You also forget that the reason he repeatedly gets his ass kicked is because he's the only one who even tries to step up and fight. You gotta get into the fight before you can lose it. If he's the only one who tries to fight, of course he's going to lose occasionally. I'd like to see Riker against any of the opponents Worf fought, ya know?
Well, Data would've survived most of it of course. For pretty much the same reason that he kicked Worf's ass with little to no effort. ... Also that one Klingon who tried to headbutt Data and almost concussed himself in the process, with Data just casually remarking about the construction of his own skull and spine, and that it was 'ill advised' to headbutt him. XD
If Riker stepped to half the shit Worf gets into a scrap with we'd need to clean Riker up with a mop and bucket. TNG Worf may not have the highest win/loss ratio, but he singlehandedly established no one takes a beating and comes back for more like a Klingon does.
Also, Worf killing Gowron was a wonderful bookend to both of their journeys. Worf put him into power, Worf took him out. A great nod to the long-time trekkers.
he may have got thrown around a lot, but when push came to shove he was no push-over. gowron got was coming to him and worf delivered it (via overnight delivery, LOL)
Oh I agree completely P.B. When Gowron turned on Worf I was sickened. How dare Gowron bite the hand that feeds? After everything that Worf did for that sorry sack of potatoes he betrays him!? It was a fitting end to a king growing eratic and lost. It's somewhat sad too because I once thought of Gowron as honorable and as the rightful heir. But Worf set things to how they should be
Let it be said Worf was a Klingon of legends. He made two chancellors and broke one of them. He rose an emperor. He destroyed the Monac shipyards on a suicide run to give is love a place on stovakor. Master of battles, hero of destiny, his actions decide the course of the empire.
I still to this day do not understand why Worf after killing Gowron did not take his rightful place as Chancellor? I guess he was better as a kingmaker than a king. But to me, Worf truly deserved a command of his own and would have been a fitting end to the series. (Worf commands the latest Aries Class battleship).
@@deathstrike I don't think the high council would be too cool with him as chancellor, mostly because he was an outsider. Despite being lowborn, Martok was the face of the war effort and had established himself as not only an able warrior but one who got results. Since the warrior archetype is the most valued in Klingon society, the most well-known and successful warrior will be regarded with the highest respect and deference.
@@deathstrike Worf was technically Chancellor for a few seconds. However Worf's heart belonged to the Federation, so to speak. On top of that, Worf had earned the position through blood, something he knew all to well would lead to a cycle of violence as it did before. While combat was a largely preferred method of moving up in Klingon society and settling disputes, over the course of TNG and DS9, Worf got to see first hand how it started affecting the Klingon Empire (Alexander's mother being killed,Gowron and his shitty rule, etc). By thrusting the power onto someone like Martok ( a low born yet exceptionally proud and honorable Klingon), there was less chance of someone trying to challenge Martok by combat (especially since Kahless' clone was serving as a moral leader for the empire).
@@gyozakeynsianism To be fair, the Vortas appear to be physically weak and almost unable to fight effectively; I think most of us Trekkies posting here could beat up a Vorta, except for the ones with energy powers.
It was an empty plastic barrel, that somehow crushed Worf's supposedly massively reinforced spinal column... although that said, these same barrels are apparently completely immune to energy weapons fire.
Worf is a great warrior BECAUSE he is always getting his ass kicked BECAUSE he is always putting himself into harm’s way to take on those horrific challenges. He is fearless and selfless. He is also restrained when it’s needed. “If you were any other man I would kill you where you stand” is giving honour and compliments to a man he highly respects while also expressing his overwhelming frustration and disappointment at the same time. Great writing! And here’s the big insight: The refusal to stay down in the death match was choosing to sacrifice his life in order to psych out the G’em H’adar, making them fear the indefatigable spirit of Klingons for future confrontations. He was thinking about the bigger picture, the entire war, and the next confrontation after that! He was Alex bloody Guinness on the bridge on the river Kaui, planning a century ahead! Fine strategist, brilliant tactician, great warrior. I might be adding a bit too much of my own interpretation. But... A good Klingon might embellish his story now and then! Oh, wait. I’m a human. I should stop watching TH-cams and get to bed. Also, Wars not make one great.
Erinn van Wynsberghe You're right. As an outsider who grew up among humans he embraced the old ways of honour and sacrifice for the greater good of the Empire, and those around him. That's why when Ezri Dax confronted him about the Empire dying and corruption, Chancellor Gowron and the entire top tier of the Empire covering up their sins (for the greater good) you knew his old school mindset would eventually put him on a collision course with the chancellor. It was inevitable. He was basically groomed and lived like a prodigal son who returned home to save his own people. He always saw the bigger picture because he had no vision other than that he felt he needed to be a great example being the only Klingon around most the time. He was excellent and his life (in that fictional world ) deserves to sung in praise and recognized by Klingons as a true example of a warrior and with unquestionable integrity and honor.
I agree that Worf's problem isn't his skill, it is bad writers.... "No no, don't bother figuring out how to show this bad-guy is a threat... just have them beat up Worf."
DS9 took Worf, a character with a potential to be really interesting, and really fleshed him out into an incredible character. DS9 explores his position as a pariah in the Klingon Empire, shows his unique take on honor, has him redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow Klingons, shows off his mad skills with a mek'leth, develops his failings as a father and has him redeem himself, and gives him an amazing love story!
Worf is actually intimidated by Sisko. Sisko was surprised to hear that when Dax told him. Sisko is a badass though, and to be fair he is half Prophet/wormhole alien, so who knows what he can do? We never really got to see how powerful they were, compared to say Q.
Akaihiryuu77 well isn't he technically all human? Wasn't his mom just possessed by a wormhole alien to make sure he was born? It's a bit dark if you think about it.
Yes and no...he actually does become a Prophet in the last episode. And it's really dark...they didn't understand that there was anything wrong with what they did to his mom because they didn't understand biological life.
I always found Worf's story interesting, because in many ways he was more honourable than other Klingons. He followed the way of the warrior to the letter - but didn't seem to have the joy that other Klingons did. The big belly laughs that other Klingons had. It was like Worf got the warrior side of being a Klingon right, but couldn't quite make the full step to being a real Klingon. If that makes sense.
I feel the same way about Worf -- he's relentlessly dour and I think after getting the turtlehead applied to his forehead every working day for 11 years, some of Dorny's line-readings become increasingly and unsurprisingly flat -- but I think there's enough onscreen to explain why he's the Universe's Grumpiest Klingon. Namely, the last time he let loose as a Klingon (during his adolescence), he accidentally killed a human. Ever since then, the idea of being a loud, raucous, brawling Klingon is associated with being an inadvertent threat to his adopted people, and so he vowed to suppress those tendencies as long as he remained among them. (And interestingly, I think the last time we hear him laugh is when Guinan suggests that some women on the Ent-D would find him tame -- again, the context here is that he has to be delicate around humans/non-Klingons, also, PROON JOOCE.) Further, I think that this childhood incident explains a lot of his cultural conservatism -- he wants to do the trad thing and marry K'Ehlyr (and later Jadzia!) after a one-night stand, he's willing to accept discommendation for the stability of the Empire despite his house being innocent, he becomes a Groomzilla when planning his perfect Klingon wedding, seeing Alexander as a reminder of his shortcoming as a Klingon and his alienation from his own people, etc. -- he's compensating for his joylessness by out-Klingoning other Klingons.
