Section 31 (Star Trek)

In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Section 31 is an autonomous intelligence and defense organization that carries out covert operations for the United Federation of Planets. Created by Ira Steven Behr for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Inquisition", the organization was intended to act as a counterbalance to the utopian portrayal of the Federation.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>

Section 31 settings and characters have appeared in dozens of episodes, novels and comics,<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp including the 2025 television film, Star Trek: Section 31.

Production

Ira Steven Behr was inspired by a line of dialogue from Deep Space Nine episode "The Maquis" spoken by Commander Benjamin Sisko: "It's easy to be a saint in paradise." Behr said in the 1999 reference companion to the series, "Why is Earth a paradise in the twenty-fourth century? Well, maybe it's because there's someone watching over it and doing the nasty stuff that no one wants to think about."<ref name=":3" />Template:Rp He expressed an interest of exploring what life was really like for those living the fictional 24th century, saying "Is it this paradise, or are there, as Harold Pinter said, 'Weasels under the coffee table'."

The name, Section 31, is explained in the story as being taken from the Starfleet Charter: Article 14, Section 31. The article, according to agents, allowed for extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Such measures included malicious sabotage of enemy installations and technology, biological warfare, and preemptive assassination.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>

According to Ronald D. Moore there was considerable debate on the origin of the organization, in particular on how it was formed and how long ago.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Costume designer Bob Blackman chose the black leather costumes worn by Section 31 agents to appear fascistic.<ref name=":3" />Template:Rp Behr had asked for dark black, severe, hostile-looking costumes. In Star Trek: The Human Frontier, Michèle and Duncan Barrett explain that Section 31 agents not wearing Starfleet uniforms or dressing as Federation citizens further enhanced their role as an organization that is not constrained by ethics.<ref name=":0" />

Reception

Writer David Weddle said many fans felt Section 31 betrayed the value system intended by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, while others were indifferent or intrigued. "Fans would get into these long ethical and political arguments, really struggling with issues like that, which was great to see."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Rp Moore replied to criticisms of betrayal saying, "The idea that there's a rogue element within the Federation doing dark deeds outside the normal chain of command is certainly a provocative one."<ref name=":4" />

Actor Jeffrey Combs, who portrayed numerous characters throughout Star Trek, enjoyed the appearances of Section 31, saying the stories "gave everything a real flair."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Characters

In order of appearance: Template:Ubl

Actor	Character	First appearance	Notes
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
William Sadler	Luther Sloan	"Inquisition"	Template:Blist
Star Trek: Enterprise {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Dominic Keating	Malcolm Reed	Template:Ubl	Template:Blist
Eric Pierpoint	Harris	"Affliction" ‡	Template:Blist
Star Trek Into Darkness κ {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Noel Clarke	Thomas Harewood
Template:Nowrap	John Harrison
Peter Weller	Alexander Marcus
Star Trek: Discovery {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Shazad Latif	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ubl	Template:Blist
Michelle Yeoh	Philippa Georgiou (alternate)	Template:Ubl	Template:Blist
Jayne Brook	Katrina Cornwell	Template:Ubl	Template:Blist
Alan van Sprang	Leland	Template:Nowrap	Template:Blist
	Control (artificial intelligence)	"If Memory Serves"	Template:Blist
Tara Nicodemo	Patar (Vulcan)		Template:Blist
Sonja Sohn	Template:Nowrap	"The Red Angel"	Template:Blist
Star Trek: Lower Decks {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Jack Quaid	William Boimler (transporter duplicate)	Template:Ubl	Template:Blist

Appearances

Films

• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek: Section 31 (2025)<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Tie-in media

Novels

Template:Main Section 31 characters appear in the following novels:

Title	Author(s)	Date	ISBN
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
What You Leave Behind (novelization)	Diane Carey	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Hollow Men	Una McCormack	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek: The Next Generation {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
A Time to Kill	David Mack	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
A Time to Heal		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Collateral Damage		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek: Enterprise {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
The Good That Men Do	Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Kobayashi Maru		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Beneath the Raptor's Wing	Michael A. Martin	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
To Brave the Storm		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
A Choice of Futures	Christopher L. Bennett	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Patterns of Interference		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek: Typhon Pact {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Zero Sum Game	David Mack	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Raise the Dawn	David R. George III	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Plagues of Night		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Others {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
The Future BeginsTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	Steve Mollmann and Michael Schuster	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
A Ceremony of LossesTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	David Mack	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Elusive Salvation	Dayton Ward	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT

Section 31 crossover series

Template:Main Star Trek: Section 31 is a crossover miniseries that includes four thematically linked novels from each of the television series which had aired before 2001, excluding Enterprise.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref> The series was relaunched in 2014 as part of the Deep Space Nine book line.

Template:Abbr	Title	Author(s)	Date	ISBN
1	RogueTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
2	ShadowTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch		Template:ISBNT
3	Cloak	S. D. Perry	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
4	AbyssTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	David Weddle and Jeffrey Lang		Template:ISBNT

Section 31 relaunch series

Novels linked to Deep Space Nine and Next Generation relaunch book lines. The story continues in Collateral Damage (2019), also by David Mack.

Title	Author	Date	ISBN
Disavowed	David Mack	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Control		Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT

Graphic novels

All comics published by IDW Publishing.

Collection	Issue(s)	Date	ISBN
The Space BetweenTemplate:IndentTemplate:Small	"An Inconvenient Truth" (Part 6)	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment	Part 5	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Mission's End	Parts 1Template:Snd5	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek, Vol. 3	The Return of the Archons, Part 1	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek, Vol. 6	After Darkness, Parts 1Template:Snd3	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Star Trek, Vol. 7	The Khitomer Conflict, Parts 1Template:Snd4	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT
Khan	Parts 1, 4, and 5	Template:Dts	Template:ISBNT

Star Trek Online

Template:Main Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios. The game has continued to receive updates which are organized into episodes containing five to seven missions each. All Section 31 missions are introduced by Franklin Drake, a character created for the game.

Episode	Missions	Available
"Cardassian Struggle"	Suspect (removed from game)	Template:Daterangedash
"Specters"	Skirmish (Mission 1)	Template:Dts
	Traelus SystemTemplate:SndSatellite Repair (locked mission)
	Spin the Wheel (Mission 2)	Template:Dts
	What Lies Beneath (Mission 3)	Template:Dts
	Everything Old is New (Mission 4)	Template:Dts
	Night of the Comet (Mission 5)	Template:Dts
—	Hearts and Minds (special mission)	Template:Dts
"Romulan Mystery"	Empress Sela (Mission 2)	Template:Dts

See also

• Starfleet
• United Federation of Planets

Further reading

• Template:Cite journal