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* Marc Alaimo highly valued the opportunities to play Dukat, referring to the character as "a good role." He continued, "''I really like Dukat. I try to deal with him very objectively. I like him to walk the line, if you know what I mean. I don't want him to be one-dimensionally evil and I don't want him to be goody two-shoes, either. I want him to be a rational, intelligent Cardassian [....] I try to play him closer to that. I don't think of Dukat as a villain at all. I think he does things his way. He's used to a Cardassian rhythm where things are not questioned and people do as they're told. That's interesting. I like that. As long as the writers keep him interesting, I'll keep playing him. I think the writers like him, too [....] There's a tremendous sensuality to the character, don't you think?''" Alaimo didn't base his performance as Dukat on anyone in particular. Neither did he create a back story for the character, mostly leaving it up to the writers to do so. Of course, the actor did, however, add certain qualities to the portrayal. The performer added, "''I have tried to instill a little bit of softness into him, a little playfulness [....] I would like to keep instilling little things to which people can relate and show his different dimensions.''" The character's flexibility was what Alaimo loved about the part. "''I can have him do ''anything'',''" Alaimo remarked. "''He doesn't have to be mean. I can try to instill that softness and playfulness into him.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, pp. 49 & 50) Not thinking of Dukat as a villain whatsoever, Alaimo considered the character more of an opportunist. ("Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12) The actor elaborated, "''I've tried to play him with some sort of sensitivity. I could have gone one-dimensionally aggressive and mean and ugly with this character if I'd chosen to. I have the feeling that's what they kind of wanted. I thought, 'I've done that a hundred and fifty times already.' So I wanted to give him some dimension, some depth, and I think it's worked very well [....] I think Gul Dukat even thinks that a lot of what his race does is evil. He understands the difference. Then again, in war – in a fight – Gul Dukat is unbeatable. He won't stop until he wins, and that's the Cardassian philosophy [....] But when he's not in that situation [of war], I would think he's a very reasonable, sensitive and thinking Cardassian.''" Alaimo found Dukat very unpredictable, because the producers of DS9 didn't communicate with him very often and the character itself seemed highly unstable to him. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51-52) The actor remarked about Dukat, "''You never know quite if he's going to be aggressive, if he's going to be sensitive, if he's going to be passive, you never quite know which way he's going to go. That's what I love about him. Originally when first I started doing this, I could have taken a very one dimensional point of view about this character, and just played him. 'I'm going to rip your arms and legs off and eat them, right in front of you.' I could have done that. It would have been easy. But I began to see little interesting things about him, to give him texture and some different colors, and something people could really relate to. It's all turned out very well. I think he's really turned into a very interesting character [....] A lot of people assume that I am bad, that I am a heavy on the show, and I don't think so at all. If [Dukat] is pushed into the corner he can get real mean. That's part of his nature [....] So Dukat's a fighter. But he's fair, he's sensitive, he's intelligent, he's reasonable.''" While playing Dukat, Alaimo particularly liked the character's use of language and the opportunities which the series allowed for dealing with extremely mature topics. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51 & 52) In {{y|2003}}, Alaimo commented on his portrayal of Dukat, "''I thought the character was terrific. It was one of the first times I'd been able to really sort of expand a multifaceted character like that, instead of one dimensional, which is I think the way they wanted to go with Dukat in the beginning, but I started to sort of branch off emotionally, and they picked up on it, and they gave me all these wonderful multifaceted character moments. I was pretty proud of my work throughout the whole seven years of it.''" (Hidden File 01, [[DS9 Season 7 DVD]] special features)
 
* Marc Alaimo highly valued the opportunities to play Dukat, referring to the character as "a good role." He continued, "''I really like Dukat. I try to deal with him very objectively. I like him to walk the line, if you know what I mean. I don't want him to be one-dimensionally evil and I don't want him to be goody two-shoes, either. I want him to be a rational, intelligent Cardassian [....] I try to play him closer to that. I don't think of Dukat as a villain at all. I think he does things his way. He's used to a Cardassian rhythm where things are not questioned and people do as they're told. That's interesting. I like that. As long as the writers keep him interesting, I'll keep playing him. I think the writers like him, too [....] There's a tremendous sensuality to the character, don't you think?''" Alaimo didn't base his performance as Dukat on anyone in particular. Neither did he create a back story for the character, mostly leaving it up to the writers to do so. Of course, the actor did, however, add certain qualities to the portrayal. The performer added, "''I have tried to instill a little bit of softness into him, a little playfulness [....] I would like to keep instilling little things to which people can relate and show his different dimensions.''" The character's flexibility was what Alaimo loved about the part. "''I can have him do ''anything'',''" Alaimo remarked. "''He doesn't have to be mean. I can try to instill that softness and playfulness into him.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, pp. 49 & 50) Not thinking of Dukat as a villain whatsoever, Alaimo considered the character more of an opportunist. ("Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12) The actor elaborated, "''I've tried to play him with some sort of sensitivity. I could have gone one-dimensionally aggressive and mean and ugly with this character if I'd chosen to. I have the feeling that's what they kind of wanted. I thought, 'I've done that a hundred and fifty times already.' So I wanted to give him some dimension, some depth, and I think it's worked very well [....] I think Gul Dukat even thinks that a lot of what his race does is evil. He understands the difference. Then again, in war – in a fight – Gul Dukat is unbeatable. He won't stop until he wins, and that's the Cardassian philosophy [....] But when he's not in that situation [of war], I would think he's a very reasonable, sensitive and thinking Cardassian.''" Alaimo found Dukat very unpredictable, because the producers of DS9 didn't communicate with him very often and the character itself seemed highly unstable to him. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51-52) The actor remarked about Dukat, "''You never know quite if he's going to be aggressive, if he's going to be sensitive, if he's going to be passive, you never quite know which way he's going to go. That's what I love about him. Originally when first I started doing this, I could have taken a very one dimensional point of view about this character, and just played him. 'I'm going to rip your arms and legs off and eat them, right in front of you.' I could have done that. It would have been easy. But I began to see little interesting things about him, to give him texture and some different colors, and something people could really relate to. It's all turned out very well. I think he's really turned into a very interesting character [....] A lot of people assume that I am bad, that I am a heavy on the show, and I don't think so at all. If [Dukat] is pushed into the corner he can get real mean. That's part of his nature [....] So Dukat's a fighter. But he's fair, he's sensitive, he's intelligent, he's reasonable.''" While playing Dukat, Alaimo particularly liked the character's use of language and the opportunities which the series allowed for dealing with extremely mature topics. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51 & 52) In {{y|2003}}, Alaimo commented on his portrayal of Dukat, "''I thought the character was terrific. It was one of the first times I'd been able to really sort of expand a multifaceted character like that, instead of one dimensional, which is I think the way they wanted to go with Dukat in the beginning, but I started to sort of branch off emotionally, and they picked up on it, and they gave me all these wonderful multifaceted character moments. I was pretty proud of my work throughout the whole seven years of it.''" (Hidden File 01, [[DS9 Season 7 DVD]] special features)
 
* To prepare for assuming the role of Dukat, Marc Alaimo routinely had to endure several hours in which makeup was applied to him and he was fitted into his Cardassian costume. Wearing the Dukat makeup was no problem for Alaimo, as he had many years' experience with such makeup for stage productions. (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, pp. 50 & 51) "''Dukat is hard to schedule, because I put in long hours,''" he admitted. "''I've had to be there at two o'clock in the morning, in the beginning [....] I remember being at the studio at two o'clock in the morning. Nobody's there. I liked that though [....] I had to be there so early to be on the set when they started shooting, at six or seven [....] It used to be a scheduling problem with Dukat, because they have to give actors twelve hours turnarounds [twelve hours off]. They couldn't do it with me oftentimes because of the makeup.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53)
 
