does star trek have shapeshifters

Star Trek's Shapeshifting Changelings Explained

Despite not being as well known as Klingons, Romulans, or the Borg, the Changelings may be the most deadly foe the Federation and Starfleet have ever faced. Introduced in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," a series set on a former Cardassian space station orbiting a wormhole leading to the distant Gamma Quadrant, the Changelings would quickly form the backbone for the entire series-long story. That they were the same race as the station's enigmatic security chief Odo added another layer to the story. 

Not only do the Changelings wield tremendous powers that allow them to alter their shape and form, but they are also rulers of a vast interstellar empire. With the ability to steal another person's identity and a galactic army at their disposal, they are a terrifying threat that added suspense, thrills, and chills to "Star Trek."

More recently, the Changelings have returned to the franchise after a decades-long absence, first in a brief appearance in an episode of "Star Trek: Discovery." However, Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" sees them return in full force to plague the Federation. If it's been a while since you've watched "Deep Space Nine" or aren't familiar with it, you may be looking for a bit of a refresher. From their long history and strange biology to their part in the dreaded Dominion, as architects of the greatest war that "Star Trek" has ever seen, here's a brief primer on the shapeshifting Changelings.

The Changeling's real life origins revealed

The Changelings didn't debut until the "Deep Space Nine" Season 3 premiere episode "The Search," but their conception goes back to an earlier directive from producers. Specifically, the showrunners wanted to create a malevolent foe from the Gamma Quadrant that would help give the series its own flavor. According to the producer Ira Steven Behr, they were nervous. "We can't risk it all on one race of villains," he said in the documentary "What We Left Behind." Instead, they set out to create three evil adversaries, hoping that one would prove popular — and they wanted to make them all terrifying.

"We're gonna make them as scary as any villains you can possibly find," Behr said in the "Deep Space Nine Companion." He told his writers to read Isaac Asimov's "Foundation"  trilogy as research, and the result was the Dominion — an incredibly powerful and ancient group that ruled the Gamma Quadrant. The Jem'Hadar were their foot soldiers, the Vorta were what Behr called 'the face men,' and the Founders of the Dominion were revealed as Odo's shapeshifting people in a shocking twist.

As a result of this change, Odo, played by Rene Auberjonois, became one of the most important characters in the series thanks to his connection to the villains of the multi-season story arc that would dominate the remaining seasons.

The Changelings distant origins explained

Now that we know how the Changelings were created by writers and producers, how did they come to be in the world of "Star Trek"? If we are to believe a story told by the Vorta, their origins date back eons, and they were once solid lifeforms just like humans, Vulcans, or Klingons. Eventually, they evolved into the shapeshifters we know, and their society evolved alongside them as they set out to explore the stars and learn about the galaxy. Unfortunately, when they encountered other populated worlds, they were not greeted with open arms.

Instead, they were met with intolerance and even cruelty for no other reason than their non-solid state. As shapeshifters, they were distrusted by what they called mono-forms — ordinary beings who are confined to a single shape — who they more commonly referred to as "solids." According to the legend, the changelings were hunted by the solids and given the derogatory moniker of "changelings," which they would later co-opt in defiance of the prejudice they faced. They eventually found a haven from the solids in the Omarion Nebula, a remote region where they established a home. 

Eventually, though, the Changelings realized that the only way to overcome the bigotry and intolerance of the solids was to control them. In order to conquer and enslave the rest of the galaxy, they'd first have to build an army.

They're considered gods

In the episode "Treachery, Faith and the Great River," a dying Vorta named Weyoun-6 tells Odo the story of how the Changelings founded the Dominion. According to this Weyoun, a Changeling once found itself on the run from a group of abusive solids, and a race of primitive, ape-like people helped hide the shapeshifter, saving its life. From then on, the Changeling vowed to reward the creatures who had saved it, later using their knowledge of genetics to advance their biology and create the Vorta, a highly intelligent, cunning race that would serve the Founders in all things.

Beneath the Vorta are the Jem'Hadar, a race of genetically engineered soldiers who want nothing more than to obey the Founders and are among the most efficient killers in the "Star Trek" canon. They live short lifespans but are bred quickly, aging into adulthood in a matter of days, and are kept docile thanks to an addiction to a chemical compound called Ketracel-white. But the Founders also engineered both the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar to worship them as gods, as they are, in a very real way, the masters of their creation.

Except for in the most extreme circumstances, it is nearly impossible for either race to defy the Founders. With an undying loyalty, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar have helped assure the Changeling's supremacy and the Dominion's endless rule of the Gamma Quadrant.

Changeling biology

As shapeshifters, the Changelings have biology unlike any other race in "Star Trek." Their "morphogenic matrix" allows them to take on not just other shapes but other states of matter, too. They can hide in plain sight as a human, an Andorian, or a Tellarite, able to accurately mimic any lifeform nearly instantly. They can even replicate their voice simply by hearing it, though Constable Odo has never been able to quite master these skills.

However, their shapeshifting isn't limited to just people, as Changelings can just as easily become a tree, a rock, or even equipment with a reflective surface. We have seen Changelings become water, vapor, and even fire. Still, their biology has one serious drawback — they must regenerate in their natural, liquid state at least once every 16 hours. We've seen this weakness cause problems for Constable Odo, who must regenerate at least one hour each day by reverting to his liquid form and collecting himself in a small pail that he keeps in his quarters. 

In addition, if any part of a Changeling's body is cut off, removed, or otherwise separated from them, it will revert to its liquid state almost immediately. This is how Starfleet, at first, was able to detect Changelings hiding among them by drawing a blood sample. Of course, the Changelings eventually found a way around this measure, presumably by collecting the blood of the people they were disguised as and releasing it on cue during any blood test.

The Great Link

Since they need to regenerate frequently, and due to the energy required to hold a solid form, Changelings prefer to spend the majority of their time in a liquid state. When they communicate they rarely do so verbally, as they prefer to meld together into what is referred to as "linking," which is a bit like mixing two cups of water together. When linked, Changelings cease to be individuals, merging into what is, in essence, one being. In effect, there are no true individuals among Changelings, only parts of the whole who gain brief periods of individuality when separated from the Link.

As such, the Changeling homeworld is essentially one giant ocean comprised of themselves in what is called the Great Link. During their lifespan they can become individuals to explore the galaxy and return home to the Great Link to share what they've learned. Described as "a merging of form and thought, the sharing of idea and sensation," the Great Link is a place of comfort for Changelings. However, this Great Link, covering nearly the entire surface of a planet in the Omarion Nebula, also makes a tempting target. 

In the two-part "Deep Space Nine" episode, "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast," the Romulan secret police known as the Tal Shiar teamed up with the Cardassian intelligence agency the Obsidian Order to destroy the Changeling homeworld. Unfortunately for the Alpha Quadrant, this all turned out to be a ruse by the Founders to eliminate both factions.

Odo and the Hundred

Though they prefer to remain in the Great Link, the Changelings still thirst for more knowledge of the galaxy. To that end, they dispatched 100 infant Changelings out amongst the stars, which they hoped would come to live among the solids and then one day return home to the Great Link to share what they had learned. When Odo met his people and discovered the Founders, he realized that he was one of these Hundred. However, now that he had spent time among the Bajorans and the Federation, he saw his people as the enemy.

While Odo refused to rejoin them, the urge to be a part of the Great Link persisted. Eventually, he'd encounter two more members of the Hundred. In the episode "The Begotten," a dying Changeling child is discovered, unable to shapeshift, and Odo takes it upon himself to become a parent to the naive, formless creature. While the Changeling eventually dies, it is absorbed into Odo and helps resolve a season-long story that had seen Constable Odo forced into a solid, humanoid shape by his people.

Later, in the episode "Chimera," Odo meets a Changeling named Laas, who has lived among another race of people for the past century. He agrees with Odo that the Founders are misguided and invites him to join his search for other lost shapeshifters to form a new, better version of the Great Link. Odo regretfully declines, feeling a duty to his friends on Deep Space Nine.

They are obsessed with order

As a result of their natural state of oneness in the Great Link, there is rarely — if ever — any disagreement or discord among their race. In fact, it's established on multiple occasions that "no Changeling has ever harmed another," a point that is thrown in Odo's face when he betrays his people and murders a Changeling saboteur in the Season 3 finale, "The Adversary." It is this act that forces the Changelings to force Odo into a solid form in the Season 4 storyline. While Odo is unlike the galaxy-conquering Changelings he comes from, he does share their innate need to bring order to chaos, which some have likened to a biological drive.

This is partly what makes Constable Odo such an efficient security officer and investigator, as his desire to bring order made him a ruthless pursuer of justice in a chaotic environment like the Cardassian space station Terek Nor, which eventually became Deep Space Nine. However, for the rest of his people, this means ruling the galaxy, as they see solids as chaotic creatures which are always fighting amongst themselves. 

Ultimately, the Changelings — as Founders of the Dominion — view their conquering tactics as a means of helping those races achieve peace and order, even if they have to enslave them and break them of their desire for freedom to achieve it.

They plotted to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant

Upon discovering the wormhole, the Changelings were initially content to stay in the Gamma Quadrant. However, as the Federation and other Alpha Quadrant powers made more and more excursions into their territory, the Changelings knew that the chaos on the other side of the galaxy would soon threaten them. In their first meeting with the Federation, they ran an elaborate simulation with the crew of Deep Space Nine to see how they would react to a Dominion presence in the Alpha Quadrant, determining that they would be met with open hostility.

In response, the Changelings began staging plots to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant to make it easier to conquer. After plotting to dismantle the Cardassian and Romulan intelligence agencies, the Changelings infiltrated Starfleet in an effort to trigger a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi in "The Adversary," revealing the extent of the Changeling threat for the first time.

The story that brought Worf to "Deep Space Nine" also sees a Changeling posing as a high-ranking Klingon official and sparking a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire that risks decimating both sides. At the same time, Changelings begin replacing key individuals on Earth, precipitating a militaristic coup that is only thwarted by Captain Sisko. When these plots are foiled, the Federation knows that a war with the Dominion is all but inevitable.

The Dominion War explained

Following the failed attempt to force the Federation and Klingon Empire into destroying each other, the Changelings lead the Dominion deeper into direct conflict with the galactic powers of the Alpha Quadrant. They are aided by the Cardassians, who join the Dominion, fortifying their forces, and all-out war is quickly declared on the Federation and the Klingons . In what became a high point for "Deep Space Nine," the Dominion War breaks out, and what was truly groundbreaking for "Star Trek" was that victory for the Federation did not seem assured.

In fact, the Dominion succeeds in conquering Deep Space Nine in a status quo shaking story. Later, in what is generally regarded as one of the series' best episodes , "In the Pale Moonlight," Sisko takes desperate action to force the Romulans to join the Federation and Klingon alliance to tip the balance of power. The longer the war drags on, the more it seems like the Changelings would wind up taking over the Alpha Quadrant, as millions of lives were lost. 

What eventually turns the tide, however, is the Cardassians themselves, who rise up to fight back against the Dominion. Led by former villain Damar, the Cardassian rebels help the alliance topple the Dominion and push them back into the Gamma Quadrant. Of course, they aren't alone, as they have a little help from Starfleet's own clandestine intelligence agency along the way.

Section 31's genocidal gambit

At the height of the Dominion War, the Changelings have driven the Federation off of Deep Space Nine. Odo stays on the station along with Major Kira, with plans of helping to sabotage the Dominion, though he often "links" with the leader of the Changelings, causing fears that he has joined their cause. What he doesn't realize is that he has inadvertently passed a deadly genetic disease to the rest of the Changelings, threatening to kill their entire species. It's later revealed that this disease is the work of Section 31, a covert Starfleet intelligence agency willing to go to extraordinary lengths to secure the safety of the Federation.

Led by Director Luther Sloan, Section 31 developed a pathogen that would infect Changelings and break down their molecular structure, making it harder for them to revert to their liquid state. Eventually, unable to assume their liquid form, they would deteriorate and die. Covertly, Section 31 infects Odo with the pathogen with hopes that he will pass it to his people — and that's exactly what happens. A last, desperate, genocidal gambit, Section 31 is willing to wipe out the entire species of Changelings to end the war. 

Unfortunately, rather than convince the Changelings to surrender, it spurs them to fight to the death, promising to kill untold billions before they are exterminated.

Facing Alpha Quadrant justice

It's worth noting that the Dominion War wasn't the only ongoing story that weaved its way through seven seasons of "Deep Space Nine." The story of Captain Sisko and his connection to the Bajoran prophets is also front and center, and in the series finale, both come to a head. While Sisko battles with a demonic entity on Bajor, the greatest starship battle in "Star Trek" history takes place, with the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, and their new Cardassian allies hoping to defeat the Dominion once and for all. However, the Changelings refused to give an inch, even as their hope for victory dwindled.

It was only thanks to Odo that the Changelings finally give in. After being cured of the disease developed by Section 31 — thanks to the efforts of Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien in the episode "Extreme Measures." Odo links with the leader of the Changelings and heals them as well. He is also able to convince them to seek peace and avert total annihilation, but it comes at a great personal cost. 

While the Changeling's leader remains in the Alpha Quadrant to face justice, Odo rejoins the Great Link in the Gamma Quadrant where he can cure his people and hopefully teach them compassion and empathy to end their destructive ways. As far as we know, Odo never returns from The Great Link.

A rogue faction resurfaces

In the "Star Trek: Picard" Season 3 episode "Seventeen Seconds" we discover in a shocking twist that the Changelings have returned to "Star Trek" after more than 20 years. What's worse, however, is that they have infiltrated Starfleet. They have an agent aboard the USS Titan, while others are involved in a plot to steal a deadly weapons from Daystrom Station.

Former Enterprise security chief Worf has been aware of this conspiracy and has been tracking down the threat. Thankfully, he is now aided by former Picard ally Raffi Musiker. Given Worf's experiences on "Deep Space Nine," he would seem to be the perfect man for the job. In fact, according to Worf, he was alerted to this rogue faction by his old friend Odo, who is still a part of the Great Link in the Gamma Quadrant. 

It seems that after Dominion surrendered in the final episode of "Deep Space Nine," there was a schism within the Changelings for the first time, as a group of shapeshifters broke away and refused to accept defeat. Now it would seem that this faction is looking to reignite the war with the Federation and conquer the Alpha Quadrant once and for all.

Star Trek: Picard season 3: everything you need to know about the show's Big Bad

After making Captain Sisko’s life hell on Deep Space Nine, some familiar faces are back in Star Trek: Picard season 3

Spoilers for Picard season 3's third episode follow. If you haven't seen the latest episode or caught up on the season so far, look away now!

Following on from the bombshell that Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher have a kid together , the big revelations keep on coming in Star Trek: Picard season 3 . Third episode ‘Seventeen Seconds’ has just confirmed the identity of the villains who used a stolen portal weapon to destroy a Starfleet recruitment facility on M’talas Prime, and it turns out we’ve met them before.

The shapeshifting Changelings were the principal aggressors in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and now they’ve returned to the Alpha Quadrant with new-and-improved CG morphing techniques. Aside from stealing top-secret Starfleet hardware, their ultimate goal remains unknown, though whatever they have planned is unlikely to be good news for Jean-Luc and the Federation.

So, as one Changeling spy gets busy creating havoc on the USS Titan, and another winds up interrogated (and vaporised) by Worf and Raffi Musiker, we travel back in time to explore the Dominion’s Star Trek origins.

Where have we seen the Changelings before in Star Trek?

