Star Trek saw a lot of Borg in the latest series, Star Trek: Picard, but their influence is far more expansive than you’d think.
Star Trek: Picard saw the Borg make a final dying grasp to try and take over the Alpha Quadrant. After the events of Star Trek: Voyager, the Borg weren’t really a thing people had to worry about and that’s because the Borg had been laying low. Damaged, destroyed, and barely holding on, the Borg Queen made a deal with the Changelings to allow the return of the Borg.
They had a minor foothold near the end of the Picard series, but they were defeated, yet again, thus bringing a probable end to one of the most feared alien races in Star Trek history. While newer fans may not see how the Borg were once this juggernaut of a species, it’s important to remember that their presence changed Starfleet forever.
So much so, that the Borg caused Starfleet to create a warship for the first time since its inception.
The USS Defiant only existed due to the Borg
While all Starfleet vessels are capable of defense and attack, that isn’t their primary function. They’re all meant for exploration to some degree. Then the Battle of Wolf 359 happened and all of a sudden, Starfleet knew they didn’t have the firepower to fend off the Borg.
So Starfleet abandoned its old ethos and created the Defiant class of ships. Small, dynamic, quick, and powerful, the Defiant became Starfleets most necessary cruiser, as it served as the Federation’s first true battleship.
This battleship of sorts became Starfleets number one weapon against the Dominion during the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Had the Borg never attacked the federation, it would’ve been likely that a ship like the Defiant wouldn’t have been created in time, meaning the Dominion War would’ve gone much differently for those involved.