TNG's tattooed aliens return for the first time in 35 years

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 5, episode 5 - "Starbase 80?!"

Star Trek: Lower Decks brought back numerous aliens from Star Trek: The Next Generation, including the tattooed Acamarians. In Lower decks Season 5, Episode 5, "Starbase 80?!," the USS Cerritos is forced to travel to the infamous Starbase 80 when its navigation system malfunctions. When the Cerritos crew arrives, Station Commander Kassia Nox (Nicole Byer) greets them and shows them around the station. Due to its remote location, Starbase 80 has been neglected by Starfleet and is in desperate need of upgrades and repairs.

While Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) try to track down the parts needed to repair the Cerritos, Lieuts. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) explore the station with Nox, helping with repairs. As they walk through the station's shopping area, Boimler points out a group of grumpy-looking Acamarian gang members. This causes Nox to share the "curiosity" that the remote Starbase 80 has a large Acamarian population thanks to "an old negotiation hiccup" this gave them control of half the starbase.

Star Trek: TNG's Acamarians Explained

Most Acamarians have distinctive facial tattoos.

Introduced in TNG season 3, episode 9, "The Vengeance Factor", the Acamarians had strong ties to their clans, which often resulted in blood feuds and other conflicts. Some time before its introduction into TNG, however, the Acamarians achieved relative peace, although not all of the society's citizens were happy about it. Some Acamarians refused to be part of their new peaceful society, instead choosing to become invaders and looters. These groups became known as the Collectors and rejected any attempt to reunite with the rest of Acamar III.

After the Collectors invaded a Federation outpost, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew became embroiled in the conflict. Picard eventually convinced both sides to unite, and despite an assassination attempt at the peace negotiations, the Collectors finally agreed to return home. "The Vengeance Factor" marks the Acamarians' only appearance until your return in Lower decks. Although "Starbase 80?!" doesn't offer much more information about their species, the Acamarians on the starbase look more like nomadic Collectors than their more peaceful counterparts.

Star Trek: Lower Decks brought back other TNG aliens

Lower Decks feels like a spiritual successor to TNG

Star Trek: Lower Decks takes place just one year after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and the show makes the most of its place in the TNG was. In addition to presenting some Star Trek most famous aliens, like the Klingons and Vulcans, Lower decks also brought back some TNG's more obscure exotic species. For example, Pakleds, first introduced in TNG Season 2, Episode 17, "Samaritan Snare", returned as antagonists in Lower decks seasons 1 and 2. The notoriously dumb aliens have been involved in conflicts with the USS Cerritos and the USS Titan.

In Lower decks In Season 2, a Tamarian named Lieutenant Kayshon (Carl Tart) became the first of his kind to serve in Starfleet after Captain Picard helped establish communication with the Tamarians in TNG Season 5, Episode 2, "Darmok". Kayshon serves as a security officer in Cerritos, and his Tamarian metaphors sometimes confuse the universal translator. Each episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks overflows with often niche references to the past Walk, and the animated comedy brought back several species that only appeared once in the TNG.