I liked his story too. He winds up more or less being the most honorable Klingon because, living his entire life away from them, he has forced himself to embody the highest of Klingon honor rhetoric. He's made all of the hard choices the "honorable" way, because that's what he felt Klingons would have done, because it's the way all of their songs and stories talk. ...but then he meets Klingons and they're all Honor/Glory/Combat out loud, but willing to be dishonorable and cut corners if no one else will find out.
The Worf Effect gets overstated so much. I think a big part of it was probably just that Michael Dorn is just one of those rare actors willing to put up with the hardships of special effects shooting. It is a very similar question to asking why Data is always having his internal circuitry exposed. The re as l answer is mainly because Brent Spiner was willing to do a lot of filming wearing several hundred pounds of prosthetics.
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He is a Klingon. Klingons fight. Victory and loss are not what defines a Klingon, but his ability to fight whenever possible. The only reason he's being constantly mopped the floor with is because otherwise the low-ranking crewmen would be killed.
That's kind of the problem with how TNG did it. They laid him out on the mat so many times you end up wondering "When does this supposedly great warrior ever WIN a fight?" The Worf Effect/Barrage is usually invoked when it's overused, like how TNG did it. His role in DS9 seemed to be to reconstruct him as what he was originally pitched to us as. You can list all the fights he was in in DS9, and I'd say he didn't win maybe one or two of them, and only for technical reasons (his fight with Gowron ended before he could deliver the killing blow because the real Changeling was revealed, and his gauntlet of Jem'Hadar duels in the prison camp ends with him just enduring the Jem'Hadar whaling on him until he yields to Worf.)
Lost it was on tng that he won all those batleth challenges. I believe it was 7 in a row. Nobody said no other character could beat worf so I’m not surprised someone may have gotten the best of him a few times.
Aaron Greenfield I agree worf got destroyed too often on TNG, but some of those times were well used to depict the strength and violence of the being that had overcome him...like when that first ever Borg drone on the series laid him out
I liked him because he could use violence but did not. He found another way also he was an honorable man among dishonorable people. Also he was a struggling single parent who needed help with Alexander. He struggled with his relationship with his half klingon girlfriend who rejected him and did not admit her feelings for him. He and his wife got the best trek romance and relationship. It was the perfect storyarc and very satisfying to watch. I hated the riker troi crap that is really a false relationship.
Duels and kills Duras and Gowron, kicked ass in First Contact, goes through a Jemhadar gauntlet of 12 ending only when facing nr 13, defeats Garak, murders a lot of Jem’hadar with his Mekleth etc. His melee holodeck training exercises are very hard. Novels also give him much shine.
The exception to Worf's ass-kickings always seemed to be other Klingons. He almost always kicks other Klingons' asses.Killing Duras was great (and K'Ehleyr > Jadzia)
Good post Steve. Dorn once said the writers would get his ass kicked every week but would do that only to emphasize what a danger the threat was. I love the way Deep Space Nine featured Worf as an absolute badass!
Wait... multiple people sent you folded pieces of paper? with stamps? through the post office? just to relay text? Did the U.S have a catastrophic Internet failure in 2018 that I didn't hear about?
Worf was a punching bag in TNG both physically and verbally. In DS9 however he came into his own and was actually portrayed as a skilled and competent combatant. *No matter how tough Worf got even he knew better than to go toe to toe with Benjamin Sisko aka the pimp hand of star fleet.
Worf got sick and tired of fighting Borg. They were constantly adapting to his phaser fire. And then he wouldn't have a weapon to fight them with. Also when he was on the Enterprise. He kept having to fight close quarters combat. The enemy would get in close enough and knock the phaser out of his hand all the time. So he was unarmed again. He decided he needed to solve the problem. The the bat'leth was too big and awkward to carry a board ship. It also interfered with his maneuverability while carrying it and using phasers. So he went with the mek'leth.
I was thinking about it just recently, after seeing a clip of a Deep Space 9 episode where he beats the crap out of a couple other Klingons for starting trouble on his station... It actually makes a lot of sense that Worf would be not only tough, but tough for a Klingon, an already physically formidable species. When you look at most Klingons, they spend so much time gorging themselves or getting drunk or doing things other than trying to become stronger warriors and challenging themselves. When you look at Worf, he spends basically all of his free time eating healthy, meditating, doing target practice, doing sword practice, fighting monsters in the holodeck, or doing something even more absurd to train himself to be a stronger warrior. Worf beats all these other Klingons in these competitions because he puts in the effort, 24/7, to be the best at them. He's one of the few Klingons who isn't just getting drunk all the time. Material set after Nemesis usually puts him as this highly respected Klingon warrior on the homeworld, with everyone acknowledging that he's ridiculously tough, and that makes sense, because at that point, he's likely one of the most technically and physically trained Klingon warriors in the galaxy.
Worf is the greatest warrior in TREK. P.E.R.I.O.D I would say the greatest hero of TV E.V.E.R Top Reasons are: 1. His voyage of growth is a row-model for every young-adult. 2. He will avoid fighting and not rush to fight . 3. He will think it through. 4. Always involving romantic notion in his beliefs, he is like a giant of ancient times living in the future. 5. He is much more human in his behavior than Klingon. He combines the both of both worlds, a worthy TNG. 6. He is absolutely pure in his conviction , his heritage , his ideas. He will sacrifice himself for the pure concepts of tradition. Nowadays it shines so ever brighter. 7. His Earthly parents are like Dwarven-Race who grew an half Orc into adulthood. 8. He is in the heart of the greatest shifts of power of his race/time , despite him not wanting anything to do with 'politics' 9. He is the epiphany of humbleness. 10 .Despite his problem raising 'his millennial kid' , he is still a good father who loves his son. 11. And when he finally fights , he is a master. oh the list keep on going , ask me for more please.
I submit that Spock fulfilled many of those same roles/functions. I further submit he could hold his own with both Worf physically and Data intellectually.
More,more,MORE! Worf is the longest running char minus Spock and Kirk (both dead)in the series. Ffs he's in STAR TREK 6! "Colonel Worf we're interested in facts not theories "DECADES before his birth (plot hole?!) So just on the TEMPORAL level he's a badazz, combine that with a multi dimensional jaunt, killing his enemies (The duras minus the punk in the civil war) being on TWO trek series, four movies, putting gawron on the high seat then killing him and putting martok instead of HIMSELF in said seat, taking out dozens of Borg and capturing one, etc, etc He is SO badazz he's giving living legends like Kirk fits of envy🤯. Oh that I would have paid to see Kirk meeting Worf as Enterprises tac/sec chief and the fight worf would have HAD to start (to regain the empires lost honor) would have been a universe shattering event!
Worf took discomendation to save the Empire.. Then he put Gowron in power.. Then he joined the Klingons to support Kurn his Brother... Then he saved Kurn by allowing his memories to be erased so that he could live a life without discomendation.. Then he killed Gowron to save the Dominion War and elevate Martok to Chancellorship when it was his by spoils of victory. Also in an XMen TNG crossover he and Wolverine were boys because they would go to the Holodeck or Danger Room and fight opponents from Worf's personal Warrior programs! Worf is the man! 💪👍
I know it hadn't happened yet when the video was made, but he's in... SPOILER ALERT! ...Season 3 of Picard, where he fights about...got to be 30 people over the course of the Season, using only a sword, and he only "loses" twice: once as a ruse to trick enemies into thinking he was dead (and to really sell it he had his co-worker actually stab him), and again when he was shot from behind while fighting someone else. Additional spoiler, the second time, the person he was fighting was a Borg drone, so bonus points. Basically, anyone he gets in chopping range of, loses parts.
