Star Trek‘s greatest Klingon, Worf (Michael Dorn), rarely showed fear in Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Picard, but he wasn’t as intimidated by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) as he was by a different bald Starfleet Captain. Worf was part of TNG‘s cast for all 7 seasons, and he appeared in all 4 TNG movies. After Star Trek Generations, however, Worf joined Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the Klingon became a key part of the DS9 cast from seasons 4 to 7.
After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended, Worf became the Klingon Ambassador as part of the House of Chancellor Martok (J.G. Hertzler), but he didn’t remain long as the Klingon warrior was back on the USS Enterprise-E as Security Chief in Star Trek: Nemesis. Star Trek: Picard season 3 updated Worf’s Starfleet career and revealed he succeeded Jean-Luc Picard as Captain of the USS Enterprise-E in the 2280s. However, Worf lost the Enterprise-E under mysterious circumstances that the Klingon insists were not his fault. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Captain Worf was part of Starfleet Intelligence, and the Klingon played a key role in defeating the Borg once more and saving the United Federation of Planets at Frontier Day alongside Admiral Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. Meanwhile, at no point did Worf display any type of fear toward Picard, unlike the Klingon’s time on Deep Space Nine.
Worf Feared Sisko More Than Picard
Amazingly, Worf was intimidated by Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This fact was revealed to Sisko by Lt. Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) in DS9 season 7, a revelation that delighted Captain Sisko. At that point, Worf had worked closely with Sisko for nearly four years and fought the Dominion War with him and the rest of DS9’s crew. In lieu of Captain Sisko, it was Worf’s duty as Chief Operations Officer to command the USS Defiant. But it’s fascinating that the mighty Klingon actually feared Captain Sisko, although he kept it to himself. Yet Worf didn’t feel the same sense of intimidation from Captain Picard.
To be sure, Worf deeply respected Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Picard was Worf’s commanding officer, and he stood by the Klingon throughout the strife surrounding the House of Mogh’s disgrace on the Klingon homeworld. But in Star Trek: First Contact, Worf and Picard became furious at each other. When Jean-Luc called the Klingon a “coward,” Worf visibly restrained himself from attacking his Captain and he seethed, “If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand!‘ Yet it’s difficult to imagine Worf reacting the same way toward Captain Sisko under similar circumstances.
Would Captain Worf Be More Like Sisko Or Picard?
Captain Worf has forged his own path as evidenced in Star Trek: Picard season 3. While the Klingon remains one of the most formidable fighters and efficient killers in all of Star Trek, Worf also embraced a new, more pacifistic philosophy. The Klingon tempers his bloodlust with meditation, and he provided a calm center to inspire the tumultuous Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). However, Worf is far removed from his days commanding a starship in Picard season 3, so it’s difficult to tell whether he emulated Picard or Sisko during the time he was Captain of the Enterprise.
Worf very likely learned compassion and restraint from Captain Picard while Sisko’s fortitude and ability to weather the immense pressures of the Federation’s very survival must have inspired the Klingon as well. It would be safe to assume Worf learned a great deal from serving with two of the greatest Captains in Starfleet. Perhaps the best way to gauge what kind of Captain Worf really is would be for Star Trek to tell the story of Worf’s time commanding the Enterprise-E, either in a Star Trek movie or even via Star Trek: Picard’s proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy. Of course, Worf will never admit he was intimidated by Captain Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
