20 Awesome Women In Star Trek

Summary

• Star Trek celebrates strong female characters in leadership roles, reflecting a vision of equality in a futuristic utopia.
• Iconic women like Lt. Uhura and Captain Burnham have paved the way for diversity and inclusivity in the Star Trek universe.
• From powerful captains to clever doctors and empathetic counselors, the women of Star Trek bring compassion, intelligence, and strength.

Star Trek has introduced an incredible cast of truly amazing women throughout its nearly 60-year history. In the utopian future of Star Trek, women can climb the ranks of Starfleet to achieve the same positions of authority as their male counterparts. While this ideal was somewhat hindered by the landscape of the 1960s, modern Star Trek fully embraces Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a peaceful future where all kinds are welcome. From Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) on Star Trek: The Original Series to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) on Star Trek: Discovery, every Star Trek series has included great female characters.

Since Star Trek: The Original Series and its movies, women have served as Starfleet Captains, Admirals, and everything in between. Star Trek: Discovery even introduced a new United Federation of Planets President in Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) and a Vulcan President of Ni’Var, T’Rina (Tara Rosling). Not only were both of these women incredibly intelligent and great at their jobs, but they were also compassionate and authentic in the best way. A true list of amazing Star Trek women would include far more than 20 characters, but nevertheless, here are 20 of Star Trek’s greatest female characters.

20 Commander Ro Laren

Portrayed by Michelle Forbes

Ro Laren only appeared in eight episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and one of Star Trek: Picard, but she remains one of the franchise’s most memorable and compelling recurring characters. Introduced in the TNG season 5 episode, “Ensign Ro,” the fiery Bajoran Ensign Ro was impulsive and slow to trust, but she was also incredibly clever and able to adapt to any situation.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) became a mentor to Ro, and he was devastated when she later decided to join the rebel group known as the Maquis.

Ro followed her heart and her strong sense of morality in joining the Maquis, determined to stand against injustice even if it meant betraying Starfleet. Ro was later recruited by Starfleet Intelligence. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Ro remains strong in her moral convictions in her eventual confrontation with Admiral Picard decades after her betrayal. Despite their differences, Ro trusted Picard to do the right thing, and her paranoia regarding the Changeling infiltration of Starfleet turned out to be well-founded.

19 Guinan

Portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg & Ito Aghayere

As the enigmatic Ten Forward bartender on the USS Enterprise-D, Guinan patiently listened to the troubles of the ship’s crew members and offered advice. Guinan was one of Picard’s closest friends and one of the few people he would approach for counsel. With her understated sense of humor, Guinan had a knack for pointing people in the right direction and getting them to come to realizations on their own.

Guinan was eventually revealed to be a member of the El-Aurian species, an extremely long-lived race of listeners.

Guinan returned in Star Trek: Picard season 2, when Picard sought her out in the 21st century at 10 Forward Avenue in Los Angeles. This younger Guinan (Ito Aghayere) did not yet know Jean-Luc Picard, but she helped him anyway, pointing him in the direction of the Watcher he was searching for and contacting Q (John de Lancie).

18 Dr. Beverly Crusher

Portrayed by Gates McFadden

For six seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation,Dr. Beverly Crusher served as the Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Dr. Crusher’s medical and scientific knowledge helped save the Enterprise crew on multiple occasions, and her profound compassion made her a great doctor. Beverly often served as the moral compass of TNG and she was one of the few Enterprise crew members who would openly challenge Captain Picard.

Beverly managed to be a skilled doctor, an intelligent scientist, and a good mother to her son Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), and she did all three jobs with distinction. Dr. Crusher returned with a bang in Star Trek: Picard season 3, having spent the last twenty years traveling the galaxy helping those in need. Dr. Crusher remained an excellent doctor and had also learned her way around a ship’s weapons system.

