star trek trill homeworld

History [ ]

Trill records regarding joining dated back to the 12th century . Joinings with symbionts were only considered possible with members of the Trill species. No symbiont joining with a non-Trill species was known to have been successful before the 32nd century . ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

The Trill were a spacefaring race by the early 23rd century , considered a generally peaceful people by the Federation. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ") Trill could be found visiting Vulcan early-23rd century. ( DS9 : " Destiny ") By the 2240s , they could be encountered on Earth , and by 2257 , it wasn't unusual to see a Trill on Qo'noS . ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ")

A Trill named Sarah had joined Starfleet and served aboard the USS Cabot in the 2250s . ( ST : " The Trouble with Edward ")

The Sphere had collected information on the Trill over its hundreds of thousands of years of sensor records , including information on their joined nature. ( DIS : " People of Earth ")

Despite the relatively unusual nature of being a joined species, that aspect of their culture was not widely known until 2367, when the Odan symbiont had to be given a new host during the middle of tense negotiations on Peliar Zel . Such a public example of the dual nature of the Trill brought to the forefront what had previously for several millennia been a very private matter for the Trill. ( TNG : " The Host ")

The Burn in the 31st century resulted in the depletion of the symbiont and joinable-host population. By the 32nd century , Trill could be found at mercantile exchanges , but on the homeworld, reconnecting with a symbiont was considered a blessing . ( DIS : " People of Earth ", " Forget Me Not ")

Mirror universe [ ]

In the mirror universe during the 24th century , some Trill were members of the Terran Rebellion and fought against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance , while others remained neutral. ( DS9 : " Through the Looking Glass ", " The Emperor's New Cloak ")

Biology [ ]

Trill surgical hologram highlighting skeletal structure and nervous system when joined

Most Trills were distinguished by two rows of dark spots going down each side of their bodies, from the top of their forehead down their neck to their toes . Each of these patterns was unique, being as distinctive as the fingerprints of a Human. Their skin color could vary. One of the main neurotransmitters in the Trill brain was isoboramine . ( DS9 : " Equilibrium ")( DIS : " Jinaal ") Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien were known to be curious about how far the spots went. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ") Joined Trills were also extremely allergic to insect bites; the biochemical connections between the host and symbiont could not tolerate the reaction caused by the insects' venom . ( DS9 : " The Siege ") Trill were known for having cold hands. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ")

The few Trill that were given a symbiont were typically joined in their early- to mid-twenties. The physical process of being joined was irreversible. Once joined, the host and symbiont were dependent on each other after a ninety-three-hour period in which the symbiont bound itself to its host's nervous system. If the symbiont was removed from the host, symbiont and host would die within hours, even if they were otherwise healthy, unless they were implanted into another host or with another symbiont. ( DS9 : " Dax ", " Invasive Procedures ")

The brain of a joined Trill has two cerebral nuclei and two different brain wave patterns . In 2369 , Julian Bashir compared them with two linked computers , which both work for the same task. ( DS9 : " Dax ")

Society and culture [ ]

Emblem of the Trill

A Trill spiritual gesture

The Guardians that cared for the symbionts were considered leaders in Trill spirituality. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

Jadzia Dax joked that Trills didn't look for romance the way Humans do. Joined Trills considered it quite a nuisance and viewed it as a weakness of the young. While hosts may have romantic feelings as often as any other sentient species, symbionts tried to live on a higher, more spiritual plane and tried to rise above those sorts of temptations. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ")

In contrast to the greater revelation of their nature, the Trill were not a secretive species. To them, the joined nature of their culture was normal and not something they would think to comment on without prompting. Indeed, joined Trills could be seen as particularly genial and many served the Federation as distinguished ambassadors , including Odan and Dax .

Joining [ ]

A joining of the Dax symbiont in 2367

On average, only three hundred symbionts were available for hosting each year and about a thousand Trills apply for joining. Because there were many more humanoid Trills than symbionts, prospective hosts were weeded out by a demanding selection procedure, overseen by the Symbiosis Commission . ( DS9 : " Equilibrium ") The competition for the few symbionts was fierce and attracted the brightest and most highly motivated of Trill society. Often, the would-be hosts excelled in their chosen fields and it was not uncommon for them to hold several degrees or distinctions prior to their joining. Prospective hosts may eventually become initiates under the supervision of a field docent , a joined Trill who evaluates the prospective host's suitability for joining and makes a recommendation to the Commission. A negative recommendation usually meant the initiate was cut from the joining program. ( DS9 : " Playing God ")

Common belief in Trill society holds that only one in a thousand Trills make acceptable hosts. In fact, this figure was vastly understated, and nearly half of the Trill population was capable of being joined. The myth was perpetuated very carefully, though, in order to avoid widespread chaos which would probably arise if the information were made public, since the symbionts would become, essentially, objects to be fought over, as people fought to gain the few prized symbionts. ( DS9 : " Equilibrium ")

Unless the joined Trill objects, a prospective host may request a specific symbiont. If a host was weak, the personality of the symbiont would overwhelm it. Joined Trills had several tools at their disposal for dealing with various aspects of their previous hosts. The telepathic ceremony of zhian'tara allowed a current host to divest the symbiont of the personality and all the memories of a previous host, which were temporarily hosted in volunteers. The transferring process was performed and supervised by a symbiont Guardian , an unjoined Trill telepath. The ceremony created a chance for closure by having the new host address the previous hosts directly, as a means of distinguishing their voices and cementing the sense of finality of its latest transition. Similarly, the Rite of Emergence could focus the voice of a single previous host among the memories of the other, allowing for a more direct conversation in times of need for the current host.

