@@neganrex5693 For sure multiple Breen bodies were recovered during the war especially with close quarter combat. I do tend to like the mystery about the Breen. Might be some Federation coverup.
A friend of mine who was a prop and costume-piece maker for DS9 back in the day told me that the plan, never realized, was for them to be (basically) lupine, as suggested by their snout-shaped mask. But it was decided that it was more interesting to leave their form as a mystery. And so it is. And of course, my friend may have been supplying disinformation.
My brother worked on DS9 and I got to sit on the captain chair of the Defiant and walk promonade also watched last episode filmed. Met Louise Fletcher! Such a nice lady! Sadly she passed not too long ago. My brother is a grip whose friends with Clint Eastwood too
The longer a mystery goes unsolved, the greater/weirder the pay off needs to be to feel properly satisfying. And after this many years for a fictional species... I'm with you. Nearly anything would feel like a classic boring bump-on-forehead alien.
Agreed. It is way more fun to read and listen to peoples ideas about what they look like, and why, than seeing a surprised knickers shot of a Breen from an ajar bathroom window. And yes, that is how it would happen. Dont ask me how I know.
I had this silly idea for what the Breen could be a while ago, that under their suits and in their natural environment, they're literal walking snowmen. More concretely, they're jellyfish-like creatures with big heads that contain their brain and other organs, and under that head a big mass of long tendrils that they can use to shape loosely-packed snow into improvised limbs, they then wrap their tendrils around the snow "body" and move it around like a big puppet. As well as for movement, these tendrils have the function of absorbing oxygen, meltwater and nutrients from the snow up into the head of the Breen body. On Breen itself, the "snow puppets" the Breen walk around as could be in any shape that is convenient for the environment, but when going out into space, they restrict themselves via their fridge-suits to a humanoid form, for ease of interacting with the technology of other (overwhelmingly humanoid) aliens. I also this "walking snowman" idea could explain why their species and homeworld are both called "Breen", the word could translate to "snow", so a Breen is a Snow from Planet Snow. There's another interesting canon fact about the Breen that the Doctor gives in an episode of Voyager, that their females reproduce at what, by human standards, is a very young age. One interpretation of this could be that Breen exhibit sequential hermaphroditism, that they're all born female and then become male at some later stage in life. This could be quite an interesting thing to portray if the Breen ever make another Star Trek appearance. Moving away from their biology, I've always thought they might have more technological secrets up their sleeves as well. In a lot of their appearances, a character will remark about how odd it is that the Breen are operating so far away from Breen space, and then there's their capacity to be able to launch a sneak attack on Earth during the Dominion War... I think the Breen have access to some sort of transwarp capability, as well as who knows what other technology they might be keeping secret from the wider galaxy by posing as just simple pirates and raiders at the fringes of civilised space.
All of these theoretical Breen physiologies don't explain why they have a range of physiques suspiciously within the typical range of a human TV extra. I have a solution! The actual Breen are small and attach to the mouth and nose of a host species, literally living only within the helmet.
I also saw a crackpot theory that Breen soldiers might be reanimated dead bodies that use refrigeration suits to keep the decay from damaging the body to much
That would perfectly fit some of the gaming ideas I've read of blending Star Trek with Lovecraft. (Cool Air, by Lovecraft for those who don't know the reference.)
In the Next Generation episode "The Chase" (season 6 episode 20) we learn that a large portion of the humanoids in Star Trek all share a common origin from a long extinct humanoid species that seeded themselves in worlds across the galaxy. So really humans, cardassians, klingons, etc. are all linked. Something makes me think that the Breen do not share this origin, which is why they are so different. I always found it odd how many humanoid creatures there were in trek, but the explanation of their origin explains it, and it also may explain why they all seem to exist in relatively similar atmospheres and conditions. The Breen didn't originate the same way (presumably), so they evolved in such a different atmosphere, which explains all the strange distinctions we see. It could also be possible that they aren't actually humanoid at all, and the suits they wear are simply shaped like a humanoid to make interaction with the other species easier. You know, having fingers to press buttons and hold weapons and stuff.
Oh, and to answer that question at the end of the video, I don't believe a Breen would be my first choice for a crew member. According to the Romulan Prisoner in the DS9 episode "By Inferno's Light" (season 5 episode 15), there is a Romulan saying: "Never turn your back on a Breen." I simply don't think I could trust them, from what I've noticed about their behavior, they seem only interested in self gain, and would gladly betray their allies if it benefited them.
Wow! That is probably the best explanation about the Breen I have ever heard yet bubba. They may be kinda like drones. That would explain their strange mechanical speech and them appearing so humanoid but at the same time them being so bizarre. These could be a type of "mech unmanned drone" which the actual operator is elsewhere. Who knows huh.
@@blackhorseman Have you ever played or heard of Faster Than Light? There is a race in that game called the Engi that are similar to what you just described, and now that you mention it, look pretty similar to the breen.
What is really confusing is when they capture Worf and Ezri the areas of the ship we see them have an oxygen atmosphere and so do the adjacent corridors, pretty nice of the Breen to change there life support systems to accommodate a couple prisoners.
I suppose the Breen would maintain comfortable life support for their Cardassian or Vorta allies. Perhaps even for any surprise visit from a Founder. In case anyone decided to interrogate the prisoners.
Their biology is unique and they're well aware of that fact. It wouldn't be absurd for Breen ships to have large portions of their layout dedicated to an oxygen atmosphere. Also, there's a LOT of engineering stuff that can only be done in an oxygen atmosphere. So that may be something as well. I pretty clearly remember someone in Deep Space Nine flat out stating what the atmosphere on the Breen homeworld is like. I don't remember the gas itself but I do remember it being something very corrosive. So they would definitely need a more mild atmosphere in order to keep their computers and stuff running. Since most of the other, intelligent life in the universe is oxygen based, it's a no brainer for them to use an oxygen environment aboard their starships. There's probably a sort of common area with the barracks, mess hall and, whatnot that is a chlorine environment or, whatever. I'm still just guessing, though. :)
I thought the SAME THING! And also on an episode of DS9, Weyoun says that he saw the breen home world and it WASN'T a frozen wasteland. He said it was beautiful and quite warm, then I'm pretty sure Damar says "then why do they wear the cooling suits and Weyoun says "nobody knows". This was after the Breen joined the Dominion.
