Romulus (Star Trek)
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The Romulans () are an
extraterrestrial Extraterrestrial may refer to: Science * Extraterrestrial life, life that occurs outside of Earth and that probably did not originate from Earth Media * ''Extraterrestrial'' (TV program), a program on the National Geographic Channel * '' Extrate ...
race in the American
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
franchise ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''. Their adopted home world is Romulus, and within the same star system they have settled a sister planet Remus. Their original home world, Vulcan, was renamed
Ni'Var Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion. Known for their p ...
later in canon. They first appeared in the series ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The Animated Series'', '' The Next Generation'', ''
Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') is an American science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired Broad ...
'', ''
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'', ''
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'', ''
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'', ''
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'', '' Strange New Worlds'', and '' Lower Decks''. They appear in the ''Star Trek''
feature films A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film ( motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...
'' Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'' (1989), '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991), '' Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002) and ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' (2009). They also appear in various other spin-off media, including books, comics, toys and games. Writer Paul Schneider created the Romulans for the 1966 ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' episode "
Balance of Terror "Balance of Terror" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on December 15, 1966. The series, ...
". As a basis, he considered what the ancient
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might have looked like had it developed to the point of
spaceflight Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft, into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such ...
. Physically, the Romulans were presented as
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
, but the show's make-up department gave them pointed ears to distinguish them from humans. In the series, which is set in the 23rd century, the Romulans were speculated as having split from another alien species, the
Vulcans Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion. Known for their p ...
, in the distant past. In contrast to the Vulcans, who were presented as peaceful and logic-oriented philosopher scientists, the Romulans were depicted as militaristic, having founded an interstellar empire. The Romulans were used as antagonists for the series' protagonists, the
starship A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 1 ...
USS ''Enterprise'', her crew, and their government, the
United Federation of Planets In the fictional universe of ''Star Trek'', the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the interstellar government with which, as part of its space force Starfleet, most of the characters and starships of the franchise are affiliated. Commonly re ...
. In 1987, the writers of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''—set in the 24th century—again used the Romulans as antagonists of the Federation. The show's designers gave the Romulans new costumes and added a V-shaped ridge on the foreheads of most Romulan characters, though with indications that Romulans without the ridges also existed. In the series '' Star Trek: Enterprise'', Romulans without ridges are depicted as passing for Vulcans (who do not have ridges either). The 2009 film ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' depicted the Romulan homeworld, Romulus, being destroyed by a
supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
in the year 2387. This film featured Romulans without the head ridges. The impact of Romulus's destruction forms a plot-theme in the series '' Star Trek: Picard''. Romulans in that series have included those with and without ridges, and a line about northern Romulans may have been intended to refer to these two groups.


History


Original development

The Romulans are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek universe and were devised for the episode "
Balance of Terror "Balance of Terror" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on December 15, 1966. The series, ...
". In 2014, the episode was rated the best in the franchise by ''
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.'' They were reused for the second-season episode "The Deadly Years" and the third-season episode "The Enterprise Incident". They are humanoid beings originating from the planet Romulus and are known for their cunning, secrecy, and often adversarial relations with other civilizations, especially the
United Federation of Planets In the fictional universe of ''Star Trek'', the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the interstellar government with which, as part of its space force Starfleet, most of the characters and starships of the franchise are affiliated. Commonly re ...
. Physiologically, Romulans are similar to Vulcans, another species in the Star Trek universe. In fact, Romulans share a common ancestry with Vulcans and are considered an offshoot of the same species. They have pointed ears and arched eyebrows, and possess great strength, intelligence, and longevity. The Romulans diverged from their Vulcan counterparts millennia ago due to ideological differences. While Vulcans embraced logic and the teachings of Surak, advocating emotional control and pacifism, the Romulans rejected these principles. They embraced their emotions and maintained a more militaristic and secretive society. Romulans are known for their cunning strategies, espionage, and manipulation in political affairs. They have a powerful and formidable military, with their signature warbird starships being a symbol of their might. Throughout various Star Trek series and films, the Romulans have been portrayed as complex adversaries with deep-seated cultural traditions and a sense of superiority over other species. Their interactions with other factions in the Star Trek universe often involve political intrigue, espionage, and attempts to expand their influence in the galaxy. While based on the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, they took on the adversarial role of
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
era Communist China, with the fictional government the
United Federation of Planets In the fictional universe of ''Star Trek'', the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the interstellar government with which, as part of its space force Starfleet, most of the characters and starships of the franchise are affiliated. Commonly re ...
playing the role of the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and the
Klingons The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...
, based on the
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...
, acting the role of the
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. As a result, the Romulans were generally portrayed as mysterious, but also "highly militaristic, aggressive by nature, and ruthless in warfare". The make-up required for an episode including Romulans in the Original Series became too expensive and time-consuming, so the Romulans became largely overshadowed by the
Klingons The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...
.


