The Breen being walking refrigerated corpses is such a kickass theory. It even explains so much about their behavior. They're surprisingly eloquent because they're all so old, they're vicious because you stop caring about being gentle when you're a literal corpse. It also explains why they're so secretive, why they need a computer voice, and why their planet's environment doesn't match their suits, it literally explains everything. Headcanon accepted.
I always liked the fact that the Breen and the Romulans have some back-story. In Purgatory's Shadow introduced us to the old Romulan saying: "Never Turn Your Back On A Breen." That and within 5 minutes of the Romulans joining the war, the Breen stick their hands up and say "Oooh! Oooh! Founders!!! Pick me! Pick me!!!"
Yes. Star Trek books starting zero sum game use the Breen a lot. Within the Typhon Pact the Breen are trying to be the power influencing its policy. Because of this the Breen get involved in conflict with Starfleet and the hero characters. Zero Sum Game reveals the most since it involves Bashir infiltrating a Breen colony and shipyard that is developing a Breen slipstream drive (slipstream drive being the Federation's one advantage after the devastating Borg invasion).
@@esecallum the Typhon Pact books are a remarkably good series. Except for "Seize the Fire" which tries to do the same thing for the Gorn, that "Zero Sum Game" did for the Breen and fails to do so on multiple levels.
One line on the Breen that always gave me chills was from the episode where Bashir was testing his fellow Dominion Prisoners to ensure none of them was a changeling. "Except for the Breen...No blood."
In my own head canon, I like to think that the mysterious adversary in the early Enterprise episode "Fight or Flight" were actually the Breen. The ones draining the alien crew's bodies of their fluids. That ship kinda resembles those seen in DS9 and we never see them.
I love in DS9 at the end of the series when Weyoun say's something like ''You know, I can't help wondering what's under that armour'' and the Founder says ''A braver man than you'' in a wistful voice. I think the writers loved the Breen!
It was mentioned that the Breen sold warp drive to the Ferengi back in the day. Also, it was the Breen who apparently created the 45th Rule Of Acquisition: Expand Or Die. According to the fantastic book Legends Of The Ferengi. If you haven't read it, go and read it.
The Breen are definitely a conundrum. Pretty mysterious race that you want to learn more about and see what they look like, but you also don't want to ruin that mystery.
Yeah, it's a catch-22. The whole thing that makes them appealing and interesting is that they're mysterious, but the more focus they are given, the harder that mystery is to maintain.
Even Martok said about the fact that no Klingon Emperor ever had the gall to ever attempt an attack on Earth. The mystery surrounding the Breen adds to their awesomeness. Another possible theory on the refrigeration suits and the fact that their homeworld is temperate, could suggest that it is not in fact their original homeworld, perhaps their original homeworld was a frozen world and was destroyed in some ancient war against another race, perhaps they eventually destroyed their enemies and took their homeworld as their own.
The gall? You are trying to make it sound like gall is a good thing. If you do think it is a good thing then you are gravely mistaken. You don't do a hit and run attack on something that is important to your enemy unless you can invade and win, if it is impressive that they did it then it is by far the stupidest thing that they could do. Look back in history and see what happens when one group does that to another without the ability to win easily, it doesn't work out well and if you have the ability to win easily then you have no need to do that. These kinds of acts are what weak cowards do (providing that they are a unified force).
@Craig Cutler Tell that to the Hittites when the went and sacked Babylon. They didn't stay because they weren't interested in Babylon as anything other than a political centre.
I would theorize that the Breen are a gas-based life-form. When you open the armor, a rush of steam escapes that no one thinks much about. But the steam was their body. That's how you can steal their armor and not know what they look like.
The Breen are definitely one of the most "alien" aliens in Star Trek. I think it helps us sympathize with the Cardassians when the Breen take their place in the Dominion. "You're replacing us with those weirdos??"
@John Smith its tholians your thinking of the thorian from mass effect. simlar names i know but one is a species of crystal spiders and the other is a sapient mindcontrolling plant.
I really like the idea that the Breen are a confederacy of different alien races, but they're actually all corpses keep alive by their refrigeration suits and neurostimulators. I imagine that some original Breen wanted to save some people they loved, so they built the suits for them and then, eventually, all the Breen were just walking corpses.