Trill law forbade reassociation between subsequent hosts of joined persons, whose symbionts were romantically involved in their previous hosts, and the people who the previous hosts were romantically involved with. This was because the main purpose of the transfer of symbionts was to experience new things in life. Trills who were found guilty of reassociation were expelled from Trill society, meaning that their symbionts die with their current host. ( DS9 : " Rejoined ") Beyond the illegality of it, Trills almost universally viewed reassociation as a cultural taboo, but the degree to which they followed it was up to the individual. Some Trill took it so far as to not associate with any of their previous hosts' friends, family and colleagues, beyond the rare chance encounter. Others had a very narrow interpretation, and freely associated with the friends and acquaintances of their previous hosts and symbionts, avoiding only those with whom their previous hosts were intimately involved.

The zhian'tara ritual was roughly similar to the Vulcan fal-tor-pan ritual, since both enable the respective species to perform a synaptic pattern displacement , the transfer of what could be considered as a soul ( katra , pagh , etc.). ( DS9 : " Invasive Procedures ", " Facets ", " Field of Fire ")

Technology [ ]

The Trill were a technologically advanced species and the Trill Science Ministry was a leading center of scientific research and experimentation. ( DS9 : " Rejoined ", " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

• Trill diagnostic tool
• Trill piano
• Trill transport (2367)
• Trill transport (2372)
• Trill central database
• Trill weapon

Individuals [ ]

• List of named Trill
• List of unnamed Trill

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

A list of all appearances of Trills (excluding Jadzia and Ezri 's 100 or more DS9 appearances).

• " Will You Take My Hand? "
• " Forget Me Not "
• " Scavengers "
• " That Hope Is You, Part 2 "
• " Kobayashi Maru "
• " Anomaly (DIS) "
• " Choose to Live "
• " All Is Possible "
• " Stormy Weather "
• " ...But to Connect "
• " The Trouble with Edward "
• " Children of Mars "
• TNG : " The Host "
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• " Emissary "
• " Invasive Procedures "
• " Playing God "
• " Equilibrium "
• " The Way of the Warrior " (hologram)
• " Rejoined "
• " Children of Time "
• " Valiant "
• " Prodigal Daughter "
• " Field of Fire "
• VOY : " Author, Author " (hologram)
• " Remembrance "
• " Maps and Legends "
• " The Star Gazer "
• " Farewell "
• " The Next Generation "
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " The Last Generation "
• " Second Contact "
• " Temporal Edict "
• " Moist Vessel "
• " Terminal Provocations "
• " Crisis Point " (hologram)
• " Strange Energies "
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "
• " Mugato, Gumato "
• " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers "
• " The Spy Humongous "
• " Where Pleasant Fountains Lie "
• " I, Excretus "
• " wej Duj "
• " First First Contact "
• " Reflections "
• " Trusted Sources "
• " The Stars At Night "
• " Empathological Fallacies "
• " A Few Badgeys More "
• " Old Friends, New Planets "
• " A Moral Star, Part 2 " (as a disguise)
• " Asylum " (as a disguise)
• " Let Sleeping Borg Lie " (as a disguise)
• " All the World's a Stage " (as a disguise)
• " Crossroads " (as a disguise)
• " Masquerade " (as a disguise)
• " Mindwalk " (as a disguise)
• " Supernova, Part 1 " (as a disguise)
• " Supernova, Part 2 "

Background information [ ]

Introduction [ ].

At the time the concept of Trills was first conceived, the idea was (at least in the opinion of Brannon Braga ) "very fresh." Ronald D. Moore suspected that many freelance writers would have centrally featured the Trill in the premise of TNG : " The Host ", the first episode to depict a Trill, to a degree more than the installment actually does. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)

The original make-up for the Trills as seen in TNG : " The Host "

For the make-up team tasked with designing the look of the Trills, the challenge was threefold: the humanoid host, the abdominal cavity, and the symbiont. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 116) The facial appearance of Trills was originally designed by Michael Westmore for "The Host". " The original Trills had a forehead appliance and a little nosepiece, " he said. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 31) The appliance used for the nose and forehead downplayed the alien nature of the Trills, causing them to seem just slightly extraterrestrial but still overtly Human. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , pp. 116-117)

The requirement of creating a body cavity for the symbiont was much more challenging. The make-up department crafted an appliance for the stomach area, covered with enough hair to blend in with the actor's own body, with three air-bladders beneath the fake skin. Activating the bladders, by blowing air into them via tubes, could give the impression that the skin was being moved by the symbiont living inside the host. Since the stomach appliance was made with extremely soft rubber, the pulsating bladders were able to swell inside the whole area of the cavity, expanding it noticeably, which made for a very effective shot. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 117)

Becoming regulars [ ]

At first, Trills were not to have featured as much on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as they ended up being, because the creative staff initially considered a variety of alien species for the character of Jadzia Dax . " Of them, the Trill seemed the most interesting, " noted Michael Piller . ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 20) He also said, " Having a Trill seemed like a really, really good idea, at the time. " ("New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine ", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Once the Trill species was selected, explaining the concept of a Trill to those who auditioned for the role proved difficult, hampering the casting process. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , paperback ed., p. 179) Afterwards, Piller remarked, " I could write a book about Trills now, but what does it mean in the day-to-day existence of these people? […] How do you make it something alien and yet accessible? " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 333)