Also, Pickard was always dismissing Worf's insigt or recommendations, making him look as if he were an idiot. In DS9, Sisko, who we can inferr recognized Worf values, gave him the recognition he well deserved and Worf grew both as a warrior and as a leader of men. When Sisko, when discussing Gowron's problem, told Worf "Something has to be done" and Worf understood he was giving him authorization to dispose of him if necessary, for the good of the Alpha Quadrant.
Worf is a reliable upper midcardsr who is always willing to do the job if that’s what’s best for business. He gets a solid title run every now and then, with a great championship run to close his career.
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Worf drinks prune juice, which definitely makes him a warrior and a great one at that
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The deal with Worf is that he is relentless. You can knock him out, kick his ass, but he will get up and keep on fighting. That's the character trait he must have because he is part human.
I have another one for you, though this is more a proof of his will pushing his strength up to 11. In "New Ground", when young Alexander starts to live with Worf and the boy gets trapped in a burning room under a piece of metal, Worf and Riker try to lift it together but can't do it. Riker leaves and the moment Alexander tells him that he's scared Worf alone lifts the beam and tosses it aside, saving his son.
The important thing about Worf countermanding Picard during the Borg invasion was that Picard was willing to sacrifice everything to destroy his White Whale, and it took the most violent and warlike member of his crew demonstrating restraint and composure during a crisis that snapped Jean Luc from his suicidal vendetta. When your "shoot first ask questions never" Security Chief is making the tough call to fall back and regroup, it's time to listen.
Worf is a Klingon warrior who is a master at besting his opponents in fair and honourable combat. Every time we see him getting beaten or humiliated, he's facing something a Klingon warrior is not equipped to beat in honourable combat. I personally have never doubted his badassery. He just needed an opportunity to show off what he can do.
Well said, as usual. The first thing I thought of when I saw the title was the thing Steve almost mentioned and it was what happened after Picard decided to abandon the ship so they could kill the Borg and save the crew - Picard, a character who is (with a few exceptions) portrayed as a wise, truthful, and intelligent man, tells Worf that he believes Worf is the bravest man he has ever known. Worf then, in a nice demonstration of his own wisdom, accepts the compliment and even swoons a little. Physical strength and combat proficiency are only part of what makes someone a great warrior.
Winning champion standing in that tournament was also the first thing i thought of when i saw the title of this video. And that reflection in your eyes is freaking me the fuck out, man.
Forgot two other important examples. DS9 season 4. The Way of the Warrior. When Klingons board Ops, Worf cuts through like 8 separate Klingons with his Mek’leth, and earlier he beat up Martoks son Drew unarmed, while Drew was armed, and with backup. Worf just stares the posse down and they tuck and run. Next, season 4 episode 22 To The Death. Worf goes toe to toe with Toman’Torax played by Brian Thompson (established supposed tough guy), and later cuts through more Jem’Hadar.
I agree with you. I DO believe that Worf is a great warrior despite having his ass kicked time and time again. While he HAS been defeated multiple times, he has also been victorious in battle multiple times as well. There is an old adage that says "perfect is BORING" and its true. If Worf was this badass Klingon warrior who ALWAYS won when going up against the villain, it would be boring and predictable. There would be no tension in these moments because we KNOW he would win. If he fails every once in awhile, it not only makes him a more believable character, it makes him a more interesting one as well. Consider other great warriors in movies. Consider Star Wars. Anakin became the Chosen One.....he was a gifted Jedi....but he didn't always win when he fought. The last battle he fought before becoming Darth Vader, he lost to Obi-Wan. Superman....as powerful as he was....as strong as he was....he occasionally lost. He was killed in Batman v Superman by the villain AND he allowed Batman to kick his ass. Batman as well....as strong as he is, there are several times in the movies where he lost while going up against the villains (he was poisoned by Scarecrow.....he was attacked by Mr. Freeze and lost.
Part of being a great warrior, is yes how much you can drop others, but another important part is how much you can dropped, and then still get back up. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, I would guess that Data is the strongest because he is ...well... the strongest (and by a lot).
Another point towards Worf being a great warrior: Yes, he does get a lot of ass-whoopings, but as that Jem'Hadar said, Worf just won't stay down. Across two series, everything tries to kill him, but he just doesn't stay down. Worf don't give no fucks about the universe trying to bitchslap him, Worf just takes that bitchslap and goes "Is that the best you got, universe?"
Plus the fact that when he is defeated, his opponent is, most times, formidable, borgs, Data, possessed Troy, and many situations where he is trying to not hurt his opponent for various reasons.
Think a similar thing is done with Superman getting talen down early in justice league shows or with Vegeta is taken out on dragon ball. Both clearly strong figures get taken out to show something is a threat, worf just happens to be Star Trek got to character for displaying if something is a physical threat
Yeah, I don't see any Wesley always gets his ass kicked tropes. So by that logic, since Wesley never gets his ass kicked, I guess he's the badassiest badass in Trek.
The Worf Effect is self-stultifying when over-used: while intended as a way of showing a villain's supreme abilities it ends up making Worf seem weak and as a consequence of this, the villains are not as impressive as the writers thought they'd be. Besides, heaps of Trekkies became painfully aware of this dumb cliché so it didn't work at all.
Worf became a great warrior by overcoming weaknesses and learning from defeat. In TNG, yeah, he got his ass whipped constantly in the early seasons, being overshadowed by Yar. But once he advanced in rank and given the role of security chief, he upped his game. In DS9, he showed what years in Starfleet and years of battle had done to him....it turned him into a nasty individual. He was instrumental at both trying to maintain peace in the Klingon Empire and by being a warrior during the civil war. He made 2 Chancellors killed one of the 2 after being a POS. He stepped down from being chancellor in order for Martok to rise. IMHO, Worf still needed more growth as a warrior to take the Chancellorship. With each defeat in his past, the stronger and smarter he got. Not to mention, badass enough to take Jadzia Dax as his mate
It was probably in the script: WORF - Growls, charges (Gets ass kicked and blown back) Imagine being a 9-10 year old fan watching this and realizing that anytime he jumps, expect hes about to get put down. I laughed my ass off then and after watching this video, i laugh my ass of now.
The moment you realize that Worf spelled backwards is frow - an alternate spelling of froe. A froe is an old school axe, but one with enhanced precision like for making shingles. Basically, Worf looks at challenges and thinks, “I wonder how my opponent could best be used to shingle my house?”
Lets not forget that man has a literal horde mode program in the holodeck where he fights hand to hand with dangerous aliens. With increasing difficulty. No joke.
You forgot the "sugar cane wack" at DS9's command center during the Klingon attack on the station; Work disposed of the klingon invaders as if he were cutting sugar cane in the field. That was badass!
