Star Trek: 10 Most Underrated Characters

Please, writers, stop hurting him.

Acting as Deep Space Nine's everyman, Miles O'Brien's down to earth nature was designed for audiences to empathize with him. He was an ordinary working stiff and family man who enjoyed the simple pleasures in life.

Yes, despite the wonders of the Star Trek universe, all O'Brien needed to unwind was a decent synthale and a kayaking session in the holosuites. How quaint.

He certainly wasn't the flashiest or sexiest Star Trek character, but he showed up and did the work. Through over 200 episodes of Star Trek, O'Brien was as solid as the rock they call Gibraltar.

Criminally underrated during The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine's original run, O'Brien has since enjoyed something of a renaissance, with Lower Decks recently dubbing him, "perhaps the most important person in Starfleet history." Finally some love for the "Hero of Setlik III".

With his real-life problems and aspirations, it was easy to put ourselves in O'Brien's shoes, which is why the show's writers revelled in making him suffer at every turn.

From a Pah-wraith possessing his wife to enduring years of hard time in brain prison, Deep Space Nine's writers' room sure loved torturing O'Brien. No wonder he gave it all up to teach at Starfleet Academy. Space is scary.