Jem'Hadar
Encyclopedia
In the fictional Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...

 universe, the Jem'Hadar are the shock troops
Shock troops
Shock troops or assault troops are formations created to lead an attack. "Shock troop" is a loose translation of the German word Stoßtrupp...

 of the powerful Dominion
Dominion (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek universe, the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state consisting of many different races. The Dominion wages war on the United Federation of Planets and its allies in the late 24th century, acting as an antagonist in the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space...

 located in the Gamma Quadrant. Genetically engineered for strength and resolve, they are also short-lived and believe that "victory is life." They are bred to perceive the Founders, enigmatic shape-shifters who rule the massive Dominion, as gods, and are incapable of harming them. The Jem'Hadar's numbers are unknown, but they are produced by the thousands as needed.

Conceived as "more than just another fearsome alien", the Deep Space Nine makeup department searched for concepts depicting "toughness and resiliency" in the design of the Jem'Hadar. The final design was based on a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....

, with some added ceratopian
Ceratopsidae
Ceratopsidae is a speciose group of marginocephalian dinosaurs including Triceratops and Styracosaurus...

 traits. Originally designed on the premise that they were all clones, the first Jem'Hadar seen onscreen were all made to look identical to one another, though as they became more deeply woven into the storylines, each Jem'Hadar was given a distinctive look.

Biology and control

It is unknown if a base species was genetically altered into the Jem'Hadar (as is the case with their Vorta
Vorta
Vorţa is a commune in Hunedoara County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Certeju de Jos, Coaja, Dumeşti, Luncşoara, Valea Poienii, Visca and Vorţa.-References:...

 overseers) or whether they were completely designed by the Founders.

Jem'Hadar are born in "birthing pods." As there is no individual reproduction, the Jem'Hadar are all male. After emerging from the birthing pod, the Jem'Hadar grows rapidly and is a battle-ready young adult in three days. They are bred without the need to eat, sleep, rest, relax or to pursue recreation, though during their growth periods they must consume massive quantities of food. The Jem'Hadar are also bred for proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, having an extremely tough and strong physique, with leathery, lizard-like skin. Jem'Hadar have a personal cloaking
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...

 capability they call "shrouding". According to Deep Space Nine episode "The Abandoned", this ability is a part of their integrated biology - in the DS9 episodes "Hippocratic Oath
Hippocratic Oath (DS9 episode)
"Hippocratic Oath" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fourth episode of the fourth season. It is rated 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek Website.-Plot:...

" and "Rocks and Shoals", Jem'Hadar who are suffering from Ketracel White withdrawal lose their ability to shroud.

The only nourishment they require comes in the form of the hormonal enzyme Ketracel White (or simply "[the] white"). Without this drug, Jem'Hadar go into severe withdrawal
Withdrawal
Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol...

, resulting in loss of cognitive and motor functions. They will lose their shrouding ability and regress into a highly aggressive stage, not discriminating in whom or what they attack, including their Vorta superiors and peers. Lack of white will eventually kill a Jem'Hadar. The Founders use the Vorta
Vorta
Vorţa is a commune in Hunedoara County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Certeju de Jos, Coaja, Dumeşti, Luncşoara, Valea Poienii, Visca and Vorţa.-References:...

 to supply the Jem'Hadar with the white. It is administered through cylinders that fit into a system near a Jem'Hadar's collar, which is then fed directly into the Jem'Hadar via a tube running into the carotid artery
Carotid artery
Carotid artery can refer to:* Common carotid artery* External carotid artery* Internal carotid artery...

. Distributing the white is a formal ceremony: the Vorta says "First [name of Jem'Hadar first], can you vouch for the loyalty of your men?". The First replies "We pledge our loyalty to the Founders, from now until death". Unlocking the repository, the Vorta says "Then accept this gift from the Founders. May it keep you strong", handing out the vials of white. However, according to DS9 episode "One Little Ship", in the case of "Alphas" (Jem'Hadar bred in the Alpha Quadrant and designed specifically for combat there), the Founders decided to dismiss this ritual.

Only one case of a non-addicted Jem'Hadar soldier is known: an anomaly that may have resulted from genetic mutation. The Son'a cultivated the drug as a narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...

.

Early in the Federation-Dominion war, unable to get backup from the Gamma Quadrant, the Founders in the Alpha Quadrant engineered the "Alpha" Jem'Hadar. The Alphas have a variation in the facial and head structures and more flippant attitude toward doctrine and procedure; the latter created animosity between the two breeds. It was intended to show fuming hatred between the "Alphas" and "Gammas", culminating in all-out violence; however, this was only explored in one episode.

