Who is Worf in ‘Star Trek: Picard’?

Warning: Contains spoilers about the latest season of Star Trek: Picard.

Worf — son of Mogh, of the Klingon House of Martok, of the Human House of Rozhenko, bane of the House of Duras, slayer of Gowron — is a surefire highlight in the Star Trek universe. Despite living most of his life among humans, Worf is in many ways the perfect Klingon. After his parents died in the Khitomer Massacre, the young Worf was taken in by an adopted human family. Growing up outside the Empire meant that much of his knowledge of Klingons came from ancient stories, myths, and legends, including those of Kahless, founder of the Empire and the ultimate warrior. Worf never saw the negative sides of Klingon society, the political corruption, the treachery, the mindless violence. Instead, he becomes the best version of a Klingon, taking on the higher concepts of honor and loyalty.

Worf takes his sense of honor to certain extremes, even willingly accepting discommendation (the ultimate disgrace for a Klingon) in order to preserve peace within the Empire. In Deep Space Nine, it is revealed that in his youth, he could not contain his violent anger. The guilt he felt after accidentally killing a friend made him take control of his emotions and led him to a career in Starfleet. We see some of this iron self-control slip in the brilliant Next Generation episode “Reunion.” After Worf’s lover K’Ehleyr is murdered by Duras, Worf tears apart Starfleet ethics by beaming onto a Klingon ship and executing the terrified Duras with an edged weapon.

Worf ascends through the ranks of Starfleet, is present on DS9 during the violent Dominion War, and becomes regarded as a hero within the Klingon Empire. He returns in the latest season of Star Trek: Picard, where it is revealed he is working as a subcontractor to Starfleet Intelligence. He teams up with the troubled human operative Raffaela Musiker and saves her life by killing the Ferengi broker Sneed.