View source for Kazon

{{short description|Fictional species portrayed as interstellar gangsters in Star Trek: Voyager}}
{{For|the historic building in Vermont, United States|Kazon Building}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
[[File:JalCulluhKazon.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Anthony De Longis]] as [[Jal Culluh]], the primary Kazon character featured on ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''|alt=A humanoid with orange/red skin and large, fluffy hair stares toward the camera while standing in a futuristic environment.]]

The '''Kazon''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|ei|z|Q|n}}) are a [[fictional race|fictional alien race]] in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise. Developed by ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' series' co-creators [[Rick Berman]], [[Michael Piller]], and [[Jeri Taylor]], the Kazon serve as the primary antagonists during the show's first two seasons. They are represented as a [[Nomad|nomadic]] species divided into eighteen separate sects, and characterized by their reliance on violence. A patriarchal society, the Kazon have a low opinion of women, and place pride in men becoming warriors and proving themselves in battle. The Kazon storylines frequently revolve around the attempts of [[Jal Culluh]] and his Kazon sect to steal technology from the [[USS Voyager (Star Trek)|USS ''Voyager'']], with the assistance of former ''Voyager'' [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] [[Seska]]. During the second season, the ''Voyager'' crew uncover more about the alien species' history and culture through a temporary truce. In their final major appearance, the Kazon successfully commandeer ''Voyager'', but are eventually forced to surrender and retreat. The alien species have minor cameo appearances and references in the show's subsequent seasons, and have also been included in ''[[Star Trek Online]]'' and [[List of Star Trek novels|novels set in the ''Star Trek'' universe]].

Inspired by gangs like the [[Crips]] and [[Bloods]], the Kazon were seen by the show's co-creators as an apt metaphor for the fears and anxieties surrounding cities and gangs during the seasons' broadcast. The Kazon were developed as one of three new alien species that could be expanded as recurring antagonists. The other two were the [[Vidiian]]s and the [[Prime Factors (Star Trek: Voyager)|Sikarians]]. [[Michael Westmore]] was the primary make-up supervisor involved in the creation of the Kazon's appearance. Piller originally planned to cast young actors between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five exclusively, but decided to cast older and more experienced performers as they tested better during the audition process. ''Voyager''{{'}}s writing team dedicated a large portion of season two to the development of the alien species, with Piller writing a paper on them that would be used for the development of the Kazon-centric episodes. The Kazon were removed from the series following the season three premiere as the co-creators felt that their continued presence would strain the credibility of ''Voyager''{{'}}s journey home.

Critical response to the Kazon was generally negative. Some reviewers praised their ability to capture ''Voyager'' and maroon its crew on a desolate planet, while others felt they were poorly developed copies of [[Klingon]]s and that the second season focused too much on them. The Kazon were included on several lists ranking the worst villains in ''Star Trek'' history, and were cited as an example of the racist implications in the franchise's alien species. During her re-watching of the series, [[TrekNation|''TrekToday'']]{{'s}} Michelle Erica Green provided extensive criticism of the alien species, questioning the decision to feature them as the primary antagonists instead of the Vidiians, and Captain [[Captain Janeway|Kathryn Janeway]]'s refusal to share technology with them. The Kazon were also poorly received by the show's cast members, who did not find them to be strong villains or compelling additions to the narrative.

== Appearances ==
===''Star Trek: Voyager''===
The Kazon appear as the principal [[antagonist]]s for ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''{{'}}s first [[List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes|two seasons]]. Introduced in the series premiere "[[Caretaker (Star Trek: Voyager)|Caretaker]]", they are shown as oppressors of the [[Ocampa]], another alien race. The Ocampa [[Kes (Star Trek)|Kes]] ([[Jennifer Lien]]) is first seen as a slave to the Kazon, and the [[Talaxian]] [[Neelix]] ([[Ethan Phillips]]) is revealed to have completed business deals with the alien species in the past. After seeing a display of the advanced technology on [[USS Voyager (Star Trek)|USS ''Voyager'']], specifically the [[Replicator (Star Trek)|replicator]] and [[Transporter (Star Trek)|transporter]], the Kazon develop schemes to steal these machines and incorporate them into their own ships. Captain [[Kathryn Janeway]] ([[Kate Mulgrew]]) refuses to provide the hostile alien species with any information regarding ''Voyager''{{'}}s technology because of her fear of upsetting the power dynamics in the [[Delta Quadrant]] and thus violating the [[Prime Directive]].<ref name="Alive">{{cite episode | title=Caretaker | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Michael Piller & Jeri Taylor. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate=January 16, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]}}</ref> Over subsequent episodes, the crew of the [[Maquis (Star Trek)|Maquis]] cell led by [[Chakotay]] ([[Robert Beltran]])—which had been pursued by ''Voyager'' into the Delta Quadrant—merge with ''Voyager''{{'s}} [[Starfleet]] crew. In "[[State of Flux]]", the ''Voyager'' crew encounter [[Jal Culluh]] ([[Anthony De Longis]]), a Kazon sect leader and the series' primary Kazon character. In this episode, ''Voyager''{{'s}} [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] [[Seska]] ([[Martha Hackett]]) is revealed to be a [[Cardassian]] agent who had infiltrated Chakotay's Maquis cell, subsequently objecting to the merging of crews, and Janeway's refusal to violate the Prime Directive. Seska secretly funnels information to the Kazon in order to build an alliance with the alien species and expedite ''Voyager''{{'}}s journey home. After being caught while attempting to deliver replicator technology to the Kazon, Seska leaves ''Voyager'' to join them and becomes Culluh's lover and primary adviser.<ref name="Culluh">{{cite episode | title=State of Flux | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Chris Abbott. Director: Robert Scheerer. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= April 10, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]}}</ref>

During "[[Initiations (Star Trek: Voyager)|Initiations]]", Chakotay becomes entangled with Kar ([[Aron Eisenberg]]), a young Kazon attempting to complete a rite of passage, and tries to act as a mentor for him.<ref name="Youth">{{cite episode | title=Initiations  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Kenneth Biller. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= September 4, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> In "[[Maneuvers (Star Trek: Voyager)|Maneuvers]]", Seska sets up a trap, resulting in the Kazon stealing a transporter module from ''Voyager''. She advises Culluh to engineer the technology into the Kazon ships and use it to unite all Kazon sects with him as leader. Chakotay goes on a solo mission aiming to recover the technology, but is captured and tortured by Seska and Culluh. The ''Voyager'' crew rescue Chakotay, only to discover that Seska had extracted his DNA and used it to impregnate herself.<ref name="Episodes1">{{cite episode | title=Maneuvers  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Kenneth Biller. Director: David Livingston. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= November 20, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> Following this turn of events, Janeway attempts to form an alliance with the Kazon to secure safe passage through their area of space. During this process, the crew meet with the Trabe, an alien species who were persecuted by the Kazon following a violent feud. Janeway decides to ally with the Trabe and sets up a peace conference at the suggestion of Mabus (Charles O. Lucia), a Trabe leader. However, the ''Voyager'' crew discover that the Trabe mistreated the Kazon in the past and want to use the meeting as a trap to assassinate the Kazon leaders. Janeway stops the massacre from occurring, but relations between ''Voyager'', the Kazon, and the other alien species in the Delta Quadrant are further strained as a result.<ref name="Episodes2">{{cite episode | title=Alliances  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Jeri Tayler. Director: Les Landau. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= January 22, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref>

