Moving up in rank

[The Wormhole]

It seems most likely, people running the show just really loved calling him Ensign Kim.

That may very well be the case. After all, the main reason Tom Paris was re-promoted to Lieutenant was because after he was demoted to Ensign in Thirty Days, the writers still kept writing him as "Lieutenant Paris" in the scripts. Eventually, they got sick of having to go back and edit all references to "Lieutenant Paris" to "Ensign Paris" so they just decided to say "screw it, we'll make him a Lieutenant again."

Of course, that falls apart after you take into consideration they apparently remembered to switch from "Lieutenant Tuvok" to "Commander Tuvok" in the fourth season.

 

[Oddish]

Well, if they had simply bumped Harry up to El Tee at the proper time, they'd've had a good five years to get used to the change.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Gul Dukat remained a Gul during the whole series, in spite of occupying various positions of command.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Gul Dukat remained a Gul during the whole series, in spite of occupying various positions of command.

He did actually mention having a "legate title" in the past tense at one point.

In Return to Grace, just after he, Kira and his crew had hijacked the Bird-of-Prey:

DUKAT: I'll contact Central Command and inform them of our success. I think I'll request my Legate title be reinstated, effective immediately. Get me Central Command. No, on second thought, this is too important for them. I want to speak to the Chairman of the Detepa Council himself on a secure channel.
DAMAR: I can't do that from here, sir. The communication terminals on the bridge are down but I could re-route it to the Captain's quarters.
DUKAT: Good. Do so. Then make the repairs. I want this ship fully operational as soon as possible.
DAMAR: Aye, sir.

Both Damar and Broca held the rank of Legate as the Cardassian Military Commander under the Dominion.

Why Dukat prefered the title of Gul is unknown.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Why Dukat prefered the title of Gul is unknown.

Probably because he spent most of his career as a Gul. He did say it sounded more "hands on" than Legate, didn't he?

 

[Swedish Borg]

He did actually mention having a "legate title" in the past tense at one point.

In Return to Grace, just after he, Kira and his crew had hijacked the Bird-of-Prey:

DUKAT: I'll contact Central Command and inform them of our success. I think I'll request my Legate title be reinstated, effective immediately. Get me Central Command. No, on second thought, this is too important for them. I want to speak to the Chairman of the Detepa Council himself on a secure channel.
DAMAR: I can't do that from here, sir. The communication terminals on the bridge are down but I could re-route it to the Captain's quarters.
DUKAT: Good. Do so. Then make the repairs. I want this ship fully operational as soon as possible.
DAMAR: Aye, sir.

Both Damar and Broca held the rank of Legate as the Cardassian Military Commander under the Dominion.

Why Dukat prefered the title of Gul is unknown.

I think it comes down to how we're used to calling them. Kira for example is called Kira, Kira Nerys, sometimes Nerys but rarely Major Kira and that's why she could be promoted to Colonel without much Trouble. Dukat on the other hand is very often referred to as "Gul Dukat" and so changing his title would be a little too confusing for the audience.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

I think it comes down to how we're used to calling them. Kira for example is called Kira, Kira Nerys, sometimes Nerys but rarely Major Kira and that's why she could be promoted to Colonel without much Trouble. Dukat on the other hand is very often referred to as "Gul Dukat" and so changing his title would be a little too confusing for the audience.

A basic Google search for "major kira" chakoteya.net comes up with 269 matches so it can't be that, although "Kira Nerys" or just "Nerys" was more common (1,100 results) as far as it goes.

 

[Swedish Borg]

A basic Google search for "major kira" chakoteya.net comes up with 269 matches so it can't be that, although "Kira Nerys" or just "Nerys" was more common (1,100 results) as far as it goes.

I am almost certain that they thought that Legate Dukat would have confused the audience.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I doubt that. Characters have been promoted before, and fans have always been able to keep up. No reason this wouldn't also have been true with Dukat.

 

[Weyoun 251]

I am almost certain that they thought that Legate Dukat would have confused the audience.

It doesn't give a good inuniverse explanation but Legate Dukat just sounds wrong.

Gul Dukat rolls off the tongue easier and I wouldn't be surprised if that factored in to their thinking

 

[Oddish]

I think that Dukat began as station prefect, then was reassigned but remained a Gul, then got demoted when his "indiscretion" came to light. Somehow, at some point, he went from resistance fighter to negotiator, and brought Cardassia into the Dominion, and wound up as the head of the collaborative government. Then, he lost his mind in "Sacrifice of Angels", then became a cult leader serving the Bajoran equivalent of demons.

So... yeah, his career had its ups and downs.

 

[Swedish Borg]

I think that Dukat began as station prefect, then was reassigned but remained a Gul, then got demoted when his "indiscretion" came to light. Somehow, at some point, he went from resistance fighter to negotiator, and brought Cardassia into the Dominion, and wound up as the head of the collaborative government. Then, he lost his mind in "Sacrifice of Angels", then became a cult leader serving the Bajoran equivalent of demons.

So... yeah, his career had its ups and downs.

But through all these ups and downs he always was and always will be: Gul Dukat.


Unlike Damar who ended as Legate Damar.

 

[The Wormhole]

I am almost certain that they thought that Legate Dukat would have confused the audience.

So the story goes, Marc Alaimo's contract actually specified his listing in the credits was to be "Marc Alaimo as "Gul Dukat"" and so they had to contrive reasons in the show for him to keep being addressed as Gul Dukat since changing the credit would have meant entering into negotiations with Marc Alaimo, thus entitling him to a raise. So basically, keeping him Gul Dukat literally saved the show money.

I don't know if this story is true, but it does sound the way Hollywood works.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

If a crew member of a Starship that was on a 5-year mission had put in the time and sweat, could the Captain request that the crew member be advanced in rank, especially if it was moving up from ensign? If not, what is the process for moving up in rank?

You assassinate your Captain after he inexplicably refuses to annihilate the Halkans with the ship's phasers.

Obvi.