Michael Dorn only has positive things to say about playing Lt. Worf for seven years on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG introduced Dorn’s Lt. Worf as the first Klingon in Starfleet. After remaining in the background for most of TNG season 1, Worf became the Chief of Security on the Enterprise in TNG season 2, where he remained for the rest of the show’s run. Having been raised by human parents, Worf often felt torn between his duties as a Starfleet officer and his desire to embrace his Klingon heritage.
Ironically, Worf was not originally meant to be a main character on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry did not care for Worf’s story, as he wanted to avoid heavily featuring the same aliens from Star Trek: The Original Series, such as Vulcans and Klingons. Despite this, Worf has become one of the most prolific and beloved Star Trek characters of all time. After TNG, Worf joined the cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and took on the position of Strategic Operations officer on the space station. Worf’s complicated relationship with his Klingon heritage and family becomes a major storyline on both TNG and DS9.
Worf’s Best Star Trek TNG, DS9 & Picard Episodes
Worf is the Star Trek character with the most regular appearances, so he has numerous best episodes to choose from across TNG, DS9, and now Picard.
Michael Dorn Looks Band Fondly At His Time As Worf On Star Trek: TNG
“It is a good day to die, and the day is not yet over.”
Worf may not have truly come into his own until he transferred to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but TNG provided the foundation on which the character was built. In The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Michael Dorn speaks about playing Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Read his full quote below:
I’ve always had a good time. I’ve never really had major problems with what they’ve done with my character and everything they’ve done has been positive and wonderful. Even some stuff I didn’t want to do turned out great. A good example is when Rick Berman wouldn’t let me save the Romulan in ‘The Enemy.’ I had a little trepidation about that, because he’s a Starfleet officer, and if he lets a guy die, everybody is looking at him like he’s an a**hole. But I think it worked, and that’s the way it was for seven years.
Worf became the focus of more and more stories as TNG went on, many of which dealt with Worf’s identity as a Klingon warrior versus his career in Starfleet. Worf makes several decisions that go against the ideals of Starfleet, choosing instead to remain true to his heritage as a Klingon. For example, in TNG season 3, episode 7, “The Enemy,” (which Dorn references in the above quote), Worf refuses to donate his blood to save the life of a Romulan. Because Worf’s Klingon parents had been killed by Romulans at the Khitomer Massacre, Worf could not put his hatred of the Romulans aside, despite a request to do so from Captain Picard.
Worf’s Star Trek Appearances | Episode Count |
|---|---|
Star Trek: The Next Generation | 174 episodes |
Star Trek: The Next Generation movies | 4 movies |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 98 episodes |
Star Trek: Picard | 9 episodes |
Michael Dorn’s Worf Returned In Star Trek: Picard Season 3
“I am Worf, Son of Mogh, House of Martok, Son of Sergei, House of Rozhenko, Bane of the Duras Family, Slayer of Gowron.”
Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Worf had quite the journey. He went from being little more than a background character in TNG season 1 to being the focus of some of the show’s best episodes. The Klingon got even more character development on DS9, where Worf learned how to be a Captain on the USS Defiant and met the love of his life, Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell). Worf makes a triumphant return in Star Trek: Picard season 3, now working with Starfleet Intelligence. This position allows him to aid Starfleet, while also using his skills as an accomplished Klingon warrior.
In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode, 2, “Disengage,” Worf has to save the life of Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), when she gets in over her head while working undercover. The noble Klingon then helps to uncover the Changeling’s involvement in a plot to take down the Federation, before reuniting with Admiral Picard and his old crew. The Worf of Picard season 3 remains a highly skilled warrior, but he has also found a new level of peace within himself, claiming to “prefer pacifism to actual combat.” From Star Trek: The Next Generation to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to Star Trek: Picard, Michael Dorn’s Worf has had an incredibly compelling journey and remains one of Star Trek’s best characters.
- Cast
- Patrick Stewart , Marina Sirtis , Brent Spiner , Jonathan Frakes , LeVar Burton , Wil Wheaton
- Seasons
- 7
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Showrunner
- Gene Roddenberry
