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Star Trek Ranks, Explained

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Starting with the original series, Star Trek has adopted a quasi-military series of ranks and protocols for its characters. Starfleet is ostensibly a peaceful organization dedicated to exploration and diplomacy, but things can get dangerous on the final frontier. A functioning chain of command is necessary in the event of trouble to ensure that everyone operates at peak efficiency.

It's a bit of a paradox, since Starfleet officers also tend to be rugged individualists, but it makes a good deal of sense and over time has become an indispensable part of the franchise. A given character's rank speaks volumes about their comparative age, their position onboard, and their relationship with the other members of the crew. As with most things Star Trek, rank insignia has evolved over time. Here's a breakdown of Starfleet's ranking system in descending order from the lowliest cadets to the most powerful admirals.

Updated January 18, 2024 by Robert Vaux: Star Trek's ranking system is very stable at this point, and very little tends to change. The article has been updated to include a brief list of prominent members of each rank, along with the series and seasons they held it. It has also been updated to conform to current CBR guidelines.

9 Cadets Are Officers in Training at Starfleet Academy

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Cadets are typically students at Starfleet Academy , spending time onboard a starship as part of their training. They hold no rank and must obey the orders of any crewmen. They're often issued temporary badges or communicators and usually have a supervisory officer to watch over them. Cadets in the 23rd century wear badges with a distinctive black backing. Cadets in the 24th century wear distinctive uniforms denoting their status.

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is used as a training vessel, with the crew consisting almost entirely of cadets. Wesley Crusher formally joins Starfleet Academy starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 9, "Final Mission," and spends most of his subsequent appearances at that rank. Similarly, Nyota Uhura joins the Enterprise as a cadet in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as does Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery.

8 Enlisted Personnel/NCO Are Starfleet's Worker Bees

While officers attend Starfleet Academy, the rank-and-file personnel attend the 24th-century equivalent of boot camp. They become the anonymous crew working in the background, performing the countless tiny tasks required to keep a starship running. Their ranks include both enlisted crewmen and petty officers (the equivalent of sergeants) who often play supervisory roles. They typically lack any insignia on their uniforms, though chief petty officers in the Next Generation era sometimes have a black pip or similar marking.

Enlisted personnel often serve as The Original Series ' infamous red shirts : doomed to die in the name of plot exposition. The Next Generation introduces perhaps Starfleet's best-known enlisted man. Miles O'Brien runs the transporters on the Enterprise-D, and later becomes Chief of Operations on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

7 Ensigns Hold The Lowest Rank

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Ensigns are the lowest-ranking officers on Starfleet vessels. Cadets typically receive the rank of ensign immediately upon graduation from Starfleet Academy. While they technically have command authority, they're usually assigned menial tasks beneath the attention of the senior officers. Like NCOs, they lack insignia on their uniforms in The Original Series era. With The Next Generation and later series, ensigns receive a single gold pip on their collar. They're often lumped into the red shirt category.

Harry Kim is probably the franchise's most famous (or infamous) ensign, failing to receive a single promotion through Star Trek: Voyager's seven seasons , despite serving with distinction on the bridge. The Original Series' Pavel Chekov also begins his Starfleet career as an ensign, though he advances at a faster rate. Of course, the four main characters in Star Trek: Lower Decks are ensigns, though they all receive a promotion to lieutenant, junior grade at the beginning of Season 4.

6 Lieutenant, Junior Grade Have More Responsibility Than Ensigns

The next step up the ladder is lieutenant, junior grade. These are officers with more authority and responsibility than ensigns, but who still require seasoning before taking higher command positions. Medical personnel typically receive the lieutenant, junior grade rank after graduating, which reflects their extended training time. The Original Series uses a single dashed bar on the uniform sleeves to denote them, though Strange New Worlds has retconned that with a connected colored bar. T he Next Generation and later series note the rank with a second black pip in addition to the ensign's colored pip.

Both Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax hold the rank of lieutenant, junior grade when they begin their duties on Deep Space 9, though Ezri receives hers as a field promotion in Season 7, Episode 3, "Afterimage." Geordi La Forge starts as a lieutenant, junior grade too, as does Mr. Worf. B'Elanna Torres receives the rank on a provisional basis when she joins the crew of the Voyager, and the Lower Decks crew are all promoted to lieutenant, junior grade in Season 4, Episode 1, "Twovix."

5 Lieutenants Lead the Away Teams and More

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Lieutenants have advanced to the point where they can take on considerable responsibilities. They may lead away teams or control key systems, and they often appear among the bridge crew or even as department heads. The Original Series notes them with a single bar on the uniform sleeve, while Strange New Worlds adds a second thinner bar above the lieutenant, junior grade's insignia. The Next Generation uses two colored pips on the collar — a method emulated by subsequent series.

Worf spends most of The Next Generation's later seasons as a lieutenant (he's promoted to lieutenant commander during the events of Star Trek Generations ) while Ro Laren is promoted to lieutenant shortly before her defection to the Maquis in The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 24, "Preemptive Strike." Lieutenants often occupy the helm position, including Hikaru Sulu in The Original Series, Keyla Detmer in Star Trek: Discovery , and Erica Ortegas in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

4 Lieutenant Commanders Head up Departments

Lieutenant commanders hold positions of senior responsibility onboard a starship, even serving as executive officers or de facto captains on small ships. One larger ships, they often serve as the head of specific departments such as science and engineering. In The Original Series , the rank is designated with two stripes on the sleeve — one thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds adjusts to two thick colored bands. The Next Generation and subsequent shows note lieutenant commanders with two colored pips and one black one.

Montgomery Scott holds the rank of lieutenant commander in The Original Series , acting as Chief Engineer and even commanding the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock are away on missions. Similarly, Geordi La Forge rises to the rank of lieutenant commander in The Next Generation , joining Data and Deanna Troi at the position, though the latter eventually advances to commander. Worf and Jadzia Dax are both lieutenant commanders when they begin their romance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Lastly, the original Number One — Una Chin-Riley on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — is a lieutenant commander.

3 Commanders Aid and Can Take Over the Captain's Dutires

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Commanders are usually the ship's executive officers, "Number Ones," who assist the captain in their duties and step up in the event the captain is incapacitated. Commanders are often viewed as captains in training, and ultimately destined for a ship of their own in the future. In some cases, commanders are the head authority on smaller ships or space stations. Chief medical officers often hold this position as well. They're delineated by two thick bands on their sleeves in The Original Series era and three colored pips on the collar in The Next Generation and later.

Mr. Spock holds the rank of commander during the events of The Original Series , serving double duty as chief science officer as well. He's been followed by the likes of William Riker on The Next Generation and Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard . In addition, Beverly Crusher and Leonard McCoy both hold the rank of commander, while Deanna Tori is promoted to commander in Season 7, Episode 16, "Thine Own Self." Ben Sisko also begins his tenure on Deep Space 9 as a commander before being promoted to full captain at the end of Season 3.

2 Captains Command Starfleet's Various Starships

The captain serves as the commander of a starship, with the entire crew ranked beneath them. This affords them a great deal of autonomy, but also equal amounts of responsibility. Starships must often face dangers alone in the far depths of space. It falls to the captain to make the final call when lives are at stake. Occasionally, captains can be found in other duties, such as commanding a star base or holds an administrative position on Earth. Captains are delineated by three stripes on their sleeves in the Original Series era — two thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds slightly alters to a single thin band sandwiched between two thicker ones. The Next Generation era uses four full pips on the collar.

Most Star Trek series use a captain as the main character, starting with James T. Kirk in The Original Series . Their ranks include Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Christopher Pike, and Carol Freeman. In addition, many lower-ranking characters eventually attain the captain's chair, such as Will Riker, Tuvok, and Mr. Spock. Both Ben Sisko and Michael Burnham become captain after several seasons of climbing the ranks, a change from most Star Trek series which tend to begin with their captains in place.

1 Admirals Possess The Greatest Rank and Come to Represent Starfleet Itself

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Admirals are Starfleet's major movers and shakers, placed in charge of entire fleets or overseeing vital operations. As flag officers, they no longer serve onboard starships, though they can claim command of one if circumstances dictate. James T. Kirk takes control of the Enterprise as an Admiral in both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , while both Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy and Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard are the authority on their respective vessels.

In addition to giving successful captains a cushy desk job, Star Trek often uses admirals as stand-ins for Starfleet itself: either aiding the crew in their endeavors or standing in their way when they go against protocol. They're delineated by a wide variety of methods, and hold varying ranks within the admiralty, such as Vice Admiral and Commodore, that shift from project to project.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

1.1.1 Notable Chief Petty Officers
2.1.1 Notable Cadets
2.2.1 Notable Ensigns
2.3.1 Notable Lieutenants, j.g.
2.4.1 Notable Lieutenants
2.5.1 Notable Lieutenant Commanders
2.6.1 Notable Commanders
2.7.1 Notable Captains
2.8.1 Notable Fleet Captains
2.9.1 Notable Commodores
2.10.1 Notable Admirals
3 Notes and References

Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer was a senior enlisted rank in Starfleet . [3] [4]

Notable Chief Petty Officers

Cadets were Starfleet officers-in-training at Starfleet Academy . [5] They were sometimes referred to as midshipmen. [6]

Notable Cadets

Ensigns served as junior officers in a variety of duty stations. [3]

Notable Ensigns

Lieutenant, junior grade

Notable Lieutenants, j.g.

Lieutenants served on bridge command crews and as specialists aboard ships. Lieutenants also served as department heads. [3] [7]

Notable Lieutenants

Lieutenant Commander

Officers of Lieutenant Commander rank functioned as department heads or specialists. [3]

Notable Lieutenant Commanders

Commanders served as department heads, and could have a specialized position, such as first officer . [5]

Notable Commanders

Captains commanded Starfleet vessels. [3]

Notable Captains

Fleet Captain

The position of Fleet Captain was that of a senior officer who had demonstrated exceptional competence and expertise in active service. [4]

Notable Fleet Captains

Flag officers had generally served in a variety of vital areas. A flag officer of Commodore rank could serve as a starbase commander. [6]

Notable Commodores

The rank of Admiral was the highest in Starfleet . Admirals were responsible for the deployment of Starfleet vessels in active operations, particularly fleet operations along the border zones between the Federation and foreign governments. [4]

Notable Admirals

Notes and References

↑ Trimble, Bjo (Author). Star Trek Concordance . Star Trek . Book , revised and updated edition. Citadel Press . 1995 .
↑ Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Naked Time" . Star Trek , season 1, episode 4 (Production number 07). Directed by Marc Daniels . Written by John D.F. Black . Desilu Productions . 29 September 1966 .
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Cage" . Star Trek , season 0, episode 0 (Production number 01). Directed by Robert Butler . Written by Gene Roddenberry . Released 1986 . Desilu Productions . 1965 .
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "The Menagerie, Part I." Star Trek , Season 1, Episode 11 (Production 16). Directed by Marc Daniels and Robert Butler . Written by Gene Roddenberry . Desilu Productions , 17 November 1966 .
↑ 5.0 5.1 Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "Where No Man Has Gone Before" . Star Trek , season 1, episode 3 (Production number 02). Directed by James Goldstone . Written by Samuel A. Peeples . Desilu Productions . 22 September 1966 .
↑ 6.0 6.1 Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "Court Martial." Star Trek , Season 1, Episode 20 (Production 15). Directed by Marc Daniels . Story by Don M. Mankiewicz . Teleplay by Don M. Mankiewicz and Steven W. Carabatsos (Teleplay). Desilu Productions , 2 February 1967 .
↑ Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Corbomite Maneuver" . Star Trek , season 1, episode 10 (Production number 03). Directed by Joseph Sargent . Written by Jerry Sohl . Desilu Productions . 10 November 1966 .
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Star Trek Ranks & Podcast

From @enterprisenxtra.

