Breen Imperium: Index Addendum

[@edwardpate6128]

Maybe this is why the Founders seemed pretty comfortable aligning with the Breen. They are almost quasi shape shifters.

[@Endar0]

I can see that, but there is a line in DS9 where it is clear the founders view the Breen like every other race. Though, it could just be the founders are used to hating other races. Also, good thing the founders never met Armus.

[@DankHillCometh]

@@Endar0 I just take it as the writers didn't know what the Breen were at the time and wrote the scene like they were solids like all the other humanoid races.

[@laurachapple6795]

Kira was secretly hoping it would be a tiny dude piloting a mech suit like that guy from 'Men in Black' so when she found just another humanoid she was disappointed and never bothered telling anybody.

[@Cdr2002]

Lmao this is the best answer

[@hazel7296]

I dont mind the breen lore, its fine. Being half jelly does explain why they readily sided with the dominion

[@chasecox3374]

My thoughts exactly.

[@Endar0]

It would explain why the Breen sought it out. It does look like founders had no clue the Breen were like that.

[@ricksanchez1079]

@@Endar0 Founders: "Take that solids!" The Breen: *Liked that.* The meme math checks out.

[@casbot71]

In an alternate reality/timeline, how would the Breen have faired in a Dominion that won the war in the Alpha Quadrant? Would the Founders feel more favourably to the Breen once they knew they were "Jellyish"? And the Founders would have made it a point to find out. They would have hidden a Changeling in Breen facilities disguised as an inanimate object.

[@benkirkby1931]

The Female Changeling did tell Odo that they were once like the solids but evolved to become gelatinous over eons. I guess the Breen reminded them of themselves in an earlier state of evolution.

[@KatanisPSN]

That joke at the end. Nice touch

[@DefinatelyNotAI]

Now you've gorn and done it.

[@Corvus__]

I completely a-breen!

[@hinty6424]

So, the Breen being one of the few major races in the setting highly likely to NOT have descended from Progenitor/Preserver meddling are the ones tracking them down hardest.

[@Kokubetsu]

Them being humanoid-shaped would imply otherwise. They still too closely resemble humanoids even down to finer details implies progenitor influence however little sense it makes.

[@Droma_9]

"I have Breen Rick." Love it. :)

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

My real problem is why the Breen needed their refrigeration suits at all on their own ship that they built for themselves? If they prefer a relaxed gelatinous state they could build their own ship to accommodate that.

[@gamervox1707]

They are war like, and so mostly armor or army uniform on their warships.

[@Sanchuniathon384]

Why is that a problem? In The Expanse, humans will wear their full suits on in combat. The hull can depressurize rapidly so it's better to rely on a personal life support system. Being gel-like, this problem is even more acute for the Breen.

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

@@gamervox1707 But even the klingons don't wear full respirator gear on their own ships they build for themselves, Are the breen more warlike?

[@gamervox1707]

@@uncleanunicorn4571 Breen is more like Rome empire military, well the killingon are more like Barbarians.

[@Cdr2002]

The armor holds cultural significance and they carry prisoners and make deals so it’s just kind of convenient that way, I imagine. Individual crew quarters are probably more frigid

[@critter30002001]

Well one Bajorian and one Cardassian saw them when stealing suits

[@AzraelThanatos]

There's been the theory that they have a disintegration function in their armor

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@AzraelThanatos or, a slightly updated version, that the gel form can't exist outside of the suit in normal temps (like Ric pondered at the end)

[@DominikJaniec]

or maybe they just steal them from the wardrobe ;)

[@kristofbe1]

I like they fleshed out the Breen and that they went to the Roman Empire for inspiration. We already had a society based on the Roman Republic (Romulans) and now we have one based on the Roman Empire.

[@thebaccathatchews]

"If you prick me, do i not...leak?" 👀

[@01MrCapricorn]

"I have breen Rick" was Soooo bad I got eye strain rolling them 😂

[@agentotter]

Its cool that we got to see more of the Breen. Never woulda guessed they were jello people.

[@teehasheestower]

Ah Breen, the color of Brenvy.