In the series bible of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Trill symbionts and humanoids were said to have lived underground and on the surface of Trill respectively, "many centuries ago." The description continued, " Due to an environmental disaster, they were forced to 'join' to survive. As time went on, this mutual support evolved into a biological interdependency and thus two individuals became one – they speak with one voice (you can't ask to speak with the symbiont or the host, only the combined lifeform). " [1]

Terry Farrell donning the Trill makeup featured in TNG

It was initially planned for the Trills of DS9 to look basically identical to Odan , who had established the Trill appearance in "The Host". The make-up was consequently to still consist of several distinguishing marks on the forehead. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21) Actress Terry Farrell recalled how the Trill makeup was being planned when she was cast as Jadzia Dax; " [Makeup Supervisor Michael] Westmore [...] was about to put this whole thing on me [....] I didn't know that the [makeup] testing would take months to figure out that I didn't need a forehead. " ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Indeed, a new prosthetic forehead, much like the original, was designed by Westmore. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The appliance was filmed in test footage involving Farrell. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 7; "Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) At first, the forehead matching Odan's was used for only two days. " Then they kept reducing it with each test, " related Farrell, " until it really looked like someone had just hit me in the forehead. But Paramount didn't want to make me look strange. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 7) The forehead appliance was used over the course of a few weeks. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) " We had only shot one of her scenes, which [the producers] wanted to redo for some other reason, so they took a new look at the makeup, " explained Westmore. ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 1 , p. 28)

Farrell with an early test stage of the spot makeup

After Paramount executives watched the dailies of Terry Farrell in DS9 pilot " Emissary ", they issued a rare ultimatum about the Trill make-up scheme. The executives insisted the make-up be changed via removal of the forehead markings; having spent a long time seeking a beautiful actress for the role of Dax, Paramount wanted to avoid Farrell being defaced by prosthetics. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21) The actress offered, " I just remember that somebody said, 'What did you do to her? She used to be beautiful and you gave her this weird head!' " ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The alarmed reaction to the Trill forehead finally resulted in the more common spots seen on Deep Space Nine . Hence, the reasons for the change were purely cosmetic. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 7; "Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Like the unused forehead, the Trill spots were designed by Michael Westmore. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) He took inspiration for the spots from Famke Janssen 's Kriosian make-up in TNG : " The Perfect Mate ". ( TV Zone , Special #34, p. 12) The DS9 makeup team thought the Trill spots would look sexier than the earlier ones, though. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) " I didn't want to do the exact same thing, " recollected Westmore, " so we experimented around the front of Terry's face and the powers-that-be finally accepted that design. " ( TV Zone , Special #34, p. 12) The resultant distinguishing marks were tested over a couple of weeks. One of the tests, labeled "Take 3", was filmed with a TNG clapperboard. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Observing the entire make-up layout usually worn by Farrell, Westmore said, " Aside from her regular beauty makeup, she has a pattern around her hairline and ears, and down her neck. " ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 1 , p. 28)

Although the writers of DS9 were obviously aware of the physical differences between Odan and the Trill in DS9, no canon explanation has ever been offered. In an attempt to explain the variations, Terry Farrell once suggested that the spotted members of the species were from the north of Trill whereas Odan was from the planet's south. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21) She also regarded the spots as natural-looking. " It's not much different than freckles or leopard spots or zebra stripes, " Farrell observed. (Hidden File 05, DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

Michael Westmore applying Terry Farrell's Trill makeup

On DS9, Dax's Trill makeup was regularly applied by Michael Westmore; faced with having to select only one makeup to ordinarily apply, he chose the Trill spots, which pleased Terry Farrell and meant they spent a huge amount of time together. " And it was a really exciting makeup, " enthused Farrell, " because makeup artists would always say, 'My god. How do they do the spots?' [....] And so, when he started doing it, I said, 'You know, it's really neat and I get a lot of compliments from you doing my makeup.' " ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Westmore used brown make-up for the Trill spots, and subsequently accented them with burnt orange coloration. He applied the spots by hand, employing a technique whereby he deliberately made his hands quiver while painting the markings on. Westmore never used a stencil, so the spots were always unique. [2] " It's a laborious job, " he remarked. " There seems to be no easy way to make up a stencil for that. It just has to be done every day. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 31) Farrell stated, " Michael Westmore [...] [used] two different colors of watercolor. The first season we experimented with art pens, but they would take me two or three days to get off of my skin – not pleasant! " Applying the spots generally took slightly longer than an hour each day, though Farrell thought the process would likely have taken less time if she and Westmore hadn't enjoyed conversing with each other quite so much as they did. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 7) In hot shooting conditions, the sweat of the Trill-playing actors might cause the watercolor to run down the side of his or her face, so the actor had to be kept cool. ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The disparity between Trills seen on TNG and the later Trills goes beyond makeup. In contrast to DS9's depictions of the species, "The Host" seems to make it clear that the symbiont was dominant (in fact, the symbiont is referred to as a "parasite" on more than one occasion), and that the host was merely a body with no influence over the joined entity. Odan was apparently unable to safely use the transporter , while Dax used it often with no trouble at all. Ronald D. Moore noted, " The Trill were not supposed to go through transporters and we slid by it (like the original Trill makeup). " ( AOL chat , 1997 ) Furthermore, whereas Odan was ready to pick up where they and Crusher had left off, a Trill taboo against reassociation was, early in the series run of DS9, suggested by Michael Piller.

