Character Insight No. 210: Grand Nagus Zek

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we profile Grand Nagus Zek, a recurring Ferengi character on Deep Space Nine.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp210


Zek is first seen in an episode where he tests his son Krax to find out if he is worthy of taking over as Grand Nagus, AKA the leader of the Ferengi Alliance. To do this, he announces Quark will be his successor right before faking his own death. Krax did not pass the test, and as such, Zek decides to remain in his position for a while longer.

Also as a result, Zek becomes a recurring character in view of the importance of the Ferengi in the landscape of the Deep Space Nine show. For example, he takes an active role in trying to open negotiations for trade and cooperation with the Dominion, as war does not favor profit for the Ferengi in their current state. Zek often appoints Quark to speak on his behalf or to do his bidding in dealing with Benjamin Sisko and the Federation's initial dealings with the Dominion.

QUOTE (from Rules of Acquisition)
Major Kira: The Ferengi reputation speaks for itself. 
Zek: A reputation for honesty and decency and reliability. You always know what to expect when you do business with the Ferengi. 
Major Kira: Which is why, if you're smart, you don't do business with the Ferengi. 

Although Zek initially starts as a symbol of the ruthless business and rules that Ferengi must follow, he softens his stance as his time around DS9 continues. The first softening comes thanks to the Bajoran prophets, who reverted Zek to a state where Ferengi were not as profit-driven when they found his greed to be offensive. After establishing the Ferengi Benevolent Association and rewriting many of the society rules to promote charitable giving, Quark convinces the Prophets to return him to his normal ways. These changes were only temporary, but they may have had an effect on his future.

That future included a romantic involvement with Quark's mother Ishka, and then a softening of the rigid rules regarding women in Ferengi society. This leads to some incredibly silly scenes and episodes, but it also leads to the eventual surprise that Ishka's other son Rom as Grand Nagus. Unlike Quark, Rom appears to be cut from the same progressive mold that Zek became in his later years, foretelling an interesting future for the Ferengi Alliance.

Zek is played by Wallace Shawn. He still acts today, although his most famous roles are as the dinosaur Rex in the Toy Story movies and Vizzini in The Princess Bride.

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