Star Trek is about to launch a new TV series, and it should surprise no one who has been a fan of the franchise that there is already “controversy” surrounding the new show’s take on classic established lore. There are a lot of ways that fans get riled up when it comes to Star Trek, but few are as hot-button as the Klingon race. With so much deep lore (and real-life subculture) devoted to Klingons, it’s always hard for new Star Trek projects to put their own stamp on the characters – and Starfleet Academy is proving to be no different.
Recent trailers and promos for Starfleet Academy have introduced Jay-Den Kraag, a Klingon cadet played by actor Karim Diané. However, whereas fans are used to seeing Star Trek’s Klingon characters showing off fury in battle or looking grim and/or disgruntled in Starfleet’s ranks, Jay-Den Kraag is proving to be a different sort of beast.
This particular Klingon character doesn’t just want to join Starfleet: he wants to become a medical officer. That compassionate, altruistic streak, combined with footage of Kraag smiling (smiling!), has already made some Star Trek fans react like the franchise is crumbling in front of us. However, Karim Diané feels differently.
Klingons Are Healers Too (Not Just Killers)
Paramount+
The newest Star Trek Klingon spoke to SFX Magazine about taking on the role and the fan reactions. When asked if he thought Jay-Den Kraag was breaking new ground for Star Trek, Karim Diané actually had a rebuttal that many fans should consider: “Absolutely not. I feel like this may be the first time that we’re seeing onscreen a Klingon who is this different. But from what I understand, the Klingons – like any community – don’t just have warriors. Healers have always been there.”
That’s a pitch-perfect response from Diané: if Klingons are a warrior race, then there certainly needs to be some side of their culture based in healing techniques. Warriors need wounds repaired; healers know the body and its weakest points better than anyone, an expert at fixing pain and injury doesn’t exclude a Klingon healer from being able to turn it all around and use that knowledge to cause damage and pain, if ever necessary. That exact kind of range may very well end up being a part of a Starfleet Academy episode, focused on Kraag (and we’d be into it).
In general, Star Trek has been adding more and more layers of nuance, complexity, and range to the Klingons – going all the way back to Michael Dorn’s Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Dorn has been a one-man showcase for the deep internal conflicts within a Klingon, and there should really be no debate about the range those characters can have. The character design? Sure, we can debate that all day. But a compassionate Klingon who isn’t afraid of having friends and smiling isn’t that big of a deal.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will stream on Paramount+ starting on January 15th. You can discuss all things Star Trek on the ComicBook Forum!