[@BennyLlama39]

You know, the Breen helmet looks suspiciously like Leia's Boushh disguise from ROTJ. 🤔

[@Klutzsmith]

Breen Imperium...Primarchs...is this a subtle 40k joke from Disco?

[@johnsteiner3417]

Primarch isn't uniquely Warhammer 40,000.

[@Klutzsmith]

@@johnsteiner3417 I'm aware.

[@johnsteiner3417]

@@Klutzsmith From your first post it appeared that you weren't.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Imperium and Primarch both come from Rome, which is what 40k and the Breen are ultimately based upon.

[@hillbillypowpow]

If it was it'd be the first hint of subtlety in the show

[@theindooroutdoorsman]

Never should have shown under the suits. Ruins the mystery.

[@rossdavis2294]

Exactly!

[@qhu3878]

I'm just pretending I never saw it, its in the 3000s so its not like ignoring disco s3-5 affect anything

[@jimhills1920]

Agreed. Some things should remain a mystery. We never saw the face of Charlie, only his 3 “Angels” and Bosley. We never saw Vera, Norm’s wife in Cheers. We never heard Morn speak in DS9, even though according to Quark, he never shut up. Yet one more reason why I never really liked Discovery. It’s like the middle child in a large family. Always fighting to stand out, and not always succeeding.

[@Ducky69247]

Lmao that's your argument? It ruins the mystery? They're not trying to be mysterious.

[@qhu3878]

@@Ducky69247 they always were before but discovery dropped that completely, that's the problem

[@aurorajones8481]

I dig the Breen lore. Happy with its development.

[@MrDowntemp0]

Neil before the Breen

[@RainrixIasant]

"Isn't that immoral?"

[@Delosian]

Surely during the Dominion War there would be dead or wounded Breen to study.

[@qhu3878]

they said that when you take their mask off they disintegrate so they could analyse the suits and whats left of the breen, but they wouldnt be able to examine a breen itself

[@tomhenry897]

When a spaceship blows up not much left

[@SKy_the_Thunder]

I'm not actually sure whether I'd call the Breen "humanoid". They take a humanoid shape, yes - but their natural gelatinous state wouldn't be able to hold such a form without some stabilizing framework, like our skeleton. I'd say it's more likely that they used to be a non-humanoid species that "adapted" to the humanoid shape for convenience, due to how prevalent humanoids are in the galaxy. How they first arrived there would be pretty open - between another species landing on their home planet and befriending/uplifting/enslaving/teaching them and them setting out on their own with rudimentary "containers" with flexible appendages as space suits, which they later refined, there are plenty of possibilities. By the Dominion War they may even have been unable to fully pass for humanoids outside their suits, explaining the progression from the snout-like helmets to the round ones of the imperial era. There are some 700 years of cultural development between them after all.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Though even the 24th century Breen disruptor rifles Quark was selling were clearly designed for a humanoid to use.

[@SKy_the_Thunder]

@@kaitlyn__L For humanoid hands, yes. Their suits had those, because most other tech around them was designed with the humanoid body plan in mind. That's exactly the feedback loop I mean: Breen meet other species -> find out most are humanoid, so their tech is designed for that -> adapt their environmental suits to work with that, because they don't really have a preference either way -> become more involved with other species -> design their own tech based on the humanoid body plan for trading & compatibility -> adapt to the humanoid shape even more... etc.

[@ulv6760]

Fascinating, so the Breen are not like the others in Star Trek in that they are shapeless jellyfish-like life forms that eventually evolved to be able to imitate the humanoids elsewhere, at least they are not thieving squids from Freefall - don't think Star Trek is ready for them. Especially Ferengi. They are able to harden their surface skin in the face of the elements, and cannot leave their refrigeration suits when these are in a gelatinous state. Which explains why no one had seen what a Breen looked like for centuries. And perhaps why they could change their appearance without much difficulty. It could also explain why the Breen were notorious for cold-blooded ruthlessness and cruelty with a strong aggressiveness that made everyone else dislike or mistrust them. They differed far too much from the rest of the galaxy with few exceptions such as the founders from the Dominion. Individually speaking, some Breen individuals could have tolerance for the non-breen and one accepted coexistence with them, but they are strongly xenophobic in their political orientation. At least the Star Trek producers had learned from the Gorn problem, the new Gorn was too alien, far too different in violation of established lore. Here they have tried to introduce new lore without too strong a break with speculation and information from before.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@SKy_the_Thunder naw naw, the triggers grips etc looked too small to use with the gloves on :)