The shapeshifting Changelings became the main antagonists of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which ran for seven seasons from 1993-99. DS9 security chief Odo was a member of the same species, though he didn’t learn about his heritage until season 3.

The Changelings originated on the other side of the galaxy, but the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole next to DS9 allowed easy access between the Alpha Quadrant (our bit) and the Gamma Quadrant (theirs). Suddenly, two factions who may otherwise never have met had each other in phaser lock.

The Changelings primarily exist in liquid form but can assume the form of multiple humanoid races. Despite possessing similar shapeshifting abilities to the Chameloid Martia in Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country, the species are apparently not related.

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What is the Dominion?

The Dominion was the empire ruled over by the Changelings – known as the “Founders” to their adoring subjects.

Although the Founders were undoubtedly the brains of the operation, they were never particularly keen on getting their hands dirty. Instead, many administrative roles were fulfilled by the humanoid Vorta (easily cloned in the event of an individual’s demise). The Dominion’s military might, meanwhile, supplied by the ruthless Jem’Hadar. The Founders ensured the loyalty of their footsoldiers by genetically engineering them to be dependent on a drug known as ketracel-white.

What are the Changelings’ strengths and weaknesses?

Thanks to their morphogenic matrix, Changelings can shapeshift to impersonate a vast array of inanimate objects, animals and humanoids. As well having no need for food, they can survive in the vacuum of space.

On their homeworld they all join together to form a big lake of liquid beings known as the Great Link. Here they can exchange thoughts in one big hive mind – it’s like the Borg but gooier.

As predominantly liquid beings, however, they can’t hold solid form indefinitely. They subsequently experience intense pain and a rapidly deteriorating body if they leave it too long before returning to their liquid state. During Odo’s early days on Deep Space Nine, he had to revert to his gloopier self every 16-18 hours, spending his R&R periods in a bucket before relocating to larger quarters.

How do you spot a Changeling?

While Odo would struggle to pass for human, older, more experienced Changelings have the ability to create a seamless imitation of detailed facial features and voices. This has traditionally made them incredibly difficult to spot, with even the extensive blood screening adopted by the Federation proving frustratingly hit-and-miss. In fact, their best efforts weren’t enough to prevent copies of DS9’s resident doctor Julian Bashir and Klingon bigwig General Martok slipping through the net.

What was the Dominion War?

The Dominion’s initial slow-burn efforts to infiltrate the Alpha Quadrant eventually escalated into all-out war. The resulting two-year conflict brought all of Star Trek’s significant powers into battle, and led to in massive casualties on both sides.

Dominion tactics were varied enough to incorporate the brute force of the Jem’Hadar armada, and Changeling operatives shapeshifting their way into the upper echelons of Starfleet or the Klingon Empire – they even engineered a war between the Klingons and the Cardassians to further their aspirations in the region,  

The threat became so great that the Federation, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire were forced to enter into an unlikely alliance, though the Cardassian Union went the other way and teamed up with the Dominion. This decision ultimately backfired when the Founders decided an alliance with the secretive Breen was actually more beneficial to their cause. Hundreds of millions of Cardassians were slaughtered in the subsequent invasion.

What happened to the Dominion at the end of Deep Space Nine?

The Federation/Klingon/Romulan alliance ultimately reclaimed Cardassian territory and gained the upper hand over the Dominion in battle. But arguably the most important (and most morally questionable) development of the war’s endgame was the morphogenic virus Starfleet Intelligence’s perennially shady Section 31 developed to kill off the Changelings.

With the Founders unable to develop a treatment of their own, they were facing extinction when the Federation Council vetoed the use of the cure Dr Bashir had developed.

Odo ultimately convinced the Founders to surrender, on the condition that he join them in the Great Link to share the cure. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Bajor.

Has Picard ever faced the Dominion before?

Neither of Picard’s Enterprises ever encountered the Dominion on screen, though the long-running war is referenced in both Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis. Seeing as the crew would have been in service throughout the conflict, however, it seems unlikely they’d have avoided the Changelings completely.

And, seeing as Worf spent four seasons as a regular on Deep Space Nine, there is at least one member of the classic Next Generation line-up with extensive experience of the Founders. When the Klingon makes a reference to “a close friend within the Link” in Picard season three’s third episode, he’s almost definitely referring to his former colleague, Odo.

How do the Changelings fit into Star Trek: Picard?

Episode 3 (‘Seventeen Seconds’) sets them up as season 3’s Big Bad, responsible for stealing both the troublesome portal weapon Vadic uses to torment the USS Titan, and another top-secret threat housed at Daystrom Station. There’s also a Changeling hidden aboard the Titan, and he's done his best to kill Jack Crusher in between ongoing efforts to sabotage the ship.

It’s important to note, however, that these Changelings are not the Dominion. Worf explains that, “When the Dominion War ended, there was a schism. A terrorist faction broke away, unwilling to accept defeat.” It appears that the Changelings we’ve seen so far in Star Trek: Picard are part of this “rogue group”, though Worf is treading softly because Starfleet realise that acknowledging their existence might risk reigniting the Dominion War.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard stream on Paramount Plus in the US every Thursday, and on Fridays in the UK courtesy of Prime Video.

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

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Shapeshifter

• View history

Odo shapeshifts into a cat in 2370 .

Shapeshifters (or metamorphs ) are a type of lifeform that is able to control its body down to the molecular or related intrinsic level, allowing them to assume other forms, be it another lifeform or an inanimate object.

• 2.1 References
• 2.2 External link

See also [ ]

• Allasomorph
• coalescent organism
• Isis' species
• Species 8472

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• ST reference : The Star Trek Encyclopedia

External link [ ]

• Shapeshifter article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .

Search SFE    Search EoF

  Omit cross-reference entries  

Origins [ ]

Odo was one of the " Hundred Changelings ", a group of one hundred newly-formed Changelings that the Founders sent out into the galaxy , "centuries ago", to gather information and explore, and was not expected to return until the late 27th century . ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ", " The Begotten ", " Chimera ")

Dr. Mora Pol

In the 24th century , Odo was found adrift in his natural gelatinous state in the Denorios belt in the Bajoran system and was brought to the Bajoran Institute of Science where he would be studied by Doctor Mora Pol for seven years. Not initially recognizing Odo as a sentient being , Mora subjected him to a long series of experiments, in which Odo endured time in a vacuum chamber and a protein decompiler , as well as extensive electric shocks. Odo eventually rebelled against Mora's unintentional mistreatment by forming into a tentacle and hitting him, ( DS9 : " Emissary ", " The Begotten ") before later forcing Mora to recognize him as sentient by copying a beaker on a laboratory table. ( DS9 : " The Alternate ")

Odo's name stemmed from the Cardassian word for "nothing", Odo'ital , which was the loose translation of the "unknown sample" label in Bajoran on his laboratory flask. After he was discovered to be sentient, the scientists began jokingly referring to him as "Odo Ital", in a similar manner to a Bajoran name, which eventually got shorted into simply "Odo". ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ", " Chimera ") He himself used only the single name "Odo". ( DS9 : " The Forsaken ") Early in his life, when he heard others address him as "Odo", he heard it as "nothing". He felt that the name was appropriate, since he had no friends, no past, and no form; once he had gained the respect and affection of Kira and the others on the station, he ceased hearing "Odo" as "nothing" and simply considered it his name. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

Later in life, Odo recalled that when he was first discovered, " I didn't know what I was. I had no memory of where I was from. I didn't even know I had the ability to mimic other forms. " ( DS9 : " The Begotten ")

Mora continued to study and teach Odo during the Occupation of Bajor , assisted by Dr. Weld Ram . When Odo assumed humanoid form, he copied Dr. Mora's hairstyle. During the Occupation, Odo performed a Cardassian neck trick that greatly amused the Cardassian officers. When Odo left Dr. Mora's institute, he did not leave on good terms; he resented some of the methods Mora had used on him and blamed him for not realizing that he was sentient. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ", " The Alternate ")

Odo later recalled, in 2370 , that when he was younger, " people were always asking me to change shape for them. They'd pretend to be my friends, but all they wanted was to see me become a chair or an animal . None of them ever really cared about me. " ( DS9 : " Shadowplay ")

Cardassian occupation [ ]

Odo during the Occupation

At some point during the Occupation, Odo arrived on Terok Nor. He was seen as an impartial outside observer and often settled disputes between the Bajoran workers on the station. In 2365 , due to his reputed neutral position, Odo was recruited by Gul Dukat to investigate the murder of a Bajoran collaborator. Among his chief suspects was Kira Nerys , who Odo found out to be a Bajoran resistance fighter. He lied about this to Dukat and did not reveal her identity but, in 2370 , discovered that Kira was indeed the murderer. In their initial encounter, Kira sardonically called Odo " Constable ", a term she later adopted as a term of affection, and which eventually fell into common use as an unofficial title for him. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ")

Odo continued working for the Cardassians, eventually becoming chief of security .

In 2366 , Odo investigated an assassination attempt (a bombing ) on Dukat. Three Bajoran workers were initially linked to the attack, and Odo – too concerned with maintaining order and the rule of law – hurriedly convicted them and allowed them to be executed . If he had performed any kind of investigation instead of relying on circumstantial evidence, he would have seen that the three men were clearly innocent. However, he didn't know the difference between "order" and "justice" at that time.

A bombing identical to the one that nearly killed Dukat occurred three days later, and Odo realized the men had been innocent and that his lax investigative procedures had caused a serious miscarriage of justice. This incident prompted him to be much more insistent on actual justice, though not necessarily the actual letter of the law. Odo's guilt was revealed when, after traveling through a plasma storm , his mind formed a link with the other passengers – Captain Benjamin Sisko , Elim Garak , and Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax – and caused them to relive what had happened seven years prior, the three men taking on the roles of the convicted men while Dax represented an unidentified Bajoran woman in an hallucination of the past. ( DS9 : " Things Past ")

Later in 2366, Odo was designated an officer of the Cardassian court in order to testify in criminal cases. ( DS9 : " Tribunal ")

It was quite clear that his Cardassian employers still viewed him with suspicion; an automated counter-insurgency program designed to activate in the event of a slave revolt on the station was programmed to raise a force field around Odo's office on the assumption that he would take sides and aid the insurgents. ( DS9 : " Civil Defense ")

As an investigator in a totalitarian regime, Odo was occasionally required to operate outside official channels, and he maintained a clandestine network of debts and allegiances to high-ranking members of the Cardassian government, which he could call on when needed. In the course of his career, he developed an extensive knowledge of espionage and assassination techniques, such as poison , explosives , and scrambling signals. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ")

Deep Space 9 [ ]

Chief of security [ ].

Odo smiling during his duty shift

Odo retained his post as chief of security even after the Cardassian forces withdrew from the space station in 2369 , when the station fell under Federation administration and was renamed Deep Space 9 . Odo never held any rank but was informally referred to by the title constable , which was first used by Kira upon their first meeting in 2365 . ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ") He sometimes gave orders to officers who had a formal rank but were part of his staff, indicating that his role as chief of the security staff took priority over the rank structure in certain instances. ( DS9 : " Time's Orphan ")

At first, Odo and Starfleet Commander Benjamin Sisko, the station's then-new commanding officer did not see eye-to-eye on how station security should be handled, but they eventually became close associates. ( DS9 : " Things Past ", " Emissary ", " A Man Alone ", " The Passenger ") Sisko stood by him when he was accused of killing a Bajoran he had arrested years earlier. When the Bajorans on the station became unruly and wanted to harm Odo, Sisko protected him. The situation was resolved when it was discovered that the Bajoran, Ibudan , had faked his own death in order to take revenge on Odo. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ")

Having been found in the Denorios belt, the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole provided Odo with further opportunity to investigate his origins. He was tricked by Croden into believing he had discovered Odo's people. The story had been fabricated by Croden to manipulate Odo into helping Croden rescue his daughter, Yareth . Croden apologized to Odo for the deception and wished him luck in finding his people. ( DS9 : " Vortex ")

Odo in an incident involving one of the Saltah'na energy spheres trying to take possession of him

Odo resolved a conflict between Kira, who threatened mutiny , and Sisko, who wanted to arrest her for treason . Both were being mentally affected by Saltah'na energy spheres that contained a log of a similar battle in an ancient culture, causing the crew to do the same thing. Fortunately, Odo's non-organic nature rendered him immune to the effects of the spheres, and with the aid of Doctor Bashir , he was able to remove the spheres' influence and eject them out of a cargo bay door. ( DS9 : " Dramatis Personae ")

As the outcome of an investigation regarding a Cardassian claiming to be war criminal Gul Darhe'el , Odo managed to prove that the man was actually Aamin Marritza , a file clerk for Darhe'el who wanted the Cardassian people to realize their crimes. ( DS9 : " Duet ")

Odo provides reconnaissance during the Bajoran coup

In 2370 , an extremist group of Bajorans known as the Circle , led by Minister Jaro Essa and supported by Vedek Winn Adami , demanded that all non-Bajorans leave DS9 and Bajor . Civil war threatened the planet , but Quark informed Odo that the Circle was being helped and financed by Cardassia in order to drive out the Federation, leaving the planet ripe for reconquest. Weapons had been smuggled to the Circle through Kressari traders, which Odo revealed by using his shapeshifting abilities to "borrow" a passenger manifest with a Gul's thumbscan on it. ( DS9 : " The Homecoming ", " The Circle ", " The Siege ")

When Odo was affected by a gas in the Gamma Quadrant that turned him into a destructive creature, Dr. Mora, the scientist who had discovered him, helped cure him. ( DS9 : " The Alternate ")

Together with Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, Odo, while in the Gamma Quadrant, discovered a planet where people were disappearing. The people were actually holograms created by Rurigan , the sole survivor of a planet destroyed by the Jem'Hadar . Odo and Dax fixed the holographic projector and restored the people. In the process, Odo formed an attachment to a girl called Taya , even shifting into a spinning top for her amusement before he and Dax departed. ( DS9 : " Shadowplay ")

Odo helped represent Miles O'Brien in a Cardassian court on false charges of aiding the Maquis . Odo's knowledge of Cardassian law annoyed the court, and his delaying tactics provided time for Sisko to prove the evidence false and gain O'Brien's release. ( DS9 : " Tribunal ")

Odo in 2370

During a mission to locate the Founders of the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant, Odo found himself drawn to a rogue planet in the Omarion Nebula . There, he discovered that the Founders were in fact Changelings like himself. After initially becoming annoyed with shifting into every plant and rock he could see, with the aid of the Female Changeling , he changed into a bird and took flight, finding that he enjoyed exploring his shape-shifting abilities. He soon discovered the Founders' distrust of " solids ", though, and rejected them in favor of his friends, with the Female Changeling acknowledging his request for the time even if she warned him that he wouldn't be as fortunate in future interaction. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ", " The Search, Part II ")

Later that year, Odo had another encounter with the Founders while he was on an away mission with Kira. In response to a distress call from a Lissepian cargo ship under attack they pursued modified Peregrine -class courier ship to a moon in the Badlands . While on the moon, Kira was captured, and the Female Changeling assumed her identity. The Changeling pretended that she was trapped inside a growing crystal that was suffocating her. After Odo admitted having romantic feelings for Kira, he was able to see through the ruse when she claimed to feel the same way; he was sure that Kira didn't love him but knew she wouldn't lie to him about something so important. It gave the Changeling an understanding of Odo's feelings for Kira, although Odo still refused to admit how he felt to the real Kira, simply claiming to have seen through the deception due to a 'slip of the tongue' that the real Kira would never have said. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

