Summary
It’s not mentioned often, butStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) actually had a full name that he chose not to use. Discovered in his liquid state in orbit above Bajor, Odo spent a large part of his life beforeDS9enduring a battery of painful laboratory tests. The experiments were conducted by Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora Pol,played by James Sloyan, who was unaware that Odo was a sentient being. When Odo eventually signaled his sentience to Pol, the two worked together so that the Changeling could maintain a solid form.
After Odo and Mora Pol parted, the Changeling became a security officer ontheCardassian space station Terok Nor. There, he befriended Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and met his arch-nemesis Quark (Armin Shimerman). All three stayed aboard the station after the Cardassian Occupation ended, becoming integral parts of Deep Space Nine’s crew, under the command of Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). However, while the Constable was introduced to his new Federation colleagues as Odo, he later revealed that this was a shortening of his longer name, which had previously been a tragic reminder of his abandonment.
Constable Odo’s 10 Best Star Trek: DS9 Episodes
Constable Odo’s best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes showcase the search for his origins, his clashes with the Founders, and his love for Kira.
Odo’s Full Name In Star Trek: DS9 Explained
“Odo Ital, which eventually got shortened…”
InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 14, “Heart of Stone”, Odo tries desperately to save Kira’s life when she becomes trapped in an expanding rock formation. To keep the Major’s spirits up, he decides to tell Kira the story of how he got the name Odo. Discovered as an unknown sample, Odo was labelled as such by Dr. Mora, and this label was translated byBajor’s Cardassian occupiers, the Cardassians into the name,Odo’ital, as he explains below:
“Odo’ital literally means the word ‘nothing’. Even after it became clear that I was sentient, the Bajoran scientists kept calling me that. As a joke, they split it into two words like a Bajoran name, Odo Ital, which eventually got shortened…”
The Odo’ital name, and even its Bajoran translation, is a pretty bleak example of how little agency Odo had during his time with Dr. Mora Pol. Even when they knew that he was sentient, they continued to effectively refer to Odo as “nothing”, which while being very Cardassian, doesn’t reflect all that well on the Bajorans either. For context,Odo being named Odo Ital by the Bajorans and Cardassiansis essentially like calling a human male John Doe, a name that is intrinsically linked with a lack of identity.
The ending of “Heart of Stone” reveals that Odo has been talking to the Female Changeling, and not Kira, meaning she never hears this story.
Why Odo Dropped His Surname In Deep Space Nine
“I no longer think of myself as nothing.”
Touchingly, Odo reveals that through his friendships with his fellowStar Trek: Deep Space Ninecharacters, he was able to reclaim his name for himself. The friendships that Odo makes aboard DS9 finally meant thathe no longer saw himself as “nothing”, which is why he ultimately dropped the “Ital” in “Odo Ital”. Odo explains this beautifully in “Heart of Stone”, in one of many greatDS9performances by Rene Auberjonois:
“And then I met you. And the others. Sisko, Dax, even Quark. And now, when I hear one of you call me Odo, I no longer think of myself as nothing. I think of myself as me.”
Given that Odo is actually talking to the Female Changeling (Salome Jens) this is an extremely pertinent admission. The Female Changelings plan in “Heart of Stone” is to discover what it would take to get Odo to return to the Great Link. Over the course of her conversations with Odo, the Female Changeling discovers that nothing she can do will break the bond that Odo has with the crew of DS9. The characters inStar Trek: Deep Space Ninegave Odo a sense of belonging that his own people denied him, and finally allowed him to become his own person; an individual who defied the Dominion’s tyranny.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Cast
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