Your idea of a jellyfish type creature could work well with nobody ever seeing one. You'd have to figure they have been killed before. If you opened the suit and whatever was inside already dissolved into goop you'd still have no idea what they were.
“Help, the methane in my body is instantly sublimating!” (pop) I’d never given much credence to “they just turn to mist” theory before, but methane instead of water would definitely work for me.
I think that the Breen is actually similar to an unmanned drone with the actual operator being elsewhere. Like flying a drone with the Breen home world being in control "real-time" far away via subspace, neutrinos or tachyons possibly?!
If so, the subspace connection should have to handle latency and the data stream back and forth. Sending data from the drone to the pilot, the pilot reacts, the data is sent back to the drone could be both detected by others and would normally slow reaction time down.
@@palmercolson7037 Well like the video says. We know so little about the Breen; their tech, weapons, habitat, ect and even what they look like even standing right infront of them. It stands to reason that they could have a means to control these "bots" from vast distances in ways that is beyond our comprehension as well. If you have noticed throughout the Star Trek universe in canon even when they are wounded, dead or even imprisoned their suits "still" always remain intact and completely unmolested. That has always seemed odd to me as an even casual trekkie. Not to mention that there language seems mechanical/computerized sounding when heard clearly not from natural organic vocal type sounds. I mean who else in trek sounds like that. You would think just for intelligence sake alone that would be a massive priority for any civilization around them to know at the very least what kind of lifeform they are dealing with. So I submit to you that maybe they don't come off like an onion peeling back layer after layer. It is like a Gundam mobile suit type deal but smaller like a terminator without the organic approach included that would make them look like something they are not for infiltration purposes or for other life forms comfort because they don't care about either. Maybe they don't want anyone to know what they really look like or what they are like physically?! Long or short range drones or maybe that is just how they choose to make contacts with other life forms because they may be zenophobic or just have chemistry that forbids direct contact or something else. Who knows, I am sure they have their reasons whether is makes sense to us or not. So they created synthetic bots in bipedal form to make the connection process smoother so to speak easier. Perhaps my theory holds, or at the very least it is worth consideration by comparison to the others that are far beyond a shot in the darkness.
Certainly a very interesting idea. It's also been proven possible in universe. During the run of Enterprise, Archer's crew goes up against a Romulan starship that is being controlled in a similar way to what you described. It's a full starship but is entirely unmanned and being controlled via a subspace connection. In the episode the technology being used is purely a prototype that barely functions and requires really severe measures to even work in the first place. Like it required this super intelligent, genetically modified pilot who did that and nothing BUT that or they wouldn't be able to do it. From that it seems like maybe this sort of thing would be impossible.... Except that Enterprise takes place hundreds of years before Deep Space Nine. So, who knows? Perhaps the Breen perfected a similar technology. :)
i hope the breen never get demasked, i love the mistery, also i think they are multiple species and probably have humans among them, probably OG Augments
Yes I also wondered about them copying Star Wars... with similar helmets that could be hiding... anything! Maybe in future some Breen will be brave enough to wear transparent helmets?! Or there may be a glimpse of them in their home environment?! If they are unaccustomed to warmth and oxygen, perhaps if one took off a helmet the creature might ignite spontaneously and burn up!
The suit design, definitelly a lot. (specially the Breen prisoner we see on the Dominion prison) But the sounds? *Straight pulled from the cyborgs from Mortal Kombat III.*
The Breen coalition with many individual species united under the ‘Breen’ name would be cool and help to smooth out any inconsistencies in canon as well as their lack of a concrete identity. Also perhaps augmentation is a factor in their society, given how we’ve only ever seen military forces and no civilians - their soldiers being adapted to become unstoppable killing machines that don’t bleed (reanimated corpse theory?).
As I kid I always thought they looked like Leia when she goes to rescue Han with the thermal detonator. They have a very Clone Wars axis of evil vibe. Great video as usual buddy.
Great video as always! Personally I think that the breen are "jelly like" and that they share a common ancestor with the founders (their territory is close to the gamma quadrant), but i also like the idea of them beeing a collective of species. Best regards from Italy/Germany
I opt for the Breen being a multi-species group with Breen being a cultural denomination, not unlike the Star Wars Mandalorians. As to odd (to us) biologies…not necessarily. They are anatomically symmetric, bipedal, have a sensory & communication organ platform mounted at the highest point of their anatomy, aka a head, they stand at around 1.8-2.0 meters high and they seem comfortable operating in a 1G gravity well. They aren’t so different than the rest of the main alien species in the ST universe.
Jem'Hadar stripped their prisoners of everything except clothing, yet they allowed Breen prisoners to wear their suits. So the suits probably did have some sort of essential life support functions, at least for those individuals. The multi-species-Breen idea is offered in some novels. An interesting idea, although the reasoning did seem contrived and implausible to me. Every Breen (in a Breen suit) that we've seen on screen was a soldier of some kind.
Or they designed the suits to hide their non-humanoid appearance. Perhaps the suits are more than just suits, but mechs like a less silly version the tiny guys from Men In Black used.
@@pwnmeisterage I believe the idea was supposedly a combination of heightened secrecy and mandated meritocracy. In the military (and many of the sciences) Breen could not reveal their respective species to each other so as to avoid any implication of unfair physical and mental advantages. But there may be hidden draconian ideals behind it, to keep people from diverging from ideology or gathering subversively. So the armor was standardized and outfitted to suit multiple biological and species needs, as a result (Fenrisal, Paclu, Amoniri, etc)
Dont forget the Breen are a Confederacy... this might not mean a confederacy of various political groups from a single race, but a confederacy of groups of species.
@@NZBigfoot The political designation doesn't seem relevant, to be honest. All-human nations can be described as confederacies, regardless whether or not they are modelled that way in practice. The Klingon Empire could be described as a confederation of great houses. The Federation of Planets could be described as a confederation, since membership for each world/species is nominally "voluntary".
I'm convinced the Breen are one of two things: Either they're basically White Walkers from GoT and burst into goo when exposed to an M-Class atmosphere, or they're a collective of species who use the suits as a built-in suicide device, kinda like how the Romulans used to blow up their own ships rather than be captured, and not being seen by outsiders is somehow a religious mandate.
