THOLIANS: Cultural Index

The Tholians are spider like, but not really. Like long hot walks in 480 Kelvin temperatures and high pressure atmospheres. Interests include time-space phenomena, territorial gain and weaving.
This is the Cultural Index a series aimed at exploring various Science-Fiction species.
For outsiders to a series to get to know the basics and maybe even hardened Sci-fi nuts might discover something new.
Thanks for watching!
How to VOTE on what happens next:
Over on the Community tab there will be a voting option for one of the two species next up on the Index!
IF YOU LIKED THIS CHECK OUT:
Cultural Index Series:
goo.gl/wKgdC7
Star Trek Online Storylines:
goo.gl/aUwWHg
Music from bensound.com, purple-planet.com and freesfx.co.uk
Star Trek Online developed by Cryptic Studios and Perfect World.
Star Trek, Star Trek Enterprise/Voyager/Deep Space Nine/Discovery/Picard and The Next Generation are all owned and distributed by CBS.
Star Trek Films are owned and distributed by Paramount Pictures
Using a lot of Star Trek Online Footage when I don't have to use something else as it helps the channel in the long run.
"Mountain Emperor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@ItsJustVirgil]

Ironically, the Tholians are my favorite Star Trek species, simply due to the fact that they're the most honest politically; they don't lie about shit, and they mean their intentions perfectly.

[@skylark306]

"Can I haz pls"

[@sambrown329]

Yup

[@JadieJamz]

"You are violating protected space!Insolence will not be tolerated! You will leave immediately or we will destroy your ship!" - The Tressaurian Intersection

[@Freakingbean]

They didn't choose the thug life.

[@Raja1938]

Except, didn's Kyle Riker almost get killed because of a surprise attack by the Tholians during what was supposed to be peaceful negotiations?

[@MacAngem]

I wish to see Tholians interacting with Borg someday. Resisting to assimilation and so on.

[@jacobsheehan9715]

Borg drone: **warps to tholoan ship** **melts**

[@travcollier]

@@jacobsheehan9715 I could imagine Lower Decks including something like that. They do seem to like including the more alien aliens and more obscure lore.

[@arfbark3924]

Breen vs Tholians, a war of ice and fire.

[@molybdaen11]

Since all borg we have seen so far are humanoid with similar environment needs, I do not think that they would put effort into assimilating the tholians.

[@eol6632]

Always got the feeling Tholians & Been have were bitter enemies in the past.

[@golgarisoul]

A lovely and truly alien species. One of my favourites from Star Trek.

[@Amanda_Harper]

golgariSoul These and the Breen are the societies I most want to see explored.

[@moustachio05]

@@Amanda_Harper what about the sheliak? Another Species who control a mysterious empire

[@gustavgnoettgen]

Is that one in your profile pic?

[@chrissonofpear1384]

I am greatly enjoying reading about them (and their former rulers, the Shedai) in the novelverse, in the Vanguard books, in particular, which I am on the last of currently.

[@hansakkerman2611]

The (non-canon) "Vanguard" books shed more light on Tholian culture and their motivations.

[@redwolf4611]

Tholians: you're treaspassing. Turn around or we'll shoot. We clear? Me: crystal. (Snickers) Tholians: *shoots instantly with no hesitation*

[@Irishdrivingbloopers]

Most of the footage of Tholians was from Enterprise "In a Mirror Darkly", which gave us the most information we ever saw about them. Talk about scoring two goals at once for a series. First, you get to see an origin for the mirror universe and then, you get to find out how different the Tholians are to us, physically as well. Brilliant episode!!

[@kinagrill]

Funnily enough it'd also be rather incorrect info on Tholians. Cuz Mirror Universe people tends to be the antithesis of their Prime Universe Counterpart (not that it makes them evil, perhaps they just have a moustache and a penchant towards thinking tyranny can be logical).

[@Admiral8Q]

@@kinagrill That is funny! However, maybe the Tholians actually do travel different parallel universes? That makes them even more "creepy", yet "cool" for a species.

[@STNuevo]

You do a good research, I like the cultural index series. And I like the Tholians. Unfortunately, the visual effects were to expensive to see more of it. However, Enterprise in the mirror showed us a real Tholian, unfortunately tortured and killed by Phlox.

[@crebegea]

Phlox was a real badass.