* To prepare for assuming the role of Dukat, Marc Alaimo routinely had to endure several hours in which makeup was applied to him and he was fitted into his Cardassian costume. Wearing the Dukat makeup was no problem for Alaimo, as he had many years' experience with such makeup for stage productions. (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, pp. 50 & 51) "''Dukat is hard to schedule, because I put in long hours,''" he admitted. "''I've had to be there at two o'clock in the morning, in the beginning [....] I remember being at the studio at two o'clock in the morning. Nobody's there. I liked that though [....] I had to be there so early to be on the set when they started shooting, at six or seven [....] It used to be a scheduling problem with Dukat, because they have to give actors twelve hours turnarounds [twelve hours off]. They couldn't do it with me oftentimes because of the makeup.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53)
* Ira Steven Behr was impressed by Marc Alaimo's approach to portraying Dukat. "''What's interesting is that Marc Alaimo plays Dukat like he's the hero of the TV series,''" Behr commented. "''You listen to Marc talk about Dukat, and it's totally different than I see the character, but he brings that to it and adds a whole other level to it.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', p. 107) Behr clarified, "''In Dukat's mind, Dukat is the hero of every episode he appears in.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 10) On the other hand, Behr said, "''Dukat is not a nice man. He is not a sensitive man. He likes to ''act'' like a sensitive man, but he's a man of appetites to whom public image is very important, much more important than the truth [....] I find him reprehensible myself.''" Behr also found Dukat was a fascinating character to structure episodes around. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 308) "''He's a ''Nazi'', folks!''" Behr exclaimed. "''He's not a good German. He's a ''Nazi''. Alaimo is the shining example of the actor who's trying to turn his character one way and we're turning it the other, and he gives interviews about how his character would be one-dimensional if left our hands. It's a weird thing, but he's great. He's a great Gul Dukat.''" Alaimo objected to Behr comparing Dukat to a Nazi, believing the statement was far too strong. ("The Producer's View" & "Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
+
* Ira Steven Behr was impressed by Marc Alaimo's approach to portraying Dukat. "''What's interesting is that Marc Alaimo plays Dukat like he's the hero of the TV series,''" Behr commented. "''You listen to Marc talk about Dukat, and it's totally different than I see the character, but he brings that to it and adds a whole other level to it.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', p. 107) Behr clarified, "''In Dukat's mind, Dukat is the hero of every episode he appears in.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 10) On the other hand, Behr said, "''Dukat is not a nice man. He is not a sensitive man. He likes to ''act'' like a sensitive man, but he's a man of appetites to whom public image is very important, much more important than the truth [....] I find him reprehensible myself.''" Behr also found Dukat was a fascinating character to structure episodes around. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 308) "''He's a ''Nazi'', folks!''" Behr exclaimed. "''He's not a good German. He's a ''Nazi''. Alaimo is the shining example of the actor who's trying to turn his character one way and we're turning it the other, and he gives interviews about how his character would be one-dimensional if left in our hands. It's a weird thing, but he's great. He's a great Gul Dukat.''" Alaimo objected to Behr comparing Dukat to a Nazi, believing the statement was far too strong. ("The Producer's View" & "Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12) Behr also said, "''Dukat is a self-deluded, opportunistic, egomaniacal sadist. In other words, he is the Richard Nixon of ''Deep Space Nine''. He will do whatever it takes to come out on top.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 427)
 
* Occasionally, Dukat's motivations mirror those of historic figures. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 308)
 
* Occasionally, Dukat's motivations mirror those of historic figures. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 308)
 
* Dukat underwent extensive character development during [[DS9 Season 2]]. During or after that season, Ira Steven Behr commented, "''It's amazing that [Cardassian Gul] Ducat started out in the beginning of the season on monitors for the most part. He was just this little head and this character has grown so much.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 25/26, No. 6/1, p. 100) Dukat's involvement in season two included two highlights for Marc Alaimo, who revealed, "''I've really enjoyed it [playing the 'bad guy of the week'], particularly 'Necessary Evil' and 'The Maquis'.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', p. 73) The use of Dukat in second season two-parter {{e|The Maquis, Part I}} and {{e|The Maquis, Part II}} gave him something of a "nice guy" image and seemed to suggest the DS9 writing staff was experimenting with the idea of making the Cardassian a more frequently recurring character. "''I totally agree,''" stated Alaimo. "''I'd rather not just keep coming back to guest. If I'm going to do the show, I'd like to be a part of the team. And I think Dukat would be a really interesting addition, because he's got so much power.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', pp. 73 & 86)
 
* Dukat underwent extensive character development during [[DS9 Season 2]]. During or after that season, Ira Steven Behr commented, "''It's amazing that [Cardassian Gul] Ducat started out in the beginning of the season on monitors for the most part. He was just this little head and this character has grown so much.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 25/26, No. 6/1, p. 100) Dukat's involvement in season two included two highlights for Marc Alaimo, who revealed, "''I've really enjoyed it [playing the 'bad guy of the week'], particularly 'Necessary Evil' and 'The Maquis'.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', p. 73) The use of Dukat in second season two-parter {{e|The Maquis, Part I}} and {{e|The Maquis, Part II}} gave him something of a "nice guy" image and seemed to suggest the DS9 writing staff was experimenting with the idea of making the Cardassian a more frequently recurring character. "''I totally agree,''" stated Alaimo. "''I'd rather not just keep coming back to guest. If I'm going to do the show, I'd like to be a part of the team. And I think Dukat would be a really interesting addition, because he's got so much power.''" (''[[Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages]]'', pp. 73 & 86)
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* Upon entering [[DS9 Season 5]], Ira Behr meant for the show's writers to resolve, during the course of the season, the danger of making Dukat seem overly relatable and essentially human. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 4) "''Yes, it was nice that he was a swashbuckling pirate for a while, this guy who was ready to blow up shiploads of Klingons without batting an eye for revenge,''" Behr commented. "''But I really got concerned, I think we all got concerned, that we were just making him way too benign a character.''" Behr's worries about overly humanizing the character dated back to the conceptual introduction of Dukat's family in the "The Maquis" two-parter. "''From that point on,''" he continued, "''it was only a matter of time before we said, 'Woah! Put the brakes on.{{'}}''" Behr had a long discussion with Marc Alaimo about the nature of Dukat. ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12) "''I think we have to find,''" Behr stated, in an interview, "''not the villain, though maybe that as well, but the man who is willing to go places that some of us might not be willing to go. We did that in 'Return to Grace'.''" Moreover, Behr felt it was important "to keep both sides [of the character] alive," ensuring his identity as basically a killer and military man would be reaffirmed. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 4)
 
* Upon entering [[DS9 Season 5]], Ira Behr meant for the show's writers to resolve, during the course of the season, the danger of making Dukat seem overly relatable and essentially human. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 4) "''Yes, it was nice that he was a swashbuckling pirate for a while, this guy who was ready to blow up shiploads of Klingons without batting an eye for revenge,''" Behr commented. "''But I really got concerned, I think we all got concerned, that we were just making him way too benign a character.''" Behr's worries about overly humanizing the character dated back to the conceptual introduction of Dukat's family in the "The Maquis" two-parter. "''From that point on,''" he continued, "''it was only a matter of time before we said, 'Woah! Put the brakes on.{{'}}''" Behr had a long discussion with Marc Alaimo about the nature of Dukat. ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12) "''I think we have to find,''" Behr stated, in an interview, "''not the villain, though maybe that as well, but the man who is willing to go places that some of us might not be willing to go. We did that in 'Return to Grace'.''" Moreover, Behr felt it was important "to keep both sides [of the character] alive," ensuring his identity as basically a killer and military man would be reaffirmed. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 4)
 
* Although Dukat is present in DS9 fifth season opener {{e|Apocalypse Rising}}, his part in the episode was minimized. "''There was [originally] supposed to be a lot more with Dukat,''" explained Robert Hewitt Wolfe. When the episode was initially planned to be a two-parter, Dukat would have actually featured in most of the first part, taking Sisko, O'Brien and Odo to Ty'Gokor via his captured Bird-of-Prey. The reduction of Dukat's part in the story was made when the narrative became a single installment. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', p. 364)
 
