The Rigelians were a warp-capable humanoid species who inhabited the planet Rigel V. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")
Physiology
According to Dr. Phlox, Rigelians have four or five sexes. (ENT: "Cogenitor")
They are known to have shared a similar internal physiology with Vulcans and Romulans. These similarities, notably to Vulcans, included similar blood chemistries. Rigelians also shared a similar neurology to Vulcans and Romulans, as they too were susceptible to the neurological disease known as Tuvan Syndrome. (TOS: "Journey to Babel"; DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")
One of the ancestors of a Human corpse from the 31st century was discovered by Dr. Phlox to be a Rigelian, based on the individual's nucleotide sequence in his DNA. (ENT: "Future Tense")
History and politics
Relationships with other species
During the 22nd century, Rigelians maintained relationships with several Alpha and Beta Quadrant species. By the 2150s, it was not uncommon to find a Rigelian visiting Earth.
In 2154, an Andorian and two Rigelians were attacked on Earth in a wake of xenophobia after the Xindi incident. (ENT: "Home")
Later that year, three Rigelians visiting Earth, who were working for the Klingons, attacked and kidnapped Dr. Phlox from the streets of San Francisco. They later transferred him via a Rigelian freighter to a Klingon ship. The Rigelian kidnappers and their ship were later destroyed. (ENT: "Affliction")
Trade and commerce
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A 24th century Rigelian freighter
The Rigelians independently operated their own freighters during the 24th century. In 2369, one of these freighters docked at Deep Space 9 prior to its mission to the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: "Vortex")
Medical achievements
During the mid-2260s, an experimental chemical stimulant designed to speed up reproduction and replacement of blood in the bodies of certain species was developed and successfully tested on Rigelian test subjects on the planet Rigel V. Although the side-effects included tremendous strain on the spleen and the liver, it was later discovered by Doctor Leonard McCoy to be a viable treatment for producing Vulcan T-negative blood. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")
People
Appendices
Background information
The homeworld of the Rigelians has not been firmly established, but it is known from TOS: "Journey to Babel" that Rigelians were at least present on Rigel V in the mid-23rd century.
A note in the final draft script of ENT: "Affliction", the only episode in which the species appears, described Rigelians as "an often mentioned, but never-before-identified species."
Apocrypha
The Rigelians are a playable species for the Federation in the game Star Trek Online.
The novel Tower of Babel establishes that there were three species of Rigelians. These included:
- The Chelons, a species of tortoise-like reptiles native to Rigel III. These were the Rigellians from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- The Jelna, humanoids native to Rigel V. They had four sexes and were the first Rigelian species to achieve spaceflight. These were the Rigelians seen in I AM ERROR and Star Trek Online.
- The Zami, humanoids native to Rigel IV, but who had also colonized Rigel V. They resembled Humans with slightly pointed ears and had a biochemistry similar to Vulcans. These were the Rigelians mentioned in "Journey to Babel" and "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges". The Kalar were a subspecies of Zami.
All Rigelian species were politically united and the Rigel system was considered to be a crowded and bustling population center in the novels, with its three native species and numerous colonists from other species.