The Tholians are one of the most underrated species in the the Enterprise encounters a group of Tholians, and fans quickly learn it will take more than a phaser blast to take them out.
In its original run, Star Trek introduced a number of antagonistic races, such as the Klingons and the Romulans; the show also featured a number of more exotic adversaries, including the reptilian Gorn - and the Tholians. Debuting in the third season episode “The Tholian Web,” the enigmatic species possessed technology that allowed them to spin energy-draining “webs” around starships. This would be the only live-action appearance of the race until the fourth season Enterprise two-parter “In a Mirror Darkly.” Despite a handful of appearances on television, the Tholians have proven popular with writers of licensed media, such as novels and comics, and when Star Trek: Year Five “show runners” Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly needed an overarching antagonist for the series, they chose the Tholians.
Star Trek's Tholians Are a Fan-Favorite Species For a Reason
In Star Trek: Year Five #1 - written by Lanzing and Kelly and drawn by Stephen Thompson - the Enterprise is entering the final phase of their Five-Year Mission and as Kirk and company contemplate their future, they receive a distress call from what appears to be a Tholian colony. Upon arrival, an away team finds the colony in ruins, with many Tholians severely wounded - but no signs of phaser fire. Spock reminds Kirk that, thanks to their unique biology, the Tholians are virtually immune to phasers, and have skin with the density of "Andorian diamond." Shortly after, Kirk and company encounter a lone Tholian, who charges them. As it does, Spock deals it a blow that would have stopped other creatures, but only breaks his hand.
The Tholians Deserve a Comeback
The Tholians received hardly any development in the original Star Trek series, and monolithic entity the Federation assumes it to be. Instead, readers learn that, much like all societies, there are nuances and shades of gray with the Tholians.
Newer Star Trek shows, such as Discovery or Strange New Worlds, have yet to utilize the Tholians. However, Strange New Worlds revitalized the aforementioned Gorn, making them genuinely scary and a galactic-level threat. It stands to reason, then, that the Tholians could receive a similar treatment, one that will realize their full potential as Star Trek’s indestructible species.