* Although Dukat is present in DS9 fifth season opener {{e|Apocalypse Rising}}, his part in the episode was minimized. "''There was [originally] supposed to be a lot more with Dukat,''" explained Robert Hewitt Wolfe. When the episode was initially planned to be a two-parter, Dukat would have actually featured in most of the first part, taking Sisko, O'Brien and Odo to Ty'Gokor via his captured Bird-of-Prey. The reduction of Dukat's part in the story was made when the narrative became a single installment. (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', p. 364)
  +
* In DS9: {{e|Things Past}}, Dukat laments to Jadzia Dax (a character he had never been paired with before) about what a complicated and lonely man he is. "''That's how Dukat sees himself,''" offered Ronald D. Moore. "''He wants to be loved. He's the kind of dictator who thinks, 'It's not enough that I put my foot on the throat of the people I'm oppressing, I want them to ''love'' me for it.' Dukat believes he's the hero of his own story.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 398)
  +
* Dukat's alliance with the Dominion was planned out. Regarding how the writing staff had this goal while plotting fifth season two-parter {{e|In Purgatory's Shadow}} and {{e|By Inferno's Light}}, Ira Behr noted, "''We wanted to put Dukat in bed with the Dominion.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 422) A comment Dukat makes when joining the group in "By Inferno's Light", regarding the dissolution of his friendship with Kira, (specifically, "''You and I on the same side. It never seemed quite right, did it?''") mirrored the producers' feelings toward Dukat at that time; they never expected him to become one of the show's heroes. His motivation for collaborating with the Dominion was "pure desperation," commented Robert Wolfe. Hence, Dukat was reflecting feelings that had been prevalent in Germany around the start of World War II. "''Hitler's reign was a horror story, but there were people who didn't see the alternatives. And Dukat felt he was doing the only thing he could do to save his culture and his people,''" Wolfe remarked. Though Dukat's attainment of rulership in the Cardassian Union might seem slightly abrupt, Wolfe cited some historical precedents, noting, "''Hitler's rise [to power] happened pretty quickly, too. So did Caesar's. It was a coup.''" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'', p. 427)
 
* When Dukat was left with the Dominion at the end of the fifth season, Behr predicted, "''He will stay with the Dominion for the foreseeable future. Not that it will always be comfortable for him, but he doesn't deserve comfort.''" ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
 
* When Dukat was left with the Dominion at the end of the fifth season, Behr predicted, "''He will stay with the Dominion for the foreseeable future. Not that it will always be comfortable for him, but he doesn't deserve comfort.''" ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
 
* By the time [[DS9 Season 6]] began, Marc Alaimo regretted that Dukat hadn't been presented again in much the same way as in "Return to Grace", as basically a pirate opposing the Klingons in a ship of theirs he had commandeered. "''I actually wish they'd elaborated on that a little bit more than they did,''" he expressed. "''We really didn't pick up on that again after that episode.''" ("Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
 
* By the time [[DS9 Season 6]] began, Marc Alaimo regretted that Dukat hadn't been presented again in much the same way as in "Return to Grace", as basically a pirate opposing the Klingons in a ship of theirs he had commandeered. "''I actually wish they'd elaborated on that a little bit more than they did,''" he expressed. "''We really didn't pick up on that again after that episode.''" ("Cold Warrior?", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
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==== Reception and aftermath ====
 
==== Reception and aftermath ====
 
* Marc Alaimo sensed Dukat was at least generally accepted while the actor was playing him. During DS9's second season, the actor stated, "''Now that I've been doing Dukat on a fairly regular basis, he has become an established character that people know and recognize.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, p. 51) Indeed, fans in various parts of the world showed enormous interest in Dukat. At around the end of DS9 Season 4, Alaimo noted, "''We all want to be liked, and I know that this character is liked. I get it from them. It's the first time it's ever happened to me.''" Alaimo additionally suspected that Dukat's popularity was evident to the DS9 producers but that they didn't want to make Alaimo aware of it. "''They know that the fans like Dukat. They're well aware of it. There's all sorts of fan mail coming in. So they've got to know that's he a very well-liked character,''" the performer reasoned. "''But they don't want to give me that satisfaction, because then in negotiations it would give me power, I suppose.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53) Ira Steven Behr said about the fan response to Dukat, "''I know that there are women fans who still want to bear his child, but to me that's the whole thing where you want to marry the serial killer. You want to have sex with ''Gul Dukat''? It's all the same thing.''" ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
 
* Marc Alaimo sensed Dukat was at least generally accepted while the actor was playing him. During DS9's second season, the actor stated, "''Now that I've been doing Dukat on a fairly regular basis, he has become an established character that people know and recognize.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine]]'', issue 6, p. 51) Indeed, fans in various parts of the world showed enormous interest in Dukat. At around the end of DS9 Season 4, Alaimo noted, "''We all want to be liked, and I know that this character is liked. I get it from them. It's the first time it's ever happened to me.''" Alaimo additionally suspected that Dukat's popularity was evident to the DS9 producers but that they didn't want to make Alaimo aware of it. "''They know that the fans like Dukat. They're well aware of it. There's all sorts of fan mail coming in. So they've got to know that's he a very well-liked character,''" the performer reasoned. "''But they don't want to give me that satisfaction, because then in negotiations it would give me power, I suppose.''" (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53) Ira Steven Behr said about the fan response to Dukat, "''I know that there are women fans who still want to bear his child, but to me that's the whole thing where you want to marry the serial killer. You want to have sex with ''Gul Dukat''? It's all the same thing.''" ("The Producer's View", ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine]]'', No. 12)
  +
* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion]]'' (p. 427) refers to Dukat as "''DS9''{{'}}s favorite villain."
 
* [[StarTrek.com]] describes Dukat as "probably the most complex and fully developed bad guy in ''[[Star Trek]]'' history." {{brokenlink|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/1617.html}}
 
* [[StarTrek.com]] describes Dukat as "probably the most complex and fully developed bad guy in ''[[Star Trek]]'' history." {{brokenlink|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/1617.html}}
 
* In {{y|2002}}, Dukat placed fourth in ''TV Zone''{{'}}s list of the top twenty science fiction television villains. The [[Borg Queen]] was second, [[Weyoun]] was eighth, [[Q]] was eleventh and [[Seska]] was eighteenth.
 
* In {{y|2002}}, Dukat placed fourth in ''TV Zone''{{'}}s list of the top twenty science fiction television villains. The [[Borg Queen]] was second, [[Weyoun]] was eighth, [[Q]] was eleventh and [[Seska]] was eighteenth.

Revision as of 21:20, 30 June 2015

"One man's villain is another man's hero, captain."
– Dukat, 2373 ("By Inferno's Light")

Dukat, S.G. was a Cardassian military officer who served as Prefect of Bajor in the final years of the Bajoran Occupation. As the last person to hold the position, Dukat lost favor with Cardassian Central Command and fell into a downward spiral for several years. However, he became ruler of the Cardassian Union overnight, after he negotiated Cardassia's entry into the Dominion. Following his defeat in Operation Return and the death of his beloved daughter Ziyal, he suffered a complete mental breakdown and was captured by the Federation when it reclaimed space station Deep Space 9. He subsequently escaped, and became a disciple of the Pah-wraiths. Along with Kai Winn Adami, he attempted to release the Pah-wraiths into the Bajoran wormhole. Dukat was imprisoned in the Fire Caves with the Pah-wraiths, after a fateful confrontation with the Emissary of the Prophets.

Dukat's "initials" (S.G.), as stated in the episode "A Time to Stand" ("Permanent Documentation File, Dukat, S.G."), may in fact indicate a type of rank as opposed to his initials, such as "Supreme General" or "Station Gul", as he was in command of Terok Nor at the time of this recording. See notes below for more information.

Career

One of Dukat's first assignments was as a newly minted glinn aboard the Kornaire. Among his tasks as a glinn was cleaning out a compartment where three men had gone through an explosive decompression, after which he could not sleep for a week. (DS9: "Waltz") At some point prior to being stationed on Bajor, Dukat was a legate, but he lost favor with Cardassian Central Command and was reduced to the rank of Gul. (DS9: "Indiscretion") He later rejected the title of legate because he felt Gul was more "hands on." (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

Dukat and Odo Occupation

Dukat and Odo

Prefect of Bajor

"I only hope you won't condemn us all for the boorish behavior of one man."
- Gul Dukat, 2346

By 2346, at the rank of Gul, Dukat was made Prefect of Bajor. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") In 2360 he was assigned command of Terok Nor, the mining station and command post in orbit of Bajor that was later known as Deep Space 9. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I") Dukat was the last Prefect of Bajor before the end of the Occupation. He was responsible for many atrocities committed against the Bajoran people, and became one of the most hated individuals in Bajoran history. (DS9: "Emissary")

According to Dukat, he was convinced that a gentler approach was needed to quell the Bajoran Resistance and make Bajor suitable for colonization. His first act as prefect was to cut labor camp output quotas by fifty percent, abolish child labor, and improve medical care and food rations. These measures led to a twenty percent drop in the camp death rates. However, the Resistance repaid him by destroying an orbital drydock on his one-month anniversary, killing two hundred Cardassians. During the Occupation, the Resistance attempted to assassinate Dukat five times, all of them unsuccessful. Dukat grew to hate the Bajorans for not acknowledging his "compassion" towards them. (DS9: "Things Past", "Waltz")

