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* FearInducedIdiocy: In one episode, Nog is so nervous in front of his crush Varis that he introduces himself as "Jog", and then "Jake", which is actually his best friend's name.
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** The first two or three seasons all feel very different from the rest. The first two seasons don't have the ''Defiant'', and many seem like [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]] episodes, which felt slower and more out of place because they would either involve two or three crew members on a Runabout encountering a new planet, or it would have the "problem of the week" come to the station, rather than a starship coming to it. Sisko isn't bald and doesn't wear a beard, and the Dominion isn't around at all.

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** The first two or three seasons all feel very different from the rest. The first two seasons don't have the ''Defiant'', and many seem like [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]] episodes, which felt slower and more out of place because they would either involve two or three crew members on a Runabout encountering a new planet, or it would have the "problem of the week" come to the station, rather than a starship coming to it. Sisko isn't bald and doesn't wear a beard, and while the Dominion isn't around at all.even mentioned until partway through the second season, and doesn't make its first appearance until that season's finale.
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** The Bajorans were shown "In the Hands of the Prophets" to applaud by tapping the dorsum of their hands, and in later episodes, they simply clapped normally. The show would later establish that Bajorans clap the back of one hand into the palm of the other.

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** The Bajorans were shown "In the Hands of the Prophets" to applaud by tapping the dorsum of their hands, and but clap normally in later episodes, they simply clapped normally.episodes. The show would later establish that Bajorans clap the back of one hand into the palm of the other.



** Early episodes of the series also portray Rom as being completely inept when it comes to technology. Later seasons, however, portrayed Rom as a [[GeniusDitz mechanical and engineering genius]] and portrayed Rom's son Nog as having inherited his father's engineering abilities.
** Early season Ferengi in general seem to have more in common with appearances in the early seasons of [=TNG=]. More stereotypically conniving for little reason and more feral in tone with exaggerated mannerisms. In his first minute on screen, Quark literally ''hissed'' at Nog after Nog was arrested, with Nog shrinking back in fear. This goes away quickly, with most Ferengi on screen in the first season working in Quark's bar as civilians and not the overt antagonists often seen in the prior series.

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** Early episodes of the series also portray Rom as being completely inept when it comes to technology. Later seasons, however, portrayed Rom as a [[GeniusDitz mechanical and engineering genius]] and portrayed Rom's his son Nog as having inherited his father's engineering abilities.
** Early season Ferengi in general seem to have more in common with appearances their depiction in the early seasons of [=TNG=]. More stereotypically conniving for little reason and more feral in tone with exaggerated mannerisms. In his first minute on screen, Quark literally ''hissed'' at Nog after Nog was arrested, with Nog shrinking back in fear. This goes away quickly, with most Ferengi on screen in the first season working in Quark's bar as civilians and not the overt antagonists often seen in the prior series.



** Dax tells Julian that the Trill consider romance an "annoyance", a "weakness of the young", and make an effort to "live on a higher plane". Not any Trill viewers have ever seen. Sure, she was probably just saying this to Bashir as a way of letting him down easy, but she isn't known for lying just to get rid of an annoying potential suitor.
*** On that subject, her characterization in the first season more or less boiled down to "old man in a young woman's body", with a relatively subdued tone of voice, limited animation in her body movements, and much more reference to her centuries of life experience adding up her being a font of wisdom. It wasn't until partway through the second season that the writers saw that this approach wasn't working and Jadzia became a much more active, animated character who believably behaved as a young woman would be expected to, with her past Trill life experience and memories taken more as a separate resource than something that defines her. This is justified in-universe, as it was established that she was only recently joined to the Dax symbiote perhaps a year or two before the series began, and it can take a long time for a symbiote and its host to come into a new equilibrium. In particular, she seems much more comfortable with herself following her ''zhian'tara'' ritual in "Facets."

