Cirroc Lofton Reveals Significance of Jake Sisko's Bajoran Earring In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 5 - "Series Acclimation Mil"

Cirroc Lofton confirms the true significance of Jake Sisko's jewelry in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Written by Kirsten Beyer and Tawny Newsome, and directed by Larry Teng, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 is a loving tribute to Avery Brooks' legacy as Captain Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 brings Cirroc Lofton back to play Jake Sisko for the first time in 27 years. Wearing a distinctive earring, Lofton plays a 53-year-old Jake from 2408 as he materializes to counsel Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks). Thanks to Jake's insight on his father, Captain Sisko, SAM gained the confidence to accept her role as the Emissary of her people, the Kasqians.

On his podcast, The 7th Rule, Cirroc Lofton elaborated on the meaning of Jake Sisko's earring in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5. Lofton confirmed that Jake's jewelry is Bajoran to "pay homage" to his father, Captain Sisko, who was the Emissary of the Prophets of Bajor. Cirroc also reveals the personal connection Jake's wardrobe has to his Ethiopian heritage. Read Lofton's quote below:

Part of the creative process was creating the look, for what Jake would look like. So we agreed on a Bajoran earring because maybe he would have decided to get into Bajoran studies, and pay homage to [how] his father has now become this big icon. So I believe he would have adopted some of that into his persona.

We incorporated the Bajoran earring. The clothing I was wearing was made out of Ethiopian fabric that I brought back from my last trip to Ethiopia. And I was talking with the costume department about how we could turn these patterns and prints into a futuristic Star Trek costume. And they did. We had the sache and the collared shirt. It was really fantastic.

The whole process was magical. Going through it knowing what it means to myself, to pay honor to Avery, and also to the fans who were dying to see some kind of closure, some kind of continuation to what Jake and his dad went through after the last episode. So this gave some kind of closure to those fans who wanted to know what happened to Sisko.

Check out The 7th Rule video with Cirroc Lofton and special guest Tawny Newsome below:

Star Trek fans online speculated whether Jake's earring is Bajoran, and Cirroc Lofton lays the doubts to rest. Of course, it makes perfect sense that Jake would explore the Bajoran religion to feel closer to his father, who became one of Bajor's gods. After all, Jake's unpublished novel is titled "Anslem," which is Bajoran for "father."

Teenage Jake Sisko was remembered for his outlandishly colorful 24th-century wardrobe on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. As an adult, Jake's style is more muted, with nods to the younger Sisko's DS9 fashions, but rooted in Cirroc Lofton's heritage to make it more personal and fitting for the mature, elegant man Jake (and Cirroc) has become.

Cirroc Lofton's real-life father-son relationship with Avery Brooks was instrumental in the making of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5. Mr. Brooks was part of the process of the DS9 homage's creation, and Cirroc selected a clip from Avery's jazz album, "Here...", to be Captain Sisko's climactic voiceover, with Mr. Brooks' blessing.

Jake Sisko's appearance in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 was carefully designed to reflect where Captain Sisko's son is in his life, the Bajoran bond between Benjamin and Jake, and integrates Cirroc Lofton's Ethiopian culture. All these elements together make Jake Sisko's comeback powerful, resonant, and unforgettable.