[@SKy_the_Thunder]

@@kaitlyn__L Even if we don't just chalk that up as the production error it probably was, it still makes more sense to assume those were weapons made for export rather than something specifically designed for the very rare cases they'd ever expect to engage in combat without their protective suits. Plus at that point they were definitely using the humanoid body plan (including hands), since true humanoids are able to fit in their suits. I merely suggested that there is a chance they may not 100% pass for humanoids outside their suits yet, explaining things like the odd shape of their helmets.

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

They’re somehow exactly what I was expecting

[@Alteringrealitystudios]

I always think of them as the brine because it looks like they are submerged in pickle brine.

[@Stephen-Fox]

Wait. They're gel like beings that can harden themselves into the consistency of skin? ...Oh god. ...Breen are Inklings.

[@judithvandenberg8551]

Splatoon!

[@nuclearwinter391]

'Spoilers ahead for season 5 of Discovery..' Lol, good one.

[@Eagleracer38x]

I'm fascinated by the Breen. I love the Breen ships in STO. They are my favorite set, and I have a character that using all the Breen gear and tribbles. I enjoy getting new Breen toys for the Holiday Event in December.

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

I don't get why they need their environment suits inside the ship They built for themselves?

[@Eagleracer38x]

For protection from space hazards or battles? With how little was known of them, they may wear the suits any time they leave their planet.

[@longhairscorpio3976]

major kira knows what one looks like she killed one and took its uniform

[@AleksandrPodyachev]

This confused me because in Babylon 5, Breen is the Narn's equivalent of meatballs

[@josiahzabel8596]

One of those questions that if ever answered will either reveal some great truth about The Universe, or drive You mad.

[@LMG1792]

Haha this comment is the best one

[@mattryan7124]

Swedish Meatballs actually

[@oneproudbrowncoat]

​@@josiahzabel8596What's the difference?

[@mattryan7124]

@@oneproudbrowncoat who knows. Thats where G’kar left the statement off at.

[@Buddy74656]

You have Breen Rick. Nice.

[@leonfairhurst7597]

This destroys the wonder of the Breen, what next? The Tholians entering the winter Olympics?

[@JoannaHammond]

Personally I like to think of the progentors and preservers as different species. One created the base for life in the galaxy the other was just obsessed with preserving rare or dying species.

[@badATchaos]

When was all this nonsense about being liquid brought up in the show? When they were first revealed, glowing green, I figured they were made of energy; perhaps in semi-ascended state. It sort of explains their animosity toward being in "solid" state, as it represents a lower level in their evolution. I would surmise they need the suits to help regulate they're ability to remain in this energy state

[@BoisegangGaming]

I don't mind the Breen Imperium having been something that kicked out or subjugated the other "Breen" species out of racism against solids. Would be a decent compromise for that part of the lore.

[@brightlord-ov7cm]

I always thought they looked like Crow from Mystery Science Theatre 3k.

[@ryancoulter4797]

I thought they’d all look like Carrie Fisher underneath

[@VarroTigurius-u1f]

Why is the bad guys always in green light? Romulans, Borg, Breen... all green.. Klingons didnt use red till Search for Spock.

[@KryptonianChaos1]

I love how they look like recycled Discovery Klingons. Something about the facial mold is so lazy now

[@The_Lucent_Archangel]

Reminds me of the villain from Beyond, honestly. Who was actually just a human who took on an alien look due to stealing "life energy" from so many aliens.

[@KryptonianChaos1]

@@The_Lucent_Archangel Yeah Idris Elba 🤣🤣 I forgot all about that lol

[@Lyze]

I'm kind of tired of every franchise having to reveal the secret mysteries in order to stay relevant.

[@The_Lucent_Archangel]

It's even more lame when they try to make it seem like fan service at the tail end of s***ting on the fanbase for years with terrible stories and episode-long marathons of crying and shouting in service of Space Sasha being touted as the best Captain evar. But pales in comparison to how readily some "fans" lap it up and just easily accept it. It's like being kicked in the nads every time you meet someone, but every now and then they buy you a beer as if that's supposed to make up for it.