Despite his latter admission of hatred for his charges, he conducted numerous affairs with Bajoran women, including Kira Meru, mother of Kira Nerys, and Tora Naprem, whom he claimed to love and with whom he fathered a daughter, Tora Ziyal. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") The general implication is that, in Dukat's inner fantasies, he wanted the Bajoran people to embrace him as their superior and beloved master. In microcosm, he enjoyed indulging this fantasy by manipulating Bajoran comfort women into falling in love with him, as if they represented all Bajorans. (DS9: "Waltz")

Dukat was fond of Bajoran springwine. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

While prefect, Dukat reported to Legate Kell regularly; however, he did not have the respect from Kell that he was led to believe. Dukat created a counter-insurgency program to combat potential worker revolts on Terok Nor, but Kell secretly added a level to it in case Dukat tried to flee. The automated program was set to deal with various situations, the most severe of which was a complete takeover of the station. In the event that this happened, the program could initiate an auto-destruct sequence, and if Dukat tried to transport off the station while this sequence was in effect, his access codes would be nullified and he would be doomed to die with his station. (DS9: "Civil Defense")

Cardassian officer

"I've found that when one has a difficult job to do, personal reasons can be quite an incentive."
- Dukat, 2372

Dukat strongly opposed the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, a move which damaged his career due to the politicians, such as Kotan Pa'Dar, as it occurred during Dukat's administration. During the evacuation and after a bombing, he had one of his female officers take Pa'Dar's son, Rugal, to an orphanage to, at some point, be used to humiliate Pa'Dar. After the withdrawal, Dukat became the commander of the Second Order. He played a major role in many interactions between the Cardassian military and the Federation for the next three years, and made several visits to his former command post, Deep Space 9, under various circumstances. (DS9: "Cardassians")

File:Dukat pledge bracelet indiscretion.jpg

Dukat at the crash site where his former lover, Tora Naprem, died

Dukat was implicated in the supplying of illegal weapons to Cardassian citizens in the Demilitarized Zone in 2370 by his political enemies, including Legate Parn. Dukat assisted Commander Benjamin Sisko in his investigation of the Maquis, so as to prove his innocence. He was briefly abducted by the Maquis, but he was rescued by Sisko. It emerged that the Cardassian Central Command was actually responsible for violating the Federation-Cardassian Treaty. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")

When the Cardassian Union underwent a revolution in 2372, Dukat sided with the victorious Detapa Council. He was promoted to legate, and was made chief military adviser. Following the Klingon invasion of the Cardassian Union, Dukat was able to evacuate the council members to DS9 aboard the cruiser Prakesh, with the timely assistance of the USS Defiant. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Later that year, Dukat accompanied Kira Nerys to Dozaria to find the wreck of the Ravinok, a transport ship that had been lost several years earlier with Dukat's mistress, Tora Naprem, and his half-Bajoran daughter, Tora Ziyal, aboard. Dukat had initially intended to kill both Ziyal and Naprem, had they survived. However, after he found his daughter alive in a Breen mining camp on Dozaria, he decided to take her with him back to Cardassia, despite the effect it would have on his career. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

Fighting the Klingons

Dukat Kira cargo exercise

In command of the Cardassian freighter Groumall

"Everything I have lost, I will regain."
- Dukat, 2372

After he returned with Ziyal, Dukat was demoted and given command of a small freighter, the Groumall. His family disowned him, his wife and children left him, and both he and Ziyal were shunned by Cardassian society. The Groumall transported Kira Nerys to the outpost at Korma in 2372. After finding the outpost destroyed, Dukat and Kira were able to capture the Klingon Bird-of-Prey responsible. Dukat urged the Detapa Council to use his captured intelligence to mount a new offensive against the Klingons, but they rejected his proposal, preferring to seek a diplomatic option. (DS9: "Return to Grace")

Disgusted with the Detapa Council's unwillingness to fight, Dukat began to carry on his own one-ship war against the Klingons. In 2373, he and his ship helped an undercover Starfleet team, led by Sisko, infiltrate Klingon military headquarters on Ty'Gokor to expose a Changeling. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

Dukat joins Dominion

Announcing Cardassia's union with the Dominion

Alliance with the Dominion

"Cardassia will be made whole. All that we have lost will be ours again. And anyone who stands in our way will be destroyed. This I vow with my life's blood: for my son, for all our sons."
- Gul Dukat, 2373

By 2373, Dukat became convinced that the only way to regain Cardassia's former glory was for them to join the Dominion. In secret talks, he negotiated Cardassia's entry into the Dominion with himself as ruler. Dukat promised to the Cardassian people that under his leadership, all that Cardassia lost would be regained. His move was initially celebrated by most Cardassians, who had suffered defeat and humiliation for years at the hands of the Federation and Klingons (DS9: "By Inferno's Light"). Dukat chose not to promote himself back to legate, since he saw the rank of gul as more "hands-on". (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water") One of Dukat's first acts was to have his Dominion allies release all surviving Cardassians from Internment Camp 371 with one exception – Elim Garak, who had not only killed Dukat's father but had also fallen in love with Tora Ziyal. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

In the months after his taking office, Dukat made good on his promises by expelling the Klingons from Cardassian space and wiping out the Maquis with his newly gained Dominion allies. Dukat commanded the Dominion forces which retook Terok Nor from the Federation in late 2373. In the following weeks, Dukat directed the Dominion War from his old command, winning many early victories against the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Bringing in Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant by re-opening the Bajoran wormhole was to be his greatest triumph. (DS9: "Call to Arms", "A Time to Stand")

However, victory was snatched from his grasp when the Dominion reinforcements were eliminated by the Prophets. As allied forces retook the station during Operation Return, Dukat – driven half-mad by his rapid change of fortune – descended into insanity after the murder of his beloved daughter Ziyal by Damar, his second-in-command. He refused to evacuate with the rest of the Dominion forces, and was captured by Starfleet. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

Madness

Dukat psychotic

Falling into insanity following the death of his daughter, Ziyal

"They thought I was their enemy. They don't know what it is to be my enemy, but they will."
- Dukat, 2374

Afterward, Dukat began suffering from hallucinations and fits of paranoia, and was treated by Federation doctors. After he was declared "recovered", Dukat was to be taken to a Special Jury at Starbase 621 aboard the USS Honshu to stand trial for war crimes. However, the Honshu was intercepted by Cardassian warships, and Dukat escaped to a nearby planet in a shuttlecraft with his nemesis, Benjamin Sisko. Dukat's hallucinations returned, and he attempted to kill Sisko before escaping in the shuttle. During his time on the planet, Dukat embraced his hatred for the Bajoran people, promising to one day return and rain destruction on all of Bajor. Even more than before, his actions became increasingly proactively evil. (DS9: "Waltz")

File:Dukat covenant.jpg

Part of the Cult of the Pah-wraiths

Pact with the Pah-wraiths

"Everyone has their reasons. That's what's so frightening. People can find a way to justify any action, no matter how evil."
- Kira Nerys

In late 2374, Dukat believed he had found a way to destroy the Bajoran people and their Emissary, Sisko. Having immersed himself in the ancient Bajoran texts, he discovered that the wormhole was actually the Celestial Temple. He returned to Cardassia Prime and enacted an ancient Bajoran ritual to release a Pah-wraith into his body. Thus possessed, he traveled to Deep Space 9 and released it into the Celestial Temple via the Orb of Contemplation, causing the wormhole to disappear. In the process, Dukat killed Jadzia Dax, who was simply in his way. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")

Anjohltennan

Dukat posing as Anjohl Tennan

His inhabitation by the Pah-wraith had turned Dukat into their believer; subsequently he retreated to station Empok Nor and founded a community of members from the Cult of the Pah-wraiths. He was worshiped as a messiah, and fathered another half-Bajoran child with Mika. Dukat never publicly admitted fatherhood. Dukat attempted to have the cult members commit suicide to conceal his attempt to kill Mika. When he was exposed, he fled again. (DS9: "Covenant")

