Star Trek: 10 Minor Villains Who Were Awesome

2. Korax (The Trouble with Tribbles - The Original Series)

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I love this guy. After Kor, Koloth and Kang, Korax is the "fourth" Klingon of The Original Series for me and it's all down to one scene in one episode of the show. Let's correct that €“ one episode of the show that was so good it's in two episodes from two series.

For the first two thirds of the episode he's happy to act gruff, sneer and generally act all background bad next to William Campbell's Koloth but it's when the Enterprise crew take some shore leave that Korax steps into the arena. Having played around with a Tribble that doesn't like him and having maybe had one or two drinks more than a Klingon should have, he launches into some fine insults about Kirk and then the Enterprise. While Scotty is restrained for the lines aimed at the captain, he can't take it in regards to his beloved Starship and all hell breaks loose thanks to a few choice words. Michael Pataki has some wonderful facial expressions as he taunts the Enterprise officers in the build up to the Big Fight. The comedy aspect of the episode helps and Pataki is well suited to the character, chewing a great deal of scenery before even the first fist is thrown. It's one rare moment when you're totally engrossed by a secondary character and more than anything know that he's going to be on the floor in a matter of moments. He actually comes across as more Klingon than Koloth, who plays a much more diplomatic card in The Trouble with Tribbles. All this leads to the question €“ could he be the best ever panto Klingon?! For trivia fans, Korax turned up once more in The Animated Series episode More Tribbles, More Troubles where he was voiced by €“ ironically €“ James Doohan.
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A Star Trek fan from birth, I love to dive into every aspect of the franchise in front and behind the screen. There's something here that's kept me interested for the best part of four decades! Now I'm getting back into writing and using Star Trek as my first line of literary attack. If I'm not here on WhatCulture then you're more than welcome to come and take a look at my blog, Some Kind of Star Trek at http://SKoST.co.uk or maybe follow me on Twitter as @TheWarpCore. Sometimes I force myself not to talk about Star Trek.