There’s something about beloved Star Trek background characters that really helps its universe feel lived-in and real. While the primary action is taking place, it’s up to the background actors to make the sets look like genuine places where people are going about their business. These are the folks at the bridge stations who aren’t in the opening credits. They’re the assistants to the main characters. They’re the beloved regular faces spotted among the crowds in establishing shots, and the names floating around duty rosters and civilian gossip that remind viewers that there’s more to Star Trek than the captains and chief engineers.
There are so many background characters from all of the Star Trek shows who are beloved by fans, of course. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s Promenade is full of colorful background characters without names or personal histories, like the singing Klingon chef (Ron Taylor). Star Trek: Voyager features recurring background characters, since being stuck in the Delta Quadrant means no new Starfleet officers can join the crew. Star Trek: The Next Generation features background characters who sometimes level up to become proper guest stars, and in one famous case, a series regular: the “most important person in Starfleet” and original lower-decker, Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney). Here are 10 background characters Star Trek fans love.
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10
Lt. M’Ress (Majel Barrett)
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Lt. M’Ress is a Caitian officer with a seat on the USS Enterprise bridge, created for Star Trek: The Animated Series when Star Trek‘s jump to animation meant that the aliens in Star Trek were no longer restrained by what the makeup department could physically create. As the first Caitian in Star Trek, M’Ress sets the standard for the feline alien species, later echoed by Star Trek‘s other animated Caitian, Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman) in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Like many background characters, M’Ress’ cool character design is a top reason for her appeal, but M’Ress earns her spot on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise by being a capable officer. M’Ress’ duties as relief communications officer include communication within the Enterprise as well as to outside vehicles, along with scientific duties as situations arise, similar to the duties of primary communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).
9
Lt. T’Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski)
Star Trek: Picard
The starship action of Star Trek: Picard season 3 takes place primarily aboard the USS Titan-A, and as such, introduces a brand-new bridge crew of younger Starfleet officers, one of which is the Vulcan Lt. T’Veen. T’Veen stands out as both a woman and a Vulcan for her striking bald appearance, marking her look as both novel and unique. Actor Stephanie Czajkowski suggests that T’Veen may have some Deltan ancestry, but in reality, T’Veen’s lack of locks comes from Czajkowski’s own battles with cancer.
When Vadic (Amanda Plummer) commandeers the Titan in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 8, “Surrender”, T’Veen is one of the Titan bridge officers used as leverage against Vadic’s request for Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). At this point in Picard, the Titan’s crew are painted as candidates for a potential spinoff show, but Lt. T’Veen’s shocking death at Vadic’s hand sends the message that no one is safe.
8
Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff)
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Lower Decks
The original claim to fame for Ensign Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff) is being the eager young engineer who unfortunately spills hot chocolate on Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 2, episode 16, “Q Who”. Serving on the USS Enterprise-D with Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is Gomez’s dream job, and the chocolate-covered Captain isn’t going to earn her any high marks. La Forge recognizes Gomez’s talent as an antimatter specialist, and helps Sonya focus, despite the gaffe.
Lycia Naff makes a triumphant return to Star Trek as Captain Sonya Gomez in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, “First First Contact”, commanding the USS Archimedes with the same compassionate focus on problem-solving that La Forge had as Gomez’s mentor. Captain Gomez’s story is proof that Star Trek characters do learn from their earliest mistakes, and can come out on top in the end.
7
Mr. Mot (Ken Thorley)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
In an interesting twist, Mr. Mot is a barber working on the USS Enterprise-D, and happens to be a Bolian, a species that has no hair of their own. Nonetheless, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) says that the civilian Mot is the best barber in Starfleet. There’s more to being a barber than just cutting hair, after all, and Mot’s listening ears are available to anyone who comes to sit in his barbershop chair, as long as they don’t mind receiving a little free advice on the side.
After providing excellent service to the crew on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mot grew even more successful. The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur, which is evident by the presence of Mr. Mot’s Hair Emporium as one of the many businesses in Stardust City, on the planet Freecloud, as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 5, “Stardust City Rag”.
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6
Groundskeeper Boothby (Ray Walston)
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager
Mr. Boothby is a positive influence on generations of Starfleet officers at Starfleet Academy, but one would be wrong to assume that Boothby is an accomplished instructor working to shape young minds, because Boothby works at Starfleet Academy as the head groundskeeper. Groundskeeper Boothby’s no-nonsense approach to the natural development of the Academy’s flora also applies to how Boothby interacts with Starfleet cadets.
Sometimes, Boothby’s advice is harsh, as was the case with Jean-Luc Picard as a Starfleet Academy cadet. But in the end, Boothby always has an uncanny sensibility for knowing exactly how to cultivate the best forms of both botanical specimens and future Starfleet officers.
