Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) struggled to reconcile his Klingon heritage with his Starfleet duties throughout his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and this conflict was set up in TNG's very first episode. Worf was not originally meant to be one of TNG's main characters and he spent much of the first season in the background. Before long, however, more and more stories started focusing on Worf and he eventually became one of the show's most popular characters.
For most of Star Trek: The Next Generation's seven-season run, Worf served as Chief of Security on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). In its series premiere, however, Worf does not have much to do. When John de Lancie's Q first appears on the Enterprise-D bridge, Worf reacts aggressively, telling Captain Picard that they have no choice but to fight. Captain Picard and his crew soon begin to realize that this being known as Q has them outmatched. Picard then orders Worf to take command of the saucer section of the Enterprise, as the ship separates to protect the civilians on board.
The Star Trek: TNG Worf Scene That Set Up His Klingon vs. Starfleet Conflict
Worf's TNG Journey Is Foreshadowed With One Exchange In "Encounter At Farpoint"
When Captain Picard orders Worf to command the saucer section, the Klingon immediately protests, saying "I am a Klingon, sir. For me to seek escape when my Captain goes into battle...." Picard cuts Worf off to remind him that he is a Starfleet officer as well. This brief exchange lays out the struggle that Worf will face throughout the rest of his Star Trek career. Having been raised by humans, Worf grew up disconnected from his Klingon roots but still educated himself about Klingon culture. Worf embraced the ideal version of Klingon honor, but he also had a duty to Starfleet.
Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard did his best to support Worf's connection to the Klingon Empire. In season 3's "Sins of the Father," Picard even took the Enterprise-D to the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS so that Worf could defend his family's name. Worf quickly learned that Klingon politics was not as honorable as he believed it to be, and he accepted discommendation to preserve the Klingon Empire. Almost all of Worf's TNG stories explored the Klingon's complex relationship with his homeworld and the ways it sometimes conflicted with his duties as a Starfleet officer.
How Worf In The Next Generation's First Episode Compares To Worf In The Last Episode
Worf Grew A Lot On TNG, But Was Still Somewhat Conflicted
Worf became more involved in Klingon politics as Star Trek: The Next Generation went on, eventually becoming one of the most important Klingons in the Empire. Worf also became an exemplary Starfleet officer and helped save the Enterprise and its crew on numerous occasions. By the end of TNG, Worf had lost his honor in the Klingon Empire and gained it back, loved and lost K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson), learned he had a young son named Alexander (Brian Bonsall), participated in the Klingon Civil War, and encountered a clone of Kahless (Kevin Conway).
As a Starfleet officer, Worf had gone up against the Borg, the Romulans, and Q, and had even once gotten stuck traveling through parallel universes. Throughout all of these adventures, Worf managed to remain loyal to Starfleet and Captain Picard, while also exploring his Klingon roots. Still, Worf had not achieved the perfect balance by the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation and his journey continued on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Worf truly came into his own on DS9, as the show explored more about him as an individual outside of his connections to the Klingon Empire.