[@patsmith8523]

The Tholian military practices the idea of "let's you and him fight." The idea being to play enemies off on each other.

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Just like Romulans, and the Dominion.

[@Hoshimaru57]

Dad always described them simply as: space spiders.

[@mrbojangles8133]

Swiss space spiders

[@DMSProduktions]

@@mrbojangles8133 Full of holes?

[@DMSProduktions]

@stewps It's life Stewps but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it...

[@chazzwozzio]

@@DMSProduktions ITS WORSE THAN THAT HE'S DEAD JIM, DEAD JIM, DEAD JIM!

[@marcfoster715]

They remind me of the Shadows in the Babylon 5 universe.

[@gordondavis6168]

The best backstory for the Tholians was from the 80s games Starfleet Battles. There, the Tholian ran a vast interstellar empire thousands of years ago. Their slave subjects revolted, and the Tholians retreated, dragging their home planet across space to a hidden area with their web technology. Thus, they remain secret active but autocratic.

[@thumperpaul155]

Yup Yup . Plus they were not really military. Just defence forces thrown together. Until the Neo-tholians found them and returned Military forces.

[@glennlaroche1524]

Dude, you just made an "alien of the week" one of the most fascinating Trek alien ever!!!!

[@soulman71901]

So, Tholians live in the same temperature range I use to bake biscuits? Interesting.

[@Cogency1]

Invite them over for biscuits & gravy

[@Lurker1979]

We also know they had an ambassador to the Federation dearing Captain Sisko's life. As he had some kind of relationship with that ambassador and was able to obtain a pease of Tholian silk.

[@LordBloodraven]

Arachnophobe: *KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!* Vulcan: Such an action is highly illogical.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

Romulan: *gives the arachnophobe an ice gun* oh no! They got an ice weapon! Clearly to attack the Tholians, who could've guessed?

[@HunhowsShadowStalker]

@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 Klingon: How DARE these _PetaQ_ use such a dishonorable way to fight their enemies? We should tear them apart! *Starts murdering the arachnophobe*

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

??? Arachnophobes mother: *cries* your actions have consequences! Cardassian: come with us. We will have to take you in for “interrogation” due to possibly being an accomplice

[@LordBloodraven]

Q Continuum: Dance, puppets. Dance.

[@CedricBassman]

Borg: assimilates the Arachnophobe and adds his biological distinctiveness to its own. Only to realize it made a grave mistake, as it becomes more and more frightened by the mere sight of Tholians and increasingly paranoid of what these space spiders are up to.

[@planescaped]

Always one of my favorites, as they were one of the few times Star Trek got aliens right. They aren't just space humans.

[@zairman]

You can't really say they got it 'right', when we don't even know what aliens would be like. It's very possible most life tends to form into humanoid forms because worlds like Earth are more hospitable to life forming in general.

[@z1az285]

exactly, just like our understanding of how life has adapted to live in inhospitable environments like deep sea hydrothermal vents , this is pretty realistic

[@andrewhills9746]

I loved seeing the full body of the tholians in startrek enterprise considering they didnt have much to go on from the orininal series episode part from thay head on a screen lol think they did a pretty good job

[@Mr.Riojas]

Cool. The Tholians are one of my favorite races in the Star Trek Universe, and their history from that universe makes them even more interesting. The concept that they are fleeing their former galaxy where their rule was overthrown and due to the nature of that flight they did not retain the knowledge or take with them the means to produce more ships helped explain their intense territorial nature and xenophobia.

[@ryanblackwell928]

I'd like to see a vid on the Tzenkethi. Reading about them in the Typhon pact novels, their culture seems really interesting and worth a cultural index of their own. Especially since Sisko fought them with (then) Capt. Leyton. They're one of those species we only hear of in passing, but they are most definitely worth a review in my opinion.

[@dogofwar6769]

If the Tholian's have some connection to crystalline technology I wonder if they have any interaction with the Crysiline Entity from TNG?

[@eXcommunicate1979]

It could have been some kind of God to them.

[@shadowzedge5793]

@@eXcommunicate1979 or a living weapon of their design from eons ago.

[@Paradox1Kitsune]

They do, though to my knowledge it's limited to the Start Trek Online game

[@Gunnar001]

@@shadowzedge5793 Or the Crystalline Entity has absolutely nothing to do with the Tholians and is one of the countless mysterious lifeforms that exist in the universe. I hate it when people try to make every single thing connected to each other. Space is ridiculously vast and unknown. Trying to sloppily connect everything is dumb and makes the universe feel small and less mysterious. Glad Star Trek Online isn't canon.

