Slog
News & ArtsMonday, December 17, 2012
TV / Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz / Nerd Who Is the Best Character on Deep Space Nine?
Posted by Mary Traverse on Mon, Dec 17, 2012 at 6:08 PM
Let's all take a moment to engage in a friendly, non-horrifying, non-tear-inducing debate and binding Slog poll.
My favorite DS9 character is Quark, followed by Odo, with Garak and Kira as solid runners-up. The poll lists only what Wikipedia considers the main cast—you'll have to write in supporting cast. Show your work.
97
WOW, this was hard. Particularly since so many of the best moments came from pairs, as noted above. All great actors, all with great storylines. Kira and Garak tied for me, I think. But you can hardly go wrong with any of them.
96
I think the poll should be re-done in two parts - one poll for the primary characters, and another poll for the secondary characters. DS9 had such an array of interesting characters, it's hard to pick only one. The actors of primary characters are listed in the show's opening credits. Guest stars and special guest stars are all secondary characters.
94
My people! My people are here on this thread! I love you all, was drawing a blank on some of the characters because it's been so long since I've watched this series but holy crap, you have to love Garak, best supporting tailor EVER.
93
@92 It's not a fan theory. The actor has confirmed that he was instructed by a producer to play up that aspect of Garak in the first season. It was later abandoned, but it's actually there.
90
89 comments and no one's mentioned Garak's secret love for Bashir? Come on, people! Giving him a beard was probably the single worst misstep in the entire series.
89
@84,
I have to admit finding a number of Cardassians, even including Gul Dukat, sexy. I know; I have issues.
I have to admit finding a number of Cardassians, even including Gul Dukat, sexy. I know; I have issues.
87
I couldn't really make a definite decision. So I went with Quark. Great name by the way. A particle, a cheese, and a Ferengi.
86
Long live the Nagus!
Oh and I always thought that founder lady did a good job at being just the right amount of creepy. Every time she showed up I felt uncomfortable.
Oh and I always thought that founder lady did a good job at being just the right amount of creepy. Every time she showed up I felt uncomfortable.
85
Interesting how evenly distributed the votes are. The correct answer is Kira, but I don't object to any of the others.
PS If you liked DS9 but didn't see the Battlestar Galactica reboot, pick up the discs cheap or add it to your queue. DS9 was basically a first draft for BSG.
PS If you liked DS9 but didn't see the Battlestar Galactica reboot, pick up the discs cheap or add it to your queue. DS9 was basically a first draft for BSG.
84
Dukat!! Fascinating villain. I always felt Kira's battle between her disgust and intrigue with him - and his audacity, always trying to get with her - "hey baby, i killed all your friends and fucked your mom... kanar?" And that episode where he was a cult leader!?!?
80
I can't believe you left off: TNG, because TNG is infinitely better than DS9, which is nothing but an incredibly lame and incredibly blatant rip-off of Babylon 5, a far superior show. Also, @42. Ro Laren.
77
Dude. I'm watching DS9 for the first time, right now. Way to spoiler. WTF.
(also how on earth did you leave Nog and Garak off that list? ESPECIALLY Garak!)
(also how on earth did you leave Nog and Garak off that list? ESPECIALLY Garak!)
73
Anyone who thinks Odo was a good exploration of humanity through the eyes of the Other should go back and watch TNG again, because everything Odo tried to do, Data already did better.
69
Another vote in the Garak pile. The super secret Obsidian Order spy sent into forced retirement on a backwater space station as a tailor?!? Combine that with the fact that his idea of fun idle times is trolling Worf, the embodiement of testosterone, with blatant lies and you have a clear winner.
65
Team Cardassian here. Also: MORN.
(Kai Wynn was so well acted though; I wanted to punch her through the screen)
(Kai Wynn was so well acted though; I wanted to punch her through the screen)
61
How can Jadzia be losing to Odo!?
"'In the Pale of Moonlight' is the best Star Trek episode, hands down."