Let's not forget in First Contact, not only was Worf prepared to ram the Defiant into the borg cube, but he's the ONLY other character in TNG besides Data who has been shown to be able to take down a borg in hand to hand combat and /survived/ getting beaten on by beings whose physical attributes were enhanced many times. Any other character would have been killed. And, he managed to out-draw a hologram of Data set to his speed and accuracy on yet another story where the holodeck goes nuts. Worf is boss.
Worf in TNG is the King of the Red-Shirts, His bigest problem is that he is the First True Moden Klingon. Honorable, Modest, Respectful(of Picard a man so respected he was given Comand of the Flagship of the entire Federation.) and Restrained by his own code that alows him to work in Starfleet without killing most of a ships crew for disrespect, seeing him be such a moden klingon during the klingon civil war was intresting, even in a room full of klingons half of his discomfort was seeing the klingon warriors around him being boysterous with excessive braging, so not his way (the respectable starfleet way.) the other half of his discomfort was from the klingons classing him as too much of a starfleet outsider, slowly that changed as he suvived situations other klingons would not, true some may comment on how he suvived but he earned there respect, even if thay rashly considerd him a fool for not takeing the on roll of Chancellor of the Klingon High Council him self thay but some respected the wise choice of Martok, thus Worf as Federation Ambassador to Qo'nos began the slow burn of intergration of The Klingon people into The Federation one Officer Candidate at a time, who knows that respect in a few hundred years might make him a Saint to "The True Moden Klingons" showing them "The Moden Klingon Way" the starfleet way. Honrable, modest, respectful and restrained. Then "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war" to protect the Federation, just you dere try to "Assimilate this!" Borg, go on just try it, I dere you. lol
I think the development of the character from crappy to being one of the best is seen in TNG. I think it may have also been the development of the TNG Klingons and also the development of Michael Dorn's work on getting a fighting technique for being Worf.
You should also add from DS9 "Way of the Warrior" where he easily mops the floor with Martok's son. Then later mops the floor with several other Klingon warrior's when they assault DS9.
I wasn't impressed with Ikat'ika who only decided to fight the weakened Worf after Worf had defeated seven Jem'Hadar in a row, plus Worf sustained broken ribs during these fights, Ikat'ika knew that even if he killed Worf during the fight that he would never break Worf's spirit.
NEVER any doubt to me of Worf being a great warrior. The TNG atmosphere just placed him in a different position than the more confrontational DS9 one did.
The fact Worf beat Gowron, twice, in honorable combat is proof he's a formidable fighter. One does not rise to become Chancellor in the Klingon empire without being quite an ass kicker (especially as he was an outsider), and so Gowron was no powderpuff.
I think one of the odder parts about Worf that nobody seems to bring up is that despite being exiled from his people twice over, every Klingon who comes his way asks him to join their House or crew as an honored warrior.
Because I think alot of the more honorable Klingons suspect that Worf is actually honorable for defying the leadership of the Klingon Empire several times over. The reason why Kor liked Worf.
How is that even a question... is Worf a great Warrior. REALLY!?! It's WORF!!!!! Why hasn't Michael Dorn been given his own series as Worf??? "Star Trek's: Worf." COME ON!!!
Worf is great simply because he gets beaten: he's tough enough to take on the kind of opponents that lesser warriors run from, and if he loses more than he wins that's okay, no harm done to his reputation... precisely because he's fighting the gods and monsters of the Trek universe. And surviving to tell the tale. Worf is next level badass. If Klingons and Jem Hadar are generation 4.0 badass, and Borg and shapeshifters are 5.0, Worf is generation 4.5. He won't always win, but he's tough enough to even think about trying.
You also forget that the reason he repeatedly gets his ass kicked is because he's the only one who even tries to step up and fight. You gotta get into the fight before you can lose it. If he's the only one who tries to fight, of course he's going to lose occasionally. I'd like to see Riker against any of the opponents Worf fought, ya know?
Plus he survived. How many would have died in his place had they fought instead?
At the very least, he proved that yes, Klingons are tough beyond belief.
Well, Data would've survived most of it of course.
For pretty much the same reason that he kicked Worf's ass with little to no effort.
... Also that one Klingon who tried to headbutt Data and almost concussed himself in the process, with Data just casually remarking about the construction of his own skull and spine, and that it was 'ill advised' to headbutt him. XD
I notice that most of the oponents who kick worf's ass, are well above normal, even the human looking admiral was not actually human any more.
If Riker stepped to half the shit Worf gets into a scrap with we'd need to clean Riker up with a mop and bucket.
TNG Worf may not have the highest win/loss ratio, but he singlehandedly established no one takes a beating and comes back for more like a Klingon does.
Also, Worf killing Gowron was a wonderful bookend to both of their journeys. Worf put him into power, Worf took him out. A great nod to the long-time trekkers.
he may have got thrown around a lot, but when push came to shove he was no push-over. gowron got was coming to him and worf delivered it (via overnight delivery, LOL)
Oh I agree completely P.B. When Gowron turned on Worf I was sickened. How dare Gowron bite the hand that feeds? After everything that Worf did for that sorry sack of potatoes he betrays him!? It was a fitting end to a king growing eratic and lost. It's somewhat sad too because I once thought of Gowron as honorable and as the rightful heir. But Worf set things to how they should be
That would be the second time Worf Killing someone helped in the appointing of a new Klingon Chancellor.
The Mustache is Dead! Long live the Mustache! No seriously he had quite a mustache/beard going on didn't he? I hope the next guy has a good one too.
Let it be said Worf was a Klingon of legends. He made two chancellors and broke one of them. He rose an emperor. He destroyed the Monac shipyards on a suicide run to give is love a place on stovakor. Master of battles, hero of destiny, his actions decide the course of the empire.
Without even watching this video:
In TNG - no, he got his arse kicked every week.
In DS9 - yes. Oh, yes.
Picked his wife over his uniform (twice). That's good evidence of his strength of character.
Other Klingons made fun of Worf because he slept on a comfortable bed, and Worf killed them then said "at least I'm not sleeping in a coffin"
Klingon's don't use coffins....
I still to this day do not understand why Worf after killing Gowron did not take his rightful place as Chancellor? I guess he was better as a kingmaker than a king. But to me, Worf truly deserved a command of his own and would have been a fitting end to the series. (Worf commands the latest Aries Class battleship).
@@deathstrike I don't think the high council would be too cool with him as chancellor, mostly because he was an outsider. Despite being lowborn, Martok was the face of the war effort and had established himself as not only an able warrior but one who got results. Since the warrior archetype is the most valued in Klingon society, the most well-known and successful warrior will be regarded with the highest respect and deference.
@@deathstrike Worf was technically Chancellor for a few seconds. However Worf's heart belonged to the Federation, so to speak. On top of that, Worf had earned the position through blood, something he knew all to well would lead to a cycle of violence as it did before. While combat was a largely preferred method of moving up in Klingon society and settling disputes, over the course of TNG and DS9, Worf got to see first hand how it started affecting the Klingon Empire (Alexander's mother being killed,Gowron and his shitty rule, etc). By thrusting the power onto someone like Martok ( a low born yet exceptionally proud and honorable Klingon), there was less chance of someone trying to challenge Martok by combat (especially since Kahless' clone was serving as a moral leader for the empire).
@@rnhtube All very good points. I also think that Worf is aware his diplomacy stat is fairly low which the chancellor must have in spades.
Ask Duras if Worf can fight? Oh sorry he's not taking messages.
