https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp294
Shakaar Edon was the Bajoran leader of a resistance cell of fighters during the Cardassian occupation of the planet Bajor. During his 12 years of leading one particular cell of fighters, he recruits a 13-year old Kira Nerys into the cell and sends her on her first resistance missions. Shakaar becomes a mentor and advisor to Kira in this time.
Once the occupation had ended, Shakaar retired from his fighting days to become a farmer in the Dahkur Province, a literal swords to plowshares shift. Shakaar needed soil reclamators to make the farming successful and he asked for them from the provisional Bajoran government led by Kai Winn. The government initially provided the reclamators but then Winn decided to try and force them back by using the militia. She was willing to start a civil war over some farming equipment.
The head of the militia, Kira, and Shakaar decided the best path to oppose Winn's objectives was to oppose her in the election for first minister of Bajor. Shakaar entered the race and won based on his resistance fighting history and his resistance of the unjust actions of Winn's provisional government. He then leads the Bajorans as a politican for much of the rest of Deep Space 9.
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Shakaar also becomes romantically involved with Kira following his election to first minister, and this relationship lasts for a few months. We see him at her bedside when she gives birth to the daughter of Miles and Keiko O'Brien, for example. The mentor becomes lover storyline was provided to both continue the development of what was happening on Bajor and also to further the character of Kira, and both of these objectives were achieved.
The character of Shakaar was inspired by a real life historical figure in Mexico named Emiliano Zapata. Zapata also rose up against an unjust government and then put in a government of his own in that country, always continuing to fight for what was right for his country and his people. This morphed into the love interest and mentor character for Kira as well, giving this recurring character a lot of facets despite only appearing in a handful of episodes.
Duncan Regehr played Shakaar Edon, and his other Star Trek work includes as the character of Ronin in the TNG episode Sub Rosa. He had a 30 year acting career spanning from the late 70s through 2009, and one of his most notable works is likely as the lead of the Zorro TV series in the early 90s.
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