[@shadowzedge5793]

@@Gunnar001 There is that possibility as well. I do like my thought on it being a living weapon though. 🤣

[@Grizabeebles]

The Tholians could be interested in time-space phenomena for any number of reasons. But my preference would be that they're looking for other Tholians. If they can transfer memory and consciousness by touch, then the most efficient exploration and research is to send Tholian scientists back in time and follow the blueprint of events to confirm their knowledge. Same goes for linking the Assembly across multiple universes. With infinite universes and timelines at their disposal, they could examine all possible outcomes and become a unified multiversal power. Their ultimate goal is probably to crack the Iconian gate system - allowing them the need to forego shipbuilding almost entirely.

[@joshythehand2960]

There is actually a great trek book where they are at a large space station and there is a tholian in an exosuit that lives there. Has conversations with Kirk and Scott. Maybe more insight into tholians than any thing else combined in the trek UNIVERSE. It even go's into how they communicate amoung themselves on their homeworld. It's almost like the internet. Their "thought" go's onto a line of energy that interconnects all over their world like a web. They can choose to multi connect, like a hive mind, or disconnect at will. It's neat.

[@bezerkura6e715]

I'm very curious of the Breen. Look forward to hopefully learning about them

[@kawafahra]

Under their helmets, they are Princess Leia lookalikes. All of them.

[@CalypsoRaven618]

I remember hearing somewhere that the Breen are supposed to be a collection of different species and the refrigeration suits they wear are only really neccisary for one of those species. So basicly, Ice Tusken Raiders.

[@Sam1787]

@@CalypsoRaven618 That is correct.

[@TVperson1]

@@kawafahra That's what we're all thinking 😂

[@mikewilliams9069]

@@kawafahra they're a soft princess like culture

[@johnlukan230]

Based on the environment they live in and the nature of their exoskeleton it's probably safe to assume that the tholians are a silicon based life form as current theories of silicon life would need a warmer environment and a lack of oxygen to remain stable

[@christosvoskresye]

NO ME KILL

[@dietpepsivanilla3095]

@@christosvoskresye NO KILL I

[@JTManuel]

At least they're more believable as "aliens" being non-humanoid in appearance and their planet is not M class as most of the galaxy's species and they don't seem to have a common ancestor as the rest of the galaxy's races.

[@danielrodriguez248]

I don't know if you remember but about 10 years ago some scientist,with a doctor's degree, he claimed to have discovered a silcon life form and made millions, with his Discovery and his explanations, and it turned out to be a hoax,

[@TheSefirosu200x]

@@JTManuel you know, I don't think a humanoid body plan is necessarily unrealistic when it comes to aliens, but what really bugs me about Star Trek aliens (sapient aliens, anyway) is just how damn MANY species there are in the galaxy. Like, each Quadrant just so happens to have at least a THOUSAND sapient alien species, somehow, yet we never noticed them before Cochrane invented warp drive. Well, that, and how most of them are just "humans with rubber forehead prosthetics". It's just one reason why, even though I LOVE Star Trek, I much prefer Mass Effect as a space opera, since it's just so much more realistic. A more realistic method of FTL Drive (which is my favorite science/tech element when it comes to ME's Reconstruction of the Space Opera genre), more realistic looking aliens, AND the number of them in the galaxy is way more realistic!

[@CristySFM1234]

I adore the Tholian species love em, lol thank you for the video, trekyards made one and were in-depth about their past

[@DoctorX17]

Tholians are one of the species I'd love to see future Trek properties explore

[@LegoClone17]

I think the Tholians transcend the idea of "mirror universe" and "prime universe", and that the Tholians simply exist throughout the Star Trek multiverse.

[@MrDanChandler]

My theory: what if the Tholians are obsessed with space-time and multi-dimensions because they are actually *not* from the time period of Star Trek? They could be ancient, sentient beings from millions of years ago that evolved before that first humanoid species (I forget their name) seeded the galaxy with humanoid species and Class M planets. Time traveling to our time has essentially stranded them in an era where virtually the whole galaxy is toxic to them and they desperately cling to their small corner of it while they look for a way to escape this part of the timeline with the slim hope of finding a more hospitable time to live. It's a dark theory, but it's a good premise for an episode or two.

