Star Trek TV shows so memorable and timeless. However, with so much material and so many TV shows and movies to work with, Star Trek has introduced some content that never quite stuck.

There have been plenty of missteps throughout the entire Star Trek timeline, and the reasons for narratives not being revisited are varied. Many times, these mishaps involve the introduction of species with vast amounts of unexplained power, and these apparent space gods usually mysteriously appear humanoid and end up troubling the Star Trek canon. First appearing in Star Trek: The Original Series, these kinds of powerful beings' abilities are usually so powerful that defeating them – or even communicating – through ordinary means is impossible, forcing characters to be creative. The difficulty of godlike species is that they aren't complex enough to be interesting.

Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Douwd Are Too Powerful To Bring Back

Kevin Uxbridge's Crimes Prove His Species Holds Too Much Unknown Power

In the TNG season 3 episode "The Survivors," Star Trek: The Next Generation's crew encounters a decimated planet with only two survivors: Kevin Uxbridge (John Anderson) and his wife, Rishon (Anna Haney). After some suspicious encounters, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) makes a connection between the seemingly oblivious survivors and the torturous music haunting Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sertis). Kevin eventually its that he is, in fact, a Douwdm - an immortal being with vast powers, and that Rishon is an illusion. After his wife's death years before, Kevin had instantly annihilated the planet's fifty billion inhabitants with a single thought.

There’s no challenge or desire to such a powerful species' existence, and explaining them would be too difficult for an already complex Star Trek universe.

Kevin's abilities aren't explained, and Captain Picard struggles with asg the Douwd guilt. Picard ultimately allows him to stay with the Rishon illusion, but neither Kevin nor the Douwd are ever seen in Star Trek again. Why did the Dwoud remain undiscovered for so long, and why haven't they reappeared? The problem with the Douwd – and every space god in Star Trek – is that their power of unknown origin isn’t a great storytelling device. There’s no challenge or desire to such a powerful species' existence, and explaining them would be too difficult for an already complex Star Trek universe.

Space Gods Have Always Been A Popular But Troubled Star Trek Trope

Species With Powerful Abilities Are Sometimes Boring

One of the first godlike species, Star Trek: The Original Series' Trelane (William Campbell), hasn't been seen on screen again. While Trelane's godlike species remains unknown, it has often been speculated that he is connected to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Q (John de Lancie), who often returned – an unusual trend for a Star Trek space god. Star Trek has struggled to continue the story of any space god other than Q. Unlike similar characters, Q is a fixed part of Star Trek, but introducing more species like Q would trouble established canon because the unawareness of so many all-powerful aliens would be hard to explain.

John de Lancie reprises his role as Q in Star Trek: Picard seasons 2 and 3.

While godlike species often have appeared in Star Trek, Q's continual returns puts him in the minority among Star Trek's other vastly powerful beings. However, other than the Q, no similar Star Trek species are popular enough to stand the test of time. With such a robust and complex canon universe, explaining the powers of unnamed space gods was too difficult for Star Trek: The Next Generation to easily accomplish.