"Far Beyond the Stars" is better.
Both are great though. I'd put Sisko a close second after Jadzia on the strength of those two episodes alone.
"'In the Pale of Moonlight' is the best Star Trek episode, hands down."
"Far Beyond the Stars" is better.
Both are great though. I'd put Sisko a close second after Jadzia on the strength of those two episodes alone.
59
I loved Garak with his mysterious past and ability to just sell any story as absolute fact, even when the facts turned on him so he had to create a new, completely opposite, credible story.
I loved Jadzia because I wanted to be and marry her. I may have started martial arts because of her.
Odo fascinated me because who doesn't want the ability to become anything at all in the universe. I love new experiences!
But I had to go with Sisko. He is the personification of 'Trek' in this series and Brooks was able to embody a captain that held Starfleet ideals without it making him incompetent in the face of war and other complicated scenarios.
'In the Pale of Moonlight' is the best Star Trek episode, hands down.
I loved Jadzia because I wanted to be and marry her. I may have started martial arts because of her.
Odo fascinated me because who doesn't want the ability to become anything at all in the universe. I love new experiences!
But I had to go with Sisko. He is the personification of 'Trek' in this series and Brooks was able to embody a captain that held Starfleet ideals without it making him incompetent in the face of war and other complicated scenarios.
'In the Pale of Moonlight' is the best Star Trek episode, hands down.
58
Oh, I'm so torn. Bashir is the hottest, no doubt - though teenage me had something of a crush on Jake Sisko. Part of me wanted to vote for Worf, as I always identified with him. (Growing up gay among evangelicals can't be that different from growing up Klingon among humans, can it?) But he was better on TNG.
So I went for Jadzia, the queerest character ever on Trek, and the lucky guy who married Worf. (You know it was Curzon he fell in love with, come on!)
So I went for Jadzia, the queerest character ever on Trek, and the lucky guy who married Worf. (You know it was Curzon he fell in love with, come on!)
57
Garak, of course. Of those on the poll, Quark.
I would say Odo, but I never quite got over the rest of the shapeshifters looking like him in their default form, which undercut the "Odo is a shapeshifter, but not a very good one" characterization.
I would say Odo, but I never quite got over the rest of the shapeshifters looking like him in their default form, which undercut the "Odo is a shapeshifter, but not a very good one" characterization.
56
Garak! Main cast only?! This poll is invalid. There are clearly at least 4 characters that belong on it that people are likely to pick as their fav.
55
I actually voted for Bashir just to give him credit for managing to be snobby, misogynistic, kind of a tool, and yet not completely unlikable. He was a great foil for a lot of the other characters.
53
For an idea how awesome Quark was, watch the episode of TNG that premiered the Ferengi. Armin Schimerman took what was one of the most grotesquely racist concepts (is there a Jewish version of blackface?) and made it a charming antihero of a character.
51
there were a lot of great characters on that show, but I voted for Jadzia. not just because she was hot, not just because she was the smartest, not because Trills were a super interesting, but because after Terry Farrell starred in Hellraiser 3, I was sure she would never work again. color me surprised that she went onto DS9.
46
Where the hell are all you Trek nerds when I'm trying to make friends? Every time I bring up any trek IRL all I get are blank stares.
What about Kai Winn?
Garak was my favorite though.
What about Kai Winn?
Garak was my favorite though.
44
Garak! Poll-wise, Odo got my vote, because of his character development and, well, The Little Mermaid.
42
Ensign Ro Laren, in the alternate universe in which Michelle Forbes said 'Yes,' and we had an engaging lead Bajoran character played by a better-than-competent actress.
In this universe, Leetah, the 'dabo girl' who probably will end up ruling the Ferengi.
In this universe, Leetah, the 'dabo girl' who probably will end up ruling the Ferengi.
37
i mean i guess they tried to make it like Bashir was the smartest when really Jadzia was smartest the whole time.
