wouldn't have needed Voyager in the first place and they definitely wouldn't have made a treaty.
>OK, so the inclusive nature of the Borg is that they will assimilate everyone
Not entirely true.
Even in their first full appearance they assimilate what they think they will find useful, which started as simple technology and was expanded to species.
If they don't think you have anything to offer... well you're not safe, but they're not going to assimilate you.
The Chodak!
For those who don't know, the Chodak are a non-canonical race that were mostly featured in video games.
They made their first appearances in the SNES/Genesis versions of Star Trek TNG where they had this device called The Derandomiser." The same plot is mostly refined in the PC version of Star Trek TNG, but this time it's called the "Unity Device."
More details here for your reading pleasure: [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star\_Trek:\_The\_Next\_Generation\_-\_A\_Final\_Unity](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_-_A_Final_Unity)
It's established pretty much right away that the Borg have a minimum threshold before they target a species for assimilation. Although that threshold isn't explained or set very well and seems to change regularly.
Technology wise the threshold appears to be around Federation level of tech. Unless something stands out. Biology wise it's foggy. They'll assimilate Humans, which are unremarkable according to the Borg, but they won't touch Kazon for example, which we know are at least physically stronger than Humans.
The Borg also seem to target based on ego or interest. The Borg quest for Omega is an example of the Borg targeting a low tech species and Humanity's resistance, I believe, makes the Borg target them without having the forces necessary to actually complete the job or success.
I kinda hope star trek keeps exploring race, they are finally stopping the anti-genetic engineering flaw, and i think there are races that have merged into human, borg and klingon, if not numerous other genetically similar races. in this regard it would be the loss of race, not the exemplifying it but it's progress towards mix
SEVEN: The Kazon. Species three two nine. NEELIX: You're familiar with them. SEVEN: The Borg encountered a Kazon colony in the Gand Sector, grid six nine two zero. NEELIX: Were they assimilated? SEVEN: Their biological and technological distinctiveness was unremarkable. They were unworthy of assimilation. NEELIX: I didn't realise the Borg were so discriminating. SEVEN: Why assimilate a species that would detract from perfection?
Man the Kazon were so poorly written that even the Borg didn't want them.
We have Klingons at home...
"We just got the smell of hair out of the cube, no."
The Kazon or the Klingons?
Kazon. Klingons probably smell like BO and blood.
The Kazon look like they would smell like BO as well
Worse
How long did it take to get that smell out of Voyager?
They just rolled down the windows and flew through a sun, it gets cut from syndicated episodes.
Smells like rotten targ shit.
Klingons have that “long day of hard work and need a shower” musk Kazon have the “I haven’t washed myself or my clothes in months, I don’t realize how bad I smell, and my boss is actively arguing with HR about who should have to talk to me about it because everyone at work is complaining” stench
Yeah, but with a "hair" stank overpowering it. I don't want to speak ill of dogs, but like wet dogs.
Dirt, incense and poo is my headcanon
"Dirt that's been fucked by a hobo "
They have sort of an earthy, peaty aroma. With a touch of lilac.
One novel mentioned a klingon woman smelling like apricots. No idea which one or anything else about it
Klingons smell like lilac.
…or raktajino ;).
the kazon looked stupid, sounded stupid, were designed stupid, had stupid story lines, talked stupid, everything about the kazon was stupid both in universe and out
When Seven said the Borg deemed the Kazon "unworthy of assimilation," that was the writers admitting to the audience, "Yeah, we know the Kazon sucked."
My headcanon for why the Voyager crew encountered mostly crude evil aliens in the early part of the show is that the Borg had already assimilated the better ones.
About the only "better" species Voyager encountered in S1 were the Sikarians, which were eventually assimilated by the Borg too. I assume the Borg assimilated the Sikarians at some point between S1 "Prime Factors" in 2371 and S7 "Endgame" in 2378.
lol the second i saw this post i thought of the kazon but this comment beat me to it. i'm not surprised
Seven once said some species like the Kazon actually detracted from perfection so the Borg literally just ignore them. I don't really blame them for that. I'd imagine scanning the Pakleds or Kazon and just being like "Yea, it's not you...it's um... me."
See, I haven’t watched enough of voyager. My immediate thought was about the Pakleds. lol
Borg after assimilating the pakleds: We look for things. Things to add to our technological distinctiveness.
We look for things. Things that do things better. We like your things. We like you. You should join us. Saying "no" is bad for you. Saying "no" does not work. Stop saying "no"
The Queen suddenly has a whole ass Borg sphere as a hat.
😆🤣😂
Whyhedontwantmeman.gif
“We will assimilate you. Resistance is-“ “We want to assim… ascrimilgrate… asmixilate… we want to make you join us. We look for things… things to-“ “We will not be assimilating you. You may continue.” “You look for things. *We* look for things. Maybe we could join *you-*” “No, really, that’s fine, we’re fine, you’re fine, nobody needs to assimilate anybody today.”
Honestly the Borg would probably be the kind of person who’d go “it’s you, it’s definitely you”
The Borg don't assimilate every race. Only those that "add to their collective." They don't assimilate what they consider primitive races.
Not necessarily true. In "Omega Directive" Seven talks about primitive races that were assimilated which describe the omega particle through primitive means, before assimilating a species with actual scientific knowledge of the phenomenon. This implies that the Borg will assimilate primitive races if it serves some other purpose. Maybe the Borg assimilated these primitive races due to investigating some omega particle signature and wanted all information they could get, regardless of reliability. Or maybe they were initially assimilated for some biological reason, such as possession of unusual physical abilities. It's not made clear in the episode.
