The 11 Most Hated Star Trek Characters, From Lwaxana Troi to Kai Winn

Star Trek taught us to embrace new civilizations, respect different perspectives and work through our disagreements. Then it introduced a few characters who made us reconsider all of that, so here are my picks for the 11 most hated Trek characters ever, running from Lwaxana Troi at number 11 to Kai Winn at number one.

These are characters people struggle to enjoy, plus villains who were almost too good at making us hate them. And one of these people gets considerably more hate than they deserve.

Lwaxana Troi lands at number 11 because there's more to her than chasing Picard

I'm starting with somebody whose arrival could make Captain Picard suddenly remember an urgent appointment anywhere else on the ship. Lwaxana walks onto the Enterprise, announces herself "like she's opening the Olympics," and immediately starts rearranging everybody's personal boundaries. Deanna is embarrassed. Picard is trapped. Mr. Homn is standing there quietly having the best job in the entire episode. If that particular kind of comedy doesn't work for you, an entire Lwaxana episode can feel very long and drawn out.

Here's why she's only number 11. There is considerably more to this character than chasing Jean Luc down a corridor. Half a Life gives her an actual emotional conflict, Dark Page reveals grief underneath all that noise, and her scenes with Odo show how compassionate she can be when somebody needs her. I understand finding her exhausting. Sometimes I did too. But when the writing lets Majel Barrett turn the volume down, Lwaxana becomes somebody worth spending time with. The problem is that first you have to survive her entrance.

Alexander Rozhenko's frustration at number 10 belongs mostly to his writers

Alexander is a character I feel bad putting on this list, but I have to. A lot of my frustration belongs to the adults writing his stories. The basic idea is good: Worf has a son who doesn't naturally fit the version of Klingon identity that Worf has built his entire life around. That should challenge Worf and force him to become a different kind of parent. Sometimes it does. Other times it feels like we're restarting the same argument. Alexander doesn't want to do something Klingon, Worf is disappointed, they struggle to communicate, and I'm wondering whether anybody on the ship has considered regular family counseling.

Then Deep Space Nine brings Alexander back older, trying to find his place among Klingon warriors, and there's something genuinely sad underneath it. This kid wants a connection with his dad, and even when he's terrible at the job, he thinks it will create one. I don't hate Alexander. I hate how often his potential got reduced to another difficult afternoon for Worf. If you want to defend him, honestly, I don't disagree with you.

Keiko O'Brien at number nine is not the villain of Miles O'Brien's life

This is somebody I'm going to defend a little. Keiko gets framed as though her primary contribution to Trek was preventing Miles from having a nice day. The universe was already handling that. Miles could leave the house to buy groceries and accidentally serve 20 years in a simulated prison. Keiko did not design his schedule. I understand why some people struggle with their scenes. When we spend most of our time following Miles through the station's problems, a disagreement at home can feel like one more obstacle between him and a break.

But look at her situation. She's a botanist trying to maintain a career, raise a family and build a life on a station where something terrifying is always happening. She also opens a school and stands up for what she's teaching. There are scenes where the marriage drama doesn't land for me, and that's fair criticism. But the idea that Keiko is somehow the villain of Miles O'Brien's life, I don't buy that. She makes this list because of the criticism attached to her character, and number nine is where I'm asking whether we've been blaming the wrong person.

Dr. Katherine Pulaski at number eight got off on the wrong foot by picking at Data

Pulaski has a very efficient way of getting off on the wrong foot with the audience: she started picking at Data. That's a tough opening strategy on the Enterprise. You could walk onto that bridge, insult the carpeting, criticize the chairs and question Picard's tea choices, but if you start treating Data like an appliance, you're going to have a problem. Their early exchanges can feel uncomfortable because Data isn't trading insults with her as an equal participant. He's frequently trying to understand the disrespect.

The name pronunciation scene is a perfect example. He tells her how his name is pronounced, and she questions the difference. It matters because it's his name, and it shouldn't require a medical conference. But Pulaski does develop. Her respect for Data grows, and episodes such as Unnatural Selection give her courage and professional conviction. I think she could have become a much stronger part of the ensemble with a little more time. Unfortunately, an audience's first impression sticks hard, and hers involves being rude to the android we always want to protect.

Captain Edward Jellico at number seven is abrasive by design but not incompetent

Now we get to the man who can turn a Star Trek argument into a workplace disciplinary hearing. Jellico takes command, changes the shift rotation, changes the atmosphere and immediately makes everybody miss Picard. He doesn't ease himself into the assignment at all. He starts issuing instructions like he's been waiting years to fix this particular ship. I understand why people don't like him. His approach is abrasive, and he's supposed to be; he's written that way. The crew is dealing with a dangerous situation, and he adds disruption before they have much chance to adjust.

But I'm also going to say this: Jellico is not incompetent. He understands the Cardassian threat, his strategy produces results, and the disagreement with Riker is more interesting than a simple story about a terrible replacement captain. Riker has legitimate concerns. Jellico has legitimate authority. Neither man makes the relationship any easier. That's why he belongs near the middle of this list. He's incredibly easy to resent as he takes over your favorite ship, but revisit it with a little distance and you might catch yourself agreeing with him, which is annoying. I really wanted to dislike him without any attachments.