Trill society was foremost on Michael Piller's mind when he devised the ban on reassociation. " He felt they'd have to have a very strict taboo in order to avoid an aristocracy of the joined, " reflected René Echevarria . " Otherwise, they'd all want to hang out with each other, their dear old friends from five hundred years ago, and it would become a really screwed-up society. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 279)

DS9 appearances [ ]

Though Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 86 pretends the DS9 writers occasionally used a handbook called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Trills", details about the species were actually established as and when required, such as for the DS9 episode " Invasive Procedures ". " In this case, it was important to establish how difficult it was to get a symbiont, " recalled Robert Hewitt Wolfe , who was credited with co-writing the installment. " It said something about [...] the Trill culture that was interesting. " The ad hoc method of inventing additional aspects of the species also resulted in the writers later revealing, in the DS9 outing " Equilibrium ", that it wasn't as hard to qualify for a symbiont as the Trill populace had been led to believe. Regarding the improvisational system the writers used to define the species, Ira Steven Behr commented, " It's dangerous but fun. The whole Trill concept is very difficult, but 'Invasive Procedures' dealt very successfully with it. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , pp. 86-87)

The notion of structuring the DS9 episode " Playing God " around a storyline about Trills, featuring Jadzia Dax and a Trill initiate, was suggested by Michael Piller. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 126) Jim Trombetta , who wrote the story, recalled, " I had a little trouble writing that because I didn't really believe there was anybody that wanted to have a worm inside their body [....] [The DS9 staff writers] said, 'No, we've gotta have it. It's an alien race; it means something different to them than it does to us.' " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 70) Ira Steven Behr commented, " I thought it [...] was an interesting show about Trills. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 25/26, No. 6/1, p. 105)

Another DS9 installment that features the Trill species is "Equilibrium". Terry Farrell remarked, " It revealed a lot about Trill society that we didn't know anything about before. The really big revelation was that about half of all Trills could actually be joined. " ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 14 , p. 7) For Robert Hewitt Wolfe, the opportunity to explore Trill society in that episode intrigued him. Wolfe especially enjoyed how the installment demonstrates that the Trill were meant to be considerably unpredictable and different from Humans. " I think the culture is more complicated than that, " he explained, " and I think this show demonstrates that complication, which I like. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 84) Ira Steven Behr also approved of how the Trill were developed in "Equilibrium". " It's a fascinating subject. So fascinating it's deep waters to get into. I just love the scene with the guardian and the Trills – weird kind of stuff we don't quite understand. I also like a society that's basically medical. Its a bunch of people really involved in their bodies. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 95)

By DS9 Season 4 , the duration needed to apply the Trill makeup for Jadzia Dax had been reduced to forty minutes daily, despite the Trill spots still being done entirely by hand. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 9 , p. 46)

The portrayal of Trill characters Jadzia Dax and Lenara Khan is discussed by Avery Brooks together with actors Terry Farrell and Susanna Thompson

In the fourth season DS9 installment " Rejoined ", a romance between two female Trill, namely Lenara Kahn and Jadzia Dax, was highly controversial both for the Trill in general, due to it being in breach of their taboo against reassociation (the prohibition was first established in "Rejoined"), and for the viewing audience, as some viewers rejected the same-sex relationship as well as a kiss between the Trill lovers. " Trills have no reason to be against same sex couples, " Robert Hewitt Wolfe remarked, " but what a better way to show that they were a totally different, alien society than to see them reacting in self-righteous indignation just because they were lovers in a previous life? " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 44) Never having played a Trill before, Lenara Khan actress Susanna Thompson consulted Terry Farrell with lots of questions about the species. " She was very helpful to me, to give me the Trill background, to answer all my picky questions [....] She was quite open with all of that, as much as she knew, " Thompson recollected. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine , No. 5) Farrell herself noted that, upon directing the kiss, Avery Brooks tried "to pretend we're not aliens in outer space," instead concentrating on the emotional honesty of the scene. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 44 & 46)

There is relatively a lot of exposition about Trills in "Rejoined", for the benefit of viewers not intimately familiar with the species or the characters. Commented Ronald D. Moore, " Not everybody knows Dax's family history, or what Trill society is about. " Ira Steven Behr remembered, " We just wanted to make it clear that 'This is why this is going to happen, because we're not doing a show about lesbians , we're doing a show about Trills , and to make sure you know that, we're going to tell you what Trills were.' " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 280)

The Trill emblem (reversed) in "Rejoined."

The emblem of the Trill was designed by Anthony Fredrickson . ( Star Trek Sticker Book , p. 22) A white and silver gradient version was first used in the wardroom in "Rejoined", though the transparency was displayed backwards. This version was used in the Star Trek Encyclopedia , with the intended orientation. Both a gray and a gold version appear on monitors in "Prodigal Daughter."