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** Dax tells Julian that the Trill consider romance an "annoyance", a "weakness of the young", and make an effort to "live on a higher plane". Not any This doesn't sound anything like the Trill viewers have ever seen. Sure, she was probably just saying this to Bashir as a way of letting him down easy, but she isn't known for lying just to get rid of an annoying potential suitor.
*** On that subject, her Dax's characterization in the first season more or less boiled down to "old man in a young woman's body", with a relatively subdued tone of voice, limited animation in her body movements, and much more reference to her centuries of life experience adding up her being a font of wisdom. It wasn't until partway through the second season that the writers saw that this approach wasn't working and Jadzia became a much more active, animated character who believably behaved as a young woman would be expected to, with her past Trill life experience and memories taken more as a separate resource than something that defines her. This is justified in-universe, as it was established that she was only recently joined to the Dax symbiote perhaps a year or two before the series began, and it can take a long time for a symbiote and its host to come into a new equilibrium. In particular, she seems much more comfortable with herself following her ''zhian'tara'' ritual in "Facets."
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** Section 31 when introduced in this show was [[NoSuchAgency the ultra black ops]] arm of Starfleet Intelligence, so secretive not even Sisko was aware of them and there was no official office space. They recruited agents through subterfuge, many of whom had no idea exactly who they were working for, and it's implied they had such autonomy even admirals didn't ask questions to maintain PlausibleDeniability. And while political assassinations were on the table, they preferred Starfleet tactics of scientific research and innovative engineering [[WhyDontYouJustShootThem over a big gun]]. The group was said to have existing from the beginning of Starfleet, and ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' featured a character who looked and behaved similar to Sloan from [=DS9=]. Past this, Section 31 was brought up in other works with significant changes in depiction.

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** Section 31 when introduced in this show was [[NoSuchAgency the ultra black ops]] arm of Starfleet Intelligence, so secretive not even Sisko was aware of them and there was no official office space. They recruited agents through subterfuge, many of whom had no idea exactly who they were working for, and it's implied they had such autonomy even admirals didn't ask questions to maintain PlausibleDeniability. And while political assassinations were on the table, they preferred Starfleet tactics of scientific research and innovative engineering [[WhyDontYouJustShootThem [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim over a big gun]]. The group was said to have existing from the beginning of Starfleet, and ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' featured a character who looked and behaved similar to Sloan from [=DS9=]. Past this, Section 31 was brought up in other works with significant changes in depiction.
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None

Added DiffLines:

** Section 31 when introduced in this show was [[NoSuchAgency the ultra black ops]] arm of Starfleet Intelligence, so secretive not even Sisko was aware of them and there was no official office space. They recruited agents through subterfuge, many of whom had no idea exactly who they were working for, and it's implied they had such autonomy even admirals didn't ask questions to maintain PlausibleDeniability. And while political assassinations were on the table, they preferred Starfleet tactics of scientific research and innovative engineering [[WhyDontYouJustShootThem over a big gun]]. The group was said to have existing from the beginning of Starfleet, and ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' featured a character who looked and behaved similar to Sloan from [=DS9=]. Past this, Section 31 was brought up in other works with significant changes in depiction.
*** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' had Admiral Marcus reveal the existence of Section 31 to Kirk, and that a recent bombing was actually one of their research centers. This indicates the organization is a lot more concrete than shown before, and shows they were able to organize a team large enough to create a completely custom battleship in the USS Vengeance that outclasses the flagship USS Enterprise multi-fold. That said, the movie is part of an AlternateTimeline and a prequel.
*** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' started with the titular ship be an R&D design with Section 31 staff complete with [[HighlyConspicuousUniform black versions of the Starfleet Delta]]. The second season shows them with it's own fleet and utilizes super-advanced tech that puts existing Starfleet gear to shame, including cloaking devices. The end of the second season implies Section 31 was to be reorganized and it does take place 100 years before [=DS9=], but even with it being ClassifiedInformation it seemed especially odd how casual the group's existence was known here only to have zero historical references in the future (not even ShroudedInMyth).
*** ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' has the characters making references to the group as part of the RapidFireComedy. This does take place ''after'' [=DS9=] for once, and thus could be explained as a change in how secret they really are.
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Legitimate Businessmens Social Club TRS cleanup (clearing ZCE)


* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: Quark's Bar, not to mention Garak's Clothiers.
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* FakeGuestStar: '''TONS.''' If you look at the title credits, you'll only see about 8 or 9 names in the cast list, but by the end of the series, the actual core cast had grown so much that it was ''at least'' twice that. And yet half of those names would be stuck on the Guest Star list right until the end of the series. Just goes to show how freaking HUGE DS9's cast was for the time, with maybe only Series/BabylonFive [[DuelingShows rivaling it]]; a heck of an accomplishment.

