Planet Klendathu

The homeworld of the Arachnid species and the focal point of humanity's interstellar war.

Klendathu is the home planet of the Pseudo-Arachnids, or "Bugs", as depicted in the 1997 film Starship Troopers. In Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, the Bugs' homeworld is never named 'Klendathu'; that name originates from the film adaptation. The Bugs are communal beings originating from this world, which is the central battleground in the interstellar war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids. The planet is the source of the Bug species, which consists of multiple castes—workers, warriors, brains, and queens—similar to ants and termites on Earth. Klendathu is the primary target of Federation military operations, as the war is fought against the Arachnid forces that originate there.

Quick Facts

Species origin: Arachnid

Lore & Background

Klendathu is the origin planet of the Pseudo-Arachnids, the alien species known as "Bugs" in the 1997 film Starship Troopers (the novel never names the homeworld). The Bugs are described as communal beings, with a caste system including workers, warriors, brains, and queens, analogous to Earth's ants and termites. While warriors are the primary fighting caste, workers also engage in combat in certain contexts, such as when defending the hive. They are unable to surrender in battle. The novel implies that the Bugs are technologically advanced, possessing spaceships and other technologies. The war between the Terran Federation and the Arachnids is an interstellar conflict, and Klendathu is the homeworld from which the Bugs operate. The Skinnies are initially allies of the Pseudo-Arachnids but later switch to an alliance with humans midway through the war, not near the end. The planet is not described in detail in the source, but it is established as the origin of the Bug species and the setting for the war's central conflict.

Reader's Guide

Klendathu is the homeworld of the Pseudo-Arachnids, the alien species that the Terran Federation is at war with in Starship Troopers. The Bugs are communal beings with a caste system: workers, warriors, brains, and queens. The warriors are the only ones who fight and cannot surrender. The Bugs are technologically advanced, possessing spaceships and other technologies. The war is interstellar, and Klendathu is the origin planet of the enemy. The Skinnies are another alien species, initially allied with the Bugs but later switching to an alliance with humans. The novel does not provide detailed descriptions of Klendathu's terrain or surface features, but it is established as the homeworld of the Arachnids and the central target of the Federation's military efforts. The planet's significance lies in being the source of the Bug species and the focal point of the war.