For DS9 Season 5 outing " Let He Who Is Without Sin... ", portraying the Trill spots called for extensive work by Michael Westmore. Explained Terry Farrell, " Mike had to come in and paint them all the way down to my toes, 'cause I had a bathing suit on in that [episode]. " ("Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax", DS9 Season 3 DVD special features)

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion proclaims, " Trills don't like heat, " and observes that this can be seen when Jadzia Dax takes off parts of her uniform while on the surface of jungle planet Soukara in DS9 Season 6 entry " Change of Heart ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 545)

At the time Terry Farrell left DS9's cast, Michael Westmore decided to no longer hand-illustrate Dax's unique Trill spots himself, though he ended up "detailing" Ezri Dax actress Nicole de Boer throughout the show's seventh and final season . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 594)

When the character of Ezri Dax was created at the start of DS9 Season 7, Ira Steven Behr also hit upon the idea that a newly joined Trill could be driven crazy by the previous lifetimes experienced by his or her symbiont. " I just loved this idea of joined Trills being basically schizophrenic, " Behr recollected. " We'd never played up the idea in the past, but it made sense. What must it be like to have all those voices and opinions? 'Do I like raktajino or do I only think I like it?' It would give us all this wonderful stuff to play. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 593)

While preparing to do a Los Angeles audition for the part of Ezri Dax, Trill society was one subject which Nicole de Boer questioned the production personnel about. " I asked, 'What kind of people were Trills? Was it an honor to be joined?' " she recalled. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 44)

As early as 1993, the Trill were seen by some fans as having parallels with transgender people. A reviewer of "Invasive Procedures" saw a transsexual metaphor and commented: " Watching this episode I was struck by the parallel between the Trills and transsexuals here on Earth. In either case, the goal of surgery is long sought for and desperately wanted. There are " gatekeepers " who decide who may and who decide who may and who may not proceed. And those who fail to get the precious approval can feel they've lost their reason for living ". ( Where Few Have Gone Before , Volume 1, Issue 1, page 6) In 1997, Jadzia appeared on the front cover of a transgender magazine. [3]

In Mark A. Altman 's opinion, the Trill had to (at least when DS9 started) be depicted in "a sort of humorous way." Altman commented, " If you play it straight, it could become a kind of hokey science fiction concept. " ( Trek: Deepspace Nine , p. 68)

Jeff Carlisle , who created a Trill Medical Diagram for the in-universe reference book Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years , noted, " I love the Trill. " [4]

Even after both TNG and DS9 ended, Michael Westmore applied the Trill makeup one last time in 2014 , applying the Trill spots to Terry Farrell's face once again, for a Star Trek convention event called Dax 539. [5] [6]

Dating first contact [ ]

It is not known when Trills and Humans made First Contact, but, according to DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ", Emony Dax was known to have visited Earth in the mid- 23rd century , where she was apparently close to Leonard McCoy .

As established in DS9 : " Destiny ", Tobin Dax once met the famous Cardassian poet Iloja of Prim while the latter was exiled on Vulcan , indicating Trill and Vulcan had contact prior to 2245 .

In the Star Trek: Destiny novel Gods of Night , it is mentioned that Tobin Dax saw the launch of Columbia NX-02 , indicating contact between Trills and Humans before 2154 .

In ENT : " Broken Bow ", Travis Mayweather mentions having visited Trillius Prime , but it is not made explicitly clear if this is the same planet as the Trill homeworld.

Apocrypha [ ]

A Trill Medical Diagram from Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years

According to the reference book Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 33), the Trill civilization had warp capability since antiquity and joined the Federation in 2285. Living on the planet Trill in 2370 were 650 million Trill and 11 million symbionts.

A link between the Trill symbionts and the alien parasites seen in TNG : " Conspiracy " is suggested in the Pocket DS9 short story "Sins of the Mother" (in the anthology The Lives of Dax ) and the novel Unity . This was expanded upon in the novella Unjoined . The neural parasite was first seen as it traveled in a comet passing close to the Trill homeworld. Audrid Dax and her husband, Jayvin Vod, went to the comet with a Federation team to examine it when Trill scanners showed a being similar to a symbiont in the comet. However, as the Federation was not yet aware of the Trill's symbiotic relationships, it was kept in secrecy. Upon coming into contact with the chamber of the parasite, it bonded with Jayvin, as well as the Vod symbiont, ultimately causing both of their deaths.

The inconsistencies between TNG and DS9 Trill were dealt with in the novels by suggesting that ridged Trills and Trills who could not be transported were subgroups of Trill society; both were mentioned or shown during the scenes on Trill, and the inability of some Trill to be transported was a plot point.

The comics took a far different course, such as the Star Trek: Divided We Fall mini-series, where both Odan hosts were shown without facial ridges but with spots. All Trills in the series were shown with the spots instead, no reasoning given.

In another novel, Forged in Fire , the ridged Trills were said to result from a strain of the Augment virus that managed to infect a Trill colony through visiting Klingon traders. However, those Trills did not seem to be interested in working on methods of restoring the original Trill look, with this "sub-group" having recently (at the time the novel was set) being re-accepted back into Trill society. This division among the groups possibly explains why Odan was so different from other Trills encountered in the series. The novel also notes that while the transporter process was uncomfortable for symbionts, the Trill avoidance of transporters was actually a means of avoiding the nature of the symbiote being disclosed rather than the process being dangerous to the symbiote.

External links [ ]

• Trill at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Trill at Wikipedia
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

Screen Rant

Star trek discovery season 3: ds9's trill aliens explained.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 Or Movie - Everything We Know

Star trek: discovery’s epilogue had 2 clever callbacks to the series premiere, star trek: discovery’s incredible scott bakula enterprise twist explained.

