Summary
- The Mirror Universe boasts evil versions of beloved Star Trek characters — Mirror Spock, Mirror Sulu, Regent Worf, & more stand out.
- Evil Mirror Universe variants like Mirror Kirk and Intendant Kira showcase the dark side of well-loved Star Trek characters in a compelling way.
- Mirror Universe characters like Emperor Georgiou, Captain Killy, and Dr. Phlox display extreme evil actions, making them the "worst of the worst."
Arguably, the most evil Mirror Universe character was Mirror Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), who met the visiting Vulcan delegation with a shotgun blast. Cochrane's murderous first established how the Terran Empire would go on to subjugate countless species in Star Trek's Mirror Universe. However, it was just the human Star Trek heroes that had evil Mirror Universe variants, the franchise's best-loved Bajoran, Klingon, and Cardassian characters also had their dark opposites. In a whole universe of evil Star Trek characters, it can be hard to narrow down exactly which ones are the best at being the worst.
Star Trek: Voyager & DS9 Crossed Over In The Mirror Universe
Despite being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, a Star Trek: Voyager crew member briefly crossed over into the Mirror Universe to the DS9 cast.
10 Mirror Hikaru Sulu (George Takei)
"You will also appear to have killed him after a fierce battle. Regrettable, but it will leave me in command."
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was thrown into the complicated power dynamics of the Mirror Universe when he and his away team were stranded there in "Mirror, Mirror". After preventing Mirror Chekov (Walter Koenig) from assassinating him, Prime Kirk then had to contend with an attempt on his life from Mirror Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). Sulu versus Kirk was the climax of "Mirror, Mirror", as the ISS Enterprise's lieutenant tried to murder his way to the center seat.
Star Trek follows the U.S.S. Enterprise on its five-year mission to explore the galaxy, led by Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Mr. Spock. The crew confronts a variety of challenges, including Klingons, Romulans, and genetic supermen, as they search for new life and civilizations.
Mirror Sulu was, predictably, a more cruel and bitter version of his Prime Universe counterpart. Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichele Nichols) got a sense of Mirror Sulu's harsher side when she had to play on his infatuation with her Terran counterpart. Although he wasn't the worst of the worst of Star Trek's Mirror Universe characters, Mirror Sulu is a great example of the dark side of some of the franchise's best loved characters. However, despite being cruel, conniving, and a stone-cold killer, Sulu was bested by Prime Kirk in a final showdown.
9 Regent Worf (Michael Dorn)
"This time, I will deal with the rebels myself."
Regent Worf (Michael Dorn) was the ruler of Star Trek's Mirror Universe during the 24th century, so he was obviously an evil guy. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine revealed that the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance enslaved all Terrans and Vulcans in various regions of their territory. As the Regent, Worf oversaw the violent oppression of these slaves throughout his reign. The Regent relied on his Intendants to keep the Terrans under his heel, and was enraged by the loss of the Terok Nor space station.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
Worf doled out cruel and degrading punishments to those that failed him, including Mirror Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) who was forced to wear a dog collar for losing Terok Nor to the rebels. However, as evil as Regent Worf may have been, he was presented as a fairly ineffective leader whose empire was crumbling around him. He suffered two embarassing losses in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, at the hands of Prime Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the ISS Defiant, and then even got duped by Prime Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodenchik) who installed a faulty cloaking device aboard his flagship.
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Worf killed Sneed the Ferengi in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but Armin Shimerman says Michael Dorn suggested he play the Ferengi Worf slays.
8 Mirror Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley)
"Will you kindly die?"
The Mirror Universe version of the avuncular Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley) was a sadist who specialized in torture. Phlox conducted horrific experiments on living beings in pursuit of medical advancement, and served as the chief medical officer aboard the ISS Enterprise NX-01. Phlox specialized in concocting new means of torture to punish the enemies of the Terran Empire, leading to the creation of the Agony booth. This technology conducted a synaptic scan of any humanoid, so that it could stimulate every available pain center, keeping its victims in a state of constant agony.
The Agony booth or "Agonizer" was used across the Terran Empire, having been seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Mirror, Mirror", and the Mirror Universe episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.
Despite being an evil sadist, Dr. Phlox was eventually convinced to the attempt to stop Mirror Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) from using the USS Defiant to become Terran Emperor. However, as ever in Star Trek's Mirror Universe, Phlox's actions were driven by self-interest more than moral duty. Phlox only agreed to stop Archer because he believed that, by saving the life of the incumbent Terran Emperor, he would be rewarded with multiple concubines and an impressive new medical facility.