Reintroduction in the 1980s and 1990s

After the launch of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' in 1987, the show's writers introduced the Romulans in the final episode of the first season, " The Neutral Zone", which aired in the U.S. in May 1988. The episode was written by
Maurice Hurley Maurice Hurley (August 16, 1939 – February 24, 2015) was an American screenwriter and producer known best for his work on '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Career In the 1980s, his work for television included writing scripts for '' The Equ ...
, who later acknowledged rushing it, putting together a script in a day and a half. In the episode, which is set in the year 2364, the Starfleet ship USS ''Enterprise''-D—whose crew are the series' main protagonists—responds to the disappearance of Federation colonies along the Neutral Zone, fearing that it reflects growing Romulan activity in the region. Investigating, the ''Enterprise'' crew encounter a Romulan spaceship; it is stated that this is the first encounter between the two peoples for 53 years. The Romulans reveal that they have had colonies destroyed on their side of the border too, and the two species agree to share information on the issue in future. In later episodes it is revealed that these colonies were destroyed by a previously unknown species, the
Borg The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the ''Star Trek'' fictional universe. They are Cyborg, cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a Group mind (science fiction), hive mind called "The Collective". The Borg co- ...
, whom the show's writers had devised as a new alien antagonist following dissatisfaction with their previous attempt, the
Ferengi The Ferengi () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1987 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', played a prominent role in the following series '' Star ...
. Initial thoughts by the script-writers had proposed a multi-episode storyline in which the Federation and Romulan governments would co-operate to fight the Borg; ultimately only certain elements of this idea entered "The Neutral Zone", and the Borg would be introduced not in the first season, but in the second-season episode "
Q Who "Q Who" is the 16th episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. The episode first aired in broadcast syndication on May 5, 1989. It was written by executive producer Maurice ...
". New costumes were designed for the actors playing Romulans, created by the show's costume designer William Theiss. The newly designed Romulan ship that appeared in "The Neutral Zone" was built as a miniature model by
Greg Jein Greg Jein (born October 31, 1945, in Los Angeles, US; died May 22, 2022, in Los Angeles) was a Chinese American model designer who created miniatures for use in the special effects portions of many films and television series, beginning in the 19 ...
. The ship featured a newly designed Romulan crest, featuring a stylised bird of prey clutching two planets, Romulus and Remus, in its claws. Later in the series, this ship type would be explicitly referred to as a "warbird". In 1989,
AMT Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
released a plastic kit of the vessel, alongside other kits for a Ferengi ship and a
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...
bird of prey vessel. The Romulans were re-used for the second-season episode " Contagion", written by Steve Gerber and Beth Woods and first aired in March 1989. In this episode, the ''Enterprise''-D entered the Neutral Zone to answer a distress call and ends up in conflict with a Romulan vessel, with both spaceships being disabled by an alien computer virus. "Contagion" was the first episode in the ''Star Trek'' franchise in which the Romulan ship was given a name, in this case the ''Haakona''. In the third-season episode " The Enemy", written by David Kemper and Michael Piller and first screened in November 1989, the ''Enterprise''-D is depicted rescuing a crashed Romulan ship. The episode introduced the Romulan character Tomalak, played by
Andreas Katsulas Andrew Katsulas (May 18, 1946February 13, 2006), known professionally as Andreas Katsulas, was an American film and television actor, most recognized for portrayals of Narn Ambassador G'Kar on the American science fiction television series ''Bab ...
, who would reappear in three further ''Next Generation'' episodes. It also further established the idea of a significant enmity between the Romulans and the Klingons, with the ''Enterprises Klingon officer,
Worf Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, portrayed by actor Michael Dorn. He appears in the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG''), seasons four through seven of ''Star Trek: Deep Space ...
(
Michael Dorn Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon character Worf in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1 ...
), refusing to donate blood to save the life of an injured Romulan; the scriptwriters had debated whether to include this, with Dorn initially reticent. Three episodes later, in " The Defector", written by Ronald D. Moore and first screened in January 1990, a Romulan admiral is presented as seeking to defect to the Federation. The episode is the first in the franchise to include images of Romulus itself and introduced the design of a Romulan scout vessel. "The Defector" also includes a reference to the Battle of Cheron, an incident in the 22nd century Earth-Romulan War that was previously mentioned in "Balance of Terror".


