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Kahless "The Unforgettable" is a fictional character from the Star Trek media franchise. He was displayed as a portrait in by Robert Herron and in by Kevin Conway; and is the titular character in the Star Trek novel Kahless by Michael Jan Freeman. Kahless is an important religious and historical figure to the Klingon race and has been studied in explorations of the philosophy within the setting of Star Trek.
Kahless was also the subject of a Klingon language opera in the Netherlands.
The spouse of Kahless was Lady Lukara, whom he had become romantically involved with after a battle against five hundred warriors at the Great Hall of Qam-Chee, when the local garrison Rout. Only Kahless and Lukara remained to fight and achieved a decisive victory.
An image of Kahless was encountered in the episode "The Savage Curtain". In the Excalbian Yarnek's study of good versus evil, Kahless was one of the evil images alongside Zora, Colonel Phillip Green and Genghis Khan. Abraham Lincoln and Surak represented good and assisted Kirk and Spock. Played by actor Robert Herron, this Kahless also appeared as the typical smooth forehead Klingon (which as revealed in ). As the Excalbians were reading Kirk and Spock's thought patterns, Kahless's depiction here was believed by fans to be based solely on Kirk's limited and heavily biased knowledge of Klingon culture.
In the Next Generation episode "Rightful Heir," Kahless was alluded to as having united the Klingon Empire some 1,500 years ago after fighting and killing the tyrant Molor with the first bat'leth. He is said to have fashioned the weapon by dropping a lock of his hair into the lava from the Kri'stak Volcano and twisting it into a blade.
Furthermore, in the episode, a clone of Kahless was created by caretakers of the planet Boreth (a Klingon pilgrimage site) using dried blood from the ancient dagger of Molor in an attempt to gain political influence. The scheme was circumvented by Worf, who learned the truth and subsequently arranged for the new Kahless II to occupy a ceremonial position as a figurehead and spiritual leader in the Klingon Empire.
Another story tells of how Kahless fought his brother, Morath, for twelve days and twelve nights after Morath had lied and brought shame to his family. Kahless is also said to have fought off an entire army single-handedly at Three Turn Bridge.
By Lieutenant Worf's design and with the cooperation of Chancellor Gowron, the Clone of Kahless becomes emperor of the Klingon Empire in the episode "Rightful Heir."Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek (1999). 9780671536091, Pocket Books. ISBN 9780671536091 The emperor is a figurehead, with power residing with the Klingon High Council. Worf believes this to be the first step in a renaissance for the Klingon people. This idealism is seen to be unfounded when the Clone's opposition to the Klingon invasion of Cardassian space is unheeded by the High Council and their armies.
The Kahless clone is played by actor Kevin Conway in the episode "Rightful Heir."
The clone was made from cells that existed from the original Kahless, but he is not made aware of the cloning process and instead tricked into thinking he is the original Kahless. In addition to being cloned, the monks used stories to imprint on his mind, thus altering his natural mind.
According to Star Trek writer Ronald D. Moore, the inspiration for the idea of bringing Kahless back was the popularity in the early 1990s of cloning with DNA, such as popularized in Jurassic Park. Then there was the idea of doing this with a person, in this case Kahless of the Klingons empire was chosen, and the concept developed from there. Previous episodes and book had established a kind of Klingon religion in the Star Trek lore, and the writing for Kahless was influenced by that.
Kahless is referred-to in the 1984 tie-in novel The Final Reflection by John M. Ford. Captain Krenn tells the story to Dr Tagore, of how the Klingons have one who is not forgotten. When his ship was dying, Kahless had his hand bound to the captain's chair, so none could say he left the bridge. The ship's crew could then abandon the ship, because Kahless had taken on the ship's fate. Krenn tells Tagore that's the source of the Klingon phrase Kahlesste kaase, Kahless' hand, a swear or curse that many of the Klingons in the book utter when impressed or awed.
Kahless is the subject of an opera in the Klingon language: ’u’, which debuted at The Hague in September 2010. The opera was presented in the Klingon language.
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