The basic goal of the Irken race is total universal conquest. They mostly attain this feat with the aid of the Massive, the flagship of their military and personal vessel of the Almighty Tallest. The Massive aids in universal domination via a sort of final attack called the Organic Sweep. The Irkens institute the Organic sweep when one of their own, an Irken Invader, has successfully infiltrated and taken over a planet they intend to conquer, in order to let the rest of the universe know that planet is now Irken territory. The intelligent inhabitants of the planet are forced to work as slaves like short Irkens while the unintelligent inhabitants are simply killed off. The planet is then given a single purpose. Planet Foodcourtia (which presumably had a name, as well as native inhabitants, before it was conquered) became an intergalactic food court, having various restaurants such as Shloogorgh's Flavor Monster, the planet Vort became Irk's top military research prison, and the planet Blorch became a parking structure planet.
The rest of the universe that know of the Irkens refer to them as bloodthirsty, tyrannical and dictatorial, which may be true to an extent. However, the Almighty Tallest and the Control Brains determine what the Irken population thinks through PAK programming. Considering Irkens bloodthirsty and tyrannical is a matter of perspective, because Irken thoughts are actually programmed. Despite this, they do have a brain. Irkens do not sleep though it is not known why.
Earth's designated Irken invader, Zim, is an Irken Defective; because of the "forty schmillion" errors in his PAK, he is not programmed like the other Irkens. He is still extremely militaristic and feels a need to conquer. Therefore it is logical to assume the Irken mindset is focused on universal domination.
The Irken society is very hierarchical. There are several classes of Irkens which can usually be told apart by their physical appearance and height. The Navigators are usually quite tall (but not tall enough to become the Almighty Tallest) while Service Drones are usually quite short. The Irken Empire is ultimately ruled by the Irken control brain, which runs the Smeet hatching facility, chooses new Almighty Tallest when necessary and assigns roles to each Irken by programming their PAK. Although Irken society seems to be highly regimented, it is possible for an Irken assigned to one class to be reassigned by the control brain to another class. There also seems to be no distinction made due to sex in assigning roles as there are several female Irken Invaders.
Day-to-day operations of the Irken Empire are dictated by the Almighty Tallest - who are the tallest Irkens alive and thus are chosen to lead the Irken race. Currently there are two Irkens of the same height so they rule together. The Almighty Tallest seem to have only two fingers, possibly indicating that they can rule the Empire with only two fingers. It appears to be the thumb that is missing.
Shorter Irkens are usually forced to work as service - drones, and are paid as little as five monies every two years. Service Drone Bob is forced to fetch the Tallest drinks, and must wear a table on his head. However, even though Zim is called short by the Almighty Tallest, he is not actually much taller than the other invaders, and is around the same size as Invader Skoodge.
It is theorized that, as the Irkens are a warlike race, they were once ruled by lords with the support of the strongest soldiers. The Tallest and their invaders in modern Irken culture might be the control brains' adaption of this hierarchy.
When a Tallest is killed or incapacitated, the Control Brain will choose the next tallest Irken to take his, her, or in this case their, place.
Biology[]
skeletal structure
Irkens are a humanoid breed of alien whom hold insect-like properties, but are likely not actually insects (however, they are certainly not mammalian, either). Irkens can be best described as insectoids. They have three fingers, though there's an occasional fourth and they seem to have no toes. Irken skin is always green, though there is some difference in its shade, as Zim's skin is darker in color than that of both Tallests, with Tak being exceptionally pale. Their eyes have no whites or pupils, being only a single color, varying from red, pink, blue, purple, green, and yellowish-brown (which seems to be the rarest). Their tongues are long, segmented and almost worm-like, while their teeth are slightly pinkish in hue and interconnected to form two long teeth (smeets, however, have only one small tooth similar to a human child's baby tooth, suggesting that the other teeth grow and interconnect at a later time). The antennae on the tops of their heads are plain in structure, differing between genders; males have simple pointed tips, while female antennae curl at the ends (females also have eyelashes, and their lashes and antennae often vary in shape, size, and style). It is unclear if these are actual genetic differences or just socially acceptable fashion practices. All Irkens are fitted with PAKs, confirmed by Tallest Red, which are placed on the upper back and most have three separate compartments, the largest at the top, likely for easier access. Yet other Irkens may have up to 4 spots and some have as little as none.
