Star Trek: 10 WORST Things Gul Dukat Has Ever Done

4. Kidnapping A Rival's Child

Star Trek Deep Space Nine Dukat Bashir And Garak Cardassians
CBS Media Ventures

Cardassia Prime, ever the centre of understanding in the galaxy, has a particularly harsh method for dealing with orphans. To be blunt - they don't deal with them. Orphans have no status whatsoever on the planet, so a child can lose everything before every having a chance to do anything about it.

Knowing this, Dukat orchestrated the kidnap of Rugal, the son of a political rival, Kotan Pa'dar. Pa'dar had voted to end the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, a decision that Dukat bitterly opposed. When Rugal and his mother were presumed killed in a Bajoran terrorist attack, Dukat actually had the boy taken away and raised by Bajorans, hoping to use the boy to embarrass his father in later years.

Though father and son were eventually reunited, Dukat still achieved a sort of victory. Rugal, raised on Bajor, by Bajoran adoptive parents, and given to the Bajoran belief system, hated all Cardassians - including his father. While Pa'dar's career would survive this encounter, it was clear that his relationship with his son would take years to recover, if at all.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"