[@Ketooey]

​@@The_Lucent_Archangel"Here you go, you can dunk your swollen balls in this, all good."

[@Naptosis]

@@Ketooey "I dipped mine before you started drinking. You're welcome."

[@spesago2]

A good mystery reveal is one that reveals a dozen more mysteries and secrets to explore

[@peterboyle5421]

Very informative and entertaining as well. Worth a Sub.

[@alexdemoya2119]

This explains a lot about Neil Breen movies, thank you. I KNEW he was an alien.

[@emmiannon1266]

Would their jelly like form be a factor in why they got along so well with the domninion? Gooey creatures gotta stick together after all

[@Tylerpierre99]

In hindsight, having the Breen be related to the Changelings in some manner would've been a pretty cool plot twist. They formed a very long time before the Founders sent out the 100 baby Changelings and fell through the Wormhole and over time became the Breen and they forgot their origins or only suspected their origins. The fact that they're jelly-like doesn't completely preclude the possibility that they're very distantly related, much like a human is related to reptile way back on the tree of life, hence the Breen's semi-solid appearance and perhaps their proclivity for war or mistrust of others.

[@Peregrine57]

One thing I didn't understand was; if maintaining solid state was so difficult and required concentration, then why was L'ak able to maintain it for so long? We almost always saw him as solid, even… 🚨*spoiler warning*🚨 …after he died.

[@westrim]

Budget

[@Ducky69247]

Yup, all that time he spent dying and dead while solid proved the gelatinous state bit was entirely a throwaway plot point, quickly abandoned.

[@peterdanior4538]

Is this why they allied with the Founders? Because they had similar forms?

[@deadturret4049]

Discovery writers really just decided that the Breen would look like Piccolo in dragonball evolution lmfao.

[@drewf41]

But.... Kira 'defeated' at least 2 Breen over the course of DS9 and stole their armor. That should've given some insight into their physiology.

[@peterdanior4538]

I guess they just evaporated before she saw them

[@johnharrison6745]

'Pi Eye Double-'S' on Disco Trek. Thanks.

[@stethespaniard2]

Well this explains why they joined the dominion. They were kind of like Changelings

[@smiddyman]

Sometimes the mystery of a thing is more interesting to the audience than the explanation. Star trek only had a few real mysteries. The Breen was one of them. It was fun to have fan theories. It was intriguing to know that not even the people in universe knew the truth, that there were still unknown things. Well now we know. Hurray.

[@dalekrenegade2596]

Kinda like what what happened with the Forerunners or the Space Jockey. When your main aspect is how mysterious you are, you lose that charm with that exposure especially with less than stellar writing involved.

[@tubeguy4066]

​@@dalekrenegade2596or the fact that once they do get fleshed out, suprise, suprise, they might as well be humans. Just how they ruined the forerunners and the breen

[@sonofeyeabovealleffoff5462]

​@@dalekrenegade2596Keep the Space Jockeys out of this, THAT NEEDED AN EXPLANATION, ONLY NOT THE ONE WE GOT. That could have been handled so much better. Engineers aren't Jockeys and Ridley Scott's senile and old and out of ideas. Dark Horse Comics' Aliens: Apocalypse the Destroying Angels did a far better job at telling who the Jockeys were and kept some mystery, same with the Jockey-Plug-in rules for Chris Diaz's Alien Fuzion RPG, prior to the current Aliens RPG system.

[@1jotun136]

Some things should just remain a mystery.

[@hillbillypowpow]

My favorite part about the mysterious and enigmatic Breen is how they're just stupid green guys

[@GeologyJournalism]

Great stuff as always!

[@setojurai]

Love your puns, Rick

[@Voodoomaria]

One of the things said about the Breen in DS-9 was that their planet was class-M and had a VERY hospitable climate, the cold armour they wore was a form of self mortification, having cultural significance. They don't actually "NEED" it.