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* FakeGuestStar: '''TONS.''' If you look at the title credits, you'll only see about 8 or 9 names in the cast list, but by the end of the series, the actual core cast had grown so much that it was ''at least'' twice that. And yet half of those names would be stuck on the Guest Star list right until the end of the series. Just goes to show how freaking HUGE DS9's [=DS9's=] cast was for the time, with maybe only Series/BabylonFive [[DuelingShows rivaling it]]; a heck of an accomplishment.

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Alphabetizing


* IBangedYourMom: The season 6 episode 'Wrongs Darker than Death or Night' starts with Dukat contacting Kira Nerys to tell her exactly this; her mother Kira Meru was taken as a comfort woman during the Occupation and Dukat took her as one of his mistresses.

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* IBangedYourMom: IBangedYourMom:
**
The season 6 episode 'Wrongs Darker than Death or Night' starts with Dukat contacting Kira Nerys to tell her exactly this; her mother Kira Meru was taken as a comfort woman during the Occupation and Dukat took her as one of his mistresses.



* IdiotBall: Sisko and Kira in "Resurrection". We're at war, someone's beaming into Ops and we have no idea who they are or where they're coming from. Don't have the guards rush over there or anything, just assume it's harmless. Surprise, [[spoiler:the bad guy has a phaser and takes Kira hostage. To be fair to Kira, she realizes almost immediately that his phaser is useless, and after playing along all the way to the airlock, she lets him know the gig is long since up and beats the snot out of him.]]

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* IdiotBall: IconOfRebellion: In a story arc, Bajor is threaten by a nationalistic group called the Circle. These extremists would spray paint their symbol as vandalism or in their headquarters.
* IdiotBall:
**
Sisko and Kira in "Resurrection". We're at war, someone's beaming into Ops and we have no idea who they are or where they're coming from. Don't have the guards rush over there or anything, just assume it's harmless. Surprise, [[spoiler:the bad guy has a phaser and takes Kira hostage. To be fair to Kira, she realizes almost immediately that his phaser is useless, and after playing along all the way to the airlock, she lets him know the gig is long since up and beats the snot out of him.]]



* IfIWantedYouDead: When Garak suggests Kira might have been the one who [[spoiler:blew up his shop]], Bashir tells him to be serious about the situation.
--> '''Garak''': I am serious. I don't think she likes me.\\
'''Odo''': She doesn't. But if she wanted you dead, you ''would'' be.\\
'''Garak''': You do have a point.
* IfYouCanReadThis: The Promenade Directory is full of in-jokes.



* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Quark manages to [[ParanoiaFuel really mess with Garak's head]] with this line of reasoning in "For The Cause".



* ImperiledInPregnancy:
** In "Body Parts" Keiko O'Brien is badly injured in a shuttle accident, and Dr. Bashir is forced to transplant the unborn Kirayoshi O'Brien into Kira Nerys, the only other female present. In this case it was an EnforcedTrope: In real life, Creator/NanaVisitor (Kira) was married to Creator/AlexanderSiddig (Bashir) and had gotten pregnant with his baby, and rather than find some way to HideYourPregnancy they [[WrittenInInfirmity wrote it into the script]].
** In "The Darkness and the Light" a SerialKiller targets the surviving members of Kira's old [[LaResistance Bajoran resistance]] cell, eventually luring the very pregnant Kira to his hideout, stunning her, and then attempting to cut Kirayoshi out of her (the intent was to save the innocent baby and take revenge on Kira). She manages to turn the tables and shoot him.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: In "Inquisition", [[spoiler: when Julian is beamed aboard the ''Defiant'', he's surprised to realize that O'Brien's shoulder isn't hurting him. He mentions the way he had injured it playing springball, which functions as an ImpostorExposingTest, since the real O'Brien had hurt his shoulder kayaking in the holosuite. Turns out the whole thing was [[SecretTestOfCharacter a holodeck simulation designed to get Bashir to confess to being a Dominion spy.]] ]]
* ImpostorExposingTest: The blood screening for changelings. [[spoiler:Not only does it not work, it turns out to have been suggested by a changeling in the first place.]]
* IncredibleShrinkingMan: "One Little Ship".
* IndyPloy: In "The House of Quark," Quark realizes Grilka is making up her plan as she goes along. When she seems unsure what the next move should be, he offers some guidance.



* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode:
** "Rules of Acquisition" is a typical Ferengi episode that just happens to feature the first mention of the Dominion.
** "The Assignment" appears to be a generic MonsterOfTheWeek story at first. However, it introduces the Pah-Wraiths, the enemies of the Bajoran Prophets, who eventually become a key part of the main plot.
* InSeriesNickname: Jadzia Dax is "Old Man" to Sisko (and Ezri, to some extent)
* InSpiteOfANail: A very big nail! Even though the galaxy is completely different in the mirror universe where the Terran Empire are in charge, somehow all the main characters not only have been born but feature prominently in the story. And when a new character enters Deep Space 9 (Worf, Ezri) they begin to feature in the mirror universe.
* InsaneTrollLogic: After concluding their long running war and seeking Federation assistance to dispose of their biological weapons, the T'Lani and the Kelleruns decide the best way to keep themselves safe is to [[spoiler:murder the Federation officers sent to help them and fire on a Federation runabout, which Sisko explicitly states is an act of war.]]
* InsistentTerminology: [=DS9=] is not a Federation station... it's a Bajoran station under Federation administration. This is repeated several times by Sisko and ''especially'' Kira in the early seasons.
* InsufferableGenius: Bashir, especially in early seasons. Arguably got worse after [[spoiler: the truth about his genetic enhancements came to light.]] This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Garak in "A Time To Stand".
--> [[spoiler: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtXYbYbP9o '''Garak:''' You're not genetically enhanced-- you're a ''Vulcan!'']]]].



* IntergenerationalFriendship: Dax and Sisko.
* TheIntern: Bashir, for the first season or so. He's in charge of the infirmary because they're so short-staffed and nobody wanted the job, anyway.
* InterspeciesRomance: Since the cast is comprised of several different species, there are a ''lot'' of these. Jadzia is fancied by both Quark and Bashir, and ends up marrying Worf; [[spoiler:Ezri, in turn, eventually enters into a relationship with Bashir.]] Dukat has a thing for Bajoran women - he had several Bajorn mistresses and has a half-Bajoran half-Cardassian daughter, Tora Ziyal - and he lusts after Kira. Odo's been in love with Kira for quite a while as well. Quark has a brief marriage and recurring relationship with Grilka, a Klingon woman, as well as an old flame in the form of Natima Lang, a Cardassian scholar. Rom pines after and eventually marries Leeta, a Bajoran, who previously dated Bashir. Ziyal has a crush on Garak, who possibly reciprocates, and Garak has ''something'' that's never quite defined with Bashir. ''Phew.''
* InTheBack: As Garak points out, it's the safest way to shoot someone.
* IntimateMarks: An exchange between Jadzia and a [[GirlOfTheWeek Boy of the Week]] provides the page quote. Starting with this series Trills all have dual rows of spots starting at their foreheads and continuing down their sides to their feet. A minor RunningGag is that non-Trills would like to know just how far down the spots go. This was {{enforced|Trope}} over the RubberForeheadAliens look used in the Trills' debut in Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration: "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E23TheHost The Host]]" because the [=DS9=] TV crew thought the [=TNG=] makeup made Terry Farrell look ugly.
* IntrepidReporter: Jake, who stays behind after the Dominion takeover of the station.
* InverseDialogueDeathRule: {{Subverted}} with Damar near the end, who despite being rather important to the plot and the universe went out with a [[KilledMidSentence one-word]] final speech.



