Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is without a doubt one of the most unique Star Trek series out there. Most fans know that this series went in a very interesting and unique direction, and even if they don't particularly like the series, they can agree that it tried to show us a side of Star Trek that we had never seen before.

Most fans rank Deep Space Nine as being better than Voyager, although slightly weaker than The Next Generation. However, there are still plenty of people out there who think Deep Space Nine is actually the best Star Trek series ever, and they might just be right. Deep Space Nine was dark, gritty, and more "real" than a lot of the other series. This was a desolate space station out in the middle of nowhere. In this far corner of space that no one cares about, some interesting things can happen.

In fact, Deep Space Nine was famous for its many plot twists throughout the series. It might just have had the most amount of plot twists compared to other Star Trek series. Most of these plot twists revolved around the characters. Just when we thought we knew a central crew member, new information popped up that shocked us all. For the most part, these plot twists were actually pretty good. Other times, they fell flat on their face, and actually hurt the show in the long run. In this article, we'll explore some of the best plot twists, and some of the ones we wish we never saw.

Here are 10 Plot Twists That Hurt DS9 (And 10 That Saved It).

Hurt It - Jadzia's Exit

One of the best characters in Deep Space Nine was without a doubt Jadzia Dax. This interesting Starfleet Officer brought so much to the story, and she presented us with a type of life form that many were not familiar with. As a Trill, she lives in symbiosis with a life form that actually takes up residence inside her body. This life form is extremely long-lived, and is very wise. Jadzia Dax is actually a mixture of both the personalities of the symbiont and her own.

For many, Jadzia Dax was the main reason they even watched the show.

Unfortunately, the character was written off partway through the series, as the actress who portrayed her moved on to another project. It was a massive blow to the show, and many feel like it never really recovered afterwards.

Saved It - Worf And Jadzia's Marriage

Even though Jadzia Dax wasn't around for the entire series, she definitely left us with some memorable moments while she was on board Deep Space Nine. It wasn't until Worf arrived that she began to find true love.

Everyone remembers Lieutenant Commander Worf from The Next Generation, and it was a smart move to bring him back. Even better, we got a marriage that no one ever saw coming, and it added a lot to the show as a result. The actual scene of their marriage ceremony was one that will be forever remembered by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans.

Hurt It - Kira Instead Of Ro Laren

Kira was definitely a pretty interesting addition to the crew. However, many fans identify her as one of the weak links as far as the story goes. There was something about her that was off-putting for a lot of fans, and stories that focused on her never seemed to have the same impact as those which focused on other crew members.

According to the official production notes, Kira was never intended to fill that role on the show.

That role was instead intended for another Star Trek character called Ro Laren. This Bajoran was a fan favorite and a recurring character on The Next Generation. Unfortunately, the actress who portrayed Ro Laren turned down the role, so Kira was written into the show instead. This might have hurt Deep Space Nine in the long run.

Saved It - The DS9 Crew On Kirk's Enterprise

Real Star Trek fans know that you just can't beat the original series. There was something very charming and intoxicating about the series that started it all, and when the later series paid homage to Kirk's Enterprise, it was always appreciated. Such was the case when Deep Space Nine featured an episode called "Trials And Tribble-ations", in which the main crew of Deep Space Nine were transported back in time to Kirk's Enterprise. It was one of the best decisions by the writers, and the fans loved it.

Captain Sisko and his crew travel back in time to prevent the assassination of Captain Kirk. What makes this episode so impressive isn't the story. It's the fact that the special effects crew somehow seamlessly blended the characters of Deep Space Nine into the actual footage of the original series.

Hurt It - Bashir Is Revealed To Be An Augment

Dr. Julian Bashir served as the inevitable inclusion of a Medical Expert in the crew, but he behaved in a way that no other doctor ever had. He was charming, funny, and positively wonderful to watch. He also found himself at the center of quite a few storylines, and a plot twist or two. One of the biggest plot twists involving this character was the fact that he was actually an augment. This means that he had genetically altered from a young age to improve all kinds of things, such as intelligence, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, stamina, and even height and weight.

 This was a major revelation for Star Trek fans who had envisioned Bashir to be a representation of a normal human in space.

It hurt the series because we could no longer relate to Julian Bashir. He lost his playful innocence that we all loved.

Saved It - The Ferengi Show Up In Roswell

One of the best episodes in Deep Space Nine was called "Little Green Men". It linked the future with the past. Every conspiracy theorist out there has heard of Roswell and Area 51, and there are all kinds of different stories relating to it. Some of the more exotic theories involve an alien space craft crash landing in the desert of New Mexico, and the Government has been covering up for decades. Some even suggest that the government communicated with alien survivors of this space craft, and managed to reverse engineer their vehicles.

