Star Trek: 10 Best Odo Episodes

Played brilliantly by the late, great Rene Auberjonois, Constable Odo was responsible for Security onboard the Federation station Deep Space Nine. Although Auberjonois had previously had a small part in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and would later appear in Star Trek: Enterprise episode Oasis, it is as the curmudgeonly constable that we would come to know him best, covered in smoothed-out make-up.

Odo was one of the Hundred, infant changelings who were sent out across the far reaches of the galaxy by the Founders. Being a secretive race of shapeshifters, the Founders had found that they were hundred and hated throughout out their own space and the most logical thing for them to do was manipulate, dominate and control all space around them, forming the Dominion. They spread the Hundred across the stars in order to see how others would act towards the strange orphan creatures.

One of those Hundred was found drifting in the Denorios Asteroid Belt and brought to the nearest world, Bajor. He was studied by doctor Mora Pol, who eventually acknowledged that Odo must be sentient when he learned how to mimic the shape of a specimen beaker. The unkind Cardassian word Odo'ital would be his label, meaning 'unknown sample'.

Eventually, the small, gelatinous life-form would grow into the fully-formed police officer that the audience grew to love, the salvation of his species and the lone voice in their Great Link that opposed slavery and domination. Here are the ten best episodes centred on the beloved Odo.

In the middle of the third season, Odo and Kira are pursuing a Maquis vessel near the Badlands. They have to land on a small planet and then split up to track the individual onboard. The constable later finds Kira stuck in a cave, with a crystal growth over her foot. Back on the station, the other story is that Nog seeks to join Starfleet, leading to a touching story about fatherhood and expectations.

The two of them try everything to get the crystal off her foot, but it starts to grow and consume more of her body. When it seems like the crystal is about to swallow her up completely, Odo desperately confesses how he feels about Kira, telling her that he loves her. Kira says that she loves him as well, which gives him pause. He points his phaser at her directly and demands to know who she is, because she isn't Kira Nerys.

She reveals that she is the Female Changeling (played by Salome Jens), trying to convince Odo that he should rejoin his people. With his firm refusal the Changeling lets Odo leave with the real major.

While this is a touching episode for Odo, it's bittersweet. Kira asks him what happened and the changeling relays the bare bones of the situation to her, but doesn't tell her about his confession. He chooses to swallow those feelings for now. He's not ready to be with the woman he loves.