Worf Guide

For those that didn’t grow up with Trek but are interested in giving it a try…this is for you. It may be a bit intimidating to take on 40+ years of Trek media. To be honest, even as a Trek fan, I know there are episodes/films that fall short of the franchise’s greatness and I wouldn’t be eager to share them with you. So where do you start? Well, you can look up “best of” lists and go by that. I’ve found, however, the greatest reward of watching Trek is watching a character grow across the years. So I’ve decided to create a list of guides based on a single character’s story arc. Some span a couple spin offs and movies. Some characters span nearly every era of Trek to date. Here’s one of those guides

Romance, betrayal, epic struggles and more. Worf’s story arc not only has it all but it spans across two Star Trek series. He does appear in several movies but his role is not as focused as the stories in the following guide. One thing I will say about Worf’s arc, besides being one of the longest, it is the most deliberate and consistent. What do I mean by that? Well scifi shows that span many years and many writers have a tendency to develop a lot of story conflict, continuity issues and plot holes. It would seem that everyone who creatively contributed to Worf’s arc was very conscious and careful of maintaining a good lineage. When you compile all those stories and watch them as a character story arc it makes for some of the most compelling Trek, IMHO.

The Worf arc also embodies a lot of important story elements that you won’t find anywhere else in Trek. It’s a great allegory for things like the social struggles of interracial relationships, navigating conservative religious values, masculinity, family and more. Worf has so many varied experiences that there is an appeal for a lot of different audience members. So, here it is, the Worf arc.

Descriptions are taken from Wikipedia.

TNG S01E20 “Heart of Glory”
Fugitive Klingons seeking battle attempt to hijack the Enterprise, and ask Worf to join them.

TNG S02E20 “The Emissary”
Worf’s former lover comes aboard Enterprise to help deal with ship of Klingon sleeper agents unaware they are no longer at war.

TNG S03E17 “Sins of the Father”
Worf goes on trial to prove his father’s innocence after the Klingon High Council declares that Worf’s father is a traitor, and worked with the Romulans all along.

TNG S04E02 “Family”
While the Enterprise is going under repairs at Earth, Captain Picard visits his brother’s family in France, Lt. Worf’s adoptive human parents come to see him aboard the ship and Dr. Crusher gives her son Wesley a personal holo-recording left by his late father shortly after the boy’s birth.

TNG S04E07 “Reunion”
Worf’s ex-girlfriend returns, and along with Picard, the two mediate a Klingon power dispute and Worf discovers more family.

TNG S04E26 & S05E01 “Redemption”
Worf leaves the Enterprise to fight on behalf of Gowron in a Klingon civil war. A fleet of 23 Federation ships blockades Romulan support to the Duras family, resulting in Gowron’s installation as Chancellor.

TNG S05E10 “New Ground”
Worf tries to be a father to his son, Alexander, while the Enterprise helps to test a new propulsion technology.

TNG S05E16 “Ethics”
Worf becomes paralyzed—and suicidal—and Dr. Crusher consults a risk-taking researcher to save his life.

TNG S06E08 “A Fistfull of Datas”
Data’s mind is connected to the ship’s computer, which creates unforeseen effects on the holodeck.

TNG S06E16 & S06E17 “Birthright”
Worf is told on Deep Space Nine his father is alive, and being held prisoner by the Romulans. Meanwhile an engineering experiment accidentally results in Data’s first dream. Guest star: James Cromwell as Jaglom Shrek. Worf, now a prisoner, tries to teach the Klingon refugees the ways of the warrior.

TNG S06E23 “Rightful Heir”
Worf experiences a crisis of faith, and travels to a Klingon holy site where the mythic figure Kahless returns to lead the Klingon people.

TNG S07E11 “Parallels”
Worf finds himself randomly shifting between alternate realities.

TNG S07E13 “Homeward”
Worf’s human foster brother violates the Prime Directive to save a doomed primitive race.

TNG S07E21 “First Born”
Worf attempts to convince his son Alexander to embrace his warrior heritage. Guest star James Sloyan as K’mtar.

DS9 S04E01 S04E02 “Way of the Warrior”
A Klingon fleet arrives on its way to expand the Klingon Empire in the face of the Dominion threat, and Worf is brought to DS9 to negotiate.

DS9 S04E09 “The Sword of Kahless”
Worf, Dax and a revered Klingon warrior, Kor, search for the Sword of Kahless to unite the Klingon Empire.

DS9 S04E15 “Sons of Mogh”
Cast out of Klingon society because of Worf’s dishonor, his outcast brother asks Worf to kill him. Meanwhile, it is discovered that the Klingons have deployed a cloaked minefield at the wormhole entrance.

DS9 S04E18 “Rules of Engagement”
Worf accidentally destroys a civilian ship during battle and faces a hearing to determine whether he should be extradited to the Klingon Empire.

DS9 S05E01 “Apocalypse Rising”
Starfleet turns to Sisko to expose the Changeling infiltrator in the Klingon Empire.

DS9 S05E3 “Looking for par’Mach in All the Wrong Places”
Worf falls for Quark’s ex-wife, but is surprised to learn that Dax has her eyes on him.

DS9 S05E07 “Let He Who Is Without Sin…”
A fundamentalist leader preaches that Risa is corrupting the Federation.

DS9 S05E14 “In Purgatory’s Shadow”
Worf and Garak journey to the Gamma Quadrant to investigate a coded Cardassian message.

DS9 S05E15 “By Inferno’s Light”
Gul Dukat aligns the Cardassians with the Dominion. The station must deal with a Changeling infiltrator.

DS9 S05E21 “Soldiers of the Empire”
Martok, Worf, and Dax go on a mission aboard a Klingon ship.

DS9 E06E03 “Sons and Daughters”
While on General Martok’s ship Worf is reunited with his estranged son, Alexander.

DS9 S06E07 “You Are Cordially Invited”
Worf’s plans for a traditional Klingon wedding hinge on Martok’s demanding wife accepting Dax into their family.

DS9 S06E16 “Change of Heart”
When Jadzia Dax is critically injured on an away mission, Worf must choose between saving his wife and completing their assignment.

DS9 S06E26 “Tears of the Prophets”
Starfleet Command begins an offensive against the Dominion, and Sisko is chosen to lead the invasion of Cardassia, but the Cardassian/Dominion Alliance has secretly reinforced their borders. Dukat returns to Cardassia with his latest murderous plot to cripple the Federation war effort.

DS9 S07E01 “Image in the Sand”
With the Bajoran wormhole collapsed, Sisko struggles for a way to contact the Bajoran Prophets. Kira opens a Romulan military hospital, and a new Dax appears on the scene…

DS9 S07E07 “Once More Unto the Breach”
Worf finds a battle assignment for Kor, an aging Klingon hero.

DS9 S07E017 “Penumbra”
Ezri searches for a missing Worf and Sisko makes plans to marry Kasidy Yates.

DS9 S07E18 “Till Death Do Us Part”
Captured by the Breen, Ezri and Worf undergo mental torture. Sisko agonizes over his broken engagement. Disguised as a Bajoran, Dukat begins to work on converting Kai Winn to worship the evil Pah-Wraiths.

DS9 S07E19 “Strange Bedfellows”
An alliance is born between the Dominion and the Breen which will prove devastating for the Federation. Ezri and Worf are sentenced to death on Cardassia.

DS9 S07E22 “Taking Into the Wind”
Kira masterminds a plot to steal the Breen weapon and Worf instigates a power shift in the Klingon Empire.

If you’re up for it…

Star Trek: Countdown the official prequel to the Star Trek (2009) film. It’s a graphic novel. Worf makes his last appearance in official canon here.