The Kazon make minor appearances in "[[Threshold (Star Trek: Voyager)|Threshold]]", "[[Dreadnought (Star Trek: Voyager)|Dreadnought]]", and "[[Lifesigns (Star Trek: Voyager)|Lifesigns]]" as Seska helps them construct a plan to commandeer ''Voyager''.<ref name="Minor1">{{cite episode | title=Threshold  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Brannon Braga. Director: Alexander Singer. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= January 29, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref><ref name="Minor2">{{cite episode | title=Dreadnought | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Gary Holland. Director: LeVar Burton. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= February 12, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref><ref name="Minor3">{{cite episode | title=Lifesigns | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Kenneth Biller. Director: Cliff Bole. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= February 26, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> In "[[Investigations (Star Trek: Voyager)|Investigations]]", Neelix notices that one of the ship's crew is sending coded messages to the Kazon, and he uses his morning news program to track down the traitor. [[Tom Paris]] ([[Robert Duncan McNeill]]) helps Neelix by exhibiting poor and aggressive behavior to set up an appearance that he is willing to sabotage ''Voyager'' to elicit contact from the traitor. Neelix discovers that [[Michael Jonas]] ([[Raphael Sbarge]]), a ''Voyager'' crewmember who was formerly part of Chakotay's Marquis cell, is feeding Seska information regarding warp technology; Jonas is then killed in a fight with Neelix.<ref name="GoodEats">{{cite episode | title=Investigations | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Jeri Taylor. Director: Les Landau. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= March 13, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> The two-part episode "[[Basics (Star Trek: Voyager)|Basics]]" serves as the final major storyline for the Kazon in the series. Seska sends ''Voyager'' a distress call following the birth of her child and Culluh's discovery that he was not the father. Chakotay convinces Janeway and the rest of the crew to rescue Seska and his son from the Kazon, but they discover it is a trap to ambush ''Voyager''. The Kazon takes control of the starship and maroons its crew on a seemingly desolate planet; [[The Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|The Doctor]] ([[Robert Picardo]]) and the troubled [[crewman]] [[Lon Suder]] ([[Brad Dourif]]) are the only two crew members left on board ''Voyager''.<ref name="Basics1">{{cite episode | title=Basics, Part I | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Michael Piller. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= May 20, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> The Doctor reveals to a disappointed Seska that Culluh, not Chakotay, is the father of her child. The ''Voyager'' crew retake the ship after Suder sacrifices himself to sabotage its [[Weapons in Star Trek#Phaser|phaser]] weapon systems. Seska is killed by an exploding console in the ensuing fight, and Culluh takes his child and leaves with the rest of the Kazon.<ref name="Basics2">{{cite episode | title=Basics, Part II | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Michael Piller. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= September 4, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 3)|3]]}}</ref>

Even though the Kazon are not prominent beyond "Basics", they are referenced in subsequent seasons. In [[Star Trek: Voyager (season 4)|the fourth season]], [[Seven of Nine]] ([[Jeri Ryan]]) reveals that the [[Borg (Star Trek)|Borg]] never assimilate the Kazon, whom they refer to as species 329 and "unworthy of assimilation" due to a belief they would "detract from perfection".<ref name="Cameo1">{{cite episode | title=Mortail Coil | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Bryan Fuller. Director: Allan Kroeker. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= December 17, 1997 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 4)|4]]}}</ref> A Kazon crew member was included on a [[Holography|holographic]] reconstruction of ''Voyager'' as a warship.<ref name="Cameo2">{{cite episode | title=Living Witness | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Bryan Fuller, Brannon Braga, & Joe Menosky. Director: Tim Russ. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= April 29, 1998 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 4)|4]]}}</ref> The Kazon also appear in both "[[Relativity (Star Trek: Voyager)|Relativity]]" and "[[Shattered (Star Trek: Voyager)|Shattered]]", which deal with [[time travel]]. In both episodes, characters visit the point at which Seska and the Kazon were in control of ''Voyager''.<ref name="Cameo3">{{cite episode | title=Relativity| series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Bryan Fuller, Nick Sagan, & Michael Taylor. Director: Allan Eastman. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= May 12, 1999 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 5)|5]]}}</ref><ref name="Cameo4">{{cite episode | title=Shattered| series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Michael Taylor. Director: Terry Windell. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= January 17, 2001 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 7)|7]]}}</ref>

===Other appearances===
The Kazon are included in ''[[Star Trek Online]]'', a [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] (MMORPG) developed by [[Cryptic Studios]] based on the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise. In the game, which is set in the [[25th century]], 30 years after the events of ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online#15 |title=Star Trek Online |publisher=[[Cryptic Studios]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104183608/http://sto.perfectworld.com/about/about-faq |archive-date=January 4, 2013 }}</ref> the sect Kazon-Nistrim is classified as a rising power after a new leader took control away from Culluh.<ref name="Arc">{{cite web|url=http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/6007813|title=Kazon|last=LaughingTrendy|date=August 8, 2014|publisher=[[Cryptic Studios]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106172127/http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/6007813|archive-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref> He is identified as "hungry for power and eager to make a name for himself" and "more cunning and intelligent than most Kazon".<ref name="Arc" />