Dukat falling into Fire Caves

Falling into the flames of the Fire Caves on Bajor

In late 2375, Dukat secretly underwent cosmetic surgery on Cardassia Prime to pose as a Bajoran farmer, Anjohl Tennan. He then traveled to Deep Space 9 and gained the confidence of Kai Winn Adami and even became romantically involved with her - albeit for ulterior motives - and with the assistance of false visions given to Winn by the Pah-wraiths, he slowly convinced her to join him as a follower of the Pah-wraiths. During the Occupation, just after the Great Famine, Anjohl Tennan was one of a hundred Bajorans due to be executed by Gul Dukat's orders as a public example after the Bajoran Resistance destroyed the outpost in Relliketh. Winn, who was a ranjen at the time, had bribed the pilot of Anjohl's transport, Prenar, to "accidentally" misread his orders and divert his prisoners to a labor camp. Dukat later retold this story to Winn to further gain her trust. (DS9: "'Til Death Do Us Part")

The two plotted to release the Pah-wraiths from their prison in the Fire Caves, using the Book of the Kosst Amojan. Solbor eventually discovered what happened to the real Anjohl Tennan and exposed Dukat's true identity but was killed by Dukat. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

The pair entered the Fire Caves, where Winn poisoned Dukat as a sacrifice to complete the release ritual. However, the Pah-wraiths rejected Winn and chose Dukat as their Emissary, restoring him to life, returning his Cardassian features, and imbuing him with their power. After Dukat killed Winn, Sisko plunged himself and Dukat into the fires, which destroyed the book and trapped Dukat forever in the prison with the Pah-wraiths. Sisko himself was rescued by the Prophets. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "What You Leave Behind")

Family and personal relationships

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Dukat's father was arrested and executed by the Cardassian government. Dukat blamed Obsidian Order operative Elim Garak for his father's death and ordered his execution at least twice. Dukat had his own dealings with the Obsidian Order after some involvement with arms merchants. However, it's also possible that the arms merchant was a reference to Dukat's father and the circumstances leading to his arrest and conviction. (DS9: "The Wire", "Improbable Cause", "By Inferno's Light")

Dukat claimed to be married and have seven children with his wife. At one point in 2371, Dukat expressed regrets about missing the eleventh birthday of his son Mekor. However, he apparently abandoned these supposed family members when he found his daughter Ziyal. Furthermore, he also kept several Bajoran mistresses when he was Prefect on Terok Nor during the Bajoran Occupation. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I", "Defiant", "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

Dukat's wife and their seven offspring were never seen. The idea of establishing Dukat as having seven children was thought up by Michael Piller; the children were mentioned by him in a rewrite he did of "The Maquis, Part I". Because it was humanizing the antagonistic Dukat, Behr initially asked Piller if he was certain he wanted to include the reference. ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Dukat voicing annoyance over having to be absent from Mekor's birthday, in "Defiant", was an attempt to essentially humanize the character (actually as part of efforts to soften him in the third and fourth seasons) during a lengthy search for the USS Defiant with Benjamin Sisko. "I wanted a moment in that scene where we see that Dukat has better things to do than participate in this particular mission," stated Ronald D. Moore. "That he has some humanity and a life outside of that war room–and that this kind of sucks for him too. He's not getting any joy out of what they're doing." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 190)
Midway through DS9 Season 2, Dukat actor Marc Alaimo admitted he personally wanted the character to "have a real love interest." The performer went on to say, "That would be cool. You could go any way with that. You could have him be attracted to a humanoid person and see where that would take us [....] How people react to him is really interesting. I think people regard him as a very powerful presence and they're attracted to him in a very strange way." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 49-50)
In DS9 Season 5, Marc Alaimo voiced an interest in Dukat having more relationships with a more varied mix of other characters, the actor commenting, "I would like to do more of that kind of thing, work more with the different characters." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 38)

Benjamin Sisko

Dukat had a strange relationship with Benjamin Sisko, who was in many ways his counterpart and opposite. Dukat saw Sisko as a friend and viewed him with a great deal of respect, although that view was not shared by Sisko. However, after Dukat realized his hatred for the Bajorans and made his promise to destroy Bajor, he and Sisko became mortal enemies. They eventually confronted one another one last time in the Fire Caves. (DS9: "Waltz", "What You Leave Behind")

Regarding Dukat's connection with Sisko, Dukat actor Marc Alaimo once remarked, "I liked that he felt Sisko was an equal who gave him respect. They had a mutual understanding of sorts as these two strong presences." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

Damar

Dukat's closest friend was Damar, who served under him when he commanded the transport ship and later the stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey and was his adjutant during his time as leader of the Cardassian Union. Dukat found Damar "useful" and despite the fact it was Damar who shot and killed his daughter, he later forgave Damar and came to him for help in his plan to release the Pah-Wraiths, even encouraging him to once again become the brave man he had fought with years before. (DS9: "Return to Grace", "Sacrifice of Angels", "Penumbra")

Weyoun

Dukat also had a good working relationship with his Dominion ally Weyoun, and although they occasionally antagonized one another, there was a mutual respect between the two. Dukat even gave Weyoun a picture his daughter Ziyal had painted. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets", "Penumbra", "'Til Death Do Us Part")

Elim Garak

Dukat had a deep-seeded personal hatred of Garak, stemming largely from the death of his father. As an agent of the Obsidian Order, Garak tortured and killed Dukat's father, though the reason for the arrest and interrogation is never mentioned. Dukat used those events to try to dissuade his daughter Ziyal from her relationship with Garak. This relationship with his daughter only strengthened Dukat's animosity toward Garak, driving Dukat to nearly kill him in Quark's Bar in 2373. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow") When he commanded Terok Nor, Dukat made at least one attempt to have Garak executed but failed, which Garak later pointed out to Dukat's chagrin. (DS9: "Civil Defense")

Kira Nerys

In the years after the Occupation, Dukat and Kira Nerys crossed paths many times.

Marc Alaimo believed the character had a long-standing attraction to Kira Nerys. "I think Dukat has kind of always wanted to flirt with her," he said. "Because of their history, that's pretty far-fetched." Alaimo speculated that, if Kira could ever get past their history, Dukat could become very interested in a romantic relationship between them. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52) As it turned out, Alaimo approved of Dukat's fascination with Kira. "I liked that he had this huge crush on Kira," he remarked. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
Ira Steven Behr and Marc Alaimo deemed DS9: "The Maquis, Part II" as an important episode in establishing Dukat's relationship with Kira Nerys. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 138; Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52) Behr believed that, in the installment, Dukat starts to be viewed by her as a multi-faceted person, rather than completely evil. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 138) Alaimo cited a specific scene in which Dukat exchanges a look with Kira after he speaks, in a way more persuasive than Benjamin Sisko is capable of, to Drofo Awa. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52) Dukat's relationship with Kira becomes even more complicated, increasingly so, in the third and fourth seasons of DS9, Dukat apparently seeming less and less sinister to Kira. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 138)
File:Kira and Dukat - Indiscretion.jpg

Dukat with Kira Nerys

Dukat was fascinated by Kira. Indeed, Dukat hinted on several occasions that he was romantically interested in her, referring to her as a "fascinating woman." Dukat complimented Kira on her talents and skills more than once, much to her disgust. He seemed to be determined to win Kira's respect and acknowledgement as a sort of vindication from his past actions. At times, however, both seemed to enjoy each other's company, to an extent, and were able to work together when it was required. For example, Dukat joined Kira on a mission to find the transport ship Ravinok; the two successfully located remaining crew members from that vessel and worked out a plan to rescue the prisoners. Dukat was also persuaded by Kira into sparing his illegitimate half-Bajoran daughter, Ziyal, and accepting her into his life. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

Ira Steven Behr believed that, in "Indiscretion", Dukat's relationship with Kira was dealt with in an "interesting" way and that the two performers playing those roles "worked very well together." ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4) In the same episode, the writing staff of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine took the relationship to a closer level than before, though decidedly not a romantic one. "[The perceived potential for romance] was always more about Dukat than Kira," noted Robert Hewitt Wolfe. Explained Behr, "I think it's only in Dukat's mind that there was any hope of a relationship. And maybe in Marc Alaimo's mind. Certainly Kira never thought so, and certainly we never thought so. But Marc was so insistent in playing that hope in the way he treated her that it became a fun thing to follow up on, although we knew there was no way in hell that it would ever happen." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 275)

Additionally, when Dukat's ship transported Kira to a conference, the two enjoyed a meal together and subsequently collaborated to stop a group of Klingons operating behind Cardassian borders. Seeing that his new life of terrorism against the Klingons was not a good one for his daughter, Dukat allowed Kira to take Ziyal back to DS9 with her. This development pleased Dukat because he and Kira now had something in common. (DS9: "Return to Grace") Given this somewhat mother-like role he perceived Kira having for his daughter, Dukat blamed her when he discovered Ziyal had become romantically involved with Garak. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

