star trek borg episode list

Complete List Of Appearances Of The Borg In Star Trek

This article is more than seven years old and was last updated in July 2019.

The Borg are Star Trek's most feared and most loved adversaries they appear in a total twenty-one episodes in the Star Trek franchise in 'Enterprise,' 'The Next Generation' and 'Voyager,' every television incarnation other than the original series and 'Deep Space Nine.' They also appeared in the Star Trek movie 'First Contact.' Below is a complete list of the Borg's appearances in chronological order.

1. Enterprise - 'Regeneration' [S02E23]

2. The Next Generation - 'Q Who' [S02E16]

3. The Next Generation - 'The Best of Both Worlds' [S03E26 - S04E01]

4. The Next Generation - 'I, Borg' [S05E23]

5. The Next Generation - 'Descent' [S06E26 - S07E01]

6. Voyager - 'Unity' [S03E17]

7. Star Trek: First Contact

8. Voyager - 'Scorpion' [S03E26 - S04E01]

9. Voyager - 'The Raven' [S04E06]

10. Voyager - 'Drone' [S05E02]

11. Voyager - 'Dark Frontier' [S05E15 - S05E16]

12. Voyager - 'Survival Instinct' [S06E02]

13. Voyager - 'Collective' [S06E16]

14. Voyager - 'Child's Play' [S06E19]

15. Voyager - 'Unimatrix Zero' [S06E26 - S07E01]

16. Voyager - 'Imperfection' [S07E02]

17. Voyager - 'Endgame' [S07E25]

There's More To Come...

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The Best of Borg worlds: The 7 essential Borg episodes to watch before Star Trek: Picard

Credit: CBS

In 1989, in the episode “Q, Who?” Star Trek: The Next Generation took the word "cyborg" and clipped it down to its cold essentials, gifting the world with a new terror: the Borg. Though Doctor Who purists might tell you the Borg are a knock-off of the Cybermen, the black leather aesthetic combined with laser-pointer eyepieces and that chilling catchphrase — "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile" — all cemented the Borg as one the most iconic sci-fi concepts of all time.

The Borg is essentially internet addiction writ large, an enemy that makes you part of its server. In Star Trek: Picard , the Borg are back and several of the main characters (Picard, Hugh, Seven of Nine) were all previously assimilated by the Borg Collective. This means that revisiting some of the more pivotal Borg moments is essential for your Picard homework.

The Borg appear in six episodes of The Next Generation , one episode of Deep Space Nine , one episode of Enterprise , the film Star Trek: First Contact , and 23 episodes of Voyager . And, if you count every single episode of Voyager in which former-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) appears, that’s 100 episodes right there. So that’s possibly a total of 32 episodes or 108 Borg episodes and 1 feature film, depending on how you look at it. That’s a lot of Borg to binge! So, in honor of Borg efficiency, here are the 7 essential Borg stories to quickly assimilate and help make watching Star Trek: Picard even more ... engaging.

Note: There are ZERO spoilers for Star Trek: Picard ahead. Episode numbers use the Netflix and CBS All-Access watch order for ease of bingeing.

01 . The Next Generation: Season 3 Episode 26 and Season 4, Episode 1, “The Best of Both Worlds Parts 1 and 2”

Although the first canonical appearance of the Borg happens in the TNG Season 2 episode "Q, Who?" whispers of the Borg are hinted at as early as the Season 1 finale, "The Neutral Zone." That said, you don't really need to start getting your Borg on until the Season 3 finale, "The Best of Both Worlds."

That's the famous episode where Picard is singled-out to be assimilated by the Collective, and the Borg make a bee-line to conquer Earth. The conclusion of this two-parter was the Season 4 premiere of TNG , and the repercussions of that episode changed Jean-Luc Picard forever.

02 . The Next Generation: Season 5, Episode 23, "I, Borg"

In Star Trek: Picard , the former-Borg know as Hugh (Johnathan Del Arco) has a semi-regular role, and in the trailers , we've seen a more human-looking Hugh in a few quick shots. What's happened to Hugh since The Next Generation hasn't been revealed yet, but Hugh's origin story is this classic episode, "I, Borg."

The Enterprise finds an injured Borg, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and La Forge (Levar Burton) decide to nurse the Borg back to health to learn more about the Collective. Without spoiling anything, this changes the way Picard and everyone else starts to think about the Borg in a big way. Hugh returns in the two-parter "Descent," in Season 6 and season 7, but you can probably skip those ones if you're pressed for time. This is the essential Hugh episode, and, probably defines the possibilities for what can happen to former Borg drones.

03 . Voyager: Season 5, Episode 15, “Dark Frontier”

Arguably, to fully prepare for Seven of Nine's (Jeri Ryan) return in Star Trek: Picard , you might want to rewatch the entirety of Star Trek: Voyager starting with Seven's first appearance in the season 3 finale "Scorpion Part 1." But, that's also little like saying you should rewatch every episode of TNG to make sure you know everything about Jean-Luc Picard. Seven of Nine is one of the greatest Star Trek characters of all time, and creating a list of the very best Seven episodes is its own thing entirely.

But, if you're only trying to download the most essential Borg lore into your brain, rewatching the epic "Dark Frontier" won't disappoint. This episode reveals how Seven was first assimilated into the Borg collective, and why. Plus, it suggests that all former Borg drones have a complicated relationship with the Collective and the Borg Queen in specific.

When it originally aired in 1999, "Dark Frontier" was presented as an extra-long two-hour episode. Netflix preserves it this way, but sometimes, you'll see reference to "Dark Frontier Part 1 and Part 2." Don't be confused; it's all the same thing.

04 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 16, "Collective"

This episode introduced yet another variation on what it was like for former Borg drones to suddenly live outside of the interconnected hivemind of the collective. The difference this time was that the liberated Borg were all kids. Sure, Hugh was young , but he wasn't a little kid. In this episode, Seven becomes a de facto mother figure/teacher to a group of children, who, just like her, had been assimilated when they were super young. This episode also introduces the character of Icheb, a reoccurring ex-Borg who would later develop an obsession with Starfleet history, with a special interest in Captain Kirk.

05 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 26 and Season 7, Episode 1 “Unimatrix Zero Parts 1 and 2”

As its title suggests, "Unimatrix Zero," is kind of like the Matrix in The Matrix . But, in this version, the idyllic cyberspace world is a good thing, because it's literally the only place Borg drones can "go" to be themselves. In the virtual sanctuary of Unimatrix Zero, Borg can meet, and converse, and imagine how they may have been or looked before they'd been assimilated. They can also meet and speak with drones whose bodies are plugged into Borg ships millions of light years apart.

So, basically, it's a secret virtual reality chatroom for people who are enslaved by an AI hivemind, which, if you think about it objectively — even outside of the context of Star Trek — is a freaking awesome idea for a story. As a two-part episode of Voyager , "Unimatrix Zero," is one of the best. And as a Borg episode to prep you for Picard , the essential thing about "Unimatrix Zero" is that it basically proves that even when we think we know everything about the Borg, we totally don't.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

06 . Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

It's Picard and Data versus the Borg!

Hailed as perhaps the greatest Star Trek film of all time (or at least in a dead heat with The Wrath of Khan ), First Contact mostly focuses on Picard's deep-rooted hatred for the Borg, and his desire to enact his revenge, no matter what. It also is the first introduction of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), a character who adds a layer to the Borg that makes them seem both much scarier, and weirdly a little more explicable. The Borg Queen is deranged, to be sure, but it's not clear she's evil , per se.

