Culture
The Klingons 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", a group of Starfleet officers led by Captain Sisko 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", 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" 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:
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- I am 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:
- 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:
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- Obedience brings victory.
For which the answer is:
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- Victory is life.
Read more about this topic: Ketracel White
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