[@aiosquadron]

The Precursors? But, they will eventually evelove up to the modern time so, why don't they find thier counterpart.

[@williammerkel1410]

I like how Enterprise delved into them.

[@kellyrayburn4093]

Tholians seem to be of the philosophy "Let's you and him fight."

[@laahocsm0019]

One of my favourite Star Trek species. I wish we knew more about them.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

The Vanguard series of novels goes into quite a lot about them, as did the book The Lost Era: The Sundered.

[@silentxero5955]

Thank you for your videos! I absolutely love your videos and was hoping the Tholians would be explored. Both the Gorn and the Tholians are my favorite creature races and I wish both would be used/seen more especially in film.

[@cmedtheuniverseofcmed8775]

The Tholians are probably one of the more interesting species that are barely covered even in the series itself. I hope they continue to expand into showing more of them.

[@TrekkieBrie]

You should do one on species 8472. I know the fluidic space episode was made, but a culture index for them would be awesome!

[@spam1138]

6:58 I see you used a still from my fan film episode "past regrets", cool :)

[@spam1138]

last summer I finished my episode that features the ekosions and zaons if you wanted to do an episode on them

[@CertifiablyIngame]

I really though that was a still from the actual TOS episode, (I found it through image search :/ sorry!) I'll Link "Past Regrets" here if anyone hasn't seen it though: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roXbl52lbKpngNU

[@spam1138]

@@CertifiablyIngame thank you for the shout out. Would you be willing to do episodes on fan films more in the future? There have been plenty of great ones in the past two decades, exeter, Farragut, st continues, and phase II to name a few

[@shanepye7078]

The most effective weapon in Trek, is shown as a glorified tow cable. The tractor beam. Id set gravitational thresholds within the beam increasing in intensity. Could spaghettify ships into a narrow stream of atoms. Just like what would happen as one fell into a black hole.

[@qu1nnc]

Would that be like the Culture using their effector weapons? Its a while since I read em so forgive me if I'm wrong :-)

[@chrissonofpear1384]

Halo has also introduced the torsion beam (a Forerunner equivalent) and the larger Stasis Tension Driver, a more powerful elaboration thereof.

[@shanepye7078]

@@qu1nnc to be honest, I'm not sure what you are referencing.

[@shanepye7078]

@@Jesse-wn3tc true. The romulans use an "artificial black hole" and startrek put all the chips on the idea of gravaton particles. And they can produce the bloody things! One could spaghettify anything at that point. Moons, planets.. Even their warp bubble. When Q is human and they consider using the warp bubble to change the mass of the moon. It was warned that they could crush the moon. Crazy powerful weapons that aren't considered.

[@TheVentrexian]

I bet if you tried you'd get thrown into time or some shit

[@kawafahra]

I love that thumbnail. It captures the " wait till i alter this cell" look so nicely.

[@alexandruiora9587]

I hope they will appear in the new Star Trek series.

[@admiralsquatbar127]

Fun fact, they are also a complete pain in the arse in Star Trek Online.

[@sterlingpratt5802]

One of my favorites, criminally underused.

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

A Tholian based Show with 22 episodes of Tholians exploring the universe and dealing with aliens would be awsome.

[@CelticCubby]

Tholians are one of my favourite trek races. I wish they got more stories on air.

[@laughingman3777]

Finally! I was waiting for this one! Thank you so much!

[@draxiss1577]

They were the most *interesting* aliens I'd ever seen in Star Trek, and I only saw them in the one mirror universe episode from Enterprise. Them and the non-rubber-forhead Xindi (the Insectoids and Aquatics) lit up my imagination like nothing else, and it makes me wish we'd been able to explore more *truly* alien species in Star Trek.

[@nefariousgremlin7554]

These guys are criminally underused. I hope they appear in Discovery, Picard or one of the other upcoming star trek series.

[@damocles279]

Tholians have always freaked me out.

[@thomashill6347]

Like always You did a great job of enlightening me on a very interesting race, I like Species 8472 because they are also non humanoid and telepathic SO COOL .

[@jacobmccartney6482]

Been looking forward to this thanks Rick

[@mittensfastpaw]

Star Trek needs more races like this!