5
Lt. Kayshon (Carl Tart)
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Lt. Kayshon has the honor of being the first Tamarian in Starfleet, debuting in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 2, “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”, as the USS Cerritos’ new security officer. The Tamarians, first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 2, “Darmok”, have a puzzling metaphorical language reliant on background knowledge of Tamarian culture. The Tamarian phrases from “Darmok” have been adopted by Star Trek fans as a fun way to signal our fandom to each other, so it makes sense that a Tamarian officer should show up on Star Trek: Lower Decks, itself a celebration of Star Trek‘s own weird and wonderful moments.
Kayshon spends more time in the background after his first episode, still part of the USS Cerritos’ security team. The years between “Picard and Dathon at El-Adred” and Kayshon’s assignment to the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks mean the communication gap between Kayshon and the rest of the USS Cerritos’ crew is much smaller than it might have been in the past. Kayshon communicates in Federation Standard, but still slips into Tamarian metaphor from time to time, which just adds new phrases to the Tamarian lexicon.
Selected Tamarian Phrases from Lt. Kayshon | |
|---|---|
“Bazminti, when he pulled back the veil” | An undercover operation |
“Gramble, his throat slit by his mistress” | Carelessness |
“Karno in the forest with Mira” | Gaining weight |
“Koltar, when he drowned in the swamp” | Resigned to an unfortunate situation |
“Life in the cave of Garanoga” | A place that feels like home |
“Rapunki, when he joined the Seven” | Greeting a new group of people |
4
Dr. Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins)
Star Trek: Lower Decks
In Dr. Migleemo, Star Trek: Lower Decks continues the tradition that was established with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on Star Trek: The Next Generation by having a counselor aboard the USS Cerritos. Strictly speaking, Migleemo is not the galaxy’s best counselor, with a whole plateful of food metaphors that don’t always land butter-side-up, but Migleemo’s heart is always in the right place.
Even though Migleemo is bad at his job, it’s in a way that’s not actively harmful, but makes you want to root for him, just like any other lower decker on the Cerritos. Sometimes Migleemo gets it right, after all, like counseling Ensign D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) in the senior science officer training program in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 3, “Mining the Mind’s Mines”.
3
Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) usually has assistants in the background of the USS Enterprise-D’s sick bay, and one of these, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, is a regular background character starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4. Ogawa grows as a character over the course of TNG‘s final four seasons, receiving a full name as of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 18, “Cause and Effect”, and developing as a character through Ogawa’s casual conversations with Dr. Crusher about Alyssa’s dating history.
Nurse Ogawa gets more to do when Ogawa is one of the four USS Enterprise-D junior officers at the heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, “Lower Decks”, focusing on the friendship between often-overlooked characters. Ogawa’s story focuses on Alyssa’s relationship with Lieutenant Andrew Powell, and culminates in their off-screen engagement.
2
Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson)
Star Trek: Discovery
With Lt. Linus, Star Trek: Discovery shows in a casual, but meaningful way what it looks like to actively include someone with unique needs. Arriving in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Lt. Linus is a Saurian science officer who never fails to provide a little levity just by being himself. By all accounts, Linus is well-liked among the USS Discovery’s crew, with plenty of crew members referring to Linus and Saurian customs relatively favorably.
Starfleet easily makes accommodations available for Linus’ differences in biology, granting personal time set aside for annual shedding, and providing heat lamps in Linus’ quarters as needed. After Star Trek: Discovery‘s time jump, Linus takes a little more time to understand the new 32nd-century technology, but he’s never admonished for catching up to the learning curve. Instead, Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers’.
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1
Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Morn is a fixture in Quark’s Bar from the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the perennial barfly occupying the same seat at the end of the table. According to the other patrons at Quark’s, Morn rarely shuts up, but the joke is, of course, that Morn is always cut off before delivering any speaking lines. Instead, the picture of who Morn really is slowly comes together through other people’s comments and conversation about Morn, with the speculation about Morn’s true identity finally coming to a head in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 12, “Who Mourns for Morn”. Morn’s apparent death is a blow to the community and all who knew him, but also reveals surprising facts about DS9‘s Morn, like Morn’s secret riches and tactical mind, confirming that there was more to the enigmatic Lurian than Morn’s signature bar stool.
Sometimes the Star Trek characters who aren’t major players become some of the most beloved characters. When background characters on Star Trek attract the eyes of viewers with interesting character designs or memorable moments, they may wind up in expanded roles as their Star Trek shows go on. These featured background characters will get lines and names, and might even have a major part in an episode or two, but most live out their lives off-screen. From the bridge crew to the lower decks, from Starfleet officers to civilians, it’s the unsung heroes in the background who keep Star Trek moving while the main action is taking place.
Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.
