The Cardassian symbol was actually based on a drawing of the top view of a Galor-class Cardassian warship. Both the ship and the symbol were first seen in "The Wounded" in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The top view of the Cardassian ship looked vaguely like a hooded figure, so it was thought that perhaps the symbol and the ship itself were patterned after a mythical Cardassian warrior, the Galor.