Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 5 - "Imposters"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion are one of the most lethal enemies the United Federation Of Planets has ever faced, but are they more powerful than the Borg? The Dominion was introduced in DS9 season 2, a sort of anti-Federation bent on conquest. Like the Federation, the Dominion consisted of several different species, though unlike the Federation, they were not equals. The Dominion utilized the genetically enhanced Jem'Hadar as their vicious army, and used the similarly engineered Vorta as diplomats. The Founders of the Dominion were the Changelings, a powerful shape-shifting species who believed themselves to be superior life forms to solid humanoids.
The Borg debuted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode "Q Who," where the omnipotent trickster Q (John de Lancie) threw the USS Enterprise-D into an uncharted area of space to test if Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew were truly ready for what awaited them. The Enterprise-D quickly encountered the Borg, who would have easily decimated them had Q not intervened at the last moment. From that point on, the Borg became a consistent and merciless enemy of the Federation.
Are The Dominion Or The Borg More Powerful?
The Dominion commanded massive resources during the Dominion War, even eventually bringing in the dreaded Cardassians, and their leadership routinely showcased brutal, smart tactics that the Federation struggled to overcome. The brutality of the war pushed honorable Starfleet officers like Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to betray their own moral codes in an effort to gain an upper hand in the battle. Sisko's efforts to get the neutral Romulans to enter the war in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6 episode "In The Pale Moonlight" is a great example of how the Dominion was pushing the Federation into desperation mode at the height of the war.
That said, it's highly unlikely the combined forces of the Dominion at the height of their powers could take on the Borg in a similar position. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 episode "The Best Of Both Worlds, Part II," a single Borg cube was able to decimate a Starfleet armada of 40 ships with relative ease. The only thing that saved Earth from assimilation was some brilliant maneuvering by Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) after the Borg had captured and assimilated Captain Picard.
Star Trek: Picard Has Showcased A Weakened Borg And Dominion
While the Borg and Dominion are arguably the greatest threats the Federation has ever taken on, both organizations have seen better days. The Borg were critically damaged by a Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in the Star Trek: Voyager series finale "Endgame." Two decades later in Star Trek: Picard season 1, the Borg are implied to still be hobbled, with the Romulans even managing to take over a dormant Borg cube.
The Dominion War ended largely due to Section 31 unleashing a morphogenic virus on the Changelings, a morally reprehensible act that nevertheless saved millions of lives. A splinter faction of the Changelings has returned in Star Trek: Picard season 3, seeking vengeance on the Federation in the wake of the war. The Borg and Dominion may no longer be at the height of their powers like in the era of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but they remain significant threats to the Federation.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.