The 11 Greatest Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Supporting Characters

?Deep Space Nine set itself apart from other Star Trek series by eschewing Gene Roddenberry’s vision of shiny happy people in space for something that rang much more real. It was gritty and unafraid of conflict. It took risks, especially in later seasons when the serialized storytelling alienated anyone new who thought about getting into the show (a template that was later followed by genre series ranging from Battlestar Galactica to Lost). Although the show never was hyped the way Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager was, recent years have found it finally getting the respect that it deserves.

Perhaps what differentiates DS9 from its sibling shows the most is how rich its supporting characters were. The series had a rogue’s gallery of recurring guest stars that seemed to grow with each passing season. Juggling these secondary characters with an already large main cast seems like an impossible task. Miraculously, at no point did show runner Ira Steven Behr and his writing staff drop the ball. Instead they found a way to give main and supporting characters alike plenty to do as the stories became increasingly complicated that felt completely organic. But which of these secondary roles were most noteworthy? Grab a Raktajino and read on.

11) Morn

Making your way in the Gamma Quadrant today takes everything you’ve got. Fortunately, you can always spend some hard-earned latinum at Quark’s. And what would DS9’s favorite watering hole be without Morn? The alien barfly (whose name is an anagram for a certain beer-loving Cheers regular) was a permanent fixture there and friend to most of the show’s senior staff. We never hear him utter a word on screen, yet his chattiness is frequently mentioned by other characters. With the exception of the standout seventh season episode “Who Mourns for Morn?” he spent the series perched on his stool, drinking the days away. Awesome. With all of the changes that Deep Space Nine went through over the years, viewers could take solace that one thing would never change: his rampant alcoholism. So the next time you are drinking with friends, be sure to raise a glass to good old Morn.

10) The Founder

Otherwise known as the Female Shapeshifter, or, if you will, Odo’s Mom, the Founder initiates the Dominion War that dominates DS9‘s later seasons. As is the case with most of the show’s characters, she is too complex to dismiss as simply being evil. From her perspective, she knows of the damage that the “solids” could inflict upon the Great Link and thus becomes determined to protect her people at all costs. As the above clip illustrates, she doesn’t suffer fools (in her opinion anyone who isn’t a shapeshifter) gladly. She’s blunt, ruthless and incredibly determined to succeed. Thanks largely to the performance of Salome Jens there is a more subtle facet of the Founder — nobility. In her mind she truly believes that she is doing the noble thing. Of course, this could also be interpreted as self-delusion or outright craziness. But instead of being all good or bad, the Founder lives her life bouncing between the two while never losing sight of her ultimate goal. It’s captivating stuff to watch.

9) Kasidy Yates

The early years of Deep Space Nine frequently focused on Ben Sisko’s attempts to move on following the death of his wife, so when it came time for him to start dating again, the show runners paired him with someone just as headstrong. Brought to life by Penny Johnson Jerald, freighter captain Kasidy Yates was very much Sisko’s equal. Both were committed to their careers and would fight to the last breath for what they believed in. This led to friction within their relationship when the non-Starfleet Kasidy became sympathetic to the cause of the Maquis. Although her actions eventually got her sent to prison, she resumed her relationship Sisko following her release. In a program already rich with strong female characters, Kasidy carved out her own niche as an independent spirit who looked beyond the religious icon and merely saw Sisko as the man she loved. Their romance provided a welcome human counterpoint to the galactic crisis that was the Dominion War.

8) Admiral Ross

The admirals on the various Star Trek series are usually either demented versions of Sandy Duncan or under the control of evil Ghoulies-like alien parasites that really dig Trapper Keepers. So to have one on the show who actually knew what he was doing was refreshing. Admiral Ross was Sisko’s superior, but also he trusted Ben so implicitly that he even deferred to his suggestions during the most crucial of moments (see above). There’s a real lack of Admiral Ross footage on the Internet, yet an abundance of clips of actor Barry Jenner appearing on The $100,000 Pyramid around. I’m not really sure how to feel about this.

7) Nog

During DS9‘s run, Nog went from being Jake Sisko’s troublesome pal to a war hero. It’s an impressive journey for a character who seemed like he was going to fade into the background in the early seasons. Unwilling to wind up like his father, Rom, or uncle, Quark, he sought Sisko’s help to get into Starfleet — becoming the first Ferengi to do so along the way. Once he found his way there, he managed to incorporate his Academy teachings and his natural Ferengi gift for deal-making to help out however he could (this is explored in depth in “Treachery, Faith, and the Great River”). As Nog, Aron Eisenberg gave a believable performance as the innocent youth who is thrust into conflict and goes on to discover his inner hero. There’s a bit of Joseph Campbell mythmaking in Nog’s character arc, just with more jokes about earlobe sex. It’s a shame that there are no longer any Trek stories being told on TV in the 24th century as it would be interested to see what the character is up to now. (Is he in the various expanded universe Trek novels? If so, what’s he up to?) Oh yeah, he’s a hell of a dancer too:

Hey, check it out. He’s literally dancing with the stars! Get it? Ugh.

