10 Utterly Devastating Star Trek Endings That Came Out Of Nowhere

4. Tears Of The Prophets

Star Trek Sisko Wake
CBS Media Ventures

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's sixth season saw the Dominion War truly explode across our screens. The darker tone of this iteration of the franchise had always allowed for depictions of violence, yet the ending of Tears Of The Prophets was a new departure for Trek.

Jadzia's prayer in the Bajoran Shrine is cut short by a possessed Gul Dukat and jaws dropped in horror as he brutally murders her. Though Trek was no stranger to death, it was both the manner of her dispatch and the treatment of a main character that truly stunned viewers.

The audience was allowed mere moments with her as she succumbed to her wounds on the operating table, and then hearts were shattered as Worf roared up to Sto-Vo-Kor that a new warrior was en route. Sisko's desperation over her coffin, followed by the sad fade-out on the captain scrubbing clams was a downbeat denouement to what had been an otherwise victorious day.

The Chin'toka System fell to Federation forces, but the cost was far too high for those left behind. 

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"