Star Trek's Trelane Actor Also Played A Second TOS Villain In The Very Next Season (& Again 27 Years Later)

William Campbell memorably played Trelane, the Squire of Gothos, in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, and he returned as a different villain the next season. Star Trek: The Original Series contains several classic episodes, especially in its first two seasons. Star Trek season 1's "The Squire of Gothos" is a highlight, and season 2's "Trials and Tribble-ations" is an all-time classic. Both feature William Campbell as distinctive villains.

In Star Trek: The Original Series season 1's "The Squire of Gothos," Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Starship Enterprise are lured to the planet Gothos by Trelane. A being who possesses incredible powers, Trelane toys with Kirk and grows exceedingly dangerous. Trelene is eventually revealed to be a petulant child, and a member of an unidentified species, although many Star Trek fans speculate that Trelane may be part of the Q Continuum introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

William Campbell Played The Klingon Koloth Just 1 Star Trek Season After Playing Trelane

Captain Koloth Had A Familiar Face

William Campbell returned to Star Trek: The Original Series in season 2 as Captain Koloth in the comedic romp, "The Trouble With Tribbles." The Klingon Captain was a foil to Captain Kirk when he called for shore leave rights on Deep Space Station K-7. Although Koloth and the Klingons seemed to be the episode's heavies, it was actually a different Klingon spy disguised as a human named Arne Darvin (Charlie Brill) working to sabotage the United Federation of Planets' development of Sherman's Planet.

William Shatner as Captain Kirk with Klingon Kor in Star Trek: The Original Series

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Despite his goatee and Klingon attire, William Campbell is easily recognizable from his prior Star Trek outing as Trelane. No hair and costume can disguise Campbell's distinctive voice. Even as a threatening Klingon, Campbell played Koloth as surprisingly polite and well-spoken, referring to his adversary as "My dear Captain Kirk." There are clear hints of William's performance as Trelane that carried over into how he played Koloth.

William Campbell's Koloth Was Supposed To Be A Recurring Star Trek Villain

Koloth Was Planned To Be Captain Kirk's Main Klingon Adversary

William Campbell as Koloth confronts Kirk in Star Trek

Trelane was a one-and-done Star Trek villain, but there were grander plans for the Klingon Captain Koloth. Star Trek's executive producer Gene L. Coon originally wanted to introduce William Campbell as the Klingon in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1's "Errand of Mercy," which was the Klingons' debut as Star Trek villains. However, it hadn't been long enough since Campbell portrayed Trelane for him to come back as a different character.

John Colicos portrayed the Klingon Commander Kor in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Errand of Mercy" instead.

William Campbell waited 18 months to return to Star Trek as Captain Koloth, and he was supposed to be Captain Kirk's recurring main Klingon adversary. However, those plans were nixed when Gene L. Coon left Star Trek and was replaced by Fred Freiberger as executive producer in season 3. William Campbell did return to voice Koloth in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode, "More Tribbles, More Troubles."

William Campbell Returned As Koloth In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Koloth Was Now A Klingon Dahar Master

William Campbell as Koloth in Star Trek Deep Space Nine

27 years after his debut as Captain Koloth in Star Trek: The Original Series, William Campbell returned as the aged Klingon warrior in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2's "Blood Oath." Now a Dahar Master, Koloth joined his fellow Klingons from TOS, Kor and Kang (Michael Ansara) on a final mission against a Klingon Albino to fulfill a blood pact the trio made in the 2290s. Koloth and Kang died their glorious deaths in battle on DS9, ending both of their Star Trek stories.

On Star Trek; Deep Space Nine, Koloth, Kang, and Kor now resemble the redesigned Klingons that began in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

However, William Campbell returned one more time as Captain Koloth in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's season 5 classic, "Trials and Tribble-ations." Incorporating footage from Star Trek: The Original Series, DS9 inserted Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his crew into the 1960s Star Trek episode to witness Captain Kirk's encounter with Koloth and the Tribbles. William Campbell's 1967 performance as Koloth helped Star Trek: Deep Space Nine mark Star Trek: The Original Series' 30th anniversary.