If you haven't seen the movie, I won't tell you what happens between her and Data (or her and Picard) but let's just say, this: the Borg Queen might be the most interesting villain in all of Star Trek . And, based on everything we learned in Star Trek: Voyager , she also might be indestructible.

07 . Voyager Season 7, Episode 24: "Endgame"

Before there was Avengers: Endgame , there was Voyager: Endgame ! In the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager , Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) , travels back in time from the year 2404, to help get the USS Voyager home to Earth about 23-years sooner than they did the first time around. Future Janeway's workaround is all about hijacking a transwarp hub used by the Borg to pop-around the galaxy with relative ease, much quicker than the Starfleet warp drives. But, Admiral Janeway's plan involves slightly more than just stealing some propulsion tech.

Without spoiling anything, the ending of this episode will make you wonder what state the Borg Collective could possibly be in during the time of Picard . "Endgame" took place in 2378, and the events of Picard happen in 2399. Whatever happened to the Borg in those 21 years might not be 100 percent answered in Picard . But, in terms of the Star Trek timeline, "Endgame" is where we left the Borg. So, when we see them again, the events of this episode will almost certainly have impacted the Collective. Even if they're too shy to mention it.

Star Trek: Picard debuts Thursday, January 23 on CBS All Access.

• Star Trek: Picard

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I Borg (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Cast and characters
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.7 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest star
• 4.4 And special guest star
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8 References
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

While exploring an uncharted system, the USS Enterprise -D receives a strange signal from a nearby moon . Believing it to be a distress call , Captain Picard sends an away team to the surface. There, Commander Riker , Worf and Dr. Crusher find a crashed starship , as well as several Borg corpses. Under the debris lies an unconscious, but very much alive, Borg .

Act One [ ]

When Commander Riker informs the captain of what they have found, Picard immediately prepares to bring the team back. However, Dr. Crusher disagrees, knowing the Borg will not survive if left unattended. Naturally, Worf suggests they kill it at once and make it appear it died in the crash, but Picard agrees to bring it on board for a brief time. A holding cell is prepared and La Forge has a subspace dampening field placed around it, to prevent the Borg from using a homing signal to communicate with its brethren. Picard retires to his ready room , as the team and the Borg are transported aboard, despite Crusher's protestations to treat the Borg in sickbay, not a holding cell. Counselor Troi follows, concerned that Picard is reliving old feelings from his capture by the Borg, but Picard reassures her that he's doing just fine and that he is perfectly comfortable with his decision.

Meanwhile, Crusher tends to the still-unconscious Borg. Some of his Borg implants have been damaged, but La Forge believes he'll be able to replace them without much trouble. Picard asks La Forge if he can access the root commands of the Borg with the new implants, in order to introduce an invasive program ( topological anomaly ), which would function as a slow-acting virus to destroy the entire Borg Collective from within. " You make it sound as if it's a disease ", Crusher says. " Quite right, Doctor. If all goes well, a terminal one ", Picard states.

Act Two [ ]

" You don't kill civilians indiscriminately. " " There are no civilians among the Borg. "

The crew think it would be a matter of months from the introduction of the program to the destruction of the Borg. Crusher seems to be the only one who is unsettled by this, as it appears to be pure genocide . Picard agrees that their plan would normally be unthinkable but claims that the Borg, and who they are, have left them no other choice. Riker also states that Humanity is at war with the Borg and Picard states that they must do anything they can to survive. Crusher notes that there has been no formal declaration of war but Troi notes that there has been from the Borg, as they have attacked them at every encounter. Shortly thereafter, the Borg regains consciousness and explores its small cell. It searches for a terminal with which to contact the Collective, but it can't find one. Crusher theorizes that the Borg hungers for energy , so La Forge prepares a power conduit on which it can feed. As he works, Crusher observes that the Borg almost seems scared to be so alone.

In the meantime, Picard and Guinan fence , both physically and verbally. While Crusher disagrees with Picard on the introduction of the virus, Guinan suggests the danger of having the Borg on board at all is greater than he knows. When Picard cites humanitarian reasons, Guinan demonstrates the danger by suckering Picard into an easy defeat during another round of fencing.

Worf and La Forge enter the cell and set the Borg up with a power conduit. The Borg calls himself "Third of Five," but shows no real gratitude or Humanity whatsoever, merely repeating over and over, " You will be assimilated . Resistance is futile. " La Forge and Worf finish their work and leave the Borg alone.

Act Three [ ]

Some time later, La Forge and Crusher prepare to give the Borg perception tests in a science lab , when Crusher voices a great dislike for the proceedings. The Borg is beamed into their science lab and introduced to Crusher. After a brief discussion of how and why she saved its life and a mention of the upcoming tests, the conversation turns to names. Crusher explains that she and La Forge have names, not designations. During the conversation, the Borg believes he is being called " Hugh " (in reality, La Forge was saying "you") and the name sticks.

Hugh passes a spatial acuity test with flying colors and La Forge realizes it is because of Hugh's prosthetic eye. Hugh placidly hands over the prosthetic for examination and listens to Crusher explain that Humanity doesn't want to be assimilated. This puzzles Hugh, because he no longer hears the "voices" of other Borg that permeate his existence under normal circumstances. Crusher sympathizes with Hugh's feeling of loneliness and La Forge tells him that, after the tests are done, Hugh can be returned to the Collective, although he knows it will not be what Hugh is thinking.

After talking with Hugh, La Forge has begun to have second thoughts about their plan, so he voices them to Guinan at the bar in Ten Forward . Contrary to her normally sympathetic attitude, Guinan is completely closed off to him. She warns him what the other Borg are capable of and dismisses his soul-searching. When La Forge suggests she go and talk to Hugh, she refuses. " Then just listen; that is what you do best, isn't it? " La Forge replies. In the meantime, long-range sensors pick up a Borg scout ship about thirty-one hours away.

Act Four [ ]

Guinan reluctantly visits Hugh in his cell and angrily informs him that " resistance is not futile ." As she describes the El-Aurians ' struggle against the Borg, she laments how few of her kind are left, scattered throughout the galaxy. Processing this, Hugh realizes that Guinan, like him, is lonely. For once, Guinan is speechless.

On hearing that the Federation wants to learn about other species , Hugh observes that assimilation allows the Borg to learn everything about a species. He fails to understand why Humans do not wish to be assimilated, prompting La Forge to talk of individuality and having a sense of self and how he would rather die than lose that. Hugh listens to La Forge's explanations and when La Forge describes friendship, he observes that their current relationship fits the description.

Later, La Forge and Data present the invasive program (topological anomaly) to an impressed Picard in the observation lounge . However, La Forge voices his newfound doubt about the plan, observing how un-Borg-like Hugh is now. It doesn't feel right to him to use Hugh as an instrument of genocide, but Picard likens La Forge's attitude to that of 20th century scientists growing attached to laboratory animals . Picard coldly notes that this would become a problem when the experiments involved the scientists killing the animals. He orders La Forge to "unattach" himself from Hugh.

That evening, Guinan visits Picard in his quarters . After they exchange some small talk, she expresses her own doubts about the morality of Picard's plan. She suggests that at the very least, Picard should talk to Hugh before committing to the plan before he regrets what he is about to do.

Picard seems unmoved, but he later has Hugh beamed directly to his ready room, along with Worf. Picard dismisses Worf and Hugh recognizes Picard as Locutus of Borg , so Picard plays along, attempting to bring out Hugh's full Borg-like nature. Instead, it brings out Hugh's individuality. The thought of La Forge and the others being assimilated seems to frighten Hugh, who has developed feelings of his own and refuses to help assimilate them. Most moving to Picard is Hugh's sudden grasp and use of the word "I".

Act Five [ ]

Picard is shocked and calls a staff meeting to explore other options. The crew eventually decide that, although the Borg would more than likely erase Hugh's memory of recent events, there might be a short time in which Hugh's " singularity " would affect the entire Collective consciousness , perhaps altering the nature of the Borg forever. Their plan is shattered when Crusher asks what will happen if Hugh doesn't want to leave.

Picard and La Forge let Hugh choose his fate, which confuses Hugh. Picard explains that Hugh could seek asylum aboard the Enterprise instead of returning to the Collective. Although he wants to stay with La Forge, he concludes that it would be too dangerous for his new friends. It would appear that while Hugh has gained a sense of self, he has also maintained a sense of selflessness. When they beam Hugh back to the moon where they found him, Picard allows La Forge to go as well, knowing the Borg ignore individuals who pose no threat. Picard says goodbye to Hugh and he tells the captain that he does not want to forget his individuality. Meanwhile, the Enterprise hides in the star 's chromosphere . Two Borg beam to the surface and link with Hugh. The Borg then reclaim the circuits from their fallen comrades and return to their ship, but as the beam whisks them away, Hugh gives a slight, but noticeable farewell nod to La Forge.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Away team, prepare to return to the ship! " " Captain, we can't leave him here. He won't survive. " " I think the captain understands that. " " I don't. "

" Kill it now! Make it appear that it died in the crash. "

" Infect it? You make sound as if it's a disease. " " Quite right, Doctor. If all goes well… a terminal one. "

" I just think we should be clear about that. We're talking about annihilating an entire race. " " Which under most circumstances would be unconscionable, but as I see it, the Borg leave us with little choice. "

" When I look at my patient, I don't see a collective consciousness, I don't see a hive. I see a living, breathing boy who has been hurt and who needs our help. "

" You felt sorry for me. Look what it got you. "

" We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. " " Just look around, pal. You're hardly in a position to make any demands. "

" You will be assimilated. " " Yes, but before that happens, could we ask you a few questions? "

" Let me tell you something, when this kid's big brothers come looking for him, they're not gonna stop until they find him. And they'll come looking for us, and they will destroy us. And they will not do any of the soul-searching that you're doing now. " " So why don't you go and talk to him? It might not be so clear-cut then. " " Because I wouldn't have anything to say. " " Then why don't you just listen? That is what you do best, isn't it? "

" If you are going to use this person– " " It's not a person, damn it! It's a Borg! " " If you are going to use this person to destroy his race, you should at least look him in the eye once before you do it. Because I am not sure he is still a Borg. "

" Resistance… is not futile? "

" Captain, I do not want to forget that I am Hugh. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Fourth draft script: 30 January 1992
• Production meeting: 27 February 1992 ("Imaginary Friend" call sheet)
• Final draft script: 3 March 1992 [1]
• Principal photography: 6 March 1992 – 16 March 1992 ("Lost and Found", Star Trek Magazine  issue 147 ; "I Borg" call sheets)
• Premiere airdate: 11 May 1992
• First UK airdate: 24 May 1995

Story and script [ ]

• After the success of " The Best of Both Worlds ", the writing staff had been trying to find a way to bring the Borg back but were facing the problem of how to follow up with an enemy that was only barely escaped once. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 202)) Ronald D. Moore commented, " I think this is a real good way to bring the Borg back, because they're very limiting in the way they are. They're this huge collective with no voice to communicate to and you can't relate to these guys. We keep saying they're unstoppable and if we keep stopping them it undercuts how unstoppable they truly are. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 246)
• The idea for this episode originated at a retreat the writing staff took in the Fall of 1991. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 174))
• René Echevarria recalled, " I had this flash of inspiration: What if you reversed the way you look at the Borg? What if this was an intimate story about one of them? What would just one Borg be like – by himself? " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 259)
• The title of the episode is an allusion to Isaac Asimov 's book I, Robot . This in turn was a reference to Robert Graves ' book I, Claudius . It also makes a pun on the word "cyborg". While no comma was used when the title appeared on screen, the title was given with a comma in the script, as well as in a number of reference works including the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (1st ed., p. 133), the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 201), and on StarTrek.com . [2]
• Jeri Taylor provided an uncredited polish on the script. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 202))
• Hugh uses the pronoun "I" much earlier in the episode, when he asks Crusher and La Forge " Do I have a name? ". Exchevarria acknowledges this, much to his embarrassment, on the episode's audio commentary on the TNG Season 5 Blu-ray . By the time Echevarria had caught the error in the script and reported it to Taylor, the scene had already been filmed.

Production [ ]

• This was the first episode directed by Robert Lederman .
• The production meeting for this episode took place on Thursday 27 February 1992 at 2:30 p.m. ("Imaginary Friend" call sheet)
• Filming for the episode took place between Friday 6 March 1992 and Monday 16 March 1992 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . ("Lost and Found", Star Trek Magazine  issue 147 , "I Borg" call sheets)
• During filming of this episode contest winners and personal guests of Peter Lauritson visited the set on every day of filming. ("I Borg" call sheets)
• This was the first Borg episode not to be scored by Ron Jones . Instead, the composer is Jay Chattaway , who would compose " Descent " and " Descent, Part II ", the last episodes of The Next Generation to feature the Borg.
• Costume designer Bob Blackman and make-up effects artist Michael Westmore once again honed the Borg make-up, adding a hologram in Hugh's eyepiece that would become common in later Borg designs. Westmore's son, Michael Westmore, Jr. , created the LED lighting visible when the eyepiece was removed. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 260)
• When explaining to Jean-Luc Picard the "virus" they will implant on Hugh, the display reads "Topological Anomaly 47 47 ."

Cast and characters [ ]

Robert Lederman directing Jonathan Del Arco

• Jeri Taylor likened Hugh to the titular character of the film Edward Scissorhands , a characterization that influenced both casting and Robert Lederman's later direction. Almost thirty actors auditioned before Jonathan Del Arco won the part. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 260)
• Del Arco was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series while growing up, and jumped at a chance to be on The Next Generation . He had auditioned for the role of Wesley Crusher , but when it was given to Wil Wheaton he was so disappointed that he refused to watch "The Next Generation" until he got the chance to guest star on it. He joked that prior to taking the assignment, a friend warned him that he would be asked about it for years afterwards, which indeed proved to be the case. ( Intergalactic Guest Stars , TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
• During filming, Lederman worked with Del Arco to create a "Borg meter" to reflect where Hugh was in his personal evolution, with "one" being all Borg and "ten" being nearly Human. Lederman remembered, " In every scene, we had a numerable for where he was on the scale. During rehearsal, if I said, 'Jonathan, you're at six – we need you to be at eight,' he immediately knew what I meant. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 259)

Continuity [ ]

• This episode recalls Picard's experience spanning from " The Best of Both Worlds " to " Family ".
• The aftermath of Hugh 's rejoining the Collective is revealed in " Descent " and " Descent, Part II ". At the beginning of the Descent two-parter, Admiral Alynna Nechayev criticizes Picard's decision to revise the invasive program from the original plan. Hugh would also appear in the latter episode. The concept of Borg individuality is explored at length on Star Trek: Voyager with the character Seven of Nine .
• This episode establishes that Borg are designated by numbers, in relation to small groups (ie, Third of Five , Seven of Nine , etc.). Hugh's designation, "Third of Five," is different from other Borg names (such as Seven of Nine ) in that he uses the ordinal ("third") rather than the cardinal number ("three").
• This episode marks another instance of Guinan using the term "scattered throughout the galaxy", in reference to her people. Other usages of the term were in the episodes " Q Who ", and " The Best of Both Worlds ".
• The Argolis Cluster was later visited by the Enterprise -D in " True Q " and the USS Defiant in DS9 's sixth season episode " Behind the Lines ".

