Star Trek’s history with Swastika symbol references has sparked a debate among fans, here’s what they’re saying

Several television shows have had N*zi references in their narrative, whether it is part of the storyline or made as a passing mention in a dialogue. Though built on the foundation of diversity and equality, multiple episodes of Star Trek had references to N*zis as villains. The franchise’s history with N*zi references has sparked debate among the fans.

While some fans point out that there have been other fascist regimes in history that the Star Trek creators could have drawn inspiration from, some say that N*zis were one of the most hated historical regimes and audiences will never get tired of them being shown as the villains.

During Star Trek’s original run, diversity was still finding its footing on television. But producer Gene Roddenberry’s vision of Star Trek presented a utopian world complete with storylines focussing on eradicating racial discrimination, sexism, and social inequality.

There have been many episodes over the three-season run of the show that brought forth bold narratives, which received some backlash. The episode titled Patterns of Force from The Original Series was banned in Germany from 1968 to 1995 for its depiction of N*zism and showing props similar to those used during World War II.

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N*zi references in Star Trek

In Season 2, episode 21 of The Original Series titled Patterns of Force, the USS Enterprise crew lands on the planet Ekos, which has been taken over by an anarchist regime with forces similar to N*zis. Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) arrive on the planet looking for Federation cultural observer professor John Gill (played by David Brian). But they are shocked to find people chanting N*zi-style slogans, waving swastika flags, and soldiers with N*zi uniforms.

Kirk and Spock steal the SS uniforms to find John Gill, whom the citizens of the planet refer to as Fuhrer. As things unfold, it is revealed that Gill was controlled by Melakon (played by Skip Homeier), the deputy Fuhrer, to make the twisted changes in society. When Kirk tells Gill about the planet’s resemblance to N*zi Germany, he focuses on reconstituting the society.

In Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4, Episode 18 titled The Killing Game, the starship has been stranded in the Galaxy. Hirogen, a species that hunts other sentient species as prey takes over the USS Voyager and controls the minds of the crew on board through a neural interface. Captain Kathryn Janeway (played by Kate Mulgrew) is put into a simulation of N*zi-occupied France in World War II.

Janeway along with a few other crew members are part of the French resistance against the regime. In the end, she comes out of the simulation. The neutral interface is disabled, releasing the crew. As a trade, they give Hirogen the ability to create holodecks, a device that is used to create realistic simulations, so the Voyager can leave.

In Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4, episode 1 titled Storm Front, the Enterprise crew finds themselves in the 20th century with N*zis controlling the Eastern USA. Captain Jonathan Archer (played by Scott Bakula) has taken refuge in a resistance safe house in Brooklyn.

The alien species known as Na’kuhl, who had sworn allegiance to N*zi Germany, provided advanced weapons to them. The history has been altered as there has been an error in the timeline. When the alien shields are down, the Enterprise manages to infiltrate. Finally, they are able to restore the timeline and the Enterprise gets back to their correct time period.

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Fans debate Star Trek’s history with N*zi references

Fans of Star Trek have sparked the debate about the usage of N*zi references in the series. While some feel the creators could have chosen a different path, many support the references to the fascist regime as being portrayed as villains.

On Reddit and X, fans shared,

“I think that N*zism is an anti-Star Trek that Western audiences are most familiar with.”

“I walked in on a Star Trek episode where Spock was a N*zi and thought I was having a stroke”

While others shared,

“N*zis are easy….You put N*zis in, everyone knows who they are and instantly despises them.”

“Star Trek! Patterns of Force(S2,EP21) The Enterprise seeks out a history researcher the Federation has lost contact with. He changes the culture on a planet remaking it into a copy of N*zi Germany. The story is a classic and the end is a political statement!”

Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966. While the Star Trek: Original Series was canceled after its three-season run in 1969, the show gained a cult following over the years. The Star Trek franchise expanded with movies, comics, animated series, and spinoff shows. Even today many themes from the show stay relevant.

ALSO READ: “Let’s talk”: William Shatner may return to Star Trek as Captain Kirk but it might be too late

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