Star Trek: 10 Crazy Neelix Fan Theories That Were Actually Confirmed

Star Trek: Voyager was one of the most original spin-offs of Star Trek: The Original Series, depicting the intrepid crew of the USS Voyager lost in the Delta Quadrant after a temporal accident, determined to find their way home. Not only was the premise unique, but it was bolstered by a cast of colorful characters, chief among them Neelix, the ship's morale officer and chef.

A Talaxian trader, Neelix helped the crew chart a course back to the Alpha Quadrant, providing insight into the strange planets, aliens, and cultures they encountered along the way. Star Trek fans began to speculate and theorize how the cheerful and energetic steward might shape (and be shaped by) the vessel's experiences. Here are 10 crazy Neelix fan theories that were actually confirmed.

10 HE HAD A TRAGIC PAST

Someone as vivacious and bubbly as Neelix gets that way because of one of two reasons; from having nothing bad ever happen to them, or having the worst thing imaginable happen to them. In the case of Neelix it was the latter, and he spent his life trying to make sure no one suffered like he had.

Fans had wondered if the happy-go-lucky nature of Neelix might be a ruse, and they received their answer in the episode "Jetrel" at the end of Season 1. A Haakonian scientist is brought aboard Voyager who was responsible for killing Neelix's entire family with a powerful superweapon, and fans see Neelix's dark side.

9 HE WOULD GET RABIDLY JEALOUS OF KES AND TOM PARIS

Fans theorized early on that Neelix would get territorial and protective of his relationship with Kes, considering how fortunate he was to partner up with such a desirable mate to begin with. He constantly worried that she'd leave him for one of the members of the crew, notably Tom Paris.

Early in Season 2, tensions rose to explosive levels when Neelix and Paris had a fight over Kes using food in the mess hall. He eventually had to put his feelings of jealousy aside to work with Paris on a mission to the affectionately called "Planet Hell," and the two were able to build a begrudging friendship.

8 HE WOULD HAVE DOMESTIC TROUBLES WITH KES

Star Trek fans suspected that it wouldn't be domestic bliss for a Talaxian and an Ocampan forever, especially considering the curious fact that Kes looked like a young woman but was actually less than 2 years old when they joined the crew of Voyager.

This became a point of contention in Episode 4 of the second season, when the ship passed through a strange cluster of life-forms that triggered Kes to enter the fertile phase of her people called Elogium. Neelix didn't handle the pressures of fatherhood well, and Kes wasn't sure she wanted motherhood.

7 HE'D BE INVOLVED IN SOME SORT OF TRANSPORTER ACCIDENT

Every Star Trek series has an episode involving a transporter accident, leaving it up to fans to speculate which crew member might be the one to suffer from it. In Star Trek: The Original Series, it resulted in Captain Kirk acquiring an evil twin, and something similar happened to Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In Neelix's case, he was part of a transporter accident with Tuvok, and their DNA coding got spliced together when they were re-energized on the transport pad. This resulted in their becoming "Tuvix" until they could be separated once again, though by that point Tuvix had become almost autonomous.

6 HIS USEFULNESS WOULD EVENTUALLY RUN OUT

Neelix performed three main functions on Voyager that were arguably essential, even if fans didn't feel his character was; as morale officer, as head chef, and as trail guide. He knew the Delta Quadrant better than anyone on board, and the crew relied on him for his expertise.

In the middle of Season 3 however, Neelix's usefulness ran out. The ship reached a trading station that coincided with the extent of Neelix's knowledge of the Delta Quadrant. He nearly exchanged his comfortable quarters aboard Voyager for the brig by falling in with a no-good Talaxian but thankfully came to his senses.

5 NEELIX FINALLY CRACKED TUVOK

Neelix's particular brand of positivity didn't always go over well with certain members of the crew, especially Tuvok. The Vulcan understood others' constant need to "look on the bright side" as delusional, and an emotional drain on critical intellectual faculties.

Still, fans believed that eventually the cheery Talaxian would inevitably soften the grumpiest crewman, and they were right. While Voyager helped a planet with asteroid problems, Neelix and Tuvok were sent as liaisons. They get stuck aboard a maglev space elevator, and with Neelix's faith and Tuvok's rationality, they averted the crisis and became friends.

4 HE WOULD HAVE OTHER ROMANCES

Neelix and Kes were a very divisive couple to Star Trek fans. Some thought they were a cute match, while others felt that they were complete opposites, better suited for other partners. After Kes left the ship, fans wondered if Neelix would ever find someone else to dote on.

In Season 7, in order to save Ensign Kim from the advances of a particularly amorous Klingon woman, Neelix cajoled her into none other than Tuvok's bed for a passionate embrace. The Klingon didn't seem too upset about it, so he clearly proved an appropriately wild mate.

3 HE RISKED HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS

To Neelix the crew of Voyager were family, whether they all shared the sentiment or not. There's nothing he wouldn't do for them, and fan's surmised one day the Talaxian might make the ultimate sacrifice if the stakes were high enough.

In the emotional gut-punch that is "Mortal Coil," Neelix is killed while on a routine survey mission. With the help of Seven of Nine and the Doctor, he's able to be revived with the use of Seven's Borg tech, though it caused him to seriously challenge his faith in the afterlife.

2 HE WOULD GET A NEW FAMILY

Star Trek fans learned that Neelix's tragic backstory involved his entire family being wiped out by a weapon of mass destruction, and some wondered if he'd ever have the chance for a family again. It didn't end up happening with Kes, but it did end up happening with Dexa.

A Talaxian widow with a young son, she was discovered on an asteroid with several other Talaxians whose ship had crashed. Using pieces of the vessel, they'd managed to make a settlement, and Neelix ultimately decided they needed him more than the Voyager crew.

1 HE WOULD GET AN OFFICIAL STARFLEET RANK

Though Neelix had many positions and wore many hats aboard Voyager, he was never an official member of Starfleet. As a Talaxian trader in the Delta Quadrant, there wasn't any likelihood of him graduating from Starfleet Academy, but it didn't mean his role wasn't worthy of a Starfleet commission.

Before he disembarked the ship for what would be the final time, Captain Janeway bestowed upon him the rank of Official Starfleet Ambassador to the Delta Quadrant.

Source: screenrant.com