Below is a list of who I believe are the greatest klingons of Star Trek history and why I believe they deserve to have many, many glorious songs written about them and their honorable exploits. 

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Commander Kruge ( Christopher Lloyd )

The big heavy of the movie ST 3: The Search for Spock, Kruge showed true Klingon courage and tenacity in his tireless pursuit of The Genesis Device.  Cunning and fearless, he is one of the few adversaries not to fall for James Kirk's infamous poker face and 'Corbomite-style' bluffs.  At the same time both feared and respected by his subordinates, he met his end like a warrior in hand to hand combat against Kirk on the surface of the rapidly self-destructing Genesis Planet. Kruge even showed us that Klingons could be sentimental when he openly expressed his feelings for his mate, Valkris (right before blowing her and the merchant ship she was on to space dust) and at the death of his pet targ in the battle with Kirk and the Enterprise.  Of all the great warriors to come and go, Kruge, beyond a doubt remains my favorite.  In my opinion, he set the standard for all those who would follow in his armored footsteps.

Lt. Commander Worf ( Michael Dorn)

A popular figure aboard the Enterprise-D, Worf fought many glorious battles in the service of the Federation both under the command of Jean Luc Picard, and then Captain Benjamin Sisko as Strategic Operations Officer on Deep Space Nine.  It was through his eyes we first witnessed such peeks into the Klingon Culture as the Rite of Ascension, the Rus'tai, the Klingon Tea Ceremony, the Klingon Death Howl and the complexities of Klingon mating practices.  He also showed us the darker side of his culture when he accepted Discommendation for false-accusations made against his father, Mogh, while still protecting his brother, Kurn, from the same disgrace.  

A Klingon among men, he stood proudly in the face of any and all challenges.  He stood against Gowron (the bug-eyed troll) during the brief rift in the Klingon's peace treaty with the Federation, and was even willing to sacrifice himself and all aboard the USS Defiant against a Borg Cube that had attempted to assimilate Earth's past in ST 8: First Contact.  His only true failing was that in regards to his ability as a parent.  Try as he might, it was years before he was able to see eye-to-eye with his 1/4 human son, Alexander.  His love life could have been better too; evidenced by his apparent failure with Enterprise-D councilor, Deanna Troi, and by the untimely deaths of both Alexander's mother, Ambassador K'Ehlyer (see entry below) and DS9's trill Science Officer, Jadzia Dax (see below)  

Commander Kor ( John Colicos )

The first Klingon seen in Star Trek, Kor was present on Organia with Kirk and the crew of the original Constitution-class Enterprise when the planets inhabitants forced what was to be called the Organian Peace Treaty upon the their respective governments.  Willing to look on the bright side of any situation, upon the forced cessation of hostilities between the Empire and the Federation, Kor smiled and said, "Pity.  It would have been glorious." referring to the war that would now, never be.  Never one to shy away from a game of tongo, or a good keg of bloodwine, Kor made many friends during his long and illustrious carrier including Curzon Dax, his symbionts successive host Jadzia and Lt Commander Worf.  Among his most noteworthy accomplishments was being part of the expedition to locate and recover the original Sword of Kahless (which was subsequently lost again) and to die sacrificing himself to save a Klingon Bird-Of-Prey and her crew in a grand battle during the Dominion War.

Lieutenant Jadzia Dax ( Terry Farrell )

A trill in body, Jadzia was certainly a Klingon at heart no doubt partially due to Curzon's (the Dax-symbiont's previous host) involvement with the race.  As Science Officer of DS9, Jadzia preferred to use her mind rather than her brawn to sort through problems.  However, when the situation called for it, she was more than capable with a Bat'leth, practicing her proficiency with the weapon often in the station's holosuites. Once, and at the risk to her career, she fulfilled a blood oath Curzon had made to legendary warriors Kor (see above), Kang and Koloth in a pursuit of an individual called 'The Albino' who'd murdered Kang's son some years previous.  