Beverly and Jean-Luc spent much of
TNG
denying their obvious feelings for one another, and never officially became a couple on the show. However,
Picard
season 3 revealed that Beverly and Jean-Luc did spend a night together which resulted in the birth of their son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers).

17 Counselor Deanna Troi

Portrayed by Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi may not have always gotten the best storylines on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but she was nevertheless a vital member of the USS Enterprise-D crew. As a half-Betazoid, Troi could sense the emotions of those around her, which proved useful on numerous occasions. In many ways, Troi was the heart of TNG and her skill as a counselor helped the Enterprise crew function together well.

Deanna Troi’s relationship with Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) became one of Star Trek’s greatest romances, as evidenced by their return in Star Trek: Picard season 1. Deanna finally got to save the day in Star Trek: Picard season 3, as her empathic abilities and connection with Riker allowed her to save the lives of her friends from the Borg.

16 Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax

Portrayed by Terry Farrell

Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax was the Science Officer on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. As a joined Trill, Jadzia was the eighth host for the Dax symbiote, whose previous host had been close friends with Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). With the knowledge and experience of seven previous lives, Jadzia had a passion for life and was very comfortable in her own skin.

When Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) joined the cast of DS9, he later fell in love with Jadzia, and the two have one of Star Trek’s greatest love stories. Jadzia had a particular appreciation for Klingon warrior culture, and she truly brought out the best in Worf. Not only did Jadzia have a fun and infectious personality, but she was also an incredibly capable and intelligent Starfleet officer who wasn’t afraid to stand up for her convictions.

Tragically, Jadzia was killed by a Pah-wraith-possessed Dukat (Marc Alaimo), and her symbiote was transferred to Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer).

15 Major Kira Nerys

Portrayed by Nana Visitor

As the Bajoran liaison officer on Starfleet space station Deep Space 9, Major Kira served as Captain Sisko’s second-in-command. Prior to her position on DS9, Kira had been part of the Bajoran Resistance fighting back against the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. With her passion for the Bajoran people and her strong moral values, Kira proved to be vital in the fight against the Dominion.

With her warrior’s heart and strong sense of justice, Kira remains one of Star Trek’s strongest and most capable characters.

Even after the Dominion took over DS9, Kira continued to fight against them, eventually helping Starfleet retake the station. Kira took over command of the space station when Sisko disappeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s series finale. With her warrior’s heart and strong sense of justice, Kira remains one of Star Trek’s strongest and most capable characters, regardless of gender.

14 Lt. B’Elanna Torres

Portrayed by Roxann Dawson

Because of her Klingon half, B’Elanna Torres sometimes felt like an outsider at Starfleet Academy, and she got in trouble with her instructors on multiple occasions. Despite her intelligence and engineering prowess, she dropped out of the Academy and joined the Maquis, eventually ending up on the USS Voyager. B’Elanna may have been headstrong, but she was also resourceful, intelligent, and brave.

Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) initially thought B’Elanna was too much of a loose cannon to be the USS Voyager’s Chief Engineer, but B’Elanna later proved she had no trouble coming up with innovative solutions to keep the ship running. B’Elanna’s romance with Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) helped soften her cold exterior and gave her the chance to find happiness, but she never truly lost her tenacious side.

13 Captain Seven of Nine

Portrayed by Jeri Ryan

Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine has come a long way since her introduction on Star Trek: Voyager as a Borg drone. Not only didSeven prove that Borg drones could be rehabilitated, but she became a valuable member of the ship’s crew in her own right. Seven’s journey to rediscover her humanity became one of Voyager’s best storylines, and Seven joined the ranks of Star Trek’s best characters.

Seven returned in Star Trek: Picard, eventually becoming Captain of the USS Enterprise-G. Despite her no-nonsense attitude, Seven cared deeply about the people around her and would do anything to keep them safe. Between Seven’s relationship with Commander Raffi Musiker and her adventures with Admiral Picard, she became a more fully realized character in Star Trek: Picard than she had been on Voyager.

