New photos from EW

[Kor]

The Klingons have never worn "utilitarian armor."

Throughout Trek, we have seen numerous times that the Klingon garb was absolutely useless against weapons of any kind, whether they be phasers, disruptors, or various bladed weapons. The TMP-onward costume was just a soft material stylized to look kind of like a suit of armor. It wasn't actually protective armor.

Kor

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

I am very much not a person that thinks Discovery HAS to look like TOS or HAS to look like any other Star Trek series simply because its Star Trek...but despite that, I really want there to be a reason why these Klingons have to look SO different. I accept and embrace all the other changes. This doesn't feel like an 'update' for me the way the Kelvin Klingons felt like an update. This feels more like being different just for the sake of being different. Like, are they bald by choice or do these Klingons just NOT have hair? I miss the beautiful rugged manes. How could Kahless the Unforgettable forge his bat'leth if he were a bald looking lizard guy?? I'm sure I'll get over it a few episodes in, but right now, these guys are too ugly and weird looking for my taste to be Klingons. Separate race or sub-species? I'm okay with that.

 

[Kor]

More importantly, do these Klingons practice cranial elongation, or what?

Kor

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Right?! Like...ugh. It might be because I'm a born-again-Klingon-lover after the Prey trilogy that I feel this way about these new Klingons.

 

[Rahul]

Their look really does not come off as klingons in this pic.

Don't get me wrong. Chris Obi (the one on the right) looks great in it. From the front the design works. It would still be better if those were a completely new alien race that DIS introduced (like TNG introduced the Cardassians, or ENT the Xindi). But it works as an alien design.

The woman on the left though? Shudder. From the side it looks horrible. Almost carnoon-ish. Like one of those ugly wobble-head dolls with the way-too-big heads.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

The Klingons have never worn "utilitarian armor."

Throughout Trek, we have seen numerous times that the Klingon garb was absolutely useless against weapons of any kind, whether they be phasers, disruptors, or various bladed weapons. The TMP-onward costume was just a soft material stylized to look kind of like a suit of armor. It wasn't actually protective armor.

Kor

Looked like armor is the point I was making. Also you could kind of believe they could fight in those old costumes. I don't see them doing more than taking tea in those new gilded getups.

 

[fireproof78]

Looked like armor is the point I was making. Also you could kind of believe they could fight in those old costumes. I don't see them doing more than taking tea in those new gilded getups.

Does everything need to be combat ready? Is every outfit humanity wears prepared for combat?

 

[Kevin Wolff]

Does everything need to be combat ready? Is every outfit humanity wears prepared for combat?

Not these days but look at medieval and feudal times and that's exactly how we were. The klingons have reflected this in earlier iterations. I'm wondering if this is just bad design or if they are really doing something different with them this time.

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

You mean the fact that they don't look like the same tired Klingons we've seen for years that were a weird combo of disco outfits and Kiss-derived heavy metal boots

I wouldn't use the line about Kiss-derived heavy metal boots anymore though.

 

[RAMA]

I wouldn't use the line about Kiss-derived heavy metal boots anymore though.

Those aren't platform shoes. They look like a different design concept from a different species that fans are trying desperately to contextualize with metaphors familiar to them.

 

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

Conehead Klingots (TM). They're a thing now.

Or maybe we should call them KlinGoblins. They look a lot like Harry Potter goblins, particularly the one on the left.

You can 'reimagine' them all you like, but that skull had to pass through a Klingon mama's pelvis and lady parts in order to be born, so unless they come out looking like human babies, then grow the ridges and hydrocephalic cranial deformity, they must all practice C-sections (K-sections?)

 

[Mudd]

Because Klingon anatomy and physiology is exactly the same as human?

I wouldn't presume to be an expert on Klingon uteri or vajayjays. How detailed does Klingon cosplay get, exactly?

 

[Shalashaska]

^^^^
Um, you realize that's a pic from the new Dr. Who series, right?

Tough crowd...

 

[CRM-114]

I can't say I'm all that impressed with these new Klingons. Whoever the costume designer is needs to lay off the bling entirely.

But at least they don't look like that guy from Voyager who looked like an actual turd.

I've never noticed it before, but I just realized these aliens look like crappy cosplay versions of the Sontarans from Doctor Who.

EDIT: For the sake of staying on subject, I will readily admit that all of the Klingon stuff has me far more interested than any of the actual Starfleet stuff.

 

[Michael]

Gotta say, that makeup of those Voyager aliens is actually pretty well-done and effective. Sure, you think they look funny, but of course that's deliberate, they're actually from a rather comedy-heavy episode and fit right in that tone.

 

[fireproof78]

Not these days but look at medieval and feudal times and that's exactly how we were. The klingons have reflected this in earlier iterations. I'm wondering if this is just bad design or if they are really doing something different with them this time.

I'm leaning towards something different.

And, no, I can look at feudal times and find plenty of outfits that were not "combat ready."

 

[Anglachel]

We don't know if these are "present day" Klingons or not. They do discover a sarcophagus ship after all.

 

[fireproof78]

We don't know if these are "present day" Klingons or not. They do discover a sarcophagus ship after all.

An excellent point. It's like context matters or something.

 

[Mr Awe]

We don't know if these are "present day" Klingons or not. They do discover a sarcophagus ship after all.

From the interview, it is implied that these are the current Klingons. Other houses will have somewhat different looks, although it wasn't indicated whether that would be limited to costuming or not.

 

[Jayson1]

I got admit I liked the look of them in the photo much better than in the teaser. Maybe it's because it looks like they might be ready to have a conversation instead of being sold as monsters. Also those spike things on the uniforms remind me of the klingon symbol we are familiar with.

I just want at least some of them to have the more traditional hair, and goatee. I mean if your going to break tradition then what better way to do that than to get away from the idea that all aliens of a race have to have the exact same haircut.

Jason