History Characters / DeepSpaceNineStarfleet

* [[spoiler:AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence]]: At the end of the series [[spoiler:Sisko is ascended into the celestial temple]] for an unspecified amount of time. Emphasis on "unspecified": the Prophets are non-linear beings outside time.

* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice: He tackles Dukat off of a cliff into the aptly-named Fire Caves, although the Prophets grab him.]]

* [[spoiler:{{Retirony}}]]: Sisko plans to build a house on Bajor once the war is settled with. [[spoiler: He survives, but on another plane with no way of knowing when exactly he'll be back.]]

* [[spoiler: YouWillBeBeethoven: Takes on the identity of Gabriel Bell, an early 21st century civil rights crusader, after the real Bell is killed confronting an angry mob that was attacking Sisko and Bashir. Sisko subsequently does everything that Gabriel Bell was credited with, [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060323234932/memoryalpha/en/images/8/80/Gabriel_Bell_bio.jpg with his image taking Bell's place in the historical record.]]]]

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: While the Dax symbiont Passes on to Ezri, Jadzia is still quite dead.]]

* {{Adorkable}}: How much of the cast feels about him later in the series.

* ButtMonkey: There was an "O'Brien must suffer" episode at least once a season, because the writers thought Colm Meaney was good in those plots.

* MrFixit: Well into Season 6, it is ''still'' strongly implied that the only reason all the mixed Federation and Cardassian technology on board [=DS9=] runs anything close to smoothly is because he has been working on it non-stop from day one.

* TheLadette: Kinda like Rachael Maddow [[AC:in space.]]

* TheCutie

'''O'Brien''': This is no computer. [[WhatAPieceOfJunk This is my arch-enemy!]]
-->-- "The Forsaken"

* HappilyMarried: To Keiko.
* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Given his record of genius and heroism, you'd expect him to make Master Chief by the end of the series, but he stays an [=SCPO=] for the entire run (although it is possible that might be the top of the Starfleet NCO ranks, we haven't seen enough of them on screen to be sure). He does continually gain responsibilities and duties throughout the series, so there is a career progression of sorts going on.

* SeriousBusiness: He gets a little emotional over coaching baseball. Usually an understated performer, Brooks' capacity for [[ChewingTheScenery ham]] is on full display in "Take Me Out to the Holosuite."

[[folder:Major/Colonel Kira Nerys]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kira_ds9_8503.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Creator/NanaVisitor

->''"Major, you've been breaking one too many for fourteen and a half years! Cardassian rules, Bajoran rules, Federation rules -- they're all meaningless to you, because you have a [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight personal code]] that's always mattered more. And I'm sorry to say, you're in slim company."''
-->-- '''Odo''', "The Circle"

The most visible Bajoran and, at least initially, TheLancer, Major Kira of the Bajoran Militia was Sisko's second-in-command and the [[NumberOne first officer]] of Deep Space Nine. She resented Starfleet's presence, thinking of Bajor as having swapped one set of occupiers for another. Grew up as a Bajoran [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters freedom fighter]] and is thus skilled in guerrilla warfare, as well as capable enough to take on a Klingon in [[ActionGirl hand-to-hand combat]]. Begins her story arc angry and broken, but slowly [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosts]] over the course of the series. Kira is her family name and Nerys is her given name, said last as part of Bajoran naming custom (like Japanese names).

