10 Star Trek Episodes With The Highest Stakes
5. The Way Of The Warrior
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine knew how to up the ante, with this season four opener exploding onto our screens with honour. The Next Generation had come to a close, Star Trek: Generations had seen the early retirement of the Enterprise-D, and Lt. Commander Worf was suddenly left adrift. Thankfully, the Klingons went crazy.
Though Star Trek had dealt with Klingon wars before (see Star Trek VI) and would do so again (looking at you, Star Trek: Discovery), The Way Of The Warrior was the first true cinematic battle between the two major forces (single/double ship headbanging notwithstanding.) Model kits exploded in clouds of glitter, while the hand-to-hand combat was next level.
It never truly seemed like DS9 was going to lose the fight, but the episode does see Gowron tear up the Khitomer Accords, declare war on the Federation and the Cardassians, promise that there will be more hostilities to come, and once again strip Worf of his honour.
The status quo was destroyed, the Alpha Quadrant saw a fundamental power shift, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine received a new breath of life.