Reception [ ]

• Rick Berman praised writer René Echevarria and director Robert Lederman. " The minute I saw the story I fell in love with it. The dramatic relationships are so vivid. Guinan, who comes from a people who were destroyed by the Borg, Picard who was brutalized and violated by the Borg – both are put in the position of being prejudiced. Geordi and Dr. Crusher are in the position of being open-minded and eventually sympathetic to this young man and the end result is a wonderful series of relationships and wonderful scenes between Guinan and the Borg […] The writing was wonderful and the acting great. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 246)
• Jeri Taylor commented, " I think it will become a classic. I think it's a wonderful concept and it's just real special […] The Borg will never be the same again. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 246)
• Jonathan Del Arco remarked, " All I had to go on as an actor was one of the best scripts I'd ever read. It was so – you read the script and it comes to life – I heard the voice in my head… It holds up the chalice of that highest moral that I think Gene Roddenberry meant the show to do – question, question, question, every step of the way. " ( Mission Overview: Year Five , TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
• This episode was Michael Piller 's favorite of the season . He called it "everything I want Star Trek to be". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 202))
• Piller stated, " I think it's just a great premise which forces both Guinan and Picard to confront their own prejudices. And you would think these are two characters who have none, but when it comes to the Borg the old issue is 'know your enemy.' It's a lot harder to hate them if you know them and it deals with the issue of what happens to these communal Borgs which cannot be treated as anything else but parts of the whole when one is separated and becomes an individual? I feel that if you take the unstoppable villain, the stereotype and you turn it inside out, that's great dramatic storytelling. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 246)
• Piller noted that not all fans were as enthused with the episode. " There were some people who really felt that 'I Borg' betrayed the vision of the Borg because it humanized them more than they wanted to see. But I just think every time you can understand your enemy, those stories have a huge impact. " ( Mission Overview: Year Five , TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
• In about early 1999, Susanna Thompson cited this as her favorite episode of Star Trek . ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 121 , p. 17)
• Another person who was fond of this outing was J.M. Dillard . In her book Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before (paperback ed., p. 203), she characterized it as "moving."
• A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 21 , pp. 49-51.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 62, 15 March 1993
• As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Borg Box : 5 December 1994
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 5.8, 23 December 2002
• As part of the TNG Season 5 DVD collection
• As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Borg collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest star [ ]

• Jonathan Del Arco as Third of Five/Hugh

And special guest star [ ]

• Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• Steven Bosnyak as operations ensign
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Eben Ham as operations ensign
• Mark Lentry as civilian
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Command ensign
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Bill E. Rogers as operations ensign
• Sissy Sessions as operations ensign
• Théyard as civilian
• Dru Wagner as Daniels
• Christina Wegler Miles as command ensign
• Four dead Borg drones
• Security officer (voice)
• Ten Forward waiter
• Transporter officer (voice)

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Joy Hooper as stunt double for Whoopi Goldberg
• John Nowak as stunt double for Patrick Stewart

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Candace Crump – stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Marty – stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner and Jonathan del Arco
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn

References [ ]

access code ; access terminal ; Argolis Cluster ; Argolis Cluster moon ; Argolis Cluster planet ; Argolis Cluster star ; Argolis Cluster system ; assault ; assimilation ; biochip ; biological tissue ; Borg ; Borg Collective ; Borg scout ship ; cage ; chromosphere ; civilian ; collective consciousness ; command pathway ; computational cycle ; computer system ; cubical ; declaration of war ; detention cell ; dimensions ; energy ; fencing ; genocide ; geometric form ; heart ; hive ; holographic imaging system ; homesick ; homing signal ; humanitarianism ; invasive program ; kidnapped ; laboratory animal ; Locutus of Borg ; memory banks ; metric ton ; Milky Way Galaxy ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; mutilated ; neural network ; Number one ; paradox ; perceptual test ; pet ; political asylum ; power conduit ; primitive culture ; prosthesis ; rat ; ration ; rescue vessel ; root command structure ; rules of war ; score ; subspace damping field ; topological anomaly ; transporter room 2 ; transporter room 3 ; virus

External links [ ]

• "I, Borg" at StarTrek.com
• " I, Borg " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " I, Borg " at Wikipedia
• " I, Borg " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "I, Borg" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " I Borg " at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired May 9, 1992

The Enterprise finds a lone Borg drone, separated from the collective, and brings him aboard. The drone begins to reassert his individuality, but his presence causes differing levels of fear... Read all The Enterprise finds a lone Borg drone, separated from the collective, and brings him aboard. The drone begins to reassert his individuality, but his presence causes differing levels of fear and sympathy from various crew members. The Enterprise finds a lone Borg drone, separated from the collective, and brings him aboard. The drone begins to reassert his individuality, but his presence causes differing levels of fear and sympathy from various crew members.

• Robert Lederman
• Gene Roddenberry
• René Echevarria
• Brannon Braga
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 22 User reviews
• 11 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Dr. Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Third of Five …

• Ensign Gates
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Nelson
• Crewman Garvey
• Crewman Martinez
• Ensign Kellogg

• Operations Division Ensign

• Science Division Officer
• Crewman Diana Giddings
• Command Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia In a 2002 TV Guide Magazine commemorating the 35th anniversary of Star Trek (1966) , I, Borg ranked 5th among the greatest episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) .
• Goofs In the scene in which Geordi names 3rd of 5 "Hugh", 3rd of 5 asks, "Do I have a name?" Rather than, "Do we have a name?"

Third of Five : We are Borg.

Guinan : Aren't you gonna tell me you have to assimilate me?

Third of Five : You wish to be assimilated?

Guinan : No, but that's what you... things do, isn't it?

[the Borg nods]

Guinan : Resistance is futile?

Third of Five : Resistance is futile.

Guinan : It isn't. My people resisted when the Borg came, to assimilate us. Some of us survived.

Third of Five : Resistance... is not futile?

Guinan : No. But thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore.

Third of Five : What you are saying... is that you are lonely.

Guinan : What?

Third of Five : You have no others. You have no home. We... are also lonely.

• Connections Featured in Trek Nation (2011)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 22

• May 26, 2020
• May 9, 1992 (United States)
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Star Trek: 6 Best Episodes Featuring The Borg, Ranked

These Star Trek episodes featuring the Borg are some of the best in the franchise. Why not give them a rewatch?