I love the idea that they're an ammonia based species or something and that they need the cooled armor so they don't disintegrate into a cloud of vapor
It awesome how the Breeb sneeked up as Trek villains. They went from passing reference here and there to full blow bad guys and unlike other villain (*cough The Borg) they remained mysterious and where never watered down by over exposure.
Also, the Breen were mentioned in Star Trek: Generations. Riker mentions them in a list of species that use disruptor type weapons when investigating the observatory (right before they rescue Soran).
The Breen were mentioned in the episode of STAR TREK:VOYAGER, "Scorpion Part 1". When finding the wrecked Borg ship with Species 4872 lodged in it. An organic vessel. Tuvok mentioned it isn't the first time Starfleet encountered a species that traveled in organic ships. The Breen for example. But we never saw in them I think.
The book that I think you're referring to is one of the Typhon Pact series entitled "Zero Sum Game," and it does say that under their armor the Breen could be a member of one of several bipedal humanoid species which make up their confederacy. However, the books explanation for why they all wear identical armor which conceals their true form isn't because the soldiers are second class citizens, but because the Breen want to make sure that members of the various species are all treated exactly the same because no Breen ever knows which species they are.
Star Trek needs more Breen. And have Neil Breen produce a Star Trek Breen show. lol Also a note about Weyoun saying their homeworld is actually pleasant. Possibly it’s the Vorta lack of aesthetic in play?
Great video. I like your fan theory. My own personal theory is the Breen are actually a squid-like species, maybe like krill or cuttlefish. Their planet is quite temperate, but they are used to a cold, dark, deep aquatic environment. They wear the armor in order to operate outside that aquatic environment, the way a human would wear a diving suit or a space suit. Alternatively, they are an energy-based species and their suits are similar in function to a Vorlon encounter suit. So if a Breen dies, it just evaporates, leaving an empty suit behind.
I second that. Showing us will just ruin the whole, what do they look under their suits. And once that cat is out of the bag, you can't put it back. I doubt it would stand up to viewer excitement.
6:30 We don’t see Kira acquire the suit. I assumed they just stole it on a raid from the laundry or someone’s locker, rather than by knocking out a guard. Maxim 1 in The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries: Pillage, THEN burn.
Ah, shoot, I missed the premiere. Just seeing the Breen reminds me how epic DS9's seventh season was. Rest in Peace Damar, the best darn Cardassian who ever lived. Yeah, I said it. Don't come crying to me with your Garaks and Dukats
Damar was amazing. He really loved his world and people. He saw Dukat as the grifter he was but lacked the power to stop him. You could really sympathize with his character.
I like the fact that no other media gives away too much about the Breen, I think they are amazing, because not too much is known about them, the majority of the other races we know lots about, and even the Borg have some sort of back history, yet the Breen is like a faction that we the fans can make up for ours.
The Breen are dead!!! 😮 Remote-controlled ZOMBIES!!! Explains why their suits would actifry them if they have their uniform removed. Explains why Worf hitting them didn't phase them; no pain. Explains why they talk like Stephen Hawking being electrocuted. Explains why they wear refrigeration suits even though their planet is "very comfortable." I'm just going to log into Memory Alpha and update the Breen's page. It's canon now.
Also explains why they have no problem treating their military as an expendable asset. Who cares how many dead bodies die, there are always more just laying around. The question then becomes, if the Breen we see are remote controlled zombies, who or what is controlling them?
@@davebeattie9573 The Breen, of course. Maybe the corpses inside the suits don't even need to be biological Breen - they could be corpses of other species and the actual Breen species are simply in control of these. Maybe they are just clones and the Breen are actually only existing as a form of digitized consciousness. So many possibilities!
@@robertpanek5944 that's what I was thinking. When a breen was close to death they would download their consciousness into a computer and then put their body in the suit to keep on keeping on. And eventually the species gave up on reproducing cause they would have back ups of their consciousness and just plop any ole body into a suit and control it, thus creating a sort of reincarnation cycle eliminating the need for new individuals.
