Gowron

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Gowron
Species:	Klingon
Gender:	Male
Hair color:	Black
Eye color:	Blue
Home planet:	Qo'noS
Affiliation:	Klingon Empire
Position:	Chancellor
Portrayed by:	Robert O'Reilly

Gowron is a fictional character of the Star Trek universe. He was played by Robert O'Reilly and featured in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

[edit] The Next Generation

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Gowron first appeared in the episode "Reunion" as the main rival of Duras for the succession of the post of Klingon Chancellor K'mpec, who had suspected that one of the two had been poisoning him and appointed Captian Jean-Luc Picard as "Arbiter of Succession" to determine who would follow him. Before the arbitration process could be resolved, however, Worf's one-time mate, K'Ehleyr, discovered the evidence that implicated Ja'rod, and to prevent her from disclosing it, Duras murdered her. Claiming right of vengeance, Worf challenged Duras to a duel, and killed him, resulting in Gowron's ascension to the Chancellorship.

Gowron reappeared in the episode "Redemption", with his position now under threat from the Duras sisters who were driving for Duras's illegitimate son Toral to be appointed Chancellor. It was revealed that the Duras clan has been in league with the Klingon's traditional enemies the Romulans, and their attempt to sieze power ended when the Romulans abandoned them. Gowron also restored the honor of Worf's house during this episode's events.

Gowron was once more challenged in the episode "Rightful Heir" by the apparently ressurected Kahless the Unforgettable. It was ultimately revealed that this Kahless was in fact a clone, whom Gowron appointed to the symbolic post of Emperor of the Klingon Empire.

[edit] Deep Space Nine

Gowron first appeared prominently in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the episode "The Way of the Warrior", when he launched an assault upon the Cardassian Union, claiming that the newly installed civilian Detapa Council was infested with shapeshifters from the Dominion, a powerful organization from the Gamma Quadrant that was attempting to gain a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant. Gowron once more revoked the honor of Worf's house when he refused to join him, and attacked Deep Space Nine to capture the Depata Council. A fragile peace was reached by the end of the episode.

In the episode "Broken Link" Gowron risked a war with the United Federation of Planets, demanding the disputed Archanis sector. Starfleet came to the conclusion that Gowron was in fact a changeling through faulty information leaked to Odo. Sisko, Odo, Worf and O'Brien infiltrated a Klingon ceremony to try to expose him in the follow-up episode "Apocalypse Rising", but ultimately discovered that the changeling was in fact Gowron's top advisor General Martok, who was killed by Gowron's men. Regardless, Gowron still did not change his policies.

In the fifth season two-parter, "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light" Gowron restored the broken peace with the Federation in the Khitomer Accords after the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion and the real Martok was rescued from a Dominion prison.

Gowron made his final apperances in "When it Rains..." and "Tacking Into the Wind", where he assumed direct command of Klingon military forces and launched multiple reckless attacks with minimal success. Worf speculated that this was an attempt to discredit General Martok, as he was forced to command many of these doomed offensives, and challenged and killed Gowron. He then refused the Chancellorship in favor of Martok

It is unknown what Gowron's ultimate fate was after his death. Memory Alpha speculates that, since Gowron died in honorable combat with Worf, his soul passed on to Sto-Vo-Kor.