''Deep Space Nine'' and ''Voyager''

For "
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", the opening two-part episode of the third season of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', a Romulan link was introduced. The episode, which was written by
Ira Steven Behr Ira Steven Behr (born October 23, 1953) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his work on ''Star Trek'', especially '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', on which he served as showrunner and executive producer. He was th ...
,
Robert Hewitt Wolfe Robert Hewitt Wolfe (born 1964) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as a writer on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and for developing and producing the series ''Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda''. Earl ...
, and Ronald D. Moore, featured the introduction of a new Starfleet ship, the USS ''Defiant''; the scriptwriters included the idea that it had been equipped with a cloaking device by the Romulans in return for intelligence that the Federation gathered on another alien power, the Dominion. A Romulan character, T'Rul ( Martha Hackett), was included to oversee the device's use aboard the '' Defiant''. The show's writers had initially planned on including T'Rul as a permanent fixture on the show but decided that she did not offer enough potential for new storylines. The Romulans were reused later that season in "
Visionary A visionary, defined broadly, is one who can envision the future. For some groups, visioning can involve the supernatural. Though visionaries may face accusations of hallucinating, people may succeed in reaching a visionary state via medita ...
", where they are presented as attempting to destroy the
Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') is an American science fiction on television, science-fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired Broad ...
space station as part of their plan to collapse the nearby
wormhole A wormhole is a hypothetical structure that connects disparate points in spacetime. It can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends at separate points in spacetime (i.e., different locations, different points in time, or both). Wormholes are base ...
and thus prevent a Dominion invasion of the
Alpha Quadrant Several films and episodes of the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek'' are set in distinct astrographical regions of space. Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zones ...
, the region of space where both the Federation and Romulans reside. Three episodes later, the follow-on episodes "
Improbable Cause "Improbable Cause" is the 66th episode of the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', the 20th episode of the third season. It is the first half of a two-part episode, concluded in the following episode, "The Die is Cast". Set in th ...
" and "
The Die Is Cast ("The die is cast") is a variation of a Latin phrase ( ) attributed by Suetonius to Julius Caesar on 10January 49 BC, as he led his army across the Rubicon river in Northern Italy, in defiance of the Roman Senate and beginning a long civil ...
" again featured the Romulans, in this case portraying a joint mission by the Romulan Tal Shiar and Cardassian Obsidian Order to fatally cripple the Dominion by eradicating its leaders, the Founders. For these episodes, new Tal Shiar outfits were designed; Moore related that this was partly his decision, for he "hated, underline hated, the Romulan costumes ntroduced in the first season of ''The Next Generation'' Big shoulder pads, the quilting, I just loathed it". Costume designer
Robert Blackman Robert Richard Blackman (born 1943) is an American costume designer most known for his work on the Star Trek, ''Star Trek'' franchise since ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''s List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes#Season 3 (1989–1990 ...
noted that his team created eight new Romulan uniforms, using the same fabric as the old ones but "dyed it down slightly, and we made them much sleeker and a little more menacing".


''Star Trek: Nemesis''

The Romulans were the major antagonists in the 2002 film ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', with much of the action set on Romulus. The film also introduced the Remans, inhabitants of the other planet in the Romulan system, who serve as a slave labor caste in Romulan society.


''Star Trek: Enterprise''

