Your Top Five DS9 Supporting Characters

[Ryva Brall]

Hey, fellow Niners! I'm new here. I'd curtsey, but there doesn't seem to be an emoticon for that. So I'll just do this.

Anyway, I'm currently re-watching DS9, and it occurred to me that one of the things that makes the series so great is its enormous cast of awesome supporting characters. The fact that there are so many characters who are as good as (and in some cases even better than) the main cast is definitely a testament to the quality of both the writing and the acting of the show.

So I was wondering, if everyone had to pick their five favorite supporting characters, who would they be? I had a tough time choosing mine, but here they are, in order. Sort of.

5. Weyoun. ALL of the Weyouns. He's such an interesting blend of menacing and obsequious. His blind obedience to the Founders may be the result of genetic engineering, but you kind of have to admire his loyalty. Plus he's hilarious.

4. Dukat. (Pre-pagh-wraith-psychopath story arc) To me, he's not really the villain you love to hate, so much as the villain you hate to love. He's a war criminal, a traitor, and a philanderer, but he's so danged charismatic, you can't help but like him. Even if you don't want to.

3. Martok. In my opinion, Martok is THE coolest Klingon ever. The dude doesn't even bother with an eyepatch; he just displays his grisly scars proudly for all to see. And he accepted Worf, Jadzia, and Alexander into his family. What a guy. And you've gotta love his laugh.

2. Nog. I never thought I'd use this word to describe a Ferengi, but Nog is adorable. At first I couldn't stand him. He was like every other typical money-grubbing, misogynistic Ferengi, only younger. (And smaller.) And then he announced that he wanted to join Starfleet and do something worthwhile with his life. And he did. And with his Starfleet training and his Ferengi resourcefulness, he became a valuable member of DS9. And I love his constant state of puppy-like exuberance. I wouldn't be surprised if Nog made Admiral before he was thirty.

1. GARAK. Do I even have to explain why Garak is number one? I loved that guy from the second he sat down next to Bashir, with his charming smile and unsettling gaze. His character is so deep and complex and multi-faceted, he'd be right at home in any Shakespeare play. It's no coincidence that the best DS9 episodes just happen to be the ones with Garak in them. It's also no coincidence that if you type "Garak is awesome" into a certain popular search engine, you'll get about half a million results. Nothing could ever persuade me to turn my back on Garak, but I'd love to have lunch with him.

There. Those are my top five. Who are yours?

[flemm]

Well, I like your list. Hard to argue with any of those picks.

Damar and Agent Sloan also come to mind, but I'm not sure they'd beat out any of the characters you chose.

Kai Winn probably also deserves a mention.

[Ryva Brall]

I cringe whenever Kai Winn appears on-screen. But I suppose the fact that she can provoke such a strong response is what makes her such a good character.

After my first post, I started thinking about everyone I left out. Vic Fontaine deserves an honorable mention. And I also have to mention Michael Eddington. He was a perfect adversary for Sisko.

[R. Star]

Damar would have to make my list too. Then again I have a soft spot for redemption character arcs.

[Melakon]

Dukat leads by a mile in my opinion. He's in the first and last episodes, has about 33 appearances overall, and even when not actually in an episode, still gets mentioned. He's a continual, pervasive threat. And it must have been a relief for Marc Alaimo during Dukat's Bajoran masquerade, to just wear an earring and little nose piece instead of full Cardassian makeup.

[Dale Sams]

R. Star wrote:

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Damar would have to make my list too. Then again I have a soft spot for redemption character arcs.

I LOVE Damar. Love the ...resolution...too. Very realistic.

Wooot! jus made ma avatahhhh.

[Jono]

I was quite fond of Admiral Ross. Finally someone in Starfleet's Admiralty who wasn't a complete loon.

[Ryva Brall]

Dale Sams wrote:

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I LOVE Damar. Love the ...resolution...too. Very realistic.

Wooot! jus made ma avatahhhh.

Damar was awesome. I didn't like him at first; he seemed like just another stereotypical Cardassian. But he definitely redeemed himself. One of my favorite moments in Season 7 was when Weyoun 8 came after Worf killed his predecessor, and he asked Damar if the prisoners were cooperating, and Damar says, "No... Maybe you should talk to Worf again! "

Great avatar!

[CorporalClegg]

Ryva Brall wrote:

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1. GARAK. Do I even have to explain why Garak is number one? I loved that guy from the second he sat down next to Bashir, with his charming smile and unsettling gaze. His character is so deep and complex and multi-faceted, he'd be right at home in any Shakespeare play. It's no coincidence that the best DS9 episodes just happen to be the ones with Garak in them. It's also no coincidence that if you type "Garak is awesome" into a certain popular search engine, you'll get about half a million results. Nothing could ever persuade me to turn my back on Garak, but I'd love to have lunch with him.