* ActionGirl: Good lord, she beats the stuffing out of a ''serial killer'' while the equivalent of ''[[PregnantBadass nine months pregnant]].''
* AntiHero: Type IV/V. She is one of the most ruthless protagonists in ''Trek'' canon.
* AssInAmbassador: Kira claims to be always diplomatic. [[GilliganCut Cut to her handling affairs...]] ("Visionary")
* BerserkButton: The Cardassian Occupation, unsurprisingly. Her bigotry toward Cardassians is lessened due to her relationships with them, particularly the kindhearted Tekeny Ghemor, though she's still a tireless, sci-fi equivalent of a Nazi hunter.
* BookEnds:
** Kira's stint as commander of [=DS9=] was short-lived; she grouchily hands the office over to Sisko upon his arrival. At the very end of the series, she's given control of the station again -- having grown wiser, less gung-ho, and more even-tempered. This is symbolized by Kira inheriting Sisko's baseball.
** At the start of the series, she just finished being an insurgent against the Cardassian Occupation. At the end [[spoiler:she is once again an insurgent ''helping'' the Cardassians fight the Dominion on their own soil]]. The situation is noted several times.
* BreakTheCutie: That's quite the achievement but Silarin Prin, from 'The Darkness and the Light' episode managed to do that, ''twice''. First, he [[spoiler: killed all the friends Kira made]] during her days at the Shakaar Resistance cell, except Shakaar himself. Second, he cracked her armor by trashing her actions and ideology, backing it with some good points. She managed to defend herself, but considering what she said to the rescue team after their fight, it's obvious Kira thought he was right to some extent, even talking in the same manner he did.
* BrokenBird: The horrors she has seen... well, it could break your heart.
* ColonelBadass: Promoted in the seventh season. (Nana Visitor joked that Kira should open a [[UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken fried chicken joint]] on the Promenade.)
** CommandingCoolness: At the end, when Admiral Ross gave her a Starfleet commission. This was done to allow Kira to wear Starfleet duds, which would arouse ''slightly'' less animosity amongst the Cardassian rebels she's supposed to train.
* CombatPragmatist: Fair tactics do not keep you alive in the Bajoran Resistance. Kira, therefore, doesn't use them.
* CustomUniformOfSexy: Later traded in her padded-shoulder uniform for a [[CombatStilettos high-heeled]] catsuit, in the grand ''Trek'' tradition. The other members of her militia are stuck wearing the garish red & pink number.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Cardassian Occupation. In other words, she is a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Holocaust survivor]].
* DefrostingIceQueen: At the start of the series Kira is always all business and is suspicious of Starfleet. She calms down after Sisko saves her life and proves that he's willing to defend the Bajorans.
** Largely moves away from this trope altogether as the series progresses. CharacterDevelopment comes into play as we learn that Kira, while always wearing "armor" to some degree, is more then capable of kindness, and genuine human(oid) emotion.
** It's also worth nothing she mellows out a lot towards Quark after he saves her skin in "Sacrifice of Angels". She goes from casually calling him a goblin and threatening him with physical violence to pulling a lot of strings inside the Federation bureaucracy to get him a high-profile prisoner for a trade. Keep in mind she's a Bajoran citizen and virtually have no power over such matters.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Initially. Demoted to Tritagonist after the arrival of Worf. Nana Visitor, to her credit, knew that her early prominence wouldn't last, and very much took it in stride. She still remains a critical character, although more of her adventures take place off-screen during the Dominion arc.
* EnemyMine: As the station's Number Two, she slowly learned to grin and bear it when negotiating with the likes of Romulans, Cardassians, et al. Her end-series arc saw Kira deployed to Cardassia-Prime to whip them into guerilla fighters like herself.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Punch that console like you mean it, girl!
** The first time we meet her, she's in the middle of a screaming match with the Bajoran provisional government, and when she sees Sisko the first words out of her mouth are a rather tart "I suppose you'll want the office." About the only thing we ''don't'' see in those first thirty seconds is her soft side - it takes us half a season to see ''that''.
* FanServicePack: After the season 4 opener, Kira received a tighter uniform with no shoulder pads, plus high heels. She is the only Bajoran militiaman (albeit a Major) to be seen wearing it.
* FantasticCasteSystem: According to the old Bajoran caste system, she was supposed to be an artist. The castes were abandoned during the occupation, but her parents were still apparently disappointed and embarrassed that she never showed any artistic talent. When she attempts to be artistic during ''Accession'' when Akorem Laan is temporarily the Emissary, she ends up sculpting one of the ''worst'' pieces of pottery that's ever existed; it doesn't look like '''anything'''. [[MyNewGiftIsLame She ends up giving it to Sisko]], drolly noting that it's "a Kira Nerys original."
* FantasticRacism: Against Cardassians, because she was on the other end of it from them during their brutal occupation of her planet. Growing past it is part of her character development, beginning with the episode "Duet" and culminating perhaps in "Ties of Blood and Water".
* FemmeFatale: "Necessary Evil" is Noir to the core. The episode has Constable Odo employing a gumshoe monologue to parody the Captain's Log, and flashbacks to a murder he investigated while working for the Cardassian occupiers. Interestingly enough, Major Kira turns out to be the ''real'' "Femme Fatale" murderess.
* FieryRedhead: She makes her temper very clear from the moment she's introduced.
* GeneralRipper: She's down a few pay grades, and more heroic (and principled) than most examples, but if you replace 'Enemy X' with 'the Cardassians', she fits perfectly. Getting out of this is, consequently, a major part of her CharacterDevelopment.
* HotBlooded: Kira is very passionate about what she believes in, although she is capable of following orders when the chips are down.
* HotSkittyOnWailordAction: Bajoran/Changeling. Odo's species being shapeshifters, it's implied that he brings certain special skills to the bedroom.
** He outright transforms into a cloud of sparkling gas at one point to give Kira an idea of what the Great Link is like. It's safe to say this is not the first (or last) time his shapeshifting skills have been used for kinky purposes.
* HughMann: Ironically for a guerrilla fighter trained in infiltration and espionage, Kira sticks out like a sore thumb in alien environments. Watching her attempting to blend into TheRoaringTwenties or [[TheSixties the Summer of Love]] is cringe-worthy.
-->'''Kira:''' ''(wearing a stupid band-aid over her nose)'' I...? uh...I broke my nose.
* IAintGotTimeToBleed: Kira gets knifed in the back and what does she do? ''Merely pulls the d'k tahg out of her back and judo chops the Klingon who stabbed her.'' When Bashir rushes over, she dismisses her injury as {{just a flesh wound}}. ("The Way of the Warrior")
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: As mentioned, she's a former Resistance fighter, and not of [[LaResistance the prettier variety]] either.
-->'''Kira''': ''None of you'' belonged on Bajor. It wasn't your world. For ''fifty years'', you ''raped'' our planet! You lived on our land and you took the food out of our mouths, and I don't care whether you held a phaser in your hand or you ''ironed shirts'' for a living; you were ''all'' guilty and you were '''''all legitimate targets!'''''
-->- "The Darkness and the Light"
* IronLady: She scares the piss out of most of the male characters. Yes, Garak too.
* KickedUpstairs: Sisko requested a Bajoran national to accompany him as a token of goodwill. The Bajoran Provisional Government seized the chance to get Kira out of their hair.
* LadyInRed: Kira was promoted to Colonel, but kept the crimson uniform. Earlier episodes had established that high-ranking officers (and some marines) wore grey, while the Ensigns and officers of lower rank wore red.
* TheLancer: At first.
* LastNameBasis: For the first few seasons, very rarely is she called by her given name, Nerys. Even into the later series, the only people who regularly call her this are Jadzia Dax, her closest friend, and Odo, her love interest. And even Odo only switches over once they actually get together.
* LoveEpiphany: Or as she calls it, a "moment of pure clarity." Good thing she doesn't waste time, because it took her the better part of a decade to figure it out.
* MajorlyAwesome: For most of the show's run.
* TheMcCoy: A darker version, as she is not afraid to PayEvilUntoEvil, a la her stint with the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Resistance]].
* MoeCouplet: With Odo.
* NumberTwo: Of Deep Space Nine and, initially, the ''Defiant'' despite not being a member of Starfleet; essentially shares the role with Worf from season 4 onward. Worf plays the eager pupil to Sisko's salty teacher, while Kira shares a somewhat more fraternal bond with him.
* NotSoDifferent: With Garak, interestingly, while as liaison to the Cardassian LaResistance. Most of the rebels were rather oafish soldiers and Garak and Kira were notable for having the most experience with [[CloakAndDagger sinister doings.]]
* OddFriendship: With O'Brien. With hints of awkward UnresolvedSexualTension in several later episodes.
** [[spoiler: Hint nothing, when she moves in with the O'Briens as the surrogate carrier of their child, the B-plot of an episode is dedicated to them realizing their mutual attraction and coming to terms with it.]]
* ObliviousToLove: Justified, as Odo admits that he'd been doing his best to conceal his feelings for her.
* ParentalSubstitute: Kira Nerys' father Taban was shot by the Cardassians, and died alone in the caves. After the events of "Second Skin", Kira gains a surrogate father-figure in the form of a seditious Cardassian, Ghemor, who opposes the policies of his world. Ghemor later comes down with a terminal illness; after learning of something he did during the Occupation, Kira storms off, only to be convinced to return as "he doesn't deserve to die alone." She returns and stays with him until he dies, and then buries him next to her father.
** The reason he came to Kira as he was dying says a lot about their relationship, and about him. He was following an old Cardasian death tradition: Giving all your hoarded secret knowledge about your enemies to someone you trust to use it in a way that will grant you posthumous revenge. Granted, Ghemor had no heirs, but to pass this knowledge down to a non-Cardassian (let alone a Bajoran) is almost unheard of.
* PatrioticFervor: Kira's loyalty to Bajor is absolute, even if her dismal feelings toward her own government are on display. When it looked like Kira might be called away due to a regime change, Sisko was struck dumb while Kira had to blink back tears. No matter how much she owed and respected this man, she could not turn away from her duty. ("Accession")
-->'''Kira''': ahem... If you don't hit it off with Major Jatarn, I can think of a few other people. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone to replace me.\\
'''Sisko:''' I don't doubt I can find someone to fill your post... but ''replace'' you?
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Less so now that she's gotten tangled up with Starfleet, but this is ''definitely'' part of her past.
* PowerHair: It varies somewhat. For most of the series she has it cut very short and brushed back, but in the pilot and final season, it's chin-length.
* TheQuisling: Unwittingly, after Dukat takes the station back. The first part of the revelation came one morning when a Cardassian solider brought her a mug of tea. The second was when a Vedek, who Kira asked to not protest the Domion control, committed a HeroicSuicide by hanging herself in public. Kira then realized just what she had become.
* RankUp: Originally a Major in Bajoran Militia, she is promoted to Colonel after Sisko takes an extended leave of absence. She is later sent to Cardassia to help Damar organize his rebellion in embryo and teach them the finer art of guerrilla warfare. Sisko grants her the rank of commander (complete with proper Starfleet swag) in order to help her gain the trust of those Cardassians who still harbor mistrust of her old uniform. She becomes the new station commander of [=DS9=] in the finale.
* ReligiousBruiser: Religious enough that the Prophets choose her as their physical vessel in the Reckoning.
** Doubtless Kira's fierce devotion to Ben Sisko was informed by his status as Emissary, as foretold in Bajoran scripture. If it comes to a coin-flip between Kai Winn and Cdr. Sisko, Kira will come down on Sisko's side ''every time''.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: Her backstory as a leader of the Bajoran Resistance.
* SecondLove: Odo is arguably this for her, after [[spoiler:Vedek Bareil]], who [[spoiler:was tragically killed]] early in the series.
* ShellShockedVeteran: The Occupation was not fun for her. Like many Bajorans, she had never tasted peacetime until just recently.
* ShowSomeLeg: This was Kira's primary role in the resistance movement: Sneaking into Cardassian settlements and pretending to be a [[WoundedGazelleGambit harmless girl]] or a comfort woman. Even an Occupation-era Odo fell for her act.
* SupportingLeader: Leads the ground assault on [[spoiler:Cardassia Prime. As irony would have it, her troops are composed of rebelling Cardassians, whom she trains using the same guerrilla tactics that overthrew Bajor's occupation]].
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Her part was originally written to be ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' RecurringCharacter Ro Laren, but Michelle Forbes didn't want to commit to a TV series. By a couple episodes in, however, Kira had become a character in her own right and developed her own personality and history. {{Showrunner}}s later remarked that Kira - who was emphatically ''not'' a member of Starfleet and didn't trust the Federation one whit - provided much more opportunity for drama and conflict.
* [[TenMinutesInTheCloset Ten Hours In The Closet]]: Used to resolve a months-long disagreement between Odo and Kira (specifically, his falling under the influence of the [[spoiler:[[BigBad Female Changeling]]]]) in "You are Cordially Invited" - so we never ''actually'' hear the discussion, we just find out that they've been up all night talking. Incidentally, Visitor and Auberjonois pitched a fit about this and insisted that any other arguments between the two be resolved ''on''screen.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type 1, normally ''tsuntsun'' but liable to go ''deredere'' in certain romantic situations, usually around Bariel or Odo.
* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend]]: With Odo.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: With O'Brien, during the time when she is the surrogate carrying Miles and Keiko's baby. Both Kira and O'Brien naturally freak out when they realise they're developing romantic feelings for the other, having gotten closer during this time.
* UptightLovesWild: She's the "wild" one, being considerably more fiery than the much more sedate Odo.
* WalkingTechbane: Bones had the transporter phobia. Pulaski the mistrust of androids. Kira's nemesis? ''Holodecks''. Not only does she consider it a frivolous waste of time, Kira seems to have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality; when Dax dragged her into a Camelot scenario, Kira ended up slugging Lancelot before he could kiss her.
* WhatMeasureIsAHumanoid: Kira's not ''human'', but close enough.
* WhatTheHellHero: More than a few people are uncomfortable about her terrorist past. She is unrepentant due to the IDidWhatIHadToDo nature of fighting the Cardassian Occupation. Nevertheless, it does cause her a not-insignificant amount of {{angst}}.
* WhenSheSmiles: How Odo feels about her.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Almost a decade's worth with Odo before TheyDo.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: In "The Darkness And The Light", Kira outright screams her defense of terrorism (at least when it comes to OccupiersOutOfOurCountry) to a Cardassian who's taking revenge on members of her former resistance/terrorist cell, who maimed him in a bombing.
* ZipMeUp: Odo. Interestingly, this is ''after'' they've gotten together - so he kisses her shoulder along the way.

[[folder:Odo]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/odo_ds9_2971.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Rene Auberjonois

->''"You are the thin, beige line between order and chaos."''
-->--'''Lwaxana Troi''', "The Forsaken"

A [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] (or "Changeling", a clever double-meaning) who serves as the ornery Chief of Station Security. His obsessive qualities make him something of a maverick; however he runs the station so smoothly that everyone, from Dukat's regime to the new management, winds up acceding to his territorial nature. Functions as TheSpock initially, later becoming TheJudge. Originally a bit angsty over not knowing his origins; eventually discovers that his own people are the leaders of the Dominion and thus the enemy, which doesn't help with the angst one bit. While not particularly strong on manners or civil liberties, when it comes to impartiality, Odo's your man.

