Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Karim Diané Becomes A Historic Full-Blooded Klingon Hero

Watch actor Karim Diané transform into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s history-making new Klingon hero. Executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy premieres with two episodes on January, 15, 2026, on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set in the late 32nd century during a rebuilding period for the United Federation of Planets. The first new Starfleet Academy class to study on Earth in over a century includes an eclectic mix of Star Trek aliens, from new species like the Dar-Sha to classic races like Betazoids and Klingons.

Karim Diané shared an Instagram Reel of how he turns into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s new Klingon cadet, Jay-Den Kraag. Diané’s video takes viewers through the whole behind-the-scenes process of creating a 3D mold of his head, wearing Klingon prosthetics, being fitted for his Starfleet Academy uniform, and even a painful-looking “stress test.” Watch Karim’s video below:

As Jay-Den Kraag, Karim Diané makes Star Trek history in Starfleet Academy. Jay-Den is the first full-blooded Klingon main character in a Star Trek series since Michael Dorn’s Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Picard season 3. (Roxanne Dawson’s Lt. B’Elanna Torres was half-Klingon on Star Trek: Voyager.)

As a Starfleet cadet, Jay-Den Kraag is also studying Life Sciences and Medicine, which is a unique career track for a Klingon warrior. Jay-Den is the only full Klingon in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, as Paul Giamatti plays the half-Klingon/half-Tellarite villain Nus Braka, and Gina Yashere portrays Starfleet Academy’s half-Klingon/half-Jem’Hadar Cadet Master, Commander Lura Thok.

Jay-Den Kraag also brings back Klingons in their most popular incarnation in Star Trek: Discovery’s 32nd century era. Star Trek: Discovery‘s hated redesigned Klingons haven’t been seen since season 2, but Jay-Den Kraag establishes that the Klingons once again resemble how Star Trek fans like the ridge-browed warrior race best.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 is in production in Toronto, and Karim Diané is still going through the elaborate make-up process to become Jay-Den Kragg. January 15, 2026, will be a good day for fans to meet Star Trek‘s historic new Klingon hero when Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 premieres on Paramount+.