The Kazon also appear in novels based on the ''Star Trek'' franchise, including ''[[Mosaic (Star Trek)|Mosaic]]'' and ''Pathways'', both written by ''Star Trek: Voyager'' co-creator [[Jeri Taylor]].<ref name="Mosaic" /><ref name="Pathways" /> In ''Mosaic'', the Kazon launch an ambush against ''Voyager'' by drawing the crew into battle against a Kazon warship in a dense nebula. At the same time, Kazon warriors pursue an away team, led by [[Tuvok]], which was tasked to explore a wilderness planet. The novel focuses on Janeway's dilemma whether to help the away team or the ship's crew, and is intercut with flashbacks to her childhood and training at [[Starfleet Academy]].<ref name="Mosaic">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Jeri |date=October 1, 1996 |title=Mosaic |location=New York |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |isbn=0-671-56311-4 |author-link=Jeri Taylor |url=https://archive.org/details/mosaicnovel00tayl }}</ref> During the events of ''Pathways'', Kes recounts her first encounters with the Kazon.<ref name="Pathways">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Jeri |date=August 1, 1998 |title=Pathways |url=https://archive.org/details/pathwaysnovel00tayl |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher= [[Pocket Books]] |isbn=0-671-58230-5 |author-link= Jeri Taylor}}</ref> The Kazon also appear in the [[Mirror Universe|mirror universe]] presented in [[Keith DeCandido]]'s short story "The Mirror-Scale Serpent", published in the collection ''Obsidian Alliances''. In this universe, ''Voyager'' was never stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Rather than being rescued by Neelix and ''Voyager''{{'}}s crew, Kes uses her [[psionic]] powers to kill all of her Kazon captors.<ref name="MirrorMirrorOnTheWall">{{cite book |last=DeCandido |first=Keith R.A. |pages= 1–162 |date=March 2007 |chapter=The Mirror-Scale Serpent|title=Obsidian Alliances|location=New York |publisher= [[Pocket Books]] |isbn=978-1-4165-2471-7 |author-link= Jeri Taylor}}</ref>

In 1996, an action figure of a Kazon was released as part of a second wave of [[Playmates Toys]]' ''Star Trek'' merchandise.<ref name="ActionFigure">{{cite web|url=http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/07/star-trek-voyager-toys-and-merchandise-from-the-delta-quadrant/ |title=Star Trek Voyager: Toys and Merchandise from the Delta Quadrant |date=July 18, 2013 |publisher=TrekCore |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140216011648/http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/07/star-trek-voyager-toys-and-merchandise-from-the-delta-quadrant/ |archive-date=February 16, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ActionFigures2">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voyager-Kazon-loose-action-figure/dp/B00C8SNBZ8/ref=sr_1_8?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-8&keywords=kazon |title=Star Trek Voyager Rare The Kazon (loose action figure) |website=Amazon UK |date=April 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114231851/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voyager-Kazon-loose-action-figure/dp/B00C8SNBZ8/ref=sr_1_8?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-8&keywords=kazon |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The same year, [[Applause (toy company)|Applause]] produced a ceramic mug whose design was based on the face of a generic Kazon male.<ref name="ActionFigure" /> Several figures on Kazon spacecraft were released by [[Revell]], such as those for the raider ship and torpedo.<ref name="ActionFigures3">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Star-Trek-Voyager-Kazon-Ship-Model-Kit/B000F3GQHI/ref=sr_1_6?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-6&keywords=kazon |title=Star Trek - Voyager - Kazon Ship - Model Kit |date=February 28, 2015 |publisher=[[Amazon.com]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114232500/https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Star-Trek-Voyager-Kazon-Ship-Model-Kit/B000F3GQHI/ref=sr_1_6?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-6&keywords=kazon |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ActionFigures4">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/star-trek-commander-kazon-torpedo/dp/B000KSK7DC/ref=sr_1_4?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-4&keywords=kazon |title=star trek commander kazon torpedo |website=Amazon UK |date=September 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114232647/https://www.amazon.co.uk/star-trek-commander-kazon-torpedo/dp/B000KSK7DC/ref=sr_1_4?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-4&keywords=kazon |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Revell included the raider ship figurine as a part of a three-piece set, along with ones for a Maquis ship and ''USS Voyager''.<ref name="ActionFigures5">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/2uj/Star-Trek-Voyager-3-Piece-Set-Raider-Revell-Monogram/B01GDOSBCU/ref=sr_1_5?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-5&keywords=kazon |title=Star Trek Voyager 3-Piece Set: USS Voyager, Kazon Raider & Maquis Ship by Revell-Monogram |date=June 18, 2016 |publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114232810/https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/2uj/Star-Trek-Voyager-3-Piece-Set-Raider-Revell-Monogram/B01GDOSBCU/ref=sr_1_5?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1484435207&sr=1-5&keywords=kazon |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Characteristics ==

=== History and politics ===
In the ''Star Trek'' universe, prior to the arrival of ''Voyager'' in the Delta Quadrant, hostilities between the Trabe and the Kazon led to the Trabe keeping them subjugated. Violence between the Kazon was encouraged to limit the risk of them rising up against the Trabe.<ref name="Episodes2" /> Before being conquered by the Trabe, the Kazon were the most advanced society in the quadrant.<ref name="People">[[#okudamirek1994|Okuda & Okuda & Mirek (1994)]]</ref> On [[stardate]] 2346, Jal Sankur united the sects into the Kazon Order or the Kazon Collective to overthrow the Trabe.<ref name="Youth" /><ref name="Episodes2" /><ref name="People" /> The Kazon stole the Trabe's technology and ships and, rather than settle on a new homeworld, became a [[Nomad|nomadic]] species. After achieving independence from the Trabe, the Kazon continued to fight among themselves for control of resources and technology.<ref name="Youth" /><ref name="Episodes2" />

In ''Star Trek: Voyager'', the Kazon are known under the collective title of the Kazon Order, but the species are also separated into various sections.<ref name=":0" /> While the official ''Star Trek'' website lists the Kazon as having eighteen sects,<ref name=":0" /> the episode "Initiations" represents the number of sects as highly unstable and changing every day.<ref name="Academic1">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.eduhi.at/dl/Star_Trek_Voyager.pdf|title=Star Trek Voyager - PC or non PC?|last2=Nemtzeanu|first2=Yonit|last1=Niculescu|first1=Christina|magazine=Medienimpulse|issue=20|pages=37–48|date=June 1997|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051231063404/http://www.eduhi.at/dl/Star_Trek_Voyager.pdf|archive-date=December 31, 2005|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Only eight groups were named in ''Star Trek: Voyager'': Kazon-Halik, Kazon-Ogla, Kazon-Oglamar, Kazon-Relora, Kazon-Nistrim, Kazon-Mostral, Kazon-Hobii, and Kazon-Pommar.<ref name="Bundle1">The names of the eight Kazon sects were mentioned in the following episodes:
* {{cite episode|title=Caretaker|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]|author=Writer: Michael Piller & Jeri Taylor. Director: Winrich Kolbe.|airdate=January 16, 1995}}
* {{cite episode|title=State of Flux|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]|author=Writer: Chris Abbott. Director: Robert Scheerer.|airdate=April 10, 1995}}
* {{cite episode|title=Maneuvers|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]|author=Writer: Kenneth Biller. Director: David Livingston.|airdate=November 20, 1995}}
* {{cite episode|title=Alliances|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]|author=Writer: Jeri Tayler. Director: Les Landau.|airdate=January 22, 1996}}
* {{cite episode|title=Basics, Part I|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]|author=Writer: Michael Piller. Director: Winrich Kolbe.|airdate=May 20, 1996}}
* {{cite episode|title=Basics, Part II|series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]]|network=[[UPN]]|season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 3)|3]]|author=Writer: Michael Piller. Director: Winrich Kolbe.|airdate=September 4, 1996}}</ref> The sects are portrayed as "blood enemies" who rarely make attempts at diplomacy or forge alliances.<ref name="Academic1" /> At the time that ''Voyager'' passed through Kazon-occupied space, the Kazon-Ogla and Kazon-Relora were the most powerful of the eight, controlling the most members and ships.<ref name="Episodes1" /> A Kazon who does not belong to a sect is viewed as a "Goven" or an outcast.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.startrek.com/database_article/kazon |title=Kazon|publisher=[[Startrek.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120210642/http://www.startrek.com/database_article/kazon|archive-date=November 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>  The title "first maje" is used to reference the leader of a sect.<ref name="Alive" /> The political structure of the Kazon is built around "political killings inside the sects as well as between sects",<ref name="Academic1" /> with peace perceived as an impossible construct.<ref name="DevelopingWorld">[[Kazon#gonazalez2015|Gonazalez (2015)]]: p. 10</ref>