Some of the best Star Trek stories involve the Borg, one of the deadliest enemies that Starfleet ever faced. The Borg is an entity that was outside of Federation space for some time, and it wasn't until The Next Generation that this dangerous race even appeared. RELATED: Underappreciated Space Western TV Shows The Borg was introduced to the Star Trek universe on The Next Generation timeline, so most of the best Borg episodes are either TNG or Voyager episodes from roughly the same era. The series Picard , which is currently in circulation, includes several Borg characters from the TNG series along with Seven of Nine from Voyager .There's some speculation that early versions of the Borg, or maybe even an origin story , might appear as part of the plot in the more recent TV shows like Discovery. These are based in the Trek universe but pre-date TNG on the timeline.

6 Endgame (Voyager)

The final episode of Voyager carried the burden of seven years worth of expectations. After this many seasons, much of it spent dodging the Borg in the far reaches of space, it took a total of 27 years for Janeway and her crew to get home.

The main thing is that they made it, but for the Captain, that's not good enough. Tuvok was suffering from a debilitating cerebral disorder that couldn't be treated in time, which is one of the reasons Janeway takes the risk of going back in time and making a deal with the Borg to get them back twenty years sooner. This isn't the first time that Janeway outsmarted the Borg, and with the aid of her younger counterpart , they were able to get it done a second time.

5 Q Who? (The Next Generation)

This memorable episode isn't just recognized as one of the greatest TNG episodes, featuring one of the most popular and endearing supporting characters, but it was also the very first time the Borg appeared in the Star Trek universe. The Enterprise-D had to find some way to get that far across the galaxy, and it was Q that got them there.

RELATED: Actors You Forgot Were In Star Trek

This was one of the life lessons or tests that Q would often throw at Picard when he thought the captain was getting too arrogant, or when Q himself was simply bored. Picard is excited at the prospect of exploring a new part of the galaxy at first, even though Gainan warns him that they need to get back to Federation space as soon as possible. Once they encounter the Borg, it seems that the omnipotent Q is all that can save them.

4 I, Borg (The Next Generation)

As it is with Star Trek , there's more nuance to every villain than simply "ugly alien bad" and the Borg is no exception. Plenty of debate took place among the officers of the Enterprise regarding what kind of considerations the Borg should be given as a sentient, independent race, and "I, Borg" was part of that discussion. In this episode, the Enterprise responds to a distress call as they would, but it's from a Borg drone that crashed while on a scouting mission.

The debate rages as to whether or not they should help the Borg or use him to destroy the local Collective. They decide that any principled Starfleet officers would, especially as the drone in question even starts to show signs of sentience and individuality - they help him and send him on his way with no strings attached. Hugh, which is the name the drone eventually took for himself, would return again in later episodes of TNG and Picard .

3 Descent (The Next Generation)

What could be worse than being attacked by the Borg? Well, how about getting attacked by a group of Borg in league with a powerful and amoral android? This is actually a two-part episode, and also a great choice for Data fans. This character takes a central part in the plot, and questions about the android's humanity are also brought into question.

RELATED: Sci-Fi Shows With The Best Opening Episodes

The episode starts with a now-famous scene of Data on the holodeck, playing cards with Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. A few scenes later, the crew is attacked by Borg who seems to be acting strangely. Part of the tension is finding out why, and it turns out that Lore, essentially Data's evil twin, is behind it all.

2 Scorpion (Voyager)

One of the best episodes of Voyager and memorable for several reasons, the main one being the introduction of Seven of Nine to the crew. This was also the first time that Janeway showed how humans could defeat the Borg - by outsmarting them.

The Federation protocols for a ship and crew that find themselves on the other side of the galaxy, with thousands of light-years filled with Borg between them and earth, might not be so clear. That might mean making a few deals focused on defeating a common enemy. The Borg thought it could take the earthlings for a ride, but Janeway turned the tables on them at the last minute by separating Seven of Nine from the collective. She eventually became one of the most valuable members of the crew.

1 The Best Of Both Worlds (The Next Generation)

Another two-parter, this time part one was the last episode of the third season and the first episode of the fourth, which is a pretty clever marketing ploy. This storyline is a daring one , and beloved by fans and critics alike. This time the Borg was at the Federation's doorstep, ready to conquer earth. Their plan was to use Jean-Luc Picard, now as the Borg drone Locutus, as their emissary to do so.

This wasn't just a chilling story about the implications of a Borg takeover, both as individuals and also on a global scale, but there was a crucial glimmer of hope here. The possibility that Borg drones could be rescued and recovered was what raised the stakes in this episode as viewers wondered if their beloved Captain Picard would be lost forever.

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Every Episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Ranked

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was a varied and emotionally heavy season, and here's how critics and fans ranked each episode in the time-travel saga.

This article contains a brief mention of suicide.

The return of Jean-Luc Picard to the Star Trek universe was always meant to be a three-season affair. The second season was filmed during the height of the pandemic, and went through many iterations under the direction of three executive producers. In more ways than one, it was a tonal shift from the seasons on either side of it. How critics and fans ranked every episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 shows how challenging and contentious the middle chapter of this saga was. The story explored time travel, introduced an alternate timeline, and was bookended by a massively important moment in Starfleet's present.

Picard Season 2 was an emotionally heavy season with a clear political point of view and a sense of fun that comes with setting sci-fi characters in the contemporaneous present. In both the special features of The Complete Star Trek: Picard home release and the making-of book Star Trek: Picard: The Art and Making of the Series , the challenges in making this season are laid bare. With Rotten Tomatoes representing the critics and IMDB's user ratings representing the audience, each episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is ranked based on the story it told and the impact it had on both the characters and audience.

10 The Picard Season 2 Premiere Was Full of Promise

Star trek: picard season 2, episode 1 "the star gazer", star trek theory: picard retconned the divisive enterprise series finale.

Of all Star Trek: Picard 's ten sophomore episodes, "The Star Gazer" ranks the highest among its peers in Season 2 . It's a fantastic beginning to the story, which both ties up loose ends from Season 1 and sets the characters on a new adventure. Most importantly, however, it brings Starfleet back into the fold in a big way. Picard delivers a Starfleet Academy commencement address, and he is then summoned to the USS Stargazer to answer a plea for help.

The episode sends off Soji, an ambassador for her synthetic siblings on the galactic stage. Dr. Agnes Jurati is with her, but quickly beams aboard the Stargazer, commanded by (her ex) Captain Cristobal Rios. Raffi, Elnor and Laris return, the first two also in Starfleet and the latter still with Jean-Luc but yearning for something more. It ends with the return of Q who, at the last moment, whisks Picard away from certain death.

9 Picard Season 2 Almost Took Place in an Alternate Timeline

Star trek: picard season 2, episode 2, "penance".

The first two episodes of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 debuted the same day, so it makes sense they are ranked close together. The strange new world this episode introduces may be why some viewers became disillusioned with the rest of the season's 21st Century setting. Executive Producer Terry Matalas said on Inglorious Treksperts that this episode mostly came from the Season 1 showrunner Michael Chabon before he left to adapt one of his novels for Paramount.

The characters were meant to spend more time in this alternate timeline , which reveres Adam Soong, one of many Brent Spiner lookalikes related to the creation of Data. The Earth is ravaged by climate change and seems very similar to the xenophobic Mirror Universe. Picard, Raffi, Seven of Nine, Elnor, Jurati and Rios have to bust a Borg Queen out of prison so that they can time travel and fix the past. Still, it might have been fun to spend more time in this evil, alternate future.

8 Season 2 Teamed Picard Up With a Character Tying TOS to TNG

Star trek: picard season 2, episode 5, "fly me to the moon".