While developing "Return to Grace", it was important to the DS9 writing staff that they take another step in furthering Dukat's relationship with Kira Nerys and turning it "on its head a little bit," as phrased by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. The writers did this by making Dukat become more like Kira, as he starts being a kind of freedom fighter in "Return to Grace". The writing staff didn't ensure, though, that their relationship was equal in that installment. "As the episode took form and became real, we realized that we had thrown the episode a little bit too much toward Dukat and away from Kira," stated Ira Steven Behr. "Dukat had all the major decisions." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 113-114)
In DS9 Season 5, Dukat was again made despicable, with both the viewers and Kira allowed to hate him. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 138) When Dukat was made villainous again, Marc Alaimo didn't want the character's relations with Kira to come to an end. "I liked that he had this huge crush on Kira," Alaimo commented. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

Dukat and Kira's relationship took on a much darker tone during the Dominion War, when Dukat took over as commander of Dominion-occupied DS9. He made a few rather obvious advances towards Kira, which she rebuffed with disgust. Later, after he had become a disciple of the Pah-Wraiths, Dukat had Kira kidnapped to Empok Nor, where he tried in vain to convince her to join the Cult of the Pah-Wraiths community he had established there. (DS9: "Covenant")

Kira Meru

Kira Meru - Dukat

Dukat kissing Kira Meru

Kira Meru was one of Dukat's comfort women on Terok Nor during the Bajoran Occupation, with whom he fell in love and was involved for seven years before her death in 2353. Years later, Dukat developed an attraction to Meru's daughter, Kira Nerys, the first officer of Deep Space Nine. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

Tora Ziyal

Towards the end of the Occupation, Dukat fell in love with another Bajoran woman, Tora Naprem, and the two had a daughter named Tora Ziyal. Dukat sent the pair away to Lissepia in 2366, though their ship was shot down by the Breen on Dozaria. Ziyal survived and was forced to labor in a Breen dilithium mine until Dukat rescued her in 2372. Tradition demanded that he kill her, but Dukat couldn't bring himself to do so, so he took her back to Cardassia Prime with him, whereupon he was severely ostracized. His wife and children left him and his mother disowned him. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "Return to Grace")

When Dukat became a terrorist in the Klingon-Cardassian War, he sent Ziyal to live on Deep Space 9 under the care of Kira, with whom she had formed a close relationship. (DS9: "Return to Grace") During the first Dominion offensive, Ziyal helped Kira and others in their efforts to sabotage the station and get it back into Federation hands. After the Dominion was forced to abandon DS9, Damar overheard Ziyal admit that she'd helped Kira and the other saboteurs escape and killed her before Dukat's eyes, declaring her a traitor. She died in Dukat's arms, an experience that left him deeply scarred and, together with the defeat in battle, was the beginning of his downward spiral into madness. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels") He subsequently spent many months under the psychological care of Federation doctors, often calling out Ziyal's name. (DS9: "Waltz")

Marc Alaimo once observed that, in any given episode, Dukat never had very much to do with Ziyal, an aspect of their relationship which the actor found "interesting." He cited "Indiscretion" as the installment he thought features the most involvement between them. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

Appendices

Appearances

Memorable quotes

"Cardassia will be made whole. All that we have lost will be ours again. And anyone who stands in our way will be destroyed. This I vow with my life's blood: for my son, for all our sons."

- Dukat (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")


"One man's villain is another man's hero, captain."

- Dukat (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")


"Are you INSANE"?

- Dukat to Weyoun after the latter downs a glass of poison (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")


"Still calling yourself 'Gul'? I'm surprised you haven't promoted yourself back to legate by now."
"I prefer the title 'Gul'; so much more hands-on than Legate. And less pretentious than the other alternatives: President, Emperor, First Minister... Emissary."

-Sisko and Dukat DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water"


"They thought I was their enemy. They don't know what it is to be my enemy, but they will."

- Dukat to Benjamin Sisko (DS9: "Waltz")

Background information

  • Dukat's initials (S.G.) come from the DS9 Season 6 opener "A Time to Stand", in which Dukat records a permanent documentation file identifying himself as "Dukat, S.G." Though it is possible that it stands for "Station Gul", Ronald D. Moore jokingly gave Dukat's first name as "Elmo" on several occasions. (AOL chat, 1997) Moore further commented, "The initials probably represent some rank or association or achievement (like Ph.d, or A.S.C., or J.D.)." (AOL chat, 1997)
  • Marc Alaimo was not the first choice to play Dukat. For Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot episode "Emissary", another actor was cast in the role. After a day's shooting, however, the producers decided they had miscast, so they asked Alaimo to come in and take over the role. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) He brought a prominent theater background to the part. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52)
Dukat greenscreen