In 2371 , a newly-"born" Jem'Hadar was found among the wreckage of a salvaged ship Quark had purchased. The baby matured into an adolescent within days, and as a Changeling (and therefore a Founder in the boy's eyes), Odo inherited the responsibility of looking after him. The Jem'Hadar was willing to do anything Odo asked of him. Odo tried to break the boy of this habit and encouraged him to think for himself and resist his inborn tendency toward violence. Ultimately, the boy decided that he belonged with the other Jem'Hadar and that anyone who was not Jem'Hadar was his enemy, arguing that if Odo actually accepted his right to self-determination, he would respect his wishes. Odo, wanting to protect the crew, escorted the boy to Dominion space. ( DS9 : " The Abandoned ")

It was also during this time that Odo had requested his own personal quarters , and was decorating them with furnishings appropriate for himself, allowing him to experiment with his abilities in private. ( DS9 : " The Abandoned ")

Also in 2371, Odo was forced to admit to Garak that, despite his disgust at the Founders' behavior, he still wanted to return home. He accompanied Garak in an attempt to contact Enabran Tain . Odo became a prisoner of Tain, who was plotting, along with the Romulans , the extermination of the Founders. The plot failed, and Odo was aided in his escape by a Founder who was posing as a Romulan on Tain's ship , although he still rejected the offer to return home. This resulted in the Battle of the Omarion Nebula , in which both the Romulan Tal Shiar and Cardassian Obsidian Order were decimated. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ", " The Die is Cast ")

Odo as Curzon

Odo also served as host for Curzon Dax during Jadzia Dax's Trill zhian'tara , during which Odo shifted into a form resembling Curzon. Initially, the two wanted to stay together, but Curzon was eventually convinced to return to the Dax symbiont . This gave Jadzia a greater understanding of the joy Odo found in his shape-shifting abilities, and Odo learned how much fun solids had staying up all night drinking and playing tongo . ( DS9 : " Facets ")

In late 2371, Odo was forced to kill a Changeling posing as Ambassador Krajensky , who had tried to provoke a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi . By killing the impostor, Odo became the first Changeling ever to harm another. ( DS9 : " The Adversary ")

Odo – along with Rom , Quark, and Nog , – time traveled to Earth of 1947 . None of the Ferengi were aware of Odo's presence until he revealed himself as having shapeshifted into the guise of a German Shepherd dog , Odo having sneaked onto a shuttle the Ferengi had traveled there in, Quark's Treasure , in order to catch Quark in flagrante delicto , smuggling . This became known in Human history as the Roswell Incident . Along with the three Ferengi, Odo eventually managed to escape back to the 24th century and Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")

Odo, along with Sisko and Leyton, speak to President Jaresh-Inyo

In 2372 , Odo accompanied Sisko, who now held the rank of captain , on a trip to Earth to advise Starfleet Command on the Changeling threat. Odo was able to demonstrate to the organization how easy it would be to infiltrate Starfleet, and subsequently helped free Sisko from a prison after Admiral Leyton , a former mentor to Sisko, was revealed to be staging a military coup . ( DS9 : " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ") While visiting Earth on this occasion, Odo was secretly infected with a morphogenic virus by rogue organization Section 31 , in the belief that he would eventually link with others of his kind, transferring the disease and ultimately eliminating his entire species. ( DS9 : " Extreme Measures ")

Odo with the Siskos

Odo protected Shakaar Edon , the head of the Bajoran government, while Shakaar visited the station, even though Odo was jealous of him because Shakaar was in a relationship with Kira. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ")

Odo with Kira and Shakaar

When Worf 's brother, Kurn , arrived on the station after being dishonored by the Klingon High Council due to Worf siding with the Federation in a Klingon attempt to conquer Cardassia, Odo gave Kurn a job of security officer, although this ended when Kurn made near-constant attempts to commit suicide . ( DS9 : " Sons of Mogh ")

Odo also went on a joint mission with the Jem'Hadar to stop a group of renegade Jem'Hadar from capturing an Iconian gateway . ( DS9 : " To the Death ")

Later that year, Odo became desperately ill, not as a result of the virus , but because he had been poisoned by his own people in order to force him to return to them for treatment. Once there, he was judged by the Great Link and forced into his humanoid form permanently, unable to change shape, as punishment for harming another Changeling. While Odo was locked into a humanoid form, it hinted that he was essentially still a Changeling because, as Dr. Bashir later pointed out, Odo's brain still contained morphogenic components. The other shapeshifters may have just used their greater collective ability while linked with Odo to force him to alter his form into that of a humanoid, guiding the specific elements of his transformation such as Human physical makeup based on their expert knowledge of Humans. While part of the Link, Odo unwittingly infected his entire race with Section 31's bioweapon . Also, owing to information Odo had gleaned in the Link, he was convinced that Chancellor Gowron , the leader of the Klingon Empire, was actually a Founder. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ", " Extreme Measures ")

Life as a solid [ ]

Odo surgically altered to appear Klingon

Permanently locked into his solid state, Odo became extremely depressed. He found some comfort in the new sensations of eating and drinking, but this gave him little solace. Odo's frustration was exacerbated when Captain Sisko decided to bring him on an undercover mission to expose Gowron as being a Changeling infiltrator. If Odo had still been a Changeling, he could have simply changed into Gowron's pet targ . Instead, he, Sisko, O'Brien, and Worf disguised themselves as recipients for the Order of the Bat'leth and attempted to use polaron radiation to expose Gowron as a Changeling.

Odo, using the alias " Kodrak ", proved to be a less than intimidating Klingon, but the mission went as planned until someone recognized their true faces. The Starfleet officers were exposed and nearly executed, but General Martok helped them escape to complete their mission in the name of the Empire. Although Worf almost killed Gowron in honorable combat, Odo had deduced, by this time, that "Martok" was the true Changeling and Odo's information about the infiltrator had been deliberately falsified by the Founders to provoke further unrest between the Federation and the Klingons, weakening them and paving the way for a Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant . The mission was ultimately a success and the Martok Changeling, having been identified by Odo, was killed by a barrage of disruptor fire. Before undoing Odo's Klingon alterations, Bashir mentioned that he could surgically alter Odo's face to realistically resemble any humanoid; Odo declined the offer as he preferred his face the way it was. ( DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ")

Odo behind Uhura and Chekov in 2268

It was during Odo's time as a solid that the USS Defiant , through the treachery of an undercover Klingon named Arne Darvin , was sent back in time to the year 2268 . The ship found itself near space station K-7 at a crucial moment when Darvin had been exposed as a spy and subsequently disowned by his people. Odo helped search for an explosive tribble to prevent Darvin from killing James T. Kirk , and even acquired one as a pet. He found Worf's recounting of the Klingons' "war" against the tribbles rather amusing, finding it hard to believe that a cute ball of fur was a "mortal enemy" of the Klingon Empire. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Odo, Worf, Bashir, and O'Brien on K-7

Apparently, the Founders' attempt to force Odo to remain a solid took some time, as a plasma storm later reacted with leftover morphogenic enzymes and therefore caused his mind to telepathically reach out to link with other Changelings. At the time, he was returning from a conference with Sisko, Garak, and Dax, when the four of them were suddenly trapped in a dream-like but utterly realistic recreation of the Cardassian Occupation based on Odo's memories. The people in the dream believed them to be a group of Bajoran terrorists who had been executed during the Occupation, but instead of Odo, his predecessor Thrax was in charge. Odo did not realize (or did not want to admit to himself) that Thrax's actions in the dream were in fact a recreation of his own, and their personae there were a group of innocent Bajorans who had been executed because Odo had sided with order rather than his sense of right and wrong. The experience, a product of Odo's guilt, persuaded him to admit the truth to himself and others. ( DS9 : " Things Past ")

The baby Changeling imitates Odo's face

In 2373 , Quark found an infant Changeling among some salvage he had purchased and sold the infant to Odo. He, in collaboration with Dr. Mora, made attempts to teach the infant, which was very ill, to change form, just as Mora had done with Odo himself. Though their attempts did result in making the infant form a face to look at Odo (along with various other shapes, assuming them seemingly at a much faster rate than Odo had when in Mora's care), its morphogenic matrix began to destabilize. As it died in Odo's hands, it linked with Odo and restored his morphogenic matrix, allowing him to change form once again. This was done as a means of thanking its mentor for all that he had tried to do. As Dr. Mora departed the station, he encouraged Odo to think of his restored abilities as a gift the Changeling had wanted him to have, and Odo, in return, told Mora that he now had a better understanding of what Mora had done for him years ago. ( DS9 : " The Begotten ")

The Dominion War [ ]

After the Dominion captured Deep Space 9, Odo was one of a few crewmembers who remained on the station, retaining his old role as chief of security, only with Dukat in charge. Odo joined the Ruling Council at the invitation of Weyoun . After the Female Changeling arrived on the station, his loyalties were questioned. The Female Changeling realized that the reason Odo remained with the solids was his love for Kira. She linked with Odo, hoping to manipulate him. While Kira led a resistance cell, Odo did nothing to help. Rom was arrested, but Odo again did nothing, stating that he was at peace after his linking. His inaction directly led to thousands of deaths as Starfleet was forced to accelerate their plans to retake DS9, going without an entire fleet to meet an enemy who outnumbered them two to one. Kira was later put into the brig and when the Female Changeling explained her plans for the solids, including the execution of Kira, Odo's eyes were opened. During a subsequent battle to retake Deep Space 9, he helped Kira and Rom escape from custody. Odo and his security forces attacked the station's guards, allowing Kira and Rom to disable the station's weapons system, helping the Defiant to retake the station. ( DS9 : " A Time to Stand ", " Behind the Lines ", " Favor the Bold ", " Sacrifice of Angels ")

Odo and Weyoun 6

In 2375 , Odo tried to help Weyoun 6 defect to the Federation, as Weyoun 6 believed that the Dominion War was a mistake, but his programming meant that he still saw the Founders as gods ; contacting Odo was as close to a compromise as he could come. Due to an attack perpetrated by Weyoun 7 and four Jem'Hadar ships, the attempt failed and ended with Weyoun 6's death; he triggered a termination implant in his brain that killed him in a matter of minutes . At this time, Weyoun also revealed that the Founders were all dying of a strange disease, and Odo was the only one who seemed unaffected by the disease. ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Odo cured of the morphogenic virus

Some time after this, it was revealed that Odo was the original source of the morphogenic virus that was killing the Founders, having been infected by Section 31 during his brief visit to Earth, ( DS9 : " Extreme Measures ", " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ") in an attempt by Section 31 to end the threat of the Founders by committing genocide. Odo was beginning to die of the disease himself, but after tricking Section 31 agent Luther Sloan into coming to DS9, Bashir was able to discover a cure for the virus, although it necessitated him and O'Brien each using a neural interface to enter Sloan's dying mind when the agent tried to kill himself rather than reveal the cure. ( DS9 : " Extreme Measures ")

Odo joins his people in the Great Link

Odo was instrumental in ending the war with the Dominion. He and Colonel Kira joined a Cardassian resistance group led by Damar . As such, Odo provided valuable help in Damar's fight against the Dominion. When the Female Changeling refused to order Jem'Hadar and Breen forces to stand down, Odo linked with her, curing her of the virus and convincing her that she was wrong about solids and to stand trial after ending the war. In exchange, Odo agreed to return to the Great Link permanently to help build a new Dominion, and to cure his people. This meant the end of his relationship with Kira, though he was accompanied on his return to the Great Link by Kira. As he merged into the Link, he changed into a tuxedo, which Kira liked him in. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Later life [ ]

Before or around 2401 , Odo warned his friend and former colleague, Worf, about a group of Changelings who, still bitter with the solids who defeated them, had broken off from the Great Link to seek revenge against Starfleet and the Federation. ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ")

Beliefs [ ]

Odo had a deep sense of justice, which he valued above all other things. As he told Sisko at one point, " Laws change depending on who's making them, but justice is justice. " ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ") Because of this, Odo enjoyed "thumbing his nose" at authority and going by his rules rather than those of Starfleet. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ") He once speculated that his belief in justice was an innate part of his racial makeup, and thus a link to his lost people. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ") When his people revealed themselves to be the Founders of the Dominion, they claimed that what they desired was order, not justice. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ") A desire for order was present in Odo's personality also, however, and it was expressed in his sometimes-authoritarian methods, which were justified because, in his view, they made things safer. As part of his jobs, he would, for example, spy on people's private communications and he wanted to introduce a general curfew to the station, be allowed to search more arriving passengers, and wanted dozens of extra security staff. His views on order sometimes made him blind to the plight of those who might be oppressed. In his view, the space station was safer under Cardassian control because of the powers given to security staff - an opinion his friend Kira Nerys corrected by pointing out it was not safe for Bajorans at that time. Odo admired the efficiency of the ruthless Cardassian intelligence agency the Obsidian Order . ( DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I ", " The Wire ")

Odo's service during the Occupation changed his attitudes about justice significantly. When he began working for Gul Dukat, he believed he was on neither the Bajoran nor Cardassian side, an impartial investigator whose only goal was to find the truth. Experience during the Occupation and being forced to choose sides when the truth would not lead to justice caused him to realize that contrary to a Human axiom, justice is not blind. During this time, he also began to distinguish justice from order, recognizing that he preferred the former after he allowed three Bajorans to be unjustly executed. When DS9 was under Federation command, Odo released Cardassian political prisoners from his jail whom the Bajorans wanted handing over to the Cardassians in exchange for the release of Bajoran prisoners. He did so because he thought it unjust that that they should be handed over. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ", " Things Past ")

As late as 2369, Odo had never "coupled", claiming he chose not to do so. He saw too many compromises involved in humanoid relationships and failed to understand the humanoid obsession with coupling. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ") Odo also believed in punctuality. His daily patrols of the Promenade were so routine that shopkeepers could set their watch to him. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ", " Broken Link ")

Shapeshifting nature and ability [ ]

Odo did not have the benefit of connection with the Great Link while he matured, and as a result, he was relatively unskilled in the use of his shapeshifting abilities when compared to most other Changelings. Unlike Odo, other Changelings, such as the Female Changeling , showed little difficulty in mimicking the faces of Kira Nerys and others. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ", " Paradise Lost ")

Nonetheless, Odo was able to improve his abilities with time and practice. By shapeshifting into an object, not only was he able to create a visual representation of the object; he was able to duplicate the object to such degree that if he was scanned with a tricorder while he was in the shape of a bird, the tricorder would detect a bird. ( DS9 : " Paradise Lost ")

Odo did not have a sense of smell, or a sense of taste either, which is part of the reason he disliked eating; he noted once that he had actually attempted to eat shortly after he first mastered the ability to assume a humanoid form but commented that the lack of a digestive system had made the whole process very messy, without elaborating further. ( DS9 : " If Wishes Were Horses ", " Meridian ", " Improbable Cause ") When the situation was appropriate, Odo was able to use his shapeshifting ability to create a visage of a table setting with a meal which he could "consume," and in doing so be a part of the dining experience. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Odo did not wear real clothes, instead creating his uniform from his body. Despite his difficulties imitating certain humanoid features, he was skilled enough as a shapeshifter to imitate some technological devices well enough for them to be functional, including his combadge on his uniform. But on at least one occasion Odo elected to wear a "real" combadge. ( DS9 : " Invasive Procedures ")