Star Trek: Discovery is set to visit the Trill homeworld at some point over the course of season 3; what exactly are the Trill, and why are they significant to the Star Trek universe? With season 1 of  Star Trek: Picard   just around the corner, and season 3 of  Discovery  in the near future as well, it's an exciting time to be a  Star Trek   fan. However, with so much new content on the way and so much existing lore to catch up on, it can sometimes be easy to miss out on crucial elements of the large extended universe that may become important in shows like  Discovery .

Discovery  ended on a massive cliffhanger when it literally hurled its entire cast into an unknown future, virtually wiping the slate clean for any and all races and species to make an appearance — whether they're new to the show or they have their roots in  Star Trek:   The Original Series . Key species from  The Next Generation  and  Deep Space Nine ,  like the Cardassians and the Ferengi, have already been confirmed to be making appearances on  Discovery , but there's another fan-favorite species who will be returning to the small screen: the Trill.

Related: What To Expect From Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

While they have yet to make a significant appearance so far in  Discovery , showrunner Alex Kurtzman has confirmed that season 3 will take audiences to the Trill homeworld. Coupled with stills of Michael Burnham standing by what looks to be the Trill symbiont pools (below), all signs seem to point to the Trill playing a significant role in season 3.

The Trill Species Explained

The Trill is a humanoid alien species native to the planet Trill. As a species on their own, the Trill are fairly unremarkable, apart from one, key quality: the symbionts. The Trill have no significant conflicts with neighboring planets or empires, and their society is a relatively secluded and peaceful one. Their most obvious outward distinction is their trademark spots, which run from the forehead to the toes on both sides of a Trill's body. Inside, however, the Trill have the unique ability of hosting another species, known as the symbiont.

Not all Trill host a symbiont; like many other Star Trek  aliens that appear human , most Trill are humanoids with few aesthetic differences from other similar alien species. A small number of the species participates in a unique and rare process known as "joining." Thanks to a neurotransmitter in their physiology called isoboramine, some Trill can be surgically "joined" with a creature known as a symbiont. Symbionts have a worm-like appearance, and are small enough to reside in a Trill's abdomen. The number of Trill greatly outnumbers the number of symbionts, however, so the process of deciding which Trill will receive the honor to be joined with a symbiont is a long and rigorous one.

Once a Trill has been deemed fit to host a symbiont, they are joined together in an irreversible process. Once joined, the Trill's and the symbiont's minds are melded, combining both of their life experiences and memories to create one being. The two will live as one until the Trill is no longer healthy enough to host the symbiont, at which point the symbiont will be transferred into a different Trill, the old host dies, and the cycle begins anew.

Related:  Star Trek: Discovery Is Bringing Back Three Of Deep Space Nine's Alien Races

As previously mentioned, the chance to host a symbiont is seen as a great honor on the Trill homeworld, and there is stiff competition between unjoined Trill to see who will end up with a symbiont. Additionally, the joining of a Trill and symbiont can be a volatile one — if they are separated after the initial joining period has elapsed, both will die within hours unless new respective symbionts and hosts are found to replace what was lost.

Trill History in Star Trek

Surprisingly, knowledge of Trill customs (especially the Trill joining process) was incredibly limited in the Federation, even as late as the 24th century. As such, there have only been a few Trill in the Star Trek  universe with a significant onscreen presence. The first Trill introduced in-depth was during  The Next Generation   season 4, episode 23, "The Host". The episode sees Doctor Crusher begin a romance with a joined Trill named Oran, whose symbiont is temporarily transferred to Commander Riker after its host is killed in an accident.

In the episode, the Trill are depicted as having forehead ridges and a noise piece as opposed to the spots traditionally associated with the species. The Trill's signature spots didn't occur until Paramount executives rejected early  Deep Space Nine  makeup tests because the forehead pieces allegedly obscured actress Terry Farrell's beauty. Speaking of Farrell, it was through her character, Jadzia Dax , that the Trill became more than a one-off species and solidified themselves as a mainstay of the  Trek  universe.

Jadzia was a Trill joined with the symbiont Dax, and she served as DS9's resident science officer. Dax's previous host, Curzon, was close friends with Captain Benjamin Sisko, and over the course of the series, Jadzia fell in love with (and married) Worf . However, in a tragic turn of events, she was killed, and the symbiont was transferred to Ezri, becoming Ezri Dax. Ezri took a position as the station's counsellor and eventually entered into a romantic relationship with Doctor Bashir, the station's CMO.

How The Trill Fit Into Star Trek Discovery Season 3

Through Jadzia, Ezri, and the Dax symbiont,  Trek  audience got a much deeper look at the history and culture of the Trill, but it's unclear as to how much of that culture will be featured in season 3 of  Discovery , especially considering that when the events of  Discovery  begin, the Trill have had very little interaction with Starfleet. Given that  Discovery  made a 900-year jump through the future, however, it's possible that Michael and her crewmates could run into the Trill during their time in the future, however long it ends up being.

Given that Discovery 's   Michael Burnham was pictured at the Trill pools, which are unique to the Trill homeworld, it's entirely possible that Star Trek:  Discovery will be making a visit to the Trill planet this season, whether it's in the past or the present. It's also entirely possible that the crew of the Discovery could run into a version of Dax — either an unknown host to the symbiont in the future or one of Dax's previous hosts (however, it's unclear as to exactly who was hosting the Dax symbiont around 2255; it could be either Emony or Tobin). No matter how audiences meet the Trill this season, though, it's bound to be a welcome return for a species that haven't been seen since  Deep Space Nine .

