As I mentioned last week, my wife and I recently watched through every single episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Not only am I convinced that it is the best series in the franchise, but it has some of the greatest characters.
One of the great things about the series is that the recurring characters can have incredibly compelling arcs. In fact, some of these characters have more depth and development than main characters in some shows.
Below are the Top 10 recurring characters on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was difficult to get this down to 10, but here they are:
SPOILERS BELOW
10. Kassidy Yates
Ben Sisko's first wife is really only known in flashback and attribution, so she is presented in an idealized form. Kassidy is flawed and feisty, and every bit a match in personality and boldness to Sisko. She stands her ground against him even when it puts them at odds and she challenges him to see things in a new way. You can see why Ben would defy the Prophets to commit his life to her.
9. The Grand Nagus
This character has no depth at all, but that is one of the thing that makes it work so well. I enjoyed every episode with the Nagus because he was so utterly ridiculous and he forced the other Ferengi to behave in a silly and craven manner, which was richly mined for laughs. And it was fascinating to watch his mental faculties deteriorate while all those around him vie for his influence and power.
8. Damar
this character has one of the most fascinating arcs on the show. When we first meet him, Damar seems content to be the right-hand-man to his commanding officer. But as he watches Dukat slip in his judgment, Damar is forced to action, even murder. Then we see how he descends into drunkenness as he becomes a puppet of the Dominion. And then when he hits rock bottom and filled with utters self-disgust, he turns his life around and becomes a hero despite himself. He even goes all the way to become a martyr for the Cardassian people. It is a fascinating end that I could not have predicted.
7. Vic Fontaine
One of the great things about this character is that we feel about him what the main characters feel: he is a fictional character, but we love him. You want him to be your friend and you feel cooler by being in his orbit. I would get excited if I saw that it was an episode with Vic. He becomes a great character for character growth like Odo, Nog, and Sisko. But we got to see him grow and mature as well. And easily one of the most enjoyable episodes of the series is the one where the crew have to save Vic's casino. You understand why they do it, because even though he is fictional, you care about him.
6. Rom
As with the Nagus, Rom is played very broadly. But as the series went on, we are allowed to see his depths. His genius starts coming forth and he begins to stand up to his overbearing brother. Despite his goofy nature, he is incredibly endearing. That is because as big as his brains are, his heart is even bigger. Because of this, you can understand why Leeta fell in love with him and why The Grand Nagus chose him as successor.
5. Gul Dukot
What makes Dukat so fascinating is that he is the hero of his own story. In his mind, he was a moderating force during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. He feels like he went out of his way to be merciful to the Bajorians, which is why he feels hurt when he is confronted with their hate. He then moves slowly to redemption and enlightenment with the help of his daughter, but then his ambition takes over and he falls so completely that he essential becomes the Anti-Christ of the series.
4. Michael Eddington
It was actually a great shock when we find out that Eddington was a traitor to Starfleet. He seemed so straight-laced that his rigidness was an obstacle to the main characters. But when the mask drops, Eddington becomes such a formidable adversary because he understands how Sisko thinks. But what I credit the writers for doing here is that they never write Eddington as a villain. They let him have his legitimate say against the inaction of Starfleet so that you could almost see him as the hero and Sisko as the villain.
3. General Martok
More-so than most Klingon characters, Martok is given a great deal of depth. We can see him go from weary veteran to abused prisoner to gun-shy captain, to leader of the Klingon Empire. He embodies all that is best in the Klingon race, but he carries with it the pride and rage that comes along with that tradition. He was fascinating because you never quiet knew how he was going to react to a new situation, but you also knew he was going to behave in a way consistent with his character.
2. Nog
The evolution of this character was one of my favorites of the series. Nog starts off as a foil to the straight-laced but naive Jake. But as the series progresses, he finds himself longing for more than his station and becomes the first Ferengi in Starfleet. He is determined to be the opposite of who he was before. But then they do something horribly interesting. Because Nog becomes a Starfleet member during a time of war. And in the final season, he has to see the horrors of front-line combat and goes through some interesting PTSD-related trauma. He is forged in the fires of that war and becomes a stronger, more compelling person because of it.
1. Garek
I don't think that this is a shock to anyone who watches the show. Garek is one of the most interesting characters in all of Star Trek. Like Dr. Bashir, we are drawn in and fascinated by him. The more he denies his spy background, the more intrigued we are. He is fascinating for so many reasons. One of which is that we can never really know the truth about him because even Garek doesn't know. Being a spy means hiding your true self so that he becomes a stranger, even to you. And his craftiness is beyond that of those around him. This is exemplified in "The Pale Moonlight" where he thinks 10 steps ahead of anyone. But he is not an omniscient superman. He is burdened by his failures and his fears (like his claustrophobia). And yet there is still enough of a moral spark in him that we root for his redemption.
Thoughts?
No comments:
Post a Comment