PAK[]
The Irken PAK is a device attached to each Irken's spine, which holds the Irken's memory, knowledge, and has some handy tools, too, such as spider legs, a communication device, etc. The PAK is attached to an Irken's spine after birth. If a PAK is detached from an Irken's spine, the Irken will die in ten minutes. The PAK also circulates blood, and can be recycled throughout other Irkens, though the knowledge of the expired Irken is drained first. It keeps track of their station in life. If an Irken's PAK is detached unintentionally, then horrible side effects occur. It may also be what brings them to life. A "cold unfeeling robot arm" attaches the PAK to the spine and proceeds to shock the smeet into life with electricity. It should be noted that the PAK is only compatible with Irken biology. If attached to another creature, the PAK will destroy them in just as much time as it takes for an Irken to die without it, but not before the personality inside of the PAK overwhelms the host.
Featured Tools[]
The PAK can contain any of the following tools:
4 mechanical, spider-like legs which can be used as:
A quick and agile mode of transportation. Also ability to hold on to ceiling with spider legs.
A laser cutter
A shield generator
Sharp weapons
An audio and/or video communicator
An ID and/or monetary transfer plug
A portable container for any variety of personals
A temporary levitation device
Some Irkens, however, such as pilots and the Tallests, have levitators that can be used continuously.
A jet pack
An invisible bubble helmet used for space travel.
A binocular helmet that has Night Vision Goggles built in.
A small robotic arm extending from inside the PAK.
A mini object teleporter that can extract and replace any small object (like an organ).
Diet[]
The Irken diet consists mainly of junk food, and it is possible that Irkens gain nutrients from sugar, as the Almighty Tallest are constantly eating donuts and popcorn, and are not fat at all. However, this may be because of their robotic suits. There are very few overweight Irkens, with a few exceptions, such as Invader Skoodge, Invader Krunk and Invader Dooky. However, Sizz-Lorr is extremely overweight, and he is a Frylord, and has worked in a fast food restaurant all his life. It can be assumed that Irkens thrive off of carbohydrates alone, and the only way for it to negatively effect them is to overeat.
Irkens are seen eating non-fatty foods though, as Irken sandwiches, which look just like Earth sandwiches, except they have the Irken insignia on them.
Organs and Anatomy[]
Ex-scope of an Irken Squeedly-Spooch
The details of the Irken inner anatomy are mostly unknown, save for their 'Squeedly Spooch', which has been confirmed to be one large super-organ, filling the Irken's entire torso and performing almost all bodily functions. It is possible that their equivalent of a heart is separate from the Squeedly Spooch itself. Irken brains look almost exactly like human brains, and exist mainly to control the PAK, being unable to function normally without it.
Irken's blood is most likely a bright green liquid; however, it has been mentioned at some point that Irken blood was a clearish-pink in color.
Since Zim was deemed 'healthy' by the Skool nurse once she checked his thermometer, an Irken's body temperature may be very close to that of humans.
An Irken's skeletal system is almost similar in structure to a human skeleton, but more flexible, durable, and can regenerate and heal much faster. Although Irkens don't have any nostrils, they smell from the same area as humans; either that, or there is a permeable membrane in that area which can detect scents. It is speculated that their antennae also serve this purpose, as well as being meant to pick up sound, though it was never confirmed exactly what the antennae are meant to do (other than express emotion). They are mainly used in the same manner as eyebrows to convey emotion, but it is heavily implied that they pick up vibration.
Irken Invaders have surgically installed ocular implants that enhance their eyes' line of sight.
Genders and Reproduction[]
Irkens are known to be produced through cloning in underground facilities referred to as 'smeeteries'. It is implied that since the discovery of this system, Irkens have lost the ability to reproduce naturally, which would suggest that Irkens were formally a species that reproduced to keep the species going rather than for love. No Irken is ever mentioned as having a mate or offspring.
The Irken race does have two separate genders, but the differences between them are minimal. Males have straight antennae with a single kink at the end, while females have curled antennae (although the style of curls vary) and eyelashes. It is unknown if Irken females have curled antennae naturally, or if it is like human females having long hair, and is for fashion. Irkens can also be defined by their voices, which are clearly either male or female.
The differences between the sexes is not relevant in their society, as it is seen that Irkens are grown artificially and therefore not born naturally. In any event, female Irkens are able to perform military tasks up to and including Invader and Elite classes, the former seen with Invader Zee and Invader Tenn, while the latter is mentioned by Tak. It can be said that, societally, all Irkens are equal in terms of gender.