* AbusiveParents: Odo views Dr. Mora this way for a long time thanks to the unpleasant methods Mora used in researching him, even after learning that Odo was an organism rather than vaguely organic goop. There's also the name Odo itself: from the Cardassian word for "nothing.[[note]]odo'ital, their term for "unknown sample"[[/note]]"
** Because of his painful infancy memories, Odo becomes very upset when Mora suggests he return to Mora's science facility for medical treatment in "The Alternate".
--> '''Odo:''' I am not going back to the center with you.\\
'''Mora:''' Why? We'll work through this together. We'll solve it together like we used to.\\
'''Odo:''' ''NO!!''
** Mora contends that he had Cardassians breathing down his neck for results and his methods motivated Odo to develop, and the two men eventually reconcile.
** Furthermore, the Founders themselves. Their method of exploration involves sending their ''infants'' out helpless to gauge how they'd be treated. Odo was probably lucky compared to others.
* AchillesHeel: He must revert to his [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm liquid form]] every sixteen hours to regenerate. If prevented from doing so, he experiences pain and physical deterioration. Garak takes advantage of this weakness when he tortures Odo using a device that prevents him from reverting to his liquid form.
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: In "Children of Time", his future self ''rewrote history'' to save Kira. Kira, however, wasn't pleased, and it created a rift between them that took months to heal.
** Possibly why he subverts it later, when he tells the senior staff ''not'' to purge a Prophet from her body, as she is quite willing to risk her life in their battle.
* AnOddPlaceToSleep: In a bucket. Beat ''that'', Worf.
** After [[spoiler: losing and then regaining his shapeshifting powers]], he tried to keep to sleeping in a bed (as he rather enjoyed it) but kept sliding off when he reverted to his gelatinous form.
* AndAnotherThing: A staple of his investigative/interview technique, in the great tradition of Series/{{Columbo}}.
* AppropriatedAppellation: "Constable", Kira's derogatory nickname which he adopted. They were later to become close friends.
** During the series, it's revealed that Odo's name is a shortened form of a Cardassian term, ''odo'ital'' ("nothing", a mistranslation of the Bajoran "unknown sample"), that the Cardassian overseers gave him during the Occupation.
* {{Badass}}: He's not much use in a phaser battle, since he doesn't like using them and, as "Crossover" so... messily revealed, he's quite vulnerable to them. But in a hand-to-hand fight, or with non-energy weapons, he's basically invincible.
* BadassArmfold: To emphasize his closed nature. He also enjoyed folding his arms right before an impending arrest.
* BadassBoast: "Doctor, if a Klingon ''were'' to kill me, I'd expect nothing less than [[WarriorPoet an entire opera]] on the subject."
* BigBrotherIsWatching: He is always watching or listening in on Quark's outbound calls. ''Always.'' ("The Wire") He also offhandedly admits to monitoring Worf's calls after he arrives on the station, his reasoning being that Worf's detective work might not be up to standard and would require the Constable to step in and "take over."
* BodyHorror: When an illness causes his physical appearance to deteriorate, such as the Section 31 virus and the infection inflicted on him by the Founders to force him back to the Great Link. Also when Garak tortures him using a device that prevents him from regenerating, he looks like a fresh rotting corpse.
* CowboyCop: With a dash of TheSheriff. He (usually) follows the rules to the letter, but isn't above letting the small fish go free in pursuit of a bigger offender. Contrast with Worf, who doesn't share Odo's discretion and bungles a few cases.
** Odo is actually rather contemptuous of vulgar 'law' since, in his experience, it's merely a vehicle to maintain the status quo. In "The Wire", he casually admits to intercepting all of Quark's long-distance calls, as well as the sheer illegality of it. But, if it's in "the interest of station security"... He also chaffes under Sisko's new Starfleet regulations and bylaws -- which he receives almost daily -- and constantly protests to be left alone.
--->''"At the request of Commander Sisko, I will hereafter be [[CaptainsLog recording a daily log]] of law enforcement affairs. The reason for this exercise is beyond my comprehension, except perhaps that Humans have a compulsion to keep records and lists and files. So many in fact, that they have to invent new ways to store them microscopically. Otherwise their records would overrun all known civilization. My own very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet, I am pleased to put my voice to this official record of this day: [[{{Anticlimax}} Everything's under control]]. End log."''
** It's played as a joke, but also an unsettling look into how his species thinks. In the Great Link, Changeling society is permissive and free of boundaries. And yet they are ruthless in enforcing structure on solids.
* CelibateHero: At first. In the first season, he admits that he has never "coupled" and fails to see the appeal of it. Subverted later in the series when Arissa takes his virginity, when the Female Changeling enchants him, and when he and Kira fall in love.
* CharacterTics: The short, businesslike nod he gives to acknowledge orders from his superiors. It's basically series shorthand for 'this is now guaranteed to happen'.
** He also features a condescending grunt (''...Huh'') that almost qualifies as a CatchPhrase. Usually aimed at Quark - in fact, it's the last thing he "says" to him.
* TheComicallySerious: He actually invokes it sometimes.
* ControlFreak: Odo gets pissed off when his furniture is moved by ''centimeters''.
* DatingCatwoman: A brief sexual relationship with the Female Changeling, under the guise of learning about solids and their personal habits. Really, she had hoped to brainwash him into letting go of Kira.
* DeadpanSnarker: When he's not being TheComicallySerious. Quark is his principal victim, naturally.
* [[{{DefrostingIceQueen}} Defrosting Ice King]]: Starts the series perplexed and often disdainful of humanoid habits, such as courtship rituals which involve "bad poetry and sacrificing plants." As the series progresses, he participates in humanoid activities and comes to appreciate his colleagues.
* DirtyBusiness: Years after the fact, he still feels guilty for having worked for the Cardassian occupiers. He admired Arissa for escaping from a dishonorable life whereas he did not.
* DoesNotLikeGuns: Prefers to use shapeshifting whenever possible, out of his reluctance to take a life. He outright refuses to use firearms on many occasions.
* EasilyForgiven: See FaceHeelTurn.
* EmotionalMaturityIsPhysicalMaturity: He has the appearance and psychological makeup of a middle-aged man. However, he was adrift in space as an infant Changeling for an unknown amount of time, meaning that he is likely chronologically older than he appears.
** Subverted in regards to how other Changelings see him. He's only been active for about 30 years, which is considered young and immature by Changeling standards.
*** Then again, compared to other Changelings, he's physically immature as well. He's the least talented shape-shifter among the handful encountered and still has to revert to his liquid form periodically (a weakness more experienced Changelings are implied to have overcome).
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Stomping around the Promenade like he owns the place, getting in Sisko's grill, and barking that he doesn't allow phasers in that area. This ''after'' discovering that Ben Sisko is new CO.
* EvilMentor: The Female Changeling.
* ExpressiveHair: Odo's hairstyle communicates his obsession with tidiness and order. Very rarely does Odo's hair fall past his face; when it does, it signals that he is figuratively and literally 'coming apart'.
* FaceHeelTurn: A short one in Season 6, when the [[ManipulativeBastard Female Shapeshifter]] links with him. It comes off rather as MoreThanMindControl, but it's a ''huge'' blow to Kira's resistance group and it nearly gets Rom executed.
* FantasticRacism: He's on the receiving end of this when he is a suspect in a Bajoran's murder. His office is vandalized and an angry mob threatens to kill him.
** His fellow Changelings are baffled that Odo is not overtly racist toward "solids." The Female Changeling tries to pull Odo from his life among humanoids several times, and the Changeling infiltrator invites Odo to leave them. Even Laas is profoundly distrustful of humanoids.
** FantasticSlur: Odo bristles whenever someone calls him a shapeshifter. While the term is accurate, it carries negative connotations among the more hostile "solids" (on Bajor and elsewhere).
* FilmNoir: Repeatedly notes that he's a BIG fan of the PrivateDetective genre--especially the cases of MikeHammer, but he's also quite fond of the works of RaymondChandler and DashiellHammett. "Necessary Evil" (the episode where the character quote comes from) has a big-time Noir "vibe", down to Odo giving a PrivateEyeMonologue; and "A Simple Investigation" is also pretty pulp-ish, though less dark. Unsuprisingly, both are Odo-centric episodes.
* [[spoiler: FinalSolution: Averted. He prevents a Changeling genocide when he agrees to return to the Great Link and cure the other changelings of a devastating disease engineered by Section 31.]]
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: He spends much of his time in humanoid form in order to interact smoothly with solids. And with good reason; in "Chimera", Quark observes that Odo's liquid form triggers primal fears in humanoids, thanks to evolution.
* GutturalGrowler: Harumph!
* HardBoiledDetective: Doesn't play by all of Starfleet's rules, has a distinctly cynical worldview, and more than once follows his cases to a conclusion that nobody likes.
* HatesSmallTalk: Inevitably leading up to making small talk with Worf about how they hate small talk.
* HotSkittyOnWailordAction: In the "Chimera" episode, he embraces Kira while in the form of shimmering light.
* HulkOut: An encounter with an alien gas disrupts Odo's body, turning him into a giant monster reminiscent of Yellow Devil from ''Megaman''. An emotional trigger is required for the change, and afterward Odo had no memories of his actions. ("The Alternate")
* [[ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe I Can't Believe A Girl Like You Would Notice Me!]]: This is never actually said aloud after Odo ''finally'' gets Kira. That doesn't stop it from being written all over his face every time he so much as looks at her.
** His surpise at Kira's love might spring from doubts that the Female Changeling instilled in him in "Heart of Stone".
--> '''Female Changeling:''' She's never going to love you. How could she? You are a changeling.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: After he reveals his feelings and Kira is no longer with Shakaar, Odo tells her that he ''would'' ask her out, but with the Dominion and all he wants to put it off until they have more time.
* InterspeciesRomance: With Arissa and later Kira. His relationship with Arissa ended when it was discovered that she was [[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery married]], [[spoiler: and the latter ended when Odo returned to the Great Link to cure his people of a morphogenic virus that threatened to wipe them out.]]
