10 Best Mirror Universe Characters In Star Trek
5. Captain Gabriel Lorca
In the Mirror Universe, Captain Gabriel Lorca was one of the more prominent members of the Terran Empire. He commanded the ISS Buran when he attempted a coup against Emperor Philippa Georgiou, which failed. He escaped and became a fugitive of the Terran Empire, as he was wanted for treason and the murder of Michael Burnham.
He escaped into the Prime Universe, where he assumed the identity of his counterpart. He was later appointed the Captain of the USS Discovery, which he used to his advantage, thanks to the experimental Spore Drive. He recruited Michael Burnham to his crew and began manipulating events to his advantage.
He managed to get the USS Discovery into the Mirror Universe. He established Burnham as her counterpart by masquerading the Starfleet vessel as an Imperial starship. Burnham claimed she faked her death to capture Lorca, bringing him in for the Emperor.
Through this ruse, Lorca managed to place himself in a position to directly challenge the Emperor once again. With his deception at an end, the crew of the Discovery managed to return to the Prime Universe, but not before Emperor Georgiou killed Lorca, ending his attempt at assuming the throne.