Do the Borg still carry the same gravitas they once have?

Once upon a time, Star Trek created an alien race known as the Borg and they were considered the scariest, most daunting alien race known to Star Trek fans. They were cyborg zombies, who sought to consume not just the technology of a race, but the alien species themselves. They took away someone's individuality and uniqueness, making them a part of something bigger, regardless if they wanted to or not.

To say that Star Trek created the most scary and unnerving villain of all time would be an understatement. The Borg brought dread with them whenever they were on screen. They were perfect. They tormented Starfleet for years, peaking with Star Trek: First Contact. No one really thought they'd be defeated or would fade from our public consciousness, but that's exactly what happened.

Star Trek: Voyager saw the Borg decimated due to a war with Species 8472, and then due to a collapse of their transwarp conduit hub, their reach was nerfed almost completely. By the time of Star Trek: Picard, they were nothing more than a distant memory, being fueled by the remnant that was the Borg Queen.

Far from the force they were, the Borg tried one last time to destroy Earth but failed. The Picard family seemingly ended the Borg once and for all, but after being fought constantly for 25-odd years, it's fair to wonder if the end of the Borg has come. The Borg don't have the same mystique that they once had. They're not as impactful or as important and the fear that once came with a Borg appearance is gone.

Picard nerfed whatever remnants of the Borg there were left, but the downfall of the Borg arguably came in the 20 years between Picard and Star Trek: Enterprise, when the franchise stopped highlighting them as the villains they deserved to be.

While most of the iconic aliens that Star Trek have found a way to stay relevant, The Borg have not and it's a bit sad that they've seemingly fallen down the hierarchy some. Hopefully, Star Trek finds a way to bring them back with a new edge and a strong twist, designed to bring the horror back to the Borg.