The Borg Queen (Alice Krige, Annie Wersching) was undoubtedly the most formidable Star Trek villain that Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has already faced. Although the Borg Queen didn't make her debut until Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg have established themselves as dangerous enemies of the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg were organized as a collective of assimilated beings from various species across the galaxy. The Borg Queen was the undisputed ruler of the Collectivewith the main objective of assimilating as many civilizations and technologies as possible.
The omnipotent troublemaker known as Q (John de Lancie) first introduced the Federation to the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 16, 'Q Who'. When Q sent the USS Enterprise-D flying across the galaxy, Captain Picard's crew encountered a Borg cube for the first time. Star Trek: The Next GenerationThe characters quickly realized there was little they could do to combat this new enemy and notified the Federation upon their return. Q's intention was to show Picard how unprepared Starfleet was for the threats that awaited them, and the rest of the Federation would soon learn this truth the hard way.
Why the Borg Turned Captain Picard into Locutus in Star Trek: TNG
The Borg Queen wanted Locutus to be her mate
More than a season after Q introduced the USS Enterprise-D to the Borg, cybernetic drones have returned with a vengeance in the Star Trek: The Next Generation two parts, "The Best of Both Worlds". The Borg kidnapped Captain Picard and assimilated him, transforming him into their mouthpiece, Locutus. The Borg planned to assimilate Earth and thought that having a human intermediary would make the process more efficient. The Borg Queen personally oversaw Picard's assimilation, although this was not revealed until Star Trek: First Contact. As the only individual in a sea of hive-minded drones, the Borg Queen became lonely and wanted to create an equal in Locutus.
Locutus was originally intended to be an intelligent counterpart to the Queen, but Picard continually resisted her attempts to assimilate him, forcing her to transform him into a mindless drone. Picard's assimilation also allowed the Borg to access everything the Enterprise captain knew. about Starfleet and the Federation. With this knowledge, the Borg had a tactical advantage in the battle of Wolf 359, which was devastating to Starfleet. Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and the crew of the Enterprise finally managed to rescue Picard and used their bond with the collective to destroy the Borg cube approaching Earth.
The Borg Queen tried to alter the past on first contact
When the USS Enterprise-E returned to Earth to aid Starfleet in a battle against the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Picard and his crew followed a Borg sphere back in time to stop them from altering the past. When the Enterprise arrived in the 21st century, the crew discovered that Dr. Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) was preparing to launch his first warp flight on April 5, 2063. This historic event would lead to first contact with the Vulcans, who opened Earth to a new era of exploration. The Borg intended to assimilate a defenseless Earth in the past and Picard and his crew decided to stop them.
While Picard led a team to fight the Borg, Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) was captured. The Borg Queen attempted to convert Data to her cause, while Picard mounted a rescue attempt. Picard came face to face with the Borg Queen, as she teased him that she had gotten Data to join her. In the end, Data tricked her and prevented her attack from being successful. Data and Picard then destroyed what they could of the Borg Queen, preserving the proper timeline and paralyzing the Borg Collective in the Alpha Quadrant.
Jean-Luc Finally Defeated the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard
Picard and his team finally put an end to the original Borg queen
Even after suffering devastating defeats in Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek Voyager series finale, the Borg Queen returned in Star Trek: Picard. In Picard Season 2, an alternate universe Borg Queen (Annie Wersching) sent Picard and his friends back in time to restore the timeline that Q had manipulated. This Borg Queen then fused with Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), who has become a new kind of benevolent Borg queen. The original Borg Queen, however, allied herself with the Changelings some time before Picard season 3 and made a plan to fight back at the Federation.
Using Borg DNA that had been dormant in Picard's brain since his time as Locutus, the Changeling/Borg alliance has found a way to remotely trigger assimilation on all Starfleet officers under the age of 25. The Borg Queen lured Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) to her and used him as a beacon to transmit the signal that triggered the assimilation. In the end, Picard confronted the Borg Queen once again and broke his son's connection to the Collective. The Enterprise then destroyed the Borg cube and the Queen, effectively ending the Borg threat in the Alpha Quadrant.
Why the Borg Queen Was Picard's Greatest Enemy
The Borg Queen Got Inside Picard's Head (Literally and Figuratively)
Jean-Luc Picard faced many enemies throughout his life, but none came as close to breaking him as the Borg Queen. Picard's transformation into Locutus haunted him his entire life, even decades later in Star Trek: Picard. As Locutus, Picard oversaw the destruction of 39 Federation ships in the battle of Wolf 359 and the loss of over 10,000 Starfleet members. Although Picard had no control over his actions as Locutus, he continued to feel guilt over his role in this devastating battle. And this was all due to the Borg Queen.
With her intelligence and obvious cunning, the Queen came face to face with Picard as one of the most formidable villains the Enterprise crew has ever faced. With her complete lack of humanity, the Borg Queen had no redeeming qualitiesand she left more of an impression on Picard than any other enemy. Not only did she literally leave Borg DNA in his brain (which he passed on to his son, Jack), but she also caused him severe mental trauma. It took Picard nearly 30 years to defeat the Borg Queen once and for all, making her one of the Star Trek more tenacious villains.