There appear to be far more male Irkens than female, though again, this may have something to do with the artists rather than the actual gender statistics of the Irken race. Although most scenes from Irk are of military facilites, this may be similar to human armies in the fact that there are more males than females.
Irken skin can kill parasites such as lice, possibly by secreting some sort of protective substance. However, while safe from such pests, their skin cannot tolerate Earth meat, water, or beans, the former burning them terribly and even fusing to their skin. Almighty Tallest Purple claims that Zim almost went blind when meat fused to his eyeballs. They also have negative reactions when exposed to Earth liquids (namely water), though. Actually, it is the pollutants in Earth water that causes the burns rather than the water itself. Paste suffices to completely nullify the effects of tainted Earth liquids. It seems that there is nothing that can protect them from meat.
They sweat similarly to humans and can get zits when the skin is scrubbed by an oily substance (such as cheese or bacon). However, unlike human zits, they can grow to enormous size (as big as a classroom when fully swollen), and are translucent and filled with a vast amount of pus. Irken zits also have hypnotic powers when shaken. It may be just an allergic reaction to certain chemicals, such as a combination of cheese, bacon, and Acne Blast.
Most Earth foods will make an Irken sick, although foods such as waffles, rich in sugar and carbohydrates, seem to be fine if eaten in moderation.
Their appendages can fall off or be removed and that it has no real influence. They can heal at incredibly fast rates, which is why Zim has been heard to say, "As soon as my skeleton stops being broken, I will destroy you!". Zim's eyes have been seen falling out of their sockets before, although they can simply be popped in without any irritation or injury. His arm also snaps off on one occasion, and he seems more bewildered than concerned about the loss of his limb.
Irkens do not sleep, and their PAKs may just keep recharging even when functioning so that they don't have to.
Despite their decades of military training, few Irkens show much prowess in the way of physical strength; although he is only a child, Dib has been shown to be more than capable of pinning Zim down. Therefore, with this in mind, it's possible that Irkens rely on their wits, technology, and sheer number when it comes to battling, rather than any actual physical prowess. However, Zim has, on occasion, shown feats of uncanny strength.
Irkens also are shown to have incredible agility on Earth, and this may be due to (a) Irk's massive size and gravity, (b) genetic enhancements, (c) all of the above. Dib also seems to have this miraculous agility, but that might be due to the fact that he was created/built much like Irkens.
In spite of their apparent weaknesses, however, Irkens appear to have extremely long life spans compared to normal humans, Zim himself being around 160 in Earth years (equivalent to just under 16 years on Irk).
Homeworld[]
Irk is the home planet of the Irkens, and the capital planet of the Irken Empire. A screen showing the Irken Empire depicts a large ringed blue planet in the middle, identified as Irk. This coloring was probably for easier identification.
Physical Characteristics[]
Irk's climate, geography and topography are unknown to us, though it is theorized that with the dominance of the planet by the Irken species, the entire planet has become covered in sprawling cities and metropolises. The sky on Irk is light pink in color, like on Foodcourtia. The idea of rain puzzled Zim at first, indicating that there was no rain, if any water, on Irk. However, Zim and the Almighty Tallest have been seen drinking Irken soda several times. It is also suggested that Irk's sun does not emit Ultraviolet rays, or that Irk's ozone layer is very thick. When Zim stared at Earth's sun to determine which direction is west, his eyes burnt to a crisp, which alarmed him. His reaction was that "they booby-trapped their sun somehow!"
Life[]
The only known organisms of the planet are the Irkens themselves and the Control Brains, who dominate the planet in sprawling cities and metropolises much like the ones on Earth. Irkens are likely to have evolved from insects. However, if Irk is anything like Earth, it will have other species native to it. Zim has made references to other species when speaking in metaphors, however, it is not known if any of these creatures are native to his planet. Also, Irken Smeets are born presumably in a large "birthing facility" (known to be called the "Hatcheries") beneath the surface of Irk. Very few Irkens are tall, only the Tallest are tall, plus a few acceptions.