In
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, the Romulans played a pivotal role in the episodes "
Kir'Shara "Kir'Shara" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. It was writer Michael Sussman's third episode of the season, while it was director David Livingston's second ...
", " Babel One",
United United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
", and "
The Aenar "The Aenar" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise'', and originally aired on UPN on February 11, 2005. It was written by André Bormanis from a story by Manny ...
". In "Kir'Shara", it's revealed that Administrator V'Las of the Vulcan High Command is actually conspiring with a Romulan agent to "reunify" their two peoples through force. The agent, Major Talok, chases Captain Archer, T'Pol and T'Pau through the area of Vulcan known as The Forge throughout the episode, although his true nature isn't revealed until the end. In addition, in the previous episode "
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", Archer learned from
Surak Surak is a fictional character in the backstory of the ''Star Trek'' television series and franchises. He is portrayed as the most important philosopher in the history of the planet Vulcan (Star Trek), Vulcan. During an Earth-like "modern age", ...
that during the "Time of Awakening", a Vulcan schism of those who "sought a return to savage ways" and "marched beneath the raptor's wings" (later the symbol of the Romulan people) perpetrate a cataclysmic nuclear attack upon
Surak Surak is a fictional character in the backstory of the ''Star Trek'' television series and franchises. He is portrayed as the most important philosopher in the history of the planet Vulcan (Star Trek), Vulcan. During an Earth-like "modern age", ...
and his enlightened society. Soon after Surak's death, these Vulcan recidivists abandoned their homeworld to colonize the planets Romulus and Remus. In "Babel One", "United", and "The Aenar", the Romulans plot to destabilize their sector of space by using drone ships disguised as vessels from various cultures to turn their enemies against each other. These drone ships are piloted remotely through telepresence by Gareb, a young Aenar kidnapped by the Romulans who had lied to him that he was the last of his people. The plot was exposed by the efforts of the ''Enterprise'' crew and instead resulted in the humans,
Vulcans Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion. Known for their p ...
, Andorians, and Tellarites uniting to defeat the Romulan threat, bringing them closer together than ever. The ''Enterprise'' then enlists the help of Gareb's sister Jhamel who telepathically contacts her brother and informs him of the truth. Gareb turns on the Romulans, destroying one drone ship and allowing the ''Enterprise'' to destroy the other, foiling the Romulan plot. In retaliation, Romulan Admiral Valdore kills Gareb for his betrayal.


Reboot: 2009–present

After ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' proved a financial failure and ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' was cancelled, the franchise's executive producer
Rick Berman Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the ''Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' ...
and screenwriter
Erik Jendresen Erik Jendresen (born December 22, 1959) is an American author, playwright, screenwriter and producer. His projects include HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, '' Killing Lincoln'', co-pr ...
began developing a new film entitled ''Star Trek: The Beginning'', which was to be set during the 22nd century Earth–Romulan War. The project never materialised. Instead, the decision was made to reboot the series by creating a film using the characters of the original ''Star Trek'' series but played by new actors. Putting together a script for the new film, the director J. J. Abrams stated that he wanted Romulans to be the antagonists because they had featured less than the Klingons in the original ''Star Trek'' series. The film's writers,
Roberto Orci Roberto Gaston Orcí (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. Born in Mexico City, Orci began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Toge ...
and
Alex Kurtzman Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers'' (2007), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)'', ''Star Trek'' (2009), ''Star Trek Into Darkness ...
, thought that it would feel backward to demonize the Klingons as villains again after they had been presented heroically in later ''Star Trek'' series; they also wanted to use Spock as a central character in the film and believed that the Romulan presence would continue Spock's story from his last chronological appearance in "
Unification Unification or unification theory may refer to: Computer science * Unification (computer science), the act of identifying two terms with a suitable substitution * Unification (graph theory), the computation of the most general graph that subs ...
". In the 2009 Abrams reboot film, titled ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'', the planet Romulus is destroyed by a
supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
in the year 2387. A Romulan mining ship, the ''Narada'', survives and travels back in time to the 23rd century; its commander,
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
(
Eric Bana Eric Martin Andrew Banadinović (born 9 August 1968), known professionally as Eric Bana (), is an Australian actor. He began his career in the sketch-comedy series '' Full Frontal'' before gaining notice in the comedy drama '' The Castle'' (199 ...
), is committed to destroying the planet Vulcan to punish
Spock Spock is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterpri ...
for failing to save Romulus. The actors playing Romulans in this film wore three prosthetics applied to their ears and foreheads, while Bana had a fourth prosthetic for the bitemark on his ear that extends to the back of his character's head. The film's Romulans lacked the V-shaped ridges on the foreheads, which had been present in all of their depictions outside the original series.
Neville Page Neville Page is a British-American film and television creature and concept designer. Born in England, he was raised in Manchester, England, Manchester, and Chicago, Illinois. He was inspired by science fiction, including ''Star Wars'', and make ...
wanted to honor that by having Nero's crew ritually scar themselves too, forming
keloid Keloid, also known as keloid disorder and keloidal scar, is the formation of a type of scar which, depending on its maturity, is composed mainly of either type III (early) or type I (late) collagen. It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation t ...
s reminiscent of the "V"-ridges. It was abandoned as they did not pursue the idea enough. Picard's reaction to the destruction of Romulus is the backstory and central premise of '' Star Trek: Picard''. The series begins with Picard in self-imposed exile at his French vineyard following his resignation in protest to Starfleet's handling of Romulans and androids. Picard has two live-in Romulans at his estate. At least two groups of Romulans survived: one group formed the Romulan Free State, while the other group was evacuated to the planet of Vashti. In the '' Star Trek: Discovery'' episode "Unification III", Ambassador Spock's dream of Vulcan/Romulan reunification has been achieved. The Romulans have returned to their ancestral homeworld (since renamed Ni'Var) and reunified with their Vulcan cousins. When the Vulcans decided to pull out of the Federation due to the apocalyptic event known as the Burn, it was actually the Romulans who wished to remain, according to Starfleet Admiral Vance. In the episode "All Is Possible", Ni'Var rejoins the Federation.


