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Who is Kira Nerys?

What Happened to Kira Nerys After Deep Space 9?

Does Kira appear in other Star Trek series?

Deep Space Nine gave audiences a wide variety of characters with intriguing backgrounds. The series took a new approach to Star Trek in a number of ways, from the format of the series to the topics of each episode. The biggest change was the person in charge and their second in command. Instead of a Captain, Deep Space Nine had Benjamin Sisko start out as a Commander. His Number One wasn't even a Starfleet officer, nor did she hold a naval rank like every other Number One. Major Kira Nerys, who eventually became Colonel Kira Nerys, came from the Bajoran Republic and acted as a liaison between Starfleet and Bajor.

Played by Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys didn't initially take kindly to Starfleet's presence on the Deep Space Nine station. She had grown up as a prisoner to the Cardassians, and saw Starfleet as another occupying force. She wanted to help her planet and people heal from the state the Cardassians left them in, and joining the Federation felt too opportunistic for her liking. Despite her reservations, though, Kira went on to become Captain Sisko's most trusted colleague as she served loyally as his Number One.

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Who is Kira Nerys?

Unlike other series regulars on Star Trek, Major Kira Nerys was not part of Starfleet. Despite that, she served as Commander Benjamin Sisko's Number One officer throughout Deep Space Nine. This was because the station belonged to the Bajoran government, with Starfleet simply managing it.

Before Kira's position on Deep Space Nine, she was a significant figure in the Bajoran resistance against the Cardassian occupation. Those on Bajor and Cardassia knew exactly who she was, and the Cardassians held no love for her. Kira was an intense person with strong feelings toward anything related to her people and the Cardassians, due to spending a large part of her life in a refugee camp.

Kira was initially reluctant to Starfleet's presence on DS9, seeing it as another form of occupation just after the Cardassians. She asserted herself loudly on the station, embodying Bajor's fighting spirit. It didn't take long for Starfleet officers to learn that she wasn't the person to be on the wrong side of. She would eventually attain the rank of colonel and perform an integral role in the Cardassian rebellion against the Dominion.

What Happened to Kira Nerys After Deep Space 9?

During the Dominion War, Colonel Kira Nerys played an integral role in freeing the Cardassians from Dominion rule. She used her expertise as a freedom fighter to teach Gul Damar and his resistance fighters what they needed to know about guerrilla warfare. Without Kira and Garak assisting the Cardassian rebels, defeating the Dominion might not have been possible. Thanks to her bravery and ability to work with former enemies, Kira became Deep Space Nine's new commander after Captain Sisko's disappearance.

By 2381, Kira still served as the station's commander and maintained a vigilant watch over the wormhole. Deep Space Nine continued playing a vital role for Starfleet, monitoring the entrance to the Gamma Quadrant despite Bajor never joining the Federation. Thanks to the station's position, many aliens throughout the Alpha Quadrant were able to open up trade negotiations with those in the Gamma Quadrant. In What We Left Behind, the documentary about Deep Space Nine, Ira Steven Behr envisioned Kira not only running Deep Space Nine, but also serving as a Vedek. While that idea never came to fruition in the shows themselves, it's still a possibility down the road.

Does Kira appear in other Star Trek series?

The last anyone saw of the Deep Space Nine station was in Deep Space Nine's finale. However, thanks to Star Trek: Lower Decks, fans learned that the station is still thriving seven years after Deep Space Nine's conclusion. In the season three episode "Hear All, Trust Nothing," Kira returns along with everyone's favorite Ferengi entrepreneur, Quark.

In the Lower Decks episode, Kira interacts with the crew of the USS Cerritos. She reunites with Lt. Shax, who is an old friend and the Cerritos' Chief Security Officer and Bajoran. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper DS9 reunion if Quark wasn't up to no good, and without Odo around, getting away with no good has been significantly easier. When the Gamma Quadrant Karemma discovers that Quark stole their technology to improve his own replicators, they attempt to take him into custody and bring him to the Gamma Quadrant for trial.

It becomes Kira's job to help her Ferengi friend, as she negotiates with the Karemma to release Quark. In return, Kira promises Quark that will turn over the bulk of his profits from the replicators. While the Ferengi entrepreneur wasn't happy with the outcome, the Karemma were more than satisfied and even opened up trade negotiations with the Federation again.