Odo could not hold a form permanently, and had to regenerate on a regular basis, generally every sixteen hours. During this time, he returned to his natural state for a period of several hours. Nevertheless, in 2369, while trapped in a turbolift for several hours, Odo showed signs of distress when approaching the fifteenth hour mark since the time of his last regeneration; physical changes in his appearance were already beginning to show. ( DS9 : " The Forsaken ") Several years later, while bunk mates with Quark during a mission on the Defiant , Odo appeared fine physically, even if highly agitated, when – interrupting multiple attempts Quark made to engage in conversation – Odo explained he had been holding his shape for a full sixteen hours. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ") In one case, Garak tortured Odo by preventing him from regenerating, using an Obsidian Order device that prevented Changelings from changing form. The inability to regenerate appeared to cause Odo great distress and pain, as well as causing his physical appearance to begin to fall apart. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ") Other Changelings did not seem to have this difficulty; when suffering from the Morphogenic virus , the Female Changeling remarked she had not been able to change form for weeks. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Personal interests [ ]

Odo employed a number of tactics in his attempts to integrate with solids; for instance, he would often sit for quiet drinks with friends, and would create the illusion of drinking by forming part of his body into a cup of coffee and then drinking himself. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Thanks to the instruction of his people, Odo began to take a great interest in his abilities as a shapeshifter, and to explore the various forms and sensations he could experience while in his liquid state. He outfitted his personal quarters to this end. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ", " The Abandoned ")

When he was used as a host for the memories of Curzon Dax during Jadzia Dax 's zhian'tara , Odo, after Curzon left his body, admitted to Dax that he had found Curzon's memories of various Humanoid activities such as eating, drinking, and playing tongo quite enjoyable, to the extent that he was amazed that Curzon had ever been able to get any work done. ( DS9 : " Facets ") Even prior to this, he noted that he was intrigued by the preparation efforts solids put into food, participating in Sisko's efforts to prepare a meal for the senior staff ( DS9 : " Equilibrium "). During his time as a solid, Odo learned to appreciate the simpler things in life. When Captain Sisko found Odo in Quark's, Sisko was surprised to find the constable was not on duty for once; he was instead studying a glass of sparkling wine . Odo observed how soothing the sound of the bubbles was. Although he had found ingestion a disgusting process at first, Odo told Sisko he had come to enjoy it. ( DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ")

Other aspects of monoform life proved less than comforting to Odo. In one embarrassing folly, he instinctively attempted to turn into a Vorian pterodactyl while chasing a criminal on the Promenade , but instead fell and injured himself. Additionally, he suffered from poor posture because he carried himself too rigidly for a normal humanoid. ( DS9 : " The Ascent ", " The Begotten ")

Odo also had a penchant for the Earth sport of kayaking . He and O'Brien occasionally used a kayaking holoprogram , which O'Brien brought with him from the USS Enterprise -D . Odo found the experience "quite enjoyable," although he refrained from singing sea shanties while they paddled. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

Odo found humanoid death rituals fascinating, particularly the Ferengi tradition of vacuum desiccation . When Quark was selling discs of recently deceased Ferengi entrepreneur Plegg , Odo sarcastically informed Quark of his interest in the subject and offered to buy a disc, much to Quark's surprise. It turned out that Plegg was very much alive, and that Quark had been cheated. Plegg found this very amusing, although Quark and Odo did not. ( DS9 : " The Alternate ")

Odo ejecting Sisko

During a baseball game between the Niners and the Logicians , Odo served as umpire , a position he found fascinating. He took his duties as umpire very seriously, to the point that he threw Sisko out of the game for breaking a rule, specifically, touching the umpire. Later, Odo also ejected Vulcan captain Solok from the game, for the very same reason. ( DS9 : " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

Personal relationships [ ]

The link [ ].

Although Odo was ostensibly an "orphan" from his beginnings of life in the Alpha Quadrant, Dr. Mora liked to think of himself as Odo's father and referred to himself as such on several occasions. Odo resented this presumption and preferred to forget his time in Mora's laboratory, mainly due to the various shock treatments he had been subjected to before it was realized that he was a sentient being. ( DS9 : " The Alternate ") When Mora helped Odo care for an infant changeling, the two of them bonded better, Odo realizing what Mora went through while "raising" him and understanding how hard it must have been for Mora when he left. ( DS9 : " The Begotten ")

In a manner of speaking, all Changelings, and particularly the Great Link, were his family. He felt an irreconcilable estrangement from the Link when he discovered their hatred of the solids and that they were the leaders of the ruthless Dominion. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ", " The Search, Part II ")

When arguing with a few Klingons, Drex asked in Klingonese if his mother let him talk to men. Garak responded that he wasn't sure if Odo even had a mother. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Friendships [ ]

"I'm watching you, Quark."

From the time Quark opened his bar on DS9, he and Odo were constant antagonists. Regardless, they maintained a mutual respect for one another, and Quark once observed that as Odo's worst enemy, he was the closest thing the shapeshifter had to a friend. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ") Odo always kept a vigilant eye on Quark's illicit activities, but in many cases, he was able to use Quark's underground contacts to infiltrate criminal organizations to which he would not otherwise have access. ( DS9 : " Indiscretion ")

The two often had idle conversations at Quark's Bar while Odo was on duty and Quark was working. They maintained their rivalry yet were fond of each other's company and their regular exchange of insults. For example, Odo simply "hrmphed" when Quark, in his momentary capacity as Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance , told him to kiss the Nagal staff , yet he was confounded by a sudden burst of cooperation in 2370, which was actually Quark's interpretation of the 76th Rule of Acquisition : "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies". ( DS9 : " The Nagus ", " The Homecoming ") During a temporary crisis in which a group of non-corporeal beings caused people's wishes to come true, Odo amusingly wished Quark into a holding cell without thinking about it. ( DS9 : " If Wishes Were Horses ")

More than anyone else, Quark knew about Odo's secret feelings for Kira and confronted him about them several times. It was Quark who told Odo that Odo was in love with Kira, breaking through the defenses Odo had carefully erected to keep his personal life private. Odo did not want Quark's sympathy, but when Kira officially began dating First Minister Shakaar, it was Quark who came to his quarters to check on him. There, he set Odo straight, although with the usual facade; Quark ran a regular betting pool on how long it would take Odo to catch a perpetrator, and he claimed his profits would suffer if Odo did not rectify things and get back to work.

By choice, Odo's quarters were directly above Quark's, and at times he took perverse (albeit secret) pleasure in annoying the Ferengi by practicing his shapeshifting skills during the night. Whether it was a Takaran wildebeest or a Rafalian mouse , Odo was able to annoy Quark whenever he felt like it. Once he set aside his feelings for Kira and got on with his life, Odo conveniently had his floor reinforced. As this would also soundproof the floor, Quark saw that his advice had helped and thanked Odo. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ")

In a mental recreation of Terok Nor during the Occupation, Odo (seen as a Bajoran) had to do subsidiary work at Quark's Bar which he felt quite humiliating. He asked Captain Sisko " How much damage would it do to the timeline if Quark were to suffer a mysterious... accident? " ( DS9 : " Things Past ")

After O'Brian and Bashir recovered from a shrinking accident, Odo shared a prank on them with Quark; tricking them into thinking they weren't fully baxk at normal height. In truth, both Odo and Quark were just on a step. Odo smirked as a bemused Quark stated "and they say you dont have a sense of humor"

Odo and Quark stuck together on a class L world

Quark and Odo managed to get along briefly while trapped on an inhospitable planet and under dire circumstances; they resumed their old rivalry as soon as they returned to DS9. ( DS9 : " The Ascent ")

When Laas visited the station and was detained for " the fog episode" on the Promenade, Quark later came to Odo to explain to him " You're smart enough to know that people don't want to be reminded that you're different ", in a seemingly friendly way. ( DS9 : " Chimera ")

When Odo left DS9, he attempted to do so without anyone noticing, but Quark caught up with him in the airlock . Odo claimed to have nothing to say to the Ferengi, but while he did not say so, it was clear Odo would miss his long-time adversary. When Kira tried to apologize for Odo's coldness, Quark said " That man loves me – you can see it written on his back ". He later admitted to Kira before entering the Great Link that he would miss everyone aboard DS9, even Quark. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Odo and Worf in 2372

Worf and Odo both enjoyed their privacy, and they shared a dislike of unexpected visitors. Although the two of them did not become close friends (as was the case with most of Odo's friendships), Worf and Odo respected and understood each other, as in many ways they had similar personalities.

The two of them clashed while Worf was attempting to acclimate himself to life aboard DS9. Worf observed that Quark was conducting smuggling activities and informed Odo about it only to find that Odo already knew of the transactions. Unknown to Worf, Odo was conducting an undercover operation and planned to use Quark's clandestine connections to infiltrate a large smuggling ring. When Worf placed Quark and Quark's contact under arrest, he discovered that the container in which the payment for the illicit goods were located was actually Odo in disguise. ( DS9 : " Hippocratic Oath ")

Worf and Odo discussing station matters with Kimara Cretak

Worf and Odo occasionally argued over the laxness of security on DS9. On one occasion, when Worf apprehended a Dopterian who had stolen items from Worf's quarters , he asked Odo why he "allowed" such security breaches to occur. Odo responded by citing a number of security breaches aboard the USS Enterprise before Worf told him to stop. ( DS9 : " Bar Association ")

Once the two learned each other's ways, they found they could relate to one another far more than they realized. Odo offered Worf advice on how to keep people from simply "dropping by" his quarters. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ")

Miles O'Brien [ ]

Miles O'Brien and Odo had a good working relationship. Odo volunteered to represent O'Brien when he was tried in a Cardassian court, successfully proving O'Brien's innocence despite the Cardassian legal structure regarding the trial as a mere formality for a pre-determined sentence. This trial gave Odo the opportunity to get to know O'Brien better and develop an admiration for his strong sense of duty when he proclaimed that he had always tried to be somebody his children could be proud of. A couple of years later, he allowed the O'Briens to return the temporally-displaced Molly O'Brien to Golana , even though they broke her out of a holding cell. He joked that he was actually disappointed as he expected O'Brien to succeed in breaking someone out of the station without being discovered. ( DS9 : " Tribunal ", " Time's Orphan ")

At one point, Garak made mention that O'Brien shared "Human crime novels" with Odo; he stated that they may have been influencing Odo's thinking. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ")

O'Brien and Odo went kayaking in a holosuite several times; an activity Odo found "quite enjoyable". ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ") Odo (or the impostor Changeling trying to pass as him) tried to use knowledge of details from their most recent trip to prove he was the real Odo. ( DS9 : " The Adversary ")

Odo with Garak

Elim Garak and Odo were forced to work together during the events leading up to the joint Tal Shiar-Obsidian Order strike on the Founders' homeworld . What began as a decidedly unwilling partnership, evolved into a mutual respect as Garak began to understand that, unlike his other erstwhile sparring partner Doctor Julian Bashir, Odo truly understood who Garak was. Strangely, Garak's attempt to torture Odo while trapped on the Tal Shiar ship created a mutual understanding and a peculiar bond between them. Garak recognized that he no longer had the will to torture those he was close to, and Odo empathized with Garak's willingness to do anything to return to his own people. They later had many quiet "drinks" together. ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ", " The Die is Cast ", " The Way of the Warrior ")

Garak once attempted to set Odo up with a date with Chalan Aroya but was ultimately unsuccessful. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ")

Benjamin Sisko [ ]

Odo speaking privately with Benjamin Sisko in 2371

Although Odo noted that he didn't think he would like Benjamin Sisko when he first met him, the two formed a keen respect for each other over the years. When Sisko was promoted to captain, Odo noted that, while he didn't personally see the relevance of such titles, he could think of nobody who deserved this ritual more than Sisko. Sisko reciprocated this admiration more than once. When Odo's life was at stake following his capture by the Obsidian Order and later his illness, Sisko took the Defiant into Dominion territory to save Odo, despite the risks of conflict with the Dominion. Odo also accompanied Sisko back to Earth when they received news that the Changelings had reached Earth. He helped him develop means of detecting Changelings on the planet . On another occasion he helped Sisko, who was falsely accused of being a Changeling by Admiral Leyton , escape. ( DS9 : " Emissary ", " The Adversary ", " The Die is Cast ", " Paradise Lost ", " Broken Link ")

While on a routine mission in the Alpha Quadrant, Odo and Chief O'Brien happened upon another Changeling named Laas . Odo was fascinated, as Laas too was one of the hundred infant Changelings the Founders had sent out to learn about other civilizations. The two of them bonded quickly, and Odo was able to tell that Laas' intentions were good despite the chief's concerns.

Laas did not integrate well when they returned to the station. He openly stated his dislike of "solids," much to Odo's chagrin. Laas believed Odo had been brainwashed into acting and thinking like a solid, making excessive and disruptive use of his own shapeshifting abilities to prove his point. Ultimately, Laas left in search of other Changelings in order to form a second Great Link. ( DS9 : " Chimera ")

Romance [ ]

Kira nerys [ ].

Odo and Kira kiss passionately on the Promenade

Over the years, Odo began to fall in love with Kira Nerys . He kept this a secret from her, and stood by as she entered into and ended other romantic relationships, including the death of Vedek Bareil Antos . After Bareil's death, Kira took up a relationship with Shakaar, the head of the Bajoran government. Although she eventually learned his true feelings after an encounter with an alternate future version of him, Kira and Odo were left reluctant to pursue a relationship at the time, due in no small part to the future Odo having erased over eight thousand people from existence simply to prevent Kira's death in his original timeline and give his younger self another chance with her. Eventually, with the help of Vic Fontaine , he finally revealed his feelings for her in 2374 , Kira reciprocating his feelings. Despite this, Odo left Deep Space 9 at the end of the Dominion War to heal the Great Link of a virus that was killing the Changelings and showing them positive aspects of the solids. ( DS9 : " Children of Time ", " His Way ", " What You Leave Behind ")

Lwaxana Troi [ ]

Lwaxana Troi without her wig

Odo and Lwaxana play shapeshifting games in his quarters

Ambassador Lwaxana Troi was infatuated with Odo from the moment she saw him. As she put it, " I've never been with a Changeling before! " Odo found Lwaxana's advances annoying and even complained to Commander Sisko that Ambassador Troi wouldn't leave him alone. An accident trapped the two of them in a turbolift together shortly before Odo was set to revert to his gelatinous state. Over the course of several hours, the two of them began to understand each other better.