Romulan Warbird

The Warbird was developed by Andrew Probert with the model built by Greg Jein. In the series it was introduced in the episode "The Neutral Zone" and seen on a recurring basis in the franchise from then on. In the ''Star Trek'' universe, it is twice as big as Picard's Enterprise D and is powered by an artificial quantum singularity. It is noted for its size and power in ''Star Trek'' by Picard and his crew. In 2017,
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said the Warbird was the 9th best spacecraft in the Star Trek franchise. In 2020, CNET ranked the Romulan Warbird the 16th most powerful spacecraft in ''Star Trek''.


Romulan language

Two
fictional languages Fictional languages are the subset of constructed languages (conlangs) that have been created as part of a fictional setting (e.g. for use in a book, movie, television show, or video game). Typically they are the creation of one individual, while ...
have been constructed for the Romulans and Remans of the
Star Trek franchise ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the series of the same name and became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. Since its creation, the franchise has expanded into vari ...
. The first was created by
Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the ''Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York C ...
for her
non-canon The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical example ...
series of novels called ''
Rihannsu ''Star Trek: Rihannsu'' is a series of interlinked novels, written by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, published by Pocket Books from 1984 to 2006. The series name was retroactively applied to the first novels with the release of new installments i ...
''. In this imagining, it was an intentional creation, based on Old High Vulcan when the Romulans left Vulcan and established their own society. Duane describes it as sounding somewhat like
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
. The second was created for the television series '' Star Trek: Picard''. Its script is distinct from occasional glimpses of Romulan writing in earlier series. As of 2021, little information has been released about the language, though it is developed enough to be used for dialog in the show.


Reception

In 2017, ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' ranked Romulans the seventh best aliens out of 50 species from the ''Star Trek'' franchise, ahead of the
Ferengi The Ferengi () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They were devised in 1987 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', played a prominent role in the following series '' Star ...
but behind the Q, and in first and second place respectively were the Vulcans and the Klingons.


