Trek character with the most surprising development

Ro was another one I came to like. Despite her betrayal. She had chemistry with Guinan. And in the relaunch novels Ro is one of few characters I want to read more about...

Spoiler: Ro's career path in the novels

From Maquis member and traitor to Captain of a Space Station

 

I'd be interested how they justify

Spoiler: Elaborating on Ro spoiler

letting Ro back into Starfleet after what she did. Was there a Maquis amnesty after the war in the Novel? Did some of the Voyager Maquis who were let into Starfleet make an argument for her?

 

Interesting question. According to the novels...

Spoiler: Ro back in Starfleet

Picard supported her comeback. I can't think that there weren't any votes against her, though. Jellico would have kicked her ass. But someone like Ro would have been wasted in a penal colony.

 

Spoiler

Maybe not a penal colony, as I believe that the surviving Maquis were given amnesty following the Dominion war. But it seems like it should have been a lot more difficult to get Starfleet to trust her again.

 

Wesley becoming a Traveller was not a good idea. They could have found another solution to the fact that he was never one of the more popular characters. Turning him into a superbeing didn't help. But I like that he left Starfleet and followed another path. There are enough of Trek kids who follow into their parent's footsteps. There are enough Kirks or Paris (Iron Mike, Owen, Tom....) or Sulus.

 

^I would have liked it more if he hadn't been a total ass to all of his shipmates in the process. The character had actually earned some goodwill from me until that point.

 

Morgan Primus/Leffler, considering how she ended up aboard Excalibur.

 

I got to thinking this morning. Of the various Starfleet positions... XO, CMO, Chief Engineer, etc... each character got differing amounts of development.

I am not talking about amount of episodes or scenes centered on them. I mean DEVELOPMENT, which can mean different things to different people. For me, I think of it in terms of how they progress from their first appearance to their last appearance.

For reference, here are the Starfleet posts that have been used in at least 3 of the series...

Captain - Sisko
First Officer - Kira
Chief Medical Officer - EMH
Chief Engineer - O'Brien
Science Officer - Data
Security Chief - Worf or Odo
Helmsman - Paris

Those are my picks. Everyone... what are yours?

 

There is already a thread (created by me) where this topic is discussed.

@1001001 Are those threads really different or can they be merged somehow?

 

Ezri Dax - not during the show, but afterwards (DS9 relaunch novels)....

Spoiler: Ezri career

from counselor to starship captain

Ezri didn't have mucht time to shine during the show, though. Or to show much progress. Agreed, she came to terms with her insecurities caused by the emergency joining. It needed the relaunch novels for following her career path - you may like it or not.

 

Rom. He goes from cheap Ferengi laughter fodder to a pretty complex character. I think his first big change was in "The Assignment" where he's the one that sees the modifications are going to kill the prophets.

 

I love all the brotherly love-and-hate moments between Rom and Quark

 

Nog, definitely. Started out for me as "Jake's annoying Ferengi friend " and by the end of the series he was heroic, selfless, brave, thoughtful, and a model Starfleet officer. He had an incredible arc.

 

I agree. Except the Valiant episode. I hate it so much. I can't stand the elite cadre of Starfleet cadetts. Too arrogant IMO.

 

I had a mixed opinion about Bashir. He was cocky. But he was also shown to be idealistic and to have a conscience, like when he risked his life to find the magic potion that might have freed the Jem'Hadar from their ketracel white addiction, or when he worked relentlessly to save the people from the blight in "The Quickening", or when he ripped Adm Ross for his double dealing in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges".

Bashir was still brash at the end, but also a lot more complex.

Rom came across as an amicable dunce. At first, I thought he was suppose to be mentally challenged. But he showed that he was smarter than the way he looked or acted. I loved the strike that he led in "Bar Association".

 

I guess I wasn't clear enough on my thread.

I meant the characters who held those specific Starfleet positions only. Kira eventually became a commissioned Starfleet Commander, so she still counts in this.

 

Supporting character? Rom. He's almost not even worth having as a character in the beginning, but by the end he's my favorite of the 3 Ferengi on the show, & developed quite complexly.

Principle characters? I gotta say it. People crap on TNG for no character development, but as much as I've ragged on him over the years for being a D-bag, Will Riker's subtle arc is very interesting. That Pegasus reveal turns his whole character on its ear, made me rethink everything I'd seen over 7 seasons, like why he'd turn down 3 commands, why he seems rather hard on lesser officers like Sam Lavelle & Reg Barclay, or troubled ones like Ro Laren, & why he almost always struggles with temporary command, when Picard is out of action. He doubts, & has to have people set him straight, makes rash decisions. He's kind of a mess as a head honcho.

In a way, he is a house of cards. He preens & struts, & plays the part of the big officer man, but at the end of the day, it's a fragile façade. I think he rose up the ranks too fast, and doesn't think he's worthy of command.

He probably used Pressman's recommendation to get some key assignments like the Potemkin promotion. It could be argued that when Pressman says "I made you, Mister" he isn't exaggerating. The man went from an Ensign posting on Betazed in 2361 to being offered his own command (The Drake) by 2364.

He laid low on Betazed after the Pegasus, & once he got on the Potemkin, he went all kinds of heroic to overcompensate, which is how the Nervala IV/Tom Riker event happened, which got him his Lt. Cmdr promotion, & a quick posting as XO of the Hood, and while it appears like he took the Enterprise 2nd seat because of prestige, in retrospect, it looks more like he wanted a mentor like Picard, who would school him, & he was too gun shy to sit in the big chair