# Human vs Klingon vs Vulcan - How do they match up physically? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088 "2009-11-10T20:23:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/1 "2009-11-10T20:23:53Z")
If there was a inter-species Olympics how would Humans vs Klingon’s vs Vulcan’s match up in various events like the decathlon etc? Can Klingon’s and Vulcans swim? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/2 "2009-11-10T20:29:35Z")
Klingons were supposed to be the strongest. At least until a middle aged human name Picard started whipping their butts in fist fights. still, I rank them in strength 1. Klingon 2 Vulcan 3 Human in the Original series I recall Spock throwing humans around like rag dolls. He beat the crap out of Kirk in Amok Time ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/3 "2009-11-10T20:39:13Z")
Almost forgot, the Jem’Hadar are even stronger than Klingons there were some great fights on Deep Space Nine ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/4 "2009-11-10T20:45:42Z")
Anyone remember the DS9 episode where Sisko rescues the Klingon General from the Jem’Hadar. Jem’Hadar had kidnapped all these aliens and were testing them in fights to learn their strengths and weaknesses. The Jem’Hadar were the baddest of them all. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/5 "2009-11-10T20:59:53Z")
IIRC humans have better heat resistance vs Klingon’s, cold resistance vs Vulcan’s and better long term endurance (“Enterprise” treadmill race of Quantum vs Catsuit, ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/6 "2009-11-10T23:01:24Z")
Spock presumably swims from the downed Bird of Prey in _The Voyage Home_, and Worf is forced to walk the plank in _Generations_, so they can, at least. As to strength, I assume Klingons are strongest, then Vulcans, with humans somewhere in the middle to lower half of the scale. As with most sci-fi and fantasy stories, we’re the physically unremarkable but plucky species. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/7 "2009-11-10T23:09:08Z")
'd give Klingons the edge in brute force type contests, like weightlifting, shot put, javelin. Vulcans get the edge in endurance events–marathon, that thing where they ski then shoot, stuff like that. Also might give a Vulcan the edge in boxing. Ali’s rope-a-dope is logical, afterall. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/8 "2009-11-10T23:10:45Z")
I always thought Vulcans were stronger than Klingons. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/9 "2009-11-10T23:13:13Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Spock presumably swims from the downed Bird of Prey in _The Voyage Home_, and Worf is forced to walk the plank in _Generations_, so they can, at least. > > As to strength, I assume Klingons are strongest, then Vulcans, with humans somewhere in the middle to lower half of the scale. As with most sci-fi and fantasy stories, we’re the physically unremarkable but plucky species. Spock also got into the tank with the whales and swam with them. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/10 "2009-11-10T23:19:30Z")
I always imagined Spock would be a great pool player. I figure he could easily calculate the angles when hitting the balls. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/11 "2009-11-10T23:38:08Z")
Your average Klingon or Vulcan could beat up the average Human, unless it was Capt. Kirk with a ripped shirt. Once his shirt is ripped, he has the strength of ten Kirks, plus two. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/12 "2009-11-10T23:56:02Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I always imagined Spock would be a great pool player. I figure he could easily calculate the angles when hitting the balls. They are highly coordinated compared to humans(and Ferengi). They kicked the crap of of Cisco’s baseball team ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/13 "2009-11-11T00:02:18Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Your average Klingon or Vulcan could beat up the average Human, unless it was Capt. Kirk with a ripped shirt. Once his shirt is ripped, he has the strength of ten Kirks, plus two. Ok, that Grinch reference made me chuckle. 🙂 I alwaysd thought that Vulcans were actually stronger than Klingons, but Klingons were “tougher”…as in they could take more physical punishment. I wonder where Cardassians fall in this who is stronger stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/14 "2009-11-11T00:31:31Z")
For what it’s worth, that half Klingon engineer Belanna in Voyager beat up a Vulcan in \*pon farr \*once. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/15 "2009-11-11T00:50:32Z")
To be fair, she was suffering from pon farr at the same time (Vorik had tried to rape her by forcing a mind meld, and wound up transferring some of the effects to her), so they were both pretty amped. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/16 "2009-11-11T01:18:00Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Your average Klingon or Vulcan could beat up the average Human, unless it was Capt. Kirk with a ripped shirt. Once his shirt is ripped, he has the strength of ten Kirks, plus two. Damn that’s funny. And true. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/17 "2009-11-11T16:43:21Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I always imagined Spock would be a great pool player. I figure he could easily calculate the angles when hitting the balls. In the ST:Enterprise episode _Carbon Creek_, a Vulcan does play pool against a hapless human, hustling a few bucks to buy food for himself and the rest of his stranded crew. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/18 "2009-11-11T17:21:03Z")
I always figured from a strcitly physical standpoint, the races were somewhat equal - its mor of an attitude thing. The Klingon’s were the football players - they thought/acted and trained aggressive and had little fear for charging into battle. The Vulcans were the Monks (not Adrian, More Quai Chan) - and lived primarily to avoid fighting in favor of intelectual pursuits - but when pressed, had the ability to do some serious asskicking. (Strategy generally beats brute force and all that) Humans - somewhere in between. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/19 "2009-11-11T17:42:45Z")
I was given to understand that Vulcans are something like 6 to 10 times stronger than your average human due to the high Vulcan gravity and their copper-based physiology. I would imagine that would make them faster too, but I’m no physicist. I don’t have a citation for that, it’s just a memory I have from somewhere. Klingons are raised to be _bad ass_. I don’t have the impression that they’re much stronger than either of the other two races, but maybe they are. They’ve got bigger, bonier heads, so maybe they’re really hard to knock out. So, perhaps the outcome of a fight would depend on the relative training and pluckiness of the fighters. A trained fighter who was human or Klingon would have a pretty even chance against each other, but both should be crushed easily by a trained Vulcan. \ This reminds me of a gripe I have about Spiderman II. Spiderman is super strong and if he punches a normal face, that face should just be pudding. I’m sure he pulls punches when fighting normal villains, but he \*really \*wanted to kill the crap out of Doc Oc in that movie, and Oc keeps fighting despite \*not \*having a super-face. \ \ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088/20 "2009-11-11T18:03:13Z")
> [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](#): > > They’ve got bigger, bonier heads, so maybe they’re really hard to knock out. Is the Vulcan grip a factor? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vs-klingon-vs-vulcan-how-do-they-match-up-physically/517088.md?page=2)