BIG EARS NO FEARS!!!

It was definitely tricky. Quark does some pretty terrible things early in the show, notably in "The Passenger" and "Invasive Procedures," which probably could have made the character deeply unlikeable. I think what mollifies that are a few of things:

Armin is a terrific actor and keeps the character relatable even when doing despicable things.

Quark isn't doing anything wrong by HIS culture. He's a very moral Ferengi and we tried to convey to the audience that everything he did was motivated, at least in part, by his culture. Additionally, Quark evolved over time to become more culturally flexible (settling the strike in "Bar Association" for example) and more "good" from a human perspective.

Quark never means to hurt anyone. Even when he arms bad guys or lets them onto the station, he doesn't directly harm anyone. In his mind, he's just a merchant providing goods and services and it someone does something bad with those goods and services, well, that's on them.

Worth noting, Quark has several redeeming qualities. He loves his family. He's a convivial host and a good listener. He treats his customers relatively well. He's also the least violent character in the entire cast, barring maybe Jake. And he's a snappy dresser!

Quark is funny. Viewers will often forgive the sins of funny characters more readily than humorless ones.

Quark's worse transgressions often backfire on him, making him suffer at least as much as anyone else. This is common with comedic characters and an old trick to keeping them likable.

Quark is, on the balance, more helpful than harmful to the rest of the characters. During the Occupation, Quark helped the Resistance, and while he got paid, he still took tremendous risks on their behalf. In the pilot, Sisko identifies Quark as a key member of the station community, to the point of forcing him to stay. Sisko sees his value and hopefully that helps the audience see it too.

So the creative team spent a good deal of thought and effort on keeping Quark likable despite his misdeeds. I think we succeeded for most viewers, though there are probably many who never warmed to his character.

Still, keeping Quark likable was an effort. It was definitely harder than doing the same for Garak, largely because Garak was recurring and never really a hero. Garak's moral ambiguity is part of his charm. Quark was a regular and viewers, especially back then, expected series regulars to be "good guys." That said, we didn't want Quark to be a pure hero, but we still wanted viewrs to like him. It was definitely, as you say, a balancing act.

Like I just love "Guy who sneaks into the offices of famous Starfleet captains to take a picture of himself behind their desk". It's both:

Perfectly plausible for there to be someone like that.

Sea Trek: Deep Sea Nine

(Previously: Voyager)

After the island of Bajor throws off its Dutch occupiers, a small force of Siennese troops move into an offshore fortress to keep an eye on things. But before they are unpacked, a supernatural maelstrom opens up offshore that connects to the ocean on the far side of the planet, and Bajor abruptly becomes the hottest piece of real estate in the world! And not just pineapples will come through – a new enemy worse than anything Bajor has ever seen waits on the far side, deep in the abyss.

Beniamino Sevieri: A traumatized but passionate commander, whose hopes of having a quiet life on DS9 are thwarted when the Bajorans declare him their Emissary. (Have you ever actually tried to sit down and describe Sisko in just a couple adjectives? It’s not easy.)

Jacopo Sevieri: Beniamino’s son, an aspiring scribe.

Kira Nerys: A former member of the Bajoran Resistance, now Sevieri’s second-in-command, who is wary of the Siennese presence.

Odo: Like Squidward, Odo is a benthic cephalopod who merges his tentacles into a pair of legs to walk like a humanoid.

Miles O’Brien: pain and suffering incarnate

Bashir Julani: A brilliant young doctor from the Mamluk Sultanate.

Cork: A greedy, devious, and untrustworthy sea goblin who operates a seedy wine-den.

Jacinth: A member of the Witches of Troy, a cult founded by Cassandra that are able to move their minds between bodies.

Worf: A reserved, socially awkward, unintentionally intimidating great white shark with a heart of gold.

Admiral de Cloet: The commander of the Dutch occupation, who shows back up now and again to make life difficult.

Elias Gerritsen: The last Dutchman left on DS9, a tailor.

Keiko: O’Brien’s wife, who is fascinated by the unique flora of Bajor and teaches some of the children on the island.

Nog and Rom: Cork’s nephew and brother, respectively an ambitious cadet-in-training and a jumpy schlemiel.

Weyoun: Jeffrey Combs

Gowron: Leader of the Shark Empire, a bigeye thresher.

Martok: A respected shark general.