Read More: Star Trek: Discovery's Most Important Retcon is Stamets and Culber

• SR Originals
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Apr 15, 2024

Star Trek 101: Trill History

Learn everything you can about the Trill after Discovery's latest episode with this curated watch list.

StarTrek.com

While there are a number of fan favorite species in the Star Trek universe, perhaps one of the most beloved is the Trill.

Made popular with the character of Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the Trill have always been a fascinating part of the Star Trek universe, and their culture has been the source of many fan discussions.

With the planet Trill and an important ritual making a reappearance in the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery , we’re counting down the most important legacy Trill centric episodes to watch to best understand who the Trill are, what a symbiont is, and much, much more.

" The Host ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 4, Episode 23)

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Host

The Trill were first introduced in this episode, where Dr. Crusher falls in love with a Trill ambassador.

However, when the ambassador is injured, he confides in Crusher that he's carrying a symbiont and explains that while a Trill host can die, the symbiont must be protected and transferred to a new Trill host as soon as possible. Riker plays host to the symbiont until it is transferred into a new Trill. This episode plays with the idea of the symbiont being part of a host's personality and shows how the symbiont carries the memories of each past life before it.

" Dax ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 1, Episode 8)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Dax

Can you be blamed for something done in a past life?

This first Dax-centric episode in Deep Space Nine ’s seven-season run establishes that Jadzia remembers all things that Dax has done in the past, but questions if she can be blamed for those actions.

Delving deep into the ethical quandaries of being a host, this classic episode written by Star Trek scribe D.C. Fontana is one that's key to revisit to understand the history of the Trill, and what their culture represents. After all, as Sisko argues, Jadzia is a different person than Curzon Dax, or any of Dax's previous lives. A current host shouldn’t have to take the fall for something done in a past life that could have happened before they were even born.

" Invasive Procedures ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 2, Episode 4)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Invasive Procedures

A Trill named Verad attacks the station and tries to take the Dax symbiont from Jadzia in this Season 2 episode.

While mostly centering on the crew's attempts to save Jadzia and her symbiont from the invaders and take back the station, this episode still reveals some key points about the Trill. Namely, they don’t give symbionts to any Trill who applies and the process for application is grueling. Jadzia insists that a Trill can live a good life without being a host, but Verad is insistent that he be joined, even going so far as to force Dr. Bashir to transfer the Dax symbiont to him. Ultimately, Dax is returned to Jadzia and she is able to be joined once more with the symbiont that has become such a part of her.

" Equilibrium ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episode 4)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Equilibrium

When Jadzia starts having hallucinations and begins playing the same musical motif over and over, she journeys back to the Trill homeworld to understand what’s happening to her.

Ultimately, it is revealed that Dax had a host she never knew about — a murderer named Joran. Joran Dax was considered to be unsuitable, and yet he was able to host the Dax symbiont without being rejected. This revealed that the process for choosing the host unfairly shut out most Trill from being able to be joined, due to the smaller number of symbionts compared to the Trill population. Sisko uses this knowledge to save Jadzia’s life, and in the end, Jadzia reconciles with Dax's missing memories and Joran.

" Facets ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episode 25)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Facets

"Facets" centered on a ceremony in which the previous Dax hosts were able to inhabit another's body so that Jadzia could converse with them and learn from their experiences.

This establishes that while a host can die, their memories and experiences live on within the symbiont itself, and as a result, Jadzia can learn from them, even if they’re technically gone. She can also summon them to the forefront of her mind or even have them sent to others, who can then be, well, a host to the former host. The episode also features a delightfully comedic turn as Odo shares his consciousness with Curzon Dax, who’s far more relaxed than the usually stoic and buttoned up constable.

" Rejoined ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 4, Episode 6)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Rejoined

Perhaps Star Trek ’s most famous episode centered on LGBTQIA+ themes, "Rejoined" sees Jadzia reunited with fellow Trill Lenara Kahn — both the Dax symbiont and the Kahn symbiont had been paired with married hosts.

Jadzia and Lenara realize they have more in common now than they ever did in the past, and slowly begin to fall in love again. The episode features the first same sex kiss in Star Trek history, establishes that Jadzia is not straight, and that the Trill are a fluid species that don’t judge based on sexuality. However, due to Trill culture and taboo, Lenara and Jadzia are not allowed to be together, which makes their doomed romance all the more heartbreaking.

" Afterimage ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, Episode 3)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Afterimage

After Jadzia’s untimely death at the hands of Gul Dukat in the Season 6 finale, the Dax host is passed on to a new Trill, Ezri.

Ezri faces uncertainty from those on Deep Space 9 who knew Jadzia, ranging from discomfort to outright hostility. This episode makes it clear that it's difficult for a new host to pick up where their old life left off, as Ezri tries to forge her own identity in a world that's so used to Jadzia and who she was.

" Field of Fire ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, Episode 13)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Field of Fire

It’s up to Ezri to solve a murder, with the help of past host Joran Dax.

Ezri is able to summon Joran to the forefront of her subconscious and has visions of him helping her as she works to solve the murder of a Deep Space 9 crewmember. At the end of the episode, a counter-ritual sends Joran back into her subconscious, where he remains with the other Dax lives. This episode serves to show how Trill can access past lives and even interact with them, though to an outside observer, they only see the current host.

Get Updates By Email

This article was originally published on November 8, 2020.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , and Twitter .