The Breen look like Boushh from Star Wars, the disguise Leia wore in Return of the Jedi. I originally thought they were some sort of crossover teaser. I guess instead they are just an example of convergent evolution.
On an episode of DS9 Weyoun says that he saw the breen home world and it WASN'T a frozen wasteland. He said it was beautiful and quite warm, then I'm pretty sure Damar says "then why do they wear the cooling suits?" and Weyoun says "nobody knows".
The Typhon Pact novel Zero Sum Game by David Mack shows some very interesting ideas on Breen society too. I really like the idea of them being composed of multiple species...and the way Mack uses the genetically engineered Jack pack to figure it out is plain cool.
Perhaps, even without a circulatory system, perhaps they still have cytoplasmic streaming and or Brownian Motion taking place within their bodies, to circulate needed nutrients. What do they look like? Like humanoid cousins of K-9 of Doctor Who.
The Breen sound similar to the Vorlons of Babylon 5. There, the race was a large, glowing worm-like creature that was stuffed into an environmental suit that was designed to hide its appearance. The Vorlons also insinuated their native atmosphere was very toxic to most life forms, although this was most likely another ruse.
Awesome video I been looking forward to this. Love the comedic touches as well... There's some good comments and speculation on what the Breen might actually look like but I hope it's always left a mystery 🤔
I've always theorised that the reason that there is so much conflicting info about the Breen is cos they purposefully spread misinformation about themselves to confuse there enemies.
I agree that the Breen are probably a collective of species hence them taking the style Confederacy, but I like to think of them as being all non-humanoids who unified to defend themselves against the prejudices of humanoids. Thus they wear the suites as mentions to better interact as stated, and explain why they have good relations with the Founders, similar history.
And a similar mindset, given they dipped on the Founders when the tides were turning, similar to how the Founders were planning to turn on them if they won the war. Trully peas in a pod.
The fact that 2 starfleet officers stole suits from Breen and we still don't know what they look like is wierd. Maybe they're some kind of form that brains can't process, like a Lovecraftian species, so not only do they need the suits because they're used to such cold weather but also because other species wouldn't be able to see them. It's a far fetch idea I know but it would be an interesting idea that has very seldom been in Star trek; a species that reacts to different kind of light which may also be the function of the helmet, to help them see in the light that most humanoid species are used to.
They could be gaseous forms or like spirits, sort of like the Vorta in Babylon 5 or Johann Kraus in HellBoy who uses a suit to be around humans. They choose to take the shape of a humanoid not because they have to, but to make others more comfortable, at least in terms of humanoid to humanoid interactions. Although they have too many humanoid traits like crossing their arms or possibly their ship design, assuming they have been seen on the inside, to be fashioned for humanoid use as well.
I always wondered why Weyoun told Damar that the Breen planet had a Comfortable temperature , when Damar would know What the breen planet was like since the Cardassian have embassy on their planet. That piece of dialog always confused me. Lol
It's pretty clear the founder's genetic manipulation severely messed up the perception and senses of the Vorta. I always took this to be the explanation as to why Weyoun found the Breen homeworld to be "pleasant"
Some of the Weyouns were antagonistic and sarcastic. They could carry euphemisms and metaphors to extremes. His comment was meant to favour the Breen and slight the Cardassians.
@@pwnmeisterage While it may be a bit self serving for us fans, it is reasonable to always take anything anyone says on screen with a grain of salt. At least when it lacks visual confirmation. People lie, are mistaken, or just make jokes/sarcasm that falls flat. So fictional characters may as well.
Surprised that helmet didn't get them sued by Lucasfilm; it looks like the helmet Leia wore disguised as "Bosche", the bounty hunter in order to infiltrate Jabba's palace.
I've always had this theory that based on Weyoun's account of the planet, and the things that we've been told about their physiology; that maybe they wear refrigeration suits because their planet underwent some kind of major global warming. Maybe they did have a frozen planet at one point, but catastrophy forced them to don the suits, because it's no longer habitable for them. They seem to breathe oxygen; with the Breen in the Jem'hadar prison, they woulda had to hook him up to something, or replace his 'air' over long periods of time; unless the visor and helmet take in the oxygen from the environment. And in water for example more oxygen can diffuse into colder water, so perhaps the colder environment in the suit helps facilitate breathing without a circulatory system.
The Breen mystery is a novel idea. By that I mean that it makes no sense outside of the narrative. I mean... there's a war with the Breen. Which means, dead and captured Breen. You mean to tell me that nobody pulled the mask off a dead Breen? For that matter, we know two main characters that did exactly that and it's completely glossed over. Kira and Dukat disguise themselves with Breen suits to rescue Ziyal. Meaning that one or both of them definitely saw a Breen without their suit because they literally had to take it off their bodies. I suppose we could argue that they found some kind of supply area where they got the suits but that seems unlikely. Kira is maybe stealthy enough to do that but, why would she risk that when there are guards walking around with the suits? I've always maintained that a good mystery raises more questions after trying to examine it than you had before and the Breen mystery definitely fits that criteria. x_x
Thanks for your super work. I have been a fan since I was exposed to the airing of the first show of the first season. I was 5 and the gray hair of " Nancy" made me afraid of my grandmother and her gray hair. I never missed an episode. So thanks for blessings us with your great video. Julian Wilkins
I'm sorry that I missed this videos premiere! I've been all over the place today and I still feel like I didn't get anything done. I'm excited to see your take on what the Breen look like and to learn more about them.
I support the idea of a multi species conglomerate as it was described in the novel Zero Sum Game. Some of them would evaporate or just liquify on class M conditions, some of them look like wolves and some of them are almost human like and all share a very special interest in a strict privacy
The concentration of a compound is vital to the reaction. It's entirely possible that the humidity in the air is not concentrated enough to break down the Signs aliens skin in the same way diluted acid isn't instantly lethal to humans but can be an irritant.
So I’ve reasonably found your videos and have been binge watching them this past week and can’t help but feel you should be a reference source for some of these writers when is comes to the new series. I feel nobody has an appropriation and knowledge of the Star Trek universe like you do. Once I finish my watch through of Star Trek in the official timeline order I will for sure have questions and have to rewatch these videos to pick your brain or see if you answer any of my questions. Please continue the good work.