Deep Space Nine paid homage to this conspiracy theory when they put three Ferengi crew members into that very situation. It was a great journey for fans, and while some people didn't like the episode, it added variety to the overall series.

Hurt It - Jake Gets His Brain Drained By A Space Vampire

In general, Jake Sisko is one of the least liked character in Deep Space Nine. There's nothing really wrong with the actor, but the stories that revolve around him are a little weird. There are also those who criticize his wardrobe decisions, and anyone can see that these are valid criticisms. His various outfits were so strange that they were often distracting from the actual storyline itself.

One of the most heavily criticized episodes in Deep Space Nine was called "The Muse".

It involved a strange woman literally draining Jake's creative juices from his brain. There was something weird about the whole episode, and it's a plot twist that is best left forgotten.

Saved It - The "Rejoined" Storyline

Jadzia Dax once again proved her worth when a particularly memorable episode came along called "Rejoined". This was an episode where Dax was reunited with one of her past lovers. There was only one problem. This lover was also a Trill, and she was in a completely different body than Dax remembered. For that matter, Dax was also in a different body.

It was interesting watching these two lovers get back together, especially because they had literally known each other in "past lives." It explored interesting themes many of us have thought about before, and these ideas wouldn't really be possible without the science fiction setting of Deep Space Nine. Another interesting note is that both these characters were female. When they kissed, it was one of the first televised lesbian kisses in history.

Hurt It - The Mirror Universe

Longtime fans of the Star Trek series know all about the mirror universe. This is basically the "bizarro world" of the Star Trek universe, where everything is the exact opposite of what it should be. For example, the United Federation Of Planets becomes the Terran Empire, and it stands for completely different values. The Terran Empire is aggressive and dominant in the Mirror Universe, while the Federation is obviously peaceful and explorative.

Most Star Trek series involve the Mirror Universe in some way, and Deep Space Nine is no different.

While the Mirror Universe might have succeeded as a great plot twist in the other series, it's mostly regarded as a failure in Deep Space Nine. This universe was mostly uncomfortably weird, especially with the behavior of certain characters, such as Kira.

Saved It - Quark Is Chosen As The New Grand Nagus

Quark and his cronies were some of the most interesting characters in the entire show, and strangely enough, they were also some of the most human. The Ferengi actors were usually incredibly entertaining and charismatic, and they brought a life and vigor to the series that is not often seen in the Star Trek universe.

Perhaps one of the most memorable plot twists in the series is when Quark is chosen as the next Grand Nagus. For those who don't know, the Grand Nagus is essentially the king of the Ferengi. We were stunned, as Quark is just a simple bartender on a desolate space station. He never accepted the position, but we always knew he would've done a great job.

Hurt It - O'Brien's Memory Implants

Chief O Brien DS9

In the episode "Hard Time", the story focuses on a much beloved character in the Star Trek world, Miles O'Brien. There have been quite a few interesting episodes focused on this unique character. He may be an Engineering expert, but this crew member often finds himself in the thick of the action quite often.

O'Brien is actually given memory implants as a punishment.

An alien species gives him the memory of having served 20 years in jail, without actually making physically go to prison. As a result, he has a hard time coming to grips with what happened to him. In the end, this plot twist wasn't really a great addition to the show. It seemed like a cheap and gimmicky plot device, because we couldn't really relate to him.

Saved It - O'Brien As A Replicant

Miles Obrien Star Trek Deep Space Nine

There were plenty of other episodes involving Miles which really shone. One such episode was called "Whispers", and it totally blew many of us away. This episode kept us guessing until the very end. For the majority of the episode, we're confused as to why everyone is treating Miles in a strange manner. We get the pressing feeling that something is very wrong, but we're not sure what it is.

In the very end, we're treated to an amazing plot twist - Miles was a replicant the entire time. He was created by an enemy force to infiltrate Deep Space Nine, and he ended up getting destroyed by the real Miles O'Brien. This plot twist was a very intelligent and thoughtful addition to the series, and many fans enjoyed it.

Hurt It - Section 31 Recruit Bashir

Julian Bashir seemed to be at the heart of multiple plot twists. Just when we thought that we knew this interesting character, we were hit with new revelations about his past and his purpose on Deep Space Nine. One of the most confusing things about Bashir was his connection to Section 31. For those who don't know, Section 31 is kind of like the Special Ops of the Federation. More than that, they are actually able to traverse through time and manipulate both the past and the future. This, of course, gives the writers full license to retcon whatever they please, but it also leads to some interesting stories.

Bashir's link to this clandestine group didn't really make sense.

Why would Section 31 want to recruit a guy like him? He totally lacks the seriousness and sobriety associated with the military unit.

