Just because you have a winning formula for a long-running TV show doesn’t mean the characters are always widely embraced. Star Trek has given us so many varying characters over the years that it would be impossible to warm to every one of them. Look at some of the least favorable Star Trek characters through time.
Keiko O’Brien, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine
She became one of the show’s most disliked characters, likely due to her role as a dull dishwater botanist. While voyagers traveled through space and underwent major galactic battles, she was more concerned about her wilting plants. Yawn.
Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Picard
Everything that was loved about Picard in The Next Generation got lost in the spin-off series. Unlike Captain Kirk, Picard brought us sophistication and a commanding demeanor thanks to Patrick Stewart’s well-trained British voice. Making him more of an action figure didn’t go down well, and fans weren’t impressed.
Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: The Next Generation
The teenage nerd who could solve anything, and his incessant problem-solving quickly made him one of the most hated characters. He was also far too much of an overachiever to represent teenagers as was intended. How many sixteen-year-olds do you know who have logistical space dilemmas?
Travis Mayweather, Star Trek: Enterprise
He was two-dimensional, without desires, fears, backstory, or ongoing development. He was a piece of starship furniture that offered little to the show.
Neelix, Star Trek: Voyager
Some people just don’t know when to stop giving advice. Welcome to Neelix. With his incessant buzzing that screamed of caffeine overload, his constant meddling made him vastly unlikable.
B’Elanna Torres, Star Trek: Voyager
She was just too much of a hothead, and it grated on us. She appeared to be some sort of dubious hybrid of Worf and Tasha, but she failed to leave the same impression.
Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation
As a counselor on the ship, she always seemed to sense things that might be wrong. There was never any conflict, so it was fairly pointless. It became tiresome, and we’d let out a sigh as she offered her unnecessary advice. Those plunging necklines were just gratuitous.
Harry Kim, Star Trek: Voyager
He was one of the blandest Star Trek characters, and even he couldn’t outwit his perfect shade of vanilla. His romantic escapades left us endlessly frustrated, and we couldn’t help but pity his lack of backbone. He wasn’t memorable.
T’Pol, Star Trek: Enterprise
We might have given her half a chance if we could get past the ridiculous outfits. They were as flamboyant as her character, though she gave us a few good moments with her emotion-dissolving disease. She wasn’t great, but she wasn’t the worst.
Hoshi Sato, Star Trek: Enterprise
It probably wasn’t her fault that her character hadn’t been fleshed out. After all, she was a mere universal translator. Writers could have spiced her up a little, but it seemed that she possessed little else beyond her skillset.
Lwaxana Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Her flamboyant gestures and glittery dresses made it easy to become needled by her character. You either loved her or couldn’t wait for her scene to end. It didn’t help that she was telepathic and could both read and announce her findings to an entire spaceship.
Phlox, Star Trek: Enterprise
His humor was a joy, and his medical skills were impeccable. However, the persistent, exaggerated smile was excessively difficult to overlook, and there was only so much of his screen time that we could tolerate.
Malcolm Reed, Star Trek: Enterprise
Granted, he invented the ‘Red Alert’ system, so there’s some kudos for that. It seemed that he was eternally trying to break out of his bland character yet never quite hit the mark.
Tasha Yar, Star Trek: The Next Generation
As the Chief Security Officer aboard the USS Enterprise, she had every opportunity to win the hearts of Trekkies. The actress who played her had the charisma of a nat, so she was hard to invest in. The lack of character development might have offset her blandness.
Ezri Dax, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
When Ezri Dax stepped in to replace Jadzia Jax, the beloved host of the Dax Symbiont, viewers had high hopes for her. She became a consistent source of soul-searching, which is fine if you come to some sort of conclusion. She never did, and it became frustrating to watch.
Chakotay, Star Trek: Voyager
He started with promise and seemed like a pretty cool guy. Over time, it felt like the show writers had forgotten about his existence, and he became as entertaining as a dead slug.
Alexander Rozhenko, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine
We should have loved him being Worf’s son, but despite his important connection, he was forgettable. His storylines seemed to lack consistency, and there was no continuity whatsoever.
Dr. Pulaski, Star Trek: The Next Generation
When your predecessor is a well-loved character, you’ve got big shoes to fill when replacing them. That was the case when the gentle, kind-hearted Dr. Crusher was stolen from us. Sadly, Dr. Pulaski was abrasive and impatient, and while she did have a few great moments, she failed to win anyone over.