Episode 184

Our long running series returns with the “Top 5 Scenes with a Beam.” It’s the 16th edition of our “Scenes in Trek” and this time we are going broad, because a scene with a beam can be just about anything. A transporter beam, a phaser beam, a tractor beam, a deflector beam – the list just keeps on going!

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Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy

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Top 14 Things About Being on Star Trek

My Day on Star Trek

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Why 'deep space nine' is the best 'star trek' series.

It's been 30 years since Captain Sisko first appeared on our TVs. Let's show him some love.

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Solid star trek from beginning to end, it moves beyond the confines of starfleet, it challenges gene roddenberry's star trek ethic, stellar main cast, compelling recurring characters, the perfect combination of episodic and serialized storytelling, final thoughts.

Since the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation, fans have debated which series is best. But it seems that most Trekkies can't distinguish "my favorite" from "the best." In honor of the 30th anniversary of Deep Space Nine, here are all the reasons why DS9 is the best of the franchise.

Opinions incoming, Captain! In explaining why I believe Deep Space Nine is the best series, I necessarily mention that I don't enjoy some other series--probably some you like. Please remember that I'm not attacking you personally, nor am I disparaging the actors, writers, and producers of lesser Trek series. Live long and prosper.

The best argument that Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series is its consistent quality. And I don't mean to say it maintains the same quality from seasons one to seven. I mean that it is consistently good television. There are no stinker seasons of Deep Space Nine. Moreover, each season is better than the last. And by the time you reach season seven, nearly every episode is top-tier Trek.

DS9 is the only series in the franchise to pull off this feat. Season three of the original series is generally considered to be of lesser quality than the first two. The inaugural season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is unwatchable, even for die-hard Trekkies like myself. Season two gets better, but TNG doesn't get good until the third season. The final season of Next Gen is hit-and-miss as far as quality stories go. Star Trek: Voyager starts strong but falters after the third season and remains a rocky affair until the end of the series. And Enterprise only really found its footing during its fourth season right before it was abruptly canceled.

I think that this consistent quality was the result of the producers of Star Trek hitting peak performance in the mid-1990s. The original films had just wrapped up, all the bugs of making a new series were worked out in The Next Generation, and the writers and producers knew what worked in Star Trek and what didn't. This was the sweet spot in the history of the franchise. They had all the talent, drive, and experience going for them before the Next Generation era began to run out of gas with Enterprise and films like Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis.

Keep in mind that the seasons I'm talking about are all at least 20 episodes long. That could be two or even three seasons of a contemporary television series. So to write off entire seasons of a show like this is saying quite a bit. But, if there's one thing Star Trek fans know is that there is a lot of bad Trek. So, having a complete series (176 episodes) with no seasons that you can just skip because they're so bad is a rare thing, indeed.

Related: What to Watch Before 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Premieres on Paramount+

And don't even get me started on Star Trek Universe (Trek produced from 2017 onward). To my mind, there are only one and a half seasons of watchable television in the streaming era. I enjoyed about half of the episodes of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, but the rest is unbelievably bad. Picard is an unadulterated violation of the Star Trek franchise (maybe season three will be better, but I'm keeping my guard up ). Star Trek: Lower Decks is not funny, and I gave up after the first season. I haven't watched Prodigy, so I can't speak to that series. However, the first season of Strange New Worlds was a refreshing return to form, and I hope it continues to build on what's working in that series.

[Editor-in-Chief's note] I, too, want to write Danny a nasty email for writing such atrocities as "Lower Decks is not funny" and not giving Prodigy a chance. I refer you back to the warning at the beginning of this article and say, "to each their own." Hold off on the emails, and let's agree that Star Trek is fine television, even if we don't love every episode or every series. [/note]

The main thing that distinguishes Deep Space Nine from the rest of the Star Trek series is its settings. Every other incarnation of the franchise takes the place of a Federation starship. DS9 switches it up by placing the series on a space station, but it's not a Federation starbase. Rather it's a repurposed Cardassian station that served as the headquarters for the occupation and subjugation of the planet Bajor. A departure that great from the series that preceded it opened up Deep Space Nine to an entire universe of stories that were simply unavailable to the starships Enterprise.

The original Star Trek and The Next Generation's premise revolved around Starfleet and its officers. Their casts were almost all humans, with an alien (or half-alien) character or two thrown in for flavor. In Deep Space Nine, more than half of the main characters were non-human--and just as many were not Starfleet officers (six of ten in both cases). This expansion both retained the familiar and loved ethic of Starfleet and injected more nuanced and diverse ways of doing things, allowing for more intense storytelling, character development, and a more detailed look at the fictional universe Star Trek operates in.

Related: What We're Watching: Let's Watch 'Star Trek: Voyager' Again to Remember Janeway

But that doesn't mean that Deep Space Nine abandoned the mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations. In due course, Deep Space Nine got its own Federation starship, the U.S.S. Defiant. And while it was built as a battleship, there's plenty of exciting exploration and new civilizations in the series. One of the central premises of the show is the Bajoran wormhole that transports starships to the distant Gamma Quadrant, with lots of new territories to explore. It's basically a fresh start to a galaxy that, up until this point, has been dominated by Klingons, Romulans, Ferrengi, and other familiar faces.

Since at least the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the franchise operated under Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future free of war, poverty, greed, interpersonal conflict, and all the rest of the flaws humanity now suffers from. By the 24th century, humankind had perfected itself in its journey to the stars.

It's debatable whether or not this ethic was present in the original series. For example, the idea that the Federation had done away with money didn't appear until Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 20 years after the franchise premiere. But this notion of a perfected human race was at the heart of The Next Generation from the very beginning. And in a line from the film Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) explains the future succinctly to a resident of the 21st century:

"The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity."

And it drove the writers bonkers. There were many constraints on how characters could interact with each other, chief among them being no interpersonal conflict. This is a big reason why everyone gets along so famously in TNG. The Hollywood writers who were so accustomed to personal tension being at the very heart of storytelling had to develop new ways of telling stories.

However, this concept did serve an essential storytelling purpose beyond Roddenberry's vision of utopia. It allowed the humans exploring the galaxy to encounter alien races that were experiencing similar problems that humans now face and examine them from an outside perspective. It's this form of allegorical storytelling that gives Star Trek its most potent and long-lasting impact.

On the other hand, if humans are perfect, there's really no way for them to grow and change as characters. And it eliminates many different types of stories that the writers could tell if they could just let Commander Riker have a short temper or allow Geordi La Forge to have a drinking problem.

Plus, it doesn't actually make much sense. Could humans really live without conflict, war, racism, poverty, and the rest? Many of the writers didn't think so. And with so many non-human characters in Deep Space Nine (and Gene Roddenberry dead), they felt comfortable pushing the boundaries of the Federation utopia. Characters that were once always affable suddenly became more sullen. Instead of a smiling Starfleet first officer happily commanding his lieutenants, you get an angry war-weary Bajoran former terrorist running the show. And rather than literally penniless Federation citizens going about their comfortable lives, you get arch-capitalist Ferrengi always looking to make more latinum.

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Perhaps the most significant push against Roddenberry's vision is the seasons-long Dominion War arc. Would a perfected human race do what needed to be done to defeat an enemy that's bent on their destruction without violating the core ethics that got them to the stars in the first place? Deep Space Nine answers that question. Moreover, Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) delivers a direct rebuke to Captain Picard's sunny disposition on humanity's condition.

"Do you know what the trouble is? The trouble is Earth. On Earth, there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters, and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise."

And while the challenge to Roddenberry's vision is a central theme in Deep Space Nine, I think Star Trek meets it head-on. Not everything survives, but the Federation and its principles emerge from the series mostly intact.

While there are no bad casts in all of Star Trek, the main character roster of Deep Space Nine stands out for its uniqueness. There are no one-dimensional or stock characters in the DS9 lineup. Each character and their actors bring something genuinely unique to the show. In other series, most characters share much of the same background--being in Starfleet. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, the breath of character types in Deep Space Nine still hasn't been matched by any other series in the franchise.

Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko : Of all the captain characters in Star Trek, Benjamin Sisko was the first not start off the series with that rank. Rather, he held the rank of commander for the show's first three seasons. This is part of his character arc, which is arguably the most complete of any Trek captain. Furthermore, he began the series without even knowing if he wanted to remain in Starfleet. Throughout the course of the show, Sisko grows from a grieving, angry widower into a strong commander who finds new love and becomes a critical figure in the history of the Federation and Bajor. And Brooks' handling of the character in "In the Pale Moonlight" is nothing short of a tour de force.

René Auberjonois as Odo : Odo is the first non-humanoid character to be featured as a main character in Star Trek. He's a liquid-based shapeshifter who takes on the form of a solid humanoid being to fit in with the rest of the DS9 crew. At the beginning of the series, his origins are unknown but are slowly revealed as the seasons progress. Odo's arc focuses mainly on his conflict regarding how different he is from the rest of the station crew and that he must choose between his comrades and his people when war breaks out.

Related: Why 'The Undiscovered Country' is the Best 'Star Trek' Film

Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir : DS9's chief medical officer chose his post because he felt it would be the most challenging. He starts the series as arrogant and disrespectful, but he mellows over the seasons and discovers lasting friendships with Miles O'Brien and Garak (more on them in a minute). He also carries a deep secret revealed in later seasons and grapples with the horrors of war and his search for love.

Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax : While Odo is truly the first non-humanoid main character in Starfleet, Jadzia Dax could also qualify for that distinction--at least half. Her character is a Trill, meaning she's actually two life forms in one. In her belly, she carries what Star Trek refers to as a "symbiont," a slug-like creature that's millennia old and has lived in other host Trills. When Jadzia received the Dax symbiont, she gained the knowledge and memories of all the previous hosts. One of the earlier hosts was very good friends with Benjamin Sisko. Jadzia's arc centers on what it means to live an extremely long time and ultimately face death.

Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko : Ben Sisko's young son is a welcome addition to the Deep Space Nine cast. You could consider him DS9's answer to Wesley Crusher from The Next Generation. Fans of Next Gen didn't universally accept Wesley because they saw him as a Mary Sue (a character with no flaws that constantly saves the day). Jake is not that in the least. And his presence on Deep Space Nine contributes to the show's themes of family (with his father) and friendship (with Nog) and provides a years-long coming-of-age tale that ultimately sees him take on the universe on his own.

Colm Meany as Miles O'Brien : One of the things that Deep Space Nine does best is to take fan-favorite characters from The Next Generation and build on their stories. We first met O'Brien in the first episode of The Next Generation, and he served on the Enterprise as the transporter chief. In Deep Space Nine, he is the equivalent of a starship chief engineer. He also has a family and two young children. The O'Briens are unique among Star Trek clans as they are the only intact nuclear family to be portrayed long-term throughout a series. (Wesley Crusher and Jake Sisko both had one dead parent during the shows they were in).

Armin Shimerman as Quark : If there's any character in the main cast of Deep Space Nine that challenges Gene Roddenberry's vision for the future most, it's Quark. When the Ferrengi were introduced in The Next Generation, Data described them as "Yankee Traders" whose only goal in life was to seek profit and acquisition. And while Quark is portrayed throughout the series as an amoral trader that's out for his own interests, he often brings a sense of balance and charm to that role. By the end of the series, you will better understand the Ferrengi and maybe sympathize with their point of view--if not agree with it.

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Nana Vistor as Kira Nerys : The Bajoran people are at the heart of Deep Space Nine, as it's their planet the station orbits in the first episode. Major Kira serves as the embodiment of the race throughout the series. As a former freedom fighter and terrorist, she has to come to grips with what it means to finally be free. Moreover, she exudes the deep spirituality of her religious beliefs, something not often depicted in Star Trek.

Michael Dorn as Worf : The addition of Worf to the cast in the show's fourth season was an amazing gift to fans who had watched The Next Generation. In that series, Worf served as chief of security on the Enterprise. And while he was a fan favorite, his role was often reduced to making brutish, violent suggestions that got shot down. In Deep Space Nine, Worf came into his own and grew as a character. And during the Dominion War arc, his nature as a warrior came to true fruition as it could be explored in far more detail than in The Next Generation.

Nicole de Boer as Ezri Dax : (SPOILER ALERT) Jadzia isn't the only Dax on the show. After the sixth season, Terry Farrell left the series, and her part needed to be recast. Luckily for the show's writers, the Dax symbiont can transfer hosts. When Ezri receives Jadzia's memories and experiences, she has to struggle with having to take her place. And though she's only around for a single season, Ezri is an integral part of the series and serves as an epilogue to Jadzia's character arc.

It's not just the main cast that makes Deep Space Nine stand out among Trek series. The show has a deep bench of recurring characters that play a pivotal role in the overall narrative. In other Trek shows, side characters only show up occasionally, usually just once, then they're gone.

Critical side characters include Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), the former commander of Deep Space Nine when it was in Cardassian hands. He is the perfect foil for Sisko and remains one of the most nuanced and compelling villains in all of Star Trek. Another Cardassian of note is the former spy-turned-tailor Garak played by Andrew J. Robinson (who may as well have been a main character, given how often he appears). He adds an air of mystery and deceit to the show whenever he's on-screen and plays a crucial part in some of the series' most poignant stories.

Additionally, when the Dominion War begins, the show introduces many war-themed characters, including the genocidal female changeling from Odo's home planet. Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) is a character who is actually a series of clones who can replace each other when one gets killed. General Martok (J. G. Hertzler) leads the Klingon offensive in the fight against dominion. And Damar, who is Dukat's right-hand man throughout the war but ends up becoming one of the most heroic figures of Star Trek.

Until this point in the franchise, Star Trek had an almost purely episodic affair. Sure, there were a few two-parters in The Next Generation, and sometimes popular side characters returned. But, generally speaking, you can pop in any episode of the original series and Next Generation and enjoy them without knowing what happened in the previous episodes.

Compare that to now, when most stories in Star Trek are season-long serials. You can't just sit down and watch an episode of season three of Star Trek: Discovery and understand what's happening without acquainting yourself with all the show's events prior to that episode.

Both storytelling methods have their strengths and weaknesses, but Deep Space Nine combines both in a way that hasn't been replicated in the rest of Trek. However, it is somewhat present in the first season of Strange New Worlds (and maybe Lower Decks, but Deep Space Nine does it best).

Related: What to Watch Before 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season Three

Again, it all comes down to the Dominion War arc. In starting that war between the Federation and the Dominion, the writers introduced a sense of severe consequence to the events of any particular episode, as they would likely impact the rest of the show. And it all culminated in a 10-part finale that saw Sisko and crew finally bring resolution to the conflict.

But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy individual episodes, even those in the mega-long finale. Every episode remains self-contained. All you have to know is that a war is happening. Deep Space Nine walks the line between episodic and serialized storytelling masterfully.

If I haven't convinced you yet that Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series, that's okay. But I hope I've at least made you consider why this oft-neglected show is so critical to the franchise's history. If it's been a while since you rewatched Captain Sisko and company, I invite you to revisit Deep Space Nine on Parmount+ in honor of the 30th anniversary. And if you've never seen it before, I'm jealous. You're in for a fantastic Star Trek journey.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series

Enjoy the best Star Trek series ever produced: Deep Space Nine!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Ranking Every Major Character Worst To Best

Space Stations really do have a huge cast of characters! Ranked from worst to best, here are DS9's.

Deep Space Nine boasted an enormous supporting cast, more than any of the other franchises in terms of the characters' popularity and appearances. As such, ranking them was going to be a tall order.

That said, some of the characters on this show simply lend themselves to high rankings due to the consistantly excellent writing that was on display across the seasons.

Whether it was Kira's search for her place in the new order to Nog's growth and trauma, or Sisko's struggle to reconcile his place in the Bajoran religion - these characters had arcs very different from the other entries in the franchise.

Unsurprisingly, and thankfully in terms of entertainment, there were excellent villains to pick from as well. Deep Space Nine had arguably, after perhaps the Borg, the greatest villains in the franchise (a certain genetically engineered tyrant notwithstanding). It was also the first entry to truly present an interstellar war, something which opened the playing field even wider for more characters to turn up.

Not every character on the show worked. Not every one of them settled into the swing of things quite as well as some of the others. Some were largely forgotten as the story lines went in other directions. This is true of any series, though perhaps on Deep Space Nine it is forgivable due to the sheer size of the cast.

With that in mind, starting at the bottom, we have...

27. Vedek Bareil

Poor Bareil Antos. He really did care about the Prophets and about Bajor. So much so, that he stood aside and let a monster take over. Well played, Bareil. Well played.

Taking the fall for Kai Opaka, he was forced to step down from the running to be the next Kai, clearing the path for Winn Adami to take the top job. Considering what she nearly brought about for Bajor, this was most certainly not the best decision.

His political failings aside, Bareil also never quite seemed to be the right fit as Major Kira's love interest. There was little to no chemistry between them and his peaceful manner seemed at odds with Kira's short fuse. However, his eventual death left a wound in her that would last for some time to come.

Potentially not that much time though, as later that season she would begin a relationship with Shakaar.

Vedek Bareil seems to have been conceived as something of a 'cool priest' character. While Philip Anglim did the best that he could with that, there was very little room to navigate those restraints. When he returned in the sixth season as Bareil's mirror universe counterpart, he was able to have a little bit more fun with him - yet even that episode ranks as one of the weakest of that season.

Poor Bareil. Go with the Prophets. And stay there.

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick

Screen Rant

Battlestar galactica's ron moore borrowed a big idea from star trek: ds9.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide

I agree with one major criticism of sisko in star trek: ds9’s early days, grey's anatomy's biggest villain has been hiding in plain sight since season 8.

Moore's experiences on DS9 influenced the darker tone of Battlestar Galactica, with similar storylines and character inspirations.
Connections between the two shows include shared actors, music mysteries, and thematic similarities in character development.
DS9's influence on Battlestar Galactica writers helped shape the morally ambiguous and darker themes of the rebooted series.

Ronald D. Moore's 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot borrowed a story idea from his first season as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's supervising producer. When Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in 1994, Ronald D. Moore joined the DS9 team as a writer and supervising producer. Together with Ira Steven Behr, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and the rest of the DS9 team, Moore was instrumental in shaping the Dominion War arc between seasons 3 and 7. Years later, when Ronald D. Moore rebooted Battlestar Galactica , it was clear that Moore's experiences on DS9 influenced his darker take on Glen A. Larson's space opera .

Arguably, Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica reboot owes more to his time on Star Trek than the original vision of creator Glen A. Larson. Multiple Star Trek actors appeared in Battlestar Galactica , including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Nana Visitor, and Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Michelle Forbes. The idea of the Humanoid Cylons resurrecting themselves was very similar to how multiple incarnations of Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) and other Vorta would appear in DS9 . More directly, one episode of DS9 season 3 went on to play a major role in Battlestar Galactica 's final season.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the biggest cast of characters of any Trek show, meaning that Captain Sisko had numerous allies in the Dominion War.

Ronald D Moore’s Battlestar Galactica Borrowed A Story Idea From DS9

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 4, "Equilibrium", Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) is suddenly able to play a mysterious piece of music, despite never showing any musical ability . Neither of the previous Dax Trill hosts were musical either, creating a mystery as to how Jadzia is suddenly able to remember ther particular song. Eventually, it's discovered that she's remembering Joran Dax (Jeff Magnus McBride), whose existence was suppressed due to a scandal within the Trill Symbiosis Commision that ended in murder.

While "Equilibrium" is credited to René Echevarria and Christopher Teague, Ronald D. Moore is credited with the idea of centering the story on Dax and the Trills.

Ronald D. Moore expanded the core premise of "Equilibrium" when revealing the Final Five Cylons in Battlestar Galactica 's shocking season 3 finale. Each of the Final Five, who believed themselves to be human, began remembering a piece of music, "All Along the Watchtower". Moore built on this idea further in BSG season 4, episode 17, "Someone to Watch Over Me", in which Starbuck (Kara Thrace) also tried to crack the mystery of a half-remembered piece of music that ultimately contained the coordinates to bring the Colonial Fleet home to Earth in the finale.

Battlestar Galactica’s Other Links To DS9 Explained

In a talk at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2016, Ronald D. Moore confirmed that Star Trek: DS9 's Kira influenced Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica . Wanting to create another " kick-ass " heroine in Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), Moore took inspiration from Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) by swapping the letter I for the letter A. Nana Visitor later appeared in Battlestar Galactica in season 4, episode 6, "Faith", as a cancer patient who forms a friendship with President Roslin (Mary McDonnell). Nana Visitor's casting was suggested by Battlestar Galactica writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, who had also previously worked on DS9 .

David Weddle cameoed as a bar patron in the DS9 -influenced Battlestar Galactica episode "Someone to Watch Over Me".