There's also a few Jem Hadar who I'm sure would vouch for him.
I think Weyoun 7 would have something to say about that, too.
That was my all time favorite DS9 story. Warf is the god of unarmed combat, and it might be Garrek's finest hour
@@gyozakeynsianism To be fair, the Vortas appear to be physically weak and almost unable to fight effectively; I think most of us Trekkies posting here could beat up a Vorta, except for the ones with energy powers.
Gowron, Duras, several hardened Klingon Warriors, a Jem'hadar gauntlet of warriors, killed a lot of Borg, mercenaries,... etc etc.
That barrel had NO HONOR!!!
It was an empty plastic barrel, that somehow crushed Worf's supposedly massively reinforced spinal column... although that said, these same barrels are apparently completely immune to energy weapons fire.
On Legend of Zelda I like to attack the wooden signs "That sign had NO HONOR!!!"
No it did! The barrel that caused it to fall had no honor.
Omg this made me laugh lol
That barrel was down there fighting the Borg hand-to-cylinder while Worf was demanding the ship be abandoned!
Worf is a great warrior BECAUSE he is always getting his ass kicked BECAUSE he is always putting himself into harm’s way to take on those horrific challenges. He is fearless and selfless.
He is also restrained when it’s needed. “If you were any other man I would kill you where you stand” is giving honour and compliments to a man he highly respects while also expressing his overwhelming frustration and disappointment at the same time. Great writing!
And here’s the big insight: The refusal to stay down in the death match was choosing to sacrifice his life in order to psych out the G’em H’adar, making them fear the indefatigable spirit of Klingons for future confrontations. He was thinking about the bigger picture, the entire war, and the next confrontation after that! He was Alex bloody Guinness on the bridge on the river Kaui, planning a century ahead! Fine strategist, brilliant tactician, great warrior.
I might be adding a bit too much of my own interpretation. But... A good Klingon might embellish his story now and then! Oh, wait. I’m a human. I should stop watching TH-cams and get to bed.
Also, Wars not make one great.
Erinn van Wynsberghe
You're right. As an outsider who grew up among humans he embraced the old ways of honour and sacrifice for the greater good of the Empire, and those around him.
That's why when Ezri Dax confronted him about the Empire dying and corruption, Chancellor Gowron and the entire top tier of the Empire covering up their sins (for the greater good) you knew his old school mindset would eventually put him on a collision course with the chancellor. It was inevitable. He was basically groomed and lived like a prodigal son who returned home to save his own people. He always saw the bigger picture because he had no vision other than that he felt he needed to be a great example being the only Klingon around most the time.
He was excellent and his life (in that fictional world ) deserves to sung in praise and recognized by Klingons as a true example of a warrior and with unquestionable integrity and honor.
At least in Star Trek Online he finally gets some measure of recognition for what he did.
@@imkluu courage is the definition of a great warrior.
This!
Its not about how many fights you win, its about how many times you get your ass kicked and keep trying!
I agree that Worf's problem isn't his skill, it is bad writers....
"No no, don't bother figuring out how to show this bad-guy is a threat... just have them beat up Worf."
DS9 took Worf, a character with a potential to be really interesting, and really fleshed him out into an incredible character. DS9 explores his position as a pariah in the Klingon Empire, shows his unique take on honor, has him redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow Klingons, shows off his mad skills with a mek'leth, develops his failings as a father and has him redeem himself, and gives him an amazing love story!
Picard voice- "If you weren't standing there running your trap, you could be down on deck five choking Borg right now" hahaha - well done
My favorite scene is when Weyoun got to close to him and Word straight turned his head around backwards.
"Maybe you should talk to Worf again."
Worf is actually intimidated by Sisko. Sisko was surprised to hear that when Dax told him. Sisko is a badass though, and to be fair he is half Prophet/wormhole alien, so who knows what he can do? We never really got to see how powerful they were, compared to say Q.
Akaihiryuu77 well isn't he technically all human? Wasn't his mom just possessed by a wormhole alien to make sure he was born? It's a bit dark if you think about it.
Yes and no...he actually does become a Prophet in the last episode. And it's really dark...they didn't understand that there was anything wrong with what they did to his mom because they didn't understand biological life.
Worf is the perfect Klingon. He didn't grow up around Klingons; he grew up learning the ideals of Klingons and modeled himself after those ideals.
I always found Worf's story interesting, because in many ways he was more honourable than other Klingons. He followed the way of the warrior to the letter - but didn't seem to have the joy that other Klingons did. The big belly laughs that other Klingons had. It was like Worf got the warrior side of being a Klingon right, but couldn't quite make the full step to being a real Klingon. If that makes sense.
I feel the same way about Worf -- he's relentlessly dour and I think after getting the turtlehead applied to his forehead every working day for 11 years, some of Dorny's line-readings become increasingly and unsurprisingly flat -- but I think there's enough onscreen to explain why he's the Universe's Grumpiest Klingon. Namely, the last time he let loose as a Klingon (during his adolescence), he accidentally killed a human. Ever since then, the idea of being a loud, raucous, brawling Klingon is associated with being an inadvertent threat to his adopted people, and so he vowed to suppress those tendencies as long as he remained among them. (And interestingly, I think the last time we hear him laugh is when Guinan suggests that some women on the Ent-D would find him tame -- again, the context here is that he has to be delicate around humans/non-Klingons, also, PROON JOOCE.)
Further, I think that this childhood incident explains a lot of his cultural conservatism -- he wants to do the trad thing and marry K'Ehlyr (and later Jadzia!) after a one-night stand, he's willing to accept discommendation for the stability of the Empire despite his house being innocent, he becomes a Groomzilla when planning his perfect Klingon wedding, seeing Alexander as a reminder of his shortcoming as a Klingon and his alienation from his own people, etc. -- he's compensating for his joylessness by out-Klingoning other Klingons.
Lee Wang
You misspelled WARRIOR'S DRINK!
"Klingons never laugh!" - "No Worf, you never laugh!"
I liked his story too. He winds up more or less being the most honorable Klingon because, living his entire life away from them, he has forced himself to embody the highest of Klingon honor rhetoric. He's made all of the hard choices the "honorable" way, because that's what he felt Klingons would have done, because it's the way all of their songs and stories talk.
...but then he meets Klingons and they're all Honor/Glory/Combat out loud, but willing to be dishonorable and cut corners if no one else will find out.
He transcended what it meant to be Klingon.
This video is worthy of a glass of prune juice.
Only a true nerd would get this joke.
Don't forget to chill it first!
His first order of chilled prune juice from Quark was hilarious... just the way Quark tries to laugh.
Indeed it's a warriors drink!
@@4Babaganouj Worf just looks at him like if he is about to disembowel him.
The Worf Effect gets overstated so much. I think a big part of it was probably just that Michael Dorn is just one of those rare actors willing to put up with the hardships of special effects shooting. It is a very similar question to asking why Data is always having his internal circuitry exposed. The re as l answer is mainly because Brent Spiner was willing to do a lot of filming wearing several hundred pounds of prosthetics.
He is a Klingon. Klingons fight. Victory and loss are not what defines a Klingon, but his ability to fight whenever possible. The only reason he's being constantly mopped the floor with is because otherwise the low-ranking crewmen would be killed.
Dmitry Granicin losses aren't so important depending how they handled it, but victories are important.
