Star Trek: EVERY Chief Of Security Ranked From WORST To BEST
From the legends to the redshirts, who shall emerge victorious in the battle of the chiefs?
Being a good chief security officer is more than just kicking ass and taking names. For a start, you have to survive those bleak years as Ensign Redshirt. Then, there's taking care of all those exuberant scientists and explorers who want to poke the dangerous goo. And the final test? Honing your instinct to know exactly when to shoot and, more importantly, when not to shoot.
At first glance, the job might seem little more than setting phasers to stun, escorting prisoners and guarding doors, but when you have to be equal parts security guard, tactician, detective, negotiator and peacekeeper, becoming the chief of security is by no means an easy ride.
And it only gets more complicated when you look at how vast Starfleet operations can be. Heading up security on a trailblazing 23rd-century starship would be an entirely different challenge from a distant 24th-century starbase full of civilians.
We imagine it can be a thankless task at times. While everyone else is running around on strange new worlds and investigating fascinating phenomena, it's usually the security chief who has to rain on their parade and remind everyone to be careful. It makes you wonder how many times they've been given the 'yes, Mum' look.
And yet, any security officer worth their salt would never shirk their responsibilities. No matter how much the crew tuts at their pessimism, or how often they have to remind their comrades of basic protocol, or how many times they're told 'no'. Still, they press on, doing everything in their power to keep their ship and crew safe, even if it means giving their life.
For this list, we'll be looking at known and named chiefs of security who had their moment to shine on screen. However brief. So join us on a journey through a pantheon of champions as we rank the good, the bad and the ugly.
19. Michael Eddington - Deep Space Nine
Eddington was the very model of a chief security officer. Ambitious, but not overbearing. Focused, but grounded in common sense. Sharp, but good at winning people over. But his defection to the Maquis, carried out right under Sisko's nose, also makes him one of the biggest security threats to the station. So it's only fair he ends up in last place.
The irony is, Eddington was actually an excellent security chief. He managed to sweet-talk the command staff despite their not being thrilled with his arrival. And that ability to handle people is an underrated skill as far as security goes.
He proved himself in battle on the bridge of the Defiant, understood the bigger picture of starbase operations and turned detective when more subtle inquiries were required. He also showed a deft touch when sabotaging the Defiant's cloaking device for Admiral Toddman while leaving the ship operational for Sisko. Although in hindsight, that was a massive red flag for just how tricky Eddington could be.
Even the fact he managed to hide his Maquis sympathies for so long speaks to his strategic mind. And successfully stealing industrial replicators for the Maquis whilst defecting was the icing on the cake.
Of course, Eddington will always be remembered more as the self-proclaimed 'Valjean', locked in a battle of wills with Sisko as 'Javert'. We just thank the prophets that there was no singing involved.