Science fiction has a lot of common ground. Fans can find repeated tropes, character concepts, thematic notes, and narrative inventions across otherwise massively different franchises.Star Trekhas countless iterations of this idea. The premise of a cruel leader killing half of a population in some misguided attempt to rescue the other half from a resource crisis might bring a certain purple gentleman to mind.Star Trekaddressed a similar idea with a healthy dose ofMacbethwhen discussing the Tarsus IV Incident.
One of the strange things aboutStarTrekis theway it handles history. The series often tells stories without flashbacks, telling but never showing details about the distant past. It is, of course, not a show about the past. Time travel aside, many massive events in the timeline appear in the script with little more than a one-off description to go on. This leaves many fans wondering what a glimpse into the past might look like.
What was the Tarsus IV Incident?
Tarsus IV was an inhabited planet that held a Federation colony for humans from Earth. The original timeline offers little detail about its usual operation, but the films add some details. The Tarsus IV colony existed to enable agriculture on the harsh planet. The movies state that Tarsus IV became a safe home for veterans ofthe Earth-Romulan War. Those seeking peace after a period of struggle found a quiet new home. More than 8,000 citizens lived in the colony, many of them having found solace after fleeing a failed previous haven. Their previous home, Epsilon Sorona II, suffered a tragedy that ruined their food supplies. Unfortunately, that nightmare followed them to Tarsus IV in 2246. A hostile fungus or mutagenic virus attacked crops and food storage across the planet. The population faced a famine that could end life on the planet. One man came forward with a solution.
Kodos was the governor of the colony of Tarsus IV. When the mushrooms consumed their food storage, Kodos reverted to an old philosophy. As a eugenicist, Governor Kodos had strong opinions about who should and shouldn’t exist in the human gene pool. He knew that Tarsus IV’s remaining food supply could support half of the existing population.Thinking like Thanos, he believed that he would have to sacrifice 4,000 so that the other 4,000 could live. He personally selected 4,000 of his own people and executed them. The script mentions an antimatter chamber as his method, promising an instantaneous death for every victim. In a horrible twist, Federation supply ships arrived earlier than expected, providing more than enough food to save every person on Tarsus IV.His terrible philosophyand rash decision-making led to thousands of needless deaths. Earth Forces found a burned body in the governor’s home and assumed Kodos died in the incident. Tarsus IV would later become a destination for various shipping vessels.
“The Conscience of the King”
Air Date
July 06, 2025
Star Trekaddressed the Tarsus IV Incident in the season one episode “The Conscience of a King.” The episode features one of the great elevator pitches of the early franchise.James Kirk was oneof many survivors who left Tarsus IV. Only nine of the 4,000 could positively identify Kodos, four of whom mysteriously died. Through the advice of an old friend and fellow survivor, Kirk finds Kodos living a new life as an actor in a traveling Shakespeare company. This leads Kirk to an encounter with Kodos, now going by Anton Karidian, and his daughter, Lenore. After attending a party for the actors, Kirk and Lenore find Kirk’s friend dead.
Spock discovers that seven of the nine Tarsus IV survivors who could identify Kodos turned up dead. Only Kirk and Lt. Kevin Riley could still find the governor. Through an investigation, he discovers connections between all seven deaths andthe traveling Shakespeare troupe. Suddenly, someone poisons Riley and rigs a phaser in Kirk’s quarters to explode. Kirk confronts Karidian, and while he doesn’t admit to being Kodos, he defends the decision to kill 4,000 people. A vocal scan proves a near-perfect match between Kodos and Karidian. Riley later overhears McCoy talking about Karidian and chases him down to avenge his family. Kirk defuses the situation but discovers that Lenore has been killing witnesses to Karidian’s past transgressions. When Kirk moves to arrest them, Lenore steals a phaser to attack. Karidian throws himself in the path of the blast,sacrificing himself to save Kirk. The eugenicist monster, who unnecessarily killed thousands, gave his life to atone for his daughter’s sins. Lenore suffered a mental breakdown, convinced that her father lived on and continued performing.
The Tarsus IV Incident is a lesson against several forms of terrible leadership. Kodos' decision would have been unthinkable even if it hadn’t been immediately invalidated. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s hard not to imagine him looking for an excuse to execute his citizens. Kodos bizarrely tried to redeem himself, and though thesafety of one personhardly erases the Tarsus IV Incident, it’s better than staying the course. Perhaps he learned a few things from his time on the stage. The King developed a conscience far too late.