* IconOfRebellion: In a story arc, Bajor is threaten by a nationalistic group called the Circle. These extremists would spray paint their symbol as vandalism or in their headquarters.
* IfIWantedYouDead: When Garak suggests Kira might have been the one who [[spoiler:blew up his shop]], Bashir tells him to be serious about the situation.
--> '''Garak''': I am serious. I don't think she likes me.
--> '''Odo''': She doesn't. But if she wanted you dead, you ''would'' be.
--> '''Garak''': You do have a point.
* IfYouCanReadThis: The Promenade Directory is full of in-jokes.
* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Quark manages to [[ParanoiaFuel really mess with Garak's head]] with this line of reasoning in "For The Cause".
* ImperiledInPregnancy:
** In "Body Parts" Keiko O'Brien is badly injured in a shuttle accident, and Dr. Bashir is forced to transplant the unborn Kirayoshi O'Brien into Kira Nerys, the only other female present. In this case it was an EnforcedTrope: In real life, Creator/NanaVisitor (Kira) was married to Creator/AlexanderSiddig (Bashir) and had gotten pregnant with his baby, and rather than find some way to HideYourPregnancy they [[WrittenInInfirmity wrote it into the script]].
** In "The Darkness and the Light" a SerialKiller targets the surviving members of Kira's old [[LaResistance Bajoran resistance]] cell, eventually luring the very pregnant Kira to his hideout, stunning her, and then attempting to cut Kirayoshi out of her (the intent was to save the innocent baby and take revenge on Kira). She manages to turn the tables and shoot him.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: In "Inquisition", [[spoiler: when Julian is beamed aboard the ''Defiant'', he's surprised to realize that O'Brien's shoulder isn't hurting him. He mentions the way he had injured it playing springball, which functions as an ImpostorExposingTest, since the real O'Brien had hurt his shoulder kayaking in the holosuite. Turns out the whole thing was [[SecretTestOfCharacter a holodeck simulation designed to get Bashir to confess to being a Dominion spy.]] ]]
* ImpostorExposingTest: The blood screening for changelings. [[spoiler:Not only does it not work, it turns out to have been suggested by a changeling in the first place.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Jadzia Dax is "Old Man" to Sisko (and Ezri, to some extent)
* InSpiteOfANail: A very big nail! Even though the galaxy is completely different in the mirror universe where the Terran Empire are in charge, somehow all the main characters not only have been born but feature prominently in the story. And when a new character enters Deep Space 9 (Worf, Ezri) they begin to feature in the mirror universe.
* InTheBack: As Garak points out, it's the safest way to shoot someone.
* IncredibleShrinkingMan: "One Little Ship".
* IndyPloy: In "The House of Quark," Quark realizes Grilka is making up her plan as she goes along. When she seems unsure what the next move should be, he offers some guidance.
* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode:
** "Rules of Acquisition" is a typical Ferengi episode that just happens to feature the first mention of the Dominion.
** "The Assignment" appears to be a generic MonsterOfTheWeek story at first. However, it introduces the Pah-Wraiths, the enemies of the Bajoran Prophets, who eventually become a key part of the main plot.
* InsaneTrollLogic: After concluding their long running war and seeking Federation assistance to dispose of their biological weapons, the T'Lani and the Kelleruns decide the best way to keep themselves safe is to [[spoiler:murder the Federation officers sent to help them and fire on a Federation runabout, which Sisko explicitly states is an act of war.]]
* InsistentTerminology: [=DS9=] is not a Federation station... it's a Bajoran station under Federation administration. This is repeated several times by Sisko and ''especially'' Kira in the early seasons.
* InsufferableGenius: Bashir, especially in early seasons. Arguably got worse after [[spoiler: the truth about his genetic enhancements came to light.]] This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Garak in "A Time To Stand".
--> [[spoiler: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtXYbYbP9o '''Garak:''' You're not genetically enhanced-- you're a ''Vulcan!'']] ]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Dax and Sisko.
* InterspeciesRomance: Since the cast is comprised of several different species, there are a ''lot'' of these. Jadzia is fancied by both Quark and Bashir, and ends up marrying Worf; [[spoiler:Ezri, in turn, eventually enters into a relationship with Bashir.]] Dukat has a thing for Bajoran women - he had several Bajorn mistresses and has a half-Bajoran half-Cardassian daughter, Tora Ziyal - and he lusts after Kira. Odo's been in love with Kira for quite a while as well. Quark has a brief marriage and recurring relationship with Grilka, a Klingon woman, as well as an old flame in the form of Natima Lang, a Cardassian scholar. Rom pines after and eventually marries Leeta, a Bajoran, who previously dated Bashir. Ziyal has a crush on Garak, who possibly reciprocates, and Garak has ''something'' that's never quite defined with Bashir. ''Phew.''
* TheIntern: Bashir, for the first season or so. He's in charge of the infirmary because they're so short-staffed and nobody wanted the job, anyway.
* IntimateMarks: An exchange between Jadzia and a [[GirlOfTheWeek Boy of the Week]] provides the page quote. Starting with this series Trills all have dual rows of spots starting at their foreheads and continuing down their sides to their feet. A minor RunningGag is that non-Trills would like to know just how far down the spots go. This was {{enforced|Trope}} over the RubberForeheadAliens look used in the Trills' debut in Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration: "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E23TheHost The Host]]" because the [=DS9=] TV crew thought the [=TNG=] makeup made Terry Farrell look ugly.
* IntrepidReporter: Jake, who stays behind after the Dominion takeover of the station.

to:

