An Epic Comeback: The Return of Iconic Voyager Characters in Star Trek

Summary

Star Trek: Prodigy serves as a stealth sequel to Star Trek: Voyager, continuing the story of the Voyager crew in the Delta Quadrant.

In Star Trek: Picard, Icheb met a tragic fate as he underwent torture and ultimately perished in the embrace of Seven of Nine. As for Seven of Nine, she played a pivotal role in the series, embracing her destiny within Starfleet and eventually ascending to the position of Captain aboard the USS Enterprise-G.

Several key figures from Star Trek: Voyager have made a comeback in recent years within the Star Trek franchise. The interconnected nature of the Star Trek universe has allowed characters from various series to frequently cross paths since the 1990s. While there may not be a direct sequel to Voyager like Star Trek: Picard, which continues the story of the Enterprise-D crew, there have been notable updates on many of the former crew members of Voyager.

Instead of a show solely focused on the later life of Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) similar to Picard, we have Star Trek: Prodigy. This series not only caters to a younger audience but also serves as a subtle continuation of Star Trek: Voyager. In its first season, Prodigy takes us back to the Delta Quadrant and introduces a compelling new Starfleet mission involving the experimental starship called the USS Protostar, which happens to be the fastest in the entire fleet. The mission's requirements call for officers with extensive experience in the Delta Quadrant, ensuring the continuation of the Voyager crew's story. Nevertheless, Prodigy isn't the sole Star Trek series to feature appearances by former Voyager characters.

12 Admiral Kathryn Janeway In Star Trek: Prodigy

11 Icheb In Star Trek: Picard

In Star Trek: Prodigy, the young alien heroes were taught the principles of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets by Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Serving as their mentor and confidante, Hologram Janeway guided Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and his friends through the training protocol of the Protostar. However, their journey took a turn when the real Admiral Kathryn Janeway arrived aboard the USS Dauntless. Hologram Janeway made a selfless sacrifice, along with the USS Protostar, to protect the galaxy. In response, Admiral Janeway advocated for the kids' acceptance into Starfleet Academy and appointed them as her warrant officers in the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Prodigy.

Icheb, portrayed by Casey King, made his debut in Star Trek: Picard, making him the first Star Trek: Voyager character to appear in any new Star Trek series on Paramount+. Unfortunately, the former Borg and dear friend of Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan, met a tragic end when he was subjected to brutal torture and had his Borg components harvested in season 1 of Star Trek: Picard. Icheb's heartbreaking demise took place in Seven's arms, as she arrived too late to save him, bringing their story as former Borgs in the Delta Quadrant to a devastating conclusion.

10 Seven Of Nine In Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard revolutionized Seven of Nine, establishing her as a prominent character who overcame her troubled past and embraced her destiny within Starfleet. In Picard season 1, Seven joined a diverse crew as a disenfranchised Fenris Ranger, having left Earth due to their rejection of her as a former Borg. Finding solace and love in the presence of Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), she came into the sphere of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who granted her a Starfleet field commission. Rising to the role of First Officer aboard the USS Titan-A in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Seven's exceptional bravery in thwarting the Borg's assault on Earth led to her ascension as Captain of the USS Enterprise-G.

9 Chakotay In Star Trek: Prodigy

In Star Trek: Prodigy season 1, the disarray surrounding the USS Protostar revolved around the intriguing disappearance of Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and its connection to the nefarious scheme of Vau N'Akat to dismantle Starfleet. The original commander of the USS Protostar, Chakotay was transported back to the Delta Quadrant due to a disruption in time, ultimately landing the starship in the 25th century of an alternate timeline. Here, both Chakotay and the Protostar's crew fell under the custody of the Vau N'Akat, with Chakotay ingeniously managing to propel the starship back in time. Nonetheless, he remains trapped as a captive in the ominous future of the planet Solum. In the forthcoming season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy, Admiral Janeway's paramount objective is to rescue her cherished comrade Chakotay.

