Top 10 Best Female Star Trek Characters

#10: T’Pol

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Being the first Vulcan to serve such a long term on a human starship and doing it years before the Federation existed was both a distinction and a challenge that T’Pol adapts to. Torn between her loyalty to the Enterprise crew and to the Vulcan High Command, she lets her bigger loyalty to logic and the truth guide her. She is an expert fighter, stoic and clever when in command, but also proved, when her mother died, that Vulcans do have emotion even if they don't show them often.

Her official job description may be ship’s bartender, but that doesn’t stop her from speaking truth to power and even stabbing the omnipotent Q with a fork when needed. She is an alien from a long-lived species shrouded in mystery and her unique knowledge, wisdom, and point of view earned her the trust of the crew and commanding officers of the USS Enterprise-D, to the point where Captain Picard will even trust her when she tells him something is off with the whole universe and he needs to fix it.

She's the scientist who created the Genesis Device, a key plot for “The Wrath of Khan,” which carried over to “The Search for Spock.” This doctor is brilliant, principled, and fights for what she believes in and - oh yeah, she's also Kirk's ex and the mother of his son. We get to meet a younger version of her in “Into Darkness.” Also a scientist, this Carol Marcus is mostly interested in figuring out what her admiral father is up to and ultimately helping to stop him.

#7: B'Elanna Torres

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She may be half-Klingon, but she prefers working with engines and technology to becoming a warrior. She may also be half-human, but left Starfleet Academy to join the Maquis only to become chief engineer of a Federation starship many light years from home. While her fiery temper may have calmed over the years, both her sarcasm and dedication to the Voyager crew have strengthened. She has also formed close bonds with crewmembers she initially shunned, eventually declaring her love for Tom Paris under the most extreme circumstances, then marrying and having a baby with him.

While a former terrorist may not be the most likely choice for second officer on a Federation-run space station, this Major in the Bajoran Militia, who gets promoted to Colonel by the end of “Deep Space Nine,” is surely the best choice. She is one of the most complex main characters “Trek” has offered us. She can put her past aside and help out former enemies if it is for the greater good and work for someone without letting her deeply held religious beliefs get in the way.

When you can tell what people are feeling and are naturally a compassionate person, a ship’s counselor is a rather smart career choice and it’s one that this half-Betazoid, half-human made when she joined Starfleet. Deanna Troi has proven that she can handle aggressive aliens trying to probe her mind, problems that the Enterprise crew are experiencing, her on-again, off-again relationship with Riker, and even being kidnapped, surgically altered, and forced to impersonate a Romulan intelligence officer. The one thing she's never ready for, though, is a visit from her overbearing mother, Lwaxana.

#4: Seven of Nine

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When it comes to messed up backstories, it doesn't get more intense than being assimilated by the Borg as a child, growing up as a drone, and then getting disconnected from the hive mind as an adult. The result is a Voyager crewmember with more technical and tactical knowledge than anyone on the ship, but that struggles to form relationships, adapt to human customs, and fight the urge to return to the Borg Collective. Seven of Nine's presence on Voyager leads to some funny moments and others that are quite serious and touching, plus quite a bit of action.

#3: Beverly Crusher

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She’s an excellent doctor, a caring mother, a curious scientist, and a good friend to the Enterprise-D crew. She is principled and steadfast in her convictions and can even show compassion for a Borg drone. Her strong-willed nature means she has no problem speaking her mind, even letting Captain Picard know when she thinks he is wrong. She can debate the meaning of life with an android or teach him how to dance, but is just as readily able to act as a negotiator and peacemaker with aliens when the situation calls for it. She is a real 24th century renaissance woman.

She can be a tough as nails commanding officer and a compassionate leader who cares for her crew. “Star Trek’s” first major female captain was also the one who faced the most impossible odds, stranded 70,000 light-years from earth, managing a new crew half comprised of former Maquis terrorists, and dealing with alien races no Starfleet officer had encountered before. She didn’t back down when faced with the Borg and even formed a temporary alliance with them to fight a bigger foe. As long as she had her morning cup of coffee, everything was under control. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions: Jadzia Dax Borg Queen Tasha Yar

She's the original “Trek” female lead and after a whole series, several films, and two different women portraying her, she’s shown no signs of slowing down. Uhura is tough, smart, and always ready to help out the Enterprise crew. She is also witty and can be sarcastic, meaning she is as fit for comic relief as she is for action or Trek-level serious introspection. Above all, this Starfleet communications officer is an expert communicator and one we hope to hear more from as “Trek” continues.