Summary

• Borg Queen's multiple faces share memories, resemble bee hives, and manipulate even sexuality - iconic villain.
• Voyager reveals Borg Queen origin, Seven of Nine connection, and Janeway's daring plans with Thompson's chilling portrayal.
• Picard features desperate, lonely Borg Queen using manipulation for companionship; Pill's nuanced performance evolves Borg character.

First introduced in Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen's multiple incarnations have been played by several different actors across the Star Trek franchise. The Borg Queen is the name assigned to the Borg Collective's central nexus, and while they have had different faces across the Star Trek timeline, they appear to share the same memories and personality. The existence of a Queen draws a comparison between the Borg and bees, with the Borg Queen coordinating her drones via a hive mind.

Of all the Star Trek shows that feature the Borg, it was Star Trek: Voyager that revealed most about the Borg Queen. For example, Voyager revealed that the Borg Collective's central nexus was dubbed the Queen by Magnus and Erika Hansen, eminent experts on the Borg and parents to young Annika. The Hansens were eventually captured and assimilated by the Borg, with Annika becoming Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Like Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) before her, Seven retained a complicated link back to the Borg Collective, and the many faces of the Borg Queen.

7 Alice Krige In Star Trek: First Contact

The original Borg Queen. (And the best?)

The first Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige in the 1996 Star Trek: The Next Generation movie Star Trek: First Contact. Surprisingly, for the Queen of a race of emotionless drones, she had a distinct personality and even attempted to seduce Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) with promises of the humanity he craved. The Borg Queen's use of manipulation and even sexuality has defined the character from her first appearance in First Contact to Star Trek: Picard season 2, which speaks to Alice Krige's lasting impact on the character.

In an interview with Star Trek's official website, Brannon Braga explained why the Borg Queen was created for Star Trek: First Contact, saying: "the Borg aren't that interesting for a feature film for two hours because they don't say anything."

It's heavily implied in Star Trek: First Contact that Captain Jean-Luc Picard's assimilation into the Borg Collective as Locutus was an attempt to provide the Queen with a mate - something that was foiled by Picard's resistance to his Borg conditioning during the Battle of Wolf 359. Krige played the role of the Borg Queen as a cold and calculating manipulator, who could seamlessly shift from seduction to ordering the destruction of mankind. As such, despite being destroyed by Data (Brent Spiner) in the movie's climax, Krige's Borg Queen is still the most recognizable incarnation.

6 Susanna Thompson In Star Trek: Voyager

Susanna Thompson got a second chance to be the Borg Queen.

Susanna Thompson had originally auditioned to play the role of the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, but lost out to Alice Krige. However, she got her wish to play the role when the USS Voyager finally entered Borg space during their adventures in the Delta Quadrant. As Alice Krige was unavailable to reprise her role for Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episodes 15 and 16, "Dark Frontier", Thompson was cast instead. In "Dark Frontier", Captain Janeway launches a daring plan to acquire Borg technology that risks Seven of Nine's freedom.

Susanna Thompson's Borg Queen expressed a preference for Seven, stating she was her favorite Borg drone and threatened to assimilate the entire Voyager crew if Seven did not rejoin the Collective. Thompson took Krige's portrayal as the basis for her own performance, and brought new depths to it, adding a twisted maternal fascination with Seven into the mix. This was a perfect counterpoint to Captain Janeway's own maternal relationship with Seven. Thompson reprised the role once more for Star Trek: Voyager "Unimatrix Zero", in which the Voyager crew inspire a group of Borg drones to revolt against their Queen.

5 Alice Krige In Star Trek: Voyager's Finale

Voyager finally secured Alice Krige for Janeway's last battle with the Borg Queen.