Klingon Foreheads

[TomMazanec]

Is there any in-universe explanation for the "normal" foreheads of the TOS Klingons? Yeah, I know, Gene couldn't get the ridges through the network (he barely got Spock's ears) but is there any canonical explanation?

 

[CupofJoe]

I believe the official word come from Worf, "We do not discuss it with outsiders." [Trials and Tribble-ations DS9]
And no I don't know what the canonical answer is.

 

[Glaysher]

There is an explanation in Enterprise that is was the result of the Klingon Augment Virus, inadvertently created by Klingon researchers who were attempting to bio-engineer enhanced warriors using DNA from genetically-modified Human embryos.

 

[TomMazanec]

It's weird how in ST: Enterprise and ST: Discover they have the foreheads and this is well known.
Then, in TOS they don't have the foreheads, but nobody comments on that.
Then in TNG and the movies they have the foreheads again, but nobody remembers when they didn't.

 

[J-WO]

In my own head canon I've always imagined its a bit like the Ottoman Empire and its Janissaries. The Klingons kidnapped young humans and raised them as klingons. The reason being the K considered directly interacting with humanity beneath them and so they used their smooth forehead 'klingons' in their human foreign policy during the TOS period. Yup, there is a million logical holes in that theory but I'm sticking with it!

 

[Dave]

It's weird how in ST: Enterprise and ST: Discover they have the foreheads and this is well known.
Then, in TOS they don't have the foreheads, but nobody comments on that.
Then in TNG and the movies they have the foreheads again, but nobody remembers when they didn't.

As @Glaysher said, this is explained in ST: Enterprise as a result of the Klingon Augment Virus. How well explained, I'll leave to your own discretion.

Gene Roddenberry himself once said that they were the Northern and the Southern Klingons.

 

[Vladd67]

The fact that actual Klingon characters from TOS appeared in DS9 with ridges does rather put a crimp in the different tribe theory.

 

[Narkalui]

The fact that actual Klingon characters from TOS appeared in DS9 with ridges does rather put a crimp in the different tribe theory.

Same actor too! Makes you wonder how long Klingons live, that character must have been beyond 120 years old

 

[Dave]

Obviously, those Klingon social media stars will continue to to deny that they have ever had any 'genetic work' done on them, despite all the photographic evidence to the contrary, and the expert opinion of top genetic engineers. "For the 500 millionth time... I have only ever done Botox and other injectables and surgery!!" said Kang to the Federation News Network.