Top 20 Episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine #6: Way of the Warrior

Strap in folks, this is going to be a big one.

We’ve been dancing around the events of this episode ever since way back in our Apocalypse Rising Article, but now, the time has finally come to discuss Way of The Warrior, one of the biggest and most noteworthy episodes in the series. Everything starts when a large contingent of Klingons, led by our old friend general Martok in his first appearance, dock at the station for a bit of shore leave. So far, nothing seems out of the ordinary. But as time goes by and more and more Klingons arrive on the station, it becomes abundantly clear that something is up, and the Klingons aren’t willing to reveal what. Once the Klingon’s attack his would-be girlfriend’s ship, Sisko decides something needs to be done about this, and puts out the call to anyone in Starfleet who may be able to help sort out this little Klingon problem. This is when Worf enters the show, fresh off the recent film, Star Trek: Generations, which saw the destruction of the Enterprise D. Since his ship has been destroyed, Worf is considering resigning his commission from Starfleet once this assignment is over, but Worf is a professional and will do his duty. After getting in a bar fight with Martok’s son, and getting an old friend of his father’s drunk, Worf learns what the Klingons are up to. Apparently, Klingon High Command plans to use the station as a launching point for a full-scale invasion of Cardassia, believing that the Changelings have infiltrated the Cardassian government, ironic in retrospect given what we learn about “Martok” in Apocalypse Rising. The problem is, The Federation cannot condone the actions taken by the Klingon Empire, and the Klingons, seeing the lack of support as an act of betrayal, withdraw from the Kitomer accords, becoming enemies. With this new development, Worf is forced to choose between his duty to the Empire and his duty to Starfleet.

This is an incredible episode and a major turning point for the entire series. Bringing Worf into the main cast was a brilliant move, both to drive up the viewership and to further the story. One of the most powerful scenes in the entire show comes when Worf meets with Gowron, the head of the Klingon Empire. At this point in the timeline, the two have been great friends for years, so Gowron invites Worf to join him in the campaign against Cardassia. But, here’s the thing about Worf. Worf was not raised within the Empire, so, he’s always viewed the Klingon ways from the outsiders perspective. As a result, his idea of Klingon honor is based on a highly romanticized view of Klingon culture, and it is by that standard that Worf lives his life and measures his fellow Klingons against. So, when Worf sees that the rest of the Klingons are behaving dishonorably, his own code of honor will not allow him to give them his support, and he condemns the invasion as well as Gowron. Angered and betrayed, Gowron pleads with Worf to reconsider, leading to this powerful exchange. “Think about what you're doing. If you turn your back on me now, for as long as I live, you will not be welcome anywhere in the Klingon Empire. Your family will be removed from the High Council, your lands seized, and your House stripped of its titles. You will be left with nothing.”

“Except my honor.”

Every time I re-watch that scene, it gives me chills, but there’s so much more to there’s episode than just Worf. This episode introduces the character of Martok, who would later become one of my favorite characters, we have some great character interactions, including a very nice scene from Quark and Garak, and some incredible action culminating a brute force Klingon attack on the station. One of the biggest game changers in the series, as well as one of its strongest episodes.

However, before we kick off the top five, we have one more Star Trek series to talk about, and sadly, it’s Enterprise.