The USS Defiant
This little ship was a turning point for Star Trek. What we thought were battles were mere skirmishes compared to the action the USS Defiant faced. Designed to fight the Borg. A warship assigned to Deep Space Nine against the Dominion. Advanced armour. The first use of quantum torpedos. (Sorry Enterprise E) and a cloaking device. This ship
was badass. And it looked it badass too. The Defiant came into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the very moment the ongoing arc took a dangerous turn. The JemHadar had revealed themselves. A galaxy class star ship, The Odyssey, had been destroyed and the Federation stood on the brink of war. While this ship would also be used for exploration in a handful of episodes, its purpose was the deal with the oncoming conflict. It was the first federation starship to have a cloaking device, which gave it the stealth needed to enter enemy territory. It was armed to the teeth, enabling it to take on the JemHadar, when larger, more powerful ships had failed. Its armour was strong enough to survive attacks even when shields failed. It was the perfect response to the Dominion threat and the striking tone the show was taking. There are too many badass moments to count. Some of my favourites? The rescue of Gul Dukat and the ruling Detapa council from the Klingons in the excellent season 4 opener
The Way Of The Warrior. Blasting its was through the Dominion lines in
that episode again,
Sacrifice Of Angels. And going up against the enemy it was designed to fight, the Borg, in the opening battle of Star Trek: First Contact. All those moments in its short history made the loss of that tough little ship all the more powerful during the shocking battle with the Breen in season sevens
The Changing Face Of Evil. The ease at which The Defiant is blown apart established the threat this new Dominion ally brought to the war and upped the stakes for the series conclusion. The Defiant was replaced with a replica for the final battle of
What We Leave Behind, but personally nothing was ever going to replace the most badass ship in Starfleet history