Actor Orla Brady played Laris, who is absent from the season save for the first and final episodes. However, she returned to the cast as Talinn, the Romulan successor to Gary Seven from The Original Series . The character known as a "Watcher" was introduced as a potential spinoff from Gene Roddenberry for NBC. While it didn't take off, it did create an interesting bit of Star Trek lore. While Gary Seven was a human with access to advanced alien technology, Talinn is a Romulan tasked with protecting the timeline on Earth.

Laris is primarily responsible for the safety of Renée Picard, ancestor of Jean-Luc and the woman who discovers "a sentient microbe" on Europa that helps fix climate change. It's also the episode where the other political storyline (Rios and the present-day "Butterflies" being persecuted by ICE for helping undocumented migrants) are broken out of custody in a fun action sequence. It's also the episode where Agnes is injected with Borg nanoprobes by the queen, setting up the next episode in the Star Trek: Picard Season 2 ranked list.

7 A Gala, a Sassy Borg Queen and a Musical Number Shook Up Picard Season 2

Star trek: picard season 2, episode 6, "two of one", 'keep being noisy': picard star provides star trek: legacy update.

This version of the Borg Queen was played by Annie Wersching , who passed away in January 2023 from cancer. Great throughout the series, this episode features the Borg Queen and Jurati sharing a mind. As the Borg Queen tries to take over her body (reliant on emotional responses for control), the two make a great inside woman as they help Team Picard sneak into a gala. Allison Pill also does a rendition of the great Pat Benatar song, "Shadows of the Night."

"Two of One" doesn't just refer to the Borg-ified Jurati, either. This episode features Jean-Luc have a touching heart-to-heart conversation with his ancestor Renée. They are also two of a kind. Picard also faces off with Adam Soong, though he runs the Admiral down with his car. Because of his synthetic body, Rios, Raffi and his friends take him to Dr. Teresa Ramirez, leader of the Butterflies and physician who doesn't ask a lot of questions.

6 Picard Season 2 Does 'Star Trek: The Voyage Home'

Star trek: picard season 2 episode 3, "assimilation".

The third episode of Picard Season 2 is ranked high because it continued the breakneck pace established by the first two episodes. Team Picard time travels to the past with the help of the Borg queen, presenting the third new locale for the series: the 21st Century . However, this is where the bulk of the season takes place, much like Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was mostly set in the then-contemporaneous present.

A lot happened in this episode. Seven of Nine and Raffi try to blend in to the 21st Century and scan for a person using technology too advanced for the time. Rios is meant to help, but he's injured and ends up in a clinic with Dr. Teresa Ramirez and her son Ricardo, who are eventually arrested by ICE. Agnes and Picard try to outwit the Borg Queen. However, the most important moment in the episode was the death of Elnor. Fatally wounded by Seven of Nine's alternate timeline husband, his death devastates Raffi.

5 Guinan Brought the Return of an Old Friend With a New Face

Star trek: picard season 2 episode 4, "watcher".

Whoopi Goldberg's affable bartender Guinan returned in the Picard Season 2 premiere , but the character returned in a big way played by Ito Aghayere. The first episode established that Guinan, an ageless El Aurian, can alter her appearance to older or younger as she sees fit. Picard has to convince her to help him save humanity, even though she doesn't think Earthlings are worth the effort.

This is the episode which focuses most heavily on the immigration story in Season 2, with Rios in ICE custody trying to explain why he has no identification. As Seven of Nine and Raffi try to find him, they discover how migrants can fall through the cracks of the system. This plays out while juxtaposed with Guinan's condemnation of humanity. However, Picard is able to make a plea based on what he knows of where humanity can go in the future, in a very Roddenberry-esque Star Trek moment.

4 Picard and Guinan Find Mercy and Vulcans from Agent Wells

Star trek: picard season 2 episode 8, "mercy", star trek's wil wheaton wants a crusher brothers spinoff series.

Introduced at the end of the previous episode, Jay Karnes makes his return to Star Trek . Having previously played a time agent in Star Trek: Voyager , in Picard Season 2, he plays FBI Agent Wells, who is a firm believer in alien activity and arrests both Guinan and Picard based on video footage he has of the latter transporting onto the street. He questions them both, threatening the mission and the timeline. It's revealed that he had a pre- First Contact Vulcan encounter as a child . He ultimately lets Picard and Guinan go, seemingly fired for bringing them in at all.

Meanwhile, the Borg Queen has control of Agnes, and Seven of Nine and Raffi have to try to find and capture her. They find her consuming metals from car batteries, which is toxic to Agnes, but is what the Borg Queen needs to assimilate more people. She doesn't kill Seven or Raffi, proving Agnes still has some measure of control. Borg Jurati then goes to Adam Soong, convincing him to help her steal La Sirena and strand Team Picard in the 21st Century.

3 Season 2 Brought Picard Face-to-Face With His Greatest Fear and Regret

Star trek: picard season 2 episode 7, "monsters".

This episode is ranked one of the lowest by Picard viewers, and it's understandable. Not a lot happens in the episode, despite the introduction of James Callis as a hallucination of a therapist and Picard's father . This episode dives deeply into the memories of guilt and the mystery of what happened to Jean-Luc's mother. It's emotionally heavy and does somewhat lag on the breathless urgency of trying to find Agnes and stop Adam Soong.

Still, this is an emotionally powerful episode that recontextualizes what viewers have been seeing about Picard's past. His father is revealed to not be the abusive villain fans thought. Picard's mother is not a victimized woman trying to be free, but rather someone suffering from mental illness or injury. It's a traumatic, frightening event and (with help of Watcher Talinn and some sci-fi telepathic technology), Picard works through it.

2 The New Borg Were the Best Thing Picard Season 2 Brought to Star Trek

Star trek: picard season 2 episode 10, "farewell".

While the finale of Picard Season 2, "Farewell" is mostly about denouement, outside of the last mission to ensure that Adam Soong doesn't kill Renée Picard. Talinn sacrifices herself. Rios decides to stay behind in the 21st Century. Wesley Crusher returns as a Watcher , and Q and Picard have a final heart-to-heart chat, just before he sends them all back to the proper future. He's even able to resurrect Elnor since he had a little power left over because Rios stayed behind.

The best part of the finale was the reveal that Agnes Jurati was the Borg Queen from the first episode of Picard Season 2. With the alternate timeline Borg Queen, she created a new kind of collective. People choose to join the Borg, and even retain some measure of individuality . These new Borg agree to stand guard against a rupture in spacetime through which an unknown threat has yet to emerge. They become provisional members of the Federation, continuing the Star Trek tradition of old enemies, eventually becoming allies.

1 Star Trek's Most Emotionally Heavy Episode Is About Picard's Guilt

Star trek: picard season 2 episode, "hide and seek".

The penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is a massive episode, both for its action and its emotional weight. There is a big battle at Chateau Picard where the new Jurati Borg assimilate mercenaries hired by Adam Soong. They try to kill Picard and his friends, but Agnes eventually convinces the Queen to try a different way than she had in the past, since in every timeline assimilation and violence leads to the Borg's destruction.

Most importantly, this episode reveals how Picard's mother died and why Jean-Luc felt so much guilt for it. His father locked her in a room to stop her from hurting herself. Jean-Luc unlocked the door and went to lie with his mother and comfort her. After he fell asleep, she took her own life. As much as Picard Season 2 was about fixing the past, outsmarting the Borg and other Star Trek things, Picard's revelation was the true mission . He had to forgive himself by letting go of the guilt that kept him at arm's length from people and preparing him to be a father.