Marc Alaimo portraying Dukat

  • Marc Alaimo highly valued the opportunities to play Dukat, referring to the character as "a good role." He continued, "I really like Dukat. I try to deal with him very objectively. I like him to walk the line, if you know what I mean. I don't want him to be one-dimensionally evil and I don't want him to be goody two-shoes, either. I want him to be a rational, intelligent Cardassian [....] I try to play him closer to that. I don't think of Dukat as a villain at all. I think he does things his way. He's used to a Cardassian rhythm where things are not questioned and people do as they're told. That's interesting. I like that. As long as the writers keep him interesting, I'll keep playing him. I think the writers like him, too [....] There's a tremendous sensuality to the character, don't you think?" Alaimo didn't base his performance as Dukat on anyone in particular. Neither did he create a back story for the character, mostly leaving it up to the writers to do so. Of course, the actor did, however, add certain qualities to the portrayal. The performer added, "I have tried to instill a little bit of softness into him, a little playfulness [....] I would like to keep instilling little things to which people can relate and show his different dimensions." The character's flexibility was what Alaimo loved about the part. "I can have him do anything," Alaimo remarked. "He doesn't have to be mean. I can try to instill that softness and playfulness into him." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 49 & 50) Not thinking of Dukat as a villain whatsoever, Alaimo considered the character more of an opportunist. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) The actor elaborated, "I've tried to play him with some sort of sensitivity. I could have gone one-dimensionally aggressive and mean and ugly with this character if I'd chosen to. I have the feeling that's what they kind of wanted. I thought, 'I've done that a hundred and fifty times already.' So I wanted to give him some dimension, some depth, and I think it's worked very well [....] I think Gul Dukat even thinks that a lot of what his race does is evil. He understands the difference. Then again, in war – in a fight – Gul Dukat is unbeatable. He won't stop until he wins, and that's the Cardassian philosophy [....] But when he's not in that situation [of war], I would think he's a very reasonable, sensitive and thinking Cardassian." Alaimo found Dukat very unpredictable, because the producers of DS9 didn't communicate with him very often and the character itself seemed highly unstable to him. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51-52) The actor remarked about Dukat, "You never know quite if he's going to be aggressive, if he's going to be sensitive, if he's going to be passive, you never quite know which way he's going to go. That's what I love about him. Originally when first I started doing this, I could have taken a very one dimensional point of view about this character, and just played him. 'I'm going to rip your arms and legs off and eat them, right in front of you.' I could have done that. It would have been easy. But I began to see little interesting things about him, to give him texture and some different colors, and something people could really relate to. It's all turned out very well. I think he's really turned into a very interesting character [....] A lot of people assume that I am bad, that I am a heavy on the show, and I don't think so at all. If [Dukat] is pushed into the corner he can get real mean. That's part of his nature [....] So Dukat's a fighter. But he's fair, he's sensitive, he's intelligent, he's reasonable." While playing Dukat, Alaimo particularly liked the character's use of language and the opportunities which the series allowed for dealing with extremely mature topics. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51 & 52) In 2003, Alaimo commented on his portrayal of Dukat, "I thought the character was terrific. It was one of the first times I'd been able to really sort of expand a multifaceted character like that, instead of one dimensional, which is I think the way they wanted to go with Dukat in the beginning, but I started to sort of branch off emotionally, and they picked up on it, and they gave me all these wonderful multifaceted character moments. I was pretty proud of my work throughout the whole seven years of it." (Hidden File 01, DS9 Season 7 DVD special features)
  • To prepare for assuming the role of Dukat, Marc Alaimo routinely had to endure several hours in which makeup was applied to him and he was fitted into his Cardassian costume. Wearing the Dukat makeup was no problem for Alaimo, as he had many years' experience with such makeup for stage productions. (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 50 & 51) "Dukat is hard to schedule, because I put in long hours," he admitted. "I've had to be there at two o'clock in the morning, in the beginning [....] I remember being at the studio at two o'clock in the morning. Nobody's there. I liked that though [....] I had to be there so early to be on the set when they started shooting, at six or seven [....] It used to be a scheduling problem with Dukat, because they have to give actors twelve hours turnarounds [twelve hours off]. They couldn't do it with me oftentimes because of the makeup." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53)
  • Ira Steven Behr was impressed by Marc Alaimo's approach to portraying Dukat. "What's interesting is that Marc Alaimo plays Dukat like he's the hero of the TV series," Behr commented. "You listen to Marc talk about Dukat, and it's totally different than I see the character, but he brings that to it and adds a whole other level to it." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 107) Behr clarified, "In Dukat's mind, Dukat is the hero of every episode he appears in." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 10) On the other hand, Behr said, "Dukat is not a nice man. He is not a sensitive man. He likes to act like a sensitive man, but he's a man of appetites to whom public image is very important, much more important than the truth [....] I find him reprehensible myself." Behr also found Dukat was a fascinating character to structure episodes around. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308) "He's a Nazi, folks!" Behr exclaimed. "He's not a good German. He's a Nazi. Alaimo is the shining example of the actor who's trying to turn his character one way and we're turning it the other, and he gives interviews about how his character would be one-dimensional if left in our hands. It's a weird thing, but he's great. He's a great Gul Dukat." Alaimo objected to Behr comparing Dukat to a Nazi, believing the statement was far too strong. ("The Producer's View" & "Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Behr also said, "Dukat is a self-deluded, opportunistic, egomaniacal sadist. In other words, he is the Richard Nixon of Deep Space Nine. He will do whatever it takes to come out on top." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 427)
  • Occasionally, Dukat's motivations mirror those of historic figures. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308)
  • Dukat underwent extensive character development during DS9 Season 2. During or after that season, Ira Steven Behr commented, "It's amazing that [Cardassian Gul] Ducat started out in the beginning of the season on monitors for the most part. He was just this little head and this character has grown so much." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 25/26, No. 6/1, p. 100) Dukat's involvement in season two included two highlights for Marc Alaimo, who revealed, "I've really enjoyed it [playing the 'bad guy of the week'], particularly 'Necessary Evil' and 'The Maquis'." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 73) The use of Dukat in second season two-parter "The Maquis, Part I" and "The Maquis, Part II" gave him something of a "nice guy" image and seemed to suggest the DS9 writing staff was experimenting with the idea of making the Cardassian a more frequently recurring character. "I totally agree," stated Alaimo. "I'd rather not just keep coming back to guest. If I'm going to do the show, I'd like to be a part of the team. And I think Dukat would be a really interesting addition, because he's got so much power." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 73 & 86)
  • Dukat was described in a revised series bible compiled prior to DS9 Season 3. In the document, he was referred to as a "continuing threat to our people." (Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before, paperback ed., p. 198)
  • Following his appearances in the "The Maquis" two-parter, Dukat was once again portrayed as a somewhat sinister character in third season's "Civil Defense". "We were making him a little too friendly and we definitely did not want to do that," remarked Ira Behr. "I don't want him to become the friendly neighborhood Cardassian." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 86)
  • In the development of season four offering "Indiscretion", freelance writers Toni Marberry and Jack Treviño devised having Dukat seek a half-Bajoran daughter of his and draft Kira Nerys for the mission, only for him to later reveal that he was planning to kill his daughter. Although some of Dukat's rough edges were later basically blunted by the introduction of his daughter Tora Ziyal, the writing staff maintained his essential nature, never losing track of it. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 274) While the script for "Indiscretion" was being written by Nicholas Corea, he told Marc Alaimo, they having been friends for over twenty years, that the episode would heavily feature Dukat. "He said, 'It's for you.' As soon as he said that I felt good because he knew me, he knew what I was capable of doing as an actor [....] Sure enough, it turned out to be wonderful," Alaimo reminisced. "He got so many things in there, and I was able to add on to that." Alaimo did so by showing Corea something, performance-wise, which the writer hadn't known Alaimo could do. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 51) In "Indiscretion", a statement criticizing Dukat's passion for talking (specifically, Kira's line, "Captain Sisko's right; you are in love with your own voice.") was added as an in-joke regarding Cardassians in general and Dukat in particular. "No one can milk it like Marc Alaimo, even though there are times when you just want him to get on with it," related Ira Behr. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 275) The way Dukat is depicted in "Indiscretion" evoked pride in Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who rewrote the episode's script together with Behr. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 107) Behr himself felt the episode's portrayal of Dukat "ran a certain risk" of making Dukat seem too Human-like and slightly too accessible for a villain. However, Behr also thought showing another side of the character, rather than always depicting Dukat as a killer, was necessary and turned out to be "interesting." ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4)
  • The DS9 staff writers were pleased with how they managed to depict Dukat in subsequent fourth season outing "Return to Grace". Enthused Ira Behr, "I thought that Alaimo was terrific [....] It was just so great to put him out there." Ronald D. Moore expressed, "Turning Dukat into Captain Dukat of the Spanish main seemed like a great idea. He takes that ship and off he goes." René Echevarria commented, "It was an attempt to look at Dukat and have him realize that regaining his glory in a hollow empire isn't quite worth the undertaking. More important is getting back to his roots as a military man and being a sort of freedom fighter." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 113 & 114) Hans Beimler, who scripted "Return to Grace", observed, "In this episode, you're aware of different shades to his personality. But, if you think about it, they're all very self-serving." Ira Behr likened part of Dukat's attitude in the installment to that of Sioux leader Sitting Bull, because Dukat defiantly referring to himself as the last Cardassian echoes a statement Sitting Bull made, when he was the only Sioux who didn't agree to a treaty with the white-skinned settlers of the United States. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308) Ira Steven Behr felt this inspiration was important to developing Dukat, as Behr meanwhile wanted to make the character a lone hero. "That's what I had in my mind for Dukat at that point, with 'Return to Grace' and 'Indiscretion' and stuff like that." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • Marc Alaimo approved of the way Dukat is depicted in "Return to Grace". "The fact that they had Dukat going off to be a pirate who captured this Klingon ship, I found very exciting [....] He was very heroic." Though "Return to Grace" features a scene in which Dukat debates with Kira about whether his motivation for fighting the Klingons is a selfish urge for redemption or a genuine love of the Cardassians and a desire to protect them, Alaimo clarified, "He loves his people and wants to stop the Klingons. He wants to go out and get them." The actor went on to state, "I loved those moments when he finally took charge of the ship and also when he realized he was not going to get help from Cardassia to track down the Klingon killers, but that they simply wanted him to come back and take some post. [Putting Dukat in a situation where] he was very disappointed and decided to take on the Klingons himself [...] was a wonderful scenario." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • In fact, Marc Alaimo liked appearing as Dukat in both "Indiscretion" and "Return to Grace", listing the two episodes in that order of preference (followed by the "The Maquis" two-parter). ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) "[Dukat] had so much to do, and so much to feel, so many transitions to make emotionally," the actor said. "Those two really defined him so much more." From the time when "Return to Grace" was produced until the end of DS9 Season 4, none of the series' producers contacted Alaimo. In fact, at the end of the fourth season, he had never seen Executive Producer Rick Berman in all the time Alaimo had been playing the role of Dukat. Regardless of this, Alaimo felt that, by portraying the Cardassian, he had "contributed a great deal to the show, and that's good," he remarked. The actor wished the producers would, "at least, let me know that they appreciate my work." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51, 52 & 53)
  • Upon entering DS9 Season 5, Ira Behr meant for the show's writers to resolve, during the course of the season, the danger of making Dukat seem overly relatable and essentially human. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4) "Yes, it was nice that he was a swashbuckling pirate for a while, this guy who was ready to blow up shiploads of Klingons without batting an eye for revenge," Behr commented. "But I really got concerned, I think we all got concerned, that we were just making him way too benign a character." Behr's worries about overly humanizing the character dated back to the conceptual introduction of Dukat's family in the "The Maquis" two-parter. "From that point on," he continued, "it was only a matter of time before we said, 'Woah! Put the brakes on.'" Behr had a long discussion with Marc Alaimo about the nature of Dukat. ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) "I think we have to find," Behr stated, in an interview, "not the villain, though maybe that as well, but the man who is willing to go places that some of us might not be willing to go. We did that in 'Return to Grace'." Moreover, Behr felt it was important "to keep both sides [of the character] alive," ensuring his identity as basically a killer and military man would be reaffirmed. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4)
  • Although Dukat is present in DS9 fifth season opener "Apocalypse Rising", his part in the episode was minimized. "There was [originally] supposed to be a lot more with Dukat," explained Robert Hewitt Wolfe. When the episode was initially planned to be a two-parter, Dukat would have actually featured in most of the first part, taking Sisko, O'Brien and Odo to Ty'Gokor via his captured Bird-of-Prey. The reduction of Dukat's part in the story was made when the narrative became a single installment. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, p. 364)
  • In DS9: "Things Past", Dukat laments to Jadzia Dax (a character he had never been paired with before) about what a complicated and lonely man he is. "That's how Dukat sees himself," offered Ronald D. Moore. "He wants to be loved. He's the kind of dictator who thinks, 'It's not enough that I put my foot on the throat of the people I'm oppressing, I want them to love me for it.' Dukat believes he's the hero of his own story." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 398)
  • Dukat's alliance with the Dominion was planned out. Regarding how the writing staff had this goal while plotting fifth season two-parter "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light", Ira Behr noted, "We wanted to put Dukat in bed with the Dominion." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 422) A comment Dukat makes when joining the group in "By Inferno's Light", regarding the dissolution of his friendship with Kira, (specifically, "You and I on the same side. It never seemed quite right, did it?") mirrored the producers' feelings toward Dukat at that time; they never expected him to become one of the show's heroes. His motivation for collaborating with the Dominion was "pure desperation," commented Robert Wolfe. Hence, Dukat was reflecting feelings that had been prevalent in Germany around the start of World War II. "Hitler's reign was a horror story, but there were people who didn't see the alternatives. And Dukat felt he was doing the only thing he could do to save his culture and his people," Wolfe remarked. Though Dukat's attainment of rulership in the Cardassian Union might seem slightly abrupt, Wolfe cited some historical precedents, noting, "Hitler's rise [to power] happened pretty quickly, too. So did Caesar's. It was a coup." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 427)
  • When Dukat was left with the Dominion at the end of the fifth season, Behr predicted, "He will stay with the Dominion for the foreseeable future. Not that it will always be comfortable for him, but he doesn't deserve comfort." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • By the time DS9 Season 6 began, Marc Alaimo regretted that Dukat hadn't been presented again in much the same way as in "Return to Grace", as basically a pirate opposing the Klingons in a ship of theirs he had commandeered. "I actually wish they'd elaborated on that a little bit more than they did," he expressed. "We really didn't pick up on that again after that episode." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • At the outset of DS9's sixth season, Marc Alaimo was aware of Ira Behr's decision to make Dukat more villainous. The actor understood why the character was about to be altered, though the concept was not entirely acceptable to him. "I'm not too crazy about the idea of him being an antagonist again, to tell you the truth," Alaimo admitted. "I liked [...] that we saw another dimension of him, like being a hero, being a father [....] I don't like playing him heavy at all [....] Just to make him a Nazi [...] seems to be wasting a wonderful opportunity. They've really been able to open up all of these different character aspects of Dukat over the years, and I'd hate to suddenly lose all of that." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • Nana Visitor has said of Dukat, "This was a character who was the worst people we have had on Earth, this is who this man was." (Hidden File 02, DS9 Season 6 DVD special features)
  • Hans Beimler has likewise commented, "With Dukat, you were writing a Nazi; an intelligent, vicious, complicated Nazi. That doesn't mean there wasn't something worthwhile about him – he was a complicated person, but he was Nazi." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, pp. 44-45) Beimler also remarked, "There are so many facets to Dukat. He's a very complicated character. But he's always been a Nazi, always [....] This is not a pleasant man. He's done a lot of terrible things." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308)
  • On Dukat's role as villain, Ronald D. Moore has commented, "I don't think of him as being completely evil through and through to the point where every thought, every impulse is shaded by a nefarious agenda or horrid motive. We've seen other aspects to this guy over the years. He can be charming. He can be generous. He can do the right thing. All of that somehow makes his 'evil' actions all the more despicable, because we know that there was the potential in there for him to be a better person. But sometimes the clichés are true: Hitler loved his dog. No human being (and by extension, no Cardassian) is one hundred percent pure evil. But there is a 'critical mass', if you will, where the dark deeds attributed to one person become so overwhelming that they swamp all the redeeming characteristics. Dukat is a bad guy. A very bad guy. He has a lot of blood on his hands and it's hard to see how his smile and innate charm can wipe that clean." (AOL chat, 1998) When Moore was asked by a member of Reddit if he regretted that the writers made Dukat into "a cartoonish super-villain" in response to fans who found him increasingly sympathetic, he responded, "I think we were all pleased with where we took Dukat, it felt like it was organic based on where the character began, who he was in the past and in the present, so I don't think we have any regrets." [1]

