Your favourite TOS Klingon?

Which of these characters embodied the best or worst Klingon qualities (for the Klingon society as depicted at the time, not necessarily the later motorcycle gang cavemen)? Who had the best performances? Etc., etc.

Vote and discuss

Kor

 

I've always thought Kor, but I saw Day of the Dove recently and Kang is pretty friggin' awesome too. Kang has definitely grown on me, but I still gotta with Kor.

I don't remember Krell much, but I liked him fine. He had the look.

I didn't mind Koloth, but I kept thinking about Trelane. I still enjoyed the performance because Campbell is fun to watch. He strikes me as being a bit more nobility, like Chang.

I can't imagine anyone voting for Bob the Discount Klingon, but somebody probably will just to be a smartass. That would be like voting for Klaa over Kruge, Chang, and Khan.

 

Kang.

He seemed more in line with being from an aggressive adversarial race. Kor was tough to get a read on. Koloth and other Klingons came across as a joke (outside of Mara).

 

Agree, Kang.

 

Kang would probably win in a fight, now that I think about it.

 

"Bob the Discount Klingon"

I've read that it was planned to have the same actor (Tige Andrews) play the Klingon adversary in "The Trouble with Tribbles," but he wasn't available. I wonder how that would have played out.

I haven't seen "Friday's Child" in a while, but I think Kras didn't really seem to command anybody's respect. He just got sneered at and referred to as "Klingon" over and over, right?

Kor

 

I'll have to go with Kang, and not just because I've been watching him more than Kor.

Kor comes across as very smart, sly, devious, always thinking, and it's good work by Colicos.

But Ansara's Kang brings physicality to the role. Angry due to what he believes a Federation attack, plotting a takeover of the ship that should have worked, and the growing awareness that something isn't exactly right with the situation. He's a warrior first, but an intelligent opponent.

 

^ Originally, John Colicos was supposed to return as Kor for "Day of the Dove," but had other commitments. Somehow I find it hard to imagine him being as physical as Kang.

Kor

 

Mara, no doubt.

She was a nice contrast to the more aggressive male counterparts. I didn't like "Day of the Dove" when I was younger (grade school, teenage), but I think in retrospect it was because I didn't appreciate that it works best as something symbolic. There would be much less of an episode there without her, yet she seems to get overlooked. So, Mara.

 

^ I think most of the third season works best as something symbolic, rather than being taken as a literal depiction of events. Think of them as mythic "tall tale" versions of what *really* happened.

Kor

 

Nice.

 

I also think Kirk as a character works much better when his adversary also towers over him physically. It's the David and Goliath imagery I suppose, with him defeating an opponent who could possibly beat the living crap out of him.

 

"And before I put you in the brig, there's a little something I owe you." ::POW!!!!

Kirk knocking down Kang was epic because Kang was HUGE.

 

Kor was fantastic, but he was a military governor. Kang was a captain -- and damn, Ansara was an underrated actor! It wasn't just his physical presence.

 

I agree, Ansara had the personality too.

 

Kor.

 

Kor, hands down!

Kang and Koloth were good, but they just couldn't match the scenery-chewing awesomeness that was Commander Kor.

 

Kor, but it's pretty much a tie between Kor and Kang.

Mara gets a mention because she was an interesting contrast to the males.

Koloth and the rest...meh.

 

Kor, but Kang is a close second.

The actors that played the TOS Klingons were all great, and they didn't have the latex and elaborate costumes of TMP and later Klingons, they had to sell the image of "ruthless warrior race" with their talent and presentation.

 

This guy, for the win!



Prepare to be boarded...or destroyed.