12 Admiral Kathryn Janeway

Portrayed by Kate Mulgrew

On Star Trek: Voyager, Kate Mulgrew’s Kathryn Janeway more than lived up to the task of being the first female Captain to lead a Star Trek show​​​​​​. Janeway commanded the USS Voyager on its seven-year journey through the unexplored Delta Quadrant, facing off against powerful enemies and establishing first contact with several new species. Janway proved herself to be a strong leader numerous times over, as she was faced with impossible decision after impossible decision.

Janeway made a great Captain who was extremely dedicated and loyal to her crew.

After the USS Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant, no one would have blamed Janeway for seeking an early retirement, but she continued to devote her life to serving Starfleet. Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral and continued to passionately fight for the Federation’s ideals. With her strong moral convictions and caring nature, Janeway made a great Captain who was extremely dedicated and loyal to her crew.

11 Ensign Hoshi Sato

Portrayed by Linda Park

Hoshi Sato served as the linguist and communications officer on the Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). When the Enterprise NX-01 set out on its historic mission to explore the galaxy, universal translator technology had not yet been perfected, making Ensign Sato vital to the ship’s crew. Her knowledge of Klingon and Vulcan, in particular, as well as her ability to quickly translate new languages, often came in handy.

With her intelligence, kindness, her fear of the transporters, and her initial nerves about serving on the Enterprise, Hoshi was more relatable than many of the larger-than-life characters that often popular Federation starships. Because of her position on Archer’s Enterprise and her contributions to universal translation technology, Sato became an incredibly important historical figure.

10 Sub-Commander T’Pol

Portrayed by Jolene Blalock

Sub-Commander T’Pol initially joined the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 as an observer for the Vulcan High Command, but she later became an integral member of the ship’s crew. As the first Vulcan to serve aboard a human starship for a significant amount of time, T’Pol was not immediately trusted by her shipmates. T’Pol was not exactly comfortable with her posting, either, as the only Vulcan among a crew of overly emotional humans.

T’Pol could be severe, and she held tight control over her emotions, but she felt just as deeply as any Vulcan. Over time, she warmed up to her crewmates and they came to rely on her as their First Officer. T’Pol had a particularly contentious relationship with Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), that eventually blossomed into a charming romantic relationship that unfortunately ended in tragedy. It’s safe to say that without T’Pol’s experience and intelligence, the Enterprise NX-01’s voyages would not have been successful.

9 Lt. Sylvia Tilly

Portrayed by Mary Wiseman

When Star Trek: Discovery began, Sylvia Tilly was a young, enthusiastic cadet who had her heart set on becoming a Starfleet Captain. Throughout her journey on Discovery, Tilly gained confidence as a person and as a leader. An incredibly intelligent scientist, Tilly’s passion for learning new things is infectious, and her ideas saved the USS Discovery on numerous occasions.

An incredibly intelligent scientist, Tilly’s passion for learning new things is infectious.

Despite their very different personalities, Tilly and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) remain one of Star Trek’s best examples of female friendship. By the end of Star Trek: Discovery’s five seasons, Tilly had found her new calling as an instructor for young cadets at the newly reopened Starfleet Academy of the 32nd century. It remains to be seen whether Tilly will appear in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but the show will feel lacking without her.

8 Emperor Philippa Georgiou

Portrayed by Michelle Yeoh

Like many of the women on this list, Emperor Philippa Georgiou changed a lot from her first appearance to her last. Having grown up in the brutal Mirror Universe, Georgiou was cold, calculating, and sometimes cruel. She was never afraid to take what she wanted, and it was largely the influence of Michael Burnham that helped Georgiou change her ways.

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh made Georgiou compelling from the start, and she became a mother-like figure to Michael, just as her Prime Universe counterpart had been.

Even as Georgiou grew as a character, she remained unapologetically herself, brutally honest, impulsive, and incredibly resilient. Georgiou traveled with the USS Discovery to the 32nd century but soon began experiencing disorienting flashbacks due to being displaced in both time and dimension. She was eventually sent back in time and will lead the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 film.

Michelle Yeoh also portrayed the generous and heroic Captain Philippa Georgiou of the Prime Universe in
Star Trek: Discovery.

7 Captain Michael Burnham

Portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green

Captain Michael Burnham had a singular journey on Star Trek: Discovery, going from being one of Starfleet’s most notorious figures to becoming a celebrated Admiral. With her compassion and willingness to risk everything for the people she cares about, Burnham has many qualities in common with Star Trek’s greatest captains. Thanks in no small part to Sonequa Martin-Green’s stellar performance, Michael Burnham quickly became one of Star Trek’s greatest new characters.

Burnham and her USS Discovery crew became family, as they abandoned their lives to save the galaxy by traveling to the 32nd century. In the far future, Michael truly came into her own, becoming one of the most important players in the fractured Federation. Intelligent and passionate, Burnham put her trust in her Discovery family, who could find a creative solution to any problem and always found a way to emerge victorious.

6 Commander Raffi Musiker

Portrayed by Michelle Hurd

Introduced in Star Trek: Picard season 1, Raffi Musiker had a major chip on her shoulder, but she knew how to get things done. After Picard resigned from Starfleet, Raffi struggled with substance abuse until she got pulled into another adventure with Jean-Luc. Raffi’s skills in tactics and hacking proved useful during Picard’s off-the-books mission, but she eventually found her way back to Starfleet.

By Star Trek:Picard season 3, Raffi was working with Starfleet Intelligence and discovered her handler was none other than Captain Worf. Raffi had loosened up some by this point and made a great partner for the ever-stoic Klingon warrior. By the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Raffi had come a long way and joined the crew of the USS Enterprise-G, alongside her former girlfriend, Captain Seven of Nine.

5 Lt. Erica Ortegas

Portrayed by Melissa Navia

Melissa Navia’s Lt. Erica Ortegas may be one of the lesser-developed characters on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but future seasons will hopefully over more insight into her backstory. Ortegas serves as the helmsman on the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), and she takes a lot of pride in the fact that she flies the ship, and has a snarky banter with her Captain.

Ortegas served on the front lines during the Klingon War and was considered a war hero by the time of
Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Ortegas’ piloting skills have saved the Starship Enterprise several times, as she has flown the ship (and sometimes a shuttle) through turbulent atmospheres and dangerous debris fields. Always confident in her own abilities, Erica has also demonstrated her skills in a space battle, expertly employing evasive maneuvers. Not only does Ortegas love her job, but she enthusiastically requests to go on away missions and can go from serious to joking in a heartbeat.

4 Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh

Portrayed by Christina Chong

Having survived a Gorn attack as a child that killed everyone else on her colony ship, La’an Noonien-Singh has one of the most devastating backstories of any Star Trek character. It’s not surprising, then that she keeps herself at a distance from most people, rarely opening up to anyone. Despite this, she also has a strong desire to find connection and sometimes wishes she could be more open.

As the descendant of tyrant Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), La’an has a deep-seated fear of becoming like her infamous ancestor. La’an runs a tight ship as Chief of Security on the Enterprise and prefers her duties over recreational activities. With her skills in hand-to-hand combat, La’an often goes on away missions, but sometimes struggles to work with other people.

3 Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Number One)

Portrayed by Majel Barrett & Rebecca Romijn

As a character, Number One made her Star Trek debut in “The Cage,” the original unaired pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series. Played by Majel Barrett, this Number One was extremely logical and rarely showed emotion. Rebecca Romijn’s Una retains these qualities but has added more depth to the character. Una wanted to join Starfleet so badly that she lied on her Starfleet application about being a genetically enhanced Illyrian.

Intelligent and always able to think on her feet, Una became known as one of the best First Officers to have ever served in Starfleet. Una wasn’t afraid to point out when someone was wrong, and she was an incredibly versatile and well-rounded Starfleet officer. She intentionally kept her emotions hidden but cared deeply about her crew members and friends, often placing their best interests above her own.

2 Nurse Christine Chapel

Portrayed by Majel Barrett & Jess Bush

Nurse Christine Chapel made her first appearance played by Majel Barrett on Star Trek: The Original Series, where she served alongside Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley). As a minor recurring character on TOS, Chapel did not get much character development beyond her obvious feelings for Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Jess Bush has brought new life to Nurse Chapel on Star Trek: Strange New Words, making her an incredibly compelling and fascinating character.

Chapel is vibrantly human in the best way.

Bush’s Chapel falls into a romance with Spock (Ethan Peck), which recontextualizes her feelings for him in TOS. On Strange New Worlds, Chapel is a skilled nurse with a fun personality who brings out the more human side of Spock. Incredibly capable and confident in her own abilities, Chapel is vibrantly human in the best way. She’s stronger than she initially appears, as evidenced by her service in the Klingon War alongside Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun).

1 Lt. Nyota Uhura

Portrayed by Nichele Nichols, Zoë Saldana, & Celia Rose Gooding

Since her introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series, Nyota Uhura has become one of Star Trek’s most iconic and beloved characters. As the communications officer on the USS Enterprise, she mostly answered and responded to hails, but other versions of the character have gotten more to do. Every version of Uhura is warm and caring, but Zoë Saldana’s Uhura took on a more action-oriented role in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Celia Rose Gooding has reinvented Uhura yet again, incorporating elements of both Nichelle Nichols’s portrayal of Uhura and Zoë Saldana’s. Gooding’s Uhura is truly a beacon of light. Not only does she bring the Enterprise crew together, but her curiosity and creative thinking have saved the Enterprise more than once. The late Nichelle Nichols will always be remembered as one of the founding ladies of Star Trek, and she helped pave the way for all of the incredible Star Trek women who came after her.

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  Star Trek: The Next Generation

  Seasons

  7

  Writers

  Rick Berman , Michael Piller , Brannon Braga , Jeri Taylor , Ronald D. Moore

  Showrunner

  Rick Berman , Michael Piller , Jeri Taylor

  Expand

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  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

  Cast

  Avery Brooks , Rene Auberjonois , Cirroc Lofton , Colm Meaney , Armin Shimerman , Alexander Siddig , Nana Visitor , Michael Dorn , Nicole de Boer , Terry Farrell , Andrew Robinson

  Seasons

  7

  Writers

  Michael Piller , Ira Steven Behr , Ronald D. Moore

  Showrunner

  Michael Piller , Ira Steven Behr

  Expand

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  Star Trek: Voyager

  Seasons

  7

  Writers

  Michael Piller , Jeri Taylor , Brannon Braga , Kenneth Biller

  Showrunner

  Michael Piller , Jeri Taylor , Brannon Braga , Kenneth Biller

  Expand

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  Star Trek: Enterprise

  Seasons

  4

  Writers

  Brannon Braga , Rick Berman , Manny Coto

  Showrunner

  Brannon Braga , Manny Coto

  Expand

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• 

  Star Trek: Picard

  Cast

  Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , Jeri Ryan , Michelle Hurd , Ed Speleers , Gates McFadden , Todd Stashwick , Michael Dorn , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton , Marina Sirtis , Amanda Plummer , Isa Briones , Alison Pill , Santiago Cabrera , Evan Evagora , Orla Brady , John de Lancie , Whoopi Goldberg

  Seasons

  3

  Writers

  Terry Matalas , Akiva Goldsman , Michael Chabon

  Showrunner

  Michael Chabon , Akiva Goldsman , Terry Matalas

  Expand

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  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

  Seasons

  4

  Writers

  Akiva Goldsman , Henry Alonso Myers , Bill Wolkoff

  Showrunner

  Henry Alonso Myers , Akiva Goldsman

  Expand