* InvoluntaryShapeshifting: In "The Alternate," when he unconsciously transforms into a monster several times.
* TheJudge: Later on in the show. It's explained that his impartial attitude allowed him to be the security chief on [=DS9=] even during the occupation.
** In "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," Sisko names him umpire for the baseball game because he will be this no matter what.
* KingIncognito: Way incognito. He's the only one of his kind in the Alpha Quadrant, but is revered as a God on his home turf.
** RightfulKingReturns: Although reluctant to acknowledge his God status, Odo's encounter with Weyoun 6 shook him to the core. He eventually woke up to the realization that only he could reign in the Dominion's soldiers ("build a ''new'' Dominion") and educate the Great Link on the ways of Solids.
* KnightInSourArmor
* LongingLook: Constantly at Kira.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: The Female Changeling has this effect on him for a while.
* MagicPants: {{Justified|Trope}} in that he creates clothing out of his own substance.
* MeaningfulName: His original name, Odo Ital, is derived from ''odo'ital'' ("nothing" in Cardassian, a mistranslation of the Bajoran "unknown sample"). As an infant, Odo was studied in a science facility on Cardassian-occupied Bajor.
* ModeLock / BroughtDownToNormal: In "Broken Link", where the Founders lock him into the form of a normal humanoid in retaliation for his being the first Changeling to kill another. In the Founders' eyes, this was {{a fate worse than death}}.
--> '''Female Changeling:''' Oh, poor Odo. Perhaps we should have killed you. It would have been far less cruel.
** He regains his shapeshifting ability after the events of "The Begotten".
* MoeCouplet: With Kira.
* MonsterRoommate: In "The Search, Part I", he briefly serves as this to Quark, literally and figuratively. Limited space on board the Defiant means that the two must share quarters, which becomes very uncomfortable for both men when Odo has to [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm liquefy]] in order to rest.
-->'''Odo:''' I have been holding this shape for sixteen hours. I have to revert back to my liquid state, but I don't want you to watch and gawk at me.
-->'''Quark:''' I understand, completely. This is a very private moment and I won't interfere. This won't be so bad, sharing--
-->'''Odo:''' '''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!''' I HAVE NO ''INTEREST'' IN SPEAKING TO YOU--OR IN LISTENING TO YOUR WITLESS ''PRATTLE''! SO ''STAY OUT OF MY WAY''--OR YOU'LL REGRET THE DAY YOU EVER ''MET'' ME!
* MoralityChain: Kira. In "Chimera", Laas insists that Kira is the only reason Odo hasn't left Deep Space Nine and joined the Dominion.
--> '''Odo:''' I won't have anything to do with the Founders and their war.
--> '''Laas:''' Odo, we linked. I know the truth. You stayed here because of Kira. If it weren't for her, you would be with our people. War or no war, you would be a Founder!
* MosesInTheBullrushes: He was discovered in the Denorios Belt as an infant.
* MundaneUtility: Shapeshifting is a wonderful talent for espionage. It also lets you give ''terrific'' massages.
* MyGreatestFailure: Allowing Dukat to execute three innocent Bajorans as retribution for a bomb attack. There was enough evidence to at the very least arrest, but had Odo dug deeper, he would have been able to find them innocent, instead of the amount needed to satisfy the Cardassian judicial system.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: The Founders protest ''far'' too much.
* NeatFreak: Is very upset after Dax shifts all the things in his room by ''centimeters.''
--> '''Odo:''' "You humanoids are all alike, you have no sense of ''order!'' And Dax is the most humanoid person I know."
** Unfortunately, without realizing it, by being ''this'' much of a neat freak, he's being a stereotypical Changeling.
---> '''Female Changeling:''' It is not justice you ''desire,'' Odo--but order, the same as we do.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: A {{starfish alien}} shapeshifter cop. InSpace
* NotSoDifferent: Odo has an inherent need to maintain order, displaying fascist tendencies when discussing how he'd ''prefer'' to be allowed to run the Promenade. One could infer that these same traits are likely what caused the Founders to create the Dominion in the first place.
** His Mirror Universe counterpart is a brutal slave overseer, hinting at what Odo could have become without a strong moral code to balance out his need for order.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Odo finds that acting this way—or threatening to—is a good way to keep Quark in line. Paradoxically, he also complains that Starfleet regulations are too bureaucratic.
* OlderAndWiser: His other self in "Children of Time" thinks he is older and wiser than his younger, emotionally-stilted self. [[spoiler:However, his actions lead to the colony being erased from time.]]
* ParentalSubstitute: To the Infant Changeling in "The Begotten" and the Jem'Hadar boy in "The Abandoned." With the latter, he tries to teach him IAmNotAGun, but the kid really ''likes'' being a gun and so Odo sends him to the Dominion. He has more success with the Changeling infant, but it dies before the episode is over.
* PatientZero: Of the [[spoiler:Section 31]] virus.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Mrs. Troi. Although it is non-romantic, she is the only person (aside from Kira) that he admits to loving. He even married her to protect her and her child.
* PlayingAgainstType: Odo was originally pitched as a sort of wild west lawman. The choice is clear: We need Clayton Endicott III from ''{{Series/Benson}}''!
-->'''Ira Behr:''' I was told six months before the series began that Odo was going to be a Creator/ClintEastwood type... And then I was told Rene Auberjonois. And I said, 'Clint Eastwood, Rene Auberjonois. Clint Eastwood, Rene Auberjonois. Does not compute.'
* RaisedByNatives: He's a Changeling who was raised by a Bajoran scientist, surrounded by humanoids all his life.
* RageBreakingPoint: In "Crossfire," when he smashes up his quarters in a fit of romantic jealousy.
* RealMenWearPink: In "The Ascent", we learn that he reads romance novels.
* RomanticFalseLead: Arissa, and later the Female Changeling.
* RulesLawyer: Allow Odo to get his hands on a baseball rulebook, and weep.
-->"No player shall at any time make contact with the umpire in ''any'' manner. The prescribed penalty for the violation is immediate ejection from the game. Rule Number 4.06, Sub-Section A, paragraph four. Look it up, but do it in the stands. You're '''''GONE!'''''"
** ShownTheirWork: That's the actual rule directly from the Major League Baseball handbook (as of the episode's airing).
** As part of his objectivity, he did it to both teams. Though he clearly enjoyed doing it to Solok.
** He also arrests a cleric for collecting charitable donations on the Promenade without a permit, which gets him in hot water with Kira.
* [[spoiler: SaveTheVillain: He cures the Female Changeling of a deadly disease afflicting the Changeling race.]]
* ShapeshifterBaggage: In the third episode, he transforms himself into a ''rat''. (Sorry, Cardassian vole) Incidentally, this is also his sole ability in the game adaptation.
** High-level shapeshifters, such as Laas, have been able to morph into mist and even fire.
* ShapeshifterDefaultForm: Although he normally appears as a humanoid adult male, his natural state is a gelatinous liquid. To rest, he must regularly return to his gelatinous form.
* ShapeShifterShowdown: With a Changeling infiltrator in "The Adversary."
* ShapeshiftingSquick: He and the Female Changeling have sexual relations in humanoid form during the occupation of Deep Space Nine. She tells him that it's nothing to the intimacy of the Great Link.
* TheSnarkKnight: Always manages to have something snarky to say about ''everything''.
* TheSpock: Most of the time. As the series progresses, we see more of the strong emotions beneath the surface, which occasionally cloud his judgment.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: He may seem cold and unfeeling on the outside, but those who know him admit that's he's just about the sweetest man alive. Mrs. Troi and Kira are very good at bringing this out of him.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: His unconscious transformation into a monstrous form in "The Alternate", triggered by exposure to a psychotropic gas on L-S VI.
* {{Tearjerker}}: A poignant example is when he [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove confesses his love for Kira]] in "Heart of Stone." Another is when Kira comforts him as he deteriorates from the Section 31 virus in season 7. [[spoiler: When he and Kira are forced to part ways in the series finale, despite their love for each other, is perhaps the biggest tearjerker of all.]]
* ActualPacifist/TechnicalPacifist: Wavers back and forth. Even after spending decades as [=DS9=]'s Chief of Security and being a prominent figure in a galactic war, Odo never used a weapon or fired a shot. He wasn't averse to others doing so, and would tackle a criminal or disable a Changeling if it came to it. In all the show's seven seasons, Odo only kills one person.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Odo is adverse to killing, regardless of the situation. "The Advesary" has Odo kill another changeling out of desperation, and is clearly distraught about it. In "Tacking into the Wind," Odo is noticeably upset that Kira, Damar and Garak had to kill the bridge crew of the Dominion ship they were on, rather than simply subduing them.
* TokenHeroicOrc / TokenEnemyMinority: Until Season 3, nobody has the slightest inkling that [[spoiler:[=DS9=]'s lowly security chief is a relative of the Dominion's {{Shadow Dictator}}s]].
* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend]]: With Kira.
* UnusualEars: While in humanoid form, his ears are smooth and blunted, like [[UncannyValley his facial features]].
* UnwantedFalseFaith: To those Dominion devotees he encounters.
* UptightLovesWild: You really can't get more uptight than Odo.
* VikingFuneral: In his supposedly last log entry as Chief of Security, a freezing Odo expressed his wish that should his remains be discovered on the mountain, that they be cremated and returned to the wormhole where he originated from. ("The Ascent") This is not unlike the standard photo torpedo burial for Starfleet Officers. However, Odo preferred to have the ashes placed in his sleeping bucket.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Quark, eventually.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: 99% of the time.
* WhatMeasureIsAHumanoid: Kira is not ''human'', but close enough.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** Gets this from Kira when he explains that his older self [[spoiler:erased the Gaian colonists from the timeline]] to save her life. She is ''not'' happy to be made the cause of that.
** When he becomes involved with the Female Changeling and neglects his resistance responsibilities during the occupation of Deep Space Nine. Given the Founder's brutal tyranny and the Female Changeling's previous antics, this was [[LoveMakesYouDumb not his smartest move]]. Kira angrily calls him out on it.
* [[WillTheyOrWontThey Will They Or Won't They]]: Almost a decade's worth with Kira before TheyDo.
* [[spoiler: YouCantGoHomeAgain: Subverted]] in the series finale.

