This past August 19th would have been Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's 92nd birthday. For two sci-fi geeks like us, that's all the excuse we need to talk a little Trek!
In honor of the occasion, we're presenting you with our highly-subjective list of the Top 10 Greatest Trek Characters. (Feel free to weigh in at the comments with the names we missed!)
-- Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is *life*."
TRACY: When
Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, Gene Roddenberry was looking to have a very different crew than the one on
Star Trek. And that started with the Captain. While there is no disputing the allure and charm of Captain Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard is a much different character. Picard is an intelligent, thoughtful leader. Where Kirk often was ready to jump into any adventure, Picard likes to think about his options first. He is a first-class negotiator who will follow the Prime Directive (no interference with developing alien civilizations) at almost any cost.
Some people have stated that Picard is a cold fish, but I believe that is the farthest thing from the truth. He may keep his emotions more hidden than many, but he is devoted to the well-being and safety of all those aboard the
Enterprise. As seen in many episodes of
The Next Generation, his crew is just as devoted to him and will risk their lives for him. This is most evident when Picard is assimilated by the Borg, a hostile alien race, in Season 3. This experience will also shape Picard and will haunt him for a very long time.
"There's greatness in you, but there's not an ounce of humility."
Jim Kirk has always been the kind of guy who bends the rules as needed and is likely to favor action over words. But the new film franchise has given movie-goers a chance to see how Kirk became the character as they've always known him to be. Pine's Kirk starts out brash and hot-headed, but as his story progresses, he's placed into situations where learning humility and responsibility are necessary -- not just to make him less insufferable, but to ensure the safety of the crew that depends on him. The fact that he's willing to learn these lessons for the sake of his crew, more than for the sake of himself, results in a character that truly earns the title of "captain."
With added layers of depth, and a true character arc, Pine's Captain Kirk is both fun to watch and utterly relatable. The result is a character that has become one of my very favorite Trek captains.
(Just don't tell William Shatner.)
"I like this ship! It's *exciting*!"
TRACY: As a fan of the original Star Trek series, I was a little hesitant to see the reboot in 2009 by J.J. Abrams. However, I was quickly won over by all of the characters, but most especially by Scotty. In the film, Scotty is not an original member of the Enterprise. Kirk finds Scotty and his alien friend Keenser at a Starfleet base on a snow-covered planet, where Scotty has been "exiled" for his attempt to beam an admiral's prized beagle to an unknown location.
Scotty's start in the reboot might be a bit different from his origin story in the original series, but he's just as resourceful an engineer. Through his transwarp-beaming theories, he's able to beam Kirk and himself onto the Enterprise and, therefore, help save the day. Scotty has always had to be resourceful, but in Star Trek: Into Darkness, we also get to see a man who stands up for what he thinks is right, and who also gets to have a wee bit more adventure than his Original Series character ever did.
-- Dr. Julian Bashir (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
"The eternal optimist."
"Guilty as charged."
MS. B: Deep Space Nine has long been regarded as the black sheep of the Trek family. With its darker themes and shades-of-gray characterizations, it's a somewhat unusual series in a franchise whose focus has always been on celebrating the best aspects of humanity. Which is precisely what made Julian Bashir such a beloved character of mine.
At the start of the show, Dr. Bashir is a newly graduated doctor whose bright-eyed enthusiasm and cheerful audacity grates at the nerves of more than a few of his co-workers. Some of his never-say-die optimism is a result of his naivety -- and, indeed, over the seasons, Bashir has his deepest morals and convictions challenged time and time again. But despite his experiences, Bashir never loses sight of his belief in the best of people, always keeping his "Starfleet ideals" firmly intact.
"I have been, and always shall be, your friend."
TRACY: Okay, I have two Spocks here. But I couldn't pick between the two! I find them both so fascinating!
As first officer to James Kirk, Spock (from the original series) is a balance to Kirk's more devil-may-care attitude. But he is also Kirk's must trusted friend and advisor. Spock can always be relied upon to provide the most logical answer to any question or situation. Spock and Kirk, in the reboot, have a rocky start to their friendship. But this too turns into a trusted friendship, after some advice to reboot Spock from original series Spock. Throughout the original series/films and the new series of films, that friendship is at the heart of these stories.