Worf is the meat shield for 'red shirts' (yeah the colors shifted between series) and he is damn good at it.
Leaving a heart on a teacher's desk like an apple... God there were so many teachers I wish I had pranked like that in high school.
Worf was a great Warrior in deep space 9, not so much In the next generation, he was always the fall guy!
That's kind of the problem with how TNG did it. They laid him out on the mat so many times you end up wondering "When does this supposedly great warrior ever WIN a fight?" The Worf Effect/Barrage is usually invoked when it's overused, like how TNG did it.
His role in DS9 seemed to be to reconstruct him as what he was originally pitched to us as. You can list all the fights he was in in DS9, and I'd say he didn't win maybe one or two of them, and only for technical reasons (his fight with Gowron ended before he could deliver the killing blow because the real Changeling was revealed, and his gauntlet of Jem'Hadar duels in the prison camp ends with him just enduring the Jem'Hadar whaling on him until he yields to Worf.)
The Jem'Hadar camp was the ultimate showing of Worf's badassery. Even the Jem'Hadar captain knew he was hard as f**k
Lost it was on tng that he won all those batleth challenges. I believe it was 7 in a row. Nobody said no other character could beat worf so I’m not surprised someone may have gotten the best of him a few times.
Aaron Greenfield I agree worf got destroyed too often on TNG, but some of those times were well used to depict the strength and violence of the being that had overcome him...like when that first ever Borg drone on the series laid him out
I liked him because he could use violence but did not. He found another way also he was an honorable man among dishonorable people. Also he was a struggling single parent who needed help with Alexander. He struggled with his relationship with his half klingon girlfriend who rejected him and did not admit her feelings for him. He and his wife got the best trek romance and relationship. It was the perfect storyarc and very satisfying to watch. I hated the riker troi crap that is really a false relationship.
"What about Sisko?"
"Are you kidding me, Sisko would kick my ass!"
:p
Duels and kills Duras and Gowron, kicked ass in First Contact, goes through a Jemhadar gauntlet of 12 ending only when facing nr 13, defeats Garak, murders a lot of Jem’hadar with his Mekleth etc. His melee holodeck training exercises are very hard. Novels also give him much shine.
The exception to Worf's ass-kickings always seemed to be other Klingons. He almost always kicks other Klingons' asses.Killing Duras was great (and K'Ehleyr > Jadzia)
Worf is the strongest klingon, but perhaps only that, which is still a mighty feat.
That scene of Worf fighting on the hull of the Enterprise E always made me remember how much of a badass he is.
Good post Steve. Dorn once said the writers would get his ass kicked every week but would do that only to emphasize what a danger the threat was. I love the way Deep Space Nine featured Worf as an absolute badass!
Shit, there is a few times where he defeats multiple combatants by himself.
Kills gowron.
Many other people.
Scene from Nemesis:
Riker: Cover me Worf!
*Worf kills all the remen in the hallway.
Yeah, Worf is a badass.
Wait... multiple people sent you folded pieces of paper? with stamps? through the post office? just to relay text?
Did the U.S have a catastrophic Internet failure in 2018 that I didn't hear about?
Ah, the ol' Worf effect. Worf getting beat up was always to show that whoever beat him up was especially tough.
Worf was a punching bag in TNG both physically and verbally. In DS9 however he came into his own and was actually portrayed as a skilled and competent combatant.
*No matter how tough Worf got even he knew better than to go toe to toe with Benjamin Sisko aka the pimp hand of star fleet.
Worf got sick and tired of fighting Borg. They were constantly adapting to his phaser fire. And then he wouldn't have a weapon to fight them with. Also when he was on the Enterprise. He kept having to fight close quarters combat. The enemy would get in close enough and knock the phaser out of his hand all the time. So he was unarmed again. He decided he needed to solve the problem. The the bat'leth was too big and awkward to carry a board ship. It also interfered with his maneuverability while carrying it and using phasers. So he went with the mek'leth.
Tremendous analysis there's a reason why Worf is in Star Trek the most. By inferno's light is my bedtime story. Garack stepped up to big time.
I love how the Klingons were more impressed by Garrack than by Worf.
@@jeffzehnpfennig1554 unless Hitler really wanted to fuck Churchill's second in command, I fail to see the comparison.
I guess the Jem'Hadar had the flu that episode.
Ketracel-White is a hell of a drug, man.
Enough said. He ran through 5 Jem'Hadars like a convict's first day of BJJ class.
that was good I'm rick James@@TheCalantyr
I was thinking about it just recently, after seeing a clip of a Deep Space 9 episode where he beats the crap out of a couple other Klingons for starting trouble on his station... It actually makes a lot of sense that Worf would be not only tough, but tough for a Klingon, an already physically formidable species. When you look at most Klingons, they spend so much time gorging themselves or getting drunk or doing things other than trying to become stronger warriors and challenging themselves. When you look at Worf, he spends basically all of his free time eating healthy, meditating, doing target practice, doing sword practice, fighting monsters in the holodeck, or doing something even more absurd to train himself to be a stronger warrior.
Worf beats all these other Klingons in these competitions because he puts in the effort, 24/7, to be the best at them. He's one of the few Klingons who isn't just getting drunk all the time.
Material set after Nemesis usually puts him as this highly respected Klingon warrior on the homeworld, with everyone acknowledging that he's ridiculously tough, and that makes sense, because at that point, he's likely one of the most technically and physically trained Klingon warriors in the galaxy.
The Worf Effect. Or, if you’re a DBZ fan, The Vegeta Effect.
Yeah that sounds about right. (I'm a DBZ fan myself)
Pretty sure the vegeta effect is where you almost win but then let opponent gain the power to beat
You anyway.
Then Goku outshines you
Don't you mean Getting Yamcha'd?
Pretty much in all anime
Worf is the greatest warrior in TREK. P.E.R.I.O.D I would say the greatest hero of TV E.V.E.R
Top Reasons are:
1. His voyage of growth is a row-model for every young-adult.
2. He will avoid fighting and not rush to fight .
3. He will think it through.
4. Always involving romantic notion in his beliefs, he is like a giant of ancient times living in the future.
5. He is much more human in his behavior than Klingon. He combines the both of both worlds, a worthy TNG.
6. He is absolutely pure in his conviction , his heritage , his ideas. He will sacrifice himself for the pure concepts of tradition. Nowadays it shines so ever brighter.
7. His Earthly parents are like Dwarven-Race who grew an half Orc into adulthood.
8. He is in the heart of the greatest shifts of power of his race/time , despite him not wanting anything to do with 'politics'
9. He is the epiphany of humbleness.
10 .Despite his problem raising 'his millennial kid' , he is still a good father who loves his son.
11. And when he finally fights , he is a master.
oh the list keep on going , ask me for more please.
emcrosenberg
More please
I submit that Spock fulfilled many of those same roles/functions. I further submit he could hold his own with both Worf physically and Data intellectually.
1. *role model
9. *epitome
"Epiphany" means something completely different.
@Mike Forti totally based on Worf.
