Andorian
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| See also: | Borg, Cardassian, Ferengi, Gorn, Klingon, Orion, Romulan, Tellarite, Vulcan, |
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Andorians are a humanoid alien species in the Star Trek universe. According to the Memory Alpha wiki, they are "from the moon Andoria, homeworld of the Andorian Empire, and one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets." [1] Andorians are blue with white hair and are one of the few Star Trek aliens with antennae.
Andorians were introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Journey to Babel," but did not feature prominently again on televised Star Trek until Star Trek: Enterprise, primarily due to the difficulty involved with the makeup required. In the animated series episode "Yesteryear", an Andorian named Thelin was First Officer of the Enterprise in Spock's place in the alternative timeline. He had a grey complexion, although the script had specified blue. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Andorians were shown briefly, and with modified makeups.
Enterprise featured several recurring Andorian characters (with moving antennae!), the most prominent of which was Shran. Andorians (with additional eyebrow tendrills) have also featured in Star Trek: Discovery, including in the Mirror Universe. The blind Aenar Andorian, Hemmer, is a regular character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and portrayed by a legally blind actor.
A Few Canon Facts About Andorians
Andorians have blue blood. The antennae are used for balance, and can be moved voluntarily in communication. They also have some sensory abilities. An antenna that gets cut off can be regrown after several months.
A subspecies, or ethnic minority, exists called the Aenar - they are pale blue/white and blind, but have enhanced telepathic and sensory perception through their notched antennae. Hybrid or half-Aenar/Andorian children exist - with pale grey or mint green skin color.
Prior to joining the Federation, the Andorians were a militaristic race which had fought a several hundred-year war with the Vulcans, their territorial neighbors. In contrast, the Aenar follow a strict policy of non-violence and stood apart from the rest of Andorian culture.
Andoria is covered in ice, and Andorians live underground in terraformed habitats. Andorians live in clan-based family groups. An Andorian wedding requires four participants.
Within the Federation, Andorian ale is a popular beverage. It is alcoholic and blue. The Andorians also have an art academy which is one of the most prominent in the Federation.
Beta Canon
Although Star Trek tie-in novels, comics and technical books are not considered canon by CBS/Paramount, the owners of the Star Trek intellectual property, many of the the books have had, for many years, their own consistent canon, ie. the Andorian culture has been fleshed out beyond what was shown on television. Book series' Andorians have four genders: chan, thaan, zhen and shen. Chan and thaan are 'male', with zhen and shen being 'female'. During reproduction, the chan and thaan must fertilize the shen's egg, which is then carried to term and nursed by the zhen, who does not contribute to the child genetically.
Andorian names reflect gender, with the gender prefix going before the clan name. For example, Thirishar ch'Thane, a chan of the Thane clan. In addition, most Andorians shorten their first name for every day use - Thirishar is 'Shar' to his friends. As a result, Andorian also has distinct words for the polite address of an Andorian's proper gender. In mixed species society, Andorians will not take insult at being referred to as 'he' or 'she', so long as it is the correct gender analogue. For more on Andorian gender in the novels, Andorian Gender on Memory Beta will be enlightening.
Within the book series, the need for four genders along with a gradual creep of infertility of unknown cause has resulted in a crash of the Andorian population. As Andoria is a founding member of the Federation, this has great political import.
The Fanon Andorian
The Andorians featured in the comic "The Dragons of Berengaria" by Brian Franczak (in his 1978 fanzine, Dragonhunt) were drawn with the same "limited exoskeleton" postulated by the 1977 Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual (edited by Eileen Palestine), a prozine later picked up for commercial publication by Ballantine Books.