They were stuck in the turbolift so long that Odo could barely hold his shape and was literally "melting." Lwaxana offered to carry Odo in her dress, but he was embarrassed and worried, as no one had ever seen him in his liquid form. He was worried that if someone saw him like that, they would be repulsed because he was so different from them. To make him feel understood, Lwaxana removed her wig and admitted that no one had ever seen her in her natural state either. Odo felt more at ease after this revelation and allowed Lwaxana to carry him. Their interaction had a profound effect on Odo, giving him more confidence in who he was. ( DS9 : " The Forsaken ", " The Muse ")

During Ambassador Troi's next visit to DS9, her persistent feelings for Odo combined with a case of zanthi fever caused people in close proximity to her to desire others: Jake Sisko and Doctor Bashir both became infatuated with Kira, for example, Jadzia Dax with Sisko, and Vedek Bareil with Dax. ( DS9 : " Fascination ")

Lwaxana's final visit with Odo was when she fled her Tavnian husband, Jeyal , who was intent on taking her unborn child when it was born. In Tavnian culture, boys and girls were raised under strict gender separation, something Lwaxana's husband had initially promised would not be the case for their child (he later declared his intention to take her male child as soon as it was born, disregarding his previous assurances to her). Lwaxana had married Jeyal in response to being rejected by Odo and having her heart broken. She had come to Odo for protection from her husband and Odo came up with the plan to marry Lwaxana in Tavnian tradition in order to end the biological father's legal claim to their offspring under Tavnian law (which specified the mother's husband as the legal guardian for male children). This required a public profession of his love for her, which needed to be believable. While Odo wasn't romantically attracted to Lwaxana, his profession of love for her was genuine, revealing the depth of appreciation he had for her and their friendship. Reflecting on their relationship since their time stuck in the turbolift a few years before, he said, " Before I met her ... I was ashamed of what I was, afraid that if people saw how truly different I was they would recoil from me. Lwaxana saw how different I was and she didn't recoil. She wanted to see more. For the first time in my life, someone wanted me as I was. And that changed me forever. The day I met her, is the day I stopped being alone. And I want her to be part of my life from this day on. " The plan was successful and Lwaxana was free from Jeyal. Odo wanted her to stay on DS9 following their marriage, but Lwaxana knew Odo's love for her wasn't romantic and she would come to resent him for not reciprocating her love. Their friendship was too precious, she said, to allow that to happen. ( DS9 : " The Muse ")

Odo talking to Arissa

An Idanian woman named Arissa once fell for Odo while he was protecting her from the group who were trying to kill her, the two even spending the night together (a first for Odo, outside of a single pseudo-sexual encounter during his brief time on the Founder homeworld). Later, he found out that she was an agent sent into deep cover to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate . She was married and, due to her mind having been altered to escape telepathic examination, she did not know this while she was undercover. As she departed to return to her former life, she assured Odo that she had genuinely loved him in their time together and in a way still did. ( DS9 : " A Simple Investigation ")

Female Changeling [ ]

When Odo first visited the home of his people the Changeling representing them took the form of a female humanoid. The two linked together in a way that might be considered sexual. ( DS9 : " A Simple Investigation ") Later, during the Dominion's occupation of Deep Space 9, Odo became involved with the Female Changeling. Initially, his only intent was to learn more about his own people and perhaps influence her towards a peaceful resolution of the current conflict. However, she was able to manipulate him and his desire for control over his own emotions regarding Kira. Eventually she was able to almost completely turn Odo away from his former friends and allies, but the revelation that she intended "to break" the Alpha Quadrant peoples of their desire for freedom shocked him into reconsidering his new "perspective". He effectively ended their personal relationship by siding once again with the Federation against the Dominion. ( DS9 : " Sacrifice of Angels ") Later, at the end of the war, he was able to save her life from the morphogenic virus and convince her to give the stand-down order to the remaining Dominion forces by promising to return to the Great Link with the cure. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Alternate realities and timelines [ ]

A version of Odo from an alternate timeline

In an alternate timeline in which Harry Kim was never assigned to the USS Voyager , Odo arrested Tom Paris in 2371 , after Paris attacked Quark in Quark's bar. Odo's actions during this incident resulted in Paris still sitting in a holding cell on DS9 when Voyager was thrown into the Delta Quadrant . Odo was later mentioned by Paris, in conversation with Kim, at which point Paris described him as "a very unpleasant shapeshifter." ( VOY : " Non Sequitur ")

In an alternate timeline in which the Defiant was sent back in time to the 22nd century , Odo was the only member of the crew (besides Dax) who lived to see the Defiant arriving in the 24th century. In two hundred years, he had grown more proficient in shapeshifting and was able to assume a more humanoid face. Odo, during the Defiant 's visit in the 24th century, admitted his romantic feelings to Kira, and subsequently linked with his younger self. He sabotaged the Defiant and caused it to avoid crashing on Gaia , wishing to give his younger self and Kira a second chance at love. By doing so, the inhabitants of Gaia ceased to exist. ( DS9 : " Children of Time ")

Holograms [ ]

Odo was holographically duplicated at least twice.

Luther Sloan recreated the entire station, and staff, of Deep Space 9 in 2374 as part of his investigation into Julian Bashir, including Odo. ( DS9 : " Inquisition ")

The USS Protostar 's computer chose a holographic Odo as as a member of Dal 's command crew during his attempts at taking the Kobayashi Maru scenario . ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

Chronology [ ]

Mid- 24th century : Found adrift and in his gelatinous state in the Denorios belt , Odo is brought to the Bajoran Institute of Science to be studied by Doctor Mora Pol

2363 : Guls Dukat and Hadar attend a reception at the Bajoran Center for Science to view Odo and his abilities. The Changeling performs the Cardassian neck trick , to wide acclaim

2365 : Becomes an investigator on the Cardassian space station Terok Nor

2366 : Is designated an officer of the Cardassian court, in order to testify in criminal cases

2369 : Becomes chief of security when Terok Nor is transferred to Federation control as Deep Space 9 . He learns he originated in the Gamma Quadrant

2371 : Discovers the Great Link , and later becomes the first Changeling to kill another

2372 : The Great Link sit in judgment of him, and render him " solid "

2373 : The dying act of an infant Changeling is to make him a Changeling once more

2375 : Leaves DS9 to rejoin his people in the Great Link

Memorable quotes [ ]

" You are a thief! "

"QQUUAARRKK!!!!"

" You can tell a man's intentions by the way he walks. "

" All right, let's try again. Close your eyes, take a deep breath... clear your mind of anything in it... if there's anything there... "

" I have a friend at Starfleet Intelligence . And she has a friend who has a cousin who's married to the assistant of one of the members of the Federation Medical Council . " " Really? " " And according to my friend, her friend heard something from his cousin that his wife heard from this council member that I thought you might find interesting. " " Which is? " " Doctor Wade is not going to win the Carrington. "

" But don't worry – I plan to investigate the Klingons, the Bajorans, Quark, the visiting Terrelians... " " You think Quark had something to do with this? " " I always investigate Quark. "

" …But then I contacted a friend at Starfleet Intelligence who used to be assigned to the Federation Embassy on the Klingon Homeworld. He put me in contact with a former Klingon operative who's out of favor with the current administration. This former operative sent me a series of reports " " Odo, cut to the chase. " " The three Klingons now on the station are part of a covert strike force that reports directly to the Klingon High Council. " " Why didn't you just say so? " " Sometimes I have to remind you just how good I am. "

" I've had enough of your dissembling, Garak! I am not Doctor Bashir and we are not sparring amiably over lunch. Now, you dragged me into this investigation and you are now going to cooperate with me. " " Dragged you in? I don't know what you're talking " " You blew up your own shop, Garak! Well, I don't think I've ever seen that particular expression on your face. Is it surprise? " " Yes, Constable, it is. I'm surprised that you could come this unlikely conclusion. " " Drop the pretence. I knew as soon as I spoke with the Flaxian. Assassins don't like varying their methods. He planned to poison you. I think you spotted him on the station and then blew up your own shop so that I'd begin an investigation. " " That seems like a very elaborate way to get you involved. If I needed your help I could have just asked. " " But you couldn't be sure that I'd take you seriously. Or that I'd help you. Besides, I think you secretly enjoyed destroying your own shop. " " Well, I admit watching it burn wasn't exactly tragic. " " Whether or not you want to admit it, you pulled me into this case and now you're stuck with me. "

" Come on, Quark, move it along. You should be in the emergency shelter by now. " " I'm not going to any emergency shelter. This is my bar, and I'm going to defend it. " " Really? And how do you plan to do that? " " With this. " " You're going to hit them with a box? " " No. This is my disruptor pistol. The one I used to carry in the old days, when I was serving on that Ferengi freighter. " " I thought you were the ship's cook. " " That's right. And every member of that crew thought he was a food critic. If the Klingons try to get through these doors, I'll be ready for them. " (reads note in the empty box) " 'Dear Quark, I used parts from your disruptor to fix the replicators. Will return them soon. Rom.' " " I will kill him! " " With what? "

" It's just Quark's luck that you would be assigned quarters right above his. " "Luck had nothing to do with it. "

" They were an ecological menace, a plague to be wiped out. " " Wiped out? What are you saying? " " Hundreds of warriors were sent to track them down throughout the galaxy. An armada obliterated the tribble homeworld. By the end of the 23rd century, they had been eradicated. " " Oh, another glorious chapter in Klingon history. Tell me, do they still sing songs of the Great Tribble Hunt ? "

" Someone's extracted all the latinum! There's nothing here but worthless gold! " " And it's all yours. "

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Odo 1 , a combat training holoprogram
• Odo One , a program used to drive away the Saltah'na energy spheres
• Odo's bucket

Appearances [ ]

• " Paradise "
• " Distant Voices " (dream only)
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " Far Beyond the Stars "
• " Change of Heart "
• " Strange Bedfellows " (impersonated only)
• PRO : " Kobayashi " (hologram only)
• PIC : " No Win Scenario " (image on PADD only)

Background information [ ]

Odo was played by Rene Auberjonois throughout the entire run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Odo has also been played by Salome Jens (when he took the form of the Female Changeling in " Tacking Into the Wind " to infiltrate a Jem'Hadar ship), several animals (including rats, birds, and a German Shepherd), and various inanimate objects.

As Michael Piller explains, " we needed a character who represented the traditions of Spock and Data , the outsider who looks in at humanity. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD , Special Features) He described Odo as " the curmudgeon of all curmudgeons. So instead of Data who worships humanity and wants to be that, and Spock who would deny it, Odo has been forced to pass as a humanoid all of his life, to look like us and act like us because it's a lot more socially acceptable and he resents it. So he has now found a way to use it as a defense mechanism and keep a distance from it and find ways to be critical of the human condition. " ( Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Unauthorized Story , p. 10)

Concept art for "a much more muscular, intimidating lawman" version of Odo" ( Star Trek: The Magazine, Issue 5, p. 22)

The original 1992 Writers' Bible for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine [2] gave this biography for Odo:

Odo, an alien male, middle-aged curmudgeon, and a shape-shifter. In his natural state he is a gelatinous liquid. He was Bajoran law enforcement officer on the space station under the Cardassians. Starfleet decides to have him continue in that role, since he's extremely savvy about the Promenade and all who frequent it. His back story is: 50 years ago, with no memory of his past, he was found alone in a mysterious space craft that appeared in the Denarias asteroid belt. He was found by the Bajoran and lived amongst them. At first he was sort of an Elephant Man, a source of curiosity and humor as he turned himself into a chair or pencil. Finally he realized he would have to take the form of a humanoid to assimilate and function in their environment. He does it, but resents it. As a result, Odo performs a uniquely important role in the ensemble: he is a character who explores and comments on Human values. Because he is forced to pass as one of us, his point of view usually comes with a cynical and critical edge. But he can't quite get it right, this humanoid shape, though he continues to try. So he looks a little unfinished in a way. He's been working on it a long time. Someone might ask him: Why dont you take the form of a younger man. His answer: I would if I could . He has the adopted child syndrome, searching for his own personal identity. Although he doesn't know anything about his species, he is certain that justice is an integral part of their being, because the necessity for it runs through every fiber of his body – a racial memory. Thats why he became a law man. He has a couple of Bajoran deputies; he doesnt allow weapons on the Promenade, and once every day he must return to his gelatinous form.

According to Rene Auberjonois, " Constable Odo was envisioned originally as a kind of young John Wayne sheriff-in-town. " Similarly, Ira Steven Behr stated, " I was told six months before the series began that Odo was going to be a Clint Eastwood type, and when we started creating the first couple of episodes, we sent writers off to write Clint Eastwood. And then I was told Rene Auberjonois. And I said, 'Clint Eastwood, Rene Auberjonois? Clint Eastwood, Rene Auberjonois? Does not compute.' And then I saw what he brought to the role, and I had to call up a whole bunch of writers and say 'Guys, I apologize, but this is better than we even imagined.' " ( Crew Dossier: Odo , DS9 Season 3 DVD special features)

Although Rene Auberjonois himself was initially unsure as to whether or not he could play the role, his daughter had no such doubts: " When the script was first sent to me and I read the description of the character, my daughter said to me, 'Oh dad, yeah, this is yours, you're gonna get this.' My kids were completely confident that this part was for me, which, considering the nature of the character, I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not ." (Hidden File 04, DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

Auberjonois was not allowed to eat or chew gum while filming, for fear it would ruin the make-up, although Salome Jens managed to get away with chewing gum on the set. Subsequently, Auberjonois said that "now I chew gum as a tribute to Odo." [3]

The name "Odo" is shared with a central character in Ursula Le Guin 's 1974 novel The Dispossessed . The character, ironically and in contrast to the Odo of Deep Space Nine , is an anarchist . Michael Piller originally called the character "Otto", but Rick Berman changed it to "Odo". ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

Odo's relationship with Quark is a clear homage to the classic 1942 Michael Curtiz film Casablanca , with Odo in Claude Rains ' role of Captain Louis Renault and Quark as Humphrey Bogart 's Rick Blaine, although the garrulous Renault and taciturn Blaine are somewhat the opposite in personality to their counterparts. At one point Quark notes, " Everybody comes to Quark's, " a nod to the title of the play on which Casablanca is based ( Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison ), while, in " The Ascent ", he asks, " Do you think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship? " a twist on the film's closing line.

Several scripts refer to Odo's superior strength, such as " Vortex ", [4] and his lack of a sense of smell. ( DS9 : " If Wishes Were Horses ")

Mary Chieffo once remarked, " Of course, I have a soft spot for Odo. " [5]

In 2001, René Auberjonois was the voice of Bio-Con, a villainous snake-like shapeshifter similar to Odo, who appeared in the CGI animated series Max Steel .

Apocrypha [ ]

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium series of novels , it was revealed that Odo rarely shifted into smaller forms such as insects due to a psychological block from his original "training" under Doctor Mora; Mora once speculated that Odo's excess mass during small transformations was transferred to a pocket dimension, and Odo initially worried that something might happen to his mass if he maintained a small shape for long. The same novel series also speculates that the Founders placed a mental block on Odo's abilities to make it difficult for him to alter his face, thus explaining why he can never get faces quite right, even after linking with other Changelings on several occasions.

In the DS9 Relaunch novels, Odo sent a Jem'Hadar ambassador to the Alpha Quadrant to foster understanding in the Dominion of other cultures. He soon returned to DS9 and reunited with Kira.

Odo later learned that the Hundred were initially sent out to find the Progenitor – the first Changeling and the key to solving their declining population, as Changelings could not reproduce (Odo and the other Hundred were not "infants", but merely Changelings that had never been part of the Great Link) – but the discovery of the Progenitor's death caused the Changelings to disperse across the quadrant. As of 2382 , Odo had only rediscovered approximately thirty Changelings, including himself and Laas, to form a new Link.

According to the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Night of the Wolves , Odo was found in a spherical module in the Denorios Belt by the Cardassian vessel Kevalu , which was under the command of Dalin Malyn Ocett , in 2345 .

In the Star Trek: Typhon Pact novel Raise the Dawn , Odo returned to the Alpha Quadrant to help Sisko investigate reports that the Typhon Pact, an alliance of the Federation's enemies, have stolen Jem'Hadar technology to perfect their own quantum slipstream drive , only to be trapped in the Alpha Quadrant when the wormhole was seemingly destroyed thanks to Kira's attempt to stop a Typhon Pact ship from using it again. Sisko offered Odo a place on his new ship, the USS Robinson , but the novel ends with Odo deciding to remain on Bajor for a time to think about what he will do next.