Saved It - Garak's True Past Finally Revealed

Garak was definitely one of the most interesting characters in Deep Space Nine, and the audience was kept guessing about his true past for a very long time. It took quite a few seasons for his past to become revealed to us, and even then we were only given little scraps of information at a time. His mysterious role as the space station's tailor was obviously just a ruse, and the tension was built up over time. We just couldn't wait to figure out who this guy was, and what he was doing on Deep Space Nine.

Eventually, we got our answer, and it was one of the best plot twists in the series. It was revealed that he used to be a high-ranking member of the Obsidian Order, the intelligence agency of the Cardassian Empire. It was something we kind of saw coming, but this long-awaited reveal was executed well.

Hurt It - The Random Addition Of Ezri

Ezri was the source of a lot of debate among the fans. When Jadzia Dax perished, Ezri was the Trill woman who ended up taking on the Dax symbiont. In effect, Ezri was the replacement of Jadzia in more ways than one. She was intended to be a main character in the series, and as such she got a lot of screen time. The only problem was that it never really meant anything.

Ezri's appearance didn't impact any of the stories in a meaningful way.

Her screen time felt like it was a necessity rather than something that was planned from the beginning. Eventually, we started to see less and less of Ezri, and when she appeared, fans were just reminded that she was a totally random addition.

Saved It - Rom's Hidden Talents

Rom was another character in Deep Space Nine that often felt like a random, meaningless addition. Unlike Ezra, his admittedly minor storyline actually went somewhere, and it was one of the plot twists that we really enjoyed. Rom was the comically dim-witted relative of Quark, who seemed to be utterly hopeless in every way imaginable. He followed Quark's orders, made constant mistakes, and didn't really do anything important.

Partway through the series, we discovered that Rom was actually a genius. Although he couldn't crunch numbers and make profits like Quark, he was a mastermind engineer. This new skill earned Rom a place on a vessel in the Bajoran militia, and his talents became widely known. Some fans might have viewed this plot twist as stupid, but it was great to see Rom finally see some success.

Hurt It - Bashir As A Dominion Spy

If you thought we were done talking about plot twists involving Bashir, think again. Another big storyline involving the doctor was the episode called "Inquisition". In this episode, Bashir finds himself under suspicion of being a Dominion spy. For those who don't know, the Dominion is a very old empire in the Gamma quadrant, run by Changelings known as The Founders. During the later seasons of Deep Space Nine, there is a major conflict with this group, called the Dominion War.

The entire episode about Bashir's suspicion of being a Dominion spy was just confusing.

This was also the same episode where he was approached by Section 31. There were so many different twists and revelations within this one episode that we were left scratching our heads when it was all said and done. Of course, Bashir wasn't actually a Dominion spy-- we think.

Saved It - The "Blood Oath" Storyline

One of the best episodes of Deep Space Nine was called "Blood Oath". In this episode, we are reintroduced to a trio of Klingons that fans might have remembered from the earlier seasons of Star Trek. These familiar faces make one last appearance in the Star Trek universe, and it's a great one. Jadzia Dax is approached by these three grizzled warriors, and together they set off an adventure to get revenge.

On this adventure, fans were reminded how awesome Klingon storylines can be, and there is plenty of action to enjoy. In the end, Kang perishes, but not before Jadzia Dax wins his respect. It's a great story and one that makes an excellent plot twist from what we're used to seeing on Deep Space Nine.

Hurt It - Kira And Odo's Romance

Odo and Kira Star Trek

There were actually quite a few romances on Deep Space Nine, and for the most part, these were actually pretty interesting storylines. One of the best things about Deep Space Nine was its focus on relationships between crew members and the subtle social dramas that occurred on a space station filled with very different people. However, not all of the romances were created equal. It is generally agreed upon that Kira and Odo's romance was one of the worst things to happen on the show.

It just never seemed natural, and there were plenty of cringeworthy moments in this little side plot.

It was a plot twist that no one really asked for, and when it started, most fans just wanted it to stop.

Saved It - The Ending

One of the best moments in Deep Space Nine was actually the ending. Initially, they had planned to have eight seasons, but this just wasn't meant to be. There was definitely a danger that the series would end in a way that seemed forced and unnatural, and all the loose ends wouldn't be tied up. In the end, Deep Space Nine was wrapped up in a very satisfying way for many of the fans.

There were plenty of plot twists in this last episode that were perfect for the grand finale. Sisko left to seek out the Prophets, as we always knew that he would. Odo set off to find the Great Link. Worf finally reached his full potential, and started on his journey to become a diplomat. Garak embarked for his home of Cardassia, intent on becoming a leader of this destroyed world. Even O'Brien gets a fitting end as he becomes a teacher at Starfleet Academy. And Quark? He's still running the bar...

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What's your favorite plot twist in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? Let us know in the comments!