One of the most celebrated elements of the Star Trek franchise has always been its characters, and a lot of great new faces have been added to the Trek family in the last 20 years. After the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, there would be no new Star Trek for four years. J.J. Abrams 2009 Star Trek film brought Trek back to the big screen and proved that audiences were still interested in the adventures of starship captains and space exploration. However, it was not until 2017 that Star Trek returned to television with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) launching a new era of Star Trek TV series.
Since Discovery, four other Star Trek shows have premiered, introducing both entirely new characters and new versions of classic characters. For the purposes of this list, the characters from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films count as “new,” since those films take place in the alternate Kelvin Timeline and the crew of the USS Enterprise lives different lives than their Prime Timeline counterparts. However, characters such as Ethan Peck’s Spock or Anson Mount’s Christopher Captain Pike do not count as “new,” despite being played by different actors, since they are younger versions of previously introduced Prime universe Star Trek characters. In celebration of Screen Rant’s 20th anniversary, here are 20 of the best Star Trek characters introduced since 2003.
20 Oded Fehr as Admiral Charles Vance
Throughout Star Trek’s history, Starfleet admirals often serve as antagonists for the main characters, but Admiral Vance defies that trend in Star Trek: Discovery. As the commander and chief of Starfleet in the 32nd century, Vance met with the crew of the USS Discovery soon after they arrived in the future. He is fair and level-headed, and does his best to help the Discovery and her crew find their place in what’s left of the Federation. Vance listens to the advice and recommendations of Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the other members of the Discovery crew, and is ultimately willing to sacrifice himself to save as many lives as possible.
19 Isa Briones as Soji (& Dahj, Kore Soong, & Sutra)
When she first appeared in Star Trek: Picard season 1, Soji was working on the Borg cube known as the Artifact. She believed herself to be fully human, but soon began to discover discrepancies in her past. She eventually realized that she was an advanced synthetic android created by Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales) and Dr. Altan Soong (Brent Spiner). After Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) found her on the Artifact, Soji journeyed with him to the planet Coppelius where she was created. Isa Briones portrayed not only Soji, but also her twin sister Dahj, another synthetic called Sutra, and Kore, a 21st-century clone created by Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) in Picard season 2.
18 Melanie Scrofano as Captain Marie Batel
Melanie Scrofano’s Captain Marie Batel made her Star Trek debut in the premiere episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as a starship Captain who was also the girlfriend of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Since then, Batel has proven to be a competent captain who can more than hold her own in a crisis. Marie and Pike may have had some communication issues, but they worked through them in Strange New Worlds excellent musical episode. In the finale of Strange New Worlds season 2, Captain Batel is attacked by the Gorn and infected with Gorn eggs. As Captain Pike struggles with an impossible decision against the Gorn, Batel’s life hangs in the balance.
17 Bruce Horak as Lt. Hemmer
Bruce Horak’s Lt. Hemmer turned out to be one of the most surprising characters to be introduced in Strange New Worlds season 1. As a blind engineer and one of the only members of the Aenar species in Starfleet, Hemmer was one of Star Trek’s most unique new characters. Despite Hemmer’s tragic death in Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 9, “All Those Who Wander,” he continues to have a presence in the show. He acted as a mentor and father figure to Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and she often reminisces about her time with him.
16 Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw
As a new addition to the cast of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Todd Stashwick’s Captain Shaw made quite the impression with his first appearance. In his first scene, Shaw disrespects two of Star Trek’s most legendary characters, Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Admiral Picard. This did not exactly endear him to fans, which makes his journey over the course of the season all the more impressive. Captain Shaw became a breakout fan-favorite character, making his death in episode 9, “Vox,” all the more devastating. Despite the character’s death, Stashwick has confirmed that Liam Shaw will return if the proposed Picard spin-off, Star Trek: Legacy, gets made.
15 Jason Isaacs as Captain Gabriel Lorca
In one of Star Trek’s best plot twists, Star Trek: Discovery revealed that Jason Isaacs’ Captain Gabriel Lorca was actually his Mirror Universe counterpart masquerading as Prime universe Lorca. Extremely manipulative and cunning, Lorca managed to keep his secret for a while, but Michael Burnham eventually discovered his true nature. Jason Isaacs made Lorca an incredibly compelling character and a very different kind of Starfleet captain. Although mirror universe Lorca was killed by Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), the ultimate fate of his prime counterpart remains unknown.