7 Mirror Commander Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula)
"More like a Federation of fools!"
In Star Trek: Enterprise's Mirror Universe, Jonathan Archer was still a Commander, serving alongside Captain Maximillian Forrest (one of Vaughn Armstrong's multiple Star Trek roles). Archer's feelings of inadequacy compared to Forrester led him to commit some reckless and evil acts. After stealing the USS Defiant, Archer wanted to gain the respect of his crew, and so launched an assault on a Gorn foreman that had remained aboard the ship. Archer's attack on the Gorn resulted in many of his MACO troopers being killed, and also left Major Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating) seriously injured.
Mirror Archer is the earliest Star Trek captain to face a Gorn in any timeline.
Mirror Archer was insane, taunted by an illusion of his superior Prime Counterpart, who drove him to more and more reckless actions. Archer murdered iral Black (Gregory Itzin) and assumed command of the USS Defiant, with which he intended to stage a military coup. Archer became increasingly unhinged, and ordered the deaths of the Defiant's alien crew , except for Dr. Phlox. Archer was eventually stopped from assuming control of the Terran Emperor, putting an end to further evil acts from the Enterprise captain.
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Star Trek: Enterprise's cast got bad news about the future of the prequel series while they filmed season 4's popular Mirror Universe episodes.
6 Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh)
"I'm extremely wicked, even for a Terran."
Star Trek: Discovery's Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) has certainly gone some way to redeeming her actions in the Mirror Universe. However, it might take a lot more than ending the Federation-Klingon War to wash away the sins of Georgiou from her reign as Terran Emperor. Georgiou rendered the Klingon home world Qo'noS uninhabitable, subjugated the Betazoids and destroyed Mintaka III. Emperor Georgiou also launched a bombardment against the Talosians for trying to trick her with their mental projections.
Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.
Georgiou was less xenophobic than her predecessors, happily accepting the native titles of the Vulcans, Andorians and Klingons that she ruled over. It was perhaps this openness with "lesser" species that made her opponents see Emperor Georgiou as a weak leader. The failed coup against Emperor Georgiou led to her traveling to the Prime Universe, where she now lives as a Section 31 operative. It's said that the Star Trek: Section 31 movie will see Georgiou confront the sins of her past, continuing the redemptive journey she began in Star Trek: Discovery season 2.
5 Captain Sylvia "Killy" (Mary Wiseman)
"I'm gonna have nightmares about myself now."
Captain Sylvia "Killy" (Mary Wiseman) was the captain of the ISS Discovery, and a close colleague of Emperor Philippa Georgiou. Tilly rose to her position by murdering the previous captain while they were recovering from an illness, which is one of the most ruthless in a long list of Mirror Universe murders. As captain of the ISS Discovery, the Mirror Universe version of Tilly was just as responsible for the subjugation of the Betazoids and devastation of Mintaka III. However, unlike Georgiou, Mirror Tilly, who had earned the nickname "Killy" never got a chance to redeem herself later in Star Trek: Discovery, nor would she likely want one.
Mary Wiseman's character, Lt. Sylvia Tilly was named after the niece of Star Trek: Discovery producer Gretchen J. Berg.
The Mirror Universe Tilly was terrifying to her Prime Universe counterpart, who worried that she'd have nightmares about herself. With such nicknames as "The Slayer of Sorna Prime" and "The Witch of Wurna Prime", it's no wonder that Tilly was so unnerved by her Mirror Universe counterpart. "Killy" was the darker, more ambitious version of Star Trek: Discovery's Tilly, and she had an impressive, if terrifying list of accolades;
- Medal of Valor
- Master of Poisons Medal
- 50 Kills Medal
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The cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has yet to be announced, but Mary Wiseman's Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly should definitely be a part of it.
4 Empress Hoshi Sato (Linda Park)
"You're speaking with Empress Sato. Prepare to receive instructions."
The Mirror Universe version of Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) from Star Trek: Enterprise was an incredibly smart woman who knew which powerful man to throw in her lot with. Effectively playing off Mirror Archer and Mirror Forrest against each other, Hoshi placed herself in a position where she could use the USS Defiant to hold Earth to ransom. Staying close to Archer as his lover during his plot to steal the technologically superior USS Defiant from the Tholians, she waited until the time was right to depose the ambitious leader.