I'd really love to do a video one day called "What Would Aliens Actually Look Like." There seem to be two camps in the astrobiology world, those who believe that convergent evolution would encourage the emergence of Earthlike flora and fauna, versus those who believe it would be COMPLETELY unexpected. It's hard to know which is more believable...
Yet their helmet is remarkably similar to the one princess Leia wore in star wars return of the jedi. When she went to rescue Han solo from jabba the hut. So it's quite possible they humanoid in appearance.
Breen seem to be a multispecies faction to me. If you look at the Breen in canon they have different body types. Some are towering muscular figures will others are short and stalky. Some are even scrawny. Could be just that the Breen like us humans are just diverse in stature. Its cool that the Breen are still a mystery regarding their appearance so we can speculate and create theories about them. We do not need enything in science fiction to be explained and we do not need an origin for everything. Mystery and speculation make things interesting. I tend to think the Breen are like the Xindi except I think the Breen have a canine, feline, primate and a type like the Andorians. Primate Breen are the bigger ones because I think they are sasquatch like primates. Maybe the Breen are like earth a long time ago when more than one type hominid lived except other species of intelligent hominids like Neanderthals did not die out. Could be a a federation of different hominids that live on the same planet. They can be all princess Leia under the helmet. Breen could also just be humans and the Federation is covering up their appearance that's why we do not know what they look like even after the war where for sure Breen bodies where recovered. The things characters in Star Trek say about the Breen could just be rumors and speculation. Maybe the Breen evolved to rely on their suits because of an ice age or them colonizing an extremely cold planet out of necessity. On earth the Neanderthals evolved to live in extreme cold and modern humans can live anywhere with the right clothing or suits. The Breen may have evolved so they can only live in their suits or have an immune deficiency and can only live in a sterilized suit like the Quarians from Mass Effect.
That's pretty much exactly how the Pocket books timeline (until recently, anyway) treated them, @Speaking Moistly , with at least five different species within the Breen, all tending to wear standardized armor. Though they do seem to have multiple homeworlds, too. ST Online may have done similar, as I recall.
I recently came across a very interesting bit of biology regarding priapulid worms. Apparently they don't respirate, nor do they have a need to utilize oxygen through blood for metabolic & necessary chemical reaction purposes to stay alive. They have instead developed a respiratory pigment within their cells called haemerythrin which gets oxygen to where it is needed. It would be fascinating for Star Trek writers to give the Breen this ability.
An ‘undersea’ amorphous species kinda like changelings but requiring a cold environment that interacts with the outside world in powered suits which circulate the appropriate atmosphere at appropriate temps. Like a reverse diving suit.
So, what do YOU think the Breen really look like under their suits? Let me know down below!
To steal an idea from Rowan J. Coleman, they're actually zombies kept alive with refrigeration suits like the doctor from Lovecraft's "Cool Air"
Breen are androids and the suits are coolent systems for their computer-like brains
I can not believe star fleet did not recover one Breen body in the Dominion war. Funny for star fleet since they can't leave the unknown alone.
@@neganrex5693 For sure multiple Breen bodies were recovered during the war especially with close quarter combat. I do tend to like the mystery about the Breen. Might be some Federation coverup.
@@choobooloo1 Thank you. What you commented about does stand to reason. Maybe star fleet doesn't want the Breen to know how much they know about them.
A friend of mine who was a prop and costume-piece maker for DS9 back in the day told me that the plan, never realized, was for them to be (basically) lupine, as suggested by their snout-shaped mask. But it was decided that it was more interesting to leave their form as a mystery. And so it is. And of course, my friend may have been supplying disinformation.
That's really interesting, and makes sense. Assuming this "friend" is real 😉
oh hell nah they better keep it a secret otherwise there will be FURRIES is star trek
@@born2biscuit Yeah, because Lieutenant M'Ress was _so_ non-furry.
My brother worked on DS9 and I got to sit on the captain chair of the Defiant and walk promonade also watched last episode filmed. Met Louise Fletcher! Such a nice lady! Sadly she passed not too long ago. My brother is a grip whose friends with Clint Eastwood too
@@born2biscuit
Caitians (anthro cats)
Gorn & Selay (anthro reptiles)
Aurelians & Areores (anthro birds)
Anticans (anthro canines)
That starship has already sailed 😉
"Water vapor in air that movie's stupid", "aliens don't need your permission!" You crack me up, great ringtone BTW.
As cool as it'd be to see what they look like, the Breen should never be revealed, just always keep the mystery
The longer a mystery goes unsolved, the greater/weirder the pay off needs to be to feel properly satisfying. And after this many years for a fictional species... I'm with you. Nearly anything would feel like a classic boring bump-on-forehead alien.
I don't agree. I always found it silly. They obviously have long snouts.
Yeah. Gotta agree. At this point a Breen reveal would be like the midiclorian thing in Star Wars.
Agreed. It is way more fun to read and listen to peoples ideas about what they look like, and why, than seeing a surprised knickers shot of a Breen from an ajar bathroom window.
And yes, that is how it would happen. Dont ask me how I know.
Exactly, dont ruin my alien hottie fantasy 😤
I took my first look at them and cried 'Snoopy-Cylons!'.
I had this silly idea for what the Breen could be a while ago, that under their suits and in their natural environment, they're literal walking snowmen. More concretely, they're jellyfish-like creatures with big heads that contain their brain and other organs, and under that head a big mass of long tendrils that they can use to shape loosely-packed snow into improvised limbs, they then wrap their tendrils around the snow "body" and move it around like a big puppet. As well as for movement, these tendrils have the function of absorbing oxygen, meltwater and nutrients from the snow up into the head of the Breen body. On Breen itself, the "snow puppets" the Breen walk around as could be in any shape that is convenient for the environment, but when going out into space, they restrict themselves via their fridge-suits to a humanoid form, for ease of interacting with the technology of other (overwhelmingly humanoid) aliens. I also this "walking snowman" idea could explain why their species and homeworld are both called "Breen", the word could translate to "snow", so a Breen is a Snow from Planet Snow.