Spock is the son of Sarek, a Vulcan dignitary, and Amanda, a human. This dichotomy of cultures is a struggle that Spock faces on a constant basis. Vulcans are a logical species who suppress their emotions -- while humans are an emotional and, often times, volatile species. Spock seems to want to deny the part of him that is human, the part that does not always suppress his emotions. But when faced with the loss of people very dear to him, we see Spock let his emotions get the better of him, like many humans would do in the same situation.
"Do you consider yourself superior to humans?"
"I am superior, sir, in many ways. But I would gladly give it up to be human."
MS. B: Partly inspired by the writings of sci-fi author
Isaac Asmiov, Data would quickly develop into a wholly original character. An officer on the
Enterprise, Data is an android -- a robot that appears to be human, but who is tougher, stronger, and faster than any human could ever be. With a computer for a brain, Data's also got the ability to make calculations that are always immediate and accurate, although it also leaves him unable to master the more subtle intricacies of human behavior and emotion.
For all his superior abilities, Data's fondest wish remains to be human. Throughout the seven-season run (and four feature films) of The Next Generation, Data never ceases striving towards what may be an unreachable goal. Still, it is his unfailing determination to rise to such challenges that reminds viewers of what being human is all about.
"I've told you what you must do. You have only your trust in me to help you decide to do it."
TRACY: Guinan is one of the most interesting and compelling characters in all of the Star Trek universe. When Guinan joins the Enterprise, she is already over 600 years old. She comes from a race of listeners, which helps her in her capacity as hostess/bartender of the ship's lounge, Ten Forward.
She is also an old and very special friend of Captain Picard's. Actually, they both say that their relationship goes beyond friendship. Picard trusts her advice, like he trusts no other. Many times he has taken her advice when it seemed to go against his better judgment. But, in the end, Guinan's intuition usually is right.
-- Garak (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
"The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination."
MS. B: Originally intended as a
spear carrier on
Deep Space Nine, Garak would evolve to become one of the most complex and intriguing characters in the history of Trek. A shop owner on the DS9 space station, Garak is trapped on the station after being exiled from his home planet. Precisely why he is in exile, however, is a mystery. So is his previous occupation, in which he was probably a spy, despite his insistence that he's never been more than a "plain, simple tailor."
Tailor or spy, there's no denying that Garak always knows more than he's telling -- especially since he's not about to tell the truth when a lie will do. And as layers of his past are gradually revealed, the audience is still not always sure exactly whose side Garak is on. Mysterious, complex, and with an unbeatable sense of humor, Garak remains a favored character of many Deep Space Nine fans.
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| "Sir, I protest! I am not a merry man!" |
TRACY: As a Klingon, Worf would never have been able to serve upon the Enterprise of the original series. In the 23rd century, humans and Klingons were enemies. But a century later, there was a fragile peace that allowed Worf to become a member of Starfleet. Worf is a complex character that struggles with his upbringing on Earth by humans who adopted him as a child, his place as an officer on the Enterprise, and his natural intensity as a Klingon.
Despite what seems like his great annoyance with humans, he develops very strong and meaningful relationships with many of his crew mates. One of those was with Security Officer Natasha Yar, who was somewhat of a role model for him when he unexpectedly had to take on her position after her untimely death. His friendship with Counselor Deanna Troi also has a profound affect on him throughout the years, as she gives him a calm and reassuring person to turn to.
"Your faith seems to have led you to something of a contradiction."
"I don't see it as a contradiction."
MS. B: The second-in-command on Starfleet's Deep Space Nine space station, Major Kira Nerys is a Bajoran -- a people who have just come out of a forty-year period of being occupied by an alien race. Kira herself had a rough childhood, growing up in a refugee camp and losing both her parents at a young age. When we meet her on the station, she is tough, guarded, and very, very angry.
Over the course of the series, Kira works away at the anger, sadness, and fear left in her from her days as a Resistance fighter, gradually overcoming her pain with help from both her friends and her strong religious faith. The definite character arc and development that Kira is given makes her one of the most complex and compelling figures in the series -- an honor afforded to few other female Trek characters.
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Post by Tracy and Ms. B