[@SpockBorg5]

So the Breen are a race of alien Gummi bears

[@burleyscott2910]

There has been confirmation of what they looked like in DS9. Major Kira and Dukat attacked two gaurds, took their uniforms to save his daughter. So it was proof that some outside the Federation did see what they look like. It was a missed opporunity by the writers.

[@Delosian]

I liked it better when the fan fiction said they were actually arctic wolves (or Gnolls if you're into D&D).

[@jeros8258]

Yeah but it was stated in DS9 they have no blood, which complicates that sometwhat

[@Mechulus]

The Neil Breen imperium will sure triumph.

[@SirFragula]

As with most stuff DIS related, this was an interesting idea half formed. They could have easily worked in some plotline about them manipulating their own DNA to become more like the Founders, out of some weird ongoing reverence.

[@feralprocessor9853]

Right off the bat, Breen in the snow.

[@feralprocessor9853]

Basically Up to date lore on the Breen.

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

I'm glad they are actually alien.

[@Lightman0359]

The unmaskind most likely had nothing to do with "mysteries", like every other masked/faceless character that gets unmasked in modern media, it is because the actor whined about not being able to emote with their face covered or wanting to say to future employers "that was me" That's why Judge Dredd was unmasked, that's why the Mandolorian unmasked, that's why Master Chief unmasked: either actors or directors whining.

[@shocktnc]

it does seem to be the trend

[@DarkYuy]

Jesus is it discovy's goal to make everything look like shit? I'm so glad that train wreck is finally over. Now if we could just get our hands on a neuralyzer and wipe it from the universes memory.

[@d3AdLyf3]

Every secret is ruined the moment it is shared. I have family that still gets mad when they see me show the new kids magic tricks they know secrets to bc i told em years prior instead of keeping "it magical" vs just a cheap trick.

[@limemobber]

Star Trek has been going more and more in the direction that the Federation is barely equal to the other powers around it which I find rather interesting. The implication is that the Federation is the wimp club. A group of advanced powers all banded together and yet even with this fact they are no more than equal to single species empires like the Breen, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, etc.

[@badwolf66]

How big would you say The Breen Imperium was/is on the galactic map?

[@LMG1792]

My second favorite species just behind the romulans

[@JubeiKibagamiFez]

0:35 Did STO open up the Breen star system? I don't remember being able to beam down to any of the planets' surface.

[@thomasjoychild4962]

That isn't their homeworld, it's just a planet you fight them on during their arc in STO.

[@JubeiKibagamiFez]

@@thomasjoychild4962 Oh. Much disappointment.

[@LizardClone2]

I'll stick with SF Debris fan theory that they're the descendants of the Valakians from ST:E

[@colnagocowboy]

Except Colonel Kira who. Killed one for its armour/suit no ever saw one. Uh huh

[@drewf41]

Killed two. Season 4(or was it 3)and 7.

[@shocktnc]

Yup

[@shocktnc]

I am confused, I thought you wanted the breen to stay mysterious (you outright said that before) but you seem all for the retcon now. Im just curious what brought about the change of opinion.

[@theAEDan]

This just makes me think of alien. In the first one the xenomorph was just some terrifying thing that existed in space. Later they built on its backstory and ruined the mystique. I feel this is kind of what this is. I prefer the alien to remain alien.

[@Gitimus01]

I don't take anything that happened in Star Trek Discovery as cannon, glad it ended and now we could find a way to remove it. Though, the Breen being a jelly, algae like species I'm fine with, makes sense with the little lore known about them.

[@bensebastianraymond]

SO the Breens are basically cousins of the Taelons

[@manitobasky]

Or Yaphit from The Orville.

[@salixalba6536]

how does a gelatinous being have a scar to denote marriage?

[@jameswillen6749]

The same way you get a scar on your eyeball

[@shocktnc]

​@@jameswillen6749no, not even close

[@briandaleske5139]

I think a new twist should be added, by introducing separate factions, and each ones’s face looks different, behind the mask.

[@PasOdMater]

Good thing that STD's in an alternate universe so this isn't necessarily the same in the original canon.

[@DarkYuy]

If only we could wipe STD from the memory of the universe. God if I were a billionaire I would spend my entire fortune to create a neuralyzer just for this.

[@johnmlln9982]

Your love of trek shows, great video.