The complete Star Trek: Picard is available to own on Blu-ray, DVD, digital and streams on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 pits the iconic Admiral against his greatest nemesis Q for a time-travel adventure that exposes Jean-Luc's deepest secret.

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Published Jul 27, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About the Borg Queen

Long live the Queen!

StarTrek.com

“I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many. I am the Borg.”

The central locus of the Borg Collective is the amoral Borg Queen . Through her, like the queen of an insect colony, the Hive mind is granted order and common direction.

As the Villain Showdown enter its fourth week, pitting the Borg Queen against Gul Dukat , we’ve put together this handy guide on everything you need to know about the Queen.

The One Who is Many

Throughout the history of the Borg Collective, there have been a number of Queens. Only one Queen exists at any given time; when she is destroyed, a new Queen takes her place. In Star Trek: Voyager, it's revealed that the Borg Queen isn't a singular entity, but the name given to any that serves as its host, possessing all previous Queen's collective consciousness.

The Borg , a fusion of organic and synthetic matter, and their relentless pursuit of perfection brought fear to all quadrants of the galaxy. Residing primarily at Unimatrix One in the Delta Quadrant , the Borg Queen is the only one able to think independently from the Collective; possessing a unique personality and sense of individuality — traits not seen within the Borg.

The first Borg Queen (Alice Krige) made her debut with Star Trek: First Contact (1996) as the Borg sought to erase a historical moment in Starfleet history— First Contact Day —traveling back in time to prevent the creation and need of the Federation .

In her lair, the Borg Queen remains disembodied with just her head and spinal column — the epitome of perfection — with no remnants of her humanoid form. When she leaves her home base for assimilation efforts, she will reassemble herself into a predominantly artificial body.

Your Culture Will Adapt to Service Us.

The Borg doesn’t value the Federation’s belief in individuality – its mission is to add others’ biological and technological distinctiveness to their own, strengthening the Collective in its pursuit of perfection. Defeating their opponents isn’t enough; they sought to assimilate their enemies’ minds and flesh.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard still endures residual trauma decades later following his assimilation into the Borg . As Locutus of the Borg, selected to be their voice to facilitate their introduction into human society, Picard believed he never fully regained himself after they striped away his humanity and sense of self.

There is No 'Me,' Only 'Us'

It is in Star Trek: Voyager where we learn that the Borg Queen, obsessed with power, didn’t create the Borg; she was just tasked with leading the Collective. The collective consciousness, where each drone is linked through the subspace network, allows for the Borg to adapt quickly and eliminate threats as they arise.

In the episode " Dark Frontier " of Star Trek: Voyager, the Borg Queen believes Seven of Nine 's presence is vital to their path forward in their approach to assimilate Earth, seeing value in Seven's knowledge of humanity. The Borg Queen tries to lure her back to the Collective by "allowing" her to remain an individual instead of reverting to a drone. The Queen's seduction involved telling Seven she's "unique," and her experience will add to their perfection. However, she can't be selfish and only think of just her individual self.

Resistance is Futile.

When a Borg Queen is destroyed, another Queen is propped up. Susanna Thompson portrays the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager ’s two-parter, “ Dark Frontier ” and “ Unimatrix Zero .”

Most recently, the Borg Queen was played by Annie Wersching in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard .

Secrets of the Borg Queen, The

Bringing Order to Chaos

In Star Trek: Picard , the Borg Queen is cut off from the Borg Collective due the actions of Q and a divergence in time. As a result, she becomes wholly and fully obsessed with Agnes Jurati.

Seen as the last of the Borg, instead of finding the Collective, she sets her sights on Agnes in hopes of building out a new Borg collective.

Star Trek: Picard - The Borg Queen Returns

Interested in learning more about the Borg Queen and her latest machinations, stream all episodes of Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard now!

Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Distribution Group on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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First introduced in Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen's multiple incarnations have been played by several different actors across the Star Trek franchise. The Borg Queen is the name assigned to the Borg Collective's central nexus, and while they have had different faces in Star Trek movies and TV shows, they appear to share the same memories and personality. The existence of a Queen continues the parallels between the Borg and bees, with the Borg Queen coordinating her drones via a hive mind. It was revealed in Star Trek: Voyager that the Borg Collective's central nexus was dubbed the Queen by Magnus and Erika Hansen, eminent experts in the Borg and parents to Annika.

After years of researching the Collective, the Hansens were eventually captured and assimilated by the Borg, with Annika becoming Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Seven was severed from the Borg Collective by the crew of the USS Voyager, and became a valuable member of the crew. Like Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) before her, Seven maintained a complicated link back to the Borg Collective, and the many faces of the Borg Queen - here's every one of the Borg Queens encountered by Seven, Picard and beyond.

RELATED: TNG's Best Borg Episode Is Really About Riker, Not Picard

6 Alice Krige - Star Trek: First Contact

The first Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige ( Thor: The Dark World ) in the 1996 TNG movie Star Trek: First Contact . Surprisingly for the Queen of a race of emotionless drones, she had a distinct personality and even attempted to seduce Lieutenant Data (Brent Spiner) with promises of the humanity he craved. The Borg Queen's use of manipulation and even sexuality has defined the character from her first appearance in First Contact to Star Trek: Picard season 2 .

It's heavily implied in First Contact that Jean-Luc Picard's assimilation into the Borg Collective as Locutus was an attempt to provide the Queen with a mate - something that was foiled by Picard's resistance to his Borg conditioning during the battle of Wolf-359. Krige played the role of the Borg Queen as a cold and calculating manipulator, who could seamlessly shift from seduction to ordering the destruction of mankind. As such, despite being destroyed by Data (Brent Spiner) in the movie's climax, Krige's Borg Queen is still the most recognizable incarnation.

5 Susanna Thompson - Star Trek: Voyager

Susanna Thompson had originally auditioned to play the role of the Borg Queen in First Contact , but lost out to Alice Krige. However, she got her wish to play the role when the USS Voyager finally entered Borg space during their adventures in the Delta Quadrant. When Voyager's Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) devised a risky plan to steal Borg technology, she caught the attention of the Borg Queen. As Alice Krige was unavailable to reprise her role for Voyager season 5, episodes 15 and 16, "Dark Frontier", Thompson was cast instead.

Like with Picard, Thompson's Borg Queen expressed a preference for Seven, stating she was her favorite Borg drone, threatening to assimilate the entire Voyager crew if Seven did not rejoin the Collective. Thompson took Krige's portrayal as the basis for her own performance, and added new depths to it, reprising the role once more for "Unimatrix Zero", which essentially explored the Borg Collective's capacity to dream and experience individuality through virtual reality.

RELATED: Star Trek Finally Made The Borg Scary Again (After 21 Years)

4 Alice Krige - Star Trek: Voyager

Alice Krige reprized her role as Borg Queen in Voyager 's finale "Endgame", in which she faced off against Starfleet's Admiral Janeway . Physically, this is presumably a different Queen from the one in First Contact and the one in previous Voyager episodes. In order to get Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant earlier, Janeway traveled back in time to use the Borg's transwarp network. Her plan worked, aborting the tragic timeline in which Chakotay and Seven had died, and returning everyone back to Earth unscathed. In the process, Admiral Janeway had seemingly destroyed the Borg once and for all, but Star Trek: Picard later proved this wasn't entirely correct.

