Bareil Antos

Bareil Antos was a prominent Bajoran spiritual leader during the years immediately after the Cardassian Occupation. He was the leading candidate to become the next kai after Opaka, but withdrew his candidacy shortly before the election took place, clearing the way for the elevation of Winn Adami to kai. He later played an important role in the negotiation of the first Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty, and died during the negotiations.

Early life
Bareil spent his early years living under the yoke of Cardassian rule. He grew up in the Relliketh refugee camp. 

At the age of five he met a Bajoran monk who grabbed him the first time on his ear, to feel his pagh. As a chronic misbehaver, Bareil became his favorite victim and the monk was able to "virtually squeeze the pagh out of his ear with his thumb and forefinger."

During the waning years of the Occupation Bareil became a gardener at the Bajoran Monastery of the Kai and his own goal was to plant the most beautiful Feloran bromiliads on the planet but eventually devoted his life to the Prophets, becoming a vedek. 

Career
After the disappearance of Kai Opaka in 2369, Bareil became the leading candidate to replace her in that role. Bareil spent the time before the election in seclusion, but was drawn to space station Deep Space 9 by his opponent, Winn Adami. He decided to visit the station after a school run by Keiko O'Brien was bombed by Bajoran fundamentalists who were against her teaching that the wormhole prophets were aliens. Bareil hoped to act as a peace mediator. While Bareil was aboard the station, Neela, a Bajoran crewmember of DS9, attempted to assassinate him. The assassination attempt was really engineered by Vedek Winn, who wished to be kai and who wanted to eliminate her rival, Bareil. The attempt failed and Bareil was favored to be the next kai. 

Bareil aided Major Kira Nerys in exposing the plot to overthrow the Bajoran government by Jaro Essa and the Circle, who was unwittingly being aided by the Cardassians. Kira was hurt in a shuttle crash as she was trying to deliver evidence of the plot to the Chamber of Ministers. Bareil sent his aides to rescue Kira, had her wounds tended to at his monastery, and helped disguise her and Jadzia Dax as monks. Bareil accompanied the women to the Chamber of Ministers where they presented evidence that foiled Jaro's coup. 

When Bareil was tied to the infamous Kendra Valley Massacre, he withdrew from consideration for kai, and Vedek Winn was elected. No one knew that Bareil had taken the blame for Kai Opaka's role in the massacre. She had allowed her own son and 42 other Bajorans to be killed during the Occupation to prevent over 1,200 deaths in the Kendra Valley. Bareil took the fall to protect Opaka's memory. 

In 2371, Bareil visited the station to celebrate the Bajoran Gratitude Festival. He became infected by Zanthi fever, which Lwaxana Troi had transmitted to those at the station party. This caused misplaced amorousness in people who had been near her, and caused latent, subconscious attraction to others. Bareil amorously chased Dax, became jealous of Benjamin Sisko, and hit Sisko; Dax subsequently punched Bareil. Doctor Bashir was able to cure him of the fever. 

After the election, Bareil joined Winn as her key adviser in negotiating the Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty. Bareil negotiated for five months with Legate Turrel. Just before the final treaty negotiations, he was injured in a plasma explosion on board a Bajoran transport vessel. Dr. Bashir was able to bring him back from the brink of death, but needed to expose him to dangerous levels of neurogenic radiation in order to do so. Bashir told the vedek that he should be placed in stasis for an indefinite period of time, until a cure for the radiation damage could be developed. Bareil insisted that Bashir find another solution, so he could remain conscious to help Winn. Bareil believed it was the Prophets who spared him in the explosion so that he could ensure the success of the peace talks. Dr. Bashir, on the orders of Bareil, gave him an experimental drug that let him function for a few days. However, the drug did irreversible damage to the vedek's organs, eventually destroying part of his brain. At Kira's urging, Bashir replaced the damaged brain region with an artificial positronic implant, so that Bareil could continue to advise Winn. Soon after the peace treaty was signed, the remainder of Bareil's brain was destroyed. Kira and Bashir decided to allow him to die, rather than replace his entire brain with a machine, for Bashir believed that, though Bareil would still look and talk like his old self, he wouldn't be himself. 

Personal life
Even after becoming a vedek, Bareil still loved to tend his garden. He also enjoyed playing springball. He became romantically involved with Major Kira Nerys in 2370, after meeting her during a visit to Deep Space 9. 

During the attempted coup led by Jaro Essa, Bareil and Kira's relationship started to blossom. After Kira was dismissed by Jaro from the space station, she stayed at Bareil's monastery. On Bajor, Kira and Bareil grew close, and Bareil allowed Kira to consult one of the Bajoran Orbs for guidance. She had a vision that showed her and Bareil as lovers. Bareil and Kira became lovers until his death. 

Background
Bareil Antos was portrayed by actor Philip Anglim. Bareil's given name (which was not revealed until ) is a reference to the character Anton ("Tony") in. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 511)

Bareil proved popular with fans to the extent that there was a campaign to bring him back. Ronald D. Moore responded in March (prior to the airing of ): "I'm afraid that the truth is that the writing staff simply isn't interested in Vedek Bareil. He served his purpose for a while, and then we felt that the character and the relationship had run out of steam. [...] The show has moved on and so has Kira."

Appearances

 * (season 1)
 * (season 2)
 * (season 3)
 * (mirror universe counterpart) (season 6)
 * (season 3)
 * (mirror universe counterpart) (season 6)
 * (season 3)
 * (mirror universe counterpart) (season 6)
 * (mirror universe counterpart) (season 6)

External link


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