Star Trek: Discovery - The 10 Best Crew Members Ranked By Likability

Star Trek: Discoveryhad some ups and downs in its first two seasons. The first new Star Trek television series in over a decade is hitting the reset button by launching nearly a thousand years in the future, beyond the constraints of continuity. It seems to have worked; the show has already been renewed for a fourth season and likely more.

Part of the show's appeal in its rocky first seasons has been its likable cast. A unique assortment of aliens, cyborgs, and cats (!) have kept audiences engaged. Not all the characters are as likable as the others though, which might explain their eventual exits.

10 Lorca

Captain Gabriel Lorca had a gruff exterior that made him appealing in the early going of Discovery. He wasn't your average Starfleet captain, to say the least. He was tough but fair, or at least it seemed that way. Eventually, the crew discovered he was an imposter. Lorca hailed from the Mirror Universe and was just trying to get back to his home dimension using the ship's unique spore drive. It remains a mystery what became of the 'real' Lorca, though he could appear on Strange New Worlds.

9 Georgiou

Another Mirror Universe transplant, Empress Phillipa Georgiou is even worse than Lorca. The murderous and unrepentant former ruler of the Terran Empire is no less cunning now that she's stuck in the Prime timeline. In fact, she might even be more dangerous. She has been an ally of the crew to now, but with the ship thrown into the far future with none of the safeguards of the Federation or Starfleet around to contain her, it's possible the ruthless dictator reemerges.

8 Stamets

Stamets is one of the most compelling characters on the U.S.S. Discovery. He's also one of the most prickly. Focused on almost exclusively on his work, he comes off as condescending at times to those around him. Usually, this is in the name of good science or practical concerns. Stamets steadfastly resisted the ambitions of Lorca in using the spore drive. This eventually led him to use himself as the guinea pig in the experiment though, showing his concern for others above himself.

7 Culber

Dr. Culber is one of the kindest and most even-keeled members of the Star Trek: Discovery. His relationship with Stamets humanizes the former a great deal and also showcases how far the series has come in the representation of LGBTQ characters. Culber is more than his sexuality, however, and his compassionate, considered approach to his duty reflects that.

He was very nearly the victim of an old and tired trope of killing off LGBTQ characters, however. Thankfully, the show retconned that mess to its benefit.

6 Jett Reno

It's not too surprising that Chief Engineer Jett Reno is likable. Comedian and actress Tig Notaro plays the character in season two of the series. Notaro brings her signature wit and dry delivery to the role and endeared herself to fans very quickly. She was also humanized through the revelation her wife had died during the Klingon-Federation War. Though she only made brief appearances during the second season, Notaro made a positive impression and is returning for season three.

5 Airiam

Star Trek always creates fascinating background characters like Morn from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(a character referenced visually in the first episode of Discovery season three). Discovery had its own background superstar in Airiam. The cyborg character intrigued audiences from the beginning of season one. In season two, she got featured in her own episode. Unfortunately, it ended with the character's death which squandered how much fans liked the character.

4 Burnham

Michael Burnham is ostensibly the main character of Star Trek: Discovery, though like the cast of the animated series Lower Decks, she isn't a traditional bridge officer. She also got off to a rough start with a court-martial. Burnham's enthusiasm for exploration and her infectious determination to always do the right thing make her enormously likable, though. She's been the core of the series from the beginning and her joy and hope prove even more necessary in the bleak future of season three.

3 Grudge The Cat

Season three of Star Trek: Discovery is just one episode old at the time of this writing, but already Grudge The Cat has proven to be a breakout character for the show. She's so popular that producers promise there will be even more of her as the season goes on.

Grudge is the feline companion of Book, a new character introduced in the first episode of the season. Book and Grudge are just trying to make it in a future Federation that has been devastated by the cosmic cataclysmic known as The Burn.

2 Saru

Saru is one of the most unique aliens in all of Star Trek. Actor Doug Jones brings a fantastic, idiosyncratic quality to the Kelpian, making him far more than the typical bumpy foreheaded aliens the show has relied on mostly due to its budgetary constraints. Saru is also patient, kind, and fair, all necessary qualities in any Starfleet officer. His original and complicated history distinguishes him from the well-established confines of continuity and makes him in many ways the best character on the show.

1 Tilly

It's hard to argue there is a more likable character on the series than Ensign Tilly. Tilly brings a high amount of curiosity and nervous anxiety to her job, which makes her very relatable. She's also something of a potty mouth, which is shocking to some in Star Trek but endears her to fans nonetheless. Tilly's determination to excel in her job and do whatever needs to be done to help others makes her one of the nicest characters in the show. Though her Mirror Universe version wasn't as kind; she had earned the nickname 'Captain Killy.'

Source: screenrant.com