[@FedoraSpunk]

No

[@TheSuperRatt]

@@FedoraSpunk Yes

[@Sh_rib]

​@@TheSuperRatt yes

[@attrition2379]

I’ve been waiting for this for so long

[@Gruegirl]

I wonder what the Borg would do with tholian tech, and integrating their hive mind into their own...

[@danekurnhart4121]

Good job, they’re some of my favorite characters on Trek

[@TheManWithManyNames]

I would have liked seeing more than references of other powers either joining the war or being conquered or signing a non aggression pact. Star Trek has been able to keep its shows entertaining while being vague and narrow.

[@scottmcintosh4397]

I love their control rooms! Spacious, simple, & sleek. The controls are wonderfully ergonomic, geometric & faceted like a glowing gemstone. Is there any explanation for the region of 'dissolving' space in which the Constitution Class Starship Defiant was lost? It apparently leads to the Mirror, Mirror Universe. Ideas? Is there enough info. out there to do a vid. about the First Federation? 🚀👽🚀👽🚀👽🚀👽🚀👽🚀👽🚀

[@gordondavis6168]

Theories why Tholians live in an area with a dimensional gate: 1. Due to their hive mind, the Tholians of various dimensions/universes are able to work together and get along, since they are of “one mind.” 2. In the past, the Tholians ruled an interstellar empire. However, their subjects revolted. Using their unique tractor beam technology, the Tholians dragged their home world across the galaxy to a hidden area. The energy used to tractor and move a planet caused space/subspace to weaken and collapse, causing interdimensional rifts in Tholian space.

[@omega311888]

well done, mate! LOVE the Tholians!

[@DavidWilliams-el4zt]

Tholians have to come onto a 🎄 Christopher Pike Series. It would be incredible experience to see them again .

[@Hagunemnon]

You should look at the various Stargate races. Your presentation is awesome!

[@RegClintonBrown]

I fuckin LOVE Tholians! Especially how they're shown on Star Trek: Enterprise. We need to see more of them👍

[@s197bullitt4]

Honestly the best channel on KZbin ever!

[@kassar7146]

These are one of my favorite 'small' races in Star Trek, love their lore!

[@nagash303]

Lettuce that wasa good one!

[@Galactus78]

I’d love to see more Tholians in Trek

[@JeanLucCaptain]

WE NEED A MOVIE WITH THESE GUYS!

[@gordondavis6168]

Tholian motives are very transparent.

[@newcarpathia9422]

Every clip you have of the tholian on the bridge looks like he's having a boogie down to a mad disco beat.

[@Kosh1516]

Thank you for doing a info video on my favorite star trek race.

[@Werzagig]

Ice Warriors would be interesting.

[@adamwilder2943]

Thanks for your cultural index on the Tholians.

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

Always wondered if the Tholians and Horta would 'Get Along'.

[@quwykxz]

"Get Along" as in, "Wave hello from across a street", or "Get Along" as in, "Bow chicka wow-wow!"?... 😁

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

Both... ;-) ; but they're both capable of surviving K-type planets( the Horta any planet, really). Both mineral/silicon-based so, competition or cooperation? [I like the RvB reference!]

[@moustachio05]

@@mikhailiagacesa3406 k? no tholians y and horta g

[@moustachio05]

@@mikhailiagacesa3406 and the tholians are too xenophobic

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

ebola- typo

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

Like the Breen, the Tholians are reclusive, xenophobic, fiercely territorial, and live in an environment inhospitable to most humanoid life. In Starfleet Battles (a tabletop strategy game loosely based on TOS), the Tholians are from a distant galaxy, and towed their home world to the Milky Way using their advanced tractor beam technology, fleeing a violent slave revolt. Funny how well their culture and technology lines up with that, given that the show and game have ignored each other since the IP was originally licensed

[@vexile12]

Oh i have been waiting for this

[@Pekingesejedi]

I like your stuff. But perhaps you could’ve mentioned Commander Loskene,who featured in “The Tholian Web” and in the book “Imzadi” I believe it was.

[@scottmantooth8785]

how would the Tholians deal with species 8742? not sure either would do all that well

[@J-CBertrand-tp6bg]

Scott Mantooth *8472*

[@merrittolsen1146]

@@J-CBertrand-tp6bg You're kind of like a grammar Nazi. You understood the question, but instead of answering you got all Nazi like about particulars.

