2026 Is The Year Of This Old School Star Trek Alien

Published Aug 11, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 3 - "Human Best Friend"2026 is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, but who could have guessed that it would also be the year of this old-school alien from the final frontier. Thanks to comedic odes in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it has been quite a notable year for the Mugato. The Mutago debuted in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 19, "A Private Little War." Native species of the planet Neural, the Mugato resemble Earth apes, but with white fur and a horned head. The Mugato's bite is also poisonous, and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) nearly died after a violent attack by a Mugato. After their lone appearance in 1960s Star Trek, Mutagos made a surprise comeback decades later in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 4, "Mutago, Gumato," a title that winks at the alternate name for the alien apes. 24th-century Ferengi poachers were killing Mugatos before the crew of the USS Cerritos made the Ferengi realize it was more profitable to open a Mutago nature preserve. Star Trek’s Mugato Costume Appeared In Starfleet Academy & Strange New Worlds Amusingly, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds both featured characters wearing a Mugato costume in 2026, in the third episode of each show's current seasons, no less. It's even possible that the same Mugato costume was used in Paramount+'s last two Star Trek series, although, in canon, they are separated by over 930 years in Star Trek's timeline. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, episode 3, "Vitus Reflux," revealed that, in the late 32nd century, the rival War College's mascot was the Mutago. A War College cadet wore a Mugato costume during their Calica showdown with Starfleet Academy. Later, Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) donned the Mugato suit and infiltrated the War College's dorm so that Starfleet Academy could win their prank war. The Mutago costume came back in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 3, "Human Best Friend." In the 23rd century, Scotty (Martin Quinn) borrowed a Mugato suit to enter a costume party during shore leave at the Cesnar Grand resort. Hungover from inhaling an intoxicating dragon bomb, Scotty awoke the next day with no memory of why he was wearing a Mugato costume. Scotty also dropped a meta joke about the Mugato costume in Strange New Worlds, claiming that he could "still smell" its previous wearer. Since Starfleet Academy likely filmed its prank war episode before Strange New Worlds' The Hangover-inspired comedy, Sandro Rosta was the previous wearer. Although Scotty canonically wore a Mugato suit 900 years before Caleb Mir will. Why Star Trek’s Mugato Made A 2026 Comeback By virtue of being an unusual-looking alien ape, the Mugato was always a popular alien creature from Star Trek: The Original Series. The writers and producers of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds are clearly fans of vintage Star Trek, and both shows found ways to incorporate Mugato costumes into lighthearted episodes. Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment The Final FrontierTrivia Challenge 🚀ShipsEnterprise! ⭐CrewMake it so ☠EnemiesResistance is… ⚡TechWarp speed! 📖LoreLive long… ENGAGE → 01 The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series? ANCC-1701-D BNX-01 CNCC-1701 DNCC-74656 ✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager. ✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager. NEXT → 02 Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character? AData BSpock CTuvok DSarek ✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise. NEXT → 03 Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called? AThe Temporal Accord BGeneral Order One CThe Omega Directive DThe Prime Directive ✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake. ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols. NEXT → 04 “Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called? AThe Borg BThe Dominion CThe Romulans DSpecies 8472 ✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.” ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.” NEXT → 05 Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him? AWilliam Shatner BAvery Brooks CPatrick Stewart DScott Bakula ✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard. NEXT → 06 Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called? ATranswarp Drive BWarp Drive CSlipstream Drive DSpore Drive ✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive. NEXT → 07 At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called? AThe Prometheus Trial BThe Omega Simulation CThe Corbomite Maneuver DThe Kobayashi Maru ✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. ✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario. NEXT → 08 In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain? AKhan Noonien Singh BGeneral Chang CQ DGul Dukat ✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life. ✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record / 8 Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty? ↻ RE-ENGAGE 25 years ago, the Mugato was homaged by lifelong Star Trek fan Ben Stiller. In his male model comedy Zoolander, Stiller named the villain played by Will Ferrell "Jacobin Mugatu". Stiller's spelling of "Mugato" was also a nod to how the white ape-like alien was originally named the Gumato, but DeForest Kelley and William Shatner both pronounced it "Mugato" in their 1968 Star Trek episode, leading to a name change. It's unclear if a Mugato costume appearing in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds in the same year was merely a happy coincidence, or if it was a coordinated effort by the productions of both series. It's also unconfirmed whether it's the same costume shared by both shows, or if Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy's costume designers each made a Mugato suit. As for who wore the Mugato suit best, Caleb Mir in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy or Scotty in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, that's up to the eye of the beholder. However, both Caleb and Scotty answered to "Mr. Mugato" for a little while, giving Star Trek's great white horned ape his moment during Star Trek's 60th anniversary year. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+ Release Date 2022 - 2027-00-00 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman Directors Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman Writers Onitra Johnson Franchise(s) Star Trek Creator(s) Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet