Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery’s Series Finale – “Life, Itself”

Star Trek: Discovery‘s ending set a record for Star Trek promotions by creating two new Starfleet Admirals. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 10, “Life, Itself”, concluded the series by resolving Captain Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) hunt for the Progenitors’ life-creating technology. Discovery‘s finale also ended with an emotional coda that jumps 30+ years into the future where Admiral Michael Burnham led the USS Discovery on her final mission.

Star Trek: Discovery became known for having a musical Captain’s chair early on in its 5-season run. Several people served as Captain of the USS Discovery, including Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs), the Mirror Universe’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), Admiral Katrina Cornwell (Jayne Brook), Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) of the USS Enterprise, and Saru (Doug Jones). This instability built towards the promotion of Discovery’s final Captain, Michael Burnham herself. However, at the end of Star Trek: Discovery, both Burnham and Saru rose even higher up Starfleet’s ranks.

Discovery’s Burnham and Saru Set A Star Trek Record For Promotions

Neither Burnhan nor Saru will become Badmirals

By the end of Star Trek: Discovery‘s series finale, Michael Burnham and Saru were both promoted to Admiral. This means that in the course of Star Trek: Discovery‘s 5 seasons, audiences saw Saru and Burnham set a Star Trek record by starting off as Commanders and First Officers, becoming Captains, and finally Admirals – all during the run of their series. While other Captains like James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) became Admirals, their promotions came after their Star Trek series concluded. Each step of Burnham and Saru’s rise to Starfleet flag officers took place over the course of Star Trek: Discovery.

It wasn’t a direct climb up Starfleet’s ladder for either Saru or Michael Burnham. Captain Saru spent Star Trek: Discovery season 4 as the USS Discovery’s First Officer, and he left Starfleet to become a Federation Ambassador in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. But Saru’s promotion to Admiral was official at the Kelpien’s wedding to President T’Rina (Tara Rosling). Of course, Burnham was infamously Starfleet’s first mutineer and served as a non-commissioned Specialist upon her release from prison in Star Trek: Discovery season 1. Michael was reinstalled as a Commander before becoming Captain at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 3, and finally, Michael became Admiral Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery’s series finale epilogue.

Discovery Had More Starfleet Promotions Than Any Other Star Trek Show

Career advancement is a staple of the USS Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery saw more Starfleet promotions overall than any other Star Trek series. Nearly every crew member of the USS Discovery rose up the ranks throughout Star Trek: Discovery‘s 5 seasons. Ensign Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) became a Lieutenant and had two stints as Discovery’s First Officer, and Lt. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) became a Commander. The USS Discovery’s bridge crew members like Lt. Commanders Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts), Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo), and Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) all got promoted as well. In this way, Discovery was perhaps the most realistic Star Trek series when it comes to career advancement.

Promotions certainly happened in other Star Trek series, but never so many in the same show. For example, Worf (Michael Dorn) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) received promotions in Star Trek: The Next Generation, while Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) became Captain and Colonel, respectively, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Still, Star Trek: Discovery tops the Star Trek legacy series when it comes to characters rising up the ranks. And Star Trek: Discovery‘s command duo of Michael Burnham and Saru impressively set a Star Trek record by jumping from Commanders to Admirals before their show was over.