[@scottmantooth8785]

@@J-CBertrand-tp6bg both the Tholians and species 8472 were so fundamentally alien in comparison to most other humanoid(ish) species encountered by the Federation it would be very difficult to see them as becoming inclusive to others they would encounter...not even sure if the Breen would fair that well against either species... although their energy damping field technology would have been an effective foil against such worthy and aggressive adversaries

[@JanetStarChild]

@@merrittolsen1146 There is no dishonor in being corrected. Better to practice a little humility than to get defensive over a correction.

[@JoducusKwak]

i think they would ignore each other, except if Tholians start to explore Fluid space

[@baneblackguard584]

I always wanted the shows to do more stories involving Tholians. Sad that they really never did much with them.

[@emilyrose9854]

1:03 their physical forms kind-of remind me of the first alien species from Falling Skies

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

I kind of miss that show.

[@ShadeMeadows]

Wow... i love when they put effort in the Aliens!

[@hamburgerhelpersalisburyst1507]

God i love your channel. This satisfies my nerd carb addiction........

[@ApsalusSigma]

The Ice Warriors of Doctor Who

[@bgl2151]

Be nice to see more of them

[@octoberboiy]

All I could think about was the Tholian screaming when Terran Flox killed him.

[@Sandrock999999999]

You know.... I have a theory on the tholian latice and why the tholians seem so intrigued/aggressive about temporal/parallel universe phenomina. Note: this theory is mostly speculation, with very little directly supporting evidence. Its more like trying to fill in the unknown blanks of tholian lore than anything... The theory: What if the tholian latice, the species wide interweb, wasn't just a connection between individual tholians but a connection between universes? Consider the fact that, in the mirror universe, it is heavily implied if not directly stated that every species is the "mirror" of their prime selves. But then look at the tholians, who seem to be... More or less the same. At best, they seem slightly less xenophobic, in that they are willing to enslave other races.... I propose that this is because of their latice. They aren't particularly different because every tholian is connected across the universal barriers. What differences you do find are based on the different environment they find themselves in. (Since the Mirror Universe is more generally violent, it would be easier for the Tholian Assembly to enter into business relationships to prevent excessive incursion on their territory, for example) This would explain their interests in the mirror universe and anomalies involved in such. They are fiercely territorial, and perhaps this nature extends to universal barriers as well. (GET OF MY UNIVERSE'S LAWN!!!) And, if we really want to go crazy with this theory... What if the Latice also connects across time? This would explain how they transfer themselves to new generations (gerry just poofs itself from one temporal point along the latice to another) and aforementioned territorial nature would explain their aggression toward temporal anomalies. Maybe they aren't pursuing temporal technology, but trying to prevent it in others. In STO, which I am still unsure wether or not is canon so take with whatever salt you wish, the Tholians join in the temporal accords, but only do so to make sure people don't keep using temporal shenanigans without some level of regulation. Perhaps they don't want time hopping, but are tolerating the temporal federation as the best possible outcome. The best of two evils, so to speak... Yeah, this is all baseless speculation and fan theory at best.... But I thought I would share it. My take on the reasoning/logic behind why the tholians are almost always found where temporal/universal shenanigans are involved....

[@chrissonofpear1384]

Possible. More so, perhaps, if based on the Vanguard novels and the Shedai? (I believe the lattice is mainly a novel invention?)

[@dragonalpha9894]

Look up the series of books on Starbase Vanguard. It explains a good bit.

[@CommanderM117]

maybe there wifi is sound based and they them selves are sound in a sense so each tholian has a different frequency and can detect it across multiverse bob tholian1 can detect bob tholian2 and so on.

[@ishikawa1338]

To long to read

[@peoplez129]

I think their curiosity has more to do with the fact that there are few planets suitable to their needed environment for survival. So it would make sense that they would need to increase their ability to branch out. Let's keep in mind that not only did they need high heat to survive, they also may have needed highly specific atmospheric makeup for nourishment/respiration. And survival outside of their environment would have meant a high energy/resource cost. Imagine having to keep your spaceship and habitat's at a toasty 400 degree's. The only planet in our solar system that even comes close to their requirements in temperature is Mercury, and even then it wouldn't really be suitable because it doesn't have an atmosphere.

