Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy are ahead!
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy delivered a treat for Deep Space Nine fans recently on the 2026 TV schedule by bringing back two characters from the ‘90s show in the same episode. First, Cirroc Lofton reprised Jake Sisko in “Series Acclimation Mil” through holorecordings and visions seen by Kerrice Brooks’ Sam. Then it was revealed that Tawny Newsome’s Professor Illa’s full name was Illa Dax, meaning she was bonded with the same Trill symbiont that was joined with Jadzia and Ezri during DS9.
It was an impressive feat for Starfleet Academy to pull off those appearances, considering the show takes place almost a millennium after Deep Space Nine. Between them and Sam’s research into Benjamin Sisko, it was the best tribute to DS9 since the Lower Decks episode “Hear All, Trust Nothing.” But why stop there? There’s one more DS9 character whom Starfleet Academy should include at some point.
Starfleet Academy Should Bring Back Odo
For the entirety of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the shapeshifting Odo served as the Chief of Security aboard the title space station. After being initially unaware of his origins, Odo discovered that he was a member of the Changeling species from the Gamma Quadrant. However, rather than join his people in the Dominion War, he remained allied with the Federation until the conflict’s conclusion. After that, he rejoined with the Great Link in the Deep Space Nine series finale in order to cure them from a lethal virus.
Odo had been alive for a couple of centuries prior to the events of Deep Space Nine, and the Season 5 episode “Children of Time” showed a version of him from 200 years in the future. It’s entirely possible that Odo could still be alive in the 32nd century. I would welcome Starfleet Academy bringing Odo back and showing how he’s evolved in the eight centuries since the events of DS9. Much like Voyager’s The Doctor, no doubt having lived such a long lifespan has significantly changed him.
Odo Would Need To Be Played By A Different Actor
The only downside to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, including Odo, would be that he couldn’t be played by René Auberjonois, who passed away in 2019. It was one thing for the Star Trek: Prodigy episode “Kobayashi” to rely on archived audio of Auberjonois for a Holodeck recreation of the character, but for a live-action show, a new actor would need to fill the role. But as I’ve already made clear, Odo is a shapeshifter, so that’s not a problem, even if it would have been preferable for Auberjonois to reprise his character.
The show could easily pull off the same kind of twist reveal with Odo that was done with Illa Dax in “Series Acclimation Mil,” and it would be great if a story could be crafted that brings the two characters together to give fans a DS9 reunion of sorts. More importantly, though, I want Odo to be the vehicle through which we learn how things are going with the Great Link at this point in the Star Trek timeline. An antagonistic faction of Changelings was featured in Picard Season 3, and a Changeling appeared in the Discovery Season 4 episode “All In,” but I specifically want to know if the Great Link is part of the Federation or if they’ve remained isolationist.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is already set to return for a second season, so maybe the writers are already ahead of me on this idea. If not, this is another reason for me to hope the show makes it to Season 3 and beyond. I’m grateful Starfleet Academy showed Deep Space Nine some love and would like that to continue with an Odo appearance.
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