Original artwork, not a still
Today is a good day to die.
— Star Trek: Deep Space Nine · 1993
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Worf takes the old Klingon battle cry and turns it into a calm statement of values: he is not afraid to die, he is only unwilling to surrender. The line works as shorthand for a whole warrior culture, which is why it is quoted far beyond Star Trek by anyone about to do something rash and brave. It is a Klingon saying more than one man's line, which Worf delivers again in First Contact.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: Deep Space NineShow the scene
In the Deep Space Nine two-parter "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light" (fifth season), Worf is held in a Dominion internment camp and forced into gladiator-style hand-to-hand fights with Jem'Hadar soldiers, with General Martok and Garak nearby. In the second part, the Jem'Hadar First, Ikat'ika, steps into the ring himself. The two trade the Jem'Hadar creed, "Victory is life," for Worf's Klingon answer, "Today is a good day to die." Worf refuses to yield, and Ikat'ika ends up yielding to him instead.
Sources (4)
- Memory Alpha: By Inferno's Light (episode)Plot summary, Acts Four and Five; quotes listReference checked
- Memory Alpha: Worf (quotes)Quotes sectionReference checked
- Memory Alpha: Battle cryOpening paragraphReference checked
- Wikipedia: By Inferno's LightLead and plotReference checked
Context reviewed
