Star Trek: Lower Decks – The 10 Best Characters

Now seems as good a time as any to be a Star Trek fan. With season 2 of Picard coming this fall (along with the return of fan-favorite character, Q), season 4 of Discovery fast approaching, and the debut of Nickelodeon’s Star Trek: Prodigy, there seems to be no shortage of planet-hopping adventure in store for science fiction fans. For a Trek program with a lighter, more comedic tone, however, fans need look no further than Mike McMahan’s animated comedy, Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Like every iteration of Gene Roddenberry’s classic, Lower Decks has a large cast of characters from diverse cultures, both real and imagined, and the show has proven popular enough that a third season has already been announced. As with many ensemble casts, some characters stand above the rest, and the question of who the best characters are naturally arises.

10 Shaxs

Acting as the head of security aboard the U.S.S. Cerritos, this Bajoran Starfleet lieutenant became an instant fan favorite mainly due to Fred Tatasciore’s bombastic, warrior-like vocal performance that reminded some viewers of a barbarian ready for a bloody battle.

Shaxs is, at his heart, a loyal crew member of the Cerritos and a man who firmly believes that one should stay true to themselves and not let anyone manipulate their decisions. Although he typically prefers aggressive approaches to problem-solving, Shaxs falls in line with other battle-hardened Trek characters who have softer sides, such as Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

9 Beckett Mariner

Ensign Mariner is perhaps the closest thing die-hard Trek fans will get to seeing what it would be like if they themselves were a part of the show’s world. Throughout the series, Mariner proves herself to be knowledgeable about the exploits of Star Trek heroes such as Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Captain Picard, as well as the different species and home worlds of each alien she comes into contact with.

Voiced by actor and musician Tawny Newsome, Mariner proves herself time and again as a kickass component of the Cerritos crew, consistently outshining her friend Boimler in high-stakes situations.

8 Bradward Boimler

Working alongside Ensign Mariner, Lieutenant (junior grade) Boimler hails from Modesto, California. Before his voyages aboard the Cerritos, he had visited only four planets (including Vulcan, which might as well not be counted). When compared to other more experienced Starfleet officers, he is not exactly the classic picture of a hero.

Nevertheless, fans enjoy his panic, his attention to detail, and the trouble he gets into with Mariner at his side. Although he may start the show as a bit of a wet blanket, he slowly rises in rank and eventually joins the crew of the USS Titan.

7 T’Ana

Chief medical officer of the U.S.S. Cerritos, Commander T’Ana is one of the few canonical appearances of the Caitian species in Star Trek, and she makes quite the impression with her bitter bedside manner and blunt demeanor toward the crew. Her use of colorful metaphors also provides entertaining levity in tense situations.

T’Ana first proves her prowess after a disastrous outbreak on the Cerritos caused by a rage virus from the Galardonians. Although consistently grouchy, a softer side is shown when Shaxs, in the midst of celebration, kisses her, and a smile creeps over her face.

6 D’Vana Tendi

Described by Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan as the sort of person who always sees a “silver lining,” this Orion junior medic refuses to look at anything in a negative light, preferring instead to ingest every piece of information and celebrate every new experience.

With such positivity and excitement, it is no surprise that fans fell in love with her. That fondness only increased when she made herself a pet from scratch which she called “the Dog” (although the creature she made was not very similar to the dogs most people know and love).

5 Samanthan Rutherford

Working under Lieutenant Commander Andy Billups (who was a bit of a hero to Rutherford), this cybernetically-enhanced human is an enthusiastic if somewhat naive operations officer aboard the Cerritos.

With a fondness for the holodeck technology in the world of Star Trek and a true hatred for pears, Rutherford is a quirky character audiences enjoy for both his aspirations and the will-they-won’t-they relationship he shares with Tendi. Many fans hope that, in the coming season, the two will finally confess the feelings they very obviously harbor for each other.

4 Captain Riker

Although not a character originally created for Lower Decks, Riker’s appearance in the first season of the show was a delightful surprise for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Picard. As Lower Decks takes place between those two shows and has Boimler idolizing Riker, it seemed to be only a matter of time before the captain of the U.S.S. Titan showed his face.

Portrayed once again by Jonathan Frakes, the Riker of Lower Decks is a different, perhaps more energetic individual than fans have seen thus far. Additionally, since Riker’s return also heralded the return of his wife, Commander Deanna Troi, fans had more than enough reason to celebrate.

3 Badgey

Voiced by comedian Jack McBrayer (best known for his work on the NBC hit, 30 Rock), Badgey was a hologram created by Rutherford for the simple purpose of helping trainees while running simulations in the holodeck. He was meant to be a spoof of the frustratingly persistent Microsoft mascot, Clippy.

Although Badgey starts life as relatively innocent creation, he turns on his creator and Tendi after a severe malfunction, attempting to murder them throughout a series of different environments all simulated within the holodeck.

2 Carol Freeman

Captain of the Cerritos and frustrated mother of Beckett Mariner, Freeman was created by Mike McMahan as a classic Starfleet captain who is devoted to her crew, her ship, and maintaining law and order. With all that plus a daughter like Mariner, she has her hands full most of the time.

Fans have applauded the realistic mother-daughter relationship Freeman and Mariner share and the fact that they jump between love and fury in the blink of an eye.

1 Quimp

Although a completely forgettable character for some fans, Mariner’s Ferengi friend is critical in boosting Boimler’s confidence after he has convinced himself that he does not belong in Starfleet during the show’s first season. Voiced by SpongeBob SquarePants himself, Tom Kenny, Quimp’s brief appearance is hilarious and serves as an homage to the sort of creature the oo-mox-loving species was before the Ferengi species’ radical reinvention in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

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