Reception and aftermath

  • Marc Alaimo sensed Dukat was at least generally accepted while the actor was playing him. During DS9's second season, the actor stated, "Now that I've been doing Dukat on a fairly regular basis, he has become an established character that people know and recognize." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, p. 51) Indeed, fans in various parts of the world showed enormous interest in Dukat. At around the end of DS9 Season 4, Alaimo noted, "We all want to be liked, and I know that this character is liked. I get it from them. It's the first time it's ever happened to me." Alaimo additionally suspected that Dukat's popularity was evident to the DS9 producers but that they didn't want to make Alaimo aware of it. "They know that the fans like Dukat. They're well aware of it. There's all sorts of fan mail coming in. So they've got to know that's he a very well-liked character," the performer reasoned. "But they don't want to give me that satisfaction, because then in negotiations it would give me power, I suppose." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53) Ira Steven Behr said about the fan response to Dukat, "I know that there are women fans who still want to bear his child, but to me that's the whole thing where you want to marry the serial killer. You want to have sex with Gul Dukat? It's all the same thing." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 427) refers to Dukat as "DS9's favorite villain."
  • StarTrek.com describes Dukat as "probably the most complex and fully developed bad guy in Star Trek history." Template:Brokenlink
  • In 2002, Dukat placed fourth in TV Zone's list of the top twenty science fiction television villains. The Borg Queen was second, Weyoun was eighth, Q was eleventh and Seska was eighteenth.
  • The stunt costume used for Dukat in DS9: "Covenant" was auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, as well as the Breen coolsuit worn by Alaimo in the episode "Indiscretion". [2]

Apocrypha

In the novels published by Pocket Books, Dukat's first name is identified as "Skrain". In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine relaunch novels, specifically Demons of Air and Darkness, the resemblance between Dukat and Macet (both played by Marc Alaimo) is explained, stating that they are cousins.

In the Millennium series, which begins shortly before Dukat released the Pah-Wraith that drove him to Deep Space 9 where he killed Jadzia and briefly closed the wormhole, Dukat's discovery of Sisko's apparent death with the creation of the Pah-wraith wormhole drove him to once again create the Cult of the Pah-wraiths on Empok Nor (now relocated to DS9's original position), becoming one with Kosst Amojan. Regarding himself as the Pah-wraith Emissary, Dukat developed a vendetta against Weyoun, who had proclaimed himself the Emissary of the True Prophets and sought to end the universe by combining the two wormholes. When the Defiant reappeared, Dukat briefly confronted Sisko and Weyoun after luring the two into the mirror universe, but, when this attempt to kill them failed, Dukat returned to our reality and managed to capture O'Brien, Quark, Rom and Garak. With these prisoners/crew, Dukat forced them to take an advanced Klingon ship to follow Weyoun and the Defiant into the wormholes before the end of the universe. Having been easily knocked out by his former "prisoners" after freeing them from their Pah-Wraith induced Hells, Dukat was no longer empowered by the Pah-Wraiths as their "conflict" with the Prophets was now over. Dukat subsequently managed to escape to a past version of Deep Space 9, where he committed a murder that Odo had been investigating prior to the destruction of the station. In a somewhat ironic twist (given that his alternate past self would go on to kill her), after the crew prevented the red wormhole from ever opening, Dukat was shot in the back by Dax when he was distracted.

Dukat's mirror universe counterpart is depicted as the Supreme Legate of the Cardassian Union in the novels Saturn's Children and Rise Like Lions.

External links