* IconOfRebellion: In a story arc, Bajor is threaten by a nationalistic group called the Circle. These extremists would spray paint their symbol as vandalism or in their headquarters.
* IfIWantedYouDead: When Garak suggests Kira might have been the one who [[spoiler:blew up his shop]], Bashir tells him to be serious about the situation.
--> '''Garak''': I am serious. I don't think she likes me.
--> '''Odo''': She doesn't. But if she wanted you dead, you ''would'' be.
--> '''Garak''': You do have a point.
* IfYouCanReadThis: The Promenade Directory is full of in-jokes.
* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Quark manages to [[ParanoiaFuel really mess with Garak's head]] with this line of reasoning in "For The Cause".
* ImperiledInPregnancy:
** In "Body Parts" Keiko O'Brien is badly injured in a shuttle accident, and Dr. Bashir is forced to transplant the unborn Kirayoshi O'Brien into Kira Nerys, the only other female present. In this case it was an EnforcedTrope: In real life, Creator/NanaVisitor (Kira) was married to Creator/AlexanderSiddig (Bashir) and had gotten pregnant with his baby, and rather than find some way to HideYourPregnancy they [[WrittenInInfirmity wrote it into the script]].
** In "The Darkness and the Light" a SerialKiller targets the surviving members of Kira's old [[LaResistance Bajoran resistance]] cell, eventually luring the very pregnant Kira to his hideout, stunning her, and then attempting to cut Kirayoshi out of her (the intent was to save the innocent baby and take revenge on Kira). She manages to turn the tables and shoot him.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: In "Inquisition", [[spoiler: when Julian is beamed aboard the ''Defiant'', he's surprised to realize that O'Brien's shoulder isn't hurting him. He mentions the way he had injured it playing springball, which functions as an ImpostorExposingTest, since the real O'Brien had hurt his shoulder kayaking in the holosuite. Turns out the whole thing was [[SecretTestOfCharacter a holodeck simulation designed to get Bashir to confess to being a Dominion spy.]] ]]
* ImpostorExposingTest: The blood screening for changelings. [[spoiler:Not only does it not work, it turns out to have been suggested by a changeling in the first place.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Jadzia Dax is "Old Man" to Sisko (and Ezri, to some extent)
* InSpiteOfANail: A very big nail! Even though the galaxy is completely different in the mirror universe where the Terran Empire are in charge, somehow all the main characters not only have been born but feature prominently in the story. And when a new character enters Deep Space 9 (Worf, Ezri) they begin to feature in the mirror universe.
* InTheBack: As Garak points out, it's the safest way to shoot someone.
* IncredibleShrinkingMan: "One Little Ship".
* IndyPloy: In "The House of Quark," Quark realizes Grilka is making up her plan as she goes along. When she seems unsure what the next move should be, he offers some guidance.
* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode:
** "Rules of Acquisition" is a typical Ferengi episode that just happens to feature the first mention of the Dominion.
** "The Assignment" appears to be a generic MonsterOfTheWeek story at first. However, it introduces the Pah-Wraiths, the enemies of the Bajoran Prophets, who eventually become a key part of the main plot.
* InsaneTrollLogic: After concluding their long running war and seeking Federation assistance to dispose of their biological weapons, the T'Lani and the Kelleruns decide the best way to keep themselves safe is to [[spoiler:murder the Federation officers sent to help them and fire on a Federation runabout, which Sisko explicitly states is an act of war.]]
* InsistentTerminology: [=DS9=] is not a Federation station... it's a Bajoran station under Federation administration. This is repeated several times by Sisko and ''especially'' Kira in the early seasons.
* InsufferableGenius: Bashir, especially in early seasons. Arguably got worse after [[spoiler: the truth about his genetic enhancements came to light.]] This was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Garak in "A Time To Stand".
--> [[spoiler: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtXYbYbP9o '''Garak:''' You're not genetically enhanced-- you're a ''Vulcan!'']] ]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Dax and Sisko.
* InterspeciesRomance: Since the cast is comprised of several different species, there are a ''lot'' of these. Jadzia is fancied by both Quark and Bashir, and ends up marrying Worf; [[spoiler:Ezri, in turn, eventually enters into a relationship with Bashir.]] Dukat has a thing for Bajoran women - he had several Bajorn mistresses and has a half-Bajoran half-Cardassian daughter, Tora Ziyal - and he lusts after Kira. Odo's been in love with Kira for quite a while as well. Quark has a brief marriage and recurring relationship with Grilka, a Klingon woman, as well as an old flame in the form of Natima Lang, a Cardassian scholar. Rom pines after and eventually marries Leeta, a Bajoran, who previously dated Bashir. Ziyal has a crush on Garak, who possibly reciprocates, and Garak has ''something'' that's never quite defined with Bashir. ''Phew.''
* TheIntern: Bashir, for the first season or so. He's in charge of the infirmary because they're so short-staffed and nobody wanted the job, anyway.
* IntimateMarks: An exchange between Jadzia and a [[GirlOfTheWeek Boy of the Week]] provides the page quote. Starting with this series Trills all have dual rows of spots starting at their foreheads and continuing down their sides to their feet. A minor RunningGag is that non-Trills would like to know just how far down the spots go. This was {{enforced|Trope}} over the RubberForeheadAliens look used in the Trills' debut in Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration: "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E23TheHost The Host]]" because the [=DS9=] TV crew thought the [=TNG=] makeup made Terry Farrell look ugly.
* IntrepidReporter: Jake, who stays behind after the Dominion takeover of the station.





