Star Trek Fans Try To Get Unsung Hero A Real-Life Statue

While the character certainly has his fans, you might be forgiven for asking the obvious question: out of all the Star Trek characters, why single Chief O’Brien out for a statue? According to the petition, “the statue would shine as a beacon of hope for our world standing at the center of one of the most beautiful regions of Ireland, if not the galaxy.”

Implicitly, it seems the organizers have singled out O’Brien, Trek’s most prominent Irish character, to represent both the nation that he is from and the ideals of the franchise that made him famous.

Given the Star Trek character’s heritage, you might be wondering why the petition seeks to erect the Chief O’Brien statue in Killarney. The reason is simple: this is where the character is supposed to be born in about 304 years. And placing statues of these fictional characters in their future birthplaces has become something of a beloved tradition, which is why Captain Janeway’s statue is in Bloomington, Indiana, and Captain Kirk’s statue (along with a few murals) is in Riverside, Iowa.

To very casual audiences, O’Brien is not a very famous Star Trek name…certainly not as famous as the aforementioned captains who already have statues. However, the chief is a favorite among hardcore fans because of his working-class values: in addition to being an enlisted man rather than an officer, he once lauded his 19th-century ancestor Sean Aloysius O’Brien for leading a strike against coal miners, a decision that ultimately got him killed. “He was more than a hero…he was a union man,” Chief O’Brien said.

This line has made the chief more than a hero to Star Trek fans around the world. This past Labor Day, those fans shared O’Brien memes to encourage the solidarity of all workers. In this way, you could say this character is now fully established as the franchise’s most relatable everyman.

Speaking of hardcore Star Trek fans, many of us couldn’t help but notice that this statue petition is going to potentially make one of the franchise’s best gags into a reality. On the animated series Lower Decks, the third episode of Season 1 had a flash-forward scene where we see a lecturing professor who declares Chief O’Brien “the most important person in Starfleet history.” While saying it, he is standing next to (what else?) a statue of everybody’s favorite transporter chief.

Only time will tell if this Star Trek statue petition will successfully bring an O’Brien statue to life. Even if they fail, though, it’s important to remember that the perfect monument to this character already exists. That monument is the entirety of Deep Space Nine, what future professors might describe as the most important show in Star Trek history.