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Jadzia Dax is probably the most beautiful Starfleet crew member among all the Star Trek series. While this may be subjective, it is a fact that she had lots of suitors.

Jadzia Dax was initially pursued by Dr. Julian Bashir aboard the station. The Ferengi bar owner, Quark, also has a special affection for the Trill scientist, even after the Dax symbiont was transferred to Ezri. However, her most notable and serious suitors include

  • Deral, played by Brett Cullen, a prominent member of the recurring planet Meridian ("Meridian")

  • Dr. Lenara Kahn, played by Susanna Thompson, a Trill theoretical quantum physicist and the current host of the symbiont Kahn, who was previously joined to Nilani, the widow of Torias Dax ("Rejoined")

  • Lt. Commander Worf, a Klingon. Dax and Worf connected over their mutual love of Klingon traditions, including Klingon Opera and martial arts. Their intimate relationship began in "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," and in "You Are Cordially Invited..." they were married and Jadzia Dax formally joined the House of Martok. Their attempts at parenthood (despite the difficulties faced by biological incompatibilities between Klingons and Trills) were cut short when Jadzia Dax was murdered.

  • Captain Boday. An unseen former lover of Jadzia's who is occasionally referenced. Boday is a Gallamite and like all Gallamites has a transparent skull. Worf becomes angry with Ezri when he learns she had lunch with Boday.

Worf was an alien and that is a big natural barrier to marriage due to so many cultural and physical differences. This is why there are very few human-alien couples in Star Trek.

Why did she marry Worf out of so many qualified suitors to choose from? What are the factors behind Worf's victory over the rest?

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    Um... because she loved Worf?
    – Mithical
    Dec 25, 2016 at 8:40
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    Because she's had a thing for Klingons for several lifetimes.
    – Valorum
    Dec 25, 2016 at 8:52
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    It seems to me there are MANY human-alien couples in Star Trek. Riker & Troi, Worf & Dax, Spock & Uhura (new-Trek), Data & Tasha Yar, Paris & B'elanna (half-Klingon), Rom & Leeta, Kirk & ... everyone *. It may be easy to forget that some of these characters are non-human, given the rubber forehead nature of Trek aliens, but without sitting down to count them all out, I honestly feel like there are more human-alien couples among named, recurring characters than there are human-human couples. * I'm sure there were SOME humans in there, but also lots of greenskins. :P
    – Steve-O
    Dec 25, 2016 at 14:26
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    Which of Work and Jadzia is the Human in your 'human-alien couple' statement? Jadzia because she looks more Human (despite being a Trill composed of two separate non-Human sentients)? Or Worf because he was raised by Humans (despite being Klingon)? Dec 25, 2016 at 18:28
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    Worf smells nice. Like lilacs. Dec 27, 2016 at 19:26

3 Answers 3

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Beyond the obvious Proximity..

One of her previous hosts, Curzon Dax was a negotiator in the Khitomer Accords whose activities result in the Klingon Empire entering an alliance with the United Federation of Planets.

During this host 's lifetime she gains appreciation for Klingon rituals and interactions among other things.

Jadzia was a skilled warrior with the Klingon bat'leth, and often practiced with her weapon in the holosuites. When Worf arrived on the station, she found in him an ideal sparring partner; he immediately gained respect for her fighting prowess, though they often had disagreements over which was superior, the bat'leth or the mek'leth (Worf's weapon of choice). She made it clear that when fighting in a holosuite her opponent was not to hold back because she was a woman or a Trill. Their sparring may have directly led to their romance and marriage.

In addition to speaking Klingon, Jadzia was a keen follower of many Klingon traditions. She enjoyed eating gagh and drinking blood wine.

Dax and Worf started their relationship with Dax teasing and flirting relentlessly with Worf, which he did his best to ignore. After having his, then, target for love stolen from him by Quark he gives in to Dax's flitatious nature and they start their relationship. At the begining its shown they they are "rough" during sex and have to visit med bay to get their sustained injuries treated. So, it would seem Jadzia took more than just Klingon traditions and interactions to heart during her time as Curzon. And that's how Worf "won" the relationship over others.

Even after her death, at the hands of a Pah-wraith possessed Cardassian, and subsequent revival as Ezri Dax she resumes the relationship with Worf for a time. Their Relationship possibly ended because Her new hosts tendencies towards a more gentle love style? After their relationship ends she eventually moves on to Dr. Julian Bashir

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  • Also worth noting that yes, she found Worf attractive. So yes - they have a lot in common and there's reason for a relationship, but attraction is also a big part of it.
    – user14952
    Dec 25, 2016 at 17:06
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We shouldn't forget that Worf has many qualities that are seen as positive in the culture they are in. He is a Starfleet officer, and that speaks to a certain quality of character. He also has unique character traits, one of the most prominent being an ability and willingness to serve where he is disliked or distrusted by many, other Starfleet and Klingons alike.

He doesn't seem to be punishing himself. Instead, it shows that he is stubborn, willing to stand up for what's right, resilient, and especially willing to put the needs of societies above his own comfort. In terms of quality of character and conviction, he is at least equal to anyone else on the ship.

Basically, he is a great guy, and I know for a fact that ladies love deep voices. Who wouldn't want to date him?

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Worf was an alien and that is a big natural barrier to marriage due to so many cultural and physical differences. This is why there are very few human-alien couples in Star Trek.

Jadzia Dax was also an alien. Of the six suitors you mention, she was only the same species as one, Dr. Lenara Kahn. And she couldn't have a relationship with another Kahn host and stay in Trill society, as Kahn and Dax had been in a previous relationship. Trill society had strong rules against symbiotes maintaining a relationship after switching hosts (reassociation). Kahn was the one who refused to continue the relationship.

Jadzia Dax tried living with Deral, but it didn't work. She had to leave to preserve the planet. She wouldn't be able to see him again for sixty years.

If either of those relationships had worked, she wouldn't have been available to have a relationship with Worf.

We never actually meet Captain Boday. It's not clear that Jadzia Dax was actually interested in him romantically. Of course, she may have been...off camera.

While Quark might have been interested in her, there is no evidence that she reciprocated with more than friendship.

Dr. Julian Bashir pursued her, but she wasn't that interested in him. While intelligent and a stimulating companion, he lacked the cultural and physical interests that Worf shared with her.

Worf was raised by humans. He learned about Klingon society from the outside, as did Dax. Like Dax, he believed that he had the heart of a Klingon. Jadzia Dax was a Trill, alien in human society. This gave them a lot in common. With no other Trill or Klingon partners normally available, they discovered that they were compatible on many levels.

Jadzia Dax is probably the most beautiful Starfleet crew member among all the Star Trek series.

I'd personally pick T'Pol in disguise (out of the actress' Vulcan costume) or mirror T'Pol as the most beautiful Starfleet crew member. Others have indicated Seven of Nine, Uhura, Deanna Troi, Ensign Lefler, or Gaila. If we remove the crew requirement, we can expand to Android Andrea, Kamala, Marta, and Edith Keeler. So, as you note, quite subjective.

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  • "Dr. Julian Bashir pursued her, but she wasn't that interested in him." - not so sure about that. After all, in episode 7x03, Ezri reveals to Bashir the following memories from Jadzia: "If Worf hadn't come along, it would have been you." Jun 22 at 9:18

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