| “ | We are going to this planet. Even as our emissaries negotiate for peace with the Federation, we will act for the preservation of our race! We will seize the secret of this weapon. The secret of ultimate power! | „ |
| ~ Kruge's master plan to steal the Genesis superweapon |
Kruge sutai-Vastal was a Klingon officer and the main antagonist of the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
He was portrayed by Christopher Lloyd, who also played Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Switchblade Sam in Dennis the Menace, Merlock in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Rasputin in Anastasia, The Hacker in Cyberchase, Lord Imaru in The Secret Treasure of Machu Picchu, Professor Plum in Clue, Helgait in the The Mandalorian, Stan Cruge in Santa Buddies, Master Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts, Mr. Clipboard in Foodfight!, Pachacamac in Knuckles, Dr. Heep in Baby Geniuses, and Bill Crowley in I Am Not a Serial Killer.
Biography[]
Past[]
Kruge was born in to the House of Kruge, one of the Great Houses of the Empire, with a number of highly placed political connections.
A protegee of Kamarag, Kruge served for many years in the Klingon Defense Force. His career began in the 2240s under Commander Kor on the IKS Kut'luch. In 2245 Kruge questioned the decision of Kor to withdraw from battle against the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). Kruge backed down but Kor believed some day that Kruge would challenge him for command.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock[]
By the 2280s Kruge was Captain of a Klingon Bird of Prey, with a dozen officers and crew under his command. He had a female friend named Valkris, who was a Klingon spy. Kruge also had a Targ hound that he brought with him, and ordered hapless crew members to feed his Targ. In 2285 Kruge obtained data on Project Genesis from Valkris. After learning that she had seen the data, he had her killed by destroying her ship in order to prevent any news about the mission from getting out or having possible witnesses later on.
Viewing the data with his most trusted officers, Kruge decided to travel to the planet that had been created after Khan Noonien Singh detonated the Genesis torpedo in the Mutara Nebula. Upon arrival he found the Federation science ship USS Grissom in orbit over Genesis. He ordered his crew to disable the ship, however the gunner's shot destroyed Grissom. Enraged, Kruge vaporized the gunner with his disruptor.
Torg pointed out that there were survivors on the surface of Genesis who might have detailed knowledge of the weapon. Kruge led a team to the planet surface to find the survivors. Taking the survivors - Saavik, David Marcus, and the regenerated body of Spock - prisoner, he threatened to torture the information out of the prisoners. However the USS Enterprise arrived at that time, and Kruge beamed up to take care of that threat. Because the Enterprise was so undermanned and running on automation, Kruge was able to disable the Federation ship with a single shot, even though ordinarily Kruge's ship would have been no match for a Constitution-class starship. Admiral Kirk attempted to bluff the Klingons into surrendering, but that failed. Kruge ordered his crew on the surface to kill a prisoner, the Klingon warrior was going to kill Saavik before David intervened, at the cost of his life.
Kruge sent a team over to the Enterprise but before abandoning ship Admiral Kirk had set the ship to self-destruct. When Kruge heard the Enterprise computer counting down Kruge realized what was about to happen, and screamed for his men to get off the ship, but it was too late for the transporter chief to beam them out. Kruge and Maltz could only watch as powerful charges on the Enterprise killed the boarding party and reduced the Federation ship to a lifeless hulk that burned up in the atmosphere of Genesis.
Realizing that Kirk and the others had made it off the Enterprise before the ship exploded, Kruge beamed down to Genesis to confront Kirk directly. The two engaged in physical combat while Genesis broke up beneath their feet. Kruge and Kirk fought to the edge of a cliff and wound up on a ledge overlooking a lake of lava. A piece of ground gave way underneath Kruge. Kruge wound up holding on to the edge of the cliff for his life. Despite everything that Kruge had done, Kirk tried to pull the man up, but Kruge was determined to take Kirk with him. Having had enough, Kirk kicked Kruge in the head until Kruge lost his grip and fell to his death in the lava below.