[[folder:Lieutenant Doctor Julian Bashir]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bashir_ds9_2325.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Siddig El Fadil a.k.a. Alexander Siddig

->''"I didn't want some cushy job or a research grant, I wanted ''this''! The farthest reaches of the galaxy; one of the most remote outposts available. [[DareToBeBadass This is where the adventure is! This is where heroes are made]]!"''
-->-- "Emissary"

Thrill-seeking newcomer who believes he's God's gift to medicine; life on the station would [[BreakTheHaughty shatter that notion]] pretty quickly. Started off alternatively being droolingly infatuated with Dax, painfully green, and generally coming across as [[Series/{{Blackadder}} Lieutenant George]] [[AC:IN SPACE]] (prattling eagerly about frontier medicine gets up the locals' noses). Later his behavior gives way to some [[HiddenDepths dark personal secrets]].

The showrunners weren't sure what to do with Bashir in the beginning, having rather off-handedly written a Doctor into the show. Negative viewer response to the character [[CreatorsPet only emboldened the writers]] to make Bashir a fan favorite; in this rare case, it worked. Notable as the first time that a US TV show recognized that [[ATouchOfClassEthnicityAndReligion not all English people are white]].

* {{Adorkable}}: How much of the cast feels about him later in the series.
* AlwaysSecondBest: On purpose.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Though the name is clearly Arabic, nobody ever mentions where Bashir hails from - a fact which Siddig was personally proud of.
* BashBrothers: With O'Brien in some episodes, Garak in others.
** In "Indscretion", it was mentioned that it's frowned upon on Cardassia for outsiders (and especially non-Cardassians) to view a dead relative's body. And yet in "Inferno's Light", Garak allows Bashir into the room where his father is dying. It shows how strongly Garak felt about his and Bashir's friendship.
* BioAugmentation: Not by choice, and kept secret for most of the series.
* BolivianArmyEnding: Some of his favorite holosuite programs are the [[TheHomeFront Battle of Britain]], [[RememberTheAlamo the Alamo]], and the [[GrecoPersianWars Battle of Thermopylae]]. Ezri teasingly speculates about these "annihilation fantasies."
* CasanovaWannabe: His attempts to be suave always fail horribly, unless he's in a holosuite.
** His love life isn't really ''that'' bad, he's just not nearly as cool as he thinks he is.
* CerebusRetcon: The revelation about his genetic enhancements casts a much darker light on earlier behavior.
* CombatMedic: Holy cow, the medic just stabbed his captor in the neck! Justified, given the stakes, but somewhat unexpected.
** Gives a good showing of himself in "The Siege of AR-558" and "Rocks and Shoals", and manages to come out of a brawl with a dozen TOS-era Klingons unscathed, as well.
* CompanionCube: His teddy bear, Kukalaka.
* DoggedNiceGuy: Towards Dax. It doesn't work with Jadzia. Does with Ezri (who he is not dogged with, but she reveals that Jadzia would have reciprocated if Worf hadn't arrived when he did).
** Although by the time Worf arrived, he'd matured considerably.
* DrinkOrder: Red Leaf Tea is his preferred replicator order. This is actually a Cardassian drink; Elim Garak includes it in his breakfast ritual, and Bashir found it went well with scones and Bajoran jam--détente on a plate.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Garak was implied to be hitting on Bashir during their first meeting -- though the Paramount suits put the kibosh on that, right quick.
* FanOfThePast: Bashir is a huge geek about 1960s spy fiction and something of a war history buff. He is less interested in the 2200s, however, and asserts that [[ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder a doctor, not a historian]].
* FantasticRacism: His genetic augmentation nearly got him kicked out of Starfleet when they found out, due to the Federation's strict, almost draconian, laws against it. Every other augment in the series gets stuffed into a clinic/prison, though this is partially because the poor quality of their augmentation has left them extremely smart but lacking in social skills or common sense. Bashir is one of the few that doesn't have extreme personality quirks or dangerous amounts of ambition. Sisko mentions that Bashir is the first case they've dealt with in decades, making this a very rare occurrence indeed. Sisko also pointed out that the law is somewhat dated simply because it is so rarely enforced, so it may just be a case of them not getting around to updating the books. It's also possible that this is a much more common occurrence than anyone wants to admit, [[FridgeBrilliance it's just that it's a lot harder to catch someone who is several times more intelligent than the average human]].
** And, finally, there's the minor issue of the whole Eugenics War...
* ForScience: A dark example would be his attempts to cure the Blight - a designer virus inflicted on dissidents in Dominion space - single-handedly. The debacle finally ended with Bashir gerryrigging a vaccine, promising that the virus would run its course within a generation. However, it came at the cost of several patients experiencing agonizing deaths in place of the euthanasia they had originally opted for.
** Worse yet, the Romulans later express an interest in researching Blight for their own purposes. As they're now allies of the Federation. Bashir might have had little choice but to placate them...
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A throwaway moment occurs in the S4 episode ''Homefront'', when Odo chats with O'Brien and Bashir right before a trip to Earth. O'Brien cheerfully asks Odo to say hi to O'Brien's parents in Dublin. Odo turns and asks Bashir if he has any family he'd like Odo to visit; Bashir immediately clams up and changes the subject, a hint at his strained relationship with his parents almost a full season before it's explicitly established.
* GenreSavvy: At least in regards to James Bond novels.
* GoodCounterpart: To Khan Noonien Singh and his genetically engineered followers. Bashir eventually assembles a few Augment groupies of his own, but with a different purpose: to dampen their antisocial tendencies and reassimilate them into society.
* GoodWithNumbers: He's able to do very complex calculations in his head. Siddig was wary of becoming the show's "Data", so he doesn't show off this talent much.
* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster?: How some feel about his augmentations. Julian apparently took it to heart, as he's allowed his personal life and career to fall to shambles, too afraid to attract attention.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Julian claims that Miles likes him more than Miles ''loves'' Keiko. Although Miles would like to deny this, he does admit to sometimes wishing that Keiko was more like Julian.
* HospitalHottie
* InsufferableGenius: He tends to brag about beating a Vulcan in a racquetball match and his many medical miracles. Ironically, this is toned down after his augmentation is revealed.
** Siddig has revealed that he deliberately made Bashir jerkish because he knew the show would run for years and he wanted to show CharacterDevelopment. This turned out to fit well with the later idea that it's because of his genetically enhanced origins.
* TheIntern: He relocates to Bajor in order to make a name for himself legitimately, but still complains about missing out on the action aboard ''Galaxy''-class science vessels. Tellingly, he was caught poking around the ''Enterprise'''s laboratory without permission.
* TheMedic: Even if it doesn't make any sense for a station doctor to be out in the field.
* MultipleChoicePast: His reasons for going into medicine change from person to person. This is one of the reasons people thought the writers planned the reveal of his augmentations from the beginning, instead of [[AuthorsSavingThrow a last-minute change]].
* NiceGuy: To Garak's consternation.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Unsatisfied with the audiences' response to "bumbling" Bashir, the writers outed him as a genetically-enhanced über genius who has been operating under the radar.
* OddFriendship: With Garak. The creepy tailor seems to have made it his personal mission to corrupt the wide-eyed Doctor, and takes delight whenever Bashir exhibits Cardassian-like behavior (such as his detached willingness to shoot Garak in the back in "Our Man Bashir").
* PropheticName: The meaning of the name Bashir is "well-educated; wise".
** Originally, the character was meant to be a LatinLover named "Dr. [[PunnyName Amaros]]", which is a bit on the nose.
* RankUp: Went unremarked so it may have been a wardrobe error [[ThrowItIn that stuck]], but he started the series wearing one gold pip and one black pip (a lieutenant junior grade) and ended with two gold pips (full lieutenant).
* RomanticRunnerUp: Twice. The first time was to Rom and the second time was to Worf.
* SatelliteCharacter: Nope, not O'Brien. To ''Garak''. Without his spy intrigue, Bashir wouldn't be included in some of the more interesting arcs (including Section 31).
* SuperLoser: Genius-level intellect! Superhuman reflexes! ...But he's rubbish at pulling girls.
* StupidSexyFlanders
* ThatManIsDead: He refuses to go by his childhood nickname 'Jules', insisting that Jules died on the operating table, and is now Julian.
** A bit of clarification: Julian is his birth name, while Jules was an affectionate nickname. At fifteen, when he realized what had been done to him, he stopped going by it, to the point where, when he has a moment in private with his parents, he lashes out at them for using it.
* ThemeInitials: Bashir. [[TheNameIsBondJamesBond Julian Bashir]].
* {{Transhuman}}: A jarring 180 to the NoTranshumanismAllowed usually employed in ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
** TokenHeroicOrc: Julian is one of the few Augmented Humans in the franchise ''without'' any psychological or mental problems, a common side-effect amongst individuals who have undergone extensive genetic modification. It's a ''very'' sharp bell-curve. The augments in [=DS9=] are not evil, but they are seriously maladjusted.
* UpperClassTwit: In earlier episodes, prior to CharacterDevelopment.
* UrbanLegendLoveLife: Even the actor is amazed at Bashir's amazingly bad luck with women. The two early objects of his affection end up with ''Rom'' and ''Worf'' respectively. Ouch.
** Which is potentially why he ends up with Ezri, in all her tiny, cute awesomeness. After all his bad luck, he deserved to get a break.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Alexander Siddig was originally considered for the role of ''Sisko'' because the producers had seen him in a movie where he was playing a much older man (with makeup to age him up). When they found out how young he actually was, he was cast in the Bashir role instead. Incidentally, "Julian Bashir" was initially named "Julian Ambrose," but the name was changed when Siddig was cast to reflect his Arab heritage.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: The exposure of his past nearly got Bashir washed out of Starfleet. As it stands, Julian was guilty only of omitting that fact on his records; his father took the blame since Julian was under the age of consent for the procedure.
* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: As a small child, Bashir had several severe learning disabilities, so his parents had him undergo an illegal and extremely dangerous genetic treatment. Since then, it is implied that they were [[StageMom Stage Parents]], pushing him towards a high-profile, high-status occupation, instead of letting him make up his own mind, as well as constantly monitoring his behavior so as not to end up in prison. This is the cause of Bashir's resentment and estrangement towards them.
** How severe? Apparently, he couldn't tell a dog from a cat...
* WillfullyWeak: Even before they decided he was genetically enhanced, "Distant Voices" revealed that he deliberately missed a question on the exam to avoid being first in his class. It was even suggested that if he tried harder with Jadzia he'd have succeeded.
* WideEyedIdealist: Frequently {{deconstructed}}; the fresh-faced, brilliant young officer out of the Academy ends up wrong or in trouble many times due to his naivete. He gets better, but it still bites him sometimes, such as the late-season episode "Inter Arma Silent Legis."