Leslie Fish wrote an extensive fannish work on Andorians in The Sehlat's Roar #2, called A Summary of the Physiological Roots of Andorian Culture. The article features the chapters:
- General Description
- Coloration and Its Effects
- Significance of the Antennae
- Cultural Effects of the Diet
- Complexity of the Reproductive Mechanism
- Cultural Effects of the Reproductory Process
- Social Effects of Andorian Fertility
- Cultural Effects of the Clan-Centered Social Structure
- Social Checks on Aggression
- The Effects of Space Travel and Federation Membership
Influential Andorian Fanworks
- Commander Therin ("Captain Therin (Ian McLean) hopes to become the most famous Andorian in the southern hemisphere of Sol III. Perhaps he already is." [1]) was a crewmember of the USS Enterprise and made his literary debut in an Australian fanzine, Beyond Antares. Therin also starred in the Australian audiovisual productions, Sale of the 23rd Century, and Perfect Botch by Harpic Productions, later transferring to the USS Hood, as featured in Data newsletter, Kiron III and the New Zealand fanzine, Katra: The Living Spirit. As Senator Therin, he featured in a cameo role in the US fan film, Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire.
- There was a popular series in Fesarius called "Dora the Singing Andorian."
- "Oriana" was a story of Andorians. Written by Roberta Rogow, illustrated by Leslie Fish, the first part appears in Warped Space #25
Sharav (with partial exoskeleton) in "The Dragons of Berengaria: Part Two" by Brian Franczak, Dragonhunt
The Andorian, Therin, played by fan Ian McLean
"Therin tells: 'My night with Joan Collins'", art by Lana Brown, cover of Data
From a fan's Andorian dictionary in The Human Factor #2
Art for the Roberta Rogow story, "Oriana", from Warped Space #25, artist Leslie Fish
Some Andorian Fanart
the back cover of Beyond Antares #8, artist is Melody Rondeau
an ad for "Blue Shoulders," artist uncredited, from In a Plain Brown Wrapper #1
from the back page of Trexperts #45, artist: Jeri Flick
Thelin from Katra: The Living Spirit #4, and A Fist of Credits, artist is Lana Brown
cover of Archives Log issue v.2 n.4, by Carol Witham
art by Christine Myers from In a Different Reality #22
art by Leslie Fish sampled from The Sehlat's Roar, an Andorian explains the facts of life
cover of the zine Healer of the Wraith by Christine Myers
art by Connie Faddis from Galactic Discourse #3
front page of Trexperts #45, Robert Bruce Lloyd
art by Amy Falkowitz from the zine Paradise
from Highly Illogical #11, Lana Brown, also used as the cover of Nome v.2 n.1
art by Leslie Fish sampled from The Sehlat's Roar, Andorian love expressed by intertwined antennae
art by Leslie Fish sampled from The Sehlat's Roar, an Andorian watching over the all-important meat herd
art by Mike Verina from an unknown 1980 zine
cover of the filk zine Rec-Room Rhymes portrays an Andorian in a musical mood
front cover of the zine Saurian Brandy Digest #11, on it, an Andorian bellies up to the bar
cover of the Warped Space compilation
art by Helena Ming, from Warped Space #50, Tom Petty as an Andorian
back cover of Masiform D #5, Cara Sherman
back cover of T-Negative #26, Alan Andres
internal art from Kiron III #1, Ian McLean
inside art from R & R #20, Deborah C. Dedon
from Masiform D #7, artist is Kathi Higley
cover of Antares #19, Jeremy Vilmur
 interior art from The Other Side of Paradise #3 by Leslie Fish (1978). Note: Image marked as sexually explicit and has been minimised. |
 interior art in NTM Collected #1 |
 cover of Warp #50, enjoying a bit of cake |
 |
 cover of The Star Fleet Handbook 10, a non-fiction zine which in this issue covered Andorians |
More Fannish Information About Andorians
- Institute of Alien Studies: Andorian Orientation College, 2007
- A Summary of the Physiological Roots of Andorian Culture by Leslie Fish which appears in the zine, The Sehlat's Roar #2.
- The Andor Files
- Rogues' Gallery of Andorians includes much canon info, but also screen shots from a fanfilm, Starship Exeter: The Savage Empire and a zine called Kiron III.