Worf, son of Mogh, of the Klingon House of Martok, of the Human House of Rozhenko, bane of the House of Duras, slayer of Gowron has had one of the most riveting character arcs of any character from Star Trek. Audiences first met him as part of the Enterprise crew in The Next Generation, where he served as a chief security officer. The franchise wasn't done with him after that series ended, though. The first Klingon Starfleet officer found himself in multiple movies, and eventually on The Next Generation's follow-up series, Deep Space Nine.

Worf joined Deep Space Nine in the premiere of its fourth season, just as things were heating up between the Federation and the oppressive Dominion from the Gamma Quadrant. In Deep Space Nine, Worf found himself married, at odds with the Klingon Empire, in command of a Klingon Bird of Prey, and traversing a journey of self-exploration. However, his story didn't end with the finale of Deep Space Nine​​​​​​.

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Who is Worf?

Worf's Appearances Throughout Star Trek

  • The Next Generation
  • Star Trek: Generations
  • Deep Space Nine
  • Star Trek: First Contact
  • Star Trek: Insurrection
  • Star Trek: Nemesis
  • Star Trek: Picard

Worf is a Klingon of two worlds. A human couple from Earth raised him after his parents died in a Romulan attack on the Khitomer colony. Despite Earth being a hub for many different alien species, Worf was the only Klingon, but his adopted parents, the Rozhenkos, ensured he stayed true to the Klingon culture. He eventually returned to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS when he was 15 in an attempt to become a Klingon warrior, but the Klingons rejected him. From there, he returned to Earth and enlisted in Starfleet Academy, becoming the first Klingon to serve in Starfleet.

Worf ended up on the U.S.S. Enterprise with Jean Luc Picard as his captain, under whom he would serve for many years. He started out as a relief officer for the starship until Tasha Yar's death in The Next Generation's first season, earning himself the position of security chief. He would eventually become the chief tactical officer as well, along with a promotion to lieutenant. After his time on the Enterprise, Worf found himself on Deep Space Nine, a space station near Bajor, as the station's strategic operations officer.

It's on Deep Space Nine where he met his first wife, Jadzia Dax, a Trill who had technically lived seven lifetimes. Unfortunately, Worf would know heartache, as Jadzia died at the hands of a possessed Gul Dukat. This crushed Worf for a long time, making it difficult for him to interact with Ezri Dax at first when she ends up serving on Deep Space Nine. Worf served throughout the Dominion War while on the station, and became known as a Klingon hero to the Klingon Empire.

Worf Briefly Served as an Ambassador

Star Trek: worf title

After Deep Space Nine, Worf left the space station to become a Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire. He worked closely with Chancellor Martok, a Klingon who accepted Worf and allowed him to join his house. This role most likely proved difficult for him, as most Klingons are apt to throw their fist at someone before using their words. This seems to be the reason for his return to active duty in Starfleet. In the original script for Star Trek: Nemesis, Beverly Crusher expresses gratitude for his return to the Enterprise. Worf replies:

I was not suited for the life of a…diplomat.

Worf rejoins his old crew on the Enterprise-E, where he fights a Picard clone who took over the Romulan Empire and has his sights on obliterating Earth. After putting an end to Shinzon's scheme, Worf received a promotion and became Picard's new Number One, due to Commander Riker becoming Captain Riker and earning command of the U.S.S. Titan. Worf continued serving under Picard until the captain received a promotion to Admiral. That's when Worf took over command of the Enterprise-E.

However, Worf's stint as captain didn't last too long, and he stepped down after an incident on Krillar Prime. He decided he had enough of starships and transferred to Starfleet Intelligence, where he became the handler for many undercover agents across the galaxy. When he became Commander Raffaela "Raffi" Musiker's handler, though, he didn't realize it would reunite him with his old Enterprise crew.

Worf Played a Vital Role in Foiling the Borg

Michael Dorn as an aged Worf in Star Trek: Picard

In season three of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi seemed to have a hard time adjusting to civilian life and became dependent on drugs. However, the audience learned that she was working with Starfleet Intelligence in an undercover capacity. She was specifically investigating the theft of a powerful weapon from the Daystrom Institute. When she ran into trouble with a Ferengi named Sneed, Worf revealed himself as her handler and saved Raffi from Sneed's scheme.

As Worf spent more time with Raffi, viewers saw that the Klingon was not the same impulsive, quick-to-anger man he once was. He had grown in wisdom, and was more comparable to a warrior monk than a Viking berserker. He used his wisdom to guide Raffi, who reminded him of himself. The two followed the breadcrumbs of the Daystrom Institute theft to discover (with help from his old Changeling friend Odo) that a rogue group of Changelings infiltrated Starfleet and were working with the Borg to overthrow them. Worf reunited with Picard, Riker, and the rest of the bridge crew from The Next Generation, where they proceeded to board an abandoned Borg cube over Jupiter.

Worf's tenure began with him as a lowly lieutenant junior grade, only for him to climb through the ranks and become Captain of his own starship before leaving to essentially spy for the Federation. He saw his fair share of battles, and fought in a galaxy-wide war against an enemy from the other end of the galaxy. He found love, lost the ones he fell for, and even regained his honor in the eyes of the Klingon Empire. Worf had one of the most exciting and rich careers out of everyone who put on a Starfleet uniform.

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