Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Ranking Every Major Character Worst To Best

9. Gul Dukat

Gul Dukat
CBS

When people think of the great villains of Star Trek, they might automatically gravitate toward Khan. While it's true that this is the man who caused the death of Spock, that is doing a huge disservice to the most richly, deeply developed villain in the entire franchise.

Gul Dukat was with Deep Space Nine from the beginning. The cunning former prefect of Bajor spoke with assurance that he was only trying to do what was right for the people on the planet below. He was very much a saviour, a great man deserving of statues and remembrance.

That is not how history viewed it and it is certainly not how Major Kira viewed it. Dukat was an evil, evil man. He managed to cover that evil in twists and turns for almost five years, offering his help every so often, enough times to be seen as something of a reluctant ally to the Federation.

That all changed when he revealed that he had negotiated Cardassia's entry to the Dominion, thereby abandoning any pretense of fostering amity with the Federation.

It truly cannot be overstated how fantastic Marc Alaimo was in the role. He brought menace and grace, all at once. When he stepped into a scene, he owned it. That the final battle of the series not be between two might fleets, but between two symbols of good and evil in he and Sisko, offers testament to the strength of his character and acting.

There will never be another villain like him.

Contributor
Contributor

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"