For Star Trek’s Klingons, the bat’leth is the weapon of choice, but before its arrival, Klingon weapons were diverse–showing just how fractured their society was. In Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Klingons, first published by IDW, Kahless, the founder of Klingon society, struggles to unite his people. At this point, Klingon society is fractured, each using different weapons; yet with his mighty bat’leth, Kahless unites them under one banner, inspiring future generations of Klingons to take it up.
The Klingons are one of the most popular alien species in the Star Trek universe. A brutal, and war-like culture, the Klingons have had rocky relationships with their galactic neighbors, most notably the United Federation of Planets. The Klingons have many weapons at their disposal, such as cloaking devices and disruptors, but for melee style combat, the Klingon weapon of choice is the bat’leth. This sword is ubiquitous in Klingon culture; it was wielded by Kahless, the founder of Klingon society. Yet in early Klingon history, at a time when factions fought against each other, a wide variety of weapons were used–and one Star Trek comic showed them, illustrating just how fractured their society had become.
The one-shot, written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and illustrated by Timothy Green, opens with Kahless, having just forged his bat’leth, coming down from the Fire Mountain, ready to unite the Klingons. After defeating his less scrupulous brother in combat, Kahless next goes to the Three Turn Bridge, an area he says is “without honor.” The Three Turn Bridge is ruled over by three different factions–and each faction is using a wide variety of melee style weapons. Each of the three factions tells Kahless he must pledge loyalty to them–or be killed. When Kahless refuses, telling them they are without honor and thus not true Klingons, each faction sends their best warriors after him. Among the warriors they are using a wide variety of weapons, such as axes and throwing stars–but with his bat’leth, Kahless is able to defeat them all. After sending Molor, the Warlord of the Shadows, packing, the surviving Klingons ask Kahless to show them what honor truly means. From that moment, Kahless would go on to forge a mighty empire, one that would last across the centuries and stretch across the galaxy.
Klingon Weapons Reflect Their Society
As seen in this story, Klingon society was split into warring factions, each constantly at the other’s throat–and the diverse range of weapons they used reflected these divisions. By the 24th century, nearly every Klingon warrior carried a bat’leth into battle, but in this dark chapter of their history, they are divided not only in their ideologies, but in their choice of weapons as well. Even within the various factions Kahless fought there were many different types of weapons; the factions were clearly not as united as thought–further proof of the lack of honor among the Klingons of this time. After other Klingons saw Kahless masterfully use his bat’leth, they threw down their weapons and pledged fealty to him.
From there, the bat’leth would become a symbol of not only Kahless’ supremacy, but of that of the Klingon people in general. The bat’leth is a weapon representing honor and courage–pillars of Klingon thought and society. Yet at one point in their history, Star Trek’s Klingons were splintered–and their weapon choices reflected this.