There's another interesting canon fact about the Breen that the Doctor gives in an episode of Voyager, that their females reproduce at what, by human standards, is a very young age. One interpretation of this could be that Breen exhibit sequential hermaphroditism, that they're all born female and then become male at some later stage in life. This could be quite an interesting thing to portray if the Breen ever make another Star Trek appearance.
Moving away from their biology, I've always thought they might have more technological secrets up their sleeves as well. In a lot of their appearances, a character will remark about how odd it is that the Breen are operating so far away from Breen space, and then there's their capacity to be able to launch a sneak attack on Earth during the Dominion War... I think the Breen have access to some sort of transwarp capability, as well as who knows what other technology they might be keeping secret from the wider galaxy by posing as just simple pirates and raiders at the fringes of civilised space.
So essentially, sentient jelly snow creatures that change sex over their lifespan?! That's crazy, and I love it!
* Citation Required *
Ah yes, the more "concrete" version of a snowman: the jellyfish. And of course snowmen are known for their large heads?
I like your “planet snow” idea, since we come from “planet mud”!
All of these theoretical Breen physiologies don't explain why they have a range of physiques suspiciously within the typical range of a human TV extra. I have a solution! The actual Breen are small and attach to the mouth and nose of a host species, literally living only within the helmet.
I also saw a crackpot theory that Breen soldiers might be reanimated dead bodies that use refrigeration suits to keep the decay from damaging the body to much
That would perfectly fit some of the gaming ideas I've read of blending Star Trek with Lovecraft. (Cool Air, by Lovecraft for those who don't know the reference.)
"Never turn your back on a Breen."
I was waiting to read this statement. Thank you for your comment.
"Never turn your back on a Breen."
... unless you're a Weyoun flexing over some Cardassian underlings.
Neil breen?
Thank you I'm glad you showed how Leia wore a Breen helmet in Jaba's palace to free Han. She's part of the Confederacy!!!
In the Next Generation episode "The Chase" (season 6 episode 20) we learn that a large portion of the humanoids in Star Trek all share a common origin from a long extinct humanoid species that seeded themselves in worlds across the galaxy. So really humans, cardassians, klingons, etc. are all linked. Something makes me think that the Breen do not share this origin, which is why they are so different. I always found it odd how many humanoid creatures there were in trek, but the explanation of their origin explains it, and it also may explain why they all seem to exist in relatively similar atmospheres and conditions. The Breen didn't originate the same way (presumably), so they evolved in such a different atmosphere, which explains all the strange distinctions we see. It could also be possible that they aren't actually humanoid at all, and the suits they wear are simply shaped like a humanoid to make interaction with the other species easier. You know, having fingers to press buttons and hold weapons and stuff.
Oh, and to answer that question at the end of the video, I don't believe a Breen would be my first choice for a crew member. According to the Romulan Prisoner in the DS9 episode "By Inferno's Light" (season 5 episode 15), there is a Romulan saying: "Never turn your back on a Breen." I simply don't think I could trust them, from what I've noticed about their behavior, they seem only interested in self gain, and would gladly betray their allies if it benefited them.
@@iggystoneman2933 They flipped on the Dominion as soon as they started losing so....
Wow! That is probably the best explanation about the Breen I have ever heard yet bubba. They may be kinda like drones. That would explain their strange mechanical speech and them appearing so humanoid but at the same time them being so bizarre. These could be a type of "mech unmanned drone" which the actual operator is elsewhere. Who knows huh.
@@blackhorseman Have you ever played or heard of Faster Than Light? There is a race in that game called the Engi that are similar to what you just described, and now that you mention it, look pretty similar to the breen.
@@iggystoneman2933 Just checked it out. They do look similar. Whoa!
What is really confusing is when they capture Worf and Ezri the areas of the ship we see them have an oxygen atmosphere and so do the adjacent corridors, pretty nice of the Breen to change there life support systems to accommodate a couple prisoners.
I suppose the Breen would maintain comfortable life support for their Cardassian or Vorta allies. Perhaps even for any surprise visit from a Founder. In case anyone decided to interrogate the prisoners.
Their biology is unique and they're well aware of that fact. It wouldn't be absurd for Breen ships to have large portions of their layout dedicated to an oxygen atmosphere. Also, there's a LOT of engineering stuff that can only be done in an oxygen atmosphere. So that may be something as well. I pretty clearly remember someone in Deep Space Nine flat out stating what the atmosphere on the Breen homeworld is like. I don't remember the gas itself but I do remember it being something very corrosive. So they would definitely need a more mild atmosphere in order to keep their computers and stuff running. Since most of the other, intelligent life in the universe is oxygen based, it's a no brainer for them to use an oxygen environment aboard their starships. There's probably a sort of common area with the barracks, mess hall and, whatnot that is a chlorine environment or, whatever.
I'm still just guessing, though. :)
@@tarrker the corrosive atmosphere is a different, never-seen, namedropped species :) who also have no red cones in their eyes.
Well, they were going to *gift* those two to Weyoun. Not a good first impression to bring such "gifts" already dead. XD
I thought the SAME THING! And also on an episode of DS9, Weyoun says that he saw the breen home world and it WASN'T a frozen wasteland. He said it was beautiful and quite warm, then I'm pretty sure Damar says "then why do they wear the cooling suits and Weyoun says "nobody knows". This was after the Breen joined the Dominion.
Love the ringtone lol
Love the Breen and tholians 2 mysteries of star trek
The water vapor in the air bit about the movie Signs was so on point, huge peeve of mine lol
Your idea of a jellyfish type creature could work well with nobody ever seeing one. You'd have to figure they have been killed before. If you opened the suit and whatever was inside already dissolved into goop you'd still have no idea what they were.
“Help, the methane in my body is instantly sublimating!” (pop)
I’d never given much credence to “they just turn to mist” theory before, but methane instead of water would definitely work for me.
Turns out, he was not so wrong
Awesome dude definitely deserve more subs
Part of me wants to know what’s underneath their suit but the other part loves the mystery. Awesome job on another great video Tyler!
Thanks for sharing your search of the information about this interesting race of Star Trek.
I think that the Breen is actually similar to an unmanned drone with the actual operator being elsewhere. Like flying a drone with the Breen home world being in control "real-time" far away via subspace, neutrinos or tachyons possibly?!