Culture

The Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...

s believe that the Jem'Hadar are no more than honorless machines. However, the Jem'Hadar are a species of varied characters, although these variations are across a more narrow spectrum than is typical in the Star Trek universe. Jem'Hadar have a high mortality rate; few live to be fifteen and none are known to have lived to be thirty. A Jem'Hadar who reaches twenty years of age is considered an "honored elder."

The Jem'Hadar are typically extremely loyal to their overseers. In "Rocks and Shoals
Rocks and Shoals (DS9 episode)
"Rocks and Shoals" is the second episode of the sixth season's opening six-episode story arc, beginning shortly after the events of the previous episode. It has an average fan rating of 4.7/5 on the official Star Trek website as of September, 2009...

", a group of Starfleet officers led by Captain Sisko
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...

 are stranded on an uninhabited planet along with a group of Jem'Hadar and their Vorta, Keevan. Keevan is injured and needs medical attention to survive, so he decides to surrender himself. He informs Sisko how he will order his troops to attack so that Sisko can ambush and kill them. Even though the Jem'Hadar leader suspects Keevan's plan, so strong is their loyalty that the Jem'Hadar willingly walk into the trap as ordered. Earlier, in "The Ship
The Ship (DS9 episode)
"The Ship" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the second episode of the fifth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek website...

", a group of Jem'Hadar commit suicide because they fail to save the life of a Founder.

However, other Jem'Hadar have been less devoted. "To the Death
To the Death (DS9 episode)
"To the Death" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 23rd episode of the fourth season. It has an average fan rating of 4/5 on the official Star Trek website....

" featured a group that gained control of an Iconian gateway and plan to use it to rebel against the Founders. Their leader expected this group to pick up considerable support, to the point where the Jem'Hadar as a whole would be able to seize control of the Dominion and liberate themselves from the Founders. Even after these had been defeated, however, the loyal Jem'Hadar first murdered their Vorta for questioning their loyalty.

The Jem'Hadar command structure is fairly straightforward. A particular unit's leader is called a "first", the second in command is the "second", and so on down the chain of command. In "To the Death", the ranking Jem'Hadar gave the following battle dirge to his assembled troops:
I am First [name of Jem'Hadar First], and I am dead.
As of this moment, we are all dead.
We go into battle to reclaim our lives.
This we do gladly, for we are Jem'Hadar.
Remember: Victory is Life!

Assembled Jem'Hadar: [chanting shout]
Victory is Life! Victory is Life! Victory is Life!...


When someone questions an order of a superior Jem'Hadar, or even of the Vorta, the superior reminds them to the "order of things", by this phrase:
Obedience brings victory.


For which the answer is:
Victory is life.

Weapons and equipment

Jem'Hadar use phased polaron weaponry, both for handheld and ship-mounted weaponry. Apart from their sheer destructive force, Jem'Hadar weapon beams emit a pulse that prevents coagulation
Coagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...

 in impacted biological tissue
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...

; even a glancing wound will cause unstoppable bleeding
Bleeding
Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging is the loss of blood or blood escape from the circulatory system...

 and death if untreated. In most other regards, Jem'Hadar small arms appear comparable to those used by Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...

, Klingons and Cardassian
Cardassian
The Cardassians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. First introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", the species originating on the fictional Alpha Quadrant planet Cardassia Prime...

s. In addition, ship-mounted phased polaron beams were able to penetrate the shields of Federation, Cardassian, and Romulan ships. By a stroke of luck, in 2373 Starfleet was able to capture an intact Jem'Hadar fighter and reverse engineer the weapons, developing an effective defense. This helped prevent the Dominion from achieving victory early in the Dominion War
Dominion War
The Dominion War is an extended plot concept developed in a number of story arcs of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, an American science-fiction television series produced by Paramount Pictures...

.

The Jem'Hadar also use edged weapons, including a small, curved blade designed to be held in one hand (and often used, rather oddly, as a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...

 on their energy carbines), and a larger sword-like weapon usually held with two hands. In early encounters
The Search (DS9 episode)
"The Search" is the title of a two-part episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the first episode of the third season. It marks the first appearance of the starship USS Defiant, which plays a large role throughout the rest of the series...