A fancier of gagh, raktejino and bloodwine, Jadzia's involvement in Klingon culture increased further when she married Lt. Commander Worf, who by that time had been 'adopted' into the family of General Martok (see below).  Sadly, she and Worf never had the chance to propagate as she was senselessly killed at the hands of Cardassian Gul Dukat who had been possessed by one of the mystical Bajoran P'ah wraiths.  However, in true Klingon form, Worf volunteered on a dangerous and glorious campaign against Dominion forces in her name, thereby assuring Jadzia a place among the honored dead in Sto'vo'kor.

Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres ( Roxanne Biggs-Dawson )

As Chief Engineer of the USS Voyager, B'Elanna is one of the few known successful products of inter-species breeding between humans and Klingons.  Often resistant to her Klingon heritage, she nonetheless repeated displayed honor and integrity fitting of any full-blooded Klingon in her time as a Maquis rebel; selflessly putting herself at risk in the protection of Federation colonies left unprotected on the Cardassian side of the Cardassian-Federation DMZ.  Upon being lost in the Delta Quadrant with the Voyager, she quickly gained the respect of her federation crewmates by proving herself to be a highly-qualified engineer.  Constantly at odds with her passionate Klingon-half, B'Elanna had the unique opportunity of being split by a Vidian scientist into a full human B'Elanna, and a full Klingon B'Elanna.  This experience enabled her two halves to speak with one another and helped her to gain a full appreciation for what her Klingon self contributed to her as a whole person.  During Voyager's seven year journey back to Earth, B'Elanna did herself and her heritage proud on numerous occasions in a variety of conflicts with the Borg, Species 8472, the Hirogen and others.  Eventually, she went on to marry Voyager's best pilot, Lt. Tom Paris and have a daughter named Miral (after B'Elanna's Klingon mother).

Chancellor Martok ( J. G. Hertzler )

Respectfully called "The One-Eyed Giant" by his subordinates, Martok is the model of bravery in the face of adversity.  During the Alpha Quadrant's war against the Changeling-ruled Dominion forces, he spent many months as a prisoner in an isolated, asteroid-based internment camp.  Here he bided his time, waiting for a chance at vengeance.  It was during his time here, while in arena-style fights with Jem'Hadar guards, that he lost his left eye thus earning him his nickname. Eventually, with the help of Worf, Dr Bashir and the mysterious Cardassian called Garak, he acquired that freedom, killing many of his captors in the process.  

From here, he welcomed Worf (who for the second time, had had his family name disgraced in opposition of Klingon Chancellor, Gowron) into his family and went on to claim many victories as a General in the Klingon Defense Force during the Alpha Quadrant's conflict with the Dominion - often with his new brother at his side.  He then, upon her marriage to Worf and with some resistance from his wife - patriarch of The House of Martok - welcomed the joined-Trill, Jadzia Dax into the family as well, and then Worf's son from a previous mating, Alexander.  During the course of the Dominion War, Gowron died in an honorable challenge against Worf, and General Martok has since stepped up to take Gowron's place as Chancellor of the Klingon Empire.

Ambassador K'Ehlyer (aka: Suzie Plakson)

Having known Lt Worf (as was his rank at the time) for many years, they were reunited aboard the USS Enterprise-D in 2265 when she was called into service to intercept the Klingon battleship T'Ong.  The T'Ong and her crew had been in a state of suspended animation for close to 70 years from a time when the Empire and the Federation were still at odds, and it was K'Ehlyer's duty to either destroy the ship and all aboard, or convince them otherwise.  The mission had been a success and while on the Enterprise, she and Worf resumed their relationship.  However, as K'Ehlyer was half-human and somewhat resistant to her Klingon heritage, she was not prepared to pursue the Klingon mating ritual with Worf at their time.  Their brief reunion did however result in the birth of their son and 2 years later, she and Alexander returned to the Enterprise-D.  

On this second occasion, she was to guide Enterprise Captain, Jean Luc Picard, in the procedures involved in the Rite of Succession as the present Klingon Chancellor, K'mpec, was dying. It was the Chancellor's wish that Picard determine which of the two contenders, Gowron or Duras, would succeed K'mpec upon his passing.  However, during the course of these events, K'Ehlyer discovered the clouded past of Duras and his family and in order to keep the secret was subsequently murdered at his hands.  Duras was then killed by Worf in a bat'leth challenge, leaving not only Gowron to succeed K'mpec, but Worf as the sole carer for Alexander.

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