Orbit[]
One Irken year is equivalent to 10.6 Earth years, meaning that Irk is likely to be farther away from its star than Earth is to the Sun. This may mean that Irk is much colder than the planet Earth. Zim is 16 Irk years, meaning he is 159.9 Earth years. The idea of Irk being distant from its star would suggest the planet has a very low temperature. However, this does not increase the likelihood of water as water requires hydrogen and oxygen to be present on the planet which Irk may be devoid of, though this is again highly unlikely since hydrogen is the single most common element in the universe, with oxygen simmialarly common. Furthermore, it was stated in a previous paragraph of this page that Irk's sun would have to either not emit UV rays or have a very thick ozone layer, however, the first of these is impossible meaning that the ozone layer theory is the only logical choice, proving that Irk must have oxygen in some form. It's also important to note, should both be present, Irk's distance from the sun would mean it would be in a solid state, not unlike liquids on the moons Iapetus and Europa.
Air[]
The Irken PAK allows an Irken to breathe in any atmosphere. Zim needs his spacesuit when he is in the vacuum of space or on a planet where there is little to no atmosphere. However, he is capable of breathing without his PAK, so it can be assumed that there is oxygen or another breathable gas present on both Irk and Earth. But without the PAK, Irkens can only survive about 10 minutes. Irk has an atmosphere, since it has clouds and a pink sky, but the make-up of its air is unknown.
Rings[]
As seen on the galactic map, Irk is surrounded by rings, meaning Irk is likely high in gravity. However, unlike the ringed giants in this solar system, Irk is a solid planet rather than a gas planet. This is probably what gives Irkens their agility on Earth.
View from Space[]
As mentioned above, Irk's view from space is possibly unknown. However, Irk is said to be the dark blue planet with thin red rings in the center of the galactic map. We can assume that this is not its natural color, as all the other planets are a white color, meaning that it's more of a representation than an accurate map. As seen in the opening sequence, assuming it is Irk and not some other planet it is pink and white stripes along with planetary rings.
Government[]
Irk is ruled by the Almighty Tallest, who are technically emperors/empresses. Only extremely tall Irkens are respected on Irk, thus only tall Irkens can have a hand in the government.
They are the leaders of the Irken Empire and have the authority to do whatever they wa
nt, except for ruining the Empire itself or leaving their position. An Irken is chosen to become one when he/she is taller than every Irken alive regardless of his/her social status and abilities. They are thus similar to kings and queens, or emperors and empresses. However, they are more like mere figureheads, as the Control Brains hold all the real power, and their decisions override even the Tallest's.
Standard Gear[]
a uniform which consists of:
a color pattern that seems to be based on eye color
a flat/spherical body armor covering the entire upper body
a capsule like forearm armor with two holes for each finger except for the thumb (which is surgically removed in a ritual)
segmented clothing that tightly squeezes the wearer's abdomen making him/her even taller and thinner (similar to corsets)
a long skirt-like robe that can come in any design
The Control Brains are the ultimate leaders of the Irken Empire, in fact, they're even higher than the Tallest themselves. They can create smeets, reprogram Irkens, and delete them. They also track down the Irkens in the Empire, making sure of where they are. The Control Brains can also make laws in the Irken Empire as well. They resemble very large PAKs.
Military Forces[]
Guards[]
These Irkens seem to be an elite personal guard for the Almighty Tallest. They were in attendance at a large gathering of the Irken Army inside the Massive. When Almighty Tallest Purple decreed that the guy who didn't remember how Zim had messed up Operation Impending Doom I should be thrown out the airlock, the guards swooped down and grabbed someone else and threw HIM out the airlock by mistake. This shows how unprofessional much of the Irken military is.
Irken Communicators/Pilots[]
These Irkens take messages for The Almighty Tallest and they seem to make up all of the bridge crew of the Massive. They are taller than the invaders but shorter than the Almighty Tallest, so it may be that Red and Purple had this job before they became the Almighty Tallest. Most of them have either green or red eyes.
The Irken invaders are an elite corps trained in stealth, infiltration, subversion and disguise. They are the first wave of the Irken assault on any given planet, moving in with their trusty SIR Units to gather information about their assigned planets, by disguising themselves as the creatures that are native to that planet. Irken disguises are not very good, even though they have the technology to disguise themselves perfectly. Eventually, the Invaders try to weaken their host to make the world susceptible to invasion and conquering. The Invader currently assigned to Earth is the aforementioned defective Zim.
