Hello, welcome to the Index series where we take a look at some of Science Fiction’s
species and what makes them unique. Today’s video is on the Hirogen, Star Trek’s species
of delta quadrant residents whose culture simply abides to the notion of the hunt. Without
delay, let’s get the rundown on this race. Biologically, the Hirogen are very tough.
Their skin is mottled by scale-like patterns and quite resilient. They too have keen senses
as expected from a predatory species and physical strength surpassing that of a Vulcan. They
are also very tall when compared to galactic averages, easily reaching over 7”. The females
of the species are not seen but are referenced to choose their mates based on their proficiency
at hunting. Another useful traits is that their immune systems could effectively nullify
most sedatives. 1000 years ago, the Hirogen had a thriving
culture, one that still likely included hunting, but was also one of technological advancement
and civilizations. Yet over time, they gave in more and more
to their predatory instincts to hunt until it became an all-consuming way of life. They
now live a more nomadic lifestyle and their homeworld hasn’t even been alluded to. They
are spreading outwards in a gradual attempt to find new hunting grounds, leading them
further and further apart as a species which creates dissolution of their society.
Most Hirogen live on their ships with a small crew, it’s not unusual for a single vessel
to only have two occupants and these ships then travel in small groups, spread out over
a sector of space, searching for worthy prey. When the quarry is located, they begin to
stalk the target while signalling for the rest of the pack to join them.
A group of Hirogen possess an alpha as the leader who dictates strategy and leads the
hunt. Then there is the beta who acts as the second-in-command enforcing the will of the
alpha on the rest. Should the Alpha die, the Beta takes command. It is not unusual for
an overeager hunter, especially a youth, to become lost in the glory and urges of their
hunting instincts, seeking to usurp the authority of the alpha to claim their own trophies.
Such actions are often frowned upon but as is suggested by their hierarchy, repeated
successes may lead to the creation of a competing alpha.
Their views on other lifeforms are pretty limited. They were the hunters and everything
else was prey for them to hunt. Saying that, they were capable of trade and didn’t immediately
kill every species they came across, but would more than likely hunt a lone vessel.
The concept of a “Fair Hunt” is present throughout how they conduct their activities
in an attempt to provide more worth to a trophy, the experience and in a strange way, their
prey. A Hirogen will prefer to make the kill in person, rather than ship to ship combat,
they will sometimes give prey a chance to flee to extend the hunt so they may study
its moves. They often frown on using overpowered technology against an inferior species as
it cheapens the thrill of the sport. Then again, they will also quite contently gun
down defenceless prey once they have satisfied their primal trill seeking. This is referred
to as the time of the kill and seen as the culmination to a successful hunt.
A poor hunt is one where the prey offered little challenge to the hunters. For example,
a successful ambush against an unwary target that results in its capture is often seen
as a wasted effort, despite it reflecting excellent hunting technique and a flawless
execution. The most prized hunt is to find a quarry that runs the risk of outsmarting,
losing or even turning the tables on its Hirogen pursuers. It is sage advice from experienced
hunters that temper their younger members with cautions not to underestimate the prey,
even to respect it. The reasons for extending the length of the
hunt may be routed in their philosophy as well as their desire for sport, with some
hunts taking up to 6 months to complete. Some see the actions of prey as a way of understanding
how other species work and even as a learning opportunity for the Hirogen. Examining the
Prey’s motivations, instincts and even culture to some extent taught the Hirogen how to become
more effective hunters. Some, more radically, believed that immersing yourself in the culture
of your prey could further lead to Hirogen development, though these views were considered
unconventional. It is not uncommon for them to bag prey alive
and bind it until they have had time to study the acquisition and question it if sentient.
This way they may slaughter the prize in a controlled setting and reduce the likelihood
of damaging a trophy from their quarry as well as learn from their prey. The captive
is then marked with a smear of dark blue paint over the right brown. This seems to be tied
to one of their rites concerning the proper execution of the hunt.
The experience had during the hunt determines the individual worth of a trophy, alongside
the rarity or uniqueness. Trophies are displayed within the Hirogen’s
dwelling, often their ship and are termed “artefacts of the hunt”. Most often these
trophies take on the form of a biological component of the prey itself, but sometimes
salvaged technology. Often skeletal structures are displayed around a Hirogen vessel, either
mounted to a bulkhead or hanging from collection nets. Other organs can prove to be worthy
of display such as intestines, which would necessitate some form of preservation.
After an appropriate trophy has been selected, the remainder of the capture is added to a
denaturing tank to break it down. It has been suggested the resulting soup is then ingested,
though no Hirogen has been witnessed doing so, but it is not unlikely that they consume
their prey. After all, this is the original intent of hunting. The rest of the unwanted
prey such as skin is often dumped unceremoniously where it was found and the Hirogen move on,
leaving behind a grizzly signpost of their passing.