If so, the subspace connection should have to handle latency and the data stream back and forth. Sending data from the drone to the pilot, the pilot reacts, the data is sent back to the drone could be both detected by others and would normally slow reaction time down.
@@palmercolson7037 Well like the video says. We know so little about the Breen; their tech, weapons, habitat, ect and even what they look like even standing right infront of them. It stands to reason that they could have a means to control these "bots" from vast distances in ways that is beyond our comprehension as well. If you have noticed throughout the Star Trek universe in canon even when they are wounded, dead or even imprisoned their suits "still" always remain intact and completely unmolested. That has always seemed odd to me as an even casual trekkie. Not to mention that there language seems mechanical/computerized sounding when heard clearly not from natural organic vocal type sounds. I mean who else in trek sounds like that. You would think just for intelligence sake alone that would be a massive priority for any civilization around them to know at the very least what kind of lifeform they are dealing with. So I submit to you that maybe they don't come off like an onion peeling back layer after layer. It is like a Gundam mobile suit type deal but smaller like a terminator without the organic approach included that would make them look like something they are not for infiltration purposes or for other life forms comfort because they don't care about either. Maybe they don't want anyone to know what they really look like or what they are like physically?! Long or short range drones or maybe that is just how they choose to make contacts with other life forms because they may be zenophobic or just have chemistry that forbids direct contact or something else. Who knows, I am sure they have their reasons whether is makes sense to us or not. So they created synthetic bots in bipedal form to make the connection process smoother so to speak easier. Perhaps my theory holds, or at the very least it is worth consideration by comparison to the others that are far beyond a shot in the darkness.
Certainly a very interesting idea. It's also been proven possible in universe. During the run of Enterprise, Archer's crew goes up against a Romulan starship that is being controlled in a similar way to what you described. It's a full starship but is entirely unmanned and being controlled via a subspace connection. In the episode the technology being used is purely a prototype that barely functions and requires really severe measures to even work in the first place. Like it required this super intelligent, genetically modified pilot who did that and nothing BUT that or they wouldn't be able to do it.
From that it seems like maybe this sort of thing would be impossible.... Except that Enterprise takes place hundreds of years before Deep Space Nine. So, who knows? Perhaps the Breen perfected a similar technology. :)
Them if you block that signal they're done!
No, they are just green people, watch Discovery
i hope the breen never get demasked, i love the mistery, also i think they are multiple species and probably have humans among them, probably OG Augments
I've always wondered how much of the suit design and sound design was influenced by Princess Leia's disguise (or "Boushh") from Return of the Jedi.
The Breen are know by many names.🌝
Yes I also wondered about them copying Star Wars... with similar helmets that could be hiding... anything! Maybe in future some Breen will be brave enough to wear transparent helmets?! Or there may be a glimpse of them in their home environment?! If they are unaccustomed to warmth and oxygen, perhaps if one took off a helmet the creature might ignite spontaneously and burn up!
The suit design, definitelly a lot. (specially the Breen prisoner we see on the Dominion prison)
But the sounds? *Straight pulled from the cyborgs from Mortal Kombat III.*
Your outro absolutely slaps
Major Kyra and Gul Dukat know what they look like. They knocked a couple out and stole their uniforms.
I like to think they are miniature Mycelial Networks in suits
Man you got sponsor!!!! Really happy to see your grow!!
Thank you tknocan!
The Breen coalition with many individual species united under the ‘Breen’ name would be cool and help to smooth out any inconsistencies in canon as well as their lack of a concrete identity.
Also perhaps augmentation is a factor in their society, given how we’ve only ever seen military forces and no civilians - their soldiers being adapted to become unstoppable killing machines that don’t bleed (reanimated corpse theory?).
Yep. They all look like Princess Laya.
Statistically, one of them has to be named Neil
Another fantastic video dude!!
Thank you so much Clint!
Absolutely STILL the biggest mystery in my head cannon 🤔🤷🏻♀️
Great Job Tyler🖖🏻
As I kid I always thought they looked like Leia when she goes to rescue Han with the thermal detonator. They have a very Clone Wars axis of evil vibe. Great video as usual buddy.
Yes the suits are definately inspired by the Leia bounty hunter outfit (Boushh)
Great video as always!
Personally I think that the breen are "jelly like" and that they share a common ancestor with the founders (their territory is close to the gamma quadrant), but i also like the idea of them beeing a collective of species.
Best regards from Italy/Germany
Id be down for a jelly alien bf/gf ❤ We love a Breen
11:03 That'
s something I never thought about... Them Breen helmets DO look like the one worn by Leia...
I opt for the Breen being a multi-species group with Breen being a cultural denomination, not unlike the Star Wars Mandalorians.
As to odd (to us) biologies…not necessarily. They are anatomically symmetric, bipedal, have a sensory & communication organ platform mounted at the highest point of their anatomy, aka a head, they stand at around 1.8-2.0 meters high and they seem comfortable operating in a 1G gravity well. They aren’t so different than the rest of the main alien species in the ST universe.
Jem'Hadar stripped their prisoners of everything except clothing, yet they allowed Breen prisoners to wear their suits. So the suits probably did have some sort of essential life support functions, at least for those individuals.
The multi-species-Breen idea is offered in some novels. An interesting idea, although the reasoning did seem contrived and implausible to me. Every Breen (in a Breen suit) that we've seen on screen was a soldier of some kind.
Or they designed the suits to hide their non-humanoid appearance. Perhaps the suits are more than just suits, but mechs like a less silly version the tiny guys from Men In Black used.
@@pwnmeisterage I believe the idea was supposedly a combination of heightened secrecy and mandated meritocracy. In the military (and many of the sciences) Breen could not reveal their respective species to each other so as to avoid any implication of unfair physical and mental advantages. But there may be hidden draconian ideals behind it, to keep people from diverging from ideology or gathering subversively.
So the armor was standardized and outfitted to suit multiple biological and species needs, as a result (Fenrisal, Paclu, Amoniri, etc)
Dont forget the Breen are a Confederacy... this might not mean a confederacy of various political groups from a single race, but a confederacy of groups of species.
