The Bajoran spiritual leader who first called Sisko the Emissary.
Opaka Sulan is the Bajoran kai, the spiritual leader of her people, who appears in the early episodes of Deep Space Nine. Gentle, wise and deeply faithful, she greets the arrival of Benjamin Sisko with faith that he is the Emissary of the Prophets.
She plays a pivotal role in the first episode by guiding Sisko toward his destiny and encouraging him to accept the role, and she later returns in a story in which she is trapped on a planet where her fate is uncertain. Her influence guides Kira, who looks to her as a spiritual figure, and the series shows how her leadership shapes the Bajoran faith. After her departure, a successor is elected.
Opaka represents the quiet strength of Bajoran faith, and her leadership offers a counterpoint to the more political figures on the station.