35
I gotta say, in a series with some of the best characters in the cannon, I think Garak was the best of the bunch.
31
This is the hardest Slog Poll ever! Jadzia and Kira were both so awesome. I don't really remember the ending of the series tho so my interest must have fizzled.
29
Most definitely Garek, then Jadzia. Younger me would have voted for Bashir. I had a bit of a crush.
28
DS9 was my fav of the ST series. Loved the entire cast, but the episodes with Garak were so interesting. Thank you for the fun diversion at a sad time.
24
While not my favorite, Kai Winn was so fun to hate.
@10, hottest surely goes to alternative dimension evil dominatrix Kira. The source of many a teenage fantasy.
Because, yes, I am a huge nerd.
@10, hottest surely goes to alternative dimension evil dominatrix Kira. The source of many a teenage fantasy.
Because, yes, I am a huge nerd.
23
Garak is the coolest character. But Odo is the best character, because of the way he let the show explore issues of personal identity, individuality, order vs. justice, personal commitments vs. abstract justice, invisible oppression, internalized oppression -- and, most interesting and innovative of all, the ways they used him to explore the nature and ethics of godhood, and the relation of religion to a naturalistic worldview.
That last bit -- religion's relationship to naturalism -- is something they pressed hard on that show, as they also explored it via the matter of the wormhole aliens aka prophets of Bajor, and also through Sisko's status as Emissary. But Odo's arc in this area was the most fun and interesting, in my opinion.
That last bit -- religion's relationship to naturalism -- is something they pressed hard on that show, as they also explored it via the matter of the wormhole aliens aka prophets of Bajor, and also through Sisko's status as Emissary. But Odo's arc in this area was the most fun and interesting, in my opinion.
22
Finally some DS9 love! The most under rated Star Trek of them all . Almost as good as next gen and beats the last two hands down!
21
I always loved Mile O'Brien. Deliciously ethnic and bi-racially married in a "post-ethnic" world, plus he's a blue collar guy...IN SPACE...and never asked for anything but a little love, appreciation, and an occasional break from Japanese food. In a cast that reeked of gimmicks, he and Sisko were always just out there, two guys, getting shit fucking done!!!
19
Odo is a fascist, Ferengi are boring, Worf is all talk, Sisko will forever be compared to Kirk and Picard (and lose), O'Brien is an Irish stereotype. But Bajoran women are hawt in their bitchiness. Kira all the way.
18
For the lesser knowns: Martok.
J.G. Hertzler is just camping it up and eating the scenery every time he's on screen, and it's awesome.
J.G. Hertzler is just camping it up and eating the scenery every time he's on screen, and it's awesome.
16
This is exactly what I needed in this moment, for the exact reasons you stated above. So thank you. Also, I voted Jadzia, but YES! Morn is one of the best Star Trek characters ever.
12
Although, really, it's hard to pick a single character, because the strength of DS9 was in the chemistry between characters. Quark/Odo; O'Brien/Bashir; Worf/Dax. To name a few.
Also, any episode with Weyoun was a great episode: such an oily, ingratiating, despicable villain.
Also, any episode with Weyoun was a great episode: such an oily, ingratiating, despicable villain.
5
And even Wikipedia inlcudes Jake Sisko as part of the main cast. I declare this poll void. Post again with corrections.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
Portland Voters Are Stoopid by Goldy
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
Rightwing Anti-Gay French Activist Commits Suicide at Notre Dame Cathedral by Dan Savage
-
Why They Break Windows by Unpaid Intern
-
Spoiled Rotten: Star Trek Into Darkness by Paul Constant
-
Tornado Truthers by Dan Savage
-
There Are No Atheists In Foxholes by Dan Savage
-
Usually When I'm Sent a Photoshopped Image of a Gun Pointed At Me... by Dan Savage
-
Listen Up, Gays: They're Coming to Recruit You by Cienna Madrid
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (97) RSS