Once Pike and the Enterprise arrive at Rigel VII, he, La'An, and Dr. M'Benga beam down to the surface to conduct close-range reconnaissance. There, they are confronted by a group of guardsmen called the Kalar, who are adorned in metal helmets and fur clothing. Once again, these warriors were seen in the original episode "The Cage," though not quite in the way you might expect.
Following Pike's disastrous visit to Rigel VII — after which the events of "The Cage" begin — the ship visits the planet Talos IV. There, Pike is captured by the planet's telepathic inhabitants, and placed inside a false reality to keep him occupied. This reality, we are told, is a recreation of Rigel VII, and it's in this false reality that he meets a warrior called a Kalar: A Viking-like strongman complete with metal helmet, shield, and mace.
Though the Kalar in "The Cage" never speaks, only grunts and growls, it's in "Among the Lotus Eaters" that we learn more about them. The Kalar seen in "The Cage" are not merely the planet's inhabitants, they are the ruling class warriors, while "Field Kalar" toil as laborers, and their helmets are meant to shield them from the planet's memory-sapping radiation. Following Pike's visit, the Kalar came to revere the Enterprise crewman who'd been left behind who now rules them, and has equipped them with Starfleet phaser rifles, replacing their previously primitive weaponry.
