Odo (René Auberjonois) faced many challenges in Star Trek – including learning the truth about himself – which led him onto a path he never could have imagined. As a Changeling he was able to mimic anything or anyone, and throughout his life, this ability was exploited for amusement or scientific discovery. This powerlessness left him craving control, which is exactly what he got when the Cardassians made him the constable of Terok Nor. His job was to keep the Bajorans mining ore and to punish them for breaking the occupation's rules.
When the station became Deep Space Nine, the Federation did what anyone would do after looking at Odo’s impressive security record – allowed him to keep his job. Fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the privilege of watching Odo grow over 7 seasons. They saw him build friendships, fall in love, and discover the truth about where he came from. More importantly, they saw him become comfortable in his skin. It was sad to see him go in the end. But seeing him do so with new confidence filled viewers with the hope that his departure would be the start of great things for Odo.
Who is Odo on Deep Space Nine?
Odo is one of those Star Trek characters who never took anything lying down. Like Worf (Michael Dorn), he blazed a path for himself in the face of ridicule, mistreatment, and his own insecurities.
Odo was one of the 100 Changeling babies sent out into the galaxy by the Founders. Their goal was to assess how other beings reacted to something both vulnerable and unknown. Odo was discovered around two centuries later in the Denorios Belt by Bajoran scientists. One of them, Dr. Mora Pol (James Sloyan), raised him as the closest thing Odo had to a father. But the doctor treated him more like something to be studied than a being to be loved.
Odo often found his ability to shift his physical form treated like a parlor trick. Others often cared more about seeing him turn into “a chair or an animal” then they did about him as an individual with feelings. By the time Odo was working on Terok Nor as a security chief, he had gained the gruff, no-nonsense personality he had become popular for in Deep Space Nine.
Odo’ital was the name Cardassians mockingly gave him, because it translated into their language as ‘nothing.’ Under the Bajoran scientists he grew up with, he became Odo Ital, which was later shortened into Odo.
What Happened to Odo?
Odo went on a journey of self-discovery and growth in Deep Space Nine that kept fans enthralled with every twist and turn. He was the only Changeling he knew until he discovered others like him in season 3, episode 2, “The Search, Part II.” A Female Changeling (Salome Jens) welcomed him into the Great Link, which connects all Changelings. Then he discovered that she was one of the Founders behind the Dominion forces terrorizing the galaxy.
In season 5, episode 8, “Things Past,” Odo had to come to terms with how the Cardassians used him to control the enslaved Bajorans of Terok Nor. Ironically, Odo later developed a loving relationship with a Bajoran woman, Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), while also becoming friends with other members of the DS9 crew. Odo was among many allowed to channel the former hosts of Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) during the Trill zhian'tara ritual in season 3, episode 25, “Facets.” Star Trek fans found it funny to watch the normally-standoffish Odo channel the intensely extroverted Curzon.
Yet, the laughter stopped when Section 31 was discovered to have created something called a morphogenic virus, or ‘the Founders’ Disease.’ It was a degenerative disease meant to attack the cells of anyone with the ability to shift their physical form. Learning about the Founders’ Disease made Odo look at the Federation as hypocritical, unwilling to stand by their own lofty ideals. Despite Section 31 using Odo as a weapon against the Founders, though, the cure for the virus turned out to lie in his willingness to link with them anyway.
As a result of the events following the Founders' Disease, Odo left Deep Space Nine with a personal mission to save his people and build a more peaceful Dominion. This was a far cry from the Odo of early seasons, who put justice above all. His selflessness was vital to convincing the Founders to surrender and end the Dominion War.
Does Odo Appear In Other Star Trek Media?
It’s rare to see characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pop up in other TV shows or movies. It’s even less common to see Odo show up, since actor René Auberjonois passed away in 2019. Fortunately, the technology of the real world is boldly catching up with that of the franchise.
Star Trek: Prodigy is an animated series geared toward children. It focuses on a ragtag group of teens who find an old Starfleet ship and use it to make their way across the galaxy. Sometimes, though, their adventures bring them into contact with a blast from the past. In season 1, episode 6, “Kobayashi,” Odo made his first appearance in Star Trek in almost 23 years as a hologram in a simulation of the infamous training program.
Meanwhile, Star Trek: Picard is an intimate look into the life of Captain Jean Luc Picard after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Season 3, episode 4, “No Win Scenario,” showed fans a projection of Odo while the crew was in the midst of confronting their troubled past and fighting a new enemy with a familiar set of skills. It even showed the iconic bucket that Odo used whenever he reverted to his gelatinous form.
Odo was a complex character in a Star Trek series that never shied away from difficult conversations. He was implicit in the Cardassian’s attempted genocide of Bajor, until he worked hard to make himself an ally to the Bajorans. His dedication to order often made him short-sighted and stubborn. However, he eventually realized the importance of working with others. Odo was a constable on Terok Nor even after it became DS9. But he was also a friend, a mentor, and someone who slowly learned to open his heart. Still, he got a kick out of teasing Quark (Armin Shimerman) and had a deep respect for Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks).
It makes sense, then, that Odo's Star Trek journey ended with him starting another one in the Gamma Quadrant. Legend has it that if its inhabitants are quiet enough, they can hear Odo let out the occasional ‘Harumph’ from many lightyears away.