Starfleet Academy’s Most Controversial Klingon Wardrobe Validated By Legendary Star Trek Writer & Klingon Expert

Published Nov 12, 2026, 8:07 PM EST

John Orquiola is a TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

The legendary Star Trek writer responsible for developing and expanding Klingon culture weighs in on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's most controversial Klingon wardrobe.

In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Karim Diané plays Jay-Den Kraag, the first gay Klingon in Star Trek. The notion of a Klingon who is gay, of course, ignited the ire of a segment of fans. In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5, Jay-Den debuted a variant of his Starfleet Academy cadets' uniform where the Klingon wears a skirt, which sparked another controversy.

• 

• 

Ronald D. Moore was a guest on Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk's podcast, The 7th Rule, which wrapped up their series, Closing the Book on Star Trek: The Next Generation. During the roundtable with The 7th Rule's Patreon supporters, Moore, who created STARZ's Outlander, was asked whether he thinks Klingons would make good Highlanders. Read Ron's response below:

Ronald D. Moore: “Yes, Klingons would make exceptional Highlanders. They would have fit right in. They would have worn the kilts, they would have done the whole thing. They just would have been very, very happy.”

Watch Ronald D. Moore on The 7th Rule:

Of course, Scottish Highlanders wear kilts and not skirts, but the basic principle is the same when it comes to Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Jay-Den is a Klingon warrior, but he wears skirts and dates fellow cadets of the same sex. Ron Moore validates Jay-Den's choice to wear skirts since he believes Klingons would "fit right in" with Highlanders and wear kilts.

Ronald D. Moore was responsible for the Klingon culture's development and expansion in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which he continued in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Taking what was known about Klingons in Star Trek: The Original Series, Moore created the concept of Klingon Great Houses and modeled the warrior race after a combination of Japanese samurai and the Vikings.

Star Trek: The Next Generation established that some male Starfleet Officers wear a skirt-like uniform variation known as a skant.

When Star Trek: Discovery revamped the Klingons, fans rebelled because they were so loyal to what the Klingons became under Moore's guidance. Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy carries the same Klingon culture Ron created in TNG and DS9 into the late 32nd century, with the twists that Jay-Den is gay and wants to be a Starfleet doctor; a healer and not just a warrior.

Ron Moore also fancied Klingons as party animals and developed their love for blood wine and violently ribald ways they celebrate victories. If Moore thinks that Klingons would adapt to the Scottish Highlander culture, including wearing kilts into battle, it's an easy leap to validating Jay-Den's choice to wear a skirt in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is streaming on Paramount+

• 

  Holly Hunter

  Nahla Ake

• 

  Sandro Rosta

  Caleb Mir