@@NZBigfoot The political designation doesn't seem relevant, to be honest. All-human nations can be described as confederacies, regardless whether or not they are modelled that way in practice. The Klingon Empire could be described as a confederation of great houses. The Federation of Planets could be described as a confederation, since membership for each world/species is nominally "voluntary".
6:10 Neil the Breen !
i think that knowing what the breen look like is like hearing morn talk(even though he apparently never shuts up off screen)
In a novel it stated that they were many races and wore the suits to look the same.
I'm convinced the Breen are one of two things: Either they're basically White Walkers from GoT and burst into goo when exposed to an M-Class atmosphere, or they're a collective of species who use the suits as a built-in suicide device, kinda like how the Romulans used to blow up their own ships rather than be captured, and not being seen by outsiders is somehow a religious mandate.
Religion is often a very useful tool to create cultural similarity. But now I'm picturing a Breen on a space station passing out pamphlets.
@@patrickmccurry1563 *#@●#$□♤■$. ◇•%@&●□#@. [Greetings, brother. **_This is the way._** ]* >hands over pamphlet
nice video friend, for me the Breen is the most FANTASTIC alien race in the star trek universe should had been federation allys like the klingons
The most famous Breen said is best, "Who am I? What am I?" - Neil Breen
I like the Breen
Thanks
The Breen look like Boushh from Star Wars, the disguise Leia wore in Return of the Jedi. I originally thought they were some sort of crossover teaser. I guess instead they are just an example of convergent evolution.
Under the suit is a princess with headphone hair.
now we know
Princess Leah is in one.
Q: What do the Breen really look like?
A: Ubese
On an episode of DS9 Weyoun says that he saw the breen home world and it WASN'T a frozen wasteland. He said it was beautiful and quite warm, then I'm pretty sure Damar says "then why do they wear the cooling suits?" and Weyoun says "nobody knows".
The Typhon Pact novel Zero Sum Game by David Mack shows some very interesting ideas on Breen society too. I really like the idea of them being composed of multiple species...and the way Mack uses the genetically engineered Jack pack to figure it out is plain cool.
I don't think they should show a Breen without their suit. Some things are best left to mystery in tales.
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!
another wonderful video!
Seen that mask somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, in about 1980...LOL!!
Perhaps, even without a circulatory system, perhaps they still have cytoplasmic streaming and or Brownian Motion taking place within their bodies, to circulate needed nutrients. What do they look like? Like humanoid cousins of K-9 of Doctor Who.
They look like Carrie Fisher 🤣🤣
I once asked a Breen to describe himself in 1 word and he only said: "Brzghhazzrszzszhdzhgz"
Going by the helmet design i always imagined they look like Leia Organa in _Return_
The Breen sound similar to the Vorlons of Babylon 5. There, the race was a large, glowing worm-like creature that was stuffed into an environmental suit that was designed to hide its appearance. The Vorlons also insinuated their native atmosphere was very toxic to most life forms, although this was most likely another ruse.
Awesome video I been looking forward to this. Love the comedic touches as well...
There's some good comments and speculation on what the Breen might actually look like but I hope it's always left a mystery 🤔
4:50 God I hope that's your real ringtone
I've always theorised that the reason that there is so much conflicting info about the Breen is cos they purposefully spread misinformation about themselves to confuse there enemies.
I think when they remove their helmet, they look like Princess Leia.
Some say they come from a galaxy far far away
great content as always, love the mysterious aspects of the breen.
Did they look the same in star wars?
I agree that the Breen are probably a collective of species hence them taking the style Confederacy, but I like to think of them as being all non-humanoids who unified to defend themselves against the prejudices of humanoids. Thus they wear the suites as mentions to better interact as stated, and explain why they have good relations with the Founders, similar history.
And a similar mindset, given they dipped on the Founders when the tides were turning, similar to how the Founders were planning to turn on them if they won the war. Trully peas in a pod.
Breen look like Carrie Fisher under the mask.
I saw one save Han Solo once
The fact that 2 starfleet officers stole suits from Breen and we still don't know what they look like is wierd. Maybe they're some kind of form that brains can't process, like a Lovecraftian species, so not only do they need the suits because they're used to such cold weather but also because other species wouldn't be able to see them. It's a far fetch idea I know but it would be an interesting idea that has very seldom been in Star trek; a species that reacts to different kind of light which may also be the function of the helmet, to help them see in the light that most humanoid species are used to.
I bet if you take their helmets off they all look like princess Leia .
They look like Princess Leia!
I think the Breen secret is that they are a cross over from the Star Wars universe.
the Breen look like Carrie Fisher under their helmets.
They could be gaseous forms or like spirits, sort of like the Vorta in Babylon 5 or Johann Kraus in HellBoy who uses a suit to be around humans. They choose to take the shape of a humanoid not because they have to, but to make others more comfortable, at least in terms of humanoid to humanoid interactions.
Although they have too many humanoid traits like crossing their arms or possibly their ship design, assuming they have been seen on the inside, to be fashioned for humanoid use as well.
I always wondered why Weyoun told Damar that the Breen planet had a Comfortable temperature , when Damar would know What the breen planet was like since the Cardassian have embassy on their planet. That piece of dialog always confused me. Lol
It's pretty clear the founder's genetic manipulation severely messed up the perception and senses of the Vorta. I always took this to be the explanation as to why Weyoun found the Breen homeworld to be "pleasant"
Weyoun doesn't really have an eye for aesthetics so he was probably just screwing around with Damar.
Some of the Weyouns were antagonistic and sarcastic. They could carry euphemisms and metaphors to extremes. His comment was meant to favour the Breen and slight the Cardassians.
@@pwnmeisterage While it may be a bit self serving for us fans, it is reasonable to always take anything anyone says on screen with a grain of salt. At least when it lacks visual confirmation. People lie, are mistaken, or just make jokes/sarcasm that falls flat. So fictional characters may as well.
@@Dominion.IntelligenceBut they have excellent hearing despite poor vision
oh yeah thats right i just realized the breen are kind of like the sand people from star wars.
plot twist: the Breen are in fact Mandalorians
Surprised that helmet didn't get them sued by Lucasfilm; it looks like the helmet Leia wore disguised as "Bosche", the bounty hunter in order to infiltrate Jabba's palace.