There seem to be a number of rites observed with ritualistic fashion surrounding the hunt.
When a hunt is declared, a Hirogen will apply two white stripes over their left brow, whether
helmeted or not, or mimic the action if no paint is present. Another mark of the hunt
is two red stripes, one over each brow to mark out the leader of a hunt. Marking captured
prey with a blue stipe over the right brow seems to indicate it is a prize of the hunt
to be prepared. There is also the use of two green stripes over the right brow which was
applied during a rescue attempt on the Hirogen’s part, so this may indicate to other Hirogen
that they are in the midst of an operation other than a hunt. During a hunt, they would
communicate with hand signals and minimal verbalisation along with the use of their
technology. Being a race immersed in hunting a wide range
of creatures and aliens as well as their preclusion for taking trophies from their game leads
even the most basic Hirogen to have a grounded understanding of the anatomy of a myriad of
species. It’s not surprising then then that they prove to have proficient healers and
medics among their number, as many a Hirogen are wounded in the pursuit of their quarry.
Though a Hirogen healer or surgeon has an efficient grasp of the physiology of many
species, their cultural bias against most others and their own species hardy nature
leads them to be somewhat rough and crude when plying their trade to non Hirogen patients.
Their seems to be no bias against medical care among their culture, as given the choice
of continuing a hunt or losing your life to an infected wound, most Hirogen will choose
to live to hunt another day, even accepting aid from outsiders if it will keep them alive.
Some Hirogen bare scars from past hunts as marks of their past conquests, despite having
the medical know how to remove them. Other Hirogen technology includes their rifles
which are Tetryon-based, and look like they’ve been ripped right off a Harley Davidson. The
poses the ability to stun a target as well as kill and have and sensor and tracking device
built into the stock. Their ships were rather small as suited their
pack-like hunting methodology, but possessed a number of adaptations to allow them to contend
with more powerful vessels. Their Monotanium plating was incredibly durable but had the
added benefit of scattering active scans of their vessels, making automated targeting
of them a hassle. The utilised a highly invasive scan to effectively flashbang a ship’s sensors
before they struck. They lacked any form of cloaking device, fortunately, but had learned
how to effectively conceal their vessel’s emissions to enter a stalking mode that would
make the vessel much harder to detect. Their armaments were rather powerful too, for vessels
of their size, attributed to the scale of their canons that were seldom used to actually
destroy ships. As mentioned, the Hirogen prefer to engage in a sense of “fair play” with
their prey and after disabling shields, they often tractor beam the target, board the ship
and assault their quarry on a personal basis. Assault their quarry on a personal basis?
Sounds like they’re hurling insults… I could have phrased that one better. Each vessel
ends up with a highly personalised interior as it is used to display the artefacts of
the hunt and trophies the crew have acquired. One of their most impressive feats is their
advanced armour. Which also looks cool AF. This armour acts as life-support, and can
apparently withstand the surface mantle of a collapsed star. Even if this is hyperbole,
it’s still very durable. Much of their technology as can be surmised
is geared up towards the act of hunting, leaving little room for much else. Though they are
seen adopting new technologies and utilising foreign devices such as the ancient subspace
com network and adapting Starfleet holographic technology to build training facilities. Though
both of these devices would go on to prove why the Prime Directive is a thing, with one
relay collapsing and destroying four Hirogen ships and the holograms the Hirogen created
gaining sentience and starting a whole holographic revolution.
Ultimately, the Hirogen are an awesome species with a cool aesthetic but may be doomed to
fall. Their all-consuming hunt has led them to spread themselves too thin and without
central hubs to anchor their people, they will eventually drift further apart until
reunification is unobtainable. Their packs are too small to sustain them and this is
exacerbated by individuals who wish to claim the glory of the hunt for themselves so go
it alone. Even the Kazon, a fellow nomadic species travel in flotillas, convene meetings
among their sects and have a planetary presence. If the Hirogen once had this, it long gone,
though they seem to remember how to manufacture space stations, so perhaps there is still
hope. Thanks for listening to this cultural index
on Star Trek’s answer to the Predator. They are one of my favourite species and I enjoyed
pretty much every episode they appeared in. So the next index will be a viewer voted one
as usual, in the comments below, the next options will be either turning out gaze towards
the Marvel universe, with Thanos, the Mad Titan’s homeworld of…uh, Titan. Or perhaps
the short-lived Independent Planets from the equally Short-lived but epic, Firefly. Vote
with a like on the appropriate comment below and until the next video, I’ll see you around.
Goodbye.