Original artwork, not a still
Resistance is futile.
— Star Trek: The Next Generation • 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The Borg don't threaten; they inform. 'Resistance is futile' turned the show's villains into an inevitability, and putting it in Picard's own voice made it personal: the one man the crew trusts is now telling them they have lost. Outside Trek it became shorthand for any overwhelming force, from corporate mergers to software updates, and fans chant it at anyone refusing to join in.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Next GenerationShow the scene
The Borg voice says it to Captain Picard aboard their cube in "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I", the third-season finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole. After Picard is captured, the Borg turn him into their spokesman, Locutus, and he appears on the Enterprise viewscreen in the episode's closing minutes. Speaking in broken, halting phrases, he announces that resistance is futile, that the crew's lives as they have been are over, and that they will service the Borg. Riker's order to fire ends the episode on a cliffhanger.
Sources (2)
- Memory Alpha: The Best of Both Worlds, Part ISummary and quotesReference checked
- Memory Alpha: Locutus of BorgLead quote and backgroundReference checked
Context reviewed
