As fans of the sci-fi space opera would agree, The Next Generation would unarguably go down as one of the best series from the Star Trek universe created to date. Helmed under the supervision of the late mastermind Gene Roddenberry, the show has received tremendous acclaim from fans and critics alike over the years.
But while the show is as perfect as it could be and fans wouldn’t want it any other way, it was originally intended to take a different turn. As it turns out, showrunner Roddenberry originally wanted to give up on one massively fan-beloved character just because he thought he wasn’t “a major character on the show”: Michael Dorn’s Worf!
Gene Roddenberry Didn’t Find Worf All That Important in TNG
Besides Patrick Stewart‘s iconic Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes‘ fan-favorite William T. Riker, if there was one character from Star Trek: The Next Generation who truly stole fans’ hearts, it was the first Klingon main character and Starfleet officer in the series, Worf.
Brought to life perfectly by Michael Dorn, this particular character earned a soft spot among fans’ hearts over the years, and rightly so. A conservative and quiet character, he was an outsider to the crew, but still tried to maintain his composure at every turn to downplay his aggressive Klingon genes.
However, surprisingly enough, when it came to Gene Roddenberry‘s perspective on him, the character wasn’t all that important to the saga. If anything, the late legend seemingly didn’t like giving too much credit to him; not even enough to have his arc be the cliffhanger of an episode.
In the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams, writer Ronald D. Moore confessed the same while explaining how this happened when season 4’s finale draft showed Dorn’s character resign from Starfleet by the end of the episode.
As per what Moore said, this idea didn’t quite sit well with Roddenberry. Here’s the quote from Moore (via Looper):
I was with [producer] Rick [Berman], and he said Gene [Roddenberry] wanted to throw the script out. I couldn’t believe it, and Rick said, ‘Well, Gene doesn’t think that Worf is a major character on the show … Gene doesn’t want to do a whole cliffhanger about him.’
Apparently, Dorn’s character didn’t hold the same level of authority and respect in the show creator’s eyes. But while Rick Berman eventually ended up convincing Roddenberry over this season finale cliffhanger, what’s confusing is just why the showrunner didn’t give Worf enough credit.
This becomes even more understandable after realizing just how beloved Dorn’s character was in the entire saga throughout all these years.
Michael Dorn’s Worf is One of Fans’ Most Favorite TNG Characters
Throughout the seven seasons that The Next Generation wreaked havoc on the screens, Dorn’s lieutenant only went on to receive more and more praise from fans worldwide. For instance, here are some reviews from fans over the years on the respective Klingon character on X:
Additionally, multiple sites have listed Worf as one of the most famous characters of all time. Like Subspace Chatter, which claimed “Worf is Star Trek’s greatest character,” or the uncountable reviews on him on Meta Filter admitting that he is indeed “one of sci-fi’s most beloved supporting characters.”
Then there’s the fact that even before the season 4 finale, Dorn’s character has been given enough significance in the saga — enough to establish him as one of the more likable characters of the space opera — so it becomes even more confounding just why Roddenberry was initially reluctant to let him have the spotlight.
Nonetheless, be it with the late legend’s approval or without it, Worf still managed to earn a special spot in the limelight and in fans’ hearts as well, so, at the end of the day, we guess the original criticism might as well be forgotten.
You can stream Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix.