@@robertpanek5944 I could see that happening. Their version of assimilation would be placing a body in one of those suits and taking over their brain. Imagine like four or five breen warships coming to a small colony planet and instead of "we are the Borg. Your technological, and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." They get this message. "we are the breen confederacy. Your bodies will become our vessels. Escape is impossible."
I always figured the Breen were impressive when, in one of the last episodes, one of their ambassadors starts saying something to the Changeling leader and she gets terrified that the Breen would not only leave their alliance with the Dominion, but maybe turn against them. She goes from berating the Cardassians and Jem'Hadar to trying to mollify and placate the Breen ambassador. I always felt this implied the Breen were an intense out-of-context foe that really needed exploration.
Excellent episode, man. I love the mystery and menace of the Breen. They have an enormous stage presence that is still nuanced and not overly gimmicky.
I've always been convinced that under the Breen armor, there is more armor. They are basically a series of Russian dolls until finally, at the core, is a cute but very evil little hedgehog.
What I like about the Breen is that they are not beholden to anyone. They stick to themselves but no one every thinks of bothering them because they know they know how to hold their own. They have great mystery about them too. Complex villains for a series. Great potential.
I reckon they wouldn't be villains so much as antagonists. They're not out to get the Federation, but they have their own goals and if anyone stands in the way of those goals then that person is toast.
lol, I’m glad someone enjoys the breen. It’s always been my thought that the breen are the weakest of the “enemy aliens” in Trek 😂 by the time the Breen show up in the last season, I’m like “really? The breen? the dominion might as well have recruited the Paklids”
It’s aliens races like the breen that make me love ds9, and also why I was so disappointed there wasn’t a new show continuing after voyager. I wanna be back in that universe with those characters and species
The Breen were named after the famous actor, director, producer, Neil Breen. Apparently they are all clones of Neil Breen and look exactly like him under the helmets.
The episodes where they don Breen armour are always places where Breen are living and working. I'd argue they found Breen uniforms somewhere rather than overpowered and stripped them. Also the Breen could be robots, their suits keep them their systems from overheating.
Yeah, one of my favorite Star Trek races too, especially the ship design. I do also like the beetle shaped small Dominion attack cruiser. I agree though that the bigger Dominion ships look boring. There generally were a lot of great space ship designs in the various Star Trek series, even the lesser ones like Voyager and Enterprise. I liked the design of the Kazon ships for example and that of the Xindi Reptilians, with those 3 long, glowing tails sticking out the back. My absolute favorite space opera ship design are the Shadow Battle Crabs from Babylon 5 though. The fish shaped Minbari Cruisers are great too.
I also found it interesting that Kira's able to wear the suit without freezing inside it. So I wonder if the suits have temperature controls that she just adjusted to herself or if they aren't really refrigeration suits. Weyoun even mentioned that the lore about their frozen homeworld were a tactical lie, and it was actually a temperate planet.
My personal Star Trek pitch: A series based on the opposing sides' perspective from popular past episodes from all series. It would only have recurring characters as needed (e.g. Gul Dukat, Gowron, Picard.etc). The first episode would be the based on ST TNG Season 1, Episode 26, "The Neutral Zone". The main character of that episode would be a Tal Shiar officer not mentioned or seen in that episode, whose job is to figure out who attacked their outlying colonies. The apex of the episode would be a heated debate on whether or not to de-cloak and communicate with the Enterprise-D, thus breaking the long silence between the Romulan Empire and the Federation (which to them was advantageous as it kept the Federation in the dark about the modernization of the Romulan fleet). In the end, them de-cloaking was against their original orders and the Tal Shiar officer pays some sort of penance via the Romulan justice system, but he/she doesn't regret the decision. My favorite episodes would be the ones of Q and the Continuum talking to each other about each of his encounters with the Enterprise-D. I always wondered what they would talk about. The most interesting ones would probably anything from the Dominion's perspective, especially Weyoun-6 and random Jem' Hadar.
Yuu definitely make some great points, I always thought the Breen were great as well. I'd be interested what you'd do for a Thoilan video, they've always been a personal favorite with their crazy advanced tech and unique ship design. And somewhat opposite the Breen, as their suits keep them supercooled while the Tholians require extreme heat to survive.