=== Culture and technology ===
During ''Star Trek: Voyager'', Kazon society was represented as [[Patriarchy|patriarchal]] as males reacted negatively to orders from women.<ref name="Episodes1" /><ref name="Episodes2" /> Kazon women are never shown on the series, and are only referenced through dialogue by the Kazon men.<ref name="Academic1" /> Young Kazon males are raised as warriors, undergoing a rite of passage ritual to earn their adult names. The honorific title "Jal" given to a young Kazon male marks their transition into adulthood; it is given either when the boy kills an enemy in battle or dies in battle.<ref name="Youth" /><ref name="People" /> Those who fail this rite of passage are punished either by execution or [[public humiliation|public shaming]].<ref name="Academic1" /> Fathers and sons are expected to have an emotionally distant relationship, with any signs of affection between them being considered shameful.<ref name="Youth" />

Scholars Christina Niculescu and Yonit Nemtzeanu analysed Kazon culture to explore [[political correctness]] and themes of [[racial prejudice]] in ''Star Trek: Voyager''. They determined that the Kazon are characterized as primitive/inferior, savage, and criminal, and argue that the Kazon's appearance and behavior were designed to elicit a negative response from the audience. They described the Kazon's clothing as resembling that of [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla warriors]], and their hair and faces as "wild" and "threatening". Though the Kazon are not shown as having a standing army, they are defined as a militaristic society. Niculescu and Nemtzeanu noted that the Kazon dialogue is marked by its frequent use of violent language.<ref name="Academic1" /> According to Seska, Kazon medicine is rudimentary and "primitive".<ref name="Basics2" /> Even though the Kazon are the only classified species that the Borg refuse to assimilate, Janeway included in her reports that they are a "tricky and dangerous foe".<ref name="Arc" />

In ''Star Trek: Voyager'', the Kazon's military focus is heavily contrasted with the [[Humanism|humanistic]] [[United Federation of Planets]].<ref name="Academic1" /> Through the resources taken from the Trabe, the Kazon possess energy weapons, primarily [[Phaser (Star Trek)|phasers]] and [[tractor beam]]s, and [[deflector shields]]. They are unaware of transporters and replicators until their first meeting with ''Voyager''{{'}}s crew.<ref name="Bundle2">The Kazon's technology was explored in the following episodes:
* {{cite episode | title=Caretaker | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Michael Piller & Jeri Taylor. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate=January 16, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]}}
* {{cite episode | title=State of Flux | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Chris Abbott. Director: Robert Scheerer. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= April 10, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 1)|1]]}}
* {{cite episode | title=Initiations  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Kenneth Biller. Director: Winrich Kolbe. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= September 4, 1995 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}
* {{cite episode | title=Alliances  | series=[[Star Trek: Voyager]] | author=Writer: Jeri Tayler. Director: Les Landau. | network=[[UPN]] | airdate= January 22, 1996 | season=[[Star Trek: Voyager (season 2)|2]]}}</ref> The Kazon are primarily shown using one of two types of spacecraft: raider ships and carrier vessels. The raider ships are considered minor threats by ''Voyager''{{'}}s crew, but the carrier ships are viewed as more dangerous.<ref name="Episodes2" /><ref name="GoodEats" /> Even though the Kazon's weapons are inferior to those on ''Voyager'', the Starfleet crew's inability to resupply leaves them vulnerable to attacks.<ref name="NoSuppliesforYou">[[#okuda|Okuda (1996)]]: p. 252</ref> The Kazon vessels are visually represented as "dark, strictly functional" and without "any of the embellishments known from the bright, slick Federation ships". The ships are adorned with only the skulls and trophies of conquered enemies.<ref name="Academic1" /> In ''Star Trek Online'', players can use the Kazon heavy raider and have access to its [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]]. The MMORPG's official website promotes the craft's greatest strength as "its maneuverability and versatility". The site also mentions that the Kazon have improved their technology since their encounter with ''Voyager'' by scavenging more advanced materials from other species.<ref name="Arc2">{{cite web|url=https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/7010373-delta-expedition-ships |title=Delta Expedition Ships |publisher=[[Cryptic Studios]] |date=October 13, 2014 |last=LaughingTrendy |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141014031739/http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/7010373-delta-expedition-ships |archive-date=October 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Background ==

=== Concept and creation ===
Prior to the announcement of a new ''Star Trek'' incarnation, ''Star Trek: Voyager''{{'s}} co-creators [[Rick Berman]], [[Michael Piller]], and [[Jeri Taylor]] conceived the basic concepts and characters during secret developmental meetings.<ref name="Intro1">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 156</ref> The Kazon were originally created as a part of the show's basic premise of ''Voyager''{{'}}s crew being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Berman, Piller, and Taylor reasoned that the characters would be traveling through an area of space controlled by a new alien race, serving as the show's primary antagonists, and created the Kazon to fill this role.<ref name="Intro2">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 164</ref>

The Kazon were inspired by Los Angeles [[gang]]s, and were referenced in a "shorthand '[[Crips]]' and '[[Bloods]]' fashion".<ref name="Intro90">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 187</ref> The idea for the Kazon as warrior sects, as opposed to a unified race, was introduced by Taylor, who drafted them as "three gangs, with constantly shifting relationships and allegiances. Just as we think we have sorted it out, the balance shifts again."<ref name="Intro3">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 188</ref> While discussing the Kazon's original inspiration, Taylor viewed them as a way "to address the tenor of our times and what [...] was happening in our cities and recognizing a source of danger and social unrest".<ref name="GangFear">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 151</ref> Piller further described the premise for the Kazon as rooted in gang violence and warfare by clarifying: "Our intention was to create a sort of disorganized anarchy, them-against-them as much as them-against-us."<ref name="GangFear2">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 161</ref>