Prior to joining Ronald D. Moore's writing team on Battlestar Galactica , David Weddle and Bradley Thompson worked on twelve episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Some of the highlights of Weddle & Thompson's work include the "Inquisition", and "Extreme Measures", two of the best Doctor Bashir episodes of DS9. Both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes, featuring Starfleet's morally bankrupt intelligence agency Section 31, were clearly good training for writing the darker, more morally ambiguous science fiction that Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica reboot would be praised for.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.

Battlestar Galactica

The 2004 science fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica is a reimagining of the 1978 series of the same title. Created by Glen A. Larson, the original Battlestar Galactica features a fictional human civilization living in a distant star system called the Twelve Colonies. They are in constant battle against a cybernetic race called the Cylons, who want to exterminate the human race. A massive attack was launched, and only those who made it onboard the Battlestar Galactica and its fleet survived. They navigate space in search of the mythical 13th colony called Earth. Battlestar Galactica is under the command of President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and Colonial Fleet Officer, Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos).

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

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Inside the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Series Finale: The Last-Minute Coda, the Surprise Easter Eggs, and What Season 6 Would Have Been About (EXCLUSIVE)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery steaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+.

SPOILER WARNING: This story includes descriptions of major plot developments on the series finale of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” currently streaming on Paramount+ .

Watching the fifth and final season of “ Star Trek: Discovery ” has been an exercise in the uncanny. Paramount+ didn’t announce that the show was ending until after the Season 5 finale had wrapped filming — no one involved with the show knew it would be its concluding voyage when they were making it. And yet, the season has unfolded with a pervasive feeling of culmination.

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'Star Trek: Discovery' Series Finale Ending Explained: The Franchise Lives On

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Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for the 'Star Trek: Discovery' series finale.

The Big Picture

Captain Burnham makes a bold decision regarding Progenitors' tech in the Star Trek: Discovery finale, ensuring it stays out of dangerous hands.
Saru ties the knot with his Vulcan fiancée in a romantic ceremony, while Burnham and Book rekindle their romance.
A character from another show is revealed to have secret ties to Star Trek: Discovery , linking the series to past storylines.

Star Trek: Discovery has reached the end of its journey. After premiering in 2017, Discovery managed to run for five seasons — which is becoming a rarity in the streaming age (and ironically marks the length of time for a five-year mission under Starfleet). Discovery also helped kickstart the Star Trek renaissance on television , with series including Star Trek: Picard and the spin-off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , so seeing it end after all this time is rather bittersweet.

Despite the circumstances, Discovery was determined to end its final voyage in style as Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) tracked down technology that belonged to the Progenitors, a race of beings who seeded the universe with intelligent life. Further complicating matters is the fact that the crew of Discovery is finding themselves being pulled in different directions : Saru ( Doug Jones ) is now an ambassador for the Federation of United Planets, Hugh Culber ( Wilson Cruz ) has a literal out-of-body experience that he struggles to come to terms with, and Burnham must deal with her lingering feelings for Book ( David Ajala ), especially as the two separated. How does it all come together in Discovery's final episode, "Life, Itself?"

Star Trek: Discovery

Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.

Captain Burnham Makes a Decision Regarding the Progenitors’ Tech

"Life, Itself" begins with Burnham waking up on a platform that serves as the bridge to multiple worlds, alongside Moll ( Eve Harlow ), who had been seeking the Progenitors' technology. After the duo strike a truce, they discover an interface that will let them speak to the Progenitors, leading Moll to betray Burnham and try to access the interface, only to get frozen for her troubles. Burnham eventually does talk to one of the Progenitors, who offers her a choice: Either she becomes the steward of the Progenitor tech or leave it behind. Burnham takes a third option and uses the Discovery's tractor beam to send the tech into the event horizon of a black hole , making sure no one can access it.“It’s too powerful for one person or one culture to access or control,” she tells the rest of the crew.

While Burnham is on another plane of existence, the Discovery is fending off an attack by the Breen and manages to defeat them using a combination of intellect and intimidation. Commander Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ) teleports a Breen dreadnought into the far reaches of space, while Saru intimidates the Breen primarch into calling off the rest of their forces by implying he'd bring a force unlike anything the Breen saw upon their heads. The moment was a full circle for both of them because Rayner finally grew into a commander who could lead Discovery in dangerous situations and Saru proved that he could engage in aggressive negotiations (to borrow a phrase from that other science fiction franchise).

A Wedding and No Funerals for ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s Series Finale

"Life, Itself" also has another major moment: Saru finally gets married! The Kelpian ties the knot with his Vulcan fiancée T'Rina ( Tara Rosling ), with the entire crew of Discovery in attendance. As if Saru getting married wasn't already romantic enough, Burnham and Book rekindle their own romance . "Let's see what the future holds," Burnham tells Book, right before the episode leaps forward a few decades to showcase said future. Not only are the two married, but Burnham is now a Starfleet admiral and is ready to congratulate their son Leto ( Sawandi Wilson ), who's recently become a captain himself.

A ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Character Has Secret Ties to Another ‘Star Trek’ Show

When Discovery made the leap to the 32nd century in Season 3, Burnham and her crew made a number of new allies while trying to rebuild the Federation. One of them was Dr. Kovich ( David Cronenberg ), a mysterious scientist who almost always seemed to know more than he lets on. The reason for this was finally revealed: Kovich is the temporal agent Daniels, who first appeared in Star Trek: Enterprise . Daniels and other temporal agents were tasked with keeping history intact during a "temporal cold war." Daniels also tells Burnham that he's been to "other places," with his office containing objects from different points in Star Trek history . Among them is the baseball that Benjamin Sisko ( Avery Brooks ) held in his office in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and the VISOR used by Star Trek: The Next Generation engineer Geordi La Forge ( LeVar Burton ). It is another full circle moment for Discovery , especially since Season 5 drew from the plot of a Next Generation episode that set up the Progenitors .

Here's What 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 6 Was Going To Be About

They were going to take a long trek back to a Short Trek.

The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finale Pays Off a Plot Thread From ‘Short Treks’

"Life, Itself" even manages to tie up one dangling plot thread that stretches back to Discovery 's beginning. Burnham is tasked with one final mission of warping Discovery to a mysterious point in space where it's meant to stay as a "time capsule" for future generations to explore. This sets up the events of the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso," where a human soldier ( Aldis Hodge ) discovers Discovery centuries in the future; his only companion is Zora, the Discovery's sentient computer. Zora was uploaded to Discovery in the Season 3 episode "Forget Me Not," hinting that the show would tackle this plot thread sooner or later. Showrunner Michelle Paradise even hinted that Discovery would have touched on this plot thread if it was renewed for Season 6, telling Variety : “The story, nascent as it was, was eventually going to be tying that thread up and connecting ‘Discovery’ back with ‘Calypso.'"

Despite Discovery ending, future Star Trek projects are slated to explore elements it set up . Starfleet Academy will be set in the 32nd century, while the Star Trek: Section 31 movie centers on Burnham's former commanding officer/Mirror Universe refugee Philippa Georgiou ( Michelle Yeoh ). Star Trek: Discovery , much like Burnham and her crew, weathered trials and tribulations while serving as the foundation for the Star Trek renaissance, and it serves as a worthy chapter in the Trek franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Watch on Paramount+

TV Features

This 'Star Trek Discovery' Character Is a Deep-Cut 'DS9' Reference

Callum Keith Rennie joins Star Trek: Discovery as Kellerun Captain Rayner, revealing the obscure species from Deep Space Nine .
Rayner's Kellerun backstory is crucial to Rayner's characterization and mission, with the showrunner promising a focus on his personal history.
Discovery continues the tradition of exploring one-off alien races with new characters, adding depth and diversity to the final season.

Veteran actor Callum Keith Rennie will join the cast of the final season of Star Trek: Discovery as the alien Captain Rayner, and now we know what species he is. Fans have speculated that Rayner's pointed ears mark him as a Vulcan or a Romulan, but a new interview reveals that he is a member of the Kellerun, an obscure species from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . TrekCore.com has the details from SFX Magazine's feature on Discovery 's upcoming fifth season , which will premiere on Paramount+ early next month.

Rayner's species will apparently be important to his characterization and the mysterious mission he joins the USS Discovery crew for, as they race against time in the show's final bow. Says showrunner Michelle Paradise , "He’s Kellerun, which is a minor planet mentioned in one of the other iterations… we learn more about his personal backstory and how that plays into who he is, and why he is how he is. We learn about that as the season goes on, and the planet he’s from has a lot to do with that." It won't be the first time an important character on Discovery comes from a one-off alien race; Commander Nhan ( Rachael Ancheril ), who debuted in the series' second season, is a Barzan, a race that had up to that point only appeared in the third-season Next Generation episode "The Price".

Who Are the Kellerun?

The Kellerun made their first and (so far) only appearance in "Armageddon Game", which first aired in 1994 as part of Deep Space Nine 's second season. A species with distinctive large, pointed ears, they had been at war for centuries with their neighbors, the T'Lani, in a conflict that utilized the Harvesters, deadly biological weapons. After the two races made peace with each other, Starfleet sent in Deep Space Nine crew members Dr. Julian Bashir ( Alexander Siddig ) and Miles O'Brien ( Colm Meany ) to help dismantle the remaining Harvesters. However, the Kellerun and T'Lani insist that all knowledge pertaining to the Harvesters must be destroyed - which means killing Bashir and O'Brien, too. The two have to make a desperate race for survival as their friends try to save them from the two alien species.

Although the Kellerun did not appear on the series again, the episode established Bashir and O'Brien's friendship, which endured for the rest of the show's run. Canadian actor Callum Keith Rennie is a veteran of science fiction productions, having starred in Battlestar Galactica , Impulse , The X-Files , Jessica Jones , and The Umbrella Academy . Discovery will be his first Star Trek appearance.

Star Trek: Discovery 's fifth and final season will premiere April 4, 2024 on Paramount+ , wehere past seasons are also streaming. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the trailer for Discovery 's fifth season below.

