Star Trek Changes Its Iconic Tribbles Forever, With Shock Revelation About Their Biology

Warning: contains spoilers for "I Knew You Were Tribble When You Walked In," appearing in Star Trek #500!Star Trek just dropped serious revelations about the biology of Tribbles, changing the iconic species forever. Introduced in the classic Star Trek series, the Tribble have since become one of the franchise’s best known alien races. Now, in the story “I Knew You Were Tribble When You Walked In,” appearing in Star Trek #500, fans experience the life of a Tribble–from the creature’s perspective, offering new insights into these cute creatures.

“I Knew You Were Tribble When You Walked In,” appearing in Star Trek #500, is written by Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum with art by Leonard Kirk. Set concurrent with the events of “The Trouble With Tribbles,” fans learn that not only do Tribbles possess a hive mind, but that they are also incredibly lustful creatures. The story’s narrator, an unnamed Tribble, has developed intense feelings for Captain Kirk, making salacious comments about him throughout the story. The story ends shortly after Scotty beams the Tribbles aboard Koloth’s ship, where the story’s narrator finds love once again.

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The Infamous History of Star Trek's Tribbles, Explained

The Tribbles Are One of Star Trek's Cutest--But Deadliest Aliens

The Tribbles are undeniably one of Star Trek’s cutest alien races, but they are also ecological disasters waiting to happen. Created by science fiction writer David Gerrold and first appearing in the second season episode “The Trouble With Tribbles,” the Tribbles are small balls of fur. Communicating via a series of chirps and squeaks, the Tribbles reproduce at a highly prodigious rate: in their first appearance, a small handful of Tribbles overran a space station in a matter of days. In the same episode, Doctor McCoy notes Tribbles were “born pregnant” and eating food can hasten their reproduction.

During “The Trouble With Tribbles” episode, another, even more fascinating fact was revealed about them: they despise Klingons. When a Tribble comes into contact with a Klingon, they become visibly agitated and their squeals approach panic levels. In “The Trouble With Tribbles,” this ability was used to ferret out a Klingon saboteur and save a Federation colony from being poisoned. The episode ends with Scotty beaming the Tribbles that had taken over the Enterprise aboard the Klingon’s ship, and “I Knew You Were Tribble…” shows what happened afterward, as the lusty Tribble sets its sights on a hapless Klingon officer.

The Tribbles Were Nearly Wiped Out by the Klingons

Tribbles Are Recognized As a Galactic Menace

By the 24th century, the Federation and other galactic powers acknowledged that Tribbles have the potential to cause vast disruptions in ecosystems. As a result, some political entities outlawed the creatures. During the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribble-ations,” which sent Sisko and company back in time to the events of “Trouble with Tribbles,” Worf mentioned that the Klingons embarked on a crusade against the Tribbles, nearly wiping them all out in the process. Despite the Tribbles’ contraband status, a few were still glimpsed in various Star Trek shows and movies.

And despite the Klingons’ best efforts, the Tribbles still persist. During Star Trek: Picard’s third season, Worf infiltrates a Section 31 facility, where he discovers the nefarious organization had bred a vicious variant of the creature–one with teeth and a surly disposition. In the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, set during the 32nd century, a new type of Tribble existed: one that was cute and cuddly like the originals, but did not reproduce at rapid rates. The people of the 32nd century truly had the best of both worlds when it came to Tribbles.

Star Trek Blows The Lid Off Everything Fans Thought They Knew About the Tribbles

The Tribbles Are Not Only Intelligent, But Highly Lustful

The revelations about the Tribbles in ‘I Knew You Were Tribble…” upends everything fans thought they knew about the creatures. What Oswalt, Blum and Kirk have done with “I Knew You Were Tribble” is make the creatures even more interesting. Tribbles possess a hive mind, in a fashion similar to the Borg or the “Conspiracy” parasites. This hive mind allowed the story’s Tribble narrator to reach out to others and “feel” what they feel. Tribbles are not only intelligent in their own way, but this intelligence is shared across the species.

The Tribbles’ rapid rate of reproduction also gets a new layer here, as fans learn the species has a strong desire to procreate. In “I Knew You Were Tribble…” Oswalt, Blum and Kirk push this to its hilarious extreme, as reproducing and eating are the only things on the creature’s mind. This almost single-minded pursuit of reproducing translates into a highly libidinous creature. It fixates first on Captain Kirk and then later on the random Klingon. The Tribble minces no words about its feelings towards Kirk, and almost invokes the slash fiction prominent in Star Trek fandom in the 1970s.

The Tribbles Remind Star Trek Fans That Space is Infinite, and Full of Wonders and Terrors

Tribbles Are Cute, But Ecological Disasters

The Tribbles have become one of Star Trek’s most popular alien races. They embody a dichotomy: they are undeniably cute but can also ravage entire ecosystems within a short amount of time. Species like the Tribbles are a stark reminder that space is full of infinite wonders but also infinite terrors. “I Knew You Were Tribble…” makes some stunning revelations about Tribble biology and society, that, while not making them any more dangerous, make them one of Star Trek’s most fascinating species.

Star Trek #500 is on sale now from IDW Publishing.