[[folder:Lieutenant/Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jadzia_ds9_8146.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Terry Farrell

->''"Don't mistake a new face for a new soul, Kang."''
-->-- "Blood Oath"

TheChick, ReallySevenHundredYearsOld (and the ActionGirl sometimes), with the slight twist of being an attractive young female - albeit one inhabited by a symbiont [[TheNthDoctor with several centuries of memories and experience from hosts of both genders]]. Some fans claim she mutated into a FauxActionGirl after she got together with Worf, although she first showed her proficiency with the ''bat'leth'' in Season 2. For Season 7, she is [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute replaced]] by ''Ezri'' Dax who is [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} not at all similar]]. Luckily, her species had a built-in storyline reason that made this possible; [[TheNthDoctor symbionts need new hosts]] on occasion after all, and the joining adds the new personalities to the mix. For the hosts of the Dax symbiont beyond Jadzia and Ezri, scroll to the bottom of the page.

* ActionGirl: She's handy with bat'leths, phasers, and [[AcePilot piloting consoles]].
* BattleCouple: With Worf.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: In-universe version. The Dax symbiont has fought alongside the likes of Kang, Kor, and Koloth; he negotiated the Khitomer Accords to usher in peace between the Federation and Klingons; and Dax even (gulp!)... dated Bones [=McCoy=] in college.
* BiTheWay: Ostensibly, the result of being a [[GenderBender gender-bending]] alien. Torias Dax, a man, was married to Nilani Kahn. When Jadzia Dax meets Kahn's new self Lenara, a woman, they fall in love all over again. This led to ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' airing what was (incorrectly) touted to be the first lesbian kiss on network television, between Dax and "his" former wife. ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian_kiss_episode It was actually the fifth.]])
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Jadzia was originally serene and almost aloof due to her (kind of) great age. They retooled the character in Season 2 to make her lively, adventurous, and realistically flawed.
* TheConsigliere: To Sisko. It helps that Dax has been knocking about for a long while, and knows the attitudes of Starfleet's various adversaries.
* CulturedBadass: She can speak Klingon, drink any Klingon under the table, handle a Bat-leth with ease, beat Ferengi at Tongo (their variation of poker), and imitate a Romulan with flawless disdain, just to name a few. Admittedly, she still hasn't solved an Altonian brain teaser after 160 years. Bashir tried it, and [[YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal caused the game to crash immediately]].
* DrinkOrder: Has a taste for bloodwine, of course. But her preferred way to start the morning is by slamming a Black Hole, a strong Ferengi drink.
* EnemyWithin: Joran Dax, the most unstable of her past personalities.
* GallowsHumor: One unfortunate habit of this Dax host (possibly inherited from Curzon) was cracking wise whenever death was on the horizon. And it wasn't Jadzia's usual rapier wit, either. We're talking about leaden, SoUnfunnyItsFunny one-liners that would embarrass even Data.
-->'''Sisko:''' ''(fuming)'' Dax, maybe you haven't noticed, but '''no one's laughing'''.
* GenderBender: She has the gender of her host of the time. She has been both men and women in past lives.
* GeniusBruiser: Wisdom and knowledge of eight lifetimes, science officer, and fights like a klingon.
* HappilyMarried: To Worf, [[spoiler:until her Jadzia host died]].
* HonestAdvisor: To Ben. She also dumps Quark's friendship after he becomes an arms dealer, although she is genuinely outraged in that instance.
* HotScientist: She's well aware of how attractive she is and holds several advanced degrees.
* ImmortalImmaturity: The Dax symbiont is particularly rowdy. This is proven by Jadzia's former personality before her joining: a bookish ShrinkingViolet.
-->'''Jem'Hadar''': Few Jem'Hadar live that long. If we reach twenty, we're considered honored elders. ''(leans in)'' How old are you?\\
'''Dax'''': I stopped counting at 300.\\
'''Jem'Hadar''': ''(dumbfounded)'' You don't look it.
** This is generally ignored by her associates, although Sisko dared to remind Jadzia of her age during a heated argument about Worf. Dax did ''not'' like it, but she could not refute it either.
* InterspeciesRomance: With Worf.
* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: While the Dax symbiont Passes on to Ezri, Jadzia is still quite dead.]]
* TheLadette: Kinda like Rachael Maddow [[AC:in space.]]
** There were [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness early attempts]] at making Dax reserved and wise, but it never stuck. After one season, Ira Behr realized the 'old soul' angle wasn't working out; the character was gradually retooled into a sporty, quasi-androgynous commando, switching gender roles depending on the setting. She can be quite butch when the situation calls for it, but she's wickedly girlish in private.
* LivingForeverIsAwesome: She sees it as her duty to give the Dax symbiont an interesting life and often draws on the things she's learned over the centuries, whether it's engineering or parental advice.
* TheNthDoctor: The eighth host of Dax.
* ObnoxiousInLaws: Martok is more agreeable, but his wife Sirella impedes her marriage at every possible turn. This comes to a head during the ceremonial reading of The Chronicle, a history of the family's unbroken (until now, ahem) bloodline. Jadzia starts to WagTheDirector with her own extracurricular research, which includes: a positive spin on an Oliver Cromwell-type figure in Klingon history, the revelation that Sirella's claim to nobility is false, and that her mother-in-law's ancestor was not the Princess but [[SonOfAWhore a concubine who lived out of the royal stables]]. Pwnd.
-->'''Sirella:''' You are STRAYING FROM THE SAGA!
* OlderThanTheyLook: Sort of. Jadzia is actually exactly as old as she looks but through Dax she has the memories and some of the personality of a much older being. A century old Bajoran magistrate said (paraphrasing) "When I started this hearing I didn't know if you were as young as my great-granddaughter, or three times as old as I am. Now I'm starting to think you're both."
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: In series 1, she's only 28. It's confirmed that all of her vast amount of scientific knowledge and multiple degrees were gained prior to receiving the Dax symbiont at the age of 26. While Dax has been hosted by an engineer and a pilot, Jadzia is Dax's first scientist.
* [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Adopted Warrior Foreigner]]: A Trill who is more Klingon than most Klingon.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Terry Farrell decided not to return for the show's seventh season, so they wrote Jadzia out.
* SexIsViolence: Her liasons with Worf can get pretty destructive. Odo gets a report every time they destroy Worf's quarters, so he enjoys ribbing the couple about it a little.
* ShesGotLegs: Those spots go ''all the way'' down, baby. Makeup veteran Michael Westmore actually got paid to spend an hour scribbling them on with magic marker.
* TheSpock: This is her initial characterization, but the writers decided to make her more emotional and fun-loving. Although she still fulfills rational Spock functions, she becomes something of a combination of him and TheKirk.
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: A bit of a [[Creator/LeonardNimoy Nimoy]] fangirl. One glimpse of him in the flesh, and she's ready to toss the Temporal Prime Directive out the airlock, hint hint. Sisko has to drag her away by the arm.
* TookALevelInBadass: Particularly after Curzon's Klingon-loving personality came to the forefront during her ''zhian'tara''.
* UnkemptBeauty: A hungover Dax is something to behold.
* UptightLovesWild: With Worf. Three guesses on who is which.
* WorkHardPlayHard: When she works she is an ingenious and competent officer. When she plays she likes gambling, flirting, and making love [[DestructoNookie Klingon Fashion]].

[[folder:Senior Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/obrien_ds9_1414.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': ColmMeaney

->'''Sisko''': Relax, Chief, it's just a computer.\\
'''O'Brien''': This is no computer. [[WhatAPieceOfJunk This is my arch-enemy!]]
-->-- "The Forsaken"

Easily the most overworked person on the station, as well as an AscendedExtra from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', with a bigger role this time who becomes HeterosexualLifePartners with Bashir. Subject of the annual "[[TheWoobie O'Brien Must Suffer]]" writers' in-joke. The only non-commissioned officer in the franchise to be a main character, he can easily be mistaken for the only one in the service. (The others were mostly [[http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Starfleet_enlisted_personnel very minor roles]], dutifully enumerated on other wikis.) In the {{novelization}} of the pilot episode, O'Brien is slightly altered -- he accepted a promotion to Ensign and was no longer a noncom when the story began.

A note for trivia buffs: both he and Worf were present in the series premiere (and series finale) of ''TNG'', and hold the records for "Appeared In The Most" (or "2nd Most" in O'Brien's case) "Episodes Of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' Ever." (Majel Barrett Roddenberry, whose voice "appears" as the Federation computer's for something like 250 episodes, holds a different record.)