Other media

The Romulans have been the focus of a number of
non-canon The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical example ...
books and have appeared or been mentioned in other non-canon media. Among their key appearances have been: *
Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the ''Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York C ...
's miniseries '' Star Trek: Rihannsu'', consisting of five books written between 1984 and 2006, is regarded as among the most detailed works focusing on the Romulans. * In Dalla Van Hise's '' Killing Time'' (1985), the Romulans use time travel to alter history, which results in James T. Kirk becoming an ensign and Spock a starship captain. * A prototype Romulan warbird is the focus of
Simon Hawke Simon Hawke (born September 30, 1951) is an American author of mainly science fiction and fantasy novels. He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also writ ...
's novel '' The Romulan Prize'' (1993). * Robert Greenberger's ''The Romulan Stratagem'' (1995) involves
Jean-Luc Picard Jean-Luc Picard is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, most often seen as the commanding officer of the Federation starship . Played by Patrick Stewart, Picard has appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Gene ...
and his crew competing with the Romulan officer Sela to convince a planet to join their respective states. * In
Diane Carey Diane L. Carey-Brodeur (born October 2, 1954) is an American fiction writer, publishing under the pen names Lydia Gregory, Diane Carey, and D. L. Carey. Background Diane L. Carey was born on October 2, 1954, in Flint, Michigan, United States. Sh ...
's ''Red Sector'' (1999), Spock and
Leonard McCoy Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anima ...
try to cure a virus that has infected the Romulan royal family. *
Josepha Sherman Josepha Sherman (December 12, 1946 – August 23, 2012) was an American author, folklorist, and anthologist. In 1990 she won the Compton Crook Award for the novel ''The Shining Falcon''. Works Series Buffyverse *'' Visitors'' (1999) (wi ...
and Susan M. Schwartz's ''Vulcan's Heart'' (1999) involved Spock traveling to Romulus to aid the Romulan Commander from " The ''Enterprise'' Incident". * '' Captain's Blood'' (2003), one of many collaborative works between ''Star Trek'' lead
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
and husband-and-wife team
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are a ''New York Times''-bestselling husband-and-wife writing/producing team. In June, 2013, at the Constellation Awards ceremony in Toronto, the writing couple were honored with the Constellation Award for "Ou ...
, focused on the involvement of Kirk in preventing a Romulan
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
in the aftermath of '' Star Trek: Nemesis''. * The Tomed Incident is the focus of David R. George III's novel ''Serpents Among the Ruins'' (2003), which features the crew of the '' Enterprise-B''. * ''Star Trek: Vulcan's Soul'' is a trilogy written by Sherman and Shwartz between 2004 and 2007; set in the aftermath of the
Dominion War The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in several story arcs of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures. In the fictional ''Star Trek'' universe, the Dominion ...
, it focuses on members of Kirk's original crew becoming involved in a war between the Romulans and a fellow Vulcan offshoot, the Watraii. * In the '' Star Trek: Titan'' novel ''Taking Wing'' (2005), the Romulan Star Empire collapses into civil war in the wake of ''Star Trek: Nemesis''. * The ''Star Trek: Titan'' novel ''The Red King'' (2005) opens with the disappearance of a Romulan fleet and features Donatra, the Romulan commander featured in ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', working alongside William Riker and his crew. * In the novel ''Kobayashi Maru'' (2008) by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, Admiral Valdore attempts once again to cause conflict in the region approximately one year after the incident involving the Aenar, this time using a "telecapture" system, designed to take over and control enemy ships. Using three Klingon vessels, Valdore attacks Coalition of Planets allies hoping to weaken or destroy two enemies of the Romulan Star Empire by provoking a war. Captain Archer is eventually able to provide evidence of this Romulan deception. This is followed by yet another unsuccessful attempt to break apart the alliance which involves using telecaptured Vulcan cruisers against
Proxima Centauri Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to Earth after the Sun, located 4.25 light-years away in the southern constellation of Centaurus. This object was discovered in 1915 by Robert T. A. Innes, Robert Innes. It is a small, low-mass st ...
(a recent coalition member). In the book, the event that finally sparks the Coalition's declaration of war against the Romulans is the destruction of the Earth freighter ''
Kobayashi Maru The ''Kobayashi Maru'' is a fictional spacecraft training exercise in the ''Star Trek'' continuity. It is designed by Starfleet Academy to place Starfleet cadets in a no-win scenario. The ''Kobayashi Maru'' test was invented for the 1982 film ' ...
''. * ''The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing'' is the sequel to ''Kobayashi Maru''. Set between July 22, 2155 and July 22, 2156, it details the war between the Coalition of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire. The story focuses on the Romulan attempts at taking over the Coalition whilst the Vulcans who are aware they are vulnerable to the telecapture weapon withdraw from the fight early. The other Coalition members withdraw one by one in the face of continued losses, leaving it up to Earth Starfleet to stop the Romulan menace. * In ''
Star Trek Online ''Star Trek Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios based on the ''Star Trek'' franchise. The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of '' Star Trek: Nemesis''. ''Star Trek O ...
'', set in the year 2409, the Romulan survivor D'Tan (the adult version of a minor character from TNG episode "Unification II", played by Vidal Peterson) assisted in building a New Romulus after the destruction of the original homeworld twenty-two years prior. As part of rebuilding a new Romulan Republic, he became leader of the Romulan Unification Movement in an attempt to continue Ambassador Spock's work of bringing the Vulcan and Romulan people together.


See also

* Weapons in ''Star Trek'' * '' Fallout: New Vegas'' features 'Caesar's Legion', a similar concept in fiction.


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* *


Further reading

* ''Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages'' * '' Star Trek: The Magazine'' vol.3, #10 (February 2003) and #11 (March 2003) * ''Star Trek Enterprise: The Good That Men Do'' * ''Star Trek Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru'' * ''Star Trek Enterprise: The Romulan War – Beneath the Raptor's Wing''


External links


StarTrek.com – Romulans




{{Star Trek Fictional elements introduced in 1966 Fictional humanoids Fictional extraterrestrial species and races Star Trek species de:Völker und Gruppierungen im Star-Trek-Universum#Romulaner sv:Lista över utomjordiska raser i Star Trek#Romulaner