In a meeting dated August 17, 1993, Taylor wrote a story outline for the pilot episode "Caretaker" and established the Kazon (then identified as the Crips) as a "gang which, in conflict with two other gangs, competes for territory in this region of space".<ref name="Intro4">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 190–191</ref> Taylor's notes suggest that the show's co-creators considered having the Crips reach a truce with the main characters, which would anger another one of the gangs (then titled the Blood) and lead to them being the primary antagonists.<ref name="Intro5">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 191</ref> This idea was later dropped at a meeting on September 10 of the same year.<ref name="Intro6">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 205</ref> In the first draft of the script for "Caretaker", Piller named the alien species the "Gazon" and wrote the following description of them:

{{quote|They are a lean, scrawny people who dress in an assortment of unkempt clothing. Some are in nothing more than rags. Their skin is parched and desiccated; the sun has produced blotches and sores on some. This appears to be a camp of people barely able to survive, bereft of creature comforts and living a harsh, hardscrabble life. They are the Gazon, whom we will come to know, over the course of the series, as a lethal, deadly sect who subject themselves to these dire circumstances in return for the possible acquisition of power.<ref name="Intro7">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 232</ref>}}

During the summer of 1994, ''Gazon'' was changed to ''Kazon'', as it was feared that the name sounded too much like [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]].<ref name="Intro90"/><ref name="GazaStrip">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Best of All Worlds |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=4|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=55|date=June 1995}}</ref> The producers suggested this change to avoid stories involving the alien race being interpreted as political commentary on the conflicts in the [[Palestinian territories]].<ref name="GazaStrip" /> According to the [[List of Star Trek technical manuals|''Star Trek: Voyager Technical Manual'']], the Kazon were originally planned to be split into only two factions (the "Kazon-Sera" and the "Kazon-Ogla").<ref name="Manual1">{{cite web|url=http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/4_Voyager/Star_Trek_Voyager_-_Technical_Guide.pdf |title=Star Trek: Voyager Technical Manual |last1=Sternbach |first1=Rick |last2=Okuda |first2=Michael |date=September 1994 |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures Corporation]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170103175837/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fleethomson.myzen.co.uk%2FStar_Trek%2F4_Voyager%2FStar_Trek_Voyager_-_Technical_Guide.pdf |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

=== Design and casting ===
[[File:Star Trek Voyager costume - Kazon.jpg|right|thumb|Michael Westmore was the principal make-up supervisor behind the Kazon's design  ''(pictured)''.|alt=An orange mannequin wearing a wig and heavy prosthetic make-up on its face.]]

The Kazon's design was formulated around the beginning of June 1994. The series' make-up supervisor [[Michael Westmore]] was heavily involved in the creation of the look for the Kazon.<ref name="Intro7" /> While describing the species' facial features, Westmore said he constructed a skin protrusion along the nose and front of the face to simulate "a soft [[cockscomb]], a rooster comb" rather than "the dinosaur bone-type of ridges". He said that there were very small visual differences between Kazon males and females, with the distinguishing characteristic being women having a more delicate physicality than the men.<ref name="Combs">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Best of All Worlds |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=4|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=11|date=June 1995}}</ref><ref name="Design1">[[#artifacts2000|Westmore, Sims, Look, & Birnes (2000)]]: p. 165–166</ref> According to Westmore, the prosthetic make-up for the forehead was structured in a shape reminiscent of the [[Devil]], while the ridges on the nose were inspired by a [[vulture]]'s neck. The nose designs were modified throughout the first two seasons with the addition of a nose tip and spikes protruding from the nostrils.<ref name="Design1" /> The Kazon's design was the subject of fan criticism following the series premiere, with one fan commenting: "They look like they're all having a bad hair day."<ref name="Makeup87">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 283</ref> When Anthony De Longis first saw the headdress worn as a part of Culluh's costume, he joked that: "Culluh must be the leader because he has the biggest head of hair."<ref name="TheHigherTheHair">{{cite magazine|date=September 1998|title=Interviews: Anthony De Longis|magazine=The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine|location=New York|publisher=Starlog Press|issue=18|pages=66–67|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>

Westmore said that he faced several challenges involving the make-up and masks during the filming of "Caretaker". Because of the large number of Kazon present in the first episode, he hired additional make-up artists and mold makers to assist with getting all the actors into costume.<ref name="Makeup87" /> According to supervising producer [[David Livingston]], the process of applying the Kazon make-up took multiple hours. Since a majority of the scenes involving the Kazon were filmed at the [[El Mirage Lake]], Livingston and the filming crew were assigned to help the actors feel comfortable in the heavy make-up and prosthetics despite the high temperatures.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Star Trek: Voyager - Inside the New Adventure|date=January 9, 1995|publisher=UPN|medium=TV special|location=United States}}</ref>

Piller originally envisioned only casting actors between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five to simulate the connection between the Kazon and contemporary street gangs. He said that he wanted the casting choices to convey the alien species as "young, angry people who never lived old enough to have the kind of experience and perspective on the world that, say, the Klingons and [[Romulan]]s might have". He wanted to emphasize that the Kazon were "much more emotional, short fused, and therefore had fewer expectations" through the actors' performances. The roles, however, were filled by actors outside this age range, with Piller explaining that the decision was reached on the grounds that the "older actors gave more polished performances".<ref name="GangFear2" /> He later regretted the choice of more mature actors, as he felt this conflicted with the writers' concept of the species, making them appear too much like Klingons.<ref name="GangFear2" /> The Kazon also received comparisons to the Cardassians and [[Wood Elves (Warhammer)|Wood Elves]] by [[Uproxx]]'s Donna Dickens.<ref name=":1fafafafaf">{{cite web |last1=Dickens |first1=Donna |date=March 4, 2017 |title='The Walking Dead' Star Andrew Lincoln Is Ready For His 'Star Trek' Cameo And We Have Suggestions |url=http://uproxx.com/hitfix/the-walking-dead-star-trek-andrew-lincoln/2/ |access-date=August 25, 2017 |publisher=[[Uproxx]]}}</ref>

=== Filming and development ===
[[File:Kenneth Biller Comic-Con.png|left|thumb|alt=A man wearing a black/brown shirt speaks into a microphone while looking to the right.|Kenneth Biller ''(pictured)'' wrote a majority of the background information relating to the Kazon during the development of the show's second season.]]

