For Star Trek fans: Is Garak of DS9 the best character of any series? If not, who’s yours?

I'd vote for this guy:

I was about to say, the way this is worded? Spock

"Look at me, I watch The Orville, The Orville is so cool, I'm so cool, Star Trek wishes it was as cool as The Orville"

Quark is one of my favorites on DS9. Also a huge Buck Bokai from the holodeck fan. Here is some of his background info for those who do not remember or have those who have never seen him. He basically shits on Shohei.

Garak is my personal favorite. I have gone on record here to say I think he was the best written character of Star Trek. In terms of best, that's really based on the type of trekkie you are. Some only enjoy the "story of the day" Original and NG style episodes and characters. Ds9 did long term storytelling and had a better chance to really dive into all the characters. I would also put Quark and Garak interactions as my favorite combo of characters.

DS9 Root Beer

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I would also put Quark and Garak interactions as my favorite combo of characters.

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DS9 feels more like a real, livable world than any other Trek series, for sure. The rest are all like a "this is life in the Navy". DS9 exists in a real, 4-dimensional world including civilians, businesses, geopolitics, etc. And the characters behave and react in ways that are more realistic (admittedly based on some, at times, silly backstories).

The comparison is always to TNG. I would predict that at least a slight majority (if not a solid one) prefers TNG to all other series, including TOS, and that majority is simply wrong.

TNG is great at what it is - sort of a "perfected", "film-quality", 80s/90s take on what TOS should have looked and felt like.

Are Picard and Data great characters? Absolutely. Up there with the GOATs (real Kirk, real Spock, real McCoy, real Scotty). But, going down roster, DS9 really eats their lunch:

Sisko - more Kirk than Picard, but a nice blend. Has a real humanity and, at times, ruthlessness that we only saw glimpses of from Kirk and never from Picard. Yet also deeply conflicted about his hybrid role as soldier/statesman/religious figure

Not superior to Kirk or Picard, but highly competitive

DS9 Worf - better in every way than TNG Worf (fight me)

Now, DS9 didn't really have anything like (real) Spock or Data, which are 2 of the best characters in all of speculative fiction and, probably the best acted of main crew member characters for the series (we'll get to villains in moment)

On the other hand, setting aside Q, TOS and TNG had absolutely nothing like the DS9 antagonists or civilians.

Dukat - one of the finest, most well-developed, 4-dimensional antagonists in film history - the brilliance of the character's development, dialogue and acting are impossible to overstate

The Jem'Hadar (although flawed in execution, similar to the implementation of Klingons in TOS) remains a great "noble" antagonistic fighting force. Part Borg, part Klingon, 100% awesome.

Weyoun - both an antagonist and comic relief, nearly impossible to pull of as well as the great Jeffrey Combs did.

Quark - lost in the backwash of the (judiciously used which was also key) the barely contained madness of Garak - Quark is effectively the audience insert for DS9 - ultimately we kind of see the story from his vantage point (when we're not laser focused on a particular military mission)

Garak is a compelling character that really has no comparison with other Trek series. One of the most quotable psychopathic killers this side of Patrick Bateman. As well developed as Dukat, DS9 did a masterful job with most of the Cardassian characters. Setting aside Madred(David Warner) from TNG, Dukat, Garak, Damar, even the short run by Paul Dooley as Garak's father, Enabran Tain, these were all fantastic characters, with really no equal in the earlier episodic shows.

Finally, I want to make the point that DS9 obviously revered and loved TOS. Between their Tribble episode (celebrating TOS), or their episodes with the TOS Klingon captains (Kor, Koloth and Kang), the reverence is palpable, compared with TNG's more overt efforts to "perfect" or "improve" on TOS.

So, I say all of that to say that TOS remains the greatest Trek product and DS9 is in second place over TNG (however great I think TNG is).

Again, "fight me."

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DS9 Worf - better in every way than TNG Worf (fight me)

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If TNG Worf fought you, he would end up through a glass table knocked out on the ground. If DS9 Worf fought you, we would drink bloodwine over your dead corpse.

I also say in terms of villains... Kai Winn is the first Professor Umbridge. I wanted her to die more than any main bad guy. Maybe because Gal Dukat was great.

I really didn't hit on any of the girls. Jadzia and Kira way better than Beverly and Troi (high beams notwithstanding). Tasha was the only TNG gal who could hang with Jadzia or Kira.

And Kai Wynn was a great antagonist as well. For that matter, the female shape shifter was done very well, also.

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Janeway

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Data is great. Maybe the best, save real Spock and real Kirk.