, Jem'Hadar can walk through Starfleet forcefields. According to startrek.com, this ability is derived from energy-absorbing pads built into their uniforms. However, the same source also indicates their shrouding ability to be derived from technology, despite the fact that the episode "Rocks and Shoals" explicitly established the ability to be biological.

Starships

The Jem'Hadar boast starships of unique design. These include relatively small, beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...

-like attack ships http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/ships/article/71752.html that are comparable in size to the USS Defiant, larger battleships http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/ships/article/123960.html first seen in "Ties of Blood and Water
Ties of Blood and Water (DS9 episode)
"Ties of Blood and Water" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the nineteenth episode of the fifth season. In an interview with Star Trek Monthly in 1997, actor Lawrence Pressman likened the character to real-world examples of World War II German military officers who were unwilling to...

", and rarely-seen behemoths first seen in "Valiant
Valiant (DS9 episode)
"Valiant" is a sixth season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first broadcast on 6 May 1998.Summary: Jake and Nog, on a visit to Ferenginar, find themselves on board a rogue starship, piloted by a fresh-faced crew of Starfleet cadets. But these aren't just any cadets, they're Red Squad cadets:...

".

Their ships' bridges contain no central viewer, with only the First and their Vorta permitted to use a head-mounted display
Head-mounted display
A head-mounted display or helmet mounted display, both abbreviated HMD, is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet, that has a small display optic in front of one or each eye .- Overview :...

 head-set to see outside the ship. There are no seats for the crew; everyone must stand (in the episode "One Little Ship", the First orders the chairs removed from Defiants bridge). The beetle-like attack ships are sufficiently well-built to survive plummeting uncontrolled into a planet's surface and subsequently being repaired and flown again (DS9
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...

: "The Ship
The Ship (DS9 episode)
"The Ship" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the second episode of the fifth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek website...

").

Involvement in the Dominion War

Hostilities between the powers of the Alpha Quadrant and the Dominion began with the Jem'Hadar's kidnapping of Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...

 and Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...

. Simultaneously, the Jem'Hadar destroyed several Alpha Quadrant colonies and ships in the Gamma Quadrant. The Jem'Hadar kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....

 attack destroyed the USS Odyssey while the damaged starship was retreating after a mission to rescue Sisko and Quark. (DS9
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...

: "The Jem'Hadar
The Jem'Hadar (DS9 episode)
"The Jem'Hadar" is the final episode in the second season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It introduces the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta, two species of the Dominion...

")

The Jem'Hadar are the spearhead for the Dominion's invasion of and advances through the Alpha Quadrant. Although the Dominion allies itself with the Cardassian
Cardassian
The Cardassians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. First introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", the species originating on the fictional Alpha Quadrant planet Cardassia Prime...

s and the Breen
Breen
The Breen are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. They were first mentioned in "The Loss", a fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that first aired in 1990...

, the Jem'Hadar remain at the forefront of the Dominion's forces. A Dominion reinforcement fleet would have spelled doom for the Alpha Quadrant defenders had the wormhole aliens
Prophet (Star Trek)
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Prophets, also known as Wormhole Aliens, are non-corporeal beings who inhabit the artificially constructed Bajoran wormhole which connects a distant point in the Gamma Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant, near the planet of Bajor and the space station Deep Space...

 not intervened and caused the fleet to vanish (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels
Sacrifice of Angels (DS9 episode)
"Sacrifice of Angels" was the sixth episode from the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The episode's plot details the efforts of the United Federation of Planets to retake space station Terok Nor from the forces of the Dominion.-Plot:...

"). Even without these reinforcements, the war persists — and the Jem'Hadar continue to fight — for almost two more years.

After heavy losses, the Dominion War ends in 2375, and the Jem'Hadar withdraw to the Gamma Quadrant.

Source

Jem'Hadar may refer to Jemadar
Jemadar
Jemadar was a rank used in the British Indian Army, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer . Jemadars either commanded platoons or troops themselves or assisted their British commander...

  which was a rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...

 used in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...

, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer
Viceroy's Commissioned Officer
A viceroy's commissioned officer was a senior Indian member of the British Indian Army. VCOs were senior in rank to warrant officers in the British Army, and held a commission issued by the viceroy...

 (VCO). Jemadars either commanded platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

s or troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...

s themselves or assisted their British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 commander. They also filled regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

al positions such as Assistant Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...

 (Jemadar Quartermaster) or Assistant Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...

 (Jemadar Adjutant). The Jemadar is still a rank in Pakistani
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

 and Indian
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

armies.
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