As the Emissary of the Prophets, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) was a powerful figure to the Bajoran people, but what exactly were his abilities? Captain Sisko became one with the Prophets at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and left the mortal plane, as well as his son Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton), his wife, Kasidy Yates-Sisko (Penny Johnson), and their unborn child, behind. Star Trek: Lower Decks revealed that truthers harbor conspiracies about Benjamin's disappearance in spite of Ensign Beckett Mariner's (Tawny Newsome) assurances that Sisko is "working hard in a Celestial Temple."
Benjamin Sisko learned of his destiny as the Emissary of the Prophets soon after he took command of the Deep Space Nine space station. For the first four seasons of DS9, Sisko was uncomfortable with being worshipped by the Bajorans as their Emissary. Sisko briefly stepped aside when a Bajoran time traveler from the 22nd century named Akorem Laan (Richard Libertini) arrived on DS9 claiming to be the Emissary, but Laan's true role was ultimately to persuade Sisko to accept his role as the Emissary. In DS9 season 7, Ben learned his true mother was Sarah (Deborah Lacey), who was one of the Prophets, which made Sisko a demigod. At the end of DS9 season 7, Sisko ensured Bajor wasn't destroyed by the Dominion War and cast the Pah-Wraiths into Bajor's Fire Caves, fulling his destiny as the Emissary.
Sisko's Powers As The Emissary In DS9 Explained
As the Emissary of the Prophets, Captain Benjamin Sisko was an eminent religious figure to the people of Bajor. The fact that the Emissary could directly communicate with the Prophets made him revered and made Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) envious because the Bajoran gods never spoke to her people's spiritual leader. The Prophets often summoned Ben (whom they called "The Sisko") into the Celestial Temple and gave him cryptic instructions, using the Deep Space Nine cast as their avatars. Sisko was also able to access the myriad powers of ancient Bajoran orbs as the Emissary, and he received visions that related to his greater destiny to protect Bajor. Although, the Prophets' orders usually conflicted with Sisko's Starfleet duties.
Sisko's abilities as the Emissary were generally supernatural in nature, and he wasn't bound by time, space, or reality when the Prophets wanted to communicate with him. Yet despite being a demigod, Sisko's powers didn't manifest in physical ways like super strength. Sisko was also bound to the will of the Prophets, and he was often angered by them and felt alienated by their difficult demands. Once he became one with the Prophets, Sisko achieved immortality as a non-linear being. Although Sisko hasn't returned on-screen, IDW's Star Trek comics are exploring Sisko's godlike powers, in adventures that haven't been referenced in canonical Star Trek TV series or movies.
Why Starfleet Didn't Acknowledge Sisko As The Emissary
Captain Sisko had a difficult time reconciling being both the Emissary and a Starfleet Officer. In turn, Starfleet didn't formally acknowledge Sisko's status as the Emissary because of its lack of credence for religion. Sisko's mission on DS9 was to bring Bajor into the United Federation of Planets, a task he did not accomplish because, as the Emissary, Ben was warned by the Prophets that this would lead to Bajor's destruction. Sisko's key role in the Federation's victory in the Dominion War helped smooth over the fact that his destiny as the Emissary conflicted with his Starfleet mission. While his fellow Starfleet Officers were also uneasy about Sisko being the Emissary, Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) respected and admired both Captain Sisko, her commanding officer, and Benjamin Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.