Star Trek: DS9’s 2 Forgotten Dax Hosts Explained

Summary Jadzia Dax became two Dax hosts, 7th and 9th, briefly stolen by Verad in season

Confusing memories and cover-ups follow.

Joran Dax, a violent musician, was a forgotten Dax host known only in season

A memory block prevented his return.

Whorfin Dax was a production design gag referencing a character from another film, never confirmed as a Dax host.

Even the most die-hard Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan may struggle to remember the progression of Dax hosts, but there are two that get forgotten for two very different reasons. Ezri (Nicole de Boer) and Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) are the two most notable Trill aliens in the Star Trek timeline, and were the eighth and ninth hosts of the Dax symbiont, respectively. However, in the early days of Star Trek: DS9, official Trill records stated that Jadzia was the seventh Dax host, succeeding the late Curzon Dax.

However, Jadzia technically became both the seventh and ninth Dax host when the symbiont was briefly stolen by Verad (John Glover) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 4, "Invasive Procedures". The progression of Dax Trill hosts in DS9 got even more confusing a year later, when a major cover-up was exposed by Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Sidddig) in DS9 season 3, episode 4, "Equilibrium". "Equilibrium" revealed two forgotten Dax hosts, one that would return later in DS9, and another that was never mentioned again.

Related Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the biggest cast of characters of any Trek show, meaning that Captain Sisko had numerous allies in the Dominion War.

Star Trek: DS9’s Two Forgotten Dax Hosts Explained

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In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 4, "Equilibrium" it was revealed that Joran Belar (Jeff Magnus McBride) was the forgotten Dax host. A musician with a violent temper, Joran proved to be an unsuitable host, and a doctor from the Trill Symbiont Commission recommended that the Dax symbiont be removed. This would have killed Joran, so he murdered the doctor, but was eventually caught and separated from the Dax symbiont. The symbiont was given a memory block prior to being joined with Curzon, so that future Dax hosts wouldn't retain Joran's memories.

"Equilibrium" was conceived as a vehicle for illusionist and magician Jeff Magnus McBride, whose routine with various masks is used in Dax's dream sequences.

A few years after Curzon's death, Jadzia began to remember aspects of Joran's life, including his musical abilities. While trying to find out more information about Joran Belar, Bashir and Sisko call up a record of the previous Dax hosts. One of the names at the bottom of the screen is Whorfin Dax, whose name appears underneath Lela Dax. Later in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, in the episode "Facets", Lela Dax is confirmed as the symbiont's first host, with no mention being made of Whorfin Dax. However, there's a good reason why Whorfin Dax was never mentioned again.

Every Dax Host In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Lela Dax - The Legislator Tobin Dax - The Engineer Emony Dax - The Gymnast Audrid Dax - Head Of The Trill Symbiosis Commission Torias Dax - The Pilot Joran Dax - The Musician/Murderer Curzon Dax - The Diplomat Jadzia Dax - DS9's Science Officer Ezri Dax - DS9's Counselor

Why Joran Dax Returned To Star Trek: DS9 And Whorfin Dax Didn’t

The main reason that Whorfin Dax was never mentioned again was likely because it was an in-joke on the part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's production designers. The name Whorfin Dax was derived from John Lithgow's villainous Lord John Whorfin in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. It was therefore designed as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Buckaroo Banzai Easter egg, rather than a confirmed Dax host, which is why there's no Whorfin Dax, although there is Worf and Dax from DS9 season 5 onward.

An S.S Buckaroo Banzai, commanded by a Captain John Whorfin, was another production design gag in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Up the Long Ladder".

Joran Dax later returned in the body of Commander Sisko during Dax's zhian'tara ritual in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 25, "Facets". Years later, following the death of Jadzia Dax, her successor, Ezri, summoned the memories of Joran to catch a murderer aboard the station in DS9 season 7, episode 13, "Field of Fire". Joran Dax was a good character to bring back because he added an edge to the characters of Jadzia and Ezri, that forced them to confront the darkness within themselves in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.