Introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s 24th century era, the Maquis were more complex than many Star Trek villains. Like many science fiction sagas, Star Trek often drew clear lines between good guys and bad guys. Captains like James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) had strong morals even outside of the rules and regulations of Starfleet. However, as the television landscape changed and storytelling styles shifted, morally gray characters and antiheroes became more commonplace.

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-maquis-tng-era-villains-explained/