Ro Laren /ˈroʊ ˈlærən/ is a fictional character appearing on a recurring basis in the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of the American science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character returned for the third season of Star Trek: Picard. Portrayed by Michelle Forbes, she is a member of the Bajoran species who joins the crew of the USS Enterprise-D over the fervent objection of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The character first appears in the fifth-season episode "Ensign Ro", which reveals elements of Ro's backstory. She continues to appear throughout that season, and makes a further appearance in both the sixth and seventh seasons. Starfleet sought her aid to help the Cardassians apprehend a Bajoran terrorist. Her final appearance is in "Preemptive Strike", where she is tasked by Starfleet to infiltrate the Maquis, eventually defecting and joining them permanently. She returned for the third season of Picard in the episode "Imposters", serving as a commander for Starfleet Intelligence. Ro was also planned to be a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but Forbes turned down the role, so Kira Nerys was created to replace her. Reviewers discussed Ro's religious views, comparing them to those of Kira. Ro was received positively by both critics and fans alike. Critics have praised Forbes's performance and Ro's interaction with the existing characters. She has been placed in several polls listing the most popular characters, with Jordan Hoffman calling her the second-strongest supporting female character in the franchise.