In Star Trek Online , Odo makes a sudden appearance at the very end of the mission "Scylla and Charybdis" when Dominion ships race in to aid the Alpha Quadrant Alliance in protecting Bajor and the heavily damaged Deep Space 9 from a fleet of Hur'q ships, only cryptically telling the player character "We have to talk." Odo plays a major role in the "Victory is Life" expansion, voiced again by René Auberjonois. In the introductory missions for new Jem'Hadar characters, set immediately before "Scylla and Charybdis", Odo instructs his Vorta advisors Weyoun and Loriss to lead his Vanguard Fleet through the wormhole to Bajor. He calls a conference on DS9 and informs the delegates that the Dominion fleet, save for his Vanguard, has all been destroyed by the Hur'q, and calls for the Alpha Quadrant powers to join him in combating the threat. In the course of events in the Gamma Quadrant, Odo admits that he has secretly used transponders to purposely lure the Hur'q to various worlds, including Bajor, to convince the other powers to fight them alongside the Dominion, and reveals that he has been kept in the dark by the Female Changeling and the rest of the Great Link in regards to their threat. In the mission "Home", Odo personally leads the defense of the Founders' homeworld of Empersa, and later brings the Dominion officially into the Alliance.

Odo of the alternate reality

The alternate reality version of Odo appears in the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Q Gambit where he is a member of the Free Federation Resistance after being found by Resistance scientists in 2348 . Odo helps Sisko, James T. Kirk , Montgomery Scott , and Nyota Uhura escape from Terok Nor by posing as a Jem'Hadar and are then beamed aboard the USS Defiant where they head for Earth, which had been taken over by the Klingon Empire and renamed "Tera'." When Kurn escorts the group to meet with Chancellor Worf, Odo tells Sisko that something felt amiss to him, and he was right when Worf is suddenly killed by his guards and Kurn, but it is revealed that they're actually Changelings who proclaim Earth is now under Dominion control. One of the Changelings then points his disruptor at Odo saying he would have the honor of dying first for betraying his people, to which Odo said he would commit the betrayal a thousand times over as they have twisted their once peaceful civilization into a mockery of all that is honorable. They are saved when a shuttlecraft piloted by Miles O'Brien arrives and causes the ceiling to crumble killing the Changelings. Odo then explains that he arranged for the shuttle to come pick them up but couldn't risk telling Sisko in case their enemies found out. When they meet up with Jake Sisko and Jadzia Dax on the Resistance outpost planet Paradise, Sisko becomes host to a Prophet and Odo explains to Uhura who the Prophets are.

External links [ ]

• Odo at StarTrek.com
• Odo (Star Trek) at Wikipedia
• Odo at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Odo at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Shapeshifters – What are They and Are They Real?

Last Updated on May 31, 2021

Shapeshifting is a trope we often see in popular culture these days. From episodes of Star Trek , the Twilight Saga , to Terminator 2 , shapeshifters are an integral part of fantasy, and science fiction shows, stories, and films.

However, the concept of shapeshifting has been around far longer than most of us can even fathom. In 1914, three brothers explored a cave in southwest France, and discovered ancient drawings along the cavern walls. Some of these drawings, which have been dated back to 13,000 B.C., depict humans changing into the shape of animals.

But what does shapeshifting fully entail? And is it an ability humans will ever be able to learn?

What is Shapeshifting?

To completely understand shapeshifting, we must first start from the beginning. In essence, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform into another shape, be it that of another human, or an animal. This also includes the idea that animals can turn into other animals. Shapeshifting can come about in a variety of ways. In some myths, the ability to shapeshift is an inherent one–meaning some people are simply born with the skill. Other shapeshifters allegedly acquire the skill by means of magic, or divine intervention.

Shapeshifters can often control when they change shape, but not always. Lon Chaney’s iconic role as the Wolfman depicts a shapeshifter who not only can’t control his secondary form, he fears it.

This ability to metamorph is also known as therianthropy. This rather antiquated term also pertains to when a deity transforms a human into some type of floral or fauna. Shapeshifting is a cross-cultural concept, spanning continents, countries, and multiple religions. The idea that someone can turn into an animal at will has been a prevalent notion in literature since the Epic of Gilgamesh was written in 1800 B.C.

Types of Shapeshifters

There are multiple types of animals that are common in varying myths, but none so more than the werewolf. This popular concept is also known as lycanthrophy. The ability to turn into a wolf exists in Native American, European, and Canadian cultures, but often seems most heavily used in Norse mythology.

Loki, the famous Norse God, is said to have turned into a female wolf in order to bear his son, Fenrir. The Volsunga saga is a poem that was written in the 13th Century. In it, many mythological characters turn into wolves, both on purpose, and by accident. In Scandanavian culture, there also exists the Maras, an entire race of female werewolves.

Stories from Trinidad, and Tobago also include humans that have the ability to turn into wolves. They are often referred to as the loup-garou, yet another term for werewolf. It is believed that abilities are handed down from ancient creole families–families that practice old African magic, or perhaps even a family member that considers themselves to be a witch doctor.

But there are many other types of shapeshifters, varying in appearance, ability, and perhaps most importantly, intent. Here are some examples of humans that change shape for malevolent reasons.

The Skin-walkers

According to the Navajos, skin-walkers are evil witches that possess the ability to turn into different animals. Most tales regarding skin-walkers are not openly discussed outside of Navajo communities, however, it is believed that these particular shapeshifters were once traditional healers, who eventually became corrupt.

The Wendigo

The wendigo is a mythological evil spirit, from the Algonquian tribes of Eastern Canada. It is believed that this evil entity can possess, and control humans, forcing them to commit murder, and sometimes cannibalism.

The wendigo has become more widely known, and has even influenced the naming of a modern, controversial syndrome, known as Wendigo Psychosis. Psychiatrists use this term to describe individuals who both fear they will become cannibals, and for those who actually admit to craving human flesh.

The Ijiraq is an Inuit shapeshifter that assumes as many forms as it wills. The Ijiraq is very elusive, and impossible to see if you attempt to look at it straight on. Instead, an Ijiraq will slip by in your periphery.

These eerie beings can occasionally be helpful to hunters that stumble upon them. Or they can be dangerously manipulative–to a fatal extent. The Ijiraq are also known for slipping into family dwellings at night, kidnapping any children present, and abandoning them in some far away, deserted location.

According to myths from the Philippines, the dreaded Aswang is a very evil, very adaptable shapeshifter. It can assume the shape of a bat, a black boar, a black cat, or a large black dog. It likes to emerge at night, and stalk any humans it can find. Other shapeshifters, such as the Kapre, the Tikbalang, and the Engkanto, also exist in Philippino culture. These types of shapeshifters are known for their attempts at wooding young, attractive females who have yet to be married.

In one better-known story, called Chonguita the Monkey Wife, a beautiful woman is lured out by one of these malicious shapeshifters. She is turned into a monkey against her will, and will remain a monkey until the end of her days…unless she finds a handsome young man, makes him fall in love with her, and he offers her his hand in marriage.

The Kumiho is a fox that possesses the ability to take on the shape of any human it likes. Stories of the Kumiho are prevalent in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture, but the animal is considered friendly in nature to the Chinese, and Japanese. Koren myths tell of evil deeds done by the fox.

Wanting to be a full human, this nine tailed fox will often assume the shape of a gorgeous woman, and use her charm, and wiles to seduce young men. Once the man has found himself in the arms of the Kumiho, she will rip out his heart, and eat it, believing it will help keep her human. Another variation claims the Kumiho will eat the human’s liver instead. Once she has consumed one hundred livers, she will remain a human indefinitely.

Shapeshifters in Greek Mythology

Shapeshifting is a common occurrence in early Greek literature, and often linked to deities,  such as Homer’s The Odyssey . In the epic poem, Odysseus’ men are turned into pigs, thanks to the Goddess Circe.

Proteus, a Greek God of rivers, and oceans, is also known for his shapeshifting abilities. Gifted with the ability to foretell the future, Proteus was often sought out by gods, and mortals alike. He would answer their questions, but only if they happened to catch him first. He would often change shape in order to elude anyone who searched for him.

Shapeshifters in Irish, and British Mythology

Fairies, witches, and wizards make frequent appearances in Irish, and British folktales, and they often have the ability to change their appearance as a plot device. It is believed that many types of fairies were merely limited to creating glamors–temporary illusions to slightly alter their appearance. But many witches and wizards had the capability to shift themselves, and others, into any shape they wished, be it an animal, a human, or even some type of plant. Witches were believed to turn into hares, sneak onto properties, and steal milk, and butter.

Shapeshifters in Indian Mythology

Hindu folklore tells of the Rakshasa, demonic beings that assume the shape of various animals in order to trick humans. The Rakshasa in their natural forms are said to have two large fangs, and long claws as fingernails. They enjoy feasting on human beings.

In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, it is believed that a race of people called Naga exist. These entities are half mortal, half divine, and reside in the netherworld. Their natural forms are half-human, half serpent, but it is believed they have the ability to assume the shape of ordinary humans as well.

Shapeshifters in Death

One type of shapeshifting that seems common across multiple cultures, and belief systems is that the dead can also assume the shape of an animal–sometimes in order to simply visit their loved ones, but often in an attempt to get revenge on those who killed them.

These ghostly visitors often assume the shape of birds, such as a white dove, or a white duck. People who often elect to visit their loved ones in this manner were murdered in some particularly gruesome manner. Once no longer living, they attempt to visit loved ones in these shapes, either to say goodbye, or in an attempt to let their loved ones know what really happened to them.

One macabre story, The White and the Black Bride , is a German folktale. A sorcerer in disguise asks for directions. A mother, and daughter refuse to help him, but the stepdaughter does. The mother, and daughter are then turned black, and ugly, while the stepdaughter is rewarded with eternal beauty, and infinite wealth. The king learns of the stepdaughter’s beauty, and decides to marry her. But the mother enchants the waiting coachman to become half-blind, and she curses her stepdaughter to become half-deaf. The mother then tricks the coachman to lose his way, and bring the stepdaughter to a window, where the mother proceeds to push her out.

Upon her death, the stepdaughter hears that the mother has convinced the king to marry her, the black bride. The stepdaughter is then able to transform herself into a white duck and begins to talk to a boy who works in the kitchens. When the King hears of a talking duck, he finds it and cuts off her head. But this seemingly violent act transforms the stepdaughter into her ordinary, living self again. Thus, the King marries her and kills the black bride.

Another avenging shapeshifter tale is The Rose Tree. Adored by her stepbrother, but hated by her stepmother, a young lady agrees to let her stepmother comb out her hair for her. Claiming her hair is far too detangled for an ordinary comb, the stepmother convinces the girl to retrieve an axe. The stepmother then uses the axe to cut off her head and puts the girl’s heart, and liver into a stew for the family to eat. Mourning, the stepbrother does not eat any of the soup but rather buries his stepsister under some roses in the yard. Determined to have her revenge, the dead stepdaughter comes back as a white bird, winning over the affections of local townsfolk. They give her a pair of red shoes, a gold watch, and a giant stone.

Rapping the stone against the house, the family believes a storm has started. The stepbrother comes out, and the white bird rewards him with the red shoes. The father comes out, and the white bird rewards him with the gold watch. Finally, when the evil stepmother comes out, the white bird drops the millstone on her head, killing her on the spot.

Are Shapeshifters Real?

There is much debate about whether or not shapeshifters really exist. Shapeshifting has been such a common concept on a global level for so long, many argue that there is simply no way it is a fictional ability.

Others, however, state that to change shapes in such a drastic, all encompassing manner, is currently scientifically impossible. Body alterations happen slowly, over time. Despite current day technology, it is impossible to add or remove mass that does not previously already exist.

Metamorphosis does occur in the natural world, such as when a tadpole develops into a frog. However, this process is gradual, and the mass acquired by the tadpoles is no more than what is physically possible as their organs grow between 12 and 16 weeks.

Modern-day movies, and shows often depict the process of shapeshifting to be a quick, seemingly elegant transition, done in a manner of minutes, even seconds. Unfortunately, this is not remotely accurate. Shapeshifting so rapidly would be excruciatingly painful, to the point where most people would die in the process, due to shock.

Shapeshifting as a Mental Process

The idea of shapeshifting as a mental exercise is considered possible to many. Individuals who practice meditation, and deep trance-like techniques claim they can mentally project their mental self away from their physical self. This process would allow a person to temporarily transport their spirit into the body of an animal, without physically altering their cellular makeup. While the spirit travels, the individual’s body would remain an empty vessel, in an unconscious state.

About Brandon Hall

Hi! I am Brandon. Writer and content creator for PA, specializing in phenomena that is sometimes beyond normal scientific understanding. My mission is to help guide people seeking answers in a positive and enlightening way.

10 thoughts on “Shapeshifters – What are They and Are They Real?”

I also had one at about ten years of age. I had epilepsy from about 4 years of age until 12 or so. I had to take medication that really slowed me down all those years. I remember coming home after school that day just worn out, and went to lay down. I fell so far asleep that when dinner was ready, my mom couldn’t get me back up. But I do remember hearing her trying to wake me up and me trying to tell her I’m awake but I couldn’t. I remember dad coming in and picking me up and me looking at him take me away over his shoulder with me flying or floating trying as much as I could to say I’m ok but he left. I then floated up through the ceiling and up over the town where we lived and could see all the houses trees and people. I then went up more and into a white ship-looking thing and people milling around. I then walked down the corridor to what looked like my dead great grandparents all wanting to see and talk to me etc… Then someone who looked like Jesus took me aside into a room and we talked for what seemed like a long time. He then poured water into a cauldron-like thing, because I’d asked him what the future was to be. I then looked into it and seen chaos and smoke and all kinds of bad things happening. And some scenes that remind me of 9/11, and the twin towers coming down. I can’t remember much more after that but I do kind of remember those scenes. Then I was asked if I wanted to stay or go back. I at first said stay, but almost immediately said no I want to go back. So then all of a sudden I remember what felt like falling down and then seen the bed I was on and the Dr’s trying to revive me. And I could hear him say if this one doesn’t work he’s gone… Then all of a sudden I could hear him say hear him comes back and then me opening my eyes back in my body. I asked when I came to if I was dead, but he said no just asleep really deep. so more likely a coma or something but even though not dead I know for real I was out of my body and aboard a ship or some other realm. I know I was shown 9/11 but when asked why I didn’t try to stop it, for one I was ten at the time, and two I almost immediately forgot those visions not long after I woke up. It wasn’t until not long after 9/11 I began to kind of remember this happening. Plus as it’s shown in shows like the twilight zone and other movies and or science-based sites you can’t change things anyhow’s especially if it’s written by God to begin with. But I kind of think if shapeshifters are true it’s due to the books of Enoch and the Book of Asher that talks about the Giants and the fallen Angels and how they had sex with women and then the Giants had sex with animals and or did experiments with animals and other people. Which I think is where dinosaurs came from and Centaurs fauns etc… Yes, I think these creatures were real at one time before the flood. NO! it wasn’t Seth’s and Cain’s offspring for in the Bible in the the last books it goes on to tell that God will recompense us for if he punished those Angels that fell and are saved for Judgment then he will recompense us. In Context, it’s talking not about Satan but it’s talking about the Watchers that came to earth in Human Hybrid form and mated with women. Because just after the statement of those fallen angels who sinned it goes on to say something about Noah. SO! No, it’s not talking about Satan and no it’s not talking about Seth’s offspring for humans make humans no matter what circumstances of sin they wouldn’t make giants. OnlyAngels who gave up their station of immortality and heaven, therefore, making them human, but hybrid and then mating with earthly women would make Giants. And those who would teach the Seth and Cain theory are false prophets. Anyways so yeah if they are real it’s due to that.

I have lucid dreaming. I love to dream. I look forward to my dreams every night. Last night wasn’t a new dream. None ever are. I finally seen a shape shifter. I seen him take a shape but even after the change. I noticed I started to see his true self. Was able to see past the change. What does dreaming of a shifter means and I wanted to ask how he does it. I woke up and my dream locked for now and couldn’t go back.

