Within the many additions to theStar Trekfranchise, there is a lot the various shows and movies do right. They have awonderful grasp of futuristic technologiesand alien races and cultures, all which get enriched with every new show that hits the small screen. That worldbuilding and characterization is a big part of what makes the franchise so successful.
With all the great things over the years, however, there always has to be a bit of hit-and-miss. The child characters scattered throughout the franchise often miss the mark, or annoy audiences rather than endearing them. Still, some have become iconic characters, though not always for the right reasons.
RELATED:Star Trek: The Best Fourth Wall Breaks In The Franchise
Wesley Crusher
Almost all audiences would recognize the face of Wesley Crusher. Being the only son of the ship’s chief of medicine comes with a lot of perks, like seemingly having full reign of the bridge even before he attended Starfleet.His appearances in the show have always been mixed, but despite his iconic presence, they often border on the irritating.
His character was designed to be relatable for younger audiences, and his ability to outsmart the majority of adults onboard was intended to make him a vessel for listening to children. Instead, though, they made him an insufferable know-it-all. Despite rubbing audiences the wrong way, he was often a pivotal member of the crew, saving the day multiple times with his genius inventions and intellect. He even ended up being noticed by a mysterious race of ‘Travelers',Q-like beings of immense powerwho took him into their ranks.
Nog
Going from one annoying child to another,Nog started out with all the odds stacked against him. He was a young and annoying kid running around the Deep Space 9 station, always getting into trouble and dragging Jake into mischief. What’s more, he was also a Ferengi. It’s hard not to be xenophobic when it comes to the Ferengi, especially before they were fully fleshed out, as they were always painted in a negative light duringTNG.They were supposed to be the villains, but nobody believed them to be threatening enough. Instead, they becamea fairly anti-semeticsymbol of greed.
Nog helped change all this however, alongside his uncle Quark. Together they became some of the most loved characters in the series. Nog grew up a lot over the years, and audiences got to see him mature, join Starfleet, and even become a war-torn veteran. He helped propel the once-disliked species into the limelight, giving them a second chance with audiences.
Naomi Wildman
Naomi is another familiar face of those who watchedthe mixed bag seriesVoyager. Being the only child aboard the ship making her hard to miss. Trapped 70-some years away from earth, she was the perfect vessel to show how growing up away from home and familiar culture could affect a person, as well as being the only child among a crew of adults both Starfleet and Marquis. She was wonderfully mature for her age, but she still managed to maintain that youthful spark of fun.
Naomi’s appearance came at around about the same time the writers of the franchise were actually getting good at writing kids. Jake Sisko and Nog, for example, were successes in their own right. Thus, Naomi’s character felt genuine, and less one-dimensional like Wesley. She had ambition and dreams, wanting to become a Starfleet Captain herself. Her youthful enthusiasm also offered the rest of the homesick crew something to take their mind off of their predicament.
Jake Sisko
Jake was another fantastically written character who could have been much worse. So far, all the children of the franchise were clamoring to join Starfleet, either to follow in their parents footsteps or because they strived for the fast-paced, exciting environment. Jake, however, was different. Being the son ofpotential war criminalbut great captain Benjamin Sisko, it seemed likely he would want to follow in his fathers footsteps and join the ranks ofthe Federations military. Instead, he wanted nothing of the sort, dreaming instead of becoming a writer.
It was such a fantastic breath of fresh air to see a character want to pursue the arts and creativity in a world where seemingly everyone of note was a scientist, engineer, doctor, or diplomat. It showed audiences that in this far-off future, there is still a great demand for creativity. His relationship with his dad was fantastic, and the level of respect and love betweenthe two is testament to single fathers around the world.
Elizabeth Tucker
This character may not be quite so iconic to audiences, but symbolized a lot when it comes to the history within the fiction universe. Elizabeth Tucker was the daughter of T’Pol and Trip from theEnterpriseseries, the result of a union between Vulcans and Humans. At the time, this had never happened before. It hadn’t even been considered possible. Her existence, even if it was fleeting, was iconic for the future of human and Vulcan relationships. It brought the two often at odds races together more than any peace treaties, and changed the course of history forever.