Early life [ ]

Nog was born in 2353 as the only son of Rom and Prinadora , and the nephew of Quark . ( DS9 : " Emissary ", " Heart of Stone ") Rom had married Prinadora under a standard Ferengi five-year marriage contract , but was so blinded by love that he let Prinadora's father swindle him out of all of his money. Prinadora left Rom, and Rom was forced to raise Nog alone. ( DS9 : " Doctor Bashir, I Presume ")

" As a baby, " according to Quark , Nog was the " cutest thing you ever saw, " later recalling his prototypical quirks, like how " every little thing " he picked up went " straight into [his] ears . " Quark also " used to love reading to him, " including one familiar literary tale that went, " See Brak acquire . Acquire, Brak, acquire. " ( DS9 : " Accession ")

Recalling life as a young boy on Ferenginar, he learned " about the Great Material Continuum while we still have our first set of ears. " ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

By his teens, he was required to memorize the Rules of Acquisition , knowledge he was still perfecting in late 2370 . ( DS9 : " The Jem'Hadar ") In time, he was expected to become a merchant and to acquire wealth like a good traditional Ferengi male. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

At some point during the latter years of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor , Rom and Nog took up residence on Terok Nor and began work as waiters in Quark's bar. ( DS9 : " Emissary ", " Shadowplay ")

Life on Deep Space 9 [ ]

Young Nog in trouble

In 2369 , Nog was still living on Terok Nor when the Cardassians withdrew. The Bajoran Provisional Government asked Starfleet to take over administration of the station, and it was rechristened Deep Space 9. On the day that new station commander Benjamin Sisko arrived, Nog was helping a Markalian rob the assay office by stealing ore samples. He was apprehended by Odo , the station's chief of security , and put into custody in the station's holding cells . Sisko used Nog's release as a bargaining chip in order to persuade Quark (who was the real thief) to stay on the station and keep his bar open and to become community leader, Sisko's way of giving the disparate community there a focus and a reason to stay. ( DS9 : " Emissary ")

Soon after, Nog met Jake Sisko , Commander Sisko's son, as there were only a few children on DS9. Although Nog was initially not interested in befriending a "Hew-man", he relented as the two became fast friends. Jake and Nog spent a lot of time together and many adventures and misadventures together and often engaged in mischief and occasionally got in trouble for playing pranks on the station. Much of their time was spent on the Promenade, where they watched the passengers disembark.

Benjamin Sisko initially did not approve of Jake's friendship with Nog. He believed him to be too old and too corrupting for Jake. However, his disapproval quickly faded when he discovered that Jake and Nog were not planning another prank as he had suspected, but that Jake was teaching his friend how to read, indicating a deep and constructive friendship. Realizing that Nog was not a bad influence on Jake, Sisko finally began respecting his son's friendship with the Ferengi boy.

Nog eventually attended Keiko O'Brien 's primary school on the station, despite his father's initial reservations at his son being taught by a Human female. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ", " The Nagus ")

When the Bajoran factions Paqu and Navot were negotiating an agreement on DS9, Nog saw Varis , the Paqu negotiator, who was an attractive young girl, and became instantly infatuated with her. Because he was reluctant to meet her, he asked Jake if he could arrange it. Upon meeting Nog with Jake, Varis shared her frustrations about the ongoing negotiations and Nog offered her a suggestion how the dispute could be solved to the satisfaction of both parties. Although Nog did not become romantically involved with her, he did get a kiss on his cheek when Varis left DS9 after successfully finishing the negotiations. ( DS9 : " The Storyteller ")

In 2370 , Nog was evacuated for a short time from DS9 because of the threat of Bajoran incursion. ( DS9 : " The Siege ") He also was attacked by Tumak when he sprayed some foul-smelling fluid on him. ( DS9 : " Sanctuary ")

In 2372 , Nog's uncle Quark received a shuttle from his cousin Gaila (which was sabotaged) and he decided to bring Nog, accompanied by his father, to Earth so he could enter Starfleet Academy . When they were close to Earth, the sabotage was revealed, which caused them to crash land and they found themselves on a military base in Roswell , New Mexico in the year 1947 . There they were observed and thought to be Martians , and after they repaired their universal translators , Quark tried to make a profit from the situation. When things started to go badly, Nog tried to bluff their way out of the situation by telling their military interrogators that they were the first of an invasion force. Fortunately for them, they were helped with their escape and were able to return to their own time period. ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")

Three years later, Nog offered his help when Bashir and O'Brien discovered a " jack-in-the-box " in the Fontaine holoprogram . The program had generated new characters who took control of the casino and kicked Vic out. In an elaborate scheme which involved almost the entire senior staff of DS9, Nog used his excellent hearing to crack Frankie 's safe so he and Odo could steal the money that Frankie was supposed to deliver to his boss Carl Zeemo . By doing so they compromised Frankie, upon which Carl escorted Frankie out of the casino to a lethal fate, making it Vic's again. ( DS9 : " Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang ")

Starfleet career [ ]

When Nog was asked to go on a camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant with Jake and Commander Sisko, he could not say "no" to the invitation, but was less than pleased when his uncle Quark insisted on coming with him. After they landed on a planet , Jake and Nog went into the woods and when they returned to the campsite, they discovered that Sisko and Quark were gone. Soon they discovered that the two had been captured by a previously unknown force from the Gamma Quadrant – the Dominion – and decided to take the runabout USS Rio Grande and return to DS9, but encountered problems when they realized the controls of the runabout were secured. Nog told Jake that he could circumvent the security protocols, but he only partially succeeded and was able to restore altitude control but not warp capability. While being chased by Jem'Hadar , they were located by Miles O'Brien , piloting another runabout. The two were present to witness the destruction of the USS Odyssey before they safely returned to DS9. ( DS9 : " The Jem'Hadar ")

Nog tries to convince Sisko that he is serious about joining Starfleet

After they returned, Nog decided that he wanted to be the first Ferengi to serve in Starfleet , but at the time of his application, Ferenginar was not a member of the Federation . Because of this, his application needed to be endorsed by a command-level Starfleet officer, where upon Nog asked Commander Sisko if he would support his application to Starfleet Academy. Sisko was suspicious of Nog's motives and initially refused the request. After some persuasion, he decided to test Nog to see if he was serious about the endeavor. He assigned Nog a cargo bay inventory, by himself, to test his dedication as well as his honesty. To his surprise, Nog not only persisted, he also surpassed Sisko's expectations. Sisko confronted the boy about why a Ferengi would want to join Starfleet, a profession with no potential for profit. Nog finally admitted that he wanted to make something of his life so that he wouldn't end up like his father. Nog had seen how his father could have been chief engineer on a starship, but instead had pursued only profit like "a good Ferengi," and as a result, ended up with nothing to look forward to but the slim chance he would someday inherit Quark's Bar, and Nog didn't want to follow in his footsteps. On hearing this, Sisko finally understood and was glad to give Nog his full endorsement. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

When Nog applied to the Academy, Chief O'Brien proctored his stress reaction test in one of Quark's holosuites using program Delta-5-9 . Nog studied hard and was prepared for the test, but he erroneously believed it would be a test on his performance as pilot of a runabout . The actual test put Nog in Deep Space 9's operations center ; O'Brien had intentionally led Nog to believe otherwise, as this made it a truly stressful test rather than routine review of something Nog knew well.

On his first try, Nog failed because Quark had sabotaged the holo-program. When Rom found out, he was furious with his brother, and went straight to Sisko about what happened and allowed Nog to retake the test. Nog later passed and was accepted into the Academy. ( DS9 : " Facets ")

Starfleet Academy [ ]

During his time in the Academy, Nog was a frequent visitor of Sisko's , a Creole restaurant owned by Joseph Sisko in New Orleans . It was the only eatery on the planet where he could get tube grubs . ( DS9 : " Homefront ")

Nog assisting Kira and Dax in unscrambling a recorded message

During the Changeling scare on Earth, when some Starfleet officers felt that a coup was necessary to protect Earth, Nog supplied information to Sisko that helped foil the coup . Sisko suspected that officers in Starfleet had caused a world-wide power failure in order to declare martial law . Nog told Sisko about Red Squad , an elite group of cadets , and gave him the names of the members. They were the ones who caused the power failure on the orders of Admiral Leyton . ( DS9 : " Paradise Lost ")

In 2373 , Cadet Nog was stationed on DS9 during his sophomore year as part of a field studies program. While there, he used his superior hearing to help Lieutenant Commander Dax and Major Kira unscramble a recorded message in the hope of solving the mystery of who was killing the surviving members of the Shakaar resistance cell . Jake also moved in with Nog at this time. ( DS9 : " The Darkness and the Light ", " The Ascent ")

Nog captured by a crazed Garak

In that same year, Nog took part in a mission to retrieve components from Empok Nor , an abandoned Cardassian space station , to repair DS9. During this mission, two stasis chambers containing Cardassians were activated. When the two Cardassians destroyed the runabout that had brought Nog and O'Brien to Empok Nor and killed Crewman Boq'ta and others, he and the chief were the only ones left to deal with Elim Garak , who had been infected by the same psychotropic drug which had driven the other Cardassians insane. After Chief O'Brien successfully saved Nog and Garak, Nog vowed he would never turn his back on the Cardassians again. ( DS9 : " Empok Nor ", " Rocks and Shoals ")

He later used his Ferengi skills to wheel and deal to help Jake obtain an old baseball card for Jake's father. ( DS9 : " In the Cards ") He also used his skills to get a new graviton stabilizer for the Defiant on O'Brien's request. ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Dominion War [ ]

Nog fought in the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 when the Dominion and Cardassian forces captured the station. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

In 2374 , after the outbreak of the war between the Federation and the Dominion , Nog took part in the raid to destroy the major production facility of ketracel-white inside Dominion territory. Although the mission was a success, the captured Dominion ship was severely damaged and had to make an emergency landing on a remote planet, leaving them seventeen years from the nearest starbase . ( DS9 : " A Time to Stand ")

Nog, trying to stay behind Elim Garak while walking

While Nog and Garak were searching for food, they were captured by Jem'Hadar soldiers and brought to their wounded Vorta leader . Garak told them that they had a doctor with them, and they were exchanged as hostages for Captain Sisko and Doctor Bashir. In the end, they had to fight the Jem'Hadar because the ketracel-white they depended on had run out and their Vorta leader could no longer control them. During their last attack, all the Jem'Hadar were killed. ( DS9 : " Rocks and Shoals ")

A short time before Operation Return was to be carried out, he was promoted to ensign . This is after just two years as a cadet, as opposed to the normal four. He took part in the battle to retake Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " Favor the Bold ")

Nog wearing his dress uniform

Nog was a guest at the wedding of Jadzia Dax and Worf in 2374 and wore his Starfleet dress uniform for the event. ( DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ")

When the USS Defiant was captured by the Jem'Hadar, he helped retake the ship. He pretended he was fixing the warp drive that had been damaged in the attack. But this was a delaying action until they could be rescued. He also helped restore Zek as Grand Nagus after he was deposed by Brunt . ( DS9 : " One Little Ship ", " Profit and Lace ")

On Stardate 51825.4, Ensign Nog was en route to Ferenginar with Jake aboard the runabout USS Shenandoah when they were attacked by Jem'Hadar fighters . Suddenly, they were beamed aboard the USS Valiant , a Defiant -class starship . Nog recognized the crew operating the Valiant as Red Squad from Starfleet Academy. Their twenty-year-old captain, Tim Watters , told him that the rest of the crew had been killed and that he intended to complete the Valiant 's mission of gathering data on a new Dominion battleship . Nog, a long-time admirer of Red Squad ever since his time at the Academy, was enthusiastic and joined the crew. He was given a field promotion to lieutenant commander and made chief engineer , where he adjusted the Valiant 's warp capabilities as he had seen O'Brien do on the Defiant . When Watters wanted to attack the battleship, Jake told Nog that it was a suicide mission , but Nog refused to listen to him. Watters overheard this conversation and had Jake confined to the brig . During the battle, the Valiant sustained heavy damage and only Nog and Dorian Collins were left alive. They released Jake from the brig and used an escape pod to leave the Valiant before it exploded. They were later picked up by the Defiant . Nog then returned the Red Squad insignia he had received from Watters to Collins. ( DS9 : " Valiant ")

Nog after being injured

During the siege of AR-558 , Nog performed well as an advance scout, using his superb Ferengi hearing to identify a large column of advancing Jem'Hadar when tricorder scans were ineffective due to a Jem'Hadar jamming signal. It was during this action that he lost his leg after fierce fighting with Jem'Hadar soldiers, who outnumbered the Starfleet forces three-to-one. When Nog was recuperating in a makeshift infirmary , a Jem'Hadar burst in but Quark managed to kill him, saving his nephew from certain death. In part because of Nog's actions, and those of his fellow troops, the Federation was able to hold the planet and the vital Dominion communication array there. ( DS9 : " The Siege of AR-558 ")

Nog with Vic Fontaine

When he returned to DS9, Nog was still recovering from his injuries and, although his leg was replaced by a biosynthetic one , he was still struggling to cope emotionally and physically with his wound. Because he did not want to be helped by anyone, he took his medical leave in one of his uncle's holosuites , hiding in the 1962 Las Vegas club of singer Vic Fontaine . During this time, Vic affectionately nicknamed him "Noggles".

