Elim Garak 1300-1500

Over the course of the series, Garak at first denies involvement with a feared Cardassian intelligence agency called the Obsidian Order, only to later reveal his connections as he (or as the plot) deems necessary. As Garak's friendship with Bashir develops, it is revealed that he was one of the Obsidian Order's highest ranking operatives, and that he was exiled from Cardassia due to unspecified reasons. The details of Garak's exile are never revealed, but it is suggested that his exile resulted from either letting prisoners escape during the occupation of Bajor, or betrayal of the head of the Obsidian Order named Enabran Tain, who is later discovered to also be Garak's resentful biological father. Garak's constant enigmatic secrecy keeps him a character of both interest and importance in the series, and he later uses his contacts with Cardassia and the training he received as an operative of the Obsidian Order to assist the Federation in the war against the Dominion.