sStar Trek: Prodigy acknowledged Nog’s (Aron Eisenberg) heritage on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the finest way possible. In the season one conclusion of Star Trek: Prodigy, Dal R’El (Brett Gray), Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), and their youthful friends saved the galaxy from the Vau’Nakat’s Starfleet-destroying weapon, the Living Construct.
The kids gave up their starship, the USS Protostar, and their mentor, Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), but thanks to their advocate, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway, they were accepted as warrant officers by Starfleet (Kate Mulgrew).
On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Nog had one of the most remarkable arcs.
The teenage Ferengi, who worked as a waiter at his uncle Quark’s (Armin Shimerman) tavern, became Starfleet’s first Ferengi.
Nog had attained the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade at the end of DS9’s Dominion War, and he was a battle-hardened veteran. Nog also faced a personal tragedy when he lost his leg in combat against the Dominion’s Jem’Hadar.
When Nog first joined Starfleet, he was met with skepticism. Still, his ardent commitment to Starfleet’s values and his unwavering work ethic earned him the respect and affection of his Deep Space Nine crewmates, particularly his commanding officer and sponsor, Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks).
Star Trek: Prodigy Best Honored Nog’s DS9 Legacy
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Nog prepared the stage for Star Trek: Prodigy’s youthful alien crew of the USS Protostar. Dal, Gwyn, Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), Zero (Angus Imrie), and Murf (Dee Bradley Baker) were all slaves on Tars Lamora until they were inspired by a legendary Star Trek icon, Hologram Janeway.
The crew of the Protostar desired to join Starfleet and demonstrate their worth; the youths committed heroic acts around the Delta Quadrant. Their path to Starfleet was very different from Nog’s, but they all shared Nog’s idea that they could become their best selves in Starfleet.
Nog was certainly not a direct inspiration for the youthful protagonists of Star Trek: Prodigy, but the Ferengi’s triumph opened the path for them. Nog’s was the first Ferengi in Starfleet, and he had to overcome an unfavorable impression of his race, but he exploited the Ferengi’s innate traits to his advantage.
Nog was the most notable young Starfleet figure in Star Trek, unlike Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), who struggled and eventually quit Starfleet, and Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton), who never regarded Starfleet as a career path. Prodigy Dal, Gwyn, Rok-Tahk, Zero, Murf, and Jankom Pog has now joined Nog on that list, proving, like Nog, that outsiders can be Starfleet heroes as well.
What Happened to Nog After Deep Space Nine?
Nog’s Starfleet career continued after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended; however, little is known canonically. Nog most likely had a good Starfleet career. In the What We Left Behind documentary, a fictitious DS9 season 8 saw Nog promoted to Captain 20 years later. Nog’s Starfleet career was legendary enough that in the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery, the Ferengi was honored with his starship, the Eisenberg-class USS Nog.
Aron Eisenberg died in 2019, but he left behind his own Star Trek legacy with The 7th Rule, a hit podcast he co-founded with Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk that evaluated every episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
After Aron’s death, his widow Malissa Longo took his place. The podcast not only finished DS9 but is currently analyzing every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, accompanied by Tasha Yar actress Denise Crosby. In In-universe, though, Nog exemplifies how anyone with passion and effort can become a Starfleet exemplar, and Star Trek: Prodigy’s youthful heroes are carrying up where Nog left off.