Orion | |
---|---|
First appearance | "The Cage" (Star Trek: The Original Series) |
Last appearance | Star Trek Into Darkness (2013 film) |
Created by | Gene Roddenberry |
Portrayed by | Various actors |
The Orions, also known as the Orion Syndicate, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the American science fiction franchise Star Trek, making their first appearance in the initial Star Trek: The Original Series pilot, "The Cage". Susan Oliver portrayed the first Orion seen on screen, when her human character Vina was transformed into one, although it was Majel Barrett who underwent the original makeup test. The footage was subsequently used in the two-part episode "The Menagerie". Yvonne Craig, who was considered for the part of Vina, later played an Orion in "Whom Gods Destroy".
Male Orions made their first appearance in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Pirates of Orion" but did not appear in live action until the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Borderland", which also featured female Orions. More recently, Orion women have been seen in the films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. Females of the species have become known as Orion slave girls, who have become popular among fans as costumes. These slave girls have been received negatively by critics, who have suggested that they are too sexual and that the in-universe reactions to them expresses a lack of sexual diversity among Star Trek characters.