Seska at number six gets under my skin because she knows Voyager's weaknesses

Seska gets under my skin because she knows these people. She knows Voyager. She understands the relationships and the weaknesses she can exploit. A hostile ship turning up on the sensors is one kind of threat. Somebody who used to work beside you handing useful information to your enemies is much more personal. The reveal that she's a Cardassian operative hiding among the Maquis gives her betrayal another layer. Then she allies herself with the Kazon, and Voyager's problems now come with inside knowledge.

I guess my frustration is that I find Seska more compelling than much of the material surrounding her. She's calculating and adaptable, and she's willing to use personal connections as weapons. There's a strong recurring antagonist there. But that also means every time she appears, I'm waiting for the next manipulation. She's somebody you could appreciate as a threat while desperately wanting somebody to take away all of her access codes.

Michael Burnham at number five suffers from Discovery's storytelling balance

I know this placement is going to get a reaction, so I want to be clear about my issue. Sonequa Martin-Green can carry an emotional scene. I'll say that. My frustration is how often Discovery makes Michael the point where every major problem, relationship and revelation converges. Her family connection does matter. Her decisions matter. Her personal history matters. But eventually I start looking around the bridge wondering what fascinating lives everybody else might have if we checked in on them.

Starting her story with mutiny is a bold choice: a Starfleet officer who makes a catastrophic decision and has to rebuild all the trust. There's a lot you can do with that. But for me, the redemption story becomes less satisfying when the scale keeps expanding around her. I want her choices to matter inside an ensemble where other people's expertise can carry the resolution too. The balance of storytelling is the issue. If Michael is your favorite captain, I'd like to know which episode makes your case. I'm interested in the defense. I really, really am.

Neelix at number four improves once Voyager lets him be sad

Early Neelix can be a lot. Voyager is stranded on the other side of the galaxy, everybody's stressed, and here comes a man who believes a solution might involve a conversation you didn't request and a meal you're afraid to identify. The biggest problem for me is the jealousy around Kes. Those early relationship stories can make him possessive and very difficult to enjoy, particularly when Tom Paris enters the conversation. And his determination to pull a reaction out of Tuvok sometimes makes me want to stand between them and explain personal space.

But Neelix improves when the show explores his losses, his insecurities and his need to be useful. The character does gain some weight, and Mortal Coil takes him somewhere much more painful than the cheerful cook routine suggests. Ethan Phillips gives him a vulnerability that definitely deserves some credit. I understand the hate, especially early on. I also think people who stop at annoying kitchen guy miss some of his best material. He becomes much easier to appreciate once the show trusts him to be sad without immediately handing him another joke.

Wesley Crusher at number three, not number one, was leaned on too hard by the writing

Hot take: Wesley isn't number one. His biggest crime was being a teenager aboard a ship where the adults sometimes seem to need him to finish the episode. That early formula is really rough. You have trained officers, experienced engineers and an android with extraordinary abilities, and the solution keeps wandering in wearing a sweater, usually an ugly sweater. There's nothing wrong with a gifted young character. The problem comes when the story makes everybody around him less capable so his intelligence can stand out. "You can feel the writing moving the furniture here."

But Wesley also gets some good material. The First Duty puts him in a situation where intelligence doesn't solve the problem. He has to decide whether to tell the truth when doing so could destroy his future. That's pretty compelling to me. Give me more of that Wesley. And personally, I feel none of the frustration with the character belongs on Wil Wheaton. For me, Wesley works best when he's a young person learning how to become worthy of the opportunities he's been given. He works considerably less well when the Enterprise apparently needs parental permission to access its most useful crew member.

Gul Dukat at number two is an excellent character and a terrible person

Now we're firmly in the category of excellent characters who are terrible people. Dukat is charming enough to keep talking, and that's part of what makes him so disturbing. He wants to explain himself. He wants you to understand his burdens. He would very much like appreciation for the restraint he believes he showed while participating in oppression. He loves affirmation; that's his love language. You listen to him describe himself and then you remember what actually happened. That gap is the character.

Marc Alaimo makes Dukat watchable without making his excuses true. You can understand the vanity, the resentment and his need for admiration while recognizing the cruelty underneath all of them. Every time he gets close to a moment that might produce honest self-examination, he finds somebody else to blame. His relationship with Kira is especially uncomfortable because he wants something from her he has absolutely no right to expect. He doesn't want just power. He wants the people he harmed to agree that he deserves the power. I think he's one of Trek's best villains. He's also somebody I would never allow to finish a sentence.

Kai Winn takes number one because spending time with her is so aggravating

Dukat can arrive with a warship. Winn can ruin your afternoon with a greeting. The moment she calls somebody "my child," you can practically feel Kira's blood pressure change. Louise Fletcher gives her an extraordinary ability to sound gentle while making every word feel like a small act of aggression. She doesn't need to raise her voice. She can express concern in a way that makes you want to request witnesses in the room. And underneath that politeness, there's an appetite for authority that keeps colliding with the faith she claims to serve.

Winn wants recognition. She wants to be chosen. She wants spiritual importance to come with public confirmation that she's above the people around her. So when those things don't arrive the way she expects, resentment starts making her decisions. That makes her frightening in a very familiar way to me. Most of us will never meet somebody commanding an occupying fleet, but somebody using moral authority to disguise ambition feels considerably closer to home. She's not number one because she's the worst written character. She's number one because the performance and the writing make spending time with her really aggravating. I can enjoy every second Louise Fletcher is on screen while wanting Kai Winn escorted out of the room.

Which character on this list would you defend?