Screenrant: "10 Best Star Trek Characters Introduced Since 2000, Ranked: 1. Jonathan Archer (ENT); 2. Beckett Mariner (Lower Decks); 3. Trip Tucker (ENT); 4. Michael Burnham (DIS); 5. T’Pol (ENT); 6. Raffi Musiker (PIC); 7. Sam (SFA); 8. Shran (ENT); 9. Jett Reno (DIS); 10. Dal R’El (Prodigy)"

Screenrant:

https://screenrant.com/best-new-star-trek-characters-since-2000/

By Shaun Corley

"At the beginning of the century, there was one Star Trek show left on the air: Voyager, after Deep Space Nine concluded its run in 1999. Voyager was followed by the prequel Enterprise. Yet by this point, “franchise fatigue” had set in, and Enterprise was canceled after four seasons. A movie, Nemesis, released in 2002 also failed to connect with audiences and critics. Some were ready to pronounce Star Trek dead.

Then, in 2009, director/producer JJ Abrams gave Star Trek a shot in the arm with a modern reboot that still honored all the stories that came before. Abrams recast the iconic roles of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Uhura with new actors. A new, sleeker Enterprise was created for the movies as well. Three were made in total, with the last, Star Trek Beyond, being released in 2016. Finally, Star Trek returned to television in 2017. Debuting first on CBS All Access before migrating to Paramount +, Discovery truly brought the franchise into the 21st century, and set the stage for a new age of Star Trek.

Numerous new characters have been introduced into the Star Trek canon since the year 2000, and here are the 10 best."

1. Jonathan Archer (Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001) ...

Archer actor Scott Bakula brought the right amounts of confidence and vulnerability to the role. Being one of the first humans to explore the galaxy, Archer had to make some tough decisions that would, in some cases, have ramifications for centuries, such as his decision to steal a warp coil from the Illyrians. Archer made plenty of mistakes, but like most humans in the Star Trek universe, he learned from them. Archer’s importance to the Star Trek canon cannot be overstated, making him the best new character introduced since the year 2000.

2. Beckett Mariner (Lower Decks, 2020) ...

Mariner was loud, proud and a hot mess. But underneath the seemingly hardened exterior beat a tender heart, one with deep connections throughout the Star Trek universe. On the surface, Mariner's brashness could be off-putting, but as fans grew to know her, layers were peeled back. Mariner was Starfleet through and through, but saw the layers of bureaucracy, embodied by her parents, as impeding the actual mission. Mariner was loyal to those in her inner circle, and wanted only the best for them. Mariner was, in many ways, one of Star Trek’s most complex characters.

3. Charles “Trip” Tucker III (Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001) ...

Enterprise viewers had plenty of reason to be mad at Tucker’s death in the finale. Actor Connor Trinneer infused Tucker with smarts, heart and an “aw-shucks” charm, making him one of Star Trek’s most likable characters. Cocky and brash at the beginning of the show, Trip matured into a great engineer and an early example of the best Earth had to offer.

4. Michael Burnham (Star Trek: Discovery, 2017) ...

Part of Discovery’s appeal was watching Michael Burnham grow as a character. She began as a confident young officer, a hot shot on the rise. Burnham made mistakes, but learned from them and did better in the future. By the end of the show, Burnham was Discovery’s skipper, and a married woman. Fans got to watch the complete arc of Burnham’s Starfleet career, and seeing her go from mutineer to captain is one of Star Trek’s best.

5. T'Pol (Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001) ...

T’Pol acted as a liaison between the two races, stationed as First Officer aboard the Enterprise NX-01. Initially skeptical and disdainful of humans, T’Pol in time helped bridge between them and her people. Just as humanity was learning to overcome its prejudices, the Vulcans were doing the same, and T’Pol played a large role in bringing this about. T’Pol was also instrumental in helping steer Vulcan society back in a more benevolent direction, which helped further relations between Earth and Vulcan, setting the stage for the creation of the Federation.

6. Raffaela “Raffi” Musiker (Star Trek: Picard, 2020) ...

Raffi was one of the regular characters throughout Picard’s three-season run, and she had an amazing character arc. Star Trek had never depicted a character in recovery before, and actress Michelle Hurd brought a rawness and intensity to the role that resonated with fans. In time, Raifi returned to Starfleet, finding love once again with Captain Seven of Nine, as well as a new job in Intelligence. Picard’s final episode teased more adventures, but they have yet to materialize. However, IDW will release a new comic, Star Trek: Zero Point, which features Raifi front and center.

7. Series Acclimation Mil (SAM) (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, 2026) ...

Every Star Trek show has an “outsider” character, who functions as a commentary on humanity, and Sam fulfilled that role on Starfleet Academy. Every experience in the organic’ world was a new one for Sam, and her joy and enthusiasm for it all was infectious. From learning what it was like to be drunk to learning the fate of Benjamin Sisko, Sam kept her head high. Even after she “lived” another life, complete with new experiences, Sam kept her adventurous nature.

8. Shran (Star Trek: Enterprise, 2001) ...

“The Andorian Incident” brought the species back to the Star Trek franchise in a grand fashion, and introduced fans to Shran. Jeffrey Combs had already brought several memorable Star Trek characters to life, such as Brunt and Weyoun, and sure enough, he imbued Shran with the perfect mix of heroism and paranoia. As Enterprise progressed, Shran and Captain Jonathan Archer developed a begrudging respect for one another, forging bonds that would lead to the Federation in a few short years.

9. Jett Reno (Star Trek: Discovery, 2019)

Reno was at her lowest point when fans met her. After losing her wife during the Federation-Klingon War (seen in Discovery’s first season), Reno enlisted aboard the Hiawatha, which was then destroyed. Reno was marooned for several months before being rescued by Discovery. She would join the crew, and even accompany them to the 31st century at the end of the show’s second season. There, she became an instructor at the newly-reopened Starfleet Academy, and found love once again with Cadet Master Lura Thok. Reno’s arc through the Star Trek universe is inspiring and a treat to watch.

10. Dal R’El (Star Trek: Prodigy, 2021)

For the first part of Prodigy’s criminally short run, Dal was not aware of his heritage, and his search for it helped drive the early episodes. Prodigy seeded many such mysteries, but Dal’s search for his past was one of the biggest, and when he found the truth it had deep connections to Star Trek lore. A hybrid, Dal was created by genetic engineers using the DNA of humans as well as 26 other species, including Vulcans. In many ways, Dal was the literal embodiment of the Federation."

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https://screenrant.com/best-new-star-trek-characters-since-2000/