Legacy[]
After Kruge's death, Kirk got Maltz - the sole Klingon remaining on Kruge's ship - to beam him and Spock's body up. The crew rushed to Vulcan, where Spock's body and katra were successfully reunited with each other.
Kirk would later on develop a bitter hatred for Klingons years because Kruge had killed his son. Kirk would even refer to this when he was on his final mission as captain of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A, that he never trusted Klingons and he never will, nor could he forgive them for the death of his son. Before his own death, Chancellor Gorkon was aware of what happened to Kirk's son and realized that Kirk's hatred of Klingons was due to Kirk still grieving David's death.
After seeing what extremes others would go to because of their hatred of the Klingon race, Kirk finally let go of his hatred and forgave the Klingon people rather than let his hatred consume him. Nearly a century later Captain K'Nera - who belonged to the same House as Kruge - made an unsuccessful attempt of his own to seize the secrets of Genesis before being stopped by the crew of the Enterprise.
Kruge's death left the House of Kruge divided. His chosen heir Korgh was unable to assert his claim to lead the House of Kruge due to the political divisions in Kruge's family. Nearly a century after Kruge's death Korgh attempted to seize political power and also tried to assassinate Emperor Kahless. Korgh's plans failed because he underestimated not only his enemies, but the loyalty of his allies as well.
Another one of Kruge's relatives was K'Nera, who had served in the KDF. In the late 2370s K'Nera went rouge and tried to obtain the secrets of the Genesis Project. He allied with a Maquis cell to obtain the data but then betrayed and murdered the members of the cell. Intent on using Genesis to make his House dominant in the Empire, he was stopped by Ro Laren and Commander William Riker.
Personality[]
Kruge is a very unique Klingon in that Klingons are usually depicted in pre-The Undiscovered Country Star Trek as vicious and often entirely amoral. Kruge, while violent and ruthless, maintains a strict code of honor. He demonstrates respect for his enemies, and murders one of his own men for destroying a surrendering Federation ship. Still, Kruge has genuine comraderie with his men and is rewarded with their genuine loyalty.
Quotes[]
| “ | Say the wrong thing, Torg! | „ |
| ~ A furious Kruge threatening his first officer with a disruptor set to kill. |
| “ | Get out! Get out of there! Get out! | „ |
| ~ Kruge to his men after realizing the USS Enterprise was about to explode. |
| “ | Give me Genesis! | „ |
| ~ Kruge when brawling with Kirk and his final words before his death. |
Trivia[]
- Kruge is notable for being the first main antagonist in a Star Trek film to actually fight a member of the Enterprise crew. The previous two antagonists were V'Ger (who was a sentient satellite and thus incapable of combat) and Khan Noonien Singh who was unable to engage Kirk due to Richardo Montalban having to film Fantasy Island.
- Commander Kruge's name is only spoken once, by his lover Valkris. As such, Admiral Kirk never learns his adversary's name.
- Edward James Olmos was director Leonard Nimoy's original choice for the role of Kruge. However, producer Harve Bennett was concerned that Olmos was too small to be an effective villain. A first time director, Nimoy was unfamiliar with the intricacies of directing a film and working with producers and backed down out of fear he would be fired as a director. Christopher Lloyd soon came along and even though up to that point his work had mainly been comedic in nature, both Nimoy and Bennett felt Lloyd came off more operatic and physically intimidating, and cast him as Kruge.
- In a June 2009 interview, Christopher Lloyd said that the role of Commander Kruge was one of his favorites.
- When Admiral Kirk calls out to Lord Kruge, the Klingon commander has his head in his hands. According to the original storyline, Kruge is not mourning the loss of his troops, he is humiliated because Kirk was more cunning than he was. Through Kirk's apparent suicide, Kruge has been beaten and shamed.
External links[]
- Kruge on Memory Alpha, the Star Trek Wiki