14 Ed Speleers as Ensign Jack Crusher
As the son of Captain Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Jack Crusher has a lot to live up to. Although he spent much of Star Trek: Picard season 3 on the run from Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer), Jack proved to be compassionate and clever. In the finale of Picard season 3, Jack Crusher joins Starfleet and lands a position on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-G as the special counselor to Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Jack was also visited by Picard’s old nemesis/friend the omnipotent being known as Q (John de Lancie). With these two storylines, Jack has been set up to be one of the main characters in the proposed Picard spin-off, Star Trek: Legacy.
13 David Ajala as Cleveland Booker
When Michael Burnham flew through the wormhole into the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery, she collided with the ship of Cleveland Booker. Over the next year, Book and Burnham worked together several times before the USS Discovery arrived through the wormhole about a year after Burnham had. Before long, Book, a member of the Kwejian species, began helping Discovery and the Federation, and he and Burnham began a romantic relationship. Booker’s strong sense of justice sometimes conflicts with the ideals of the Federation, but the character is a wonderful addition to the cast of Discovery.
12 Noël Wells as Lt. D’Vana Tendi
Star Trek: Lower Decks introduced several fun new characters to the Star Trek universe, and Tendi is one of the best. With her infectious enthusiasm and dedication to Starfleet, she has almost single-handedly redefined Orions as a species. Despite her past as a pirate known as the Mistress of the Winter Constellations, Tendi strives to change the way people view Orions. Tendi works in the science division on the USS Cerritos and, in Lower Decks season 4, she has made it her mission to become best friends with the new Vulcan science officer, T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz).
11 Rylee Alazraqui as Rok-Tahk
Despite being designated as a security officer because of her size and strength, Rok-Tahk discovered she had a passion for science while on the USS Protostar. In the early episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy, the young Brikar doubted herself, but over time she has begun to come into her own. Her gentle kindness and determination to help her friends have proven useful on more than one occasion. Rok-Tahk is such a sweet character and watching her slowly find her place on the ship and grow her confidence has been one of the best parts of Prodigy.
10 Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas
As the helmsman of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Lt. Ortegas shows off her incredible piloting skills. Her confidence in her own abilities is well-earned, as she can navigate the ship through debris and asteroid fields with apparent ease. Ortegas has been a reliably witty scene-stealer in Strange New Worlds’ first two seasons and, hopefully, future seasons will give Erica the chance to take more of the spotlight. Ortegas has a history that involves fighting in the Klingon War, which could prove useful as she is trapped aboard a Gorn ship at the end of Strange New Worlds season 2.
9 Christina Chong as Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh
As Chief of Security on the Enterprise on Strange New Worlds, Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh keeps an eye out for any threats to security and ensures the safety of the crew. As a child, La’an and her entire colony were captured by the Gorn, and she was the only one to make it out alive. Not only did La’an have a traumatic childhood, but she also carries the burden of having notorious dictator Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) as an ancestor. Throughout the first two seasons of Strange New Worlds, La’an has really opened up as a character, and become one of the best new additions to the Star Trek family.
8 Michelle Yeoh as Emperor (& Captain) Phillipa Georgiou
Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh portrayed two different versions of Phillipa Georgiou on Star Trek: Discovery. While the Prime universe Georgiou was killed by Klingons in Discovery season 1, her Mirror Universe counterpart was brought to the prime universe. This Georgiou then traveled with the USS Discovery to the 32nd century, but she soon began experiencing painful flashbacks caused by her displacement in dimensions and time. In her search for a cure, Georgiou traveled through the portal guarded by the Guardian of Forever and was sent to an unknown time period. Georgiou had a fascinating character arc on Discovery and the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 film will explore more of her story.
