Odo

This article is about the Star Trek fictional character. For historical people named "Odo" see:

Odo of Bayeux
Odo of Cluny, also known as "Saint Odo"

Odo is a shapeshifter played by Rene Auberjonois on the science fiction television series .

Warning: Plot details follow.

He was one of the hundred sent out by The Founders long ago to explore the galaxy. He was found adrift in the Denorios Belt by a Bajoran in 2356 who gave him his name, which derives from the Cardassian for "unknown specimen," odo ital, literally, "nothing." He was studied by a Bajoran scientist, Dr. Mora Pel, under the auspices of the Cardassians; Odo modelled his humanoid appearance on Dr. Mora, but he could not duplicate humanoid features with precision, making his humanoid appearance an approximation.

He later worked for the Cardassians during Occupation of Bajor aboard the orbiting Terok Nor ore-processing space station and later for the Bajorans/Federation aboard (the Federation name for Terok Nor), in both cases as chief of security.

Up until this time, Odo was unaware of his people and his ancestry. A criminal showed him a necklace containing a non-sentient shapeshifter in the episode "Heart Of Stone". Later, in the episode "The Alternate", Dr. Mora visited Odo at Deep Space Nine and went with him to the Gamma Quadrant to investigate a planet with a similar life-form. It wasn't until later that Odo learned that his people are the leaders of the Dominion.

Because he had at one point killed another Changeling, the Founders punished him by taking away his shapeshifting abilities and making him into a human being. He retained his physical body for several months. Eventually, an infant shapeshifter who was dying intergrated itself into Odo's physical makeup. This integration caused Odo's body to revert back to normal, and he regained all his shapeshifting abilities.

Odo remained loyal to the Bajoran and Federation people throughout the Dominion War. At the end of the war, Odo went back to the Great Link. He did this to cure the other Founders of a disease that Section 31 had infected them with, and to teach the Founders how to trust other races again.

He entered a romantic relationship with Kira Nerys with the help of Vic Fontaine. They remained involved until Odo left to rejoin the Great Link.

He is often referred to as Constable Odo, though sources disagree as to whether this is an actual rank or a nickname.