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6) Damar

The Cardassian Damar underwent an even greater shift in character than Nog. Until the seventh season rolled around, Damar’s despicable acts included his various crimes against Bajorans, the cold-blooded murder of Dukat’s daughter and collaborating with the Dominion against the Federation. Then something unexpected happened, he became a hero. Fed up with taking orders from the Vorta and the Founder, he began boozing it up. Then in a moment of clarity he realized he became what he most hated. Eventually, he led a revolution that helped bring the Dominion to its knees and end the fighting for good. Despite this massive personality overhaul, his former crimes were never ignored by the show’s writing staff. By teaming up with Kira and Garak, he was forced to confront his past actions. Ultimately, Damar does redeem himself and become, to paraphrase Garak, the man they all hoped he could be. Then he died. What a total buzzkill.

5) Vic Fontaine

Instead of holodecks, Deep Space Nine had holosuites. These were basically the same thing except with a lot more sex going on (the noteworthy exception being the creepy shenanigans that Geordi was getting up to with the Dr. Brahms hologram aboard the Enterprise). Because there was so many other things going on in the series, the holosuites were used sparingly throughout DS9‘s run, only trotted out for high-concept episodes like “Our Man Bashir.” And then there’s Vic Fontaine. Remember how on Star Trek: Voyager a hologram of Leonardo da Vinci occasionally popped up to bore the shit out of audiences? Vic was nothing like that. Instead, he was a swinging cool cat, man. Played with gusto by James Darren, Fontaine was a hip 1960s Las Vegas lounge singer who was quick with a song and even quicker with some helping advice. He played a crucial role in giving Odo the confidence to make his dreams of romancing Kira a reality. Better still, he helped Nog cope after the Ferengi cadet lost a leg in battle (as seen in the exceptional “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” a miracle of an episode in which two supporting characters took center stage). With apologies to Deanna Troi fans, he was the best counselor any Starfleet officer could ever hope to have. The brilliance of Vic Fontaine is that in the hands of less skilled writers than Ira Steven Behr and company his character could have very easily been a self-indulgent disaster. Instead, in his handful of appearances he somehow became more fully developed than some leads on other Trek series. That’s a remarkable feat that only a show like DS9 could have pulled off so effortlessly.

4) Weyoun

The scenery-chewing Vorta clone played superbly by Jeffrey Combs (who also played the equally scheming Brunt on the series) was constantly getting himself killed thanks to his big mouth. Combs played each Weyoun differently, with arrogance being the personality trait shared by all versions of the character. With all the dying and resurrection and all, he’s kind of like a douchebag alien version of Doctor Who‘s Rory Williams.

3) Martok

Throughout Deep Space Nine’s run, Martok was a, well, man of honor. J.G. Hertzler’s character is one of the few Klingons in the series who didn’t seem to be a few crates of blood wine short of a Bird of Prey. His loyalty to Worf was so great that he made him, Alexander, Jadzia and Ezri all members of the House of Martok. (As for Worf’s brother Kurn, well, how do you say “suck it” in Klingon?) Basically he’s a really stand up guy. That makes it even more distressing to watch the above video of him attempting to rap. Yes, that mess you see is in fact Hertzler and Robert O’Reilly in character as Martok and Gowron respectively. I’m hardly an expert in Klingon culture or anything, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t the type of song Kahless would want sung about him. Sigh. I’m going to chalk this whole mess up to Martok being replaced by a shapeshifter again.

2) Gul Dukat

Who gives Khan a run for his money as the greatest Star Trek villain? That’s right; it’s everybody’s favorite Cardassian jerkface, Gul Dukat. Heresy though it may be to say, but I think Dukat may be a bit worse than Khan. First you’ve got all the nasty stuff he did to the Bajorans during the occupation. Then there’s that time he posed as a Bajoran and slept with Kai Winn to unleash those evil fire spirit things. And who could forget how he nearly killed Sisko? What a dick. Like most madmen, Dukat was driven by a sense of self-righteousness. Still, there was much more to him than that. At a few times during the series, his actions bordered on heroic. But as he once remarked to Kira, it “never felt right” for him to be on the same side as the Federation. By the time he cooked up his plan to destroy Sisko by unleashing the Pah-waiths he was beyond finding salvation. No discussion of Dukat is complete without a mention of how terrific Marc Alaimo is in the role. Whether playing the role as a broken man or a charismatic leader, he always embodied Dukat with a realism that was compelling.

1) Elim Garak

All Deep Space Nine‘s “simple tailor” wanted to do was to return to his homeworld of Cardassia. In one of the series’ final ironies, he got his wish. Yet, as he remarks in the above clip from the last episode, his Cardassia is dead. Garak was a real risk for DS9 to take. He is arguably the most un-Roddenberry-esque character on the show (which is saying a lot). His actions are sometimes deplorable, but viewers always get where he is coming from. It’s hard to like a figure like Garak because of his deceptive nature. He will turn against those he considers his friends in order to get what he wants. In one of the series’ most controversial episodes, “In the Pale Moonlight,” a desperate Sisko enlists his help in tricking the Romulans into joining the Dominion War. It is a fascinating character study of both men that spotlights their vast differences… and the discomforting truth about their similarities. In one of the series’ best scenes, a discussion between Garak and Quark about root beer becomes something much greater:

Andrew Robinson is particularly effective here voicing how much he has grown comfortable with the Federation. His tactics may have been shady, but he was clearly on the Federation’s side when it mattered most. In a series packed with complex characters, Garak remains the Vonyich manuscript of the series — puzzling, confounding and compelling. Lunch with him must have been the best.