Star Trek: The Next Generation's Worf (Michael Dorn) had a complex relationship with the Klingon Empire, which was fixed during the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Raised by his adoptive human parents and the first Klingon to enroll in Starfleet, Worf often faced prejudice as a result. This contributed to an inner conflict within Worf between his loyalty to Starfleet and his loyalty to his Klingon heritage.

Worf is set to return for Star Trek: Picard season 3, and it's clear he's still in crisis. It's been revealed that Worf has embraced a life of pacifism, the reasons for which will presumably be expanded upon during Picard's final season. It's implied by how Worf talks about Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) that he has finally been able to make peace with his Klingon heritage, and the betrayal of his father by the Empire. There has been a lot of tragedy and difficulty in Worf's life leading up to Picard season 3, and here is a reminder of his many problems with the Klingon Empire.

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Worf’s House of Mogh Family History In TNG

Worf and Kurn in Star Trek

Worf, and his brother Kurn (Tony Todd) were born to the House of Mogh, headed by the influential Klingon patriarch. It was Worf and Kurn's father Mogh who unearthed a conspiracy by his rival Ja'rod to collaborate with the Romulan Empire in a sneak attack on a Klingon colony at Khitomer. Mogh never went public with his information, and instead ensured his sons were spared from the oncoming devastation. Separated by the Khitomer attack, Worf became a Starfleet Officer while Kurn became a Klingon warrior.

Unfortunately, because Mogh never voiced his suspicions about a collaborator before his death, it allowed for Ja'roth's son Duras to frame Worf's father for this shameful betrayal. To defend his father's honor, Worf challenged the allegations of the House of Duras. However, when it became clear that the influential and powerful Duras could incite a Klingon civil war and kill his brother Kurn, Worf remained silent and was ceremonially stripped of his Klingon honor.

Later, Worf's former lover and the mother of his child, K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) discovered the truth about the House of Duras and the Khitomer massacre. To ensure her silence, Duras killed K'Ehleyr, another of Worf's many tragedies. Worf avenged the murder of his lover by killing Duras in battle, allowing for Duras to be replaced by Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly). This led to the civil war that had been feared and Worf left the Enterprise to fight the House of Duras alongside Gowron. After Worf and the Enterprise crew defeated the House of Duras and exposed Romulan involvement, Chancellor Gowron restored Worf's honor and installed his brother Kurn on the High Council, ending years of shame for the House of Mogh.

How DS9 Fixed Worf’s Problems With The Klingons

Worf stares off camera while DS9 crew member looks at him questioningly

With honor restored, Worf maintained a strong relationship with Chancellor Gowron, which inspired Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to seek his help in averting war between the Klingons and Cardassians. Worf almost fell afoul of the Klingon Empire again when he fired upon a civilian transport ship, destroying it. However, it was revealed that the ship had no actual Klingon civilians aboard, and Worf escaped a court-martial and potential discommendation from the Empire.

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Worf played an integral role in the Dominion War, which helped to strengthen his standing within the Klingon Empire. Believing that Chancellor Gowron had been replaced by a Changeling, Starfleet sent Sisko and Worf to expose the Klingon Chancellor as an agent of the Dominion. However, it was actually Gowron's close advisor General Martok (J.G. Hertzler) who had been replaced, and Odo exposed him as a Changeling.

Worf would later rescue the real General Martok from a Dominion prison camp, eventually restoring him to his place by Gowron's side. Martok became a key ally of Worf and Sisko during the Dominion War, and Chancellor Gowron began to fear he may lose his position as Chancellor. Gowron decided to tarnish Martok's impressive record by placing him in impossible situations, in the hope that he would lose and damage his reputation, or better yet, die in the process. However, General Martok refused to confront Gowron as it would be tantamount to turning against the Klingon Empire.

Rather, it was Worf who confronted Gowron, battling him to the death and succeeding him as Chancellor. By spilling Gowron's Klingon blood, Worf completed his ascension from the son of a disgraced Klingon patriarch to the highest position in the Empire, finally earning his place. However, Worf had no interest in being Chancellor, and handed the position to Martok, who made Worf a Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire.

What’s Known About Worf Going Into Star Trek: Picard Season 3

Worf star trek picard season 3

Star Trek: Nemesis takes place after the end of the Dominion War, and sees Worf aboard the Enterprise-E, where no reference is made as to his role as ambassador. He's there for the wedding of Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and becomes involved in the battle between Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his clone Shinzon (Tom Hardy) as a result. The final TNG movie had complicated rights-related reasons for not referencing Worf's time on DS9, which is presumably why no further information was given as to the Klingon's current position.

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In Picard season 1, a brief picture of Worf appeared on-screen before the controversial interview with Jean-Luc. When the retired Starfleet admiral embarked on his mission to protect Data's daughter, he mused that Worf was still a loyal colleague who wouldn't hesitate to join him. This assumption will be proved correct in Picard season 3 when Jean-Luc reunites the crew of the Enterprise-D for one final mission to take on Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer).

As revealed in the Star Trek: Picard season 3 trailer, Worf prefers a pacifist lifestyle now, although, hilariously, he has a huge sword and is also seen engaging in hand-to-hand combat with embittered former Starfleet Officer Raffi. It remains to be seen just what has inspired this new pacifist outlook, but Michael Dorn has said that the character finally knows who he is, and the more peaceful version of Worf is the culmination of that search for identity and meaning. Given that Worf's search for identity defined his arcs in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, it's hoped that Star Trek: Picard season 3 will give audiences a satisfying answer, and a continuation of the Klingon's story.

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