YESSSSS finally someone who shares my opinion that the Breen are one of the most underrated yet intriguing villains in the series. They are one of the main reasons I love the last multi-ep arc of DS9 so much.
It was good to see them in Lower Decks, even though it was a very short appearance. I particularly like that they operated in vacuum, showing extra armor utility.
I get this weird feeling that the Breen ARE the mandalorians of star trek as it seems they are all warriors , and multiple races. Also people tend to forget that the federation does not use currency both the Ferengi , and The Breen I believe hold currency to a religious level , and the Breen could be extremely disgusted by the federations lack of currency thus viewing all federation citizens as brain washed slaves this would explain why they went only after the federations military assets. This would explain why the Ferengi and Breen get along so well. As the Breen might consider being paid for violence a religious right.
(One of) my theory(ies) about the Breen is that they have some access to transwarp technology. There's always hints about this in how they're "so far away from their territory", and how they can do things like attack Earth without being spotted on the way. I think they're the hidden Alpha Quadrant OPs, they're so convinced over their technological edge over their enemies they're just happy to fly right over their heads and ply them off with the outward illusion that they're just space pirates.
My million dollar Star Trek idea is a show set in a Federation shipyard. All kinds of old ships, supply issues with the federation, traders, museum ships. Just too much fun.
The Breen got some lore in STO and right now im reading the novel series "Typhon pact" and im in the first book of the series so far very very good with great insights to the Breen.
I love the idea, that they form a sort of mini-federation. Enjoy! The Typhon Pact is one of the best arcs in the novel-verse, apart from the book about the Gorn.
@@hansakkerman2611 I think books from David Mack cant be a miss. Tried ST Destiny first and it was awesome. Bougth the specal edtion with all 3 books in one and was done wiith it within 3 weeks and i hate books so it must have been very good ;) That would have been a great show and so far Typhoon Pact too.
@Rowan J Coleman You asked about Star Trek books with the Breen in them. Here you go. Star Trek : A Singular Destiny Star Trek : Typhon Pact : Zero Sum Game Star Trek : Typhon Pact : Plagues of Night I've read the first 2. Very good IMO. Enjoy!!
My theory is that the Breen homeworld has a highly eccentric orbit. In the summer, it is warm, but in the winter it gets extremely cold. To adapt to the changing climate, the water in their bodies gradually replaces with ethanol. They only need the suits when it's winter and they're visiting a warm climate, but it's their standard uniform. Inside the snouts on their helmets is a respirator that filters out water vapor from the air. At that temperature, it would be like inhaling smoke.
I've always thought the Breen design is very Star Wars. As you said, the helmet looks a lot like the one Leia wore in ep.6, but I also feel that their clothes seem very similar to the kind that a desert dweller like Luke, Anakin or Rey might wear. The asymmetrical ship design is also very reminiscent of SW's "long time ago" look as opposed to ST's future utopian vibe that it aims for. Just look at the Millennium Falcon or a B-Wing for similar asymmetry.
Some of my favorite ships in Star Trek Online are the Breen ships. The look of their ships is just so different from anything else in the Star Trek Universe. I always assumed the Breen were made up of different races that were converted somehow, maybe like the Kobali, and that's why they all had to wear the breathing apparatus. I do like the fact that their backstory is still mostly untold. I do like your walking dead theory though. Keep up the great work.
Your theory about the armor seem about right because I remember a Klingon who had defeated a Breen and open the suit but when ask what they look like, he said he had no idea.
One fan theory I had after Weyoun's comment is what is the Breen Homeworld experienced runaway greenhouse gases and turned from a glacier planet like Andor and into a temperate maybe even tropical one. It would explain the need for refrigeration suits as their bodies are adapted to a cold climate despite their homeworld not being frozen anymore. I can picture giant domed cities of freezing cold temps surrounded by what most species would consider a paradise outside. That was my own personal head canon anyway.
I never really got into Deep Space 9 until I started playing Star Trek Armada 3 as the Dominion. The Breen are awesome in my fleets! I'm going to have to go back and binge watch DS9 in order lol.