Later, when Nog found Jake and his date Kesha in Vic's lounge, he was upset and in an angry outburst, he punched Jake, whereupon Vic threw Nog out of his club. Ezri Dax visited Nog to persuade him to leave the holosuite, but he refused. He even threatened to resign his Starfleet commission if she tried to make him leave. While Ezri observed him, she noticed that he had made progress. He no longer seemed to limp or need to use his cane . Congratulating Vic with his accomplishments with regards to Nog, Ezri let him know it was time for Nog to leave the holosuite. When Vic told Nog he had to leave he protested, but to no avail, considering that Vic resorted to ending the program on his own and resisted it being reactivated. In the end, Vic convinced Nog that it was better for him to leave and rejoin the real world. Nog thanked him, and to show his gratitude, made arrangements with his uncle Quark to keep the holoprogram running permanently. ( DS9 : " It's Only a Paper Moon ")

Nog took part in the Second Battle of Chin'toka as a member of the Defiant crew, and when the Dominion War ended in 2375 . ( DS9 : " The Changing Face of Evil ", " What You Leave Behind ")

Post-war [ ]

Following the conclusion of the war, Nog continued to serve aboard DS9, under Colonel Kira, performing seemingly mundane, and welcome tasks such as creating duty rosters and cargo inventories .

As a testament to how far he had advanced, Nog was promoted to lieutenant junior grade in one of Benjamin Sisko's last official acts as the commanding officer of DS9. Indeed, Colonel Kira congratulated Nog on his promotion; with both realizing with some sadness that Captain Sisko must have promoted Nog just before his disappearance. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

By 3189 , the Eisenberg -class starship, USS Nog was named after him. ( DIS : " Die Trying ")

Relationships [ ]

Nog with his father Rom

Nog's father, Rom , worked for his uncle Quark as a waiter in his bar, Quark's . He also worked as a private engineer for him. Although Nog told his father several times he could do better, Rom always dreamed of taking over the bar from Quark, perhaps because Nog's mother, Prinadora , had left him and his father several years earlier in favor of a richer man. ( DS9 : " Doctor Bashir, I Presume ")

It was expected that Nog, like all Ferengi, would go into business as well. However, Nog showed early inclinations of pursuing other careers. At first, Rom strongly disapproved and even attempted to prevent Nog from learning to read or attending Keiko O'Brien 's school on the station.

When Grand Nagus Zek visited the station for an important conference, he, along with the other Ferengi present, was disgusted to learn that Nog was attending a Human school. Attempting to remain in Zek's good graces, Rom forbade Nog from returning. Though he eventually changed his mind this event further convinced Nog that he wanted to pursue non-traditional avenues toward success. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ")

Over the years, Rom's attitudes softened, and he encouraged his son in his goals. His ambition for his son grew to the point where he felt directly invested. When Nog expressed his interest in applying for Starfleet Academy, Rom congratulated Nog on his decision, assuring him that he would be proud to have a son in Starfleet. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ") Quark, however, remained opposed to the idea. When Rom discovered that Quark had altered the settings of the holosuite to distort the results of a spatial perception exam so that Nog would fail, he confronted his brother about it. Having already reported the incident to Commander Sisko, who allowed Nog to retake the test, Rom warned Quark that if he tried to interfere again, he would burn his brother's bar to the ground. To Rom, Nog's happiness was more important to him than anything, even latinum. ( DS9 : " Facets ")

Nog at his father's wedding in 2373

Unlike his uncle Quark, Nog was genuinely thrilled when his father married Leeta , a Bajoran employee of Quark's Bar, even addressing her as Moogie . ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

In 2374 , Nog's grandmother Ishka was taken prisoner by the Dominion. Nog was recruited by Quark, who was enticed by Zek 's reward of 50 bars of gold-pressed latinum for Ishka's rescue, to lead a rescue expedition with his fellow Ferengi. They succeeded in freeing Ishka and even captured a Vorta prisoner and brought him back to DS9. ( DS9 : " The Magnificent Ferengi ")

Jake Sisko [ ]

One of the strongest relationships Nog forged while on Deep Space 9 was with Jake Sisko, the son of the station's commanding officer. Because there were relatively few children on the station immediately after the end of the Cardassian occupation the two spent a lot of time together. Neither Jake's father, nor Nog's approved of the situation but despite their attempts to keep them separate the two grew even closer and would spend numerous hours together watching the Bajoran transports docking at the station.

Early in their relationship, Nog and Jake released some Garanian bolites onto the Replimat , which made people turn blue for a short moment when stung. They were caught in the act by Odo and brought before Commander Sisko for disciplinary action. At the time, Keiko O'Brien was lobbying for a school on the station and Sisko, who saw the school as an opportunity to keep the juveniles busy, agreed, leaving only Nog's father to be convinced by Keiko to send his son to school. Although Nog was reluctant to attend school at first, he was encouraged by Jake to do so, not in the least because Jake had started to teach him to read and write. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ", " The Nagus ")

According to Jake, Nog was the one who told him all about women much to the disappointment and concerns of Jake's father. ( DS9 : " Move Along Home ")

Noh-Jay Consortium negotiating

In 2369 , Nog and Jake formed the Noh-Jay Consortium for the purpose of carrying out a business deal with his uncle Quark . They discovered that Quark had a huge amount of Yamok sauce which he could not sell, so they tried to sell it for five bars of gold-pressed latinum to a Lissepian freighter captain . However, the Lissepian captain convinced them to trade the sauce for self-sealing stem bolts . They agreed, but the transaction left them with the new problem of trying to unload the stem bolts. Once again, rather than sell the bolts they were talked into a trade, this time for seven tessipates of land on Bajor. Jake was enthusiastic about the arrangement as he considered land to be a solid investment. Nog, however, was discouraged because he did not think they would find any buyers for "dirt". They soon learned, through Quark, that the Bajoran government was trying to buy this land for a civic expansion. Quark, eager to get his hands on land which he believed he could sell for a premium, was astonished to learn his nephew was in possession of the land because he had not believed Nog "had the lobes " to take such a crafty position ahead of market demand. Nog and Jake agreed to sell the land to Quark for five bars of gold-pressed latinum, and Quark in turn sold it to the government. ( DS9 : " Progress ")

Jake was less than impressed by Nog's treatment of females. In 2371 , Jake reluctantly agreed to have a double-date with Leanne and Riska , after he had to cancel their dom-jot match against some Terrellians . The date, however, did not go well and despite Jake's attempts to lighten the mood, it ended when Nog asked Riska to cut up his food for him. Nog clearly thought that he was being sensitive to "hew-mon" sensibilities by not asking the young lady to chew his food for him, but an angry Jake refused to talk to Nog ever again. Fortunately for them, Sisko and Odo helped Jake and Nog reconcile their cultural differences and to remain friends. ( DS9 : " Life Support ")

Nog was supported by Jake in his quest to enter Starfleet Academy, and when he succeeded, Jake realized it was a bittersweet victory for both of them, since it meant they would see far less of each other. ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")

When Jake wanted to give his father a present of a Willie Mays baseball card , Nog was talked into putting up his lifetime gold-pressed latinum earnings to purchase it. But they were outbid by Dr. Elias Giger , who seemed to have an ulterior motive. He wanted to trade the card in return for some equipment he needed, which only Nog and Jake could get. Hearing what Dr. Giger wanted, they thought he was crazy but nevertheless they agreed and in the end, they were able to present the card, in mint condition, to Jake's father. ( DS9 : " In the Cards ")

Nog managed to gain the respect of General Martok and the Klingons aboard Deep Space 9, although he had to work for it. At first, Martok refused to even acknowledge Nog's existence (which perhaps had something to do with the height difference). The issue first began to surface when Cadet Nog was helping Worf to improve the Defiant 's phaser relay efficiency and Martok came on to the bridge and started talking to Worf about a transfer. He completely ignored the Ferengi and stood in such a way that Nog was trapped between the two towering Klingons. Nog, unsure if he was being noticed, had to interrupt Martok's conversation so he could slip by. Martok, who had to look down to see the cadet, let Nog pass with a shake of his head. ( DS9 : " Soldiers of the Empire ")

Nog threatens to arrest Martok for loitering

During his next dinner session with Captain Sisko, Nog complained that the Klingons were ignoring him, whereupon Sisko recommended him to stand up and confront them the next time it happened; even if it meant that he would have his butt kicked, at least it would be hard for the Klingons to ignore him any longer. Before Sisko could finish, Martok entered Sisko's quarters, wanting to talk to Sisko… alone. Just before Nog was about to confront Martok, Jake stopped him and told Nog to confront the Klingon another time. Slightly discouraged but still determined, Nog began to look for opportunities to assert himself in front of the Klingons. While the Klingons were having a head-banging contest at Quark's Bar while obviously drunk, Nog waited patiently for them to disturb the peace, and when their laughter exceeded seventy decibels , Nog believed his opportunity had arrived. He was about to get up from his bar stool when he suddenly lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, sending the Klingons into hysterical laughter. Nog, too humiliated to even get back up, would have to wait for another time to confront them.