[@garypalmer997]

4:59 it would seem you are in error, good sir, in regards to the Breen language be hard to translate. In the DS9 episode "for the uniform" Odo has the computer translate a Breen nursery rhyme very easily.

[@TheFreelancer131]

I guess this kind of explains the Algy Paste they gave Ezri and Worf?

[@usernameissean]

I really have no problem with the Breen being fleshed out a bit more. I was alwayc curious about exactly what they are and weired telekinetic jelly creatures is fine with me. Or you can just keep telling stories about Borg and Klignongs, whatever makes yall happy.

[@deeacosta2734]

Why are they liquid when it’s cold and solid when it’s room temperature. Makes no sense.

[@CristySFM1234]

Tbh I was not a fan of the unmasking, I prefer the mystery

[@Squantanamo]

Real human Breen and a real hero

[@andrewjohnson6716]

Their "mystery" never made sense. In an episode of DS9, which began with one of the character saying no one had ever seen under a Breen helmet, four characters escape a Breen prisoner by knocking out guards and putting on their uniforms. How do you take off someone's helmet and put it on without seeing the person under it?

[@Pantherblack]

Tbh I much prefer their old, lighter-toned uniforms over the darker uniforms of the 32d century. I think this incredibly mysterious, hostile power in all these light tones was a nice... subversion, I guess? Juxtaposition? That aside if they ever see fit to continue in that era, the Breen have the potential to be what the Romulans were up through TNG.

[@StevenHughes-hr5hp]

They should have just made them Ferengi in Iron Man like suits.

[@margotrosendorn6371]

I kinda like having a reverse-tholian race

[@markfergerson2145]

Change the color of the new Breen visors to red and you have the visage of Maximilian from Disney’s “The Black Hole”.

[@chickensandwich3398]

Be water my friend.

[@mittensfastpaw]

You can always count on Discovery to ruin a good concept.

[@Sir_Gugharde_Wuglis]

So they’re Skrull bounty hunters…

[@ChrisParlett]

I clapped when Moll took controll of the Imperium and said, "Kneel, Breen!"

[@elpobrouse2277]

Did not Kira and Dukat see the Breen when they liberated Dukat's daughter ? They were wearing Breen suits ! I don't think these suits were lieing around.

[@flintcityhc1524]

Kurtzverse is all K-Line. Pardon me if I ignore the guy determined to piss all over Trek.

[@damenwhelan3236]

The Videans fully recovered from the phage or the Vadwar fully restored... But no.

[@1002Ecaps]

I think writers made a mistake of the 3 theories about breen the idea each member wore a suit to hid their species could had interesting stories. Instead they did a fantasy thing and called it day.

[@Twist-The-Friendly-Hunter]

So... the alien species that were always a mystery and joked about that nobody really knows what they are under their suits. Discovery basically said, Yeah they are gummy bears. Nah I don't consider it cannon then, the breen are a complete unknown to all and we will never truly know what they actually look like. Nah its just a alternate future timeline, not the prime timeline.

[@xavariusquest4603]

Ok....there is no canon source...the shows and movies...before this that EVER speculated those three options. Moreover, that they wear an encounter/enviro suit was based upon the speculation that their home planet was cold. Interesting since weyoun said it is quite hospitable. Something that the Dominion would know since they had been there AND THE FOUNDERS HAD PRESUMABLY INFILTRATED. And a little general correction. It is clear from Canon that the Romulan encounters with the Breen were often violent. One of them had to have died....and been unmasked. This would be true for the Klingons as well. The Federation is the only group to have had only very limited contact with them. DIS writers ran out of script ideas so, in the end and at the end, decided to craft this mess because THERE WERE NO KNOWN ALIENS LEFT WHO WERE MYSTERIOUS AND WERE PART OF OFFICIAL LORE. THIS IS LAZY. Discovery is done. It is the new StarTrek 5 film....better forgotten and ignored because it was a mistake. THEY TRIED TO DO A SISKO ENDING...IT FAILED. IT FAILED BECAUSE BURNAM IS NOT SISKO...NOT BY A LONG MARGIN.

[@gigglehurtz3167]

NEVER turn yer back on a breen.