TREKCORE > DEEP SPACE NINE > CAST > Vedek Bareil

PLAYED BY: Philip Anglim
FULL NAME: Bareil Antos
SPECIES: Bajoran
POSITION/OCCUPATION: Religious leader
RANK/TITLE: Vedek
BIRTHPLACE: Relliketh (Bajor)
FAMILY: none mentioned
LOVE INTEREST: Kira Nerys
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Gardening; Springball (playing and watching)

Bareil grew up in Relliketh province. As a child, he was a chronic misbehaver, and often got his ear pinched by an old monk (presumably his religious instructor); later, he swore to work to abolish the "archaic" ritual of grasping the ear. Bareil began his monastic life as a gardener, and would have been content to remain one, but his popularity was such that he eventually became a vedek. He was a close associate of Kai Opaka, and was her personal choice as her successor.

Bareil went on retreat at the Dakeen monastery and was incommunicado during the week when Prylar Bek, a monk of his order, betrayed a rebel camp in the Kendra Valley to the Cardassians. 43 Bajorans were slaughtered there as a result, after which Bek committed suicide. Bareil came to learn that Kai Opaka herself had directed Bek to give the Cardassians the camp's location; he kept this information a secret.

In "In the Hands of the Prophets", Bareil was approached by Commander Sisko for support in the controversy between Federation and Bajoran values on DS9. Bareil at first chose not to involve himself, lest it hurt his chances of becoming Kai, but after the DS9 schoolroom was bombed, he had a change of heart and came to the station to call for reconciliation. During his speech, a Bajoran engineer named Neela attempted to assassinate him, but was foiled by Sisko. It turned out that the situation had been manufactured by Bareil's rival, Vedek Winn.

Bareil took an interest in Major Kira Nerys (after having Orb visions that included her), and invited her to stay at his monastery, where he allowed her to experience the Orb as well ("The Circle"). He also later aided Kira and Dax in getting to the capital with the evidence of Cardassian involvement in the Circle's coup ("The Siege"). Later in that year, Bareil visited DS9 again, and he and Kira became lovers ("Shadowplay").

In "The Collaborator", on the eve of the choosing of the new Kai, allegations surfaced that Bareil had been the one who ordered Prylar Bek to betray the Kendra Valley rebel camp to the Cardassians. The only way to disprove the accusation would have been to reveal Kai Opaka's involvement, which Bareil was unwilling to do, for the sake of preserving her memory. He finally withdrew from the race for Kai; by the time Kira eventually discovered the truth, the election was over. Bareil became one of Kai Winn's closest advisors.

Bareil went to DS9 again for the 2371 Gratitude Festival, and to see Kira. However, things went awry when Bareil inexplicably became romantically infatuated with Jadzia Dax; he even attempted to propose marriage by giving Dax his heirloom betrothal bracelet. It was finally learned that this was only a latent attraction, brought out by the influence of Lwaxana Troi's Zanthi fever. Bareil returned to normal along with everyone else when Lwaxana was cured ("Fascination").

Not long afterwards, in "Life Support", Bareil, who had been assisting Kai Winn in negotiating a peace treaty with Cardassia, suffered massive injuries when the shuttle in which they were travelling to the talks developed a plasma conduit rupture. Bareil died at first on the operating table, but Dr. Bashir was able to revive him with a dose of radiation. Unfortunately, the blood flow to his organs was impaired. Bareil, wanting to stay functional so he could continue to advise Winn, directed Bashir to treat him with an experimental drug, vasokin; but while the drug increased the blood flow, it also damaged Bareil's organs one by one, as fast as they could be replaced. Bashir finally had to replace half of Bareil's brain with a positronic implant. When the other half of the brain began to deteriorate as well, however, Bashir drew the line. Bareil was finally allowed to die, with Kira at his side.

Other facts:
Bareil's given name, Antos, was not revealed until "Resurrection" (when his mirror-universe counterpart appeared).