Every Quark Star Trek: DS9 Love Interest Ranked

The greatest love of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s Quark (Armin Shimerman) may have been gold pressed latinum, but the Ferengi bartender did have a handful of genuine romantic connections across DS9‘s seven seasons. Quark was instrumental in changing how the Ferengi were presented following their fumbled introduction as Star Trek: The Next Generation villains. Through Quark, his brother Rom (Max Grodenchik) and his nephew Nog (Aron Eisenberg), the Ferengi characters in Deep Space Nine were multi-layered members of an alien species and not two-dimensional stock bad guys.

Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Ferengi were sleazy misogynists who saw women as objects, but that wasn’t the case for characters like Rom in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Quark’s brother Rom fell in love with Leeta (Chase Masterson), and the two went on to have a hugely positive impact on Ferengi culture. While Quark certainly wasn’t above objectifying women like his TNG counterparts, he was also capable of falling in love. While Quark’s romances wouldn’t necessarily go down in the history of DS9‘s greatest love stories, they did occasionally allow the Ferengi to become a romantic hero.

5

Grilka (Mary Kay Adams)

Quark’s “glorious” Klingon ex-wife.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 3, “House of Quark”, the Ferengi was married off to Grilka (Mary Kay Adams), a fierce Klingon woman whose husband, Kozak (John Lendale Bennett), Quark had apparently “killed”. Of course, Quark had done nothing of the sort, he’d stood and watched the drunken Kozak fall on to his own knife. However, Kozak’s death allowed Grilka to orchestrate a bid to take control of her own House, something that was forbidden in Klingon society. Grilka therefore married Quark, with the intention of using him as a proxy in affairs relating to her House.

Once Quark had helped his Klingon wife retain control of the House of Grilka, he requested a divorce as theirs had been a marriage of convenience. However, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 3, “Looking For par’Mach in All the Wrong Places”, Quark found himself attracted to his ex-wife. To win back his ex-wife, Quark sought the help of Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn), who also showed an interest in the “glorious” Grilka. Quark took a crash course in Klingon courtship rituals and even won a duel with Thopok (Phil Morris) for the hand of Grilka, albeit temporarily.

4

Pel (Hélène Udy)

Quark’s new best friend was a female Ferengi in disguise.

​​​​​​Quark fell in love with Pel (Hélène Udy) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 7, “Rules of Acquistion”, a relationship that challenged his prejudice. Ferengi society barred women from participating in business deals, and forced them to stay at home, where they would fulfill their husband’s needs. Ferengi women like Quark’s mother Ishka (Cecily Adams) and Pel started to lead the charge to change these outdated rules. Disguised as a male Ferengi, Pel quickly became close to Quark and ended up partnering with him on a business deal in the Gamma Quadrant with associates of DS9‘s Dominion villains.

Quark was outraged when he discovered the truth, but his blackmailing of Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn) to protect Pel demonstrated his genuine love for her. Their last tender kiss, and Quark’s genuine sadness at Pel’s parting was proof that she had left a lasting impact on the Ferengi. However, Quark still largely objected to Ferengi women conducting business transactions, which led to tensions with his mother and his brother in the season 3 episode, “Family Business”. Still, Quark’s romance with Pel was the first indicator that Quark was a more progressive Ferengi than many had first believed.

3

Professor Natima Lang (Mary Crosby)

Ingrid Bergman to Quark’s Humphrey Bogart.

The Cardassian political ethics professor Natima Lang (Mary Crosby) was Quark’s great love, but their romance was very rocky indeed. Natima and Quark met during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, where she saved Quark’s life after he was accused of selling food to Bajoran laborers. Natima was touched by Quark’s uniquely Ferengi approach to philanthropy and the two embarked on a one-month love affair that ended when Quark used Natima’s position to steal money from Cardassian Central Command. Quark was heartbroken, and spent the rest of his life regretting his betrayal of Natima.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 18, “Profit and Loss”, Natima and Quark were reunited against a backdrop of political unrest on Cardassia. Sheltering two wanted criminals, Natima was to be arrested by the Cardassians, and sentenced to death for being a political dissident. To make up for his betrayal and prove his love for Natima, Quark did everything in his power, from bribing Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) to pleading with would-be-assassin Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) to spare Natima and the students’ lives. Quark and Natima’s romantic reunion was brief, but she promised to return once her mission to reform Cardassia was complete.

2

Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell)

“I hope Jadzia appreciates all this…”

Arguably, Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) was Quark’s greatest love, but it was unrequited. Quark’s attraction to Jadzia seemed much deeper than the ogling and objectifying relationship he had with Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor). Of all the characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, it was Jadzia who truly understood Quark and treated him as a friend and equal. When Pel left the station, Jadzia consoled Quark, and the two regularly played tongo together after hours in Quark’s Bar. Jadzia even forgave Quark’s unforgivable crime when he inadvertently facilitated the theft of the Dax symbiont in “Invasive Procedures”.

One thing Jadzia struggled to forgive was when Quark got into the arms dealing business in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 18, “Business as Usual”. Indeed, Jadzia’s anger at Quark is one of the motivating factors for his change of heart in the episode, so important is her opinion of him. When Jadzia was killed by Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), Quark was heartbroken and joined Worf’s mission to get his wife’s spirit into Sto-vo-kor, Klingon heaven. It was an uncharacteristically brave thing for Quark to do, a testament to his devotion to Jadzia.

1

The Rules Of Acquisition

Rule of Acquisition #229: Latinum lasts longer than lust.

Ultimately, Quark’s greatest love in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is profit and gold pressed latinum. That’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s in his nature as a Ferengi. However, it is interesting that the influence of Jadzia, Natima, and Pel have all impacted Quark’s adherence to his beloved Rules of Acquisition. “Females and finances don’t mix” is Rule of Acquisition #94, but that directly contradicts Pel’s astute business acumen that was superior even to Quark’s. “Never place friendship above profit” is Rule of Acquisition #21, but Quark regularly placed his friendship and infatuation with Jadzia above his thirst for profit.

Rule of Acquisition #9 states that “Opportunity plus instinct equals profit” which effectively describes Quark’s doomed romance with Natima during the Occupation. However, despite living up to Rule of Acquistion #9, Quark felt guilt over how he betrayed Natima. So, while Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s beloved bartender rigidly lived by the Rules of Acquisition, these important women in his life did make him take a more flexible approach to the tenets of Ferengi society. It’s like Rom’s own personal Rule of Acquisition; “Money is money, but females are better.” Sadly for Quark, however, he’s still waiting on his Leeta.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.