"Zero Sum Game" by David Mack, in the Typhon Pact series. Great storyline. Speaks to much of what you speak to in this essay. Thanks RJC. Peace and long life:)
I love the corpses theory. The only two things that speak against it, for me, are sadly big ones. For once, the mystery should be kept, so it may be the case that they've just shown Weyoun the wrong planet, so that nobody knows about their real homeworld, since this can give a clue about what they've involved into. So the mystery should be kept. And second of all, we kind of already have our wandering corpses with the Borg, maybe not actual corpses but they fit the description of space zombies. Also yes, the Breen are awesome and this is a great video.
I had a similar idea to your "Breen are an alliance of many races" theory. It's that the Breen have some kind if system in which loyal slaves can be granted Breen citizenship, so the helmets and distorted voice is to give the appearance of uniformity
I like the idea/joke of the Breen being the Valakians from Dear Doctor. they figured out some Mister Freeze way to save themselves and since then held a grudge against the Federation, maybe initially even a fear, which is why they relocated and are so secretive, so if the Feds ever came back they'd believe the genocide actually worked. and the Menk obviously became the Pakleds.
Awesome Vid, I was always fascinated by the Breen, but was really afraid they will ruin them with too much explanation, One thing I have heared about them is that when the first time they met the federation to negotiation was "Really short, but polite".
That fan theory of yours... actually really kind of fits extremely well. If the Breen aren't actually biologiv lifeforms than that would explain their tech savvy, their lack of blood, their willingness to 'sacrifice' troops and ships since they're not actually losing lives (assuming they have a way to backup/copy themselves a la BSG's Cyclons). If you assume the Breen 'body' is a corpse that the actual Breen, the ARMOR, is using as a structural component that would allow it to interact with its surroundings, then every piece of info falls into place nearly. THAT'S INSANELY COOL!
I can appreciate your position, and you made a lot of points that made me look at the Breen in a new light. Personally, I always hated the Breen. Bringing them in at the 11th hour felt like the most obnoxious deus ex machina at the time. The helmets looking like Princess Leia's RotJ disguise was eye-roll inducing. I LOATHED their "language." Because we knew so little about them beforehand, their introduction here was all plot device and no substance - a cheap way to drive a wedge between Cardassia and The Dominion without using story elements that had already been established. NOW, that being said, I agree that they had tons of potential, and I could overlook how much I hated them if we'd had more time to learn about them. I agree that their ships are pretty nifty. The novels do a fair job of making them into something more interesting. But overall, I wish they'd stayed the mystery race that everyone mentions in passing but no one has actually seen.
Fun note: Breen is a predominantly Dutch surname. At least on my ancestry tree it is. It may have other origins like Irish too. And the Dutch are known to be fairly tall.
My fan theory: The Breen we see are genetically engineered cyborg soldiers. They need to be kept cold to promote superconductivity in their non-organic components.
the books that detail the Breen Race or rather races are the ST - Typhon Pact series novel Zero Sum Game. One of the species that make up most of the Breen soldiers is a species that lack blood and are mostly liquid that if exposed to air evaporate. Their home world is extremely cold. Hence the need for refrigeration suits that not only keep them from being affected by heat so they don't dissolve but keep them sealed up. This is why no one has seen a Breen since the only Breen that travel outside their terrority are the military ones who if their armor is removed just dissolve into nothing.
Its crazy how the female Changeling affords such respect to the Breen, its almost like they have sort of telepathic charisma that influences others. It could just be a result of their military compentence but if a Changeling holds such respect for a Solid you have to question why.
The typhon pact series. Post dominion war , Breen lead a coalition against the federation and destroy utopia fleetyard like in Picard as an opening move
I liked how, when the Breen first joined the Dominion, Weyoun "Conveniently" forgot to tell Damar about it, and as such, the Cardassians had not yet had their translators updated to include the Breen language, which Weyoun just laughed off as a minor "Oversight." Damar and his soldiers had only Weyoun's translation to find out what Thot Gor, the Breen leader, was saying...
Your theory reminded me a bit of a game I played a few years ago called The Fall. You play a spacesuit that's trying to save its unconscious human occupant.
