Star Trek: 10 Best Half-Human Characters On-Screen

While fans love The Federation, half the fun of Star Trek is its diversity of characters. It makes sense, though, that alien makeup can be a lot, both in terms of budget and the toll it takes on the actors. Therefore, there are quite a few characters that are half-human; alien enough to be fascinating, but human enough to be relatable.

There are other fascinating hybrids that pull at the heartstrings (like the tragic and beloved Ziyal), but today the focus is on the products of a human falling in love with the wonderful aliens across the universe. Considering these unions created some of Trek‘s best characters, everyone should be thankful that so many aliens are compatible with humans. Here are the best half-human characters in Star Trek.

10 Deanna Troi

Sure, it’s practically a meme at this point — all of Counselor Troi’s “feelings” are used as deus ex machina plot points or just to state the obvious, but in concept she always was a fascinating character. And ignoring the cheesier moments, she is a kind, sympathetic person in a complicated galaxy. She makes the ship better for being there.

As an empath with unique powers and a patient, understanding way of dealing with people, Deanna Troi is a half-human that does Starfleet justice. She got the best of both her parents, the duty and kindness of her father and the well-intentioned meddling of her mother.

9 B’Elanna Torres

Where Worf always felt anguish about his Klingon heritage and human upbringing, B’Elanna Torres had an even worse relationship with her duality. After all, her father left her mother (and B’Elanna) because he decided he couldn’t handle Klingon women anymore.

Some half-humans accepted their complexities with open arms, but Torres rejected hers. All it made her feel was abandoned, even once she was an adult with friends and a husband. B’Elanna’s struggles were complex and inspiring, a firecracker of a woman who deserves credit for everything she worked through to become a better person and mother to her own hybrid daughter.

8 Raffi’s Granddaughter

While fans know nothing about Raffi’s future grandaughter, her existence is important. The only other known Romulan/human hybrids have all been made in secret or by force. In stark contrast, Raffi’s son has a Romulan wife who he loves dearly and a half-human daughter on the way.

Though no one can magically fix the rift between Raffi and Gabriel, this is an important shift in Star Trek history. Humans falling in love with Romulans used to be out of the question. Now, a prominent ex-Starfleet member is about to grandmother a half-Romulan. In the coming chaos, fans can only wish this monumental child the best.

7 Devinoni Ral

Even though Devinoni Ral completely used his half-Betazoid abilities to manipulate people, he did prove the real power behind inter-species relations. He was able to charismatically win people over like a human, while using his empathic capabilities to guide the conversation.

He wasn’t a great man, but he was a great proof of concept. Deanna just uses her capabilities very minimally in comparison, but half-Betazoids could make for great negotiators, salesmen, etc. If The Federation was a little more enterprising, they could use that. Unfortunately, where Deanna tries not to rely on her powers, Devinoni went too far.

6 Sela

After the absolutely brutal on-screen offing of Tasha Yar, it didn’t take too long for everyone to realize Denise Crosby was a great addition to the Star Trek universe. They brought her back for the special episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” And after that, they brought her back in the form of Tasha’s daughter: Sela.

A half-Romulan, Sela hated Picard and the Enterprise because she hated her own mother. She was raised a true Romulan, but her mother rejected it all and made her feel like an outcast. While Sela was a very chaotic villain, she also was a great one that deserved so much more credit as a bad guy. She was a joy to watch every moment she was on screen.

5 Naomi Wildman

While most of the half-humans on this list with forehead ridges are of the Klingon variant, Naomi Wildman is half-Ktarian, giving her some neat, pointed forehead ridges and a faster growing process. The downside is that it made the birthing process a little precarious.

However, much like her quick maturation, Naomi is a quick learner, a precocious and ambitious young lady. Her mom is possibly the coolest person on the ship, at least definitely according to Naomi. She manages to be a great science officer and a fantastic mother. And one day, Naomi planned on becoming captain of her own ship.

4 Elizabeth

Say what one will about Tucker and T’Pol, but their relationship did defy all the preconceived prejudices and rules of Vulcan human relations. Even for their time, Vulcans and humans were still super frosty and didn’t trust each other very much. In close quarters, Trip and T’Pol didn’t just learn how to be crewmates and friends. They learned how to lean on each other and, eventually, fell in love.

When Terra Prime happened, Elizabeth wasn’t exactly planned. However, she was proof that Vulcans and humans could procreate and cemented their relationship. For milestones alone, she deserves credit, even if she had a short life.

3 Linnis Paris

In a future that eventually was erased, Tom Paris and Kes got married and had a daughter named Linnis. Considering humans had never been to the Delta Quadrant before, she was the first-ever human/Ocampan hybrid. Even though fans didn’t know Linnis for long, she was an intelligent, beautiful woman. If she ever ended up being a real character, it would be fascinating to see how her hybridization changed her or what growing up on Voyager was like for her.

Let’s try not to think about the weird aging processes of Ocampans for too long, though, or the fact she married her dad’s best friend. Janeway’s ship was weird sometimes.

2 K’Eyhler

While fans adore Worf, ambassador K’Eyhler was a breath of fresh air on the Klingon perspective. She respected her heritage, but also called the Klingons out for their hypocrisy and stubborn nature. It was refreshing among so many other super-macho warriors.

Losing her the way it happened was tragic, and her awesome character definitely deserved better. Particularly since she seemed like a great mom to Alexander and Worf ended up being such a bad dad. More characters like her would be great, but alas.

1 Spock

The first, most iconic half-human will always be Mr. Spock himself. Even though he kept his history a secret at first, his humanity is one of the most fascinating parts of him. Sure, fans all love how committed he is to logic and how it informs him as a person. However, the emotions that he does feel are compelling and make him all the more lovable.

Moreover, his relationship with his parents is nuanced because of his genetic complexities. He loves his mother dearly but struggles to reciprocate the way she feels for him. And his father is fiercely logical, but the passion in Spock’s decision-making sometimes doesn’t line up with his philosophies. Either way, Spock’s great and it’s no wonder that he’s a fan-favorite.

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