View source for Andorian

{{For|adjectives related to the nation of Andorra|Andorran (disambiguation){{!}}Andorran}}
{{short description|Extraterrestrial from Star Trek}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox fictional race
| name               = Andorians
| sub_races = [[List of Star Trek races#Aenar|Aenar]] 
| image              = ProvingGround1.jpg
| caption            = Commander Shran and crew from the 2004 ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episode "[[Proving Ground (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Proving Ground]]".
| series             = [[Star Trek]]
| creator            = [[D.C. Fontana]]
| home_world         = Andoria
| affiliation        = [[United Federation of Planets]], [[#Empire|Andorian Empire]]
| first_major         =  [[Star Trek: The Original Series]] 
| first_minor         =[[Journey to Babel]]
| first_date          = 1967
|quadrant= Beta, Alpha
|language=Andorian language
}}

'''Andorians''' are a fictional race of [[humanoid]] [[Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrials]] in the American [[science fiction]] franchise ''[[Star Trek]]''. They were created by writer [[D. C. Fontana]]. Within the ''Star Trek'' narrative, they are native to the blue icy Class M moon, Andoria (sometimes referred to as Andor<ref name=ProphetCards>. The moon orbits a gas giant in the Andorian system. The home planet was first referred to as "Andoria" in Act 1 of "[[Prophet Motive]]", and as "Andoria" in Act 3 of "[[In the Cards]]".</ref>). Distinctive traits of Andorians include their blue/green skin, a pair of [[Skull|cranial]] [[antenna (biology)|antenna]]e, and white hair.<ref name="com">{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/database_article/andoria |title=Andoria |work=Star Trek Database |publisher=StarTrek.com |access-date=23 April 2012}}</ref>

Andorians first appeared in the 1967 ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode "[[Journey to Babel]]", and have been seen or mentioned in episodes of subsequent series in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. They were indicated to be a vital, important member of the [[United Federation of Planets]] in the 1997 ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' episode "[[In the Cards]]", but did not gain considerable exposure until the 2001–2005 series ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', on which they were used as recurring characters, most notably in the person of [[List of minor recurring characters in Star Trek: Enterprise#Thy'lek Shran|Thy'lek Shran]], a starship commander who maintained a sometimes adversarial and begrudging friendship with ''Enterprise'' Captain [[Jonathan Archer]]. The series revealed more about Andorian ships, the home world Andoria, and the culture and history of Andorians and their subspecies, the [[List of Star Trek races#Aenar|Aenar]]. The 2004 episode "[[Zero Hour (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Zero Hour]]" established that Andorians were one of the four founding members of the United Federation of Planets.<ref name=ZeroHour>{{cite episode|series=[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]|title=[[Zero Hour (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Zero Hour]]|network=[[UPN]]|airdate=May 26, 2004|season=3|number=24}}</ref>

== Development ==
[[File:JourneyBabel.jpg|thumb|left|Thelev, an [[Orion (Star Trek)|Orion]] assassin disguised as an Andorian, from the 1967 [[Star Trek: The Original Series|original series]] episode "[[Journey to Babel]]".]]Andorians appeared in four episodes of The Original Series, and were background elements in ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' and ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'', but remained largely undeveloped until ''Enterprise''.<ref name="heavy">{{cite web |last1=Zabiegalski |first1=Robin |title=DETAILS: Why the Appearance of the Andorians Changed from 'TOS' to 'Enterprise' |url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/star-trek/tos-enterprise-andorians-makeup/ |website=heavy.com |access-date=19 October 2021 |date=26 March 2021}}</ref>  Showrunner [[Brannon Braga]] originally wanted to limit the number of original series elements on ''Enterprise'', but came to see the challenge of "tak(ing) the goofiest aliens from The Original Series and make them a real culture that’s cool and believable."<ref name="braga">{{cite magazine |last=Saunders |first=Matt |date=August 2002 |title=The Year in Review with BRANNON BRAGA |url=https://archive.org/details/star-trek-communicator-issue-139/page/n23/mode/1up |magazine=Star Trek Communicator |location= |publisher=Decipher Inc. |access-date=19 October 2021}}</ref>

== Appearance ==
[[File:Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan from "Star Trek, Lower Decks".jpeg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan as seen in [[Star Trek: Lower Decks|Lower Decks]].]]
Andorians have blue blood, blue skin, white hair, and antennae on the crown of the skull.  By the time of the 2001 – 2005 TV series ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', the antennae were depicted as protruding from the forehead, and capable of movement, used for [[gesture|gesturing]] and [[vestibular system|balancing]]. The design of Andorians has changed with every new production; including the placement of their antennae, additional makeup appliances, and the blue shade of their skin.<ref name="heavy"/>

== Homeworld ==
Andoria (sometimes referred to as Andor),<ref name=ProphetCards/> is an icy moon orbiting a ringed [[gas giant]]. In a DVD bonus feature for the 4th season of ''Enterprise'', episode writers [[Judith Reeves-Stevens|Judith]] and [[Garfield Reeves-Stevens]] stated that Andor was the gas giant, Andoria the moon, and that this was a conscious effort to address the discrepancy, but continued varying usage across canon, reference, and licensed sources have not fully resolved the discrepancy.

Most of Andoria's cities are built underground to take advantage of [[Geothermal gradient|geothermal]] warmth. Temperatures have been known to reach −28 °[[Celsius|C]] in the summer. Andoria has at least one moon or neighboring planet. Andorians share their homeworld with an obscure telepathic subspecies, [[List of Star Trek races#Aenar|Aenar]], which have either light blue or white skin.<ref name="heavy"/>

The non-canonical ''Star Trek Star Charts'' (2002) cites Andoria as the seventh planet in orbit around the star [[Procyon]] (Alpha Canis Minoris) in the [[Galactic quadrant#Alpha Quadrant|Beta quadrant]],<ref>Geoffrey Mandel, ''Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek'' (NY: Pocket Books, 2002), 52.</ref> but previous material has Andoria as the eighth planet of the orange dwarf [[Epsilon Indi]] in the [[Galactic quadrant#Alpha Quadrant|Alpha quadrant]].<ref>Eileen Palestine, ed., ''Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual'' (NY: Ballantine Books, 1977), 58.</ref><ref name="Shane Johnson 1989">Shane Johnson, ''The Worlds of the Federation'' (NY: Pocket Books, 1989), 22.</ref> Andoria is near [[Betazoid#Betazoid|Betazed]], [[Earth]], [[Tellarite|Tellar]], and [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]].

== Reception ==
In 2017, ''[[Den of Geek]]'' ranked the Andorians the 9th best aliens of the ''Star Trek'' franchise.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-12|title=Star Trek: The 50 Best Alien Races|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-trek-the-50-best-alien-races/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Memory Alpha}}
{{Memory Alpha|Andor}}

{{Star Trek}}

[[Category:Star Trek species]]
[[Category:Fictional extraterrestrial species and races]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1967]]

[[cs:Rasy ve Star Treku#Andoriané]]
[[de:Völker und Gruppierungen im Star-Trek-Universum#Andorianer]]