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Changed: 763

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** In "Profit and Lace," Quark temporarily becomes a female to attend a business meeting.
** Odo briefly assumes the form of the Female Changeling during an espionage mission against the Dominion in "Tacking into the Wind."

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** In "Profit a minor example, Dax by way of TheNthDoctor. Dax is a Trill symbiote who inhabits humanoid hosts. In the series, Dax first inhabits Jadzia. Later in the series Dax inhabits Ezri. Both of them are female, but Sisko knew her in her previous male Curzon incarnation and Lace," Quark temporarily becomes calls her "old man" throughout the series. In order, Dax's hosts were Lela (F), Tobin (M), Emony (F), Audrid (F), Torias (M), Joran (M), Curzon (M), Jadzia (F), Verad (M - temporary), Ezri (F), and Yedrin (M - alternate reality). In one way or another, all of these hosts are met in the series.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary the pilot]]" we meet host Curson in
a brief flashback.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E04InvasiveProcedures Invasive Procedures]]" a male Trill host steals Jadzia's symbiote to become Verad Dax.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E04Equilibrium Equilibrium]]", we meet Joran for the first time in a flashback.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E25Facets Facets]]" we meet all of Jadzia Dax's previous male and
female to attend a business meeting.
** Odo briefly assumes the form
hosts except Verad when their spirits possess various other ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' characters. The host spirits all possess persons of the Female Changeling same sex except for Audrid (female) who possesses Quark (male).
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E22ChildrenOfTime Children of Time]]", we meet the alternate reality male incarnation Yedrin Dax.
*** In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E13FieldOfFire Field of Fire]]" we meet Joran for a second time in flashback, this time portrayed by a different actor.
** In season 6 "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E23ProfitAndLace Profit and Lace]]", Quark (for reasons having to do with a Ferengi diplomat) has to have a temporary sex change. Not only does he pop out of Sickbay as a physiologically complete Ferengi woman, his ''personality'' has [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody suddenly altered]] to be completely feminine. [[ThirdLawOfGenderBending Cue the parade of human female stereotype behaviors]].
** In season 7 "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E22TackingIntoTheWind Tacking into the Wind]]",
during an espionage mission against the Dominion in "Tacking into Dominion, Odo (a shapeshifter) briefly assumes the Wind."form of the Female Changeling.

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** Early season Ferengi in general seem to have more in common with appearances in the early seasons of [=TNG==]. More stereotypically conniving for little reason and more feral in tone with exaggerated mannerisms. In his first minute on screen, Quark literally ''hissed'' at Nog after Nog was arrested, with Nog shrinking back in fear. This goes away quickly, with most Ferengi on screen in the first season working in Quark's bar as civilians and not the overt antagonists often seen in the prior series.

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** Early season Ferengi in general seem to have more in common with appearances in the early seasons of [=TNG==].[=TNG=]. More stereotypically conniving for little reason and more feral in tone with exaggerated mannerisms. In his first minute on screen, Quark literally ''hissed'' at Nog after Nog was arrested, with Nog shrinking back in fear. This goes away quickly, with most Ferengi on screen in the first season working in Quark's bar as civilians and not the overt antagonists often seen in the prior series.