When I was around 9 years of age my mother left and my father moved back in with my new stepmother. My mother left me her pet , “Sammy” to take care of as she was moving into a utility apt that didn’t have a bedroom . Well while playing in our front yard ,Sammy started chasing a car and was killed. I laid in bed for a week , very despondent that my mother had left and her dog that she left in my care was killed .On the third day I remember being up in the corner of my room looking at myself laying in the bed. My father and stepmother came in asking if I was alright .there was a hall from the front door that came past my bedroom then turned right .I found verses that match each other in a half a dozen songs about the moment , Turn to Stone by ELO , Visions of Johanna by Bob Dylan , I had red topped tennis shoes 👞 etc . I looked for other songs released at that time and found Elton’s Johns “Lady What’s Tommorrow.” We played army in the woods next to our house 🏡, We had a tree fort about 8 feet off of the ground with no ceiling .Me and my cousin were in the fort and a friend S.K. Grabbed a round metal Chinese checkerboard out of the garbage and fringed it like a frisbee , It went up and came back down hitting my cousin above the eyes , drawing blood 🩸.My older sibling, took his daisy pump BB gun and shot me in my left lens of my new glasses 🤓. I told my stepmom that I fell out of the fort and a nail in a board did it . She said that we weren’t allowed to play in the woods anymore.We lived on a channel , with lilac bushes lining the front edge of the property and lily pads at the end of the channel to the right .

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im wintu indian of california our tribe has a name for these its Amamet

Hi David, my name is Randy and I don’t really know how to go about explaining what is going on with me. I do have video and dozens of pictures and have even captured a few of these entities and still have them. They have pretty much invaded my life completely and to be honest I am more than a little scared. They are showing themselves to me all day every day everywhere I go, including work. The show themselves through mostly easily manipulative objects such as dust and lint particles and even through aluminum foil.Every time I touch the foil it explodes into very very detailed pictures of very very ancient men in robes . I have tons of photos and would be glad to share them. A lot of my family and friends can see them when I show them to them but some people cannot. They show up in almost everything I try to eat. They are very very small and I could go on for hours telling you about them. I am 59 years old and have a very responsible job. I also have 9 grandchildren. I don’t know what to do as it seems they have completely invaded my life. If you could please contact me I would be happy to share pictures and video and as I said I have some of them contained and don’t know what to do. I am worried about even talking to anyone about it,but I have to close friends and family and they get scared when they see everything that I have. Especially the small little entities that can take on any form that they come in contact with, usually little leaves and dust balls and small pieces of plastic. It is very visible in the video and pictures I have.Please help..

I had a terrifying experience back in 1978 and I was not the only one, with me my working friend. Of course back in those years anyone would have been classified as a fool ,a drunk or else.This has been in my head all those years ,unable to forget. this person while we were having a conversation a type of dispute ,he suddenly made 3 huge puffs of air and became a terrifying monster with red eyes and all his ribs popped out of his body he became much toller, muscular a true monster ;we two just made a run we were ever so frightened to dead , and run for our life .of course to whom we will tell this story ,no one will ever believed us.Its very strange that this shapeshiter was able to speak 10 perfect languages at only 19 years old .He was like an ordinary guy, short build.A trully shocking experience.

Randy I am dealing with this as I read your comment can u contact me please

In St Cloud, Minnesota, in the year 1979, I actually encountered what I believe was a shapeshifter in a public place. I was at a bar called The Press, and played pool with somebody who claimed to be none other than Richard Dead Anderson, future star of MacGyver and Stargate SGI. We actually got into an argument while playing pool. Yes, Mr Anderson had at one time attended St Cloud State University, but from 1976 = 1981 he played a doctor on the daytime drama General Hospital, a fact I only found out about today. This being certainly looked and sounded like Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver years, but since this was before the TV series existed, and I never watched General Hospital, I could not have imagined somebody I had never heard of! By the way, The Press burned down a few years ago.

Going to share this with you I had this dream it was so Realistic i thought I was p.o.v. In my dream.. Everything went white-out then no noise just a plain white room with an odd door. I remember seeing two Men dressed in some White Chemical suit coming to check me as I was lucid to wrether I was their or crossing over.. It was cold I was pale skinned one of them Men looked up at me then instently I awaked to an extra-trestrial in front of me it spoke to me telepathic showing blueprints of bases that where undergoing Construction from an areal sky tlelight sky-view there was two jet fighters sorring the sky zone the extra trestrial then showed me they were soon coming that they have something to communicate about that it was importance that we humans cannot continue to dream that one day of their coming they know everything we humans do and know from far light years away. And we should not have tried to contact them Now the signal was sent they extratrestrials tried To warn us humans that shapeshifters are Coming with an content to carry ferther to late the time is soon I can’t stay i must wake up ” before…

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14 Types Of Shapeshifters You Probably Haven't Heard Of

From terrifying werewolves to "X-Men's" Mystique to that dream where you were a dolphin, we humans are positively fascinated with the idea of shapeshifters. And why wouldn't we be? The ability to freely change forms would certainly come in handy — and would be pretty fun to boot. As a concept, shapeshifters blur the lines between animal and human, wild and tame, and fantasy and reality.

They allow the imagination to run free, unfettered from society's demands. But, while they might seem like a fairy tale trope or the invention of modern horror stories and science fiction movies, shapeshifters have actually been around a long time — and, depending on who you ask, they are very real. Spirits and beings that can change forms exist in the mythology and folklore of almost every culture and span the entire globe.

Yes, shapeshifters go far beyond conflicted werewolves and nefarious Marvel characters. As you might imagine, the intent of such creatures also varies widely, with some being benign and even celebrated while others are strictly out for blood and destruction. Here are 14 types of shapeshifters you probably haven't heard of.

Sometimes, it's the creature you least expect that wields dangerous shapeshifting ability. The Indigenous Tlingit, Tsimshian, Nootka, and Haida people of northwestern Canada and Alaska believe in malevolent shapeshifting sea otters called kushtaka or kooshdakhaa that can turn into people or large two-legged half-otter, half-human creatures.

Kushtaka lure people into the forest or ocean to violently kill them using their sharp claws, trapping their souls, forbidding them from being reincarnated, and dooming them to wander Earth forever in limbo as a kushtaka themselves. They may travel alone or in a group and are said to communicate in a very specific series of whistles that alternate between low and high tones. They sometimes even take the form of a person's family member or wail like a sad child to entice them.

Luckily, kushtaka are allegedly deterred by dogs, fire, and large groups. Beware the deceptively adorable sea otter and seemingly helpful savior – especially when adrift in the water or lost in the woods — and watch out for bipedal otters or strange groups of people when traveling alone near the North Pacific Ocean. Once a kushtaka has locked onto you, there's no coming back.

What's more terrifying than a werewolf, a witch, or a vampire? How about a creature that combines the worst aspects of all three. In the Philippines, tales of the fearsome night-prowling aswang have persisted since the 16th century. In fact, several were reported in the Visayas islands as recently as 2020. By day, the creature disguises itself as a regular person — typically a pretty woman with long, dark hair. It spends the daylight hours selecting an ideal victim, often a baby or child, then waits.

Once the sun goes down, aswangs change from a person into either a large bird, a human head and torso with wings and dangling entrails, or a Tasmanian devil-like beast. They then stalk their chosen victim, sometimes making clicking sounds or altering objects to confuse them, before brutally killing and devouring them. Like vampires, aswangs have a preference for blood, which they imbibe with their long proboscises, though they also enjoy the heart and liver.

These creatures are crafty and sometimes make a doppelgänger of their victims to fool others into thinking the death was natural. The aswang takes several forms and represents an entire category of shapeshifting monsters in Filipino folklore. In human form, they can be recognized by their bloodshot eyes, backward feet, and hatred of light. If you look one in the eyes, your reflection will be upside down. Aswangs can be repelled with salt, garlic, holy water, and snapping whips made of stingray tails (if you happen to have one).

[Featured image by H.M.Bec via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0 ]

Some shapeshifters are masters in the art of seduction. In Japanese folklore, kitsune are supernatural foxes that can turn into humans once they reach a certain age. They typically turn into attractive women, retaining some fox-like characteristics in their changed form, like close-set eyes and high cheekbones. These features are considered attractive in Japan, so, as you might expect, men often find kitsune women to be quite foxy.

Most kitsune are benevolent and some are even associated with Japanese deities . They gain wisdom and magical abilities as they age, and can live for several hundred years. Old kitsune can accrue up to nine tails in their fox form. Meanwhile, wilder kitsune are often mischievous or even vindictive and may possess women for the purpose of tricking and seducing men, stealing their life force, exacting revenge, or simply having fun. This doesn't usually end well for anyone involved.

A less sinister kitsune may also marry a man while in human form only to disappear mysteriously one day. It's said that if you see a woman walking alone at night, she could be a changed fox. Shadows and reflections will always give away their true form, and they are deterred by dogs and incense. Other similar fox shapeshifters include the Chinese huli jing, Korean kumiho, and the Japanese tanuki, which is essentially the male version of a kitsune that turns into a raccoon dog.

In Irish, Scottish, and Icelandic folklore, selkies are seal shapeshifters that can shed their skins and tails and come ashore. They usually take the form of dark-haired humans who are often alluring and attractive to mortals. Selkies have pleasant, kind demeanors and frequently mingle with humans in coastal towns while ashore.

But, in order to return to the sea, they must put their skins back on. Should their pelts be lost or stolen, they will remain trapped in human form forever. In many tales, selkies are females whose skins were stolen by men while they slept. Unable to change back into seals, they were tricked into marriage. But, even after long lives spent raising families, they continue to long for the sea. Sometimes, they rediscover their stolen and hidden skins years later.

Once a selkie touches their skin, they are compelled to put it on and return to the sea. They may abandon their families or take their children with them, which doesn't always end well. Though far less common in lore, male selkies also exist — and are just as irresistible. They may seek out and form connections with sad human women and can be summoned at any time when she cries seven tears into the sea.

Beware the malevolent shapeshifter already living in your home. In Japanese folklore, the bakeneko is an ordinary house cat that attains supernatural abilities if certain criteria are met. For one, it must be at least 13 years old. It also must have a long tail and weigh over 7 pounds. Such a "changed cat" is then able to shapeshift into a person and walk on two legs, effectively taking control of its owner and household. Once changed, bakenekos can do all sorts of things.

They can raise the dead, make their owners dance against their will, feast on corpses, hurl fireballs, possess people, and even turn into full-blown vampires. As you might imagine, they can wreak some serious havoc. If a bakeneko has a tail that has split into two, chaos, destruction, and even death is guaranteed. In fact, many Japanese people used to cut the tails off their cats to ensure that such a powerful demonic feline never arose. In less severe cases, bakenekos simply turn into humans and enjoy a night out on the town before returning home.

Shapeshifting can be an effective tool for evil entities seeking easy access to victims. In Filipino folklore, a creature called the tiyanak dwells in Philippine forests and takes the form of a helpless crying baby or wailing toddler to lure victims. It can even mimic individual voices to tempt people deeper into the woods. The tiyanak is a master at auditory deception and may vocalize loudly when it's far away and more faintly when it's actually quite close.

In Tagalog, "tiyanak" roughly translates to "baby vampire." As the name suggests, they initially look like normal human babies or children lost in the woods. But, once gently cradled, it quickly transforms into a horrific fanged vampire baby with bulging eyes and slashing claws and devours its savior. In some versions of the legend, the tiyanak is a disabled monster that has to resort to trickery to capture prey.

In others, it floats or flies. Most believe tiyanaks arose due to guilt surrounding abandoned babies or, more disturbingly, as the spirits of babies born in the grave after their mother died during pregnancy. Either way, if you ever find yourself in the clutches of a tiyanak, strip down and put your clothes back on inside out, as it's said that this will confuse and amuse them long enough to break their spell and release you. It can't hurt to try!

Shark aumākua

In Indigenous Hawaiian folklore, revered family gods often take the form of certain animals, plants, or other natural elements like volcanoes. They can also change themselves into humans at will. According to Emma M. Nakuina and others in "Nanaue the Shark Man and Other Hawaiian Shark Stories," these entities, called aumākua, can be benevolent or malevolent depending on the situation.

While there are quite a few such spirits, shark aumākua are especially prominent in Hawaiian lore either as supernatural shapeshifting sharks or shark-human hybrids. They are also capable of interbreeding with humans. In one of the most common legends, a boy named Nanaue was born to a shark father and a human mother, which gave him a shark's mouth on his back and the ability to change into a shark whenever he entered the sea. His mother was warned not to feed him meat, as he would develop an insatiable appetite. She did not heed the advice.

Nanaue worked as a farmer, hiding his shark mouth and abilities. But, having a strong desire for flesh, he would occasionally transform into a shark to feed on swimmers. He would find his victims while human and follow them to the water. Eventually, he was discovered and burned alive. Another shark shapeshifter, Hika-welo-ula, also had a shark father and a human mother. He lived as a man but took the form of a red shark at sea, as he had been swaddled with red cloth as a baby.

In the lore of Navajo, Apache, Hopi, Pueblo, and several other Indigenous nations of the American Southwest, skinwalkers are powerful witches, medicine men, and sorcerers who have become evil, using their magic to commit murder and other nefarious acts. Unlike other humans granted the ability to shapeshift — namely werewolves — skinwalkers are in complete control while transformed.

Able to take the form of or possess whatever animal is convenient, but having a preference for wolves and bears, they terrorize anyone who crosses their path and are known to chase cars or tap on the windows and doors of dwellings. Skinwalkers typically walk on four legs but sometimes retain somewhat human facial features. They are also practically invincible. Many Navajo people refuse to speak about them for fear of summoning one.

Because of this, most of the world was blissfully unaware of their existence until 1987, when a skinwalker was blamed for the death of a woman in Arizona. Another notable encounter occurred in Utah at what is now known as Skinwalker Ranch in 1996. A man claimed he was walking his dogs at night when he was accosted by a giant wolf with glowing red eyes. He shot the creature three times, but it was impervious to bullets.

Boto encantado

Amazon pink river dolphins have always intrigued us. Perhaps it's their pale skin and smirking expressions. Or maybe it's their large size and tremendous intelligence. Either way, there's something almost human about them — and Brazilian folklore offers one possible explanation for this. The pink river dolphin, also called the boto, is believed to be able to take human form and come on land on nights when the moon is full.

Specifically, these boto encantados take the form of attractive men in white suits who wear hats to hide their blowholes. Sometimes, they appear more like mermen, being half-human and half-dolphin. Once on land, they seduce women and often impregnate them before returning to the murky water and disappearing into the depths. In Portuguese, "boto encantado" translates to "enchanted dolphin."

Children born of such an encounter — or out of wedlock in general — are still referred to as "children of the boto." Some people believe that the seductive dolphin men merely hide the real story: rampant sexual abuse of women in the Brazilian Amazon. Others have made the connection between the botos' white-colored outfit of choice and the violent conquest of Indigenous Brazilian people by white men in the 1500s.

Most shapeshifters take the form of large, powerful creatures for obvious reasons. But being very small has its own advantages. In West Africa, the Indigenous Ewe people believe that malevolent witches called adzes can take the form of flies, beetles, fireflies, mosquitoes, owls, and even balls of light and enter dwellings through small openings such as keyholes at night. Once inside, they feed on the blood of whoever is within, having a special preference for beautiful children.

Adze bites can cause intense suffering, possession, insanity, or death. Anyone can be possessed by an adze, but it happens more commonly to women. Possession can cause all manner of issues, including addiction, mental illness, intense jealousy, and even relationship problems. While possessed, a person exudes balls of light that turn into flying insects at night. These then travel great distances and infect others. And you thought mosquito bites were bad!

