#fe-aux

INFJ – the Counselor, the Seer, the Defender

Wait, haven’t we seen this guy before? No, it’s not because Weyoun is a clone, it’s because Jeffrey Combs played another DS9 villain, Brunt. They even appeared in the same episode once, though sadly, not in the same scene.

Two Weyouns once appeared in the same episode, too, because the character we know as Weyoun is actually a series of clones (Weyouns 4-8 during the run of DS9, to be specific). However, because he’s genetically engineered to do his job perfectly, he always has the same personality, even when he turns out “defective.” In MBTI, your type is generally a function of nature rather than nurture—you are wired the way you’re wired no matter what, though personal experience will influence how your functions manifest. In Weyoun’s case, his “nature” is embedded in his DNA by those who “nurture” him, the Founders he reveres as gods.

Dominant Function: (Ni) Introverted Intuition, “The Labyrinth”

Weyoun believes in the mythos of the Dominion—that the Founders are gods who bring order to the galaxy. He believes that the Dominion will endure for thousands of years after the Federation is gone, and works to advance their holdings and influence with every move he makes. He believes that his goals are divinely inspired by the Founders, perfect and not to be questioned.

Even the defective Weyoun 6 still holds the Founders in awe and reverence, even though he awakens from the cloning process with the inexplicable idea that the Dominion’s war efforts are wrong.

Weyoun always works with a hidden agenda, a far-sighted goal for the Dominion’s gain—Bashir’s genetically engineered friends can tell that he’s thinking big picture, years or centuries ahead. He arranges peace-talks with the Federation over a new proposed border, playing nice and taking an apparently disadvantageous deal when actually it will give the Dominion access to a planet with a fungus helpful to their Ketracel-white production. He and Sisko make small talk about the minefield Starfleet has put up in front of the wormhole, but both Intuitives know that the real meaning of the conversation is that they’re about to go to war.

Weyoun sizes people up quickly, searching for the clue that will give him the advantage over his diplomatic targets. Damar accuses the whole Weyoun line of having an innate flaw of overconfidence, never doubting the success of their vision. The final Weyoun understands immediately when Damar’s rebellion destroys a cloning facility, that Damar’s true goal is to keep any more Weyouns from being made.

(Although do we seriously believe Weyoun doesn’t have more copies of himself squirreled away somewhere? Please.)

Auxiliary Function: (Fe) Extraverted Feeling, “The Garden Fountain”

The Dominion’s aim is to conquer and subdue all worlds in the galaxy, but Weyoun makes it sound like a wonderful club that you’d be silly not to join.

Weyoun speaks with grace and eloquence, aiming for compromise and mutually beneficial agreements (in fact, his negotiating tactics have a lot in common with those of Quark, an ESFJ). He’s politically adept, and genuinely tries to have good working relationships even with those he disagrees with. In diplomatic discussions, he can play wounded as well as confident, keeping his adversaries off balance so he can emotionally ply them to get what he wants.

Weyoun orchestrates the alliance with the Breen, treating them like old friends as soon as the deal is made. This infuriates Damar, who Weyoun snubs in order to keep him in his place. When the Cardassians start rebelling, Weyoun gives grand speeches about the spirit of cooperation. He feigns sadness that he has to order mass executions in order to ensure obedience, gaslighting the people into believing their deaths are their own fault.

The “defective” Weyoun 6 still wants the Dominion to succeed, but he also wants peace for all people. He can’t completely betray the Founders, and so he defects to Odo, the only Founder on the opposite side of the war, hoping to start a process that will convince the other Founders to change the Dominion’s course. He fails, but still desires Odo’s favor and blessing before he dies.

Weyoun’s emotionally manipulative tactics do have consequences.

Weyoun 5 dies in a mysterious transporter accident, possibly arranged after Damar got sick of his arrogance. Weyoun 7 gets himself killed after prodding Ezri about her feelings for Bashir, thus enraging Worf, who snaps his neck. Weyoun 8 gets himself killed after mocking Damar’s rebellion, and the destruction of the planet, prompting Garak to shoot him.

He dies in service to his Founder, loyal to the end.

(But again, there are more of him, right?)

Tertiary Function: (Ti) Introverted Thinking, “The Laboratory”

Weyoun can be cold and direct when he needs to be, as when he demands the removal of the minefield. He quickly segues into flattering persuasion mode afterward, of course. He delivers sharp insults when necessary as well, never afraid to call out Dukat’s tiresome egotism or Damar’s stupidity. He incisively interrogates the intruding Jake and Nog, assuming they’re conspiring against him, but when they lead him to Dr. Giger’s immortality machine, he’s intrigued by the mad scientist’s ideas.

Auxiliary Function: (Se) Extraverted Sensing, “The Kitchens”

The Founders did not see fit to create the Vorta with a sense of aesthetics. With his weak eyes, Weyoun can’t appreciate art, though he does try. He examines Ziyal’s paintings and asks Kira if they’re “good.” She’s not helpful, and Weyoun decides if the Founders had needed him to enjoy art to do his job, they’d have programmed him with the ability.

Weyoun 6, however, decides to indulge when he defects. Freed from the constraints of his duty, he goes a little crazy trying all kinds of new foods from the replicator. He takes particular delight in pepperoni pizza. The normal Weyoun disdains his working partner Damar for his obvious drunkenness, while at the same time appearing to have a secret hope of watching the captive Worf and Ezri “comfort each other.”

No wonder Worf snapped his neck.

Fortunately, there’s another Weyoun waiting to take his place, because the universe can’t get rid of him that easily (I believe in Weyoun 9, is what I’m saying).