More,more,MORE! Worf is the longest running char minus Spock and Kirk (both dead)in the series. Ffs he's in STAR TREK 6! "Colonel Worf we're interested in facts not theories "DECADES before his birth (plot hole?!) So just on the TEMPORAL level he's a badazz, combine that with a multi dimensional jaunt, killing his enemies (The duras minus the punk in the civil war) being on TWO trek series, four movies, putting gawron on the high seat then killing him and putting martok instead of HIMSELF in said seat, taking out dozens of Borg and capturing one, etc, etc He is SO badazz he's giving living legends like Kirk fits of envy🤯. Oh that I would have paid to see Kirk meeting Worf as Enterprises tac/sec chief and the fight worf would have HAD to start (to regain the empires lost honor) would have been a universe shattering event!
The measure of a true warrior is not how one revels in victory, but how they confront certain defeat.
Shred that, put that in the cat box. That should go on a shirt
Worf took discomendation to save the Empire.. Then he put Gowron in power.. Then he joined the Klingons to support Kurn his Brother... Then he saved Kurn by allowing his memories to be erased so that he could live a life without discomendation.. Then he killed Gowron to save the Dominion War and elevate Martok to Chancellorship when it was his by spoils of victory. Also in an XMen TNG crossover he and Wolverine were boys because they would go to the Holodeck or Danger Room and fight opponents from Worf's personal Warrior programs! Worf is the man! 💪👍
Picard "Sisco?"
Worf "Nah man that guy poisoned a whole planet to get 1 guy, you don't have mess with a guy like that."
Data is the toughest member on the team. When he’s aware of his off button and makes strides too keep you away from it
Here's a great way to put it. Everything that would have killed any other species that was a red shirt just couldn't kill Worf.
I know it hadn't happened yet when the video was made, but he's in...
SPOILER ALERT!
...Season 3 of Picard, where he fights about...got to be 30 people over the course of the Season, using only a sword, and he only "loses" twice: once as a ruse to trick enemies into thinking he was dead (and to really sell it he had his co-worker actually stab him), and again when he was shot from behind while fighting someone else. Additional spoiler, the second time, the person he was fighting was a Borg drone, so bonus points. Basically, anyone he gets in chopping range of, loses parts.
Also, Pickard was always dismissing Worf's insigt or recommendations, making him look as if he were an idiot. In DS9, Sisko, who we can inferr recognized Worf values, gave him the recognition he well deserved and Worf grew both as a warrior and as a leader of men. When Sisko, when discussing Gowron's problem, told Worf "Something has to be done" and Worf understood he was giving him authorization to dispose of him if necessary, for the good of the Alpha Quadrant.
The hardest thing to believe in your video is that people actually mail you physical letters to make requests.
Worf is a reliable upper midcardsr who is always willing to do the job if that’s what’s best for business. He gets a solid title run every now and then, with a great championship run to close his career.
Worf drinks prune juice, which definitely makes him a warrior and a great one at that
The deal with Worf is that he is relentless. You can knock him out, kick his ass, but he will get up and keep on fighting. That's the character trait he must have because he is part human.
I have another one for you, though this is more a proof of his will pushing his strength up to 11.
In "New Ground", when young Alexander starts to live with Worf and the boy gets trapped in a burning room under a piece of metal, Worf and Riker try to lift it together but can't do it. Riker leaves and the moment Alexander tells him that he's scared Worf alone lifts the beam and tosses it aside, saving his son.
It doesn't matter how well you can fight if you can't take a punch, and Worf can take a ton.
The important thing about Worf countermanding Picard during the Borg invasion was that Picard was willing to sacrifice everything to destroy his White Whale, and it took the most violent and warlike member of his crew demonstrating restraint and composure during a crisis that snapped Jean Luc from his suicidal vendetta. When your "shoot first ask questions never" Security Chief is making the tough call to fall back and regroup, it's time to listen.
Worf is a Klingon warrior who is a master at besting his opponents in fair and honourable combat. Every time we see him getting beaten or humiliated, he's facing something a Klingon warrior is not equipped to beat in honourable combat. I personally have never doubted his badassery. He just needed an opportunity to show off what he can do.
Well said, as usual. The first thing I thought of when I saw the title was the thing Steve almost mentioned and it was what happened after Picard decided to abandon the ship so they could kill the Borg and save the crew - Picard, a character who is (with a few exceptions) portrayed as a wise, truthful, and intelligent man, tells Worf that he believes Worf is the bravest man he has ever known. Worf then, in a nice demonstration of his own wisdom, accepts the compliment and even swoons a little. Physical strength and combat proficiency are only part of what makes someone a great warrior.
What do you mean the Bat'leth tournament he won? He didn't win, he got ninth place.
His opponent used T'Gha maneuver against him, which the judges chose to ignore
No, he wasn't able to compete in the tournament due to a scheduling conflict with other obligations.
There was no tournament, the Borg destroyed everything.
omg that is such a cute pony OC :D
What no he didn't even go! His brother took his place
Winning champion standing in that tournament was also the first thing i thought of when i saw the title of this video. And that reflection in your eyes is freaking me the fuck out, man.
Has Michael Dorn seen a copy of this? I'd enjoy knowing his reaction, not that Worff ever would dance a "victory caper" while cheering...
Forgot two other important examples. DS9 season 4. The Way of the Warrior. When Klingons board Ops, Worf cuts through like 8 separate Klingons with his Mek’leth, and earlier he beat up Martoks son Drew unarmed, while Drew was armed, and with backup. Worf just stares the posse down and they tuck and run.
Next, season 4 episode 22 To The Death. Worf goes toe to toe with Toman’Torax played by Brian Thompson (established supposed tough guy), and later cuts through more Jem’Hadar.
Its nice to see a good defense for Worf.
Mate that impersonation of Worf and Picard is the bomb!
I agree with you. I DO believe that Worf is a great warrior despite having his ass kicked time and time again. While he HAS been defeated multiple times, he has also been victorious in battle multiple times as well. There is an old adage that says "perfect is BORING" and its true. If Worf was this badass Klingon warrior who ALWAYS won when going up against the villain, it would be boring and predictable. There would be no tension in these moments because we KNOW he would win. If he fails every once in awhile, it not only makes him a more believable character, it makes him a more interesting one as well. Consider other great warriors in movies. Consider Star Wars. Anakin became the Chosen One.....he was a gifted Jedi....but he didn't always win when he fought. The last battle he fought before becoming Darth Vader, he lost to Obi-Wan. Superman....as powerful as he was....as strong as he was....he occasionally lost. He was killed in Batman v Superman by the villain AND he allowed Batman to kick his ass. Batman as well....as strong as he is, there are several times in the movies where he lost while going up against the villains (he was poisoned by Scarecrow.....he was attacked by Mr. Freeze and lost.
Part of being a great warrior, is yes how much you can drop others, but another important part is how much you can dropped, and then still get back up. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, I would guess that Data is the strongest because he is ...well... the strongest (and by a lot).
I like how time was like you didn't win and worf was like ima just fix time then.
TNG amplified this effect with carpet and apolstry. Picard was not someone to do Worf any favors.
7:42 You really like the naked Picard shot, don't you?
Another point towards Worf being a great warrior: Yes, he does get a lot of ass-whoopings, but as that Jem'Hadar said, Worf just won't stay down. Across two series, everything tries to kill him, but he just doesn't stay down.
Worf don't give no fucks about the universe trying to bitchslap him, Worf just takes that bitchslap and goes "Is that the best you got, universe?"