Mirror Archer ordered that any information about the Federation held on the USS Defiant's systems be erased so as not to inspire a rebellion against the Terran Empire, a reference to Mirror Spock being inspired by Prime Kirk's tales of the Federation.
Hoshi seduced Mirror Archer's personal security officer, Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) to help her with a poisoning plot. Killing Archer with poisoned champagne, Hoshi became commanding officer of the USS Defiant. She then holds the entire planet Earth to ransom with the USS Defiant in a hostile takeover of the entire Terran Empire. Hoshi's military coup was one of the boldest moves achieved by any of Star Trek's Mirror Universe variants.
3 Intendant Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor)
"I have no taste for violence. I regret using it even when it seems necessary."
Intendant Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) is the only character to feature in all five of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Mirror Universe episodes. Mirror Kira was a fascinating character who ruled Terok Nor at the behest of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Although she was very clearly evil, Intendant Kira Nerys was less brutal than some of her Mirror Universe contemporaries, preferring instead to use manipulation and her sexuality to get what she wanted. That being said, the Intendant regularly veered from ordering the execution of Terran Rebels to subjugating others as her personal slaves to her every whim.
Nana Visitor once described Intendant Kira as such: "It's very much me. I mean, I hope I don't send people to their deaths or anything like that, but yeah, that is more of who I am."
The Intendant was so vain that she was even attracted to Major Kira from the prime Star Trek timeline. As with many Mirror Universe variants, Intendant Kira Nerys was adept at self-preservation, and she would easily stab her allies in the back if it saved her life. For example, Intendant Kira murders the Mirror Universe's Nog (Aron Eisenberg) even though the young Ferengi had freed her from prison. In her final Star Trek: Deep Space Nine appearance, the Intendant orchestrates the sabotage of Regent Worf's flagship, leaving behind the ruler of the Mirror Universe to face the punishment of the Terran Rebellion.
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A breakthrough Bajoran hero, Major Kira Nerys' arc in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was one of the most nuanced in all of Star Trek.
2 Mirror Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner)
"Has the whole galaxy gone crazy?"
The majority of Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 20, "Mirror, Mirror" has Prime Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) fill in for his Terran counterpart. This means that it's hard to get a handle on how truly evil Mirror Universe Kirk actually was. However, there is a staggering list of crimes attributed to the Terran Empire's Captain James T. Kirk in "Mirror, Mirror". As well as murdering Captain Christopher Pike to assume command of the ISS Enterprise, he used stolen alien technology, the Tantalus field, to vaporize his enemies.
William Shatner had pitched the return of Mirror Kirk to Rick Berman as a potential episode of Star Trek: Enterprise season 4.
Mirror Kirk is also said to have executed 5000 colonists on Vega IX, and also destroyed the home planet of the Gorlans'. None of these genocidal actions are depicted on-screen in Star Trek: The Original Series, as the real Mirror Kirk is largely confined to a cell aboard the Prime Universe's USS Enterprise. However, there's no question that the Mirror Universe's Captain Kirk was one of the very worst of the worst of Star Trek's Mirror Universe characters.
1 Mirror Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs)
"I have been to another universe and back. You think I'd come all this way without a plan?"
Budding Terran Emperor, Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) is the greatest Star Trek: Discovery villain and the most evil of Mirror Universe characters. Following his unsuccessful coup against Emperor Philippa Georgiou, Lorca fled to the Prime Universe, where he assumed the identity of his counterpart. This was one of Lorca's most evil moves, as he infiltrated his Prime Counterpart's life and career, including his romantic relationship with iral Katrina Cornwall (Jayne Brook). Not only did Mirror Lorca embark on a sexual relationship on false pretenses, he "groomed" Mirror Michael Burnham, proving that he was a sexual deviant as well as a brutal oppressor.
Jason Isaacs originally wanted to turn down the role of Captain Gabriel Lorca in Star Trek: Discovery out of respect for Star Trek: The Original Series.
As well as his sexual crimes, Lorca was responsible for killing his entire crew by destroying the USS Buran on arrival in the Prime Universe. While Lorca claimed he was saving them from the brutal treatment they'd receive as prisoners of the Klingon Empire, his actions elsewhere suggest he was simply removing an obstacle to his goals. By inveigling his way into Starfleet and the USS Discovery, Lorca then goes back to the Mirror Universe to launch another attempt to seize the throne of the Terran Empire. Lorca's wholesale murder of his Mirror Universe crew, his manipulation of the women in his life, and the betrayal of the USS Discovery crew make him the Star Trek character with the blackest of black hearts.