In the first season, the Kazon were introduced as one of three new alien species that could be used as recurring antagonists; the other two were the [[Vidiians]] and the [[Prime Factors (Star Trek: Voyager)|Sikarians.]] The Kazon and Vidiians would be featured in later episodes, while the appearance of the Sikarians was restricted to the episode "[[Prime Factors (Star Trek: Voyager)|Prime Factors]]".<ref name="Introduction1">[[#poe1998|Poe (1998)]]: p. 127</ref> Westmore found the Kazon to be the most demanding species to design for ''Voyager''{{'s}} first season, though, overall, he found the make-up and prosthetic work for ''Voyager'' easier than that required for ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. He explained this by comparing the relatively small number of Kazon who appeared in episodes outside of the pilot to the numerous aliens featured throughout ''Deep Space Nine''.<ref name="Pigs1">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Best of All Worlds |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=9|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=49|date=November 1995}}</ref>  The Kazon's design was modified during the filming of the first season. For example, for the second episode in which the Kazon appeared—"State of Flux"—Westmore removed the ear prosthetics, which had been created originally by hair designer Josée Normand to look like pigs' ears. The pig-ear prosthetics proved to be too cumbersome and heavy for the actors and stunt doubles, and its material was changed to a more light-weight sponge.<ref name="Combs" />

''Voyager''{{'}}s writing team devoted a larger amount of screen time in the show's second season to develop Kazon culture and society. Piller described the season as "a deep investigation of [the Kazon] that will turn them, I think, into perhaps one of the top five adversarial alien races in ''Star Trek''{{'}}s history".<ref name="GangFearMore">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 123</ref> Piller devised the Kazon's story arc in the second season from his experiences working on the 1995 [[science fiction Western]] television show [[Legend (TV series)|''Legend'']].<ref name="LegendIdeas">[[#grossaltman2016|Gross & Altman (2016)]]: p. 595</ref> Taylor was uncertain about the renewed focus on the Kazon, and questioned if they were compelling antagonists. She described them as entirely Piller's idea.<ref name="NotMyIdea">[[#grossaltman2016|Gross & Altman (2016)]]: p. 597</ref>

Executive story editor [[Kenneth Biller]] wrote a paper detailing the Kazon's history and societal behavior, as well as their adversarial relationship with the Trabe. Biller compiled all of his ideas on paper to help the various writers create a cohesive narrative for the Kazon across the individual episodes. Developed for one of his episodes—"[[Initiations (Star Trek: Voyager)|Initiations]]"—the notes were also used by Taylor for the creation of "[[Alliances (Star Trek: Voyager)|Alliances]]".<ref name="GangFearMoreAndMore">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 161–162</ref> Biller pointed to the character of Seska as a key narrative device for further exploring the alien species. For Biller, Seska "allowed us to go behind the scenes with the Kazon" and "helped to define the Kazon for us".<ref name="Seska1">[[#artifacts2000|Westmore, Sims, Look, & Birnes (2000)]]: p. 165</ref> Nonetheless, Hackett interpreted Seska as having little loyalty to the Kazon, saying: "I don't think she gives a hoot about [them]."<ref name="OwlSeska">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Queen of the Delta Quadrant  |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=19|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=56|date=June 1995}}</ref>

When discussing his hopes for fan reaction to the second season's emphasis on the Kazon, Piller said: "I'll be curious to know what the audience's perception is, if our investing in the Kazon this season worked."<ref name="GangFear2" /> In response to fans' concerns that ''Voyager'' did not incorporate as many science fiction elements as previous ''Star Trek'' installments, he believed that the growing focus on the Kazon would serve as the solution. Piller believed the alien species accentuated the show's futuristic storylines, explaining: "There are a lot of people who don't consider a lot [of the season's episodes to be] science fiction." He followed this up by saying: "But certainly you can make a case that facing the Kazon in battle is futurist storytelling."<ref name="GangFearInSpace">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 150</ref> Taylor viewed the second season as focused on "character-driven, introspective" stories, with a majority of the "action-adventure" aspects being conducted through the appearances of the Kazon.<ref name="ActionAdventure">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Best of All Worlds |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=18|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=13|date=August 1996}}</ref>

=== Abandonment ===
Following the end of the second season, Taylor decided to remove the Kazon as the series' primary antagonists, having found the effort to develop the alien species to be unsuccessful. She felt that they never grew into a compelling adversary, despite their appearances in multiple episodes. Taylor argued that the Kazon limited the potential of the series, saying: "It created the curious implication that we are standing still in space, when our franchise is that we are going at incredible speeds toward the [[Alpha Quadrant]] – we keep running into the same people over and over again! It was just an oddity, and I don't think the Kazon have served us well." While discussing their role in the future episodes, she explained that it was her "intention to leave them behind and to find new and I hope more interesting aliens".<ref name="ActionAdventure" />

Even though Piller understood Taylor's disappointment with the Kazon, he felt that "it was important and valuable to create this adversary".<ref name="Seska1" /> Berman agreed with Taylor's assessment of the Kazon and noted that they would be removed in the beginning of the third season. He also admitted that the writers made several mistakes and introduced inconsistencies while developing the Kazon. Believing that the large amount of space under the Kazon's control was implausible, he argued that the number of times ''Voyager'' encountered the alien species would make their territory bigger than the United Federation of Planets and the [[Klingon Empire (Star Fleet Universe)|Klingon Empire]].<ref name="AmazingAmazing">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= 30th Anniversary Issue|magazine=Star Trek: Communicator|location=New York |issue=108|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=56|date=August–September 1996}}</ref> Producer [[Brannon Braga]] supported the Kazon's removal, criticizing the species as "half-baked Klingons" and their constant inclusion in episodes as making the series have "the feeling that we're traveling in a big circle".<ref name="BakingwiththeKazon">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Hopes & Fears on the Final Frontier |magazine=Star Trek Monthly|location=New York |issue=20|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|page=20|date=October 1996 }}</ref>