Love the phone call
I've always had this theory that based on Weyoun's account of the planet, and the things that we've been told about their physiology; that maybe they wear refrigeration suits because their planet underwent some kind of major global warming. Maybe they did have a frozen planet at one point, but catastrophy forced them to don the suits, because it's no longer habitable for them.
They seem to breathe oxygen; with the Breen in the Jem'hadar prison, they woulda had to hook him up to something, or replace his 'air' over long periods of time; unless the visor and helmet take in the oxygen from the environment. And in water for example more oxygen can diffuse into colder water, so perhaps the colder environment in the suit helps facilitate breathing without a circulatory system.
The Breen mystery is a novel idea. By that I mean that it makes no sense outside of the narrative. I mean... there's a war with the Breen. Which means, dead and captured Breen. You mean to tell me that nobody pulled the mask off a dead Breen? For that matter, we know two main characters that did exactly that and it's completely glossed over. Kira and Dukat disguise themselves with Breen suits to rescue Ziyal. Meaning that one or both of them definitely saw a Breen without their suit because they literally had to take it off their bodies. I suppose we could argue that they found some kind of supply area where they got the suits but that seems unlikely. Kira is maybe stealthy enough to do that but, why would she risk that when there are guards walking around with the suits?
I've always maintained that a good mystery raises more questions after trying to examine it than you had before and the Breen mystery definitely fits that criteria. x_x
Thanks for your super work. I have been a fan since I was exposed to the airing of the first show of the first season. I was 5 and the gray hair of " Nancy" made me afraid of my grandmother and her gray hair. I never missed an episode.
So thanks for blessings us with your great video.
Julian Wilkins
I'm sorry that I missed this videos premiere! I've been all over the place today and I still feel like I didn't get anything done. I'm excited to see your take on what the Breen look like and to learn more about them.
No worries Ryan!
I support the idea of a multi species conglomerate as it was described in the novel Zero Sum Game. Some of them would evaporate or just liquify on class M conditions, some of them look like wolves and some of them are almost human like and all share a very special interest in a strict privacy
Breenie babies!
The concentration of a compound is vital to the reaction. It's entirely possible that the humidity in the air is not concentrated enough to break down the Signs aliens skin in the same way diluted acid isn't instantly lethal to humans but can be an irritant.
For all we know they could be an energy based Life form.
Like a Vorlon encounter suit.
So I’ve reasonably found your videos and have been binge watching them this past week and can’t help but feel you should be a reference source for some of these writers when is comes to the new series. I feel nobody has an appropriation and knowledge of the Star Trek universe like you do. Once I finish my watch through of Star Trek in the official timeline order I will for sure have questions and have to rewatch these videos to pick your brain or see if you answer any of my questions. Please continue the good work.
Thanks Ginja!
Well the Breen can be impersonated! Nice idea of multisexed, multispecies planet.
Love the flash of Neil Breen there. Well done👌🏻
Now we Know, thanks Discovery ❤
what race are you going to do next?
I've got another Mass Effect video & a Trek science video coming out before this, but the next "big" species I plan to cover is the Romulans!
Alien life maybe more Earth like than we realize.
I'd really love to do a video one day called "What Would Aliens Actually Look Like." There seem to be two camps in the astrobiology world, those who believe that convergent evolution would encourage the emergence of Earthlike flora and fauna, versus those who believe it would be COMPLETELY unexpected. It's hard to know which is more believable...
@@OrangeRiver I would love to see that video.
Wait, the Breen home star is possibly a red dwarf, and they need specialized suits to interact with other species.....
Breen are Vorlons!
...I though breen was almost identical to Swedish meat balls?
Yet their helmet is remarkably similar to the one princess Leia wore in star wars return of the jedi. When she went to rescue Han solo from jabba the hut. So it's quite possible they humanoid in appearance.
Breen = Daft Punk
That’s just great, under the breen suit they look like Howard the duck 🤣🤣😂😂
Breen seem to be a multispecies faction to me. If you look at the Breen in canon they have different body types. Some are towering muscular figures will others are short and stalky. Some are even scrawny. Could be just that the Breen like us humans are just diverse in stature. Its cool that the Breen are still a mystery regarding their appearance so we can speculate and create theories about them. We do not need enything in science fiction to be explained and we do not need an origin for everything. Mystery and speculation make things interesting. I tend to think the Breen are like the Xindi except I think the Breen have a canine, feline, primate and a type like the Andorians. Primate Breen are the bigger ones because I think they are sasquatch like primates. Maybe the Breen are like earth a long time ago when more than one type hominid lived except other species of intelligent hominids like Neanderthals did not die out. Could be a a federation of different hominids that live on the same planet. They can be all princess Leia under the helmet. Breen could also just be humans and the Federation is covering up their appearance that's why we do not know what they look like even after the war where for sure Breen bodies where recovered. The things characters in Star Trek say about the Breen could just be rumors and speculation.
Maybe the Breen evolved to rely on their suits because of an ice age or them colonizing an extremely cold planet out of necessity. On earth the Neanderthals evolved to live in extreme cold and modern humans can live anywhere with the right clothing or suits. The Breen may have evolved so they can only live in their suits or have an immune deficiency and can only live in a sterilized suit like the Quarians from Mass Effect.
That's pretty much exactly how the Pocket books timeline (until recently, anyway) treated them, @Speaking Moistly , with at least five different species within the Breen, all tending to wear standardized armor. Though they do seem to have multiple homeworlds, too.
ST Online may have done similar, as I recall.
@@chrissonofpear1384 Yes they wear a standardized uniform just like the Federation, Klingons or Romulans except the the Breen have the helmet.
I recently came across a very interesting bit of biology regarding priapulid worms. Apparently they don't respirate, nor do they have a need to utilize oxygen through blood for metabolic & necessary chemical reaction purposes to stay alive. They have instead developed a respiratory pigment within their cells called haemerythrin which gets oxygen to where it is needed. It would be fascinating for Star Trek writers to give the Breen this ability.
An ‘undersea’ amorphous species kinda like changelings but requiring a cold environment that interacts with the outside world in powered suits which circulate the appropriate atmosphere at appropriate temps. Like a reverse diving suit.
Total rip of Leia's Ubese Bounty Hunter disguise from Return of the Jedi.