| File:Odo.jpg | |
| Caption: | Constable Odo |
| Full Name: | Odo'ital (literally:Nothing' in Cardassian language) |
| Species: | Changeling |
| Date of discovery: | 2337 in the Denorios Belt, Bajor system |
| Position/Rank: | Chief of Security, Bajoran Militia, DS9 detachment (informal: Constable) |
| Actor: | Rene Auberjonois |
Odo was a Changeling and one of 100 infants sent out to explore the galaxy, compelled to return later in order to share their experiences. He was found adrift in his natural gelatinous state in the Denorios Belt in the Bajor system in 2337.
In 2356 he was brought to the Bajoran Institute for Science to be studied by Dr. Mora Pol. Through much experimentation, Dr Mora realised that Odo was a sentient being. (DS9: "The Alternate")
His name stems from the Cardassian word for "nothing" which is the literal translation of Odo'ital rather than its intended meaning "unknown sample".
During the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, Odo spent some time on Terok Nor. He would often settle disputes between the Bajoran workers on the station. In 2365 Odo was recruited by Gul Dukat to investigate the murder of a Bajoran collaborator. Amongst his chief suspects was Kira Nerys, then a Bajoran resistance fighter. He would discover in 2370 that she was indeed the murderer. Odo continued working for the Cardassians, eventually becoming Chief of Security. He was under continual pressure to deliver results, and allowed the wrongful execution of three Bajorans for the attempted assassination of Gul Dukat. He retained this post after the withdrawal of the Cardassian forces, when the station fell under Federation administration and was renamed to Deep Space 9.At first Odo and Sisko did not see eye to eye on how security on the station should be handled, but eventually they would become close associates.(DS9: "Things Past", and Emissary)
Having been found in the Denorios Belt, the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole provided him with further opportunity to investigate his origins. He was tricked by Croden into believing he had discovered Odo'd people. The story had been fabricated by Croden to get Odo's help in rescuing Croden's daughter and other Rakhari. Croden apologised to Odo for the deception and wished him luck in finding his people. (DS9: "Vortex")
During a mission to locate the Founders of the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant he found himself drawn to a rogue planet in the Omarion Nebula. There he discovered that the Founders were, in fact, Changelings like himself. He soon discovered their distrust of "solids". (DS9: "The Search, Part I", and Part II)
In 2371 Odo was forced to admit to Garak that, despite his disgust at their behaviour, he still wanted to return home. He would accompany Garak in an attempt to contact Enabran Tain. He would become a prisonner of Tain, who was ploting along with the Romulans, the extermination of the founders. The plot would fail, and Odo was aided in his escape by a founder who was posing as a Romulan on Tain's ship. "Improbale Cause"
In late 2371, Odo was forced to kill a Changeling posing as Ambassador Krajensky who had tried to provoke a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi. He became the first Changeling ever to harm another. (DS9: "The Adversary")
In 2372, during a trip to Earth to advise Starfleet on the Changeling threat, Odo was secretly infected with a morphogenic virus by the rogue organisation Section 31, in the belief that he would eventually link with others of his kind, transferring the disease and ultimately eliminating his entire race. (DS9: "Extreme Measures")
Later that year, Odo became desperately ill, not as a result of the virus but because he had been poisoned by his own people in order to force him to return to them for treatment. There he was judged by the Great Link and forced in to humanoid form permanently, unable to change shape, as punishment for harming another Changeling. This had the unintended side effect of transferring the virus to every single member of the Great Link. (DS9: "Broken Link")
- According to the script for To the Death, when Weyoun clapped Odo on the shoulder, he infected him with the sickness that presents itself in Broken Link and necessitates his return to the Great Link.
In 2373, Quark found an infant Changeling amongst some salvage he had purchased. It was very sick and Odo and Dr. Mora's attempts to teach it to change form as Dr Mora had done with Odo failed. Dying, it linked with Odo and restored his morphagenic matrix, allowing him to change form once again. (DS9: "The Begotten")
Over the years Odo began to fall in love with Kira Nerys. He kept this a secret from her, and stood by as she entered in to other romantic relationships. With the help of Vic Fontaine, He finally revealed his feelings for her in 2374, and found that she felt the same way. "His Way"
Odo from an alternate reality
Odo was instrumental in ending the war with the Dominion. He and Major Kira joined Damar's resistance group giving him valuable help in his fight against the Dominion. When the Female Changeling refused to order the Jem'Hadar and Breen forces to stand down, Odo linked with her, convincing her that she was wrong about Solids and to stand trial. In exchange, Odo agreed to return to the Great Link permanently to help build a new Dominion, and to cure his people. Unfortunately, this meant the end of his relationship with Kira. He was accompained on his return to the link by Kira. As he merged into the link he changed into a tuxedo, which Kira liked him in. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")
- In an alternate timeline, in which the USS Defiant was sent back in time to the 22nd century, Odo was the only member of the crew who lived to see the Defiant arriving in the 24th century. In two hundred years he had grown more proficient in shapeshifting and was able to assume a more human face. He sabotaged the Defiant and caused it to avoid crashing on Gaia. By doing so the inhabitants of Gaia ceased to exist. (DS9: "Children of Time")
Apocrypha
- In the DS9 Relaunch novels, Odo sends a Jem'Hadar ambassador to the Alpha Quadrant to foster Dominion understanding of other cultures. He soon returns to DS9 and temporarily reunites with Kira.