I totally agree with you here with the caveat I don't really consider Garak to be a supporting character. The only reason Andy was never added to the front credits was logistical. (See: money.)

They were going to swap out Lofton for him at one point, but Robinson refused insisting Cirroc need the extra cash to pay for school (or some such).

I do remember reading an article once that suggested, after Spock, Garak had become the most popular character in all of Trekdom.

And I love Nog too. I thought I was the only one who did.

I cringe whenever Kai Winn appears on-screen. But I suppose the fact that she can provoke such a strong response is what makes her such a good character.

Yup. That's the whole point. Fletcher is just so good at making you hate her. She's just so vile and creepy and knows just where to stick the dagger and how to twist it.

I've always though Winn was one of the more unappreciated Trek villains. I mean it's freaking Nurse Ratched as an evil pope turned dictator. How can that not be awesome?

Dale Sams wrote:

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I LOVE Damar.

So did B'Elanna.

Wooot! jus made ma avatahhhh.

It's missing the bottle of kanar.

[R. Star]

Ryva Brall wrote:

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Damar was awesome. I didn't like him at first; he seemed like just another stereotypical Cardassian. But he definitely redeemed himself. One of my favorite moments in Season 7 was when Weyoun 8 came after Worf killed his predecessor, and he asked Damar if the prisoners were cooperating, and Damar says, "No... Maybe you should talk to Worf again! "

Great avatar!

Haha, that was literally one of the greatest scenes in DS9.

As for Kai Winn? Pretty much the embodiment of a Lawful Evil character. So artificially syrupy, a vicious mean streak, all under the guise of a fair cloak. Sure you hated the character... that was so often the point.

Always makes you wonder why she helped Sisko at the end. Did she regret what she did, and wanted to make up for it or was she just pissed off at Dukat?

[Ryva Brall]

R. Star wrote:

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Haha, that was literally one of the greatest scenes in DS9.

As for Kai Winn? Pretty much the embodiment of a Lawful Evil character. So artificially syrupy, a vicious mean streak, all under the guise of a fair cloak. Sure you hated the character... that was so often the point.

Always makes you wonder why she helped Sisko at the end. Did she regret what she did, and wanted to make up for it or was she just pissed off at Dukat?

I'm inclined to believe the latter. I can't imagine her doing anything for altruistic reasons.

On another note, what does everyone think about Vic Fontaine? I really like him, but I know some people who don't.

[R. Star]

Ryva Brall wrote:

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I'm inclined to believe the latter. I can't imagine her doing anything for altruistic reasons.

On another note, what does everyone think about Vic Fontaine? I really like him, but I know some people who don't.

He's alright. Darren's a pretty good singer, but when he was singing for over half the episode in His Way, it was just... ugh. If I wanted to listen to some 50's music, I'd be listening to that... not watching DS9.

He was meh... alright I guess, despite the poor first impression overall. Even if he is the virtual Mary Sue of holograms. He could do it all.

It's Only a Paper Moon was probably his best episode. Go figure that was a character piece too, which is what DS9 really did best. Nog hiding away from the world, while Vic's is vastly expanded by virtue of Nog's isolation. It was a nice balance piece and Vic did sacrifice a good bit to boot Nog back into the real world. Was also a nice episode that really touched on how much war sucks, even though there wasn't a single action scene.

Bada Bing Bada Bang was also a fun episode, if somewhat silly. DS9 does Ocean's 11 pretty much, but it was fun to watch. Him being a brawler/terrorist/whatever he was in the mirror universe was random, but funny.

Other than that... he really just seemed forced into a lot of episodes yet didn't contribute much.

[Ryva Brall]

I totally see what you're saying. Maybe I just have a soft spot for Vic because he reminds me of my favorite teacher in high school.

"It's Only a Paper Moon" is one of my favorite episodes. Just one of the many instances where great writing and acting made all the difference between a lame holodeck episode and a true classic. Aron Eisenberg outdid himself in that episode. Nog's breakdown at the end still makes me all emotional and ridiculous.

[CorporalClegg]

I quite like Darren myself, be yeah he was a bit of a Mary-Sue. Interestingly enough, I've heard Paramount use his "Come Fly With Me" in several films and shows instead of paying for Sinatra's.

I loved Bada-Bing too. I like all the classic movie parodies DS9 did: Ocean's, Bond, Casablanca (I'm forgetting one.) better than most do.

[R. Star]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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I quite like Darren myself, be yeah he was a bit of a Mary-Sue. Interestingly enough, I've heard Paramount use his "Come Fly With Me" in several films and shows instead of paying for Sinatra's.

I loved Bada-Bing too. I like all the classic movie parodies DS9 did: Ocean's, Bond, Casablanca (I'm forgetting one.) better than most do.

I still wanna see Avery Brooks as a Bond villain.