* AscendedExtra: From a nameless con in the ''TNG'' premiere to a starring character on another series.
* AlmightyJanitor: The only reason ''anything'' on [=DS9=] works is because of him.
* BadassNormal : The only Non-Com main character in trek. Among other things, he's been decorated 15 times by starfleet, been in 239 separate tactical situations and is recognised as an expert on the subject AMONG KLINGONS. 'nough said.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Devoted family man? Check. Dutiful officer? Check. Capable of taking on BrainwashedAndCrazy former Obsidian Order operative Garak on a booby-trapped station with minimal supplies and almost no backup, and winning? ''Check.''
* TheBigGuy: ColmMeaney is not very tall but he's built like a ''[[StoutStrength tank]].'' As to the character, see BewareTheNiceOnes and Badass entries above.
* ButtMonkey: There was an "O'Brien must suffer" episode at least once a season, because the writers thought Colm Meaney was good in those plots.
* CloningBlues: By the end of the series its not exactly our O'Brien but an O'Brien who came back from a few hours in the future after seeing our O'Brien die. Basically the same guy and he does dwell on it, but not for long.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Several. Some prime examples include "Whispers", "Tribunal" and "Visionary".
* DrinkOrder: Coffee, Jamaican blend. Double sweet, double strong.
* TheEveryman: Devoted family man, down-to-earth soldier, and enlisted man.
* FantasticRacism: Occasionally towards Cardassians, and has been known to utter the phrase "Cardy Bastards". O'Brien fought in the Federation-Cardassian War and was present at the Setlik III massacre, an event that affected him deeply. This was also the first time he'd ever killed someone, ''vaporising'' a Cardassian when he fired a phaser not knowing that it'd be set to maximum. As O'Brien summed up in TNG, he doesn't hate Cardassians, he hates what he became because of them.
** He's not thrilled with Changelings either, Odo aside.
* GadgeteerGenius: A lot of his job involves getting old, beaten-up, and/or alien technology to work, along with a fair bit of MacGyvering.
* HappilyMarried: To Keiko.
* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: Given his record of genius and heroism, you'd expect him to make Master Chief by the end of the series, but he stays an [=SCPO=] for the entire run (although it is possible that might be the top of the Starfleet NCO ranks, we haven't seen enough of them on screen to be sure). He does continually gain responsibilities and duties throughout the series, so there is a career progression of sorts going on.
** But, he is basically the Head of Engineering for one of the Federation's most strategically important space stations, a gig that is usually given to a Commander, and orders around commissioned officers like no one's business. Even if he does not have the ''de jure'' ranks, he obviously has them ''de facto''.
* MrFixit: Well into Season 6, it is ''still'' strongly implied that the only reason all the mixed Federation and Cardassian technology on board [=DS9=] runs anything close to smoothly is because he has been working on it non-stop from day one.
* OddFriendship: With Kira while she was carrying Kirayoshi. With hints of awkward UnresolvedSexualTension in several later episodes.
* RealMenHateAffection: With Julian. Even when they're totally sloshed, the most affectionate expression he can manage is "I really do... not hate you anymore." And when he's telling Dr. Zimmerman all the things he does not hate about Julian, he's very insistent that it will remain confidential.
* TimeyWimeyBall: In the third-season episode "Visionary", O'Brien is sent to the future several times. [[spoiler:Ultimately, "our" O'Brien dies and the one that comes back to the present is an O'Brien from two-and-a-half hours into the future]].
* VeteranInstructor: Sort of slips into the old-hand mentor role in the final two seasons, and the GrandFinale sees him return to Earth to become an official instructor at the Academy.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: "Hard Time" involves this. [[spoiler:He kills a good man for a scrap of bread. Even if that man was an illusion, O'Brien is so horrified at himself that he attempts suicide]].

[[folder:Lieutenant Commander Worf]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/worf_ds9_2340.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': MichaelDorn

->'''Worf''': I have a sense of humor. On the ''Enterprise'', I was considered to be quite amusing.\\
'''Dax''': That must've been one dull ship.
-->-- "Change of Heart"

Another reassignment from the ''Enterprise''-D, turning up with the show's ReTool at the start of season 4. Notably, Worf suffered less of TheWorfEffect on this show than ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]''. The conflicts of this series and heavy involvement with the Klingon Empire were more suited to his strengths and instincts. In addition, Michael Dorn was savvy enough to ensure that, should he be invited onto another series, he would be both unique among Klingons ''and'' would have a chance to be {{Badass}}. Hence his fondness of Prune Juice over Blood Wine. See also his section on the ''[[Characters/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' [[Characters/StarTrekTheNextGeneration character sheet]].
----
* BattleCouple: With Jadzia.
* BattleCry: PlayedForLaughs in "Take Me Out To The Holosuite"
-->'''Sisko:''' Alright, I wanna hear some chatter!\\
'''Ezri:''' Heeeeyy batter batter batter!\\
'''Kira:''' Hey batter batter!\\
'''Worf:''' '''''DEATH TO THE OPPOSITION!'''''
* TheBigGuy: Often commands the Defiant on missions Sisko can't take himself, the go-to guy when Klingons are involved, and generally a person you want on ''your'' side when the chips are down.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Miles' baby can go to sleep in his arms... and initially, ''only'' his arms.
** And he's always dreamed of a traditional Klingon wedding, with all the trimmings. (Although "soft" might not be the best word given the ''Klingon'', but he's still quite a romantic.)
* CargoShip:[[invoked]] Dax insinuated that Worf's first love is the ''Defiant''. In a sense, he considers it ''his'' ship, not Sisko's. Makes sense really, it's a Federation designed Warship, the perfect fit for Worf.
* TheComicallySerious
-->'''Garak''': Mr. Worf, you're no fun at all.\\
'''Worf''': ... Good.
* {{Determinator}}: Famously stood his ground against '''ten''' Jem 'Hadar warriors in a ForcedPrizeFight. When he finally does hit the mat, it's his ''opponent'' who calls it quits.
-->'''Ikat'ika:''' I yield. I cannot defeat this Klingon. I can only kill him, and [[WorthyOpponent that no longer holds my interest]]."
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Essentially becomes this when he joins the cast; the entire Klingon War arc was more or less built around bringing his character onto the show.
* DrinkOrder: Just like in TNG...
-->'''Quark''': Lemme guess... klingon bloodwine.\\
'''Worf''': Prune Juice, chilled.\\
'''Quark:''' (laughing incredulously) PRUNE JUICE?!?\\
'''Worf''': ([[DeathGlare DEATH GLARE]])\\
'''Quark:''' (meekly) Right away.
* FireForgedFriends: With Martok.
* GenreSavvy: A welcome break from TheWorfEffect that he was once known for. Unlike some other starfleet officers, he knows that a ship coming in with weapons charged is an immediate sign to raise shields, even if it's an allied vessel.
* HappilyMarried: To Jadzia.
* HeartbrokenBadass: Worf is, quite simply, devastated [[spoiler: after Jadzia is killed]]. He didn't suffer that much even after K'Ehleyr was murdered by Duras and his performance of the Klingon Death Ritual over her body is one of the few times he actually ''[[ManlyTears weeps]].''
* ImmigrantPatriotism: Played with. He is loyal to the Federation to the point of fighting against the Klingon Empire when they go to war. At the same time, he is obsessed with Klingon tradition more then most Klingons are. (Again, see the ''TNG'' character sheet for an accurate analysis of his mentality.)
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Worf's sense of klingon honor is inviolate. It cost him dearly in standing amongst his countrymen.
* [[MasterSwordsman Master Bat'leth Suvwl']] : Given that he can beat [[ActionGirl Jadzia]] in a friendly duel, Grilka's bodyguard in a real one(while [[NeuralImplanting piloting Quarks body]] instead of his own too), and actually kill [[spoiler:Gowron]] in a DuelToTheDeath, he must be one of the best fighters to ever handle a ''bat'leth''. Despite his prowess with the weapon, Worf seems to prefer using a ''mek'leth'' in combat, a machete-like weapon half the size (and therefore much easier to carry around).
* MyGreatestFailure: In "Let He Who is Without Sin...", we learn that Worf's uptight nature is the result of a childhood soccer match, when young Worf accidentally headbutted an opposing player. Klingon foreheads being what they are, the kid died. This tragedy convinced Worf to reign in his Klingon passion.
* NumberTwo: Is First Officer of the ''Defiant''. In practice, he and Kira share this role, which is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in "Apocalypse Rising".
* AnOddPlaceToSleep: Right from Day One, Worf has trouble adjusting to the morally-grey atmosphere on the station. Following a string of disasters, he decides that the only way to adjust to life aboard the station is to live outside it, and makes the ''Defiant'' his crib.
* OfferedTheCrown: After his killing of [[spoiler: Gowron in "Tacking Into the Wind"]] he basically [[KlingonPromotion earned the right to rule the Klingon Empire]]. He chose wisely instead to hand it Martok. A [[{{RunningGag}} bit of running theme with Worf.]] When ever he got involved with leadership of the Klingon people someone ends up dead and someone ends up a new leader.
** A cut scene would have had Worf confiding in Ezri that his one regret was that his father wasn't there to see it.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy
* TheStoic: "I do not smirk. But if I did, this would be a good opportunity."
** NotSoStoic: See HeartbrokenBadass.
* RatingsStunt: Introducing Worf in the fourth season premiere. A rare case of this being done right
* TookALevelInJerkass: His run on [=DS9=] saw Worf in a long period of mourning; first for the ''Enterprise-D'' where he spent the best years of his life, and then for his murdered wife Jadzia. He becomes even more withdrawn and short-tempered than usual, refusing to mix with his crewmates at social gatherings and one time even claiming they never truly understood Jadiza when she was alive. Worf did respect the abilities of the [=DS9=] crew, though, and always apologized in the end.
* WarriorPoet: Loves Klingon Opera, Klingon legends, and Klingon traditions.
* TheWorfEffect: [[AvertedTrope Starting to wane]] by this point, thank goodness. In fact, this was one of the reasons Dorn joined the show.
* UptightLovesWild: With Jadzia. Three guesses who is which.
* YouRemindMeOfX: Worf arrives on the station at first facing the same doubts Sisko had in the beginning, considering resigning, being stuck in the past, etc. This is symbolized by Worf transferring to a red Command uniform.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lieutenant Ezri Dax]]
[[quoteright:180:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ezri_ds9_8042.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Nicole de Boer

--> ''"She's a Dax. Sometimes they don't think, they just do."''