Plus the fact that when he is defeated, his opponent is, most times, formidable, borgs, Data, possessed Troy, and many situations where he is trying to not hurt his opponent for various reasons.
Think a similar thing is done with Superman getting talen down early in justice league shows or with Vegeta is taken out on dragon ball. Both clearly strong figures get taken out to show something is a threat, worf just happens to be Star Trek got to character for displaying if something is a physical threat
Yeah, I don't see any Wesley always gets his ass kicked tropes. So by that logic, since Wesley never gets his ass kicked, I guess he's the badassiest badass in Trek.
Ah, I see you don't understand context. Very good
@@MegaZeta Ah, I see you don't understand sarcasm. Very very good.
The Worf Effect is self-stultifying when over-used: while intended as a way of showing a villain's supreme abilities it ends up making Worf seem weak and as a consequence of this, the villains are not as impressive as the writers thought they'd be. Besides, heaps of Trekkies became painfully aware of this dumb cliché so it didn't work at all.
Worf became a great warrior by overcoming weaknesses and learning from defeat. In TNG, yeah, he got his ass whipped constantly in the early seasons, being overshadowed by Yar. But once he advanced in rank and given the role of security chief, he upped his game. In DS9, he showed what years in Starfleet and years of battle had done to him....it turned him into a nasty individual. He was instrumental at both trying to maintain peace in the Klingon Empire and by being a warrior during the civil war. He made 2 Chancellors killed one of the 2 after being a POS. He stepped down from being chancellor in order for Martok to rise. IMHO, Worf still needed more growth as a warrior to take the Chancellorship. With each defeat in his past, the stronger and smarter he got. Not to mention, badass enough to take Jadzia Dax as his mate
It was probably in the script:
WORF - Growls, charges
(Gets ass kicked and blown back)
Imagine being a 9-10 year old fan watching this and realizing that anytime he jumps, expect hes about to get put down. I laughed my ass off then and after watching this video, i laugh my ass of now.
The moment you realize that Worf spelled backwards is frow - an alternate spelling of froe. A froe is an old school axe, but one with enhanced precision like for making shingles. Basically, Worf looks at challenges and thinks, “I wonder how my opponent could best be used to shingle my house?”
I know that his role as Weasle had already established this, but Michael Dorn is a great actor.
Lets not forget that man has a literal horde mode program in the holodeck where he fights hand to hand with dangerous aliens. With increasing difficulty. No joke.
Let's not forget that time Worf made Quark look like a bad-ass by forcing Quark to move as he did in a fight.
He shines when the writers remember him: primarily on Klingon centric episodes. Other than that: Jobber.
Man I don't know why I was never subscribed.. because I watch your vids often.. but this one did it for me. Well done sir. lol
Only a great warrior could and would repeatedly step up, get knocked down, and step up again.
To him, defeat (if survived) is a lesson, not the end.
It was a way to show something was tough by having Worf hurt all the time. Still my favorite character and Worf centric episodes are the best.
You forgot the "sugar cane wack" at DS9's command center during the Klingon attack on the station; Work disposed of the klingon invaders as if he were cutting sugar cane in the field. That was badass!
This episode made a whole lot more sense if you happened to be a wrestling fan in the New York territory in the 70s and early-80s.
Let's not forget in First Contact, not only was Worf prepared to ram the Defiant into the borg cube, but he's the ONLY other character in TNG besides Data who has been shown to be able to take down a borg in hand to hand combat and /survived/ getting beaten on by beings whose physical attributes were enhanced many times. Any other character would have been killed. And, he managed to out-draw a hologram of Data set to his speed and accuracy on yet another story where the holodeck goes nuts. Worf is boss.
Worf in TNG is the King of the Red-Shirts, His bigest problem is that he is the First True Moden Klingon. Honorable, Modest, Respectful(of Picard a man so respected he was given Comand of the Flagship of the entire Federation.) and Restrained by his own code that alows him to work in Starfleet without killing most of a ships crew for disrespect, seeing him be such a moden klingon during the klingon civil war was intresting, even in a room full of klingons half of his discomfort was seeing the klingon warriors around him being boysterous with excessive braging, so not his way (the respectable starfleet way.) the other half of his discomfort was from the klingons classing him as too much of a starfleet outsider, slowly that changed as he suvived situations other klingons would not, true some may comment on how he suvived but he earned there respect, even if thay rashly considerd him a fool for not takeing the on roll of Chancellor of the Klingon High Council him self thay but some respected the wise choice of Martok, thus Worf as Federation Ambassador to Qo'nos began the slow burn of intergration of The Klingon people into The Federation one Officer Candidate at a time, who knows that respect in a few hundred years might make him a Saint to "The True Moden Klingons" showing them "The Moden Klingon Way" the starfleet way. Honrable, modest, respectful and restrained. Then "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war" to protect the Federation, just you dere try to "Assimilate this!" Borg, go on just try it, I dere you. lol
I think the development of the character from crappy to being one of the best is seen in TNG. I think it may have also been the development of the TNG Klingons and also the development of Michael Dorn's work on getting a fighting technique for being Worf.
"Worf, Garak, Dr Bashir and General Martok are being held in a Dominion prison camp..." sounds like the begining of a lame joke!
You should also add from DS9 "Way of the Warrior" where he easily mops the floor with Martok's son. Then later mops the floor with several other Klingon warrior's when they assault DS9.
Love your Bruno Sammartino reference!
Yeah, okay. You make some very valid points here. Hail Worf!
Excellent. Thank you for writing it.
I wasn't impressed with Ikat'ika who only decided to fight the weakened Worf after Worf had defeated seven Jem'Hadar in a row, plus Worf sustained broken ribs during these fights, Ikat'ika knew that even if he killed Worf during the fight that he would never break Worf's spirit.
"I cannot defeat this Klingon.... I can only kill him..., and that no longer holds my interest."
Red shirts are nobodies, except for Scotty!
Worf was an awesome warrior and a great character.
NEVER any doubt to me of Worf being a great warrior. The TNG atmosphere just placed him in a different position than the more confrontational DS9 one did.
Allright I’m sold. Good presentation
The fact Worf beat Gowron, twice, in honorable combat is proof he's a formidable fighter. One does not rise to become Chancellor in the Klingon empire without being quite an ass kicker (especially as he was an outsider), and so Gowron was no powderpuff.
In the paraphrased words of Worf... If a reputation is not tested, it means nothing.
I think one of the odder parts about Worf that nobody seems to bring up is that despite being exiled from his people twice over, every Klingon who comes his way asks him to join their House or crew as an honored warrior.
Because I think alot of the more honorable Klingons suspect that Worf is actually honorable for defying the leadership of the Klingon Empire several times over. The reason why Kor liked Worf.
How is that even a question... is Worf a great Warrior. REALLY!?! It's WORF!!!!! Why hasn't Michael Dorn been given his own series as Worf??? "Star Trek's: Worf." COME ON!!!
Worf is great simply because he gets beaten: he's tough enough to take on the kind of opponents that lesser warriors run from, and if he loses more than he wins that's okay, no harm done to his reputation... precisely because he's fighting the gods and monsters of the Trek universe. And surviving to tell the tale. Worf is next level badass. If Klingons and Jem Hadar are generation 4.0 badass, and Borg and shapeshifters are 5.0, Worf is generation 4.5. He won't always win, but he's tough enough to even think about trying.
data is 5.0