History Recap / StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E14TheSlaverWeapon

* DistressedDamsel: When the weapon disables their prison, Sulu and Spock manage to escape, but Uhura gets zapped (''again'') and taken hostage.

* AscendedExtra: Because they were borrowed from Larry Niven (who loaned them to this episode as a lark), the Kzinti never appeared again in a ''Star Trek'' film or television episode (until ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks''' second season) due to licensing restrictions. However, they were still authorized to appear in the ''TableTopGame/StarFleetBattles'' gaming universe. They are one of the major interstellar races and an ally of the Federation (though more of convenience and political expediency than actual friendship like the Gorns), although, here, they do have their own warships, but spend most of their time fighting against the Klingons and the Lyrans. ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' also has an {{expy}} of the Kzinti in the form of the Ferasan race, mentioned to be an offshoot of Caitians who allied with the Klingon Empire (and whose females are fully sentient). ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' would later formally introduce them into canon, with Riker mentioning some trouble with them. [[note]]Of course, this also begs the question of the [[Literature/KnownSpace Slavers']] canonicity in the Trek universe, as [[{{Precursors}} their existence]] would have a huge impact on the official history of the galaxy.[[/note]]
* BizarreAlienBiology: Kzinti have different rib arrangements than humans. Also, their females apparently aren't even sentient. They also have telepaths, who are twitchy and neurotic.

* FalseFlagOperation: The Kzinti claim to be pirates, but are [[{{Privateer}} operating on their government's behalf]] to maintain PlausibleDeniability.

* GameChanger: The Kzinti are seeking a weapon that will enable them to defeat the Federation. It's the mass conversion weapon that gives them this possibility.
* GreatOffscreenWar: The Federation and the Kzinti have had four wars since they first met. The furballs are on the losing side, given that according to their treaties they're not even allowed guns.

* MorphWeapon: The eponymous Slaver Weapon, which is controlled by a little dial on the side. Not everything it turns into is a weapon, though.

* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: Spock mentions that some Kzinti believe that ancient weapons are haunted. Uhura has a good laugh at the idea. The events that they just went through won't help.
* PlotArmor: The Slaver Weapon blows itself up, taking all the Kzinti with it, leaving a massive crater and a huge hole in their ship, but Spock, Sulu and Uhura are all unharmed.

* RoguesGalleryTransplant: This episode puts the Kzinti and Slavers from the ''Literature/KnownSpace'' series into the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' universe
* SelfDestructMechanism: Having been placed in stasis during a war, the Slaver Weapon is reactivated by unfamiliar aliens who don't have the correct passwords. It's sentient enough to conclude that it's been captured by the enemy and self-destructs, [[TakingYouWithMe taking the Kzinti with them]].
* SeriesContinuityError: Sulu claims that humans and Kzinti have been fighting wars for the last two hundred years... which would be one hundred years before mankind even got off Earth, even according to early Star Trek's spotty chronology.
* SwissArmyWeapon: The Slaver Weapon has many settings, with only one or two useful as offensive weapons, the others being more utility functions, to the disappointment of the Kzinti. However (as in the original story), Sulu hypothesizes that this weapon was not a common combat soldier's weapon, but rather like a multipurpose device for an alien counterpart to ''Franchise/JamesBond''.

Uhura, Sulu, and Spock go on a mission to retrieve an extremely powerful weapon.

A re-skin of Creator/LarryNiven's short story ''The Soft Weapon'', with Sulu and Uhura standing in for the Papeandrous and Spock for Nessus. The part of the Kzinti is played by... [[Literature/KnownSpace the Kzinti]], who join the Trekverse because why not? As in the original story, the Kzinti capture the protagonists and confiscate the mysterious AncientArtifact , set about trying to find out its secrets, and discover that the shape-shifting device has the devastating power to convert matter directly to energy. However, when the leader of the Kzinti, Chuft-Captain, tries to get the weapon to reveal the energy-converting setting again after it has been switched into intelligent-computer mode, the weapon, which was intended to be used by a special agent in a particularly merciless war, naturally concludes that it has fallen into enemy hands and instead configures itself for self-destruct. The ''Enterprise'' trio survive, the Kzinti are rather less fortunate.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The timeline of the ''Star Trek'' universe wasn't yet fully developed, or even given much thought at the time this series aired. The idea that the Federation and the Kzinti were at war for over two centuries seems patently absurd now that we have set dates for the discovery of warp drive, first contact, and the founding of the Federation.

* PlotArmor: The Slaver Weapon blows itself up, taking all the Kzinti with it, leaving a massive crater and a huge hole in their ship, but Spock, Sulu, and Uhura are all unharmed.

* SwissArmyWeapon: The Slaver Weapon has many settings, with only one or two useful as offensive weapons, the others being more utility functions, to the disappointment of the Kzinti. However (as in the original story), Sulu hypothosizes that this weapon was not a common combat soldier's weapon, but rather like a multipurpose device for an alien counterpart to ''Franchise/JamesBond''.

* FalseFlagOperation: The Kzinti claim to be pirates, but are operating on their government's behalf to maintain PlausibleDeniability.

** The Slaver box detects another Slaver box nearby. Spock orders then to investigate and they fall into a trap, as the Kzinti have an empty Slaver box. He reprimands himself in the CaptainsLog for having fallen for this SchmuckBait.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Kzinti. Spock banks on it when he escapes, knowing that Chuft-Captain won't phone home for backup to deal with a pacifist vegetarian kicking his behind, but try to [[ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself Kill Spock himself]].

** An early rejected script that script for this episode becam the ''Known Space'' story, ''The Borderland of Sol''.

A re-skin of Creator/LarryNiven's short story ''The Soft Weapon'', with Sulu and Uhura standing in for the Papeandrous and Spock for Nessus. The part of the Kzinti is played by... [[Literature/KnownSpace the Kzinti]], who join the Trekverse because why not? As in the original story, the Kzinti capture the protagonists and confiscate the mysterious ancient artifact, set about trying to find out its secrets, and discover that the shape-shifting device has the devastating power to convert matter directly to energy. However, when the leader of the Kzinti, Chuft-Captain, tries to get the weapon to reveal the energy-converting setting again after it has been switched into intelligent-computer mode, the weapon, which was intended to be used by a special agent in a particularly merciless war, naturally concludes that it has fallen into enemy hands and instead configures itself for self-destruct. The ''Enterprise'' trio survive, the Kzinti are rather less fortunate.

A re-skin of Creator/LarryNiven's short story ''The Soft Weapon'', with Sulu and Uhura standing in for the Papeandrous and Spock for Nessus. The part of the Kzinti is played by... the Kzinti, who join the Trekverse because why not? As in the original story, the Kzinti capture the protagonists and confiscate the mysterious ancient artifact, set about trying to find out its secrets, and discover that the shape-shifting device has the devastating power to convert matter directly to energy. However, when the leader of the Kzinti, Chuft-Captain, tries to get the weapon to reveal the energy-converting setting again after it has been switched into intelligent-computer mode, the weapon, which was intended to be used by a special agent in a particularly merciless war, naturally concludes that it has fallen into enemy hands and instead configures itself for self-destruct. The ''Enterprise'' trio survive, the Kzinti are rather less fortunate.