Equipment[]
Dermis Prowler Security Droid[]
The Dermis Prowler Security Droid is a robot used by the Irkens to protect their homeworld. They are designed to home in on movement and to attack - and cause intense pain. Zim encountered one of these droids while trying to escape the education chamber and he uses Invader Skoodge as a diversion to help him escape. The damage done to Irk by the droid plunges Irk into 4 years of darkness...an event known now as "Horrible Painful Overload Day Part II".
The Standard Information Retrieval Units are small robots designed to help Invaders subvert their planets. Each SIR Unit has many capabilities - including but not limited to disguise, navigation, combat and thermos.
Maimbot[]
The Maimbot seems to be one of the staples of the Irken military. Unfortunately, we have never really seen what a Maimbot can do against an opponent in combat.
Frontline Battle Mech/BattleMech 4[]
This is the huge Battle - Mech that Zim stole and piloted during Operation Impending Doom I. It requires multiple Irkens to pilot this machine. Zim almost destroyed his homeworld with this device, even though one of the pilots told him that they were still on their home planet.
Megadoomer[]
The Megadoomer Stealth Assault Mech is a unique piece of hardware created by the Vortians. It is a huge robot that looks similar to the BattleMech 4, except this one can be piloted by one Irken, while the BattleMech 4 requires numerous Irkens to pilot it. The Megadoomer is equipped with a powerful cloaking device which allows it to become invisible, and a Doom Cannon to smite its foes.
Plasma Armed Battle Tank[]
Though never seen by humans in action - it is known to be dangerous because Zim wants one and because the Tallest don't want Zim to have one.
Death Wave Canon[]
Like the Plasma Armed Battle Tanks, the Death Wave Canon is never seen in action, though it is probably extremely dangerous.
The Massive is a huge starship and personal vessel to the leaders of the the Irken Empire, The Almighty Tallest. It is from the Massive that organic sweeps are launched to remove the last vestiges of life on conquered planets, and it is the Massive which strikes fear into the hearts of all alien races which have hearts.
The Massive is usually shown surrounded by various smaller Irken craft (the Armada). It was built by Vortian engineers, such as Prisoner 777. The Vortians probably regret building the Massive, as their planet was conquered by Invader Larb, and they are now slaves.
Also known as a Voot Runner. The Voot Cruiser is a standard issue military transportation, scouting and combat vehicle. This is the vehicle that Zim takes from Conventia to Earth on a six month long journey.
The Irken Empire is a bloodthirsty race, as Irkens have a superiority complex and feel a need to conquer other worlds. Because of this, the Empire has many enemies.
The Resisty is an organization created to overthrow the Irken Empire, and the Resisty's members are presumably members of planets conquered by the Irken Empire. The Resisty attempted to pierce a hole in the Massive's sidepods, which is full of snacks, and the ship's one weakness. However, they failed, and merely wrote on the sidepods "RESISTY ROCKS!!!" (which was then washed off).
Smikka Smikka Smoodoo of the Screwhead race attempts to start a rebellion against the Irken Empire, but the furthest he ever gets to starting one is switching the names on two packages. That may sound like nothing, but this actually, if Invader Zim had continued, caused Tenn to be exposed, and a ultimate battle between the Meekrob and Irkens. This would have later build up to Invader Dib. In other words, that act of Resistance may have caused the fall of the Irken empire later.
The only human enemy the Irken Empire has, since the Irkens are aware of the human race's lack of powerful technology, it's obvious they wouldn´t consider Dib an actual threat.
The Irken Empire was originally in alliance with the Vortian race, who supplied the Irken Empire with excellent technology. The Vortians designed The Massive, the flagship of the Irken Armada. However, Zim created Cthulu at Vort Research Station 9, which devoured Almighty Tallest Miyuki, and later Almighty Tallest Spork when it returned to get its collar back. This ended the alliance between the Irken Empire and the Vortian race.
Blob Species[]
The Irken Empire is presumably in alliance with Eric the Blob's species, as Eric installed a bio-scanner on the planet Vort when it had been conquered to make sure that no Vortians escaped. However, some did (presumably Captain Lard Nar of the Resisty) in trash cans.
The Planet Jackers are one of the few races that the Irkens have not tried to directly conquer, nor were they forced into an unequal alliance with them like the Vort (who were eventually conquered outright). They are practically the only race that has been shown to deal with the Irkens on more or less equal terms, signing the Irken - Planet Jacker Treaty with them which prohibits the Planet Jackers from destroying planets marked for conquest by the Irkens.