Despite the decision to eliminate the Kazon from future episodes, the writing team was uncertain if the season two finale and season three premiere would focus on them. Piller said that it was suggested that the episodes could serve as an introduction to a new alien species, but he supported the possibility that they act as a farewell to the Kazon storylines. He explained his decision by saying he "felt we had built up this arc with them and it was a natural conclusion".<ref name="AdiosKazon">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 169</ref> The Kazon were replaced by storylines focusing on the Vidiians, the [[Borg]], and the [[Hirogen]].<ref name="Hirogen">[[#barrett1994|Barrett & Barrett (2001)]] p. 82</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-voyager/25477/why-star-trek-voyagers-fourth-season-is-the-best |title=Why Star Trek: Voyager's fourth season is the best |date=May 10, 2013 |work=[[Den of Geek!]] |last1=Harris |first1=Juliette |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170105053142/http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-voyager/25477/why-star-trek-voyagers-fourth-season-is-the-best |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Response ==
=== Cast response ===
''Voyager''{{'}}s cast members had a negative response to the continued inclusion of the Kazon in the series and felt that their removal was the best course of action. [[Tim Russ]] commented that the frequent incorporation of the species would strain the credibility of the storylines as the crew would have to eventually leave Kazon-controlled space on their journey home.<ref name="Russ">[[#grossaltman1996|Gross & Altman (1996)]]: p. 151–152</ref> He also believed that the Kazon were failures as antagonists, perceiving them to be insufficiently imposing for the main characters and fans to take them seriously. Ethan Phillips agreed with Russ, suggesting that the Kazon's presence should be reduced. Robert Picardo joked that the only interesting aspect of the species was their hairstyle, while Robert Beltran pointed to their lack of intelligence as the main factor preventing them from becoming strong villains.<ref name="ByeByeBaddies">{{cite magazine|date=October 1995|title=Jam Session|magazine=[[Starlog]]|location=New York|publisher=Starlog Press|issue=231|page=49|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> Kate Mulgrew suggested that the show incorporate a new and stronger antagonist, saying: "We need [...] to encounter enemies of such ferocity, enemies who in fact are quite lethal and frightening. Enemies that you would watch and say, 'Oh, boy, how are they going to get out of this one?' I don't think the Kazon hit the bill."<ref name="BakingwiththeKazon" /> Mulgrew felt the crew's mission to get home was a more compelling storyline than those related to the Kazon, whom she criticized as "great big stupid giants".<ref name="ByeByeBaddies" /><ref name="GoHomeKazon">[[#ruditis2003|Ruditis (2003)]]: p. 125</ref>

=== Critical reception ===
The Kazon have received a negative response from [[Television criticism|television critics]]. In his 2005 book ''An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica'', literary critic [[John Kenneth Muir]] argued that the events of ''Star Trek: Voyager'' lost their urgency with the basing of the second season in Kazon space. He negatively compared ''Star Trek: Voyager'' to science fiction television series [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|''Battlestar Galactica'']], writing that ''Star Trek: Voyager'' could learn from how "the ''[[Battlestar Galactica (fictional spacecraft)|Galactica]]'' must go on, ever forward, to their destination".<ref name="Galactica">[[#muir2005|Muir (2005)]]: p. 70</ref> The alien species was described as "stereotypical macho space warriors" by writer K. Stoddard Hayes, who was critical of the lack of developed Kazon characters.  He explained this up by saying: "No memorable Kazon characters emerge from two seasons of episodes featuring their different factions."<ref name="WriterReview">{{cite magazine|date=January 14, 2015|title=Voyager: 20th Anniversary|magazine=Star Trek Magazine|location=New York|publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]|issue=18|page=18|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>

Critics have also doubted the effectiveness of Kazon as villains. Britt found the Kazon to be among "the silliest, worst antagonists in Trek's history".<ref name="ShockingDefeat">{{cite web|url=http://www.tor.com/2013/05/03/star-trek-into-surprise-7-times-when-trek-boldly-shocked-us/|title=Star Trek Into Surprise! 7 Times When Trek Boldly Shocked Us|date=May 3, 2013|access-date=August 15, 2021|publisher=[[Tor.com]]|last1=Britt|first1=Ryan|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170105053407/http://www.tor.com/2013/05/03/star-trek-into-surprise-7-times-when-trek-boldly-shocked-us/|archive-date=January 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Juliette Harrison of the website ''[[Dennis Publishing|Den of Geek!]]'' wrote that the writers were too focused on the Kazon and Seska storylines. Harrison called them "sub-standard Klingon substitutes" and praised the series' decision to replace them with the Borg.<ref name=":1" /> The Kazon, along with Seska, were placed at number two on a list by [[Io9]]'s Charlie Jane Anders profiling the 10 least threatening ''Star Trek'' villains. Anders explained that the Kazon were more frequently represented as irritating pests than a major obstacle to ''Voyager''{{'}}s journey home.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/top-10-least-threatening-star-trek-villains-1585428421|title=Top 10 Least Threatening Star Trek Villains|date=June 3, 2014|access-date=August 15, 2021|publisher=[[Io9]]|last1=Anders|first1=Charlie}}</ref> Charles Evans of ''[[FanSided]]'' questioned the Kazon's desperation for water, since they could use their warp technology to gather it from other planets. Even though Evans described the Kazon as starting from a good premise, he did not find them to live up to their label as "the most powerful race in their area of the Delta Quadrant".<ref name="CriticismCriticismCritcisim">{{cite web|url=https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/2017/01/30/daystrom-institute-library-files-kazon/|title=Daystrom Institute Library Files: The Kazon|last=Evans|first=Charles|date=February 25, 2017|work=[[FanSided]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825232642/https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/2017/01/30/daystrom-institute-library-files-kazon/|archive-date=August 25, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[TrekNation|''TrekToday'']]{{'s}} Michelle Erica Green provided extensive and primarily negative commentary on the Kazon story arc in the first two seasons while re-watching the series. The Kazon were negatively compared to the Klingons by Green, who described the Vidiians as a more suitable and compelling candidate to serve as the primary antagonists for the first two seasons.<ref name="Green2">{{cite web|url=https://trektoday.com/content/2015/12/retro-review-lifesigns/|title=Retro Review: Lifesigns|last=Green|first=Michelle Erica|date=December 11, 2015|website=TrekToday|publisher=Christian Höhne Sparborth|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170105084330/http://www.trektoday.com/content/2015/12/retro-review-lifesigns/|archive-date=January 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Green questioned Janeway's resolve to never share ''Voyager''{{'}}s technology with the Kazon, writing that the species was characterized as "a spacefaring culture with warp drive" so the crew would not be "interfering with a primitive civilization". She argued that the Kazon's attempts to steal a replicator and a transporter rather than offensive weapons lessened their impact as a threatening presence, suggesting that the possibility of relations with the Kazon did not "seem much more heinous than dealing with the Klingons or [[Ferengi]], who oppress women and minorities within their borders".<ref name="Green3">{{cite web|url=https://www.trektoday.com/content/2015/10/retro-review-maneuvers/|title=Retro Review: Maneuvers|last=Green|first=Michelle Erica|date=October 16, 2015|access-date=August 14, 2021|website=TrekToday|publisher=Christian Höhne Sparborth|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170105084447/http://www.trektoday.com/content/2015/10/retro-review-maneuvers/|archive-date=January 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite negative critical reception of the Kazon, the scene in which they commandeer ''Voyager'' was praised by television commentators. Marc Buxton, of ''Den of Geek!'', included the Kazon on his list of the 50 best alien life forms in the ''Star Trek'' universe, for their "advanced technology and a back-stabbing bloodthirst" and success in trapping the ''Voyager'' crew on a hostile planet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-trek-the-50-best-alien-races/|title=Star Trek: The 50 Best Alien Races|date=September 9, 2016|work=[[Den of Geek!]]|last1=Buxton|first1=Marc|access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> Similarly, [[Tor.com]]'s Ryan Britt ranked the moment when the Kazon captured the ship as one of the seven most shocking instances in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.<ref name="ShockingDefeat" />

