The 10 Strongest Races On The Orville, Ranked

With season 3 of The Orville set to debut in March 2022, fans of the series have a lot to look forward to. A major hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic has kept the series on ice, but now’s the time to go back and revisit the Orville universe, and its many species which comprise the bulk of the story.

Not all these races are equal in terms of strength, and some are dangerous enough to threaten the entire galaxy. The next season will undoubtedly introduce powerful new species to the show’s universe, but the existing ones are all powerful in their own right, for various reasons.

10 Navarians

At first glance, Navarians appear to be quite intimidating, with large ridges and bone-like protrusions from leathery skin. However, they’re one of the most polite and accommodating races in the Orville universe, with only one known enemy – the Bruidians.

The conflict between the two races waged for a prolonged period of time, and focused largely on the quest to control the planet Lopovius. Eventually, the Orville crew managed to broker peace by using some clever methods. If the Navarians ever waged war on a galactic scale, they might become a threat, but their well-mannered culture seems to suggest otherwise.

9 Bruidians

The Bruidians represented the other half of a grueling war with the Navarians over control for the planet Lopovius. By contrast, this race was much more blunt and antagonistic, and that played out in everything from their culture to their starship designs.

As such, the Bruidians are technically a stronger race than the Navarians, even though both share the same DNA origins. They are more militaristic in nature, and their willingness to wage war would make them a larger threat if they decided to take their campaign galaxy-wide.

8 Humans

Ever-resourceful and infinitely adaptable, the human race managed to overcome its trials and hurdles to become a spacefaring race, operating within the Planetary Union Council. They eventually achieved quantum drive propulsion, allowing them to explore the universe and broaden the species’ horizons.

As expected, humans are less physically strong than many other races in the Orville galaxy, which means they are forced to rely on ingenuity and adaptation in order to succeed. Humans drive the narrative of the series, relying on the same formula that made Star Trek such a storytelling hit.

7 Moclans

Moclan society is largely humorless, with a strong focus on a military-industrial complex. This makes them a threat in terms of galactic scale, even if they do appear to be an overly reasonable species. However, their cultural norms border on fanaticism, which is a slippery slope to tyranny.

As such, Moclans are regarded as a controversial species within the Union, but their weapons technology and contributions to spacefaring civilizations make this tolerable. Physically, Moclans are quite strong, though they do pale in comparison to other species.

6 Chak’tal

Any species willing to go to war with the Krill is one to be feared, and the Chak’tal are no exception. Largely unknown to the Union, this mysterious species prefers to keep to itself while waging war with its Krill neighbors. They are more animalistic in origin than other species, relying on things like olfactory senses to hunt prey.

The Chak’tal would become a massive threat if they ever expanded. In fact, it was the expansion by Krill into Chak’tal space that triggered the conflict, and the Krill have taken significant losses because of it.

5 Krill

The Krill are essentially Star Trek’s Romulan Empire set in the Orville universe. Believing themselves to be superior by divine right, they seek to expand through the galaxy, even if means threatening and subduing other worlds in the process. Their fanatical religious ideology was tied directly to their military strength.

This meant that the Krill were one of the primary threats to the Union, and encounters with their vessels usually ended badly. Thankfully, the Union appeared to strike a peace deal with the Krill, thanks to the Lak’vai Pact of Tarazed 3. The question is whether the peace between these worlds will hold.

4 Xelayans

Despite their incredible physiological power, Xelayans were largely an academic species focused on the pursuit of intellectualism as opposed to military service. As such, Xelayan culture frowned upon any career choice that did not involve scientific or artistic pursuits.

Their physical prowess was a byproduct of their home planet’s massive gravity. Upon leaving their world, Xelayans could achieve feats of strength that were considered superhuman. Their skin was also dense enough to prevent damage from gunshots. If the Xelayans ever became a warlike species, the rest of the galaxy would be in trouble.

3 Tzel

The Tzel were an insectoid race that waged a bloody war with the Union during the 24th century. They resembled gigantic caterpillars with sharp appendages that could skewer their enemies, and their bodies were tough enough to withstand fire from plasma weapons.

They were first mentioned in the Orville comic book series New Beginnings, and have yet to feature in the actual TV show. However, if the Tzel do make a comeback in season 3 of The Orville or beyond, they will become one of the biggest dangers the series has ever seen.

2 Benzians

Little is known of the Benzians at this point, save for an appearance in season 1, but they are definitely one of the most powerful races in the Orville universe. It helps that they’re from the 29th century, which grants them extremely powerful technology that the Union cannot possibly match.

The Benzians may make a reappearance in future episodes of The Orville, and they have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. It remains to be seen whether their culture will be expanded on, but as of now, their technological superiority alone makes them a threat.

1 Kaylon

The Kaylon proved themselves to be The Orville’s most dangerous foe thus far. They are essentially a cross between Star Trek’s androids like Commander Data, and the fearsome Borg, with a heavy emphasis on the latter. Though they first appeared benevolent, the Kaylon are now an enemy that has tipped the balance of power in the quadrant.

In contrast to other technologically superior races like the Calivon, the Kaylon are quite willing to wipe out all sentient species in the galaxy, whom they believe will stunt their evolution as a machine race. They were even cold enough to slaughter their own creators, the Builders, in order to ascend as an independent race.

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