[@BayAreaUAV]

Omfg? Finally, I've been waiting forever! Any chance you'd follow this up with a video on the Horta?

[@tylerb3733]

I love the design of these guys

[@thumperpaul155]

A series of books has the Shedai. They return from a long hibernation and find their living batteries have developed sentience. Tholians.

[@milesc.anthony2811]

Jeez, they're basically cute a-holes. I think they're the most interesting species in Star Trek (except for that one race seen in TNG that were powerful, virtually unknown and wore what looked like shroud cloaks with bits of some material that appeared to shimmer dully).

[@DarthAzabrush]

The Sheliac- If the Ferengi are space bankers Sheliac are space lawyers.

[@milesc.anthony2811]

@@DarthAzabrush Thanks, I was sure I'd never figure it out without searching every TNG episode. 👍

[@DarthAzabrush]

@@milesc.anthony2811 I only know them because Nog cuts a deal with them in a DS9 novel.

[@louisvarre2197]

Roddenberry was always criticized that aliens were too human, bipedal, 4 extremities, etc. I think the Tholians really went against this grain.

[@Leaglestalon]

from what was said about their communication abilities they could easily interact with the crystalline entity as it shares a very similar way that Lore figured out.

[@shibolinemress8913]

They remind me a bit of the Hamalki from Diane Duane's TOS-era novels. K't'l'k and her reincarnation K's't'l'k are fascinating characters. Nowadays the Sweetwater song "My Crystal Spider" always makes me think of them.

[@Janoha17]

The Volus next. I know nothing about them, and am looking forward to learning about them.

[@milesc.anthony2811]

This is great, I never knew they had proper bodies. I always thought they were composed of some kind of cohesive "lava".

[@OUTSIDER40]

Good job 👍

[@ThePalaeontologist]

Ice Warriors :) Also, would like you to do a video dedicated to the Forerunners from HALO (I know about them but like to see different people's takes on things)

[@samuelspoon878]

Thank you that was neat.

[@tonyjackson4078]

It's really interesting how deep ToS alien culture was. Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, Andorians, Orians, Tellarites, Gorn, and Tholians.

[@chissstardestroyer]

The reason for the Tholians interest in space-time happenings could be their need for precise living conditions; imagine you're a Tholian scientist and you figure out a way to get your people to Earth during the Hadean Period; you'd be hailed for having enabled a whole new land to colonize, as they thrive in such an environment: they have very specific living conditions for survival, so they are looking for ways around their survival needs.

[@dragonweyr44]

I wonder why the so called Tholian Web in the original series was created by two ships who "weave" a web around an immobile ship very slowly over many hours whereas the Tholians from the series Enterprise used several dozen ships placed at predetermined points surrounding the ship shooting out several beams at the same time to connect the ships together within a matter of minutes and even though the Enterprise Tholians came from the mirror universe, their technology was at least 100 years more advanced than "our" universe? The Terran Empire of the Mirror Universe had tech of roughly equivalent to ours in both the 22nd and the 23rd centuries

[@Corbomite_Meatballs]

You're wondering why their Web weapon is powered by Plot? 8-)

[@dragonweyr44]

@@Corbomite_Meatballs Well, when your tech is much more MASSIVELY advanced than it is in "our" universe than it is in the past AND in another universe, I tend to wonder about that

[@earthhound]

If I wrote a Star Trek series, I would definitely make it about the Tholians.

[@Procyon95]

love your cultural index's.please do one about the muun of star wars

[@paulhunter1525]

I remember Enterprise episode in altered Universe were Evil Dr. Phlox capture a Trolian. It creature was tortured by having temperature reduced to point when it's exo- skeleton begin to fracture. Finally, Trolian begins generate subspace signal for help, it's killed and shattered like glass into billions pieces

[@cadengrace5466]

While you did not touch upon them, both Task Force Games and FASA included the Tholians in their materials and described Tholia as a Dyson sphere containing the Tholian home star that they moved to the Milky Way galaxy from another galaxy. They still move their star system when the need arises. The surface area of a Dyson sphere is 550 millions times the surface of the Earth. If we assume that they populated that surface to the fullest extent there would be 4.4 quadrillion Tholians living in their home system.

[@Omegamaster006]

After watched the episode in Star Trek Original first time. I always wonder what Tholians look like in their world since their face show up on TV only. I found they were really interested species.

[@hapokas112]

Nice video.