Nog gaining Martok's respect to Kira's amazement

Nog's moment finally came when several Klingons were loitering at his and Jake's old Promenade spot. He decided not to take it anymore and confronted the Klingons by asking them to move along. Martok, one of the Klingons present did not take the young Ferengi seriously and refused to budge. Nog, determined to get them moving, stated that they were breaking station regulation 82/7B and threatened to arrest them if they did not move. When Martok asked Nog if he was brave or stupid, Nog replied he was a little of both. An impressed Martok moved from the spot and stated that courage came in many sizes. It seemed that Nog had finally gained Martok's respect, as was evidenced in a subsequent encounter in Ops when Martok, upon seeing Nog, immediately acknowledged him as "Cadet", to which Nog replied "General." This prompted Kira to ask what that was all about. Nog simply told her that it was respect. ( DS9 : " Blaze of Glory ")

Two years later, Martok was visibly grateful that Nog brought back barrels of 2309 bloodwine , a better vintage than the ones his wife sent him. ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Miles O'Brien [ ]

O'Brien explaining the chances of Nog commanding the USS Defiant while a cadet

One of the most surprising relationships developed during his time on Deep Space 9 was the friendship that Nog formed with Chief O'Brien. O'Brien had once recommended to Commander Sisko that his son Jake stay away from Nog, considering him a bad influence. Though O'Brien had worked closely with Nog's father, Rom, he, like many others, was skeptical about Nog's dedication and ability when it came to Starfleet. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ", " Heart of Stone ")

Nog soon won the chief over with his work ethic and eagerness to please. O'Brien was one of the first to congratulate him when he received his field commission to ensign and noted that he would have to begin addressing Nog as "sir." ( DS9 : " The Ascent ", " Favor the Bold ", " Facets ")

Nog received further encouragement when O'Brien selected him to be part of the mission team to Empok Nor in 2373 . Nog and the chief were the only members of the team that survived to confront Elim Garak , who had been infected by a psychotropic drug . Garak captured and threatened Nog in an effort to lure O'Brien out into the open. Nog remained helpless as O'Brien succeeded in defeating Garak by rigging a phaser to explode, knocking the Cardassian unconscious. ( DS9 : " Empok Nor ")

Nog's wheeling and dealing helped him out when he offered Chief O'Brien his help in fixing the Defiant 's graviton stabilizer . The chief was in need of parts and Nog promised him that he could get them in exchange for a return favor. His maneuvering almost got him in serious trouble when he arranged for Captain Sisko's desk to be removed from his office as part of the exchange; however, true to Ferengi form, he recovered, and the desk was returned before Sisko noticed its absence. ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Benjamin Sisko [ ]

Though not as close to Benjamin Sisko as he was to Jake, Nog and the captain developed a solid relationship based in no small part on Sisko's support of Nog's application to Starfleet Academy. Though at first resistant to the idea of a Ferengi in Starfleet, Sisko came to realize the young Ferengi's dedication and the contributions he could make. He served as a role model to Nog and provided him with encouragement. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ", " The Ascent ", " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ")

The relationship worked both ways. In 2375 , Nog was asked by Captain Sisko to participate in a game of baseball , in order to fulfill a bet Sisko had made with Captain Solok of the USS T'Kumbra . A team comprising Nog, Worf, Kira, Ezri, Bashir, O'Brien, Quark, Leeta, and Nog's father, Rom, took on the Vulcan baseball team. By the end of the first training session, most of the team members were in need of medical attention. Nog himself performed better than might be expected despite his confusion over the rules of play and a lack of overall physical strength. ( DS9 : " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

In addition to asking Nog to play on his team, Sisko also began to learn that there were aspects of Ferengi culture that he could appreciate. He even went so far as to learn at least a few of the Rules of Acquisition , and even quoted the 190th Rule – "Hear all, trust nothing" – to Nog before the Second Battle of Deep Space 9 when rumors were rampant, including a rumor the Romulans signed a nonaggression pact with the Dominion. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ") He once used puree of tube grubs as a sauce for the home-cooked dinner of squid he made for Jake and Nog, saying it was only fair they try Ferengi food since Nog was having Human food. It was clear Sisko thought the combination went together quite well. ( DS9 : " Blaze of Glory ")

Sisko congratulated him on a job well done when Nog used his superior hearing to locate the Jem'Hadar on AR-558 and welcomed him back to Deep Space 9 after he returned from his rehabilitation on Starbase 235 . ( DS9 : " The Siege of AR-558 ", " It's Only a Paper Moon ")

In one of Sisko's last official acts as commanding officer before he left to join with the Prophets at the end of the Dominion War, he promoted Nog to lieutenant junior grade in recognition to how far he had come. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

In 2389 , in an alternate timeline , Starfleet Commander Nog visited his friend Jake in New Orleans on Earth . This visit was the result of an accident on board the USS Defiant in which an inversion of the wormhole caused Benjamin Sisko's temporal signature to change and dematerialized him. After admitting he was more popular with women after he stopped asking them to chew his food, Nog talked about his recent science mission to the Gamma Quadrant. He stated that the Klingons were leaving Deep Space 9 derelict. Both Jake and Nog laughed when he revealed that Morn was still on the station, running the bar. Jake spent most of his life trying to rescue his father from the anomaly, with one attempt using the USS Defiant . In 2422 , Nog, by then promoted to captain, headed the mission, which unfortunately ended in failure. An older Jake figured how to save his father from the anomaly. Consequentially, the alternate timeline, and Captain Nog, ceased to exist. ( DS9 : " The Visitor ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

With 45 appearances, Nog was the most frequent recurring character credited on Deep Space Nine .

" Emissary " (Season One)
" A Man Alone "
" The Nagus "
" The Storyteller "
" Progress "
" The Siege " (Season Two)
" Sanctuary "
" The Jem'Hadar "
" Life Support " (Season Three)
" Heart of Stone "
" The Visitor " (Season Four)
" Little Green Men "
" Homefront "
" Paradise Lost "
" The Ascent " (Season Five)
" The Darkness and the Light "
" For the Uniform "
" Soldiers of the Empire "
" Blaze of Glory "
" Empok Nor "
" In the Cards "
" Call to Arms "
" A Time to Stand " (Season Six)
" Rocks and Shoals "
" Behind the Lines "
" Favor the Bold "
" Sacrifice of Angels "
" You Are Cordially Invited "
" The Magnificent Ferengi "
" One Little Ship "
" Valiant "
" Profit and Lace "
" Tears of the Prophets "
" Image in the Sand " (Season Seven)
" Take Me Out to the Holosuite "
" Chrysalis "
" Treachery, Faith and the Great River "
" The Siege of AR-558 "
" It's Only a Paper Moon "
" Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang "
" 'Til Death Do Us Part "
" The Changing Face of Evil "
" The Dogs of War "
" What You Leave Behind "

Background information [ ]

Nog was played by Aron Eisenberg throughout all seven seasons of DS9 .

Following the actor's death in 2019 , some fans petitioned for the series Star Trek: Picard to include a Captain Nog statue. [1] Alex Kurtzman commented that he was aware of the petition and would look for an opportunity to honor Eisenberg. [2] The USS Nog , featured in " Die Trying ", was said by Kurtzman to be named for the character, and called an Eisenberg -class vessel in tribute of Aron. [3]

Characterization [ ]

Aron Eisenberg had said of Nog, " The thing that I thought they did so well with Nog was that they didn't make him perfect. He joined Starfleet with the determination and the tenacity to succeed, but he didn't always make the right decision, but he always kept trying again. And I always felt that Nog was one of the most Human characters on that show ." (Hidden File 08, DS9 Season 7 DVD special features)

" Heart of Stone " is an important episode for Nog; he first approaches Sisko with the intent of applying to Starfleet Academy. Robert Hewitt Wolfe commented " It just struck me one day that out of Wesley , Jake and Nog, the one who will really become Starfleet and stand on a bridge to say 'engage' twenty years from now would be Nog. There was a nice irony, and something cool to do with that character, especially after Jake said he did not want to enter Starfleet ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 91) Ronald D. Moore added; " I think that was an interesting direction. Somehow, Captain Nog sounds cool ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages p 91)

Ronald D. Moore stated that, as of DS9 Season 6, Nog was "probably" a Federation citizen. ( AOL chat , 1997 )

While it is sometimes believed that Geordi La Forge has held more ranks on screen than any other Star Trek character, Nog certainly is a competitor. Nog is first seen in his cadet 's uniform in " Facets " (albeit before formally entering the Academy ) and retains this rank until he is promoted to ensign in " Favor the Bold ". In the series' finale, " What You Leave Behind ", he is promoted to lieutenant junior grade . However, while serving on the USS Valiant in the episode of the same name , Nog was assigned the duties of chief engineer with the rank of lieutenant commander by acting captain Tim Watters . Furthermore, in the alternate timeline of " The Visitor ", Nog was seen first as commander and then later on as captain . In all, there are six ranks: cadet , ensign , lieutenant junior grade , lieutenant commander , commander , and captain , thus equaling La Forge 's number.

What makes this classification somewhat dubious is a costuming error in " Valiant ". Although it is very clear in the dialogue that Captain Watters gives Nog the rank of lieutenant commander, Nog still carries the insignia of a lieutenant junior grade (one gold and one black pip) for most of the episode. This is very well seen when Nog introduces his new rank to Jake Sisko . However, in a scene preceding this one, where Nog reconfigures the warp core in main engineering it is unclear whether he wears his correct rank at the time (two gold and one black pip, rather than a single gold and one black) or not. It thus seems that the outcome of the contest between Nog and La Forge depends on whether the costuming error was committed already in this scene or only in the subsequent ones.

Documentary [ ]

In the season eight sequences in What We Left Behind , Nog has been promoted to captain and commands the Defiant .

Apocrypha [ ]

Nog is a main character in the Deep Space Nine novel relaunch , serving, for a short time as security chief and later chief engineer of the USS Defiant .

He was also featured in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , a comic book series published by Marvel Comics , which followed his early days at the academy as part of Omega Squad.

In the 1990s, several Star Trek: Deep Space Nine young adult novels featured several adventures of Nog and Jake.

Nog has an appearance as a main character in the TNG novel Indistinguishable from Magic in the role of chief of security with a rank of lieutenant commander aboard the USS Challenger in 2383 under the command of first Captain Montgomery Scott and then Geordi La Forge.

In Raise the Dawn , Nog is assigned to the Bajor sector and helps O'Brien design the new Deep Space 9 station and is assigned to the now operational station by the time of Revelation and Dust . Nog is temporarily reassigned to Starfleet Intelligence black ops team Active Four in the Star Trek: The Fall novel The Poisoned Chalice , where he assists Tuvok and Thomas Riker in investigating the recent assassination of the Federation President , although they soon learn that their team was actually set up to be killed as part of a plan to frame the Typhon Pact – a new organization composed of various Federation adversaries such as the Romulans and the Breen – for the assassination while eliminating the true perpetrators of the Cardassian organization the True Way .

Nog also appears in the Star Trek: Enterprise novel The Good That Men Do , where he and Jake investigate the "death" of Charles Tucker III and the actual founding of the Federation. It also mentions that his biosynthetic leg was removed in favor of a new leg grown from his own tissue and he had been married four times, five if you count the wife he married twice.