=== Racial and political analysis ===
The representation of the Kazon as antagonists has been criticized by genre commentators and academics as an example of racism in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. Christina Niculescu and Yonit Nemtzeanu were critical of the dark-skinned Kazon being treated as more aggressive than the more diplomatic, fair-skinned alien species. They determined that the representation of the Kazon was implicitly racist, writing that the species was shown as embodying negative stereotypes. Niculescu and Nemtzeanu followed this up by saying that the Kazon were written only to be "criminals and savages" and seen as "primitive".<ref name="Academic1" /> In his 2016 ''The Politics of Star Trek'', the [[political scientist]] George A. Gonzalez agreed the skin tone and hair style designed for the Kazon as carrying explicit racial connotations, and felt that it was made more apparent during their conflict with the lighter-skinned Ocampa.<ref name="DevelopingWorld3">[[Kazon#gonazalez2015|Gonazalez (2015)]]: p. 179–180</ref> Zach of [[Bitch Media]] placed the Kazon as one example of ''Star Trek''{{'}}s uneven treatment of race. He compared the Kazon to the Klingons and Ferengi, writing that "aliens-of-color [are] used as proxies to represent the worst aspects of human behavior".<ref name="Racism2">{{cite web|url=https://bitchmedia.org/post/star-trek-into-feminism-three-ways-the-sci-fi-series-needs-to-change|title=Star Trek Into Feminism: Three Ways the Sci-Fi Series Needs to Change|last=Zach|date=May 22, 2013|publisher=[[Bitch Media]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114185729/https://bitchmedia.org/post/star-trek-into-feminism-three-ways-the-sci-fi-series-needs-to-change|archive-date=January 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Kazon have been interpreted as a sociopolitical commentary on [[Developing country|developing countries]]. George A. Gonzalez presented the Kazon as a pessimistic feature of the Delta Quadrant, which he read as a metaphor for the developing world. Emphasizing the Kazon's mistreatment of the Ocampa, plans to steal from ''Voyager''{{'}}s more developed technology, and inability to form lasting alliances, Gonzalez describes the series as interpreting race relations in developing countries as "inherently contentious and inevitably destabilizing". He concluded by saying that the Kazon storylines were in line with "neoconservative biases/reasoning".<ref name="DevelopingWorld2">[[Kazon#gonazalez2015|Gonazalez (2015)]]: p. 183</ref> For a 2015 retrospective review of the ''Star Trek'' franchise, [[Moviepilot|MoviePilot]]'s David Trudel wrote that he was disappointed in the breakdown of the alliance between the Kazon and the Trabe in the episode "Alliances". He felt that the series should have featured the formation of a new Federation starting with these two alien species. Some critics viewed the episode as "the moment Trek died intellectually", though Trudel disagreed with this assessment as "fairly dramatic".<ref name="MoviePilot">{{cite web |url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/3651901 |title=Top 6 Missed Opportunities in Star Trek |last=Trudel |first=David |date=November 27, 2015 |publisher=[[Moviepilot|MoviePilot]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826031916/https://moviepilot.com/posts/3651901 |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |df=mdy-all |access-date=August 25, 2017 }}</ref> In 1996, ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} [[Jon Pareles]] offered a less critical assessment of ''Star Trek''{{'}}s development of alien species, describing them as enacting "exaggerated human tendencies". Pareles identified the Kazon's rebellion against their previous captors in particular as comparable to the political situations in Somalia or Rwanda at the time of his writing.<ref name="Pareles">{{cite news|last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=May 26, 1996 |title=Television view; When aliens start to look a lot like us |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/26/arts/television-view-when-aliens-start-to-look-a-lot-like-us.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=26 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170114201711/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/26/arts/television-view-when-aliens-start-to-look-a-lot-like-us.html |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Book sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Barrett|first1 = Michèle |last2 = Barrett|first2 =Duncan |title =Star Trek: The Human Frontier |year = 2001 |publisher =Psychology Press |location = New York |isbn =0-415-92981-4|ref = barrett2001 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Gross |first1 = Edward |last2 = Altman |first2 = Mark A. |title =Captains' Logs Supplemental: The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages |url = https://archive.org/details/captainslogssupp0000gros |url-access = registration |year = 1996 |publisher =Little, Brown and Company |location = New York |isbn =978-0-671-00206-0 |ref = grossaltman1996 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Gross |first1 = Edward |last2 = Altman |first2 = Mark A. |title =The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek |year = 2016 |publisher =Macmillan |location = New York |isbn = 978-1-250-08946-5 |ref = grossaltman2016 }}
* {{cite book |last = Gonzalez |first = George A.|title = The Politics of Star Trek: Justice, War, and the Future |year = 2015 |publisher = Springer |location = New York |isbn =978-1-137-54940-2|ref = gonazalez2015}}
* {{cite book |last = Muir|first = John Kenneth|title = An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica|year = 2005 |publisher = McFarland |location = New York |isbn= 978-0-7864-2455-9|ref = muir2005}}
* {{cite book |last = Okuda|first = Michael|title = Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future|year = 1996 |publisher = Pocket Books |location = New York |isbn = 978-0-671-53610-7|ref = okuda1996}}
* {{cite book|last1=Okuda|first1=Michael|last2=Okuda|first2=Denise|last3=Mirek|first3=Debbie|title=The Star Trek Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekencyclop00okud_0|url-access=registration|year = 1994 |publisher = Pocket Books|location = London |isbn =0-671-03475-8|ref = okudamirek1994}}
* {{cite book |last = Poe |first = Stephan Edward|title = A Vision of the Future |year = 1998 |publisher = Simon and Schuster |location = New York |isbn =978-0-671-53481-3|ref = poe1998}}
* {{cite book |last = Ruditis |first = Paul|title = Star Trek Voyager Companion |year = 2003 |publisher = Simon and Schuster |location = New York |isbn =978-0-7434-1751-8|ref = ruditis2003}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Westmore |first1 = Michael |last2 = Sims |first2 = Alan |last3 = Look |first3 = Bradley M. |last4 = Birnes |first4 = William J. |title = Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts |year = 2000 |publisher = Pocket Books |location = New York |isbn = 978-0-671-04299-8 |ref = artifacts2000 |url = https://archive.org/details/startrekaliensar00mich }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20130630090753/http://www.startrek.com/database_article/vidiians Official ''Star Trek'' website]
* {{Memoryalpha|Kazon}}

{{Star Trek: Voyager}}
{{Star Trek}}
{{Good article}}

[[Category:Star Trek species]]
[[Category:Fictional warrior races]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1995]]