Odo’s Complete Star Trek: DS9 Timeline Explained

On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, René Auberjonois' Constable Odo served as the Chief of Security on the titular space station, as he learned more about himself and what it meant to be a Changeling. With his keen observation skills, Odo was an excellent detective and strove to uphold justice aboard space station Deep Space Nine. While he could be a bit curmudgeonly, Odo had a good heart and cared deeply about the people on the station, many of whom he came to see as friends.

Like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) on Star Trek: The Original Series and Data (Brent Spiner) on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Odo offered a look at humanity from the outside. When the Changeling was first found drifting in space in his gelatinous state, he couldn't remember anything about his origins or species, and he spent much of his time on Deep Space Nine searching for answers. By the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Odo had learned a lot about himself and had truly come into his own as a character.

Odo Was Sent To The Alpha Quadrant By The Dominion Founders (Centuries Ago-~2365)

Odo Remembered Nothing About His Origins

As Odo sought to learn more about his history, he eventually discovered that he was one of a hundred Changlings who had been sent from the Gamma Quadrant to explore the galaxy centuries before. Odo was found in the Bajoran system sometime in the mid-24th century and brought to the Bajoran Institute of Science. As the Changeling was initially labeled as an unknown sample, the Cardassians began calling him Odo'ital, meaning "nothing," but Odo eventually reclaimed the name for himself.

Dr. Mora Pol (James Sloyan) studied Odo for seven years at the Bajoran Institute of Science. Unaware that Odo was a sentient being, Mora subjected the Changeling to painful experiments until Odo eventually rebelled, forcing Mora to recognize him as sentient. Mora continued to study and teach Odo, but Odo resented the Bajoran doctor for all of the experiments he had put him through.

Odo’s Life Before Deep Space Nine (~2365-2369)

Odo Worked For The Cardassians As Chief Of Security On Terok Nor

Sometime during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, Odo arrived on Terok Nor (later known as Deep Space Nine) and regularly settled disputes between the Bajorans working on the station. Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) recruited Odo in 2365 to investigate the murder of a Bajoran collaborator. Odo suspected Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) to be the murderer after finding out that she was a member of the Bajoran resistance, but he did not reveal her identity to Dukat.

Odo served as Chief of Security for the Cardassians on the station for about four years, during which time he honed his investigative skills. In 2366, Odo hurriedly convicted three Bajorans for the attempted assassination of Dukat, learning of their innocence only after they had been executed. This grave mistake made Odo reconsider the difference between order and justice, and he resolved to be more discerning in the future.

Odo Was Deep Space Nine’s Security Chief For 7 Years (2369-2375)

Odo Came To View Many Of The Starfleet Officers Stationed On DS9 As Friends

In 2369, the Federation took over command of Deep Space Nine when the Cardassians withdrew from the station. At first, Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Odo disagreed on how security should be handled on the station, but they eventually became friends. Odo was not bound by the regulations of Starfleet, and he upheld justice on the station in his own way. Throughout his time as Chief of Security, Odo settled numerous disputes and investigated many crimes, all while searching for answers regarding his origins.

As seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine two-part episode, "The Search," Odo finally discovered his species to be the Changelings, also referred to as the Founders of the Dominion. However, when Odo learned how much the Founders distrusted so-called "solids," he chose to remain with his friends on DS9. Although Odo disagreed with the Founders about many things, he still found himself drawn to his home in the Gamma Quadrant. In 2371, Odo was forced to kill another Changeling who was trying to provoke a war.

The Founders later forced Odo to maintain his human form permanently, as punishment for killing one of his own. Unbeknownst to the Founders (and Odo), Starfleet's secret intelligence organization, Section 31, had infected Odo with a virus, which transferred to all of the Founders through the Great Link. Odo spent about a year trapped in a solid state until an infant Changeling restored his ability to change form. When the Dominion War began in 2373, Odo remained on DS9 when it was taken over by the Cardassians, eventually helping the Federation retake the station.

Odo Was In Love With Major Kira Nerys (~2371-2375)

Odo And Kira Have One Of Star Trek's Most Complex And Interesting Relationships

Sometime prior to 2371, Odo began to develop feelings for Major Kira Nerys, but he did not tell her. Quark knew of Odo's feelings for Kira even before Odo admitted them to himself, and the Ferengi sometimes offered Odo relationship advice. When the Female Changeling (Salome Jens) assumed Kira's identity, Odo finally confessed his feelings to her but quickly realized it was the Changeling masquerading as Kira. This Kira admitted that she had feelings for Odo as well, but Odo knew this to be false and that the real Kira would not lie about something like that.

When Kira began seeing Shakaar Edon (Duncan Regehr), the First Minister of Bajor, in 2372, Odo struggled with feelings of jealousy. Odo finally revealed his true feelings to the real Kira in 2374, by which time she did reciprocate his feelings. In reality, Kira had likely had some feelings for Odo for some time, but she refused to admit them even to herself. Both Odo and Kira initially believed the other would not feel the same way. In the end, their romance was tragically short-lived, as Odo returned to the Great Link when the Dominion War ended in 2375.

Odo Returned To The Great Link At The End Of Star Trek: DS9’s Dominion War (2375)

Odo Helped End The Dominion War Before Returning To His Home

Odo played a vital role in ending Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War. Odo ultimately convinced the Female Changeling to stand down by promising that he would return to the Great Link. Odo knew that his linking with the other Changelings would cure them of the Section 31 virus he had inadvertently infected them with.

Odo also sought to reconnect with his people and help build a better version of the Dominion. Odo did not take this decision lightly as it meant the end of his relationship with Kira, who accompanied him to the Great Link for a tearful goodbye.

Odo Set Up Worf In Star Trek: Picard Season 3 (2401)

Odo Warned Worf About A Dangerous Changeling Faction

Sometime before 2401, Odo contacted Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) to inform him about a rogue group of Changelings with enhanced shapeshifting abilities who sought revenge against the Federation. Ten Changelings, including Vadic (Amanda Plummer), had been subject to cruel experiments at the hands of the Federation during the Dominion War. After the war, the anger and pain of these Changelings led to a schism within the Great Link. A group of Changelings then broke off from the Link and eventually allied with the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), who had her own reasons for seeking revenge.

Worf was working with Starfleet Intelligence by this time, and he and Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) discovered that these Changelings had already infiltrated Starfleet. Worf then reunited with his Star Trek: The Next Generation crew to stop the Borg/Changeling alliance from enacting their plan. Even from the other side of the Gamma Quadrant, Odo did not forget his sense of justice or the friends he made on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.