In the Millennium series, the DS9 crew meet an alternate future version of Nog from a reality where DS9 was destroyed in the opening of a second wormhole. Having transferred to the USS Enterprise -E after the loss of his friends and family, Nog becomes a protégé of Captain Jean-Luc Picard , joining the captain in his quest to save the universe and retaining a great deal of respect for him, despite Picard being crippled by Irumodic Syndrome . At the conclusion of the series, this version of Nog, along with the future Picard and the Vash of the present, travels back in time twenty-five thousand years, where the three become some of the most prominent seers in Bajoran history (Although Nog apparently always wore a hooded cloak to prevent anyone knowing he wasn't Bajoran).

In the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Dawn of the Eagles , Nog moves to Terok Nor with Rom and begins working at Quark's in 2363 after Rom is swindled by Prinadora's father Dav.

Computer games [ ]

In the Star Trek Online timeline, Nog becomes chief engineer of the USS Enterprise -E in 2397 when Geordi La Forge assumes command of the USS Challenger . In that same timeline, his enrollment in Starfleet Academy serves to inspire the application of a growing number of Ferengi to Starfleet; by 2410, the period of the Iconian War, he has risen to the rank of captain.

Nog appears in-game for the feature episode "Time in a Bottle", voiced again by Aron Eisenberg. Haunted by his experiences in the Dominion War, Nog primarily worked on exploration ships, as well as two stints on DS9 and a period at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars, before assuming command of the experimental USS Chimera . Nog and the player character track down a Krenim artifact found by a disreputable Ferengi trader in the Delta Quadrant and investigate the reasons why the Krenim were targeted for extermination by the Vaadwaur . He helps construct the Krenim weapon ship to fight the Iconians, including the final battle on Earth. In the "Victory is Life" expansion, Nog greets the player character when they arrive on DS9 for Odo's conference to discuss the Hur'q threat, and later – in a "sequel" of sorts to " The Magnificent Ferengi " – joins his uncle in infiltrating an Iconian dreadnought to recover the Sword of Kahless , using his knowledge from the Iconian War to navigate through the ship.

External links [ ]

Nog at Wikipedia
Nog at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Nog at the Star Trek Online Wiki
1 Daniels (Crewman)
3 Calypso (episode)

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COMMENTS

Starfleet ranks
Officers with this rank could serve as the executive officer of smaller vessels. (TNG: "Redemption II", VOY: "Caretaker", Star Trek) In some cases, a lieutenant commander could also serve as the commanding officer of a smaller vessel, such as Worf or Jadzia Dax of the USS Defiant. (Star Trek: First Contact, DS9: "Behind the Lines ") Lieutenant
DS9 Ranks
Deep Space Nine Episode Ranks. Way before it became a 21st century television staple, Deep Space Nine embraced long-form storytelling arcs early (Season 2's "Circle Trilogy") and often (the Klingon conflict, the Dominion War). DS9 was a game-changing series with deep, layered characters found not only in the regular cast (Sisko, Kira, Dax ...
Cardassian ranks
The Cardassian ranking system was a hierarchical collective command structure, utilized by the Cardassian military, based on at least three known officer ranks. In addition to their rank, the nature of their duties also defined their military hierarchy, in as far as an officer holding the title of "prefect", or one who served as the commanding officer of an Order. (DS9: "Emissary", et al ...
Enlisted
All commissioned officer ranks, from ensign upward, outrank all enlisted officers in the chain of command.(DS9: "Facets", "Hippocratic Oath") Additionally, chief petty officers, such as Miles O'Brien, wielded influence far beyond their place in the rank structure due to their extensive experience and skill and act as mentors to junior enlisted and commissioned officers.
Every Starfleet Rank In Star Trek, Explained
Voyager (Seasons 4-6) Enrique Munoz. Deep Space Nine (Seasons 4-5) While officers attend Starfleet Academy, the rank-and-file personnel attend the 24th-century equivalent of boot camp. They become the anonymous crew working in the background, performing the countless tiny tasks required to keep a starship running.
Voyager and the Pips: Starfleet Ranks in the Delta Quadrant
Fictional centuries — and real-time decades — may separate all of the Star Trek incarnations, but there is a consistency in how Starfleet ranks are shown from the 22nd to the 24th centuries. Star Trek: Voyager's premiere in 1995 introduced new characters, new aliens, and new worlds, but still showed the familiar Starfleet rank insignia ...
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller.The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is centered ...
Starfleet Ranks
Starfleet Ranks. Prime Timeline. (The root of all realities) A rank was a position or grade in an organization of people. [1] Someone of equal rank was typically unable to give orders to another, unless their duties placed them in a position of greater authority. [2]
TrekRanks
Episode 184. Our long running series returns with the "Top 5 Scenes with a Beam.". It's the 16th edition of our "Scenes in Trek" and this time we are going broad, because a scene with a beam can be just about anything. A transporter beam, a phaser beam, a tractor beam, a deflector beam - the list just keeps on going!
star trek
In all other Star Trek series the chief engineer is a Lieutenant or higher. Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott; Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge; Lieutenant junior grade B'Elanna Torres; Commander Charles Tucker; And yet in DS9, a huge installation, the most senior engineer is a Senior Chief Petty Officer, seemingly outranked by everyone, even Nog once he stops being a cadet and ...
Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Ranks and insignia of Starfleet
THE NOMINATION FOR THIS ARTICLE WAS WITHDRAWN 20 MAY 05. This is a self nomination for the ranks and insignia page of Starfleet. This article is comprehensive of every rank mentioned in the Star Trek series and provides color tables and charts with additional information. Photos are also provided and the entire article is referenced with source ...
Every Star Trek: DS9 Season Ranked Worst To Best
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2 largely follows the structure of season 1, with gradually improving character work and hints of major events yet to come. DS9 season 2 finds Commander Sisko settling into his role in command of the eponymous space station while also juggling growing unease within Bajoran ranks, as well as the ongoing threat of the looming Cardassians.
Why 'Deep Space Nine' is the Best 'Star Trek' Series
The best argument that Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series is its consistent quality. And I don't mean to say it maintains the same quality from seasons one to seven. ... Benjamin Sisko was the first not start off the series with that rank. Rather, he held the rank of commander for the show's first three seasons. This is part of his ...
Star Trek Glossary: Every Starfleet Rank And Job Explained
"Star Trek" is, first and foremost, a workplace drama. It just so happens that the workplace is a high-tech, faster-than-light space vessel exploring distant regions of the galaxy. Working on a ...
Breen
The Breen rank structure included the title thot, which was implied to be greater than that of a Cardassian legate. (DS9: ... At the start of a nine-episode arc that was designed to bring an end to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Breen were brought into the Dominion War by the show's writers.
Star Trek uniforms
Star Trek uniforms are costumes worn by actors portraying personnel of a fictitious Starfleet in various television series and films in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. During the various series, the costume design has often changed to represent different time periods and for reasons of appearance and comfort. Sometimes different styles were deliberately mixed to enhance the sense of ...
Ranking Every STAR TREK Uniform, From The Original Series to ...
1. Wrath of Khan through Generations (1982-1994) Costume designer Robert Fletcher designed some of the worst Starfleet uniforms ever for 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Luckily, he got a ...
What Is A Chief Petty Officer? Miles O'Brien's Rank In Star Trek Explained
As confirmed in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 2, "Family", Miles O'Brien is a Chief Petty Officer.Like Starfleet's other ranks, the Chief Petty Officer has its origins in the ...
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
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Miles O'Brien
Senior Chief Petty Officer Miles Edward O'Brien was a 24th century Human Starfleet non-commissioned officer who, following his service during the Federation-Cardassian War, served as transporter chief on board the USS Enterprise-D for several years before being promoted to chief of operations aboard starbase Deep Space 9. After the Dominion War he accepted a professorship at Starfleet Academy ...
Star Trek: Discovery Season Finale, Epilogue Explained
Kovich's office is littered with relics from "Star Trek" history, like a bottle of Chateau Picard, the baseball from the desk of Capt. Benjamin Sisko of "Deep Space Nine," and one item ...
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks.He was the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), which was originally broadcast between 1993 and 1999.The character has also appeared in various books, comics, and video games within the Star Trek franchise.
'Star Trek Discovery' Series Finale Ending Explained
Among them is the baseball that Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) held in his office in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the VISOR used by Star Trek: The Next Generation engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar ...
Worf
Worf assisting Admiral Mark Jameson in 2364. Worf was permitted a variation from the Starfleet uniform dress code, and wore a Klingon warrior's sash, sometimes called a baldric by Humans, over his regular duty uniform. (Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Insurrection) Worf's quarters were on Deck 7, in Section 25 Baker until 2370, when he moved to Deck 2 ...
This 'Star Trek Discovery' Character Is a Deep-Cut 'DS9' Reference
Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season will premiere April 4, 2024 on Paramount+, wehere past seasons are also streaming. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the trailer ...
Nog
Nog was a Ferengi male who lived during the latter half of the 24th century. A resident of Terok Nor during the Occupation of Bajor, and a former waiter at Quark's, Nog became the first Ferengi to enter Starfleet, and served with distinction aboard Deep Space 9 and the USS Defiant during many of the most important battles of the Dominion War. Nog was born in 2353 as the only son of Rom and ...

Star Trek Ranks, Explained

9 Cadets Are Officers in Training at Starfleet Academy

8 Enlisted Personnel/NCO Are Starfleet's Worker Bees

7 Ensigns Hold The Lowest Rank

6 Lieutenant, Junior Grade Have More Responsibility Than Ensigns

5 Lieutenants Lead the Away Teams and More

4 Lieutenant Commanders Head up Departments

3 Commanders Aid and Can Take Over the Captain's Dutires

2 Captains Command Starfleet's Various Starships

1 Admirals Possess The Greatest Rank and Come to Represent Starfleet Itself

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Chief Petty Officer

Notable Chief Petty Officers

Notable Cadets

Notable Ensigns

Lieutenant, junior grade

Notable Lieutenants, j.g.

Notable Lieutenants

Lieutenant Commander

Notable Lieutenant Commanders

Notable Commanders

Notable Captains

Fleet Captain

Notable Fleet Captains

Notable Commodores

Notable Admirals

Notes and References

Star Trek Ranks & Podcast

Episode 184

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My Day on Star Trek

Firing the Phasers

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Ranking Every Major Character Worst To Best

27. Vedek Bareil

Screen Rant

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide

Ronald D Moore’s Battlestar Galactica Borrowed A Story Idea From DS9

Battlestar Galactica’s Other Links To DS9 Explained

Battlestar Galactica

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Inside the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Series Finale: The Last-Minute Coda, the Surprise Easter Eggs, and What Season 6 Would Have Been About (EXCLUSIVE)

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The Big Picture

Star Trek: Discovery

Captain Burnham Makes a Decision Regarding the Progenitors’ Tech

A Wedding and No Funerals for ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s Series Finale

A ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Character Has Secret Ties to Another ‘Star Trek’ Show

Here's What 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 6 Was Going To Be About

The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finale Pays Off a Plot Thread From ‘Short Treks’

This 'Star Trek Discovery' Character Is a Deep-Cut 'DS9' Reference

Who Are the Kellerun?

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Benjamin Sisko [ ]