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** Odo's face makeup in his first couple appearances give him a much more gaunt, textured appearance. By midway through the first season, it had settled on the unnaturally smooth, rounded UncannyValley look that he'd bear for the remainder of the series.
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** Early season Ferengi in general seem to have more in common with appearances in the early seasons of [=TNG==]. More stereotypically conniving for little reason and more feral in tone with exaggerated mannerisms. In his first minute on screen, Quark literally ''hissed'' at Nog after Nog was arrested, with Nog shrinking back in fear. This goes away quickly, with most Ferengi on screen in the first season working in Quark's bar as civilians and not the overt antagonists often seen in the prior series.


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** Doctor Bashir spends most of the first season filling the role of the series EnsignNewbie: A young, naive wide-eyed newcomer who managed to offend Kira with his description of the medical billet on [=DS9=] as a wilderness, remote frontier posting. In addition, he spends an inordinate amount of time hitting on Jadzia even (especially?) when she refuses his advances. It isn't until well into the second season that he sheds his flighty persona and is more defined by his sense of duty and medical responsibility.

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* JurisdictionFriction: In "Defiant", when Gul Dukat wants to send Cardassian warships to patrol a certain sector, the resident Obsidian Order observer tells him in no uncertain terms that that sector is under direct control of the Order, and any ship sent into it--including Cardassian warships--will be destroyed.

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* JurisdictionFriction: JurisdictionFriction:
**
In "Defiant", when Gul Dukat wants to send Cardassian warships to patrol a certain sector, the resident Obsidian Order observer tells him in no uncertain terms that that sector is under direct control of the Order, and any ship sent into it--including Cardassian warships--will be destroyed.


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** "Apocalypse Rising" opens with Kira and Worf arguing over whether or not to send out the ''Defiant'' to look for Sisko and Dax, who are late coming back from a meeting with Starfleet Command. Kira is First Officer of [=DS9=] itself and insists that the ''Defiant'' remain to defend the station, since the Klingons are at war with the Federation. However, Worf is First Officer of the ''Defiant'' and clearly does not consider himself beholden to Kira's orders as far as the ship is concerned. (O'Brien, who is also present during this argument, makes a point of speaking out in support of Worf. Being an NCO, his opinion has exactly zero weight in the matter, but Kira has enough respect for him that she doesn't tell him off for speaking out of turn.) Kira points out that Sisko's own orders were for the ''Defiant'' to defend the station, and before Worf has a chance to argue sensors pick up Sisko and Dax on their battle-damaged runabout.
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* HeinousnessRetcon:
** The Ferengi go through several versions of this during the show's run, mostly due to initial plans for them to be the shows main antagonists falling through. Here, they completely reimagined as a ProudMerchantRace whose only focuses are on economic pursuit and profit (albeit with not [[CorruptCorporateExecutive many moral scruples]]), with Quark outright boasting that the Ferengi had never engaged in active warfare during their entire existence, instead using their economic skills to force any opponents into making a quick (and often highly profitable) deals. With not even [[TheEngineer Chief O'Brien]] (who was aboard the Enterprise and involved in several Ferengi attacks) ever calling him out the discrepancy.
** Joran, the secret former host of the Dax symbiont, whilst always a murderer and presented as psychologically unstable, in his origin "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E04Equilibrium Equilibrium]]" he was a regular killer with only one victim, someone he had a motive to kill. In all his later appearances he has more victims and is full-blown deranged, with even Quark somehow knowing it. To the point that Ezri summons him to help her get an insight into the mind of a psycho when there is a SerialKiller loose on the station.
Willbyr MOD

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crosswicking a new trope

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* ForcedAddiction: The Jem'Hadar were engineered by the Founders to be addicted to a substance callled Ketracel-White. It provides all their nutritional needs, but it's the ''only'' source of sustenance they can take, and being deprived of it will cause a Jem'Hadar to become [[AxCrazy violently insane]] and then die.
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* GodBeforeDogma: The portrayal of the [[CrystalDragonJesus Catholic-esque Bajoran religion]] early on counterpoints Vedek (bishop) Winn Adami with Vedek Bareil Antos. Winn is a recurring antagonist mostly portrayed as conservative, venal, and power-hungry. Bareil is a saintly man whose EstablishingCharacterMoment is refusing to squeeze Commander Sisko's ear between his fingers, a practice of Bajoran priests he found unpleasant as a child, and has a habit of taking Bajoran prophecies and showing that [[ProphecyTwist they can often be interpreted as having the complete opposite meaning from the accepted version]].

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