The new Trill host for the Dax symbiont, owing that only to chance. Ezri Tigan was serving on the ship taking Dax back to Trill when the symbiont became extremely ill and the only way to save its life was immediate implantation in a new host. As the only Trill onboard, Ezri reluctantly volunteered, and her unease at being a "joined" Trill, which was something prospective hosts are supposed to train for years to deal with, became a centerpiece of her character. She also had to deal with Dax influencing her feelings about Worf and Bashir, her own attraction to Bashir, and the fact that an officer of her general inexperience -- specifically, a [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard Lieutenant Junior Grade Assistant Counselor]] -- was suddenly part of the Federation's front-line wartime command crew. At least she's [[{{Moe}} cute]]. For the hosts of the Dax symbiont beyond Jadzia and Ezri, see the "Others" folder.
----
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Worf, since he obviously hasn't gotten over [[spoiler:Jadzia's death]], and Jadzia's memories are confusing her emotions.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: She's very good at her job, "Afterimage" on, just... quirky.
* CharacterisationMarchesOn: One of Dax's previous hosts committed a violent murder. In a later episode Ezri has to track down a SerialKiller on the station, and her previous host has suddenly turned into a cold-blooded killer who's offed three people just so Ezri can do a Hannibal-style ConsultingAConvictedKiller episode.
* CloudCuckooLander: As a result of having eight full lifetimes shoehorned into her head (as well as merging with the consciousness that holds them). She adjusts eventually, ending up more a BunnyEarsLawyer instead.
* TheCutie
* ADayInTheLimelight: Considering that she showed up in the final season, most of it was devoted to developing her character as much as they could (while still focusing on the rest of the storyline), but the episodes "Afterimage", "Prodigal Daughter", and "Field Of Fire" are very specifically about only her.
* FallingIntoTheCockpit: Ezri was not planning to be a symbiont host and had no training. Her entire prep time was a 15-minute lecture from the ''Destiny'''s non-Trill Chief Medical Officer.
* GotVolunteered: Technically, her captain said she could refuse the joining, but he noted himself that it wasn't much of a choice.
* NaiveNewcomer: Even without suddenly becoming Dax, she's a very young Starfleet officer.
* TheNthDoctor: The ninth host of Dax.
* OlderThanTheyLook: She's got the same deal as Jadzia going on, plus she's a few years younger than Jadzia was at the beginning of the series.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Is on the receiving one of Garak's. Later, she delivers one to Worf about the Klingon Empire being plagued with corruption.
* ReplacementLoveInterest: Slides right into Jadzia's corner of the Dax / Bashir / Worf LoveTriangle, but ultimately winds up going the other way.
* SexWithTheEx: A variant, since of course Ezri is a different person than Jadzia. Luckily for their sanity, this clears up for both of them just ''what'' their relationship is (Worf realizes that it's time to stop thinking of Ezri as Jadzia, and Ezri realizes she's in love with Julian)
* TheShrink: She turns out that she's Type 3; although rather unsure of herself, it turns out that she's really good at being a counselor as Garak would attest when his claustrophobia really flared up.
* SlapSlapKiss: Again with Worf. When he's missing and she goes on a one-woman rescue mission, they get into a huge argument after she saved him and they ended up sleeping together.
-->"Do you really think that I would disobey orders and risk my life so that I could seduce you? I hate to burst your bubble, Worf, but it wasn't ''that'' good."
* TheSouthpaw: Part of her disorientation as a new host was thinking she was right-handed when she's actually left-handed.
* StepfordSnarker: She frequently makes sarcastic comments and uses SelfDeprecatingHumor to cover her real anxiety. The episode focusing on her family implies Ezri did this even before she was joined.
* TheCobblersChildrenHaveNoShoes: She's tasked with Garak's ''very'' difficult case when she is in desperate need of therapy herself.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** A half-level at first after a particularly scathing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech from Garak. They squeeze in a little character development for her in the single season she's on the show, and she ends up hunting down a Vulcan serial killer.
** She goes a BIG step further in "Penumbra", when she singlehandedly braves the storms of The Badlands to save Worf. Oh, and she gives a few nice mini-[[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech "Reason You Suck Speeches"]] when Worf seems to forget his gratitude for it, in that episode and one two episodes later.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's basically impossible to say anything about Ezri without explaining that [[spoiler:Jadzia dies]]. If you're talking to someone who knows how Trill work, they're going to figure out the implications of her last name very fast.
* [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Daughter Girl]]: Somewhat. When she realized she would never get this, she joined Starfleet and didn't look back. (Until O'Brien goes missing on her home planet and she ''has'' to.)
* WideEyedIdealist: To an extent, [[GoodIsNotDumb though she's realistic enough to verbally deconstruct]] the Klingon Empire to Worf.
[[/folder]]

->''"You are [[HoldTheLine the thin, beige line]] between order and chaos."''

The Thin Beige Line himself. A [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] (or "Changeling", a clever double-meaning) who serves as the ornery Chief of Station Security. His obsessive qualities make him something of a maverick; however he runs the station so smoothly that everyone, from Dukat's regime to the new management, winds up acceding to his territorial nature. Functions as TheSpock initially, later becoming TheJudge. Originally a bit angsty over not knowing his origins; eventually discovers that his own people are the leaders of the Dominion and thus the enemy, which doesn't help with the angst one bit. While not particularly strong on manners or civil liberties, when it comes to impartiality, Odo's your man.

->''"At the request of Commander Sisko, I will hereafter be [[CaptainsLog recording a daily log]] of law enforcement affairs. The reason for this exercise is beyond my comprehension, except perhaps that Humans have a compulsion to keep records and lists and files. So many in fact, that they have to invent new ways to store them microscopically. Otherwise their records would overrun all known civilization. My own very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet, I am pleased to put my voice to this official record of this day: [[{{Anticlimax}} Everything's under control]]. End log."''
-->-- Kicking off his [[TheSnarkKnight snark-filled]] PrivateEyeMonologue in [[NoirEpisode "Necessary Evil"]]

A [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] (or "Changeling", a clever double-meaning) who serves as the ornery Chief of Station Security. His obsessive qualities make him something of a maverick; however he runs the station so smoothly that everyone, from Dukat's regime to the new management, winds up acceding to his territorial nature. Functions as TheSpock initially, later becoming TheJudge. Originally a bit angsty over not knowing his origins; eventually discovers that his own people are the leaders of the Dominion and thus the enemy, which doesn't help with the angst one bit. While not particularly strong on manners or civil liberties, when it comes to impartiality, Odo's your man.

* ByTheBookCop: With a dash of TheSheriff. He (usually) follows the rules to the letter, but isn't above letting the small fish go free in pursuit of a bigger offender. Contrast with Worf, who doesn't share Odo's discretion and bungles a few cases.
** CowboyCop: Extra emphasis is put on Odo's dedication to justice and order, with the law merely a vehicle to maintain the status quo. In "The Wire", he casually admits to intercepting all of Quark's long-distance calls, as well as the sheer illegality of it. But, if it's in "the interest of station security"...

* ParentsAsPeople[=/=]GoodParents: He has a tough time raising Jake, but does a pretty good job of it anyway. He has a similar relationship with his own father.

* ParentsAsPeople[=/=]GoodParents: He has a tough time raising Jake, but does a pretty good job of it anyway.

** To put this into perspective, it is also implied in this episode Bajor would have known a planetary war if both Emissaries decided to fight for the title.

** Gives a good showing of himself in "The Siege of AR-558" as well, and manages to come out of a brawl with a dozen TOS-era Klingons unscathed.

* GoodCounterpart: To Khan Noonien Singh and his genetically engineered followers. Bashir eventually assembles a few Augment groupies of his own, except that his purpose is to dampen their antisocial tendencies and assimilate them back into society.

* WalkingTechbane: Bones had the transporter phobia. Pulaski the mistrust of androids. Kira's nemesis? ''Holodecks''. Not only does she consider it a frivolous waste of time, Kira seems to have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality (slugging Lancelot when he tried to kiss her, i.e. "Guinevere").

* GoodCounterpart: To Khan Noonien Singh and his genetically engineered followers. Bashir eventually assembles a few Augment groupies of his own, except his purpose his to rehabilitate and reassimilate them back into society.

-->'''Joesph Sisko:''' I trained you to be a chef. Lot of good it did me.

* DrillSergeantNasty: Dax is infamous in the Trill Initiate Programme for having broken more initiates than any other Joined Trill. Initiates regard being assigned to Dax as a virtual death sentence that will kiss their chances of Joining goodbye forever. This caused Jadzia no end of problems when it came her turn to mentor, as '''she herself'' was bullied (and washed out of the Initiate Programme) by a Dax (Curzon).

* FutureMeScaresMe[=/=IHatePastMe: Jadzia hates him cause he lied. Yedrin hates Jadzia cause the crash was her fault.

!!Lela Dax

* IronLady

!!Tobin Dax:

* AdultChild
* NotGoodWithPeople

!!Emony Dax:

* TheMcCoy

!!Audrid Dax

* TeamMom: although Dax's hosts have a total of nine children (as a mother three times and a father once), Jadzia usually attributes her maternal instincts to Audrid.

!!Torias Dax

* AcePilot
* BigEater
* InHarmsWay

!!Joran Dax (Jeff Magnus [=McBride=], Leigh J. [=McCloskey=])

* BlondGuysAreEvil
* CreepyMonotone

* MadArtist / WickedCultured: He could have been a great concert pianist, but had latent psychopathic tendencies.
* TheOtherDarrin

* CoolOldGuy
* DirtyOldMan

* FriendlyEnemy
* GrandTheftMe
* NotSoHarmlessVillain

* FutureMeScaresMe / IHatePastMe
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone
* WellIntentionedExtremist

* DoesNotLikeGuns: Prefers to use shapeshifting whenever possible.

* VikingFuneral: In his supposedly last log entry as Chief of Security, a freezing Odo expressed his wish that should his remains be discovered on the mountain, that they be cremated and returned to the wormhole where he originated from.

* {{Badass}}"

* BadassBeard: Though clean-shaven in earlier seasons - to distance Brooks from his iconic role on ''Spencer For Hire'' - he eventually grew back the goatee.
* BadassCreed: In "Pale Moonlight", he reflected on how his father used to boom, "'''Worry and doubt are the greatest enemies of a great chef!'''"

* {{Adorkable}}: Mostly in his interactions with Kassidy and Joesph.

** Despite this, he oddly remains a captain despite being given responsibilities and commands that would normally be entrusted to at least a commodore, if not an admiral. By the end of the Dominion war, he speaks with equal authority to Admiral Ross, a superior that outranks him by five full grades.