Jaw-Dropping Revivals: 10 Unbelievable Star Trek Characters Who Made Epic Comebacks!

Summary

Star Trek: Lower Decks humorously mocks the recurrent resurrection of characters in the franchise, cleverly emphasizing the ongoing gag of reviving deceased individuals.

Multiple Star Trek characters, including Dr. Hugh Culber and Neelix, have experienced revival through advanced technology or supernatural methods.

Captain James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and Data, among others, have defied death and been revived to continue their adventures in the Star Trek universe. In this futuristic world, advanced technology allows for the resurrection of deceased characters, offering them a second chance at life. While some characters in the Star Trek franchise have remained dead, there are plenty who have been brought back through the remarkable scientific advancements of this fictional universe.

Star Trek resurrects characters so frequently, in fact, that Star Trek: Lower Decks made fun of the extraordinary revivals. In "We'll Always Have Tom Paris" from season 2 of Lower Decks, Ensign Beckett Mariner jokingly points out that "bridge officers are always coming back from the dead." While it has become a running gag to kill off characters only to bring them back, the demise of a beloved Star Trek character can still be deeply saddening, and the way their resurrections are handled varies. Continue reading to discover a compilation of 10 Star Trek characters who have made a comeback.

10 Dr. Hugh Culber - Star Trek: Discovery

During the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, Ash Tyler, whose identity had been taken over by the Klingon Voq, killed Dr. Hugh Culber, portrayed by Wilson Cruz. At the time, Culber's death seemed irreversible. However, in the episode "Saints of Imperfection" of the show's second season, it was revealed that Culber's consciousness had actually been residing within the microscopic mycelial network. Lt. Paul Stamets, played by Anthony Rapp, an expert in the study of the mycelial network, managed to reconstruct Culber's physical form and bring him back to life, thanks to the assistance of the sentient beings inhabiting the network.

9 Neelix - Star Trek: Voyager

In a remarkably somber installment of Star Trek: Voyager, Neelix (Ethan Phillips) confronted the harsh reality of his mortality. Following a fatal shuttle mishap in the fourth season episode "Mortal Coil," Neelix was revived by Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) utilizing Borg nanoprobes. Without any recollection of an afterlife, Neelix began to doubt his faith and convictions. Ultimately, Neelix contemplated ending his own existence, but his comrades aboard Voyager reminded him of his significance and successfully dissuaded him from proceeding.

8 Scotty & Dr. McCoy - Star Trek: The Original Series

While many security officers wearing red shirts perished in Star Trek: The Original Series, the main characters typically escaped unscathed, except in cases involving exceptionally powerful entities or computers. In the episode "Shore Leave" from TOS season 1, Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) encountered a black knight on a mystical planet where the Enterprise crew had stopped for rest. The knight fatally impaled McCoy with his lance, but the doctor was later resurrected by the enigmatic caretaker of the planet. In season 2's "The Changeling," a formidable space probe known as Nomad killed Chief Engineer Scotty (James Doohan) while he attempted to rescue Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). When Kirk requested Nomad to "repair" Scotty, the probe brought the fallen Engineer back to life.

7 Ensign Harry Kim - Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager's Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) holds the record for encountering death multiple times among all Star Trek characters, yet he defied it persistently. Initially, Ensign Kim faced death in the first season episode "Emanations," where he found himself on a planet serving as a burial ground for an alien species. The ship's holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) had to resuscitate him upon his return to Voyager. In the second season's "Deadlock," another version of Ensign Kim from an alternate Voyager perished due to a breach in the hull. Then, in "Timeless," an alternate timeline's Ensign Kim unintentionally caused the destruction of Voyager. He sacrificed himself by sending a message back in time to prevent the catastrophe and save the ship.

6 Lt. Hemmer - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Bruce Horack's portrayal of Enterprise Chief Engineer Lt. Hemmer captivated fans in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, making his demise in "All Those Who Wander" even more heartbreaking. Hemmer, a beloved hero, selflessly sacrificed himself to protect his crew from the infection caused by Gorn eggs. While Hemmer did not technically come back to life, the character did reappear in the SNW season 2 episode "Lost in Translation." During the Enterprise's encounter with an unidentified lifeform concealed within a nebula, Ensign Nyota Uhura began experiencing unsettling auditory and visual illusions. Among these hallucinations was a chilling reanimated depiction of Hemmer, which later transformed into his restored form once Uhura deciphered the message the aliens were conveying.

5 Chief Miles O'Brien - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) had an unfortunate streak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, enduring numerous misfortunes and even facing death on multiple occasions. In the DS9 season 3 episode "Visionary," Chief O'Brien was exposed to radiation, triggering his ability to catch glimpses of the future. Although O'Brien met his demise more than once in this episode, he managed to thwart his own death through his temporary precognition. Towards the end of the episode, the original O'Brien succumbed to radiation poisoning and was succeeded by a version of himself hailing from three-and-a-half hours in the future.

4 Captain James T. Kirk - Star Trek Generations

After supposedly being killed in Star Trek Generations, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) finds himself in a heaven-like nexus realm. Initially, Kirk desires to remain in the Nexus, enjoying the idyllic cabin it provides for him. However, after some persuasion from Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Kirk has a change of heart. He eventually confesses his longing for his time on the USS Enterprise and decides to return to the real world alongside Picard. Unfortunately, Kirk's revival is short-lived, as he is ultimately killed (this time permanently) while attempting to prevent the villainous Soran (Malcolm McDowell) from achieving his goals.

3 Jean-Luc Picard - Star Trek: Picard

2 Data - Star Trek: Nemesis & Star Trek: Picard

After surviving seven seasons and four movies of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jean-Luc Picard succumbed to Irumodic Syndrome, an incurable disease caused by organic Borg DNA in his brain, in Star Trek: Picard season 1. However, there was a glimmer of hope when Dr. Altan Inigo Soong, an expert in synthetic life, came to the rescue. Utilizing his expertise, Dr. Soong successfully transferred Picard's memories and consciousness into a human-like synthetic body. This groundbreaking procedure allowed Picard to continue living, experiencing the years he would have had if not for his terminal condition. Remarkably, Picard's synthetic form was virtually indistinguishable from his original self, possessing the same mannerisms and memories, effectively resurrecting the beloved character.

Beloved android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) sacrificed himself in Star Trek: Nemesis to save his comrades. Despite some of Data's memories residing within his "brother" B-4, Data himself was absent until Star Trek: Picard. Data returned briefly in season 1 of Picard to bid farewell to Jean-Luc, only to seemingly meet his demise again later in the same season. However, in season 3 of Picard, Data was resurrected once more as his consciousness merged with those of his brothers Lore and B-4. This ultimate upgrade finally brought Data closer to attaining humanity, a goal he had pursued since the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

1 Spock - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan & Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) holds the distinction of being the most well-known Star Trek character to experience death and resurrection. In a poignant moment, Spock sacrificed himself in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan while his close friend Jim Kirk witnessed the event. In the subsequent film, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Kirk and his crew embarked on a mission to locate and revive their fallen comrade. Through the utilization of the Genesis device and Spock's clever decision to transfer his Vulcan katra to Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), he was able to rejoin the USS Enterprise for further adventures. Although the revival of deceased characters has become a common occurrence in Star Trek, Spock's return was indeed a highly anticipated and appreciated one.