Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) had a fascinating character arc in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as demonstrated by her best episodes. Kira was a unique character in Star Trek up to that point because she was not a Starfleet officer, and was instead a member of the Bajoran Militia. As second-in-command of DS9, Kira's loyalty to Bajor created a central conflict of ideals with Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) that freshened up the traditional relationship between a Star Trek Captain and their Number One.
As part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's more mature approach, Kira was also a former resistance fighter, who had fought against the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. She had taken lives, and many of her best DS9 episodes centered on Kira reckoning with her violent past and her hatred of the Cardassians. Kira's arc in DS9 was fascinating because, ultimately, it was her past as a resistance fighter that aided the liberation of Cardassia from Dominion rule. It brought her character full circle, but it also marked a significant shift in her attitude toward the Cardassian Union. It was this conflict, and Kira's non-Federation approach to situations, that define many of her best episodes.
