Star Trek: Lower Decks claims the Orginal Series villain Khan Noonian Singh was the series ultimate badass, but they forget about Gul Dukat.
Khan Noonian Singh was genetically engineered to be a supervillain, so claims the writers of Star Trek: Lower Decks. The problem is, how is he a badass? James Kirk kicked him and his parade of genetically modified goofs off his ship, threw them on a planet and forgot about them. Then Khan carjacked a Starfleet ship, only to get his butt handed to him. His only two appearances saw him take two losses. A badass villain doesn’t lose more than he wins. The truest of badasses vialliins is simple, it’s honest and it’s terrifyingly obvious that it’s Gul Dukat.
Khan lost every time he was in the original timeline. He took a third loss in the Kelvin timeline. Khan is quotable, but he’s no threat to succeed. He’s a genetically superior being who can’t defeat the people he’s supposedly superior to.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Dukat on the other hand was so crazy and so unrelenting that he inspired demonic aliens to possess him. A true embodiment of cruelty. If Khan is considered a badass just because he was a villain, then clearly Dukat is a demon.
These are three reasons why Dukat was a more villianious badass than Khan.
Dukat battled and won against the Federation
Khan’s “win” against the Federation amounted to locking the captain out of his house and grand theft auto. Dukat’s “wins” against the Federation (and its allies) included genocide, torture, kidnapping, murder, espionage and nearly winning a war against them. Khan knew how to talk like a bad ass villain, Dukat knew how to be one.
Dukat was so deplorable, his own side couldn’t trust him
At different times throughout the DS9 series, Dukat was on the side of Cardassia, the Bajorans, Starfleet, and the Dominion to name a few. At different times throughout the series, he was at odds with Cardassia, the Bajorans, Starfleet, and the Dominion. The only person he never betrayed was his children because even Dukat had a line.
Dukat’s view on victory trumps Khan’s petty vengeance
Khan’s most famous line is about obession over one man. “He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him.” That could be a Tinder profile these days. A memorable line that fully described Khan’s true intentions. Revenge. Revenge is a petty emotion. Dukat, on the other hand, has never been petty a day in his life. Snarky? Yes. Petty? No.
To show the extent of his own conviction to utter dominance, Dukat argued that the Dominion shouldn’t destroy Earth, instead, force them to admit they were wrong. “A true victory is to make your enemy see they were wrong to oppose you in the first place. To force them to acknowledge your greatness.”
Dukat isn’t motivated by anything as trivial as petty vengeance. No, Dukat is motivated by being the best. Revenge ends so easily but the commitment to dominance is a lifelong pursuit. Making Dukat the ultimate in villainy.