Ranking all 3 of Tony Todd's characters from across his time on Star Trek
By Chad Porto
The entertainment world lost a true icon with the passing of Tony Todd. The long-time actor appeared in everything it felt like, rising to fame as the lead in the Candyman franchise, while appearing in other properties like Spider-Man 2 the video game, starring as Venom, and hit television shows like Psych. He was a name that many people were familiar with, especially due to his booming voice.
He was a key figure in many voice-acting roles because of it. Even going as far as to voice Zoom in The Flash television series. Yet for Star Trek fans, they will remember him as one of the few actors who appeared on Star Trek's The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, all in different roles.
He appeared in three different roles across the franchise, all uniquely different from one another. Highlighting the true depth of Todd's talents. So today, we're ranking each of his characters from across Star Trek.
3. Alpha Hirogen
Featuring in the fourth season episode of Voyager, entitled "Prey", Todd makes his third and last appearance in a Star Trek series as the Alpha Hirogen. In the episode, he serves as a Hirogen soldier tracking a member of Species-8472. He was bested by the creature all episode, until finally squaring off in a hand-to-hand combat encounter with the alien. The results are unknown, as Seven of Nine teleported both aliens off Voyager before a winner could be declared. Todd really brought a lot of emphasis to this role and gave his character a lot of gravity despite it not being a wholly unique role for a Hirogen alien. Many times we'd see this alien, they would usually act relatively similar to one another.
2. Older Jake Sisko
In the Deep Space Nine episode The Visitor, Todd plays an older version of Jake Sisko. In the fourth season episode, Jake waits patiently throughout time as his father phases in and out of the timeline. for his father, Benjamin Sisko, it's mere moments between jumps. Yet, for Jake, it's years, even decades. Forcing himself to wait large portions of his life for the next time his father blips back into time. It's easily the best acting performance by Todd, who shows off a wide range of emotions when talking to Avery Brooks' Ben Sisko. Had he had a longer run with this role, his elder Jake Sisko character would likely have been higher on the list.
1, Kurn
While his turn as Jake Sisko may have given him his single best episode in Star Trek, his run as Kurn was arguably his most notable. The brother of Worf, Kurn is a loyal member of the Klingon Empire and is often at times at odds with his brother. As Kurn, he appeared in four episodes across two shows and became a likable C-character whenever he popped up.