4. Ferengi
The Ferengi were intended to be the new Klingons. Audiences didn't buy it for a second. By the time Deep Space Nine came along, the Ferengi were firmly established as the "greedy little trolls" of the galaxy. The fundamental tome of its society,
The Rules Of Acquisition, guided Ferengi in the best ways to lie, cheat, and exploit their way to fame and fortune. By those standards, Quark was one hell of a Ferengi. Quark made a living off of liquor, vice, and pimping out holosuite porn like "Vulcan Love Slave II: The Revenge." He sexually harassed his barmaids, trafficked in illegal goods, and was even mean to his mother. And here's the thing: you were supposed to like him. The first season dares a little too often to make Quark detestable. His brother and nephew, Rom and Nog, don't fare much better - alternating in their worst moments between annoying and pathetic. By the second season, Quark and his family began to grow in a lot of unexpected ways. Quark's nobler instincts shined through now and again, while Rom and Nog came into their own in a more diverse, open-minded society. The writers soon established that Federation values weren't always better than Ferengi values - they were just different. That's a culturally progressive notion even for Star Trek. The Ferengi aren't for everyone. A lot of Trek fans want Kirk or Picard. They want heroes. While Quark and his family got a few chances to save the day, heroism never came naturally to them. Still, there's something of hobbits in the Ferengi - especially Rom and Nog. They're the little guys in a world too big for them. They'd rather trade and haggle than fight, but Quark and his family proved time and again that they were just - or almost - as brave as the next species. By the end of the series, Rom and Nog helped reshape Ferengi culture for the better. And Quark? Quark was largely redeemed but never reformed. I wouldn't have that any other way.