7 Zoe Saldaña as Lt. Nyota Uhura
J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) revitalized the franchise by brilliantly recasting many of the characters from Star Trek: The Original Series. On TOS, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) did not always have the most to do beyond declaring that hailing frequencies were open. The version of Uhura in the Kelvin timeline brought new life to the character, allowing her to become a lead alongside Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock. Zoe Saldaña channels elements of Nichols’ original performance into her portrayal, but also brings a new sense of confidence to the character.
6 Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Karl Urban’s take on the irascible Dr. McCoy became one of the best things to come out of the Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies. Urban does a wonderful job at channeling DeForest Kelley’s original performance while also updating the character for modern audiences. While attending Starfleet Academy, McCoy became close friends with James Kirk, and “Bones” later gets promoted to Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise. Despite his tendency towards exasperation and sarcasm, McCoy is a deeply compassionate man who places the health and safety of his patients above all else.
5 Tawny Newsome as Lt. Beckett Mariner
Beckett Mariner may have a penchant for breaking the rules on Star Trek: Lower Decks, but she is also an incredibly intelligent and skilled Starfleet officer. She serves under the command of her mother, Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis), on the USS Cerritos and often gets involved in crazy antics with her best friend and partner in crime, Lt. Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid). Despite her obvious qualifications, Mariner intentionally sabotages her own career in order to remain a Lower Decker. Mariner has a big heart, though she often keeps it hidden, and she has become one of the most complex and compelling characters in Lower Decks.
4 Jack Quaid as Lt. Brad Boimler
Jack Quaid brings such a fun, chaotic energy to the animated version of Lt. Brad Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks, and he brought that same energy when Boimler crossed over to live action in Strange New Worlds. Although Boimler has considerable intelligence and skill, he often gets in his own way due to his anxiety and tendency to overthink things. In later seasons of Lower Decks, Boimler’s confidence has continued to grow, and he has the potential to be a great starship captain one day. Lt. Boimler often acts as a fan-insert character, geeking out about things like meeting Captain Christopher Pike or getting Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) to sign his commemorative plate.
3 Michelle Hurd as Commander Raffi Musiker
The troubled, indomitable Commander Raffi Musiker joined Admiral Picard for the adventures of the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard, before later joining Starfleet Intelligence. Picard season 3 revealed Raffi’s Starfleet Intelligence handler to be none other than Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), who proved to be a valued mentor and friend. In the finale of Picard season 3, Raffi is assigned to the newly rechristened Enterprise-G as its First Officer under the command of Captain Seven of Nine, her on-again/off-again love interest. Michelle Hurd’s emotionally complex performances turned the wounded Raffi into a breakthrough Star Trek character who continually overcomes her demons to do what’s right.
2 Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
Star Trek: Discovery is built upon its central heroine, and Sonequa Martin-Green has brought a wonderful warmth, vulnerability, and fierceness to Captain Michael Burnham. Perhaps the most revolutionary character in modern Star Trek, Burnham is a genius who wears her heart on her sleeve and has a strong sense of right and wrong. Michael overcoming her fatal mistake at the start of Discovery allowed her, and the series, to reassess what Starfleet truly stands for. Burnham has grown into an accomplished and confident Captain of the USS Discovery after the ship was sent over 900 years into the future. While Burnham’s relationship with her foster brother Spock and their parents was interesting, Michael truly came into her own after Discovery let her move on from her upbringing on Vulcan and her connections to Spock to Burnham continuously save the galaxy.
1 Doug Jones as Captain Saru
As the first Kelpien to leave his homeworld of Kaminar, Captain Saru embodies the Starfleet ideal of exploration, acceptance, and co-existence. Not only is Saru a member of a new and unique alien species, but he truly feels like a classic Star Trek character. The compassionate, wise, and trustworthy Saru is the most compelling non-human character Star Trek has introduced in this generation. Throughout his time on Star Trek: Discovery, Saru has evolved from a timid officer into a confident Captain in one of the best story arcs of modern Star Trek, and his relationship with Vulcan President T’Rina (Tara Rosling) is a fascinating romance. With his nuanced portrayal, Doug Jones imbues Saru with kindness, warmth, and unbreakable loyalty, making the Kelpien hero a perfect character to top off this list of the best Star Trek characters introduced in the last 20 years.