8 Tom Paris In Star Trek: Lower Decks

7 B'Elanna Torres Mentioned In Janeway's Admiral's Log

Star Trek: Voyager's talented pilot, Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), made a guest appearance in the third episode titled "We'll Always Have Tom Paris" of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2. Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) of the USS Cerritos was thrilled by the visit of the former helmsman of Voyager and eagerly sought to have his souvenir plate signed by Paris. However, Boimler's journey was fraught with a string of unfortunate incidents. Despite enduring a challenging ordeal, Boimler eventually comes face to face with the esteemed Starfleet icon. However, due to his disheveled appearance, agitated demeanor, and stained clothing, Paris mistakenly identifies Boimler as a Kazon and launches an attack. Eventually, the two reconcile with an apology and decide to share a drink. Remarkably, Boimler takes a peculiar sense of pride in having received a black eye from Tom Paris.

As part of Star Trek: Prodigy's social media campaign, Star Trek released Admiral's logs read by Kate Mulgrew and posted on Instagram. The first log unveiled that her former chief of engineering B'elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) supervised the design and construction of Janeway's new ship, the USS Dauntless. Janeway disclosed that the ship's name and its quantum slipstream drive rekindled memories of a similarly named ship that the Voyager crew encountered while traversing the Delta Quadrant.

6 Captain Tuvok In Star Trek: Lower Decks & Star Trek: Picard

Commander Tuvok's unexpected appearance in the season 3 premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks is recounted by Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) as she explains his crucial role in helping her clear her name for the destruction of Pakled Planet. Captain Tuvok (Tim Russ), a living and breathing individual, later joins Star Trek: Picard in its third season. Initially portrayed by a Changeling imposter, the genuine Vulcan eventually emerges, promoting Seven of Nine to the position of Captain of the USS Enterprise-G.

5 The USS Voyager In Star Trek: Picard & Star Trek: Lower Decks

In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 6, "The Bounty," the USS Voyager makes its long-awaited appearance since the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager, "Endgame." Taking place in the early 25th century, the renowned starship is now showcased in the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime, under the supervision of Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). However, the story rewinds almost 20 years earlier in the premiere episode "Twovix" of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, where Voyager returns to action. Despite some misadventures faced by the crew of the USS Cerritos, a Lower Deckers starship, Voyager successfully reaches Earth and secures its place in a museum.

4 Dr. Chaotica, Michael Sullivan & The Clown In Star Trek: Lower Decks

3 Neelix in Star Trek: very Short Treks

In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4's premiere episode titled "Twovix," fans are treated to a delightful homage to Star Trek: Voyager. The episode sees the triumphant return of three infamous holographic villains - Dr. Chaotica, the Clown, and Michael Sullivan. These mischievous characters wreaked havoc aboard the USS Voyager, taking advantage of holographic emitters to bring chaos and nearly causing a disastrous collision with the Borg. Courageously, Ensign Brad Boimler takes the lead in thwarting the plans of these holo-baddies, ultimately earning himself a well-deserved promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade.

Even though Star Trek: Very Short Treks is not considered official Star Trek canon, Neelix made a comeback in "Holograms All The Way Down," the fourth installment. This marked the first time Ethan Phillips portrayed Voyager's Talaxian character since 2001. Neelix served as the culmination of a series of increasingly peculiar holodeck scenarios across different Star Trek series. It is uncertain whether Neelix will reappear in the future Star Trek canon.

2 The Doctor In Star Trek: Prodigy

When Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 is released on Netflix in 2024, it will begin with the introduction of The Doctor (Robert Picardo) from Star Trek: Voyager as the leader of Admiral Janeway's group of young warrant officers. Following "Kathy's" request, The Doctor assumes the role of Dal R'El, Zero (Angus Imrie), Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), and Jankom Pog's (Jason Mantsoukas) holographic guardian, and he brings them aboard Janeway's new starship, the USS Voyager-A. Although it is a successor to the original USS Voyager, the Lamarr Class Voyager-A is a completely new starship and not a returning character from Star Trek: Voyager.

1 Which Voyager Characters Still Need A Star Trek Comeback

Among the main characters of Star Trek: Voyager, B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) are the only two who have not returned in any capacity. Since the conclusion of Star Trek: Voyager, Torres hasn't made an appearance, and the initial plan to feature Ensign Harry Kim in Star Trek: Picard season 3 did not materialize. However, considering that Star Trek: Prodigy is established as the successor to Star Trek: Voyager, it is possible that it won't be long before all those who journeyed through the Delta Quadrant make a comeback.