Klingon Warrior Kahless

Sometime in the 9th century, Kahless defeated his enemies, including Molor and the Fek'Ihri, on the field of battle and founded the mighty Klingon Empire, uniting the Klingon people and giving them the laws of honor. Upon his death, Kahless promised he would return one day and lead the Empire again. After his death, it was said that Kahless awaited all Klingons in Sto-vo-kor: the life which lies beyond this life. His teachings of honor and tradition formed the basis of modern Klingon philosophy and culture. As of 2374, Kahless was still revered as a near-divine figure by the Klingons.

Although Kahless was not high-born, those who descended from him and his wife, the Lady Lukara, were said to reside within the Klingon Imperial Court. Those members of the Court, including Dahar master Kor, were considered "of the blood," and were regarded throughout the Empire to have been born to rule by the divine will of Kahless.

In 2256, the zealot T'Kuvma proclaimed that the Great Houses of the Klingon Empire would "stand as one under Kahless, reborn in me, T'Kuvma."

In 2269, an image of Kahless was created by the Excalbians in a plot devised to better understand the concepts of "good" and "evil". The image was considerably flawed from the original Kahless, with such notable discrepancies as being infected with the Klingon augment virus and wearing a 23rd century Imperial Klingon Fleet uniform. The Excalbian version of Kahless appeared and acted quite differently from the original, since the image had been created from reading the minds of Humans who, at that point in Starfleet history, saw Kahless as a ruthless tyrant, and had had far more contact with Augment Klingons (or their descendants) than with standard Klingons. The Excalbian version of Kahless also had a talent for mimicking voices.