3 Alice Krige - Star Trek: Lower Decks

Alice Krige played the Borg Queen again in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 8, "I, Excretus". The episode revolves around the crew of the USS Cerritos enduring a series of impossibly hard hologram simulations. Ever the over-achiever, Brad Boimler becomes obsessed with getting a perfect score on the Borg Cube simulation, which pits him against the Borg Queen. As Lower Decks is predominantly a comedy, and as the Borg Queen in "I, Excretus" is a holographic reconstruction, Krige gets to send up her First Contact performance in a vampish way, providing a great deal of comedy.

2 Annie Wersching - Star Trek: Picard

Not content with just having Q (John de Lancie) and Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) as antagonists, Picard season 2 also brought back the Borg Queen. Played by 24 's Annie Wersching, this was a different Borg Queen with new powers , however, she retained the unifying trait of both Krige and Thompson's incarnations - an inherent loneliness. It was that loneliness that drew First Contact 's Borg Queen to Locutus and Data, and it was a similar loneliness that drew Voyager 's Borg Queen to Seven.

In Picard season 2, the Borg Queen is from the dystopian timeline caused by Q's meddling. Picard and his crew rescue the Queen from public execution because she has the processing power to make the precise calculations that will allow them to travel back in time and fix what Q broke. As Picard confronts his childhood trauma and Seven is finally allowed to embrace her humanity, the Borg Queen sought companionship elsewhere. Using her famously manipulative techniques, the Borg Queen seduced Agnes (Alison Pill), so she could transfer her consciousness from her dying body and assimilate 21st Century Earth.

RELATED: Star Trek Now Has TWO Borg Queens

1 Alison Pill - Star Trek: Picard

Alison Pill essentially played two Borg Queens in Picard season 2. The first was the cold, ruthless version seen previously in First Contact and Voyager , but housed in the body of cyberneticist Agnes Jurati. The second Borg Queen was a more evolved form, combining Agnes' humanity and Borg technology to become something bigger, with the potential for greatly improving the lives of those elsewhere in the galaxy. Star Trek had introduced rogue Borg factions before, but this was something different. Where Borg like Hugh embraced their individuality, Agnes' Collective combined the technology of the Borg with the more utopian outlook of the Federation.

Agnes' changes to the Borg could lead to some fascinating developments in future Star Trek shows. She has spent centuries creating a new Collective, while the Borg have waged war elsewhere in the galaxy. Now that they've arrived to stand guard over the anomaly, offering the hand of friendship to the Federation, it suggests a new dynamic within the Borg Collective that could completely change the fan-favorite Star Trek aliens. Presumably there's another Borg Queen within the more hostile Collective, who could face off against Agnes Jurati further down the line.

NEXT: Star Trek 4 Is The Only Way Kirk Can Fight The Borg

• SR Originals

Star Trek's Writers Didn't Invent The Borg Queen – A Paramount Executive Did

W hen the Borg were first introduced on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (in the 1989 episode "Q Who"), they were terrifying. Clearly inspired by the works of H.R. Giger, the Borg sported tubes, servos, wires, and ineffable black machinery sprouting from their bodies. The Borg were made up of other species that had been kidnapped and assimilated into their collective, their minds wiped and replaced with a singular, terrifying machine consciousness. The Borg traversed space in outsized cube-shaped vessels, likewise crisscrossed with wires and ducts. They only had one goal: to grow. As Q (John de Lancie) described them, the Borg are the ultimate users. They look out at the universe and emotionlessly see nothing but raw materials to expand with.

The Borg returned periodically throughout "Next Generation," becoming one of the show's more impressive antagonists. The race of soulless machine people proved to be a great villain.

Naturally, when "Next Generation" moved into feature films, the Borg had to return. Jonathan Frakes' 1996 film "Star Trek: First Contact" featured the Borg traveling back in time to a vulnerable moment of Earth's history, hoping to alter events in their favor. In the past, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise discovered a new Borg wrinkle: they didn't have a group consciousness but were ruled by a sweaty, malevolent, emotional Queen (Alice Krige). Giving the Borg a "boss monster" was a silly twist that has, unfortunately, become a key part of "Star Trek" lore.

In the oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, "First Contact" co-writer Brannon Braga revealed that the Borg Queen was invented by a Paramount executive named Jonathan Dolgen ... who thought the Borg were boring.

Read more: Every Star Trek Show And Movie In Chronological Order

To elucidate: "Star Trek: First Contact" is about a Borg attack on Earth that is cut short by the tactical savvy of Starfleet and the Enterprise-E. Just before their ship is destroyed, the Borg send a small spherical vessel through a mysterious time portal. The Enterprise pursues, getting caught briefly in a "time wake" and for a moment see that history has been altered. The Earth's population is now nine billion Borgs. The Enterprise goes back to the year 2063 to prevent their timeline alteration.

Audiences finally meet the Borg Queen a third of the way into the film. Unlike the other Borgs, the Queen is individualistic, sexual, and emotional and claims to speak for the Borg. Uncharacteristically, she states very specific goals. She was a fun, slinky, terrifying movie monster, but she made the Borg less threatening; the previously single-minded cyborgs now had a leader one could negotiate with.

Which is how Dolgen wanted it. The exec said that the Borg were dull, amounting to little more than robot zombies. They needed a voice. Screenwriter Brannon Braga hastened to come up with a "fix." Braga recalled: 

"We did a substantial rewrite. Also, it was Jonathan Dolgen at the time who ran Paramount, the biggest cheese there was, and he was also a ravenous 'Star Trek' fan. Rick and I used to go into his office for meetings all the time, and he would say, 'Oh, I really like this episode and that episode.' I think he was the one who said the Borg are boring. They're just zombies, you need a voice. We thought, 'S***, okay, it's like a hive. Like a bee colony. Let's make a queen,' and it was probably the best invention we could have possibly come up with." 

A hive? Sure.

Assimilate This

Turning the Borg into a hive made the villains a lot less interesting. Instead of being an unreasonable machine intelligence, there was now a hierarchy on board a Borg ship, with a "captain" calling the shots and the "drones" taking orders. And if the Queen was sexual and emotional, she was suddenly prone to trickery and manipulation herself. Indeed, in the climax of "First Contact," Data (Brent Spiner) hoodwinks the Borg Queen; she is emotionally distracted enough to let Data (Brent Spiner) re-aim the ship's torpedos.

But Braga was just following orders from Paramount, and a Borg Queen was his most elegant solution. At least the change was demanded by a Trekkie with his own vision of the franchise, and not an ignorant moneyman looking for toyetic images.

Early in the scriptwriting process, it seemed that Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) was to be the hero. Braga realized that Picard should be the one to face off against the Borg again, saying:

"I don't think anyone realized by shuffling Picard and Riker around it would change things so monumentally, but I'm glad it did. Because it was the next movie, and it had been two years since you had last seen Picard, you kind of wanted to do big things with him. You wanted to have him fall in love and take a woman with him at the end. Actually, it was a good instinct on Patrick's part, because you want to see these characters in new situations. But this is an action movie. A romance? What a stupid idea. In the rewrite, the Borg meets the captain and he's our action hero."

"First Contact," despite its action film trappings , was a big hit, and is often considered the best of the "NextGen" movies. A Hive it is.

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