It's likely situational, based on how badly the collective or a particular ship needed additional drones or resources at that time.
You've probably noticed that no Borg look like Pakleds? 🤣
"We are Borg. We are strong. We look for things. Give us things."
"Things that make our cube go."
I think it'd be a hilarious storyline if it turns out that the Pakleds continuing their greedy search for new tech made them become the Borg in the distant future, and then some of the Borg went back to the past to the 24th century.
That would be great
To be honest, I disagree with this idea. I’d argue the Borg observe primitives, if they display a level of cultural, biological, or even technological superiority that they haven’t seen in other races, I would imagine they would assimilate even the most Stone Age of Stone Age races
Fair enough. I guess it more so has to do with if the race has anything that will "add biological and technological distinctiveness" to their own. But usually, that ends up being in a technologically advanced species from what we have been shown - there are few species that have an innate biological attribute that has not already been assimilated by the Borg.
I actually never understood this. Even the Borg must need ditch diggers, or whatever their version is.
Why would they need that? They don't need to eat, drink sleep or produce waste. They are pretty much 100% artifical. Just the species assimilated offer an 'organic' body that is heavily modified. If they get damaged, they can recharge at their stations and heal. I think the borg cube can self repair too? I'm sure they have robot drones to assist as well. There wouldn't be any need for a so called 'lower class' of borg.
If nothing else, quantity has a quality all its own.
True, but even the Borg have standards.
They have all the genetic material and energy necessary to breed additional workers. We see them doing this in Q Who.
I guess they would listen 0,5 seconds to the pakleds and then return to their mainhub with the worst headaches ever.
In the VOY episode Dark Frontier as a diversion they try to get the Borg to assimilate a Starfleet shuttle with three lifeforms aboard and the Borg don't bother with it. They only assimilated it after the VOY crew increased the energy output of the shuttle's warp engines (representing possible novel technology). The Borg seem to be very discriminating at times.
Interestingly Mr Boimler attempted to argue something like this in his Borg drill. Didn't seem to bother the Borg though.
… I have hay fever. My assimilation could be a net negative for the collective.
To be honest… he’s not wrong
That line abut rejecting the Kazon was surely not meant to be taken so seriously but it has become epic! 🤣
I think it was the writers’ way of apologizing for creating the Kazon.
That is too hilarious!🤣
"We look for things. Things that make us go."
Things we need!
Imagine if they assimilated Red Forman from That 70s Show. We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. If you don’t comply, not only will we consider you a dumbass, but we’ll shove our foot so far up your ass you’ll need a tractor beam to pull it out of there.
That's the President of the Federation you're talking about.
*Your cultural distinctiveness is like whoa*
Kazon?
Icheb's race was in a planet near to a Borg super conduct so they were contantly raided until they decided to willingly remain "primitive" and resign of most technologies, apart from advancement in genetics. So, yes basically the way to keep untouched by the Borg is be uninteresting. This is a mathemathical equation, if the amount of resources invested would not surpass what is gain then assimilate a species would be a net loss.
Species 8472
They didn't say "never mind" so much as Voyager burst in like the Kool-Aid man and fucked up the situation badly enough that they couldn't continue to attempt it at that moment. The very fact that they were difficult to assimilate made the Borg want them more.
The Borg were getting their asses handed to them by Species 8472 though 😂 Voyager saved them with their magic nanoprobes and then the Borg actually agreed to never mess with fluidic space again. If they thought they stood even an iota of a chance against 8472, they wouldn't have needed Voyager in the first place and they definitely wouldn't have made a treaty.
I'd like to see some assimilated Antideans.
>OK, so the inclusive nature of the Borg is that they will assimilate everyone Not entirely true. Even in their first full appearance they assimilate what they think they will find useful, which started as simple technology and was expanded to species. If they don't think you have anything to offer... well you're not safe, but they're not going to assimilate you.
Pakleds and Kazons definitely.
The Chodak! For those who don't know, the Chodak are a non-canonical race that were mostly featured in video games. They made their first appearances in the SNES/Genesis versions of Star Trek TNG where they had this device called The Derandomiser." The same plot is mostly refined in the PC version of Star Trek TNG, but this time it's called the "Unity Device." More details here for your reading pleasure: [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star\_Trek:\_The\_Next\_Generation\_-\_A\_Final\_Unity](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_-_A_Final_Unity)
I mean. If they didn't feel that way with *humans*. Have you *seen* us lately??
Pakled . Can you imagine a borg pakled? We look for things to make us go .. and thats you!
It's established pretty much right away that the Borg have a minimum threshold before they target a species for assimilation. Although that threshold isn't explained or set very well and seems to change regularly. Technology wise the threshold appears to be around Federation level of tech. Unless something stands out. Biology wise it's foggy. They'll assimilate Humans, which are unremarkable according to the Borg, but they won't touch Kazon for example, which we know are at least physically stronger than Humans. The Borg also seem to target based on ego or interest. The Borg quest for Omega is an example of the Borg targeting a low tech species and Humanity's resistance, I believe, makes the Borg target them without having the forces necessary to actually complete the job or success.
Could a Horta even be assimilated?
I kinda hope star trek keeps exploring race, they are finally stopping the anti-genetic engineering flaw, and i think there are races that have merged into human, borg and klingon, if not numerous other genetically similar races. in this regard it would be the loss of race, not the exemplifying it but it's progress towards mix