Adzes can be exorcised, though it's an extremely difficult process that involves expelling it from its host and clubbing it while it's in a transitional form: a black, hunched humanoid creature with talons. Prayer might also help, and adzes in their insect form may accept palm oil in place of blood. Historians believe that the adze is a physical representation of the fear that then-incurable insect-borne diseases like malaria caused. Over time, this fear merged with the concept of the Christian devil and the adze lives on into the modern age.

While some shapeshifters present shades of gray when it comes to intent, kelpies are strictly malevolent. These Scottish water spirits typically transform into a horse, pony, cow, or beautiful woman — whichever form they think will be most enticing. They hang out at lakes, rivers, lochs, and other bodies of water at dusk and attempt to lure children, men, and other travelers into the water to drown and eat them. (They especially love livers.)

Kelpies often wail or moan and may make a loud thunderous sound by slapping the water with their tails. They can also summon spontaneous floods. And be extra wary of a stately horse or gentle pony standing in the water. Oftentimes, these creatures will have seaweed entangled in their manes and tails and backward-facing hooves upon closer inspection — but by then it will probably be too late.

Once mounted on such a water horse, a person becomes trapped by a magical sticky substance and unable to escape. The steed then plunges them into the deep water to their death. Humans usually lose in a match with a kelpie, but, should a person somehow manage to grab the bridle of one in horse form, they may conquer it — and any other kelpie they encounter.

Stikini are terrifying owl shapeshifters of Indigenous Seminole folklore that take human form by day but turn into giant human-owl hybrids against their will at night following a painful and grotesque transformation, similar to that undertaken by werewolves. They then fly through the forests of the American South and hunt sleeping people – especially children – in their beds, much like vampires.

Though they don't have much choice in the matter, it's hard to pity a creature that routinely feasts on the still-beating hearts of children. Like skinwalkers, stikini began as evil witches who gained power by committing vile acts. In human form, they often look normal but act strange and aloof. Each night, they travel deep into the forest to avoid being seen and vomit up their souls and internal organs, which they hang high in the trees for safekeeping.

Then, they take to the skies as a giant humanoid owl hungry for human flesh. Stikini are said to issue a blood-curdling scream that serves as an omen of death, which is all but certain if one catches up to you. Stealing a stikini's organs is the most effective way to defeat one, as it will then be unable to return to its human form and will burn to death in the sunlight.

Werewolves might be the most famous shapeshifter, but there are plenty of other werebeasts out there. In the folklore of Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and other Indigenous people living near the Horn of Africa, the qori ismaris or bouda is a dangerous werehyena that stalks towns at night. People still rush to get indoors as the sun sets, making sure no one is left outside when darkness falls.

Werehyenas typically transform from human to animal at night, then return to their human forms at dawn. But, unlike werewolves, they can change at will using magic rituals, ash, and special sticks. They may be born human but turned into a werehyena, or they may be a wild hyena capable of transforming into a human. As a result, any person or hyena should be viewed with suspicion. Strangers and village blacksmiths, especially, are likely to be shapeshifting hyenas.

With their laughing vocalizations and penchant for opportunistic hunting and scavenging, hyenas have long been feared by African people. For some, the idea of an evil werehyena lurking around the village at night, snatching errant children and picking off wandering couples, isn't that far-fetched.

In parts of Central America and Mexico, many Indigenous people believe that a totemic guardian or spirit animal is assigned to each person in their life. This creature typically presents itself to a person through a dream. On some occasions, powerful men such as sorcerers can even change into their animal and conduct evil — though not all such shapeshifters, called naguals, are inherently bad. Only certain people are lucky enough to be born naguals.

Jaguars, cougars, deer, birds, and wolves are all common animal forms for these shapeshifters. Sometimes, a person merely adopts parts of their nagual, like a beautiful singing voice if theirs is a bird. But, when this shapeshifting ability coincides with a strong animal totem, a mastery of magic, and evil intent, a nagual can become quite terrifying. Meeting a malevolent werejaguar with the sentience of a human on a dark night would surely chill the marrow of the bravest person.

Shapeshifting Lockets

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Shapeshifting Lockets are popular accessories throughout the Gamma Quadrant and are being imported to Alpha Quadrant. Commodities may be kept in your bank and remain accessible for assignments and missions.

Usage [ | ]

• These items are used in the Biochemical Investigations: Shapeshifting Lockets assignment chain .

Obtained [ | ]

• Can be obtained from Haggle for Shapeshifting Lockets .
• Can be obtained from Special Requisition Pack - Gamma Quadrant Commodities which may be found in the Cardassian Lock Box .
• Currently cannot be purchased from any vendor, although they may be listed on the Exchange .

Screen Rant

3 star trek ships have crossed to & from the mirror universe.

Many Star Trek characters have met their Mirror counterparts but 3 starships have also crossed over from the Prime and Mirror Universes.

• Mirror Universe featured evil versions of Star Trek characters, with starships rarely crossing between universes.
• Star Trek: Enterprise revisited Mirror Universe with USS Defiant, while Star Trek: Discovery explored it with USS Discovery.
• ISS Enterprise appeared in Mirror Universe, where Spock implemented reforms for a more peaceful way of life.

Three Star Trek ships have crossed between the Mirror Universe and the Prime Universe. Introduced in the classic episode of Star Trek: The Original Series , "Mirror, Mirror," the Mirror Universe is a dark parallel reality featuring evil versions of Star Trek's characters. Although the Mirror Universe has popped up on several Star Trek series since its introduction, starships rarely make the jump between universes. In "Mirror, Mirror," it was a transporter malfunction that caused Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his USS Enterprise crew members to end up in the Mirror Universe, but that's not the only way characters have traveled between the two realities.

Star Trek: Enterprise revisited the Mirror Universe with season 4's two-part episode, "In a Mirror, Darkly," which saw the return of the original USS Defiant. Star Trek: Discovery 's characters aboard the USS Discovery also visited the Mirror Universe in the show's first season. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 , "Mirrors," the ISS Enterprise made its first appearance since its introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series. In the Mirror Universe, the authoritarian Terran Empire rose instead of the United Federation of Planets, and Starfleet is comprised of warships like ISS Enterprise that conquer and subjugate other worlds. Here are 3 starships that crossed over between Star Trek 's Prime and Mirror Universes.

I'm Glad Star Trek: TNG Never Did A Mirror Universe Episode

The uss defiant in star trek: enterprise, star trek: the original series season 3, episode 9 - "the tholian web" & star trek: enterprise season 4, episodes 18 & 19 - "in a mirror, darkly".

Although Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's USS Defiant would become the more famous ship to bear the name, there have been multiple ships named Defiant , including a 23rd-century Constitution Class starship first seen in Star Trek: The Original Series . In the TOS episode, "The Tholian Web," the USS Enterprise was sent to locate the Defiant , which they found trapped between universes, with its entire crew dead due to apparent insanity and mutiny. In a conflict with the Tholians, the Defiant was pushed through a spatial hole to an unknown destination.

The final destination of the USS Defiant was revealed in Star Trek: Enterprise's Mirror Universe two-parter, "In a Mirror, Darkly." The Defiant both traveled back in time and crossed into the Mirror Universe. The Mirror Universe Tholians then began to salvage the ship, but Commander Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) of the ISS Enterprise NX-001 plotted to steal the Defiant and use its advanced 23rd technology to install himself as Emperor of the Terran Empire. Archer commandeered the Defiant but en route to Earth, Lt. Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) poisoned Archer and took command of the Defiant, declaring herself Empress.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine later introduced the Defiant Class USS Defiant, and the Mirror Universe had its own version although neither crossed universes.

The USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery

Star trek: discovery season 1.

Star Trek: Discovery season 1 spent five episodes in the Mirror Universe after Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) manipulated the starship and crew back to the alternate reality he originated from. Previously unknown to the Discovery's crew, Lorca was actually from the Mirror Universe and intended to use Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) to gain access to Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and her ship. Lorca altered the coordinates for Discovery's spore drive, knowingly taking the ship into the Mirror Universe.

In the Mirror Universe, Michael Burnham was the adopted daughter of Emperor Georgiou and plotted with her lover, Lorca, to kill her mother.

Once in the Mirror Universe, Discovery's crew had to masquerade as their evil counterparts as they searched for a way to get home. Burnham eventually discovered Lorca's ruse and thwarted his plan before Emperor Georgiou ultimately killed him. Lorca's betrayal deeply affected Burnham and the rest of Discovery's crew, and their time in the Mirror Universe greatly cost the Federation. When Discovery returned to the Prime Universe nine months after they had left, the Federation/Klingon War was going badly, but Burnham and Georgiou helped bring the conflict to an end.

Michelle Yeoh will reprise the role of Emperor Georgiou as the star of the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 made-for-streaming film.

Star Trek’s 10 Most Evil Mirror Universe Characters

The iss enterprise in star trek: discovery, star trek: discovery season 5, episode 5 - "mirrors".

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 sends Captain Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery on an intergalactic treasure hunt for the powerful technology of the Progenitors , the creators of humanoid life. As part of their search, the crew of the Discovery finds a wormhole that leads to a pocket of interdimensional space, where they find the abandoned ISS Enterprise. The 23rd-century starship became a lifeboat for refugees fleeing the brutal Mirror Universe. According to a plaque on the ship, Mirror Universe Spock (Leonard Nimoy) implemented a series of reforms for a more peaceful way of life after his encounter with Prime Universe Captain Kirk (William Shatner).

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 filmed its ISS Enterprise scenes on the redressed USS Enterprise sets belonging to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Although Spock was killed for his beliefs, he inspired others to set out in search of a better life. Despite an undoubtedly difficult journey, at least some of the refugees from the Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise made a life for themselves in the Prime Universe. One of the refugees, a woman named Dr. Cho, became one of the seven scientists who helped hide the Progenitors' technology. She placed her clue on the ISS Enterprise, which remained undisturbed for centuries. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 has revisited several storylines from Star Trek's history, and the return of the ISS Enterprise serves as a nice shout-out to the Star Trek series where it all began.

Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Enterprise, & Star Trek: Discovery are all available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star trek: enterprise, star trek: discovery.

William Shatner As Captain Kirk Is Why Quentin Tarantino Likes Star Trek

• Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie idea was inspired by his love for William Shatner's portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk.
• Tarantino's film would have involved time travel to 1920s Chicago, ignoring J.J. Abrams' alternate Kelvin timeline in the newer Star Trek films.
• J.J. Abrams' admitted "nobody likes the Kelvin timeline" to Quentin Tarantino, which could be a factor in the delay of Star Trek 4.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk is the reason why director Quentin Tarantino likes Star Trek . Tarantino grew up as a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series , which originally aired on NBC from 1966-1969 - an era the Academy Award-winning writer and director immortalized in his 2019 film Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood . Tarantino's Star Trek fandom led to his developing his own Star Trek movie , although that project didn't move forward.

Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie would have been based on the Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 episode, "A Piece of the Action", where Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise beamed down to a planet with a culture based on 1920s gangsters. Tarantino's Star Trek would have involved time travel , however, with Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his USS Enterprise crew actually voyaging to Chicago of that era. As intriguing as Quentin Tarantino's "hard-R" Star Trek movie might have been, the director changed his mind about making it and moved on.

Quentin Tarantino recently changed his mind about The Movie Critic as his tenth and possibly final film as a director, and he's working on a different idea.

Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

William shatner is why quentin tarantino likes star trek, it all boils down to james t. kirk for quentin tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino appeared as a guest on Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2019 to promote Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood . Host Joshua Horowitz, who is also a lifelong Star Trek fan, veered the conversation to Tarantino's Star Trek movie idea, and the director revealed that the source of his Star Trek fandom boils down to William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk . Read his quote below:

Somebody asked me, What is it about Star Trek that you like? Easy. William Shatner. I love William Shatner as James T. Kirk. Thats why I like Star Trek. The reason I like Star Trek more than Star Wars is William Shatner isnt in Star Wars. William Shatner especially as - well, I actually like William Shatner in almost everything - but William Shatner as James T. Kirk is that is my connection. That is why I like it.

Quentin Tarantino also said the reason he enjoyed J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) movie so much is because, "I thought Chris Pine did a fantastic job not just playing Captain Kirk, but playing William Shatner’s Captain [Kirk]. He is William Shatner. He’s not just another guy, he’s William Shatner’s Captain Kirk." Tarantino also praised Zachary Quinto's performance as Spock and the whole cast embodying the iconic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series . But Quentin made it clear that his 'in' for Star Trek is William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk .

It's safe to say Kirk epitomizes what a Star Trek Captain should be to Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino's love of William Shatner's James T. Kirk is no surprise as the director grew up with a fascination of 1960s and 1970s film and television. Star Trek only grew in popularity after it was canceled by NBC and moved to syndication, and that first generation of Star Trek fans, counting Tarantino among them, idolized Shatner's heroic and iconic portrayal of Captain Kirk . Quentin's appreciation of Shatner's acting talent extends to his other roles, but it's safe to say Kirk epitomizes what a Star Trek Captain should be to Tarantino.

Listen to Quentin Tarantino on Happy Sad Confused podcast below:

Quentin Tarantino Didnt Understand Star Trek Movies Kelvin Timeline & Neither Does J.J. Abrams

Tarantino's star trek movie would have ignored the kelvin timeline.

Quentin Tarantino also lashed out against the alternate Kelvin timeline in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies on Happy Sad Confused podcast. Abrams' Star Trek films are set in a parallel reality which allowed his reboot to rewrite Star Trek history going forward. This included an encounter with Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness that occurred years earlier than it does in Star Trek: The Original Series . However, the concept of an alternate timeline eluded Tarantino , as he complained to Joshua Horowitz in his quote below:

I still don't quite understand, and J.J. can't explain it to me, and my editor has tried to explain it to me and I still don't get it... About something happened in the first movie that now kind of wiped the slate clean. I don't buy that. I don't like it. I don't appreciate it. I don't... F** that... I want the whole series to have happened, it just hasn't happened yet. No, Benedict Cumberbatch or whatever his name is not Khan, all right? Khan is Khan. And I told JJ, like, 'I don't understand this. I don't like it.' And then he was like, 'Ignore it! Nobody likes it. I don't understand it. Just do whatever you want. If you want it to happen the exact way it happens on the series it can.'

Quentin Tarantino didn't quite grasp that J.J. Abrams' alternate Kelvin timeline means that everything that Star Trek: The Original Series still happens in its original reality , and Abrams' movies are set in a separate Star Trek universe with the same characters living different lives. Tarantino revealed that if he'd made his Star Trek movie, he would have ignored the Kelvin timeline and treated his movie as if it was happening in Star Trek' s Prime universe as an ersatz prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.

Quentin Tarantino is right that Benedict Cumberbatch was miscast as Khan since his Khan is the same character as played by the late Ricardo Montalbn.

J.J. Abrams admitting to Quentin Tarantino that even he doesn't understand the alternate Kelvin timeline and that "nobody likes it" is amusing. It could also represent one of the reasons why it's been so difficult to get Star Trek 4 off the ground. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline conceit now seems to be more of a burden than a benefit, especially since Star Trek 's original universe is thriving in Paramount+'s various Star Trek TV series. But if Star Trek 4 does happen, as long as Chris Pine continues to evoke William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk , it sounds like Quentin Tarantino will enjoy Pine's performance.

Source: Happy Said Confused podcast

Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming on Paramount+

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

Network NBC

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Gene Roddenberry

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry

Where To Watch Paramount+