• Star Trek 101

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from reference works
• Memory Beta articles sourced from video games
• Memory Beta articles sourced from games
• Memory Beta articles sourced from novels
• Memory Beta articles sourced from short stories
• Memory Beta articles sourced from comics
• Federation worlds
• Alpha Quadrant planets
• Trill sector

Trill (planet)

• View history

Trill , also called Trillius Prime , is the homeworld of the two species jointly known as the Trill . The planet has a blue-green sky, and the rocks are bluish in tint. ( DS9 episode : " Equilibrium "; ST reference : Star Charts )

• 1.1.1 Alternate histories
• 1.2 Government
• 1.3.1 Cities
• 1.3.2 Important buildings
• 1.4.1.1 Predators
• 1.4.1.2 Insects
• 1.4.1.3 Fish
• 2.1 Connections
• 2.2.1 Appearances
• 2.2.2 References
• 2.3 External link

History and specifics [ ]

Trill was located in the Trill system in the Alpha Quadrant 's Trill sector . ( STO video game : Delta Rising ; ST reference : Star Charts ) It was the sixth planet in the system. ( ST video game : Infinite )

History [ ]

Trill's first contact with alien life was in the early 21st century , when a Vulcan ship landed, proposing friendship and cultural information exchange. Trill society was deeply divided by this development, with many fearing the outsiders represented a threat to the symbionts. The ruling council eventually allowed for limited contact with Vulcans, but no other alien races. This first contact also led to increased security around and secrecy regarding the symbionts.

In 2075 , Trill was visited by the L'Dira . Trill's refusal to deal with the unknown race led to an attack on the planet, killing over fifty. This tragic error in understanding convinced the ruling council to increase their knowledge of the galaxy . ( DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " First Steps ")

The planet joined the United Federation of Planets some time around the early 23rd century ; before that the planet's military was the Trill Private Service . ( TNG novel : Intellivore ) Madza Bral , a Trill politician, was elected Federation President not long afterwards. ( ST novel : Articles of the Federation )

Alternate histories [ ]

In the First Splinter timeline , the Trill government nearly collapsed when a terrorist attack killed or seriously wounded thousands of symbionts, including that of the president, Lirisse Maz . The Maz symbiont was successfully unjoined, and Lirisse Durghan was able to maintain her position. ( DS9 - Worlds of DS9 - Volume Two novel : Trill: Unjoined )

In an alternate timeline in which Khan Noonien Singh won the Eugenics Wars and Humanity underwent genetic engineering en masse, the Khanate of Earth conquered Trill during the 21st century . The Trill remained helots of Humans well into the 24th century . ( DS9 - Myriad Universes novel : Seeds of Dissent )

Government [ ]

Trill emblem insignia image.

In the 21st century, Trill was governed by a ruling council, composed solely of joined Trills, and primarily males. The council was led by a head counselor, addressed as "Mr. Speaker". The council met in the council chambers, at the time one of the oldest and largest spaces in the capital city, adorned with acelon desks and capped by an opaque dome. As early as the mid-21st century, debate raged over abandoning the historic chamber for more modern building. ( DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " First Steps ")

By the 24th century , the Trill government was known as the Trill Assembly . ( ST video game : Infinite )

The government was run by a President and a Senate, both housed in the Trill Senate Tower , in the city of Leran Manev . ( DS9 - Worlds of DS9 - Volume Two novel : Trill: Unjoined )

Geography [ ]

The largest mountain range on Trill is known as Ayai'leh-hirh . The largest mountain is Bes Manev .

• Caves of Mak'ala
• Ganses Peninsula
• Lake Ograls
• Tenaran ice cliffs
• Leran Manev - planetary capital

Important buildings [ ]

• Devritane Museum
• Kem'alta Institute
• Najana Library
• Trill Senate Tower
• Tenaran Music Academy

Natural history [ ]

Animals [ ].

• feather-ape

Predators [ ]

Insects [ ], appendices [ ], connections [ ].

Template:Discovery planets

Appearances and references [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• DS9 episode : " Equilibrium "
• DS9 - Worlds of DS9 - Volume Two novel : Trill: Unjoined
• DS9 novel : Revenant
• DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " First Steps "
• DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " Allegro Ouroboros in D Minor "
• DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " Reflections "
• DSC episode : " Forget Me Not "
• DSC episode : " Jinaal "
• ST - Divided We Fall comic : " Crossfire "
• ST - Divided We Fall comic : " No Quarter "
• ST - Divided We Fall comic : " All Fall Down "
• ST - Divided We Fall comic : " United We Stand "

References [ ]

• DS9 episode : " Past Tense, Part I "
• DS9 episode : " The Way of the Warrior "
• DS9 episode : " Afterimage "
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 DSC episode : " Jinaal ".

External link [ ]

• Trill (planet) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Cetacean Probe
• 2 Eclipse class
• 3 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

Trill (planet)

An error occurred while getting the content

Section Actions: Edit | Talk

Trill might refer to:

• Trill , the humanoid species
• Trill symbiont , the symbiont that lives within the humanoid species
• Trill (planet) , the M-class planet
• Trill system , an inhabited star system containing the planet Trill
• Trill (vocalization) , a vocalization made by various animals
• Trill transport (2367)
• Trill transport (2372)
• Trillius Prime , a planet close enough to Earth to be a destination of the Earth Cargo Service in the first half of the 22nd century