10 Greatest Redemption Stories In Star Trek

Today's lesson: If you are planning on launching a first strike against the Klingons and need to nerve pinch your captain to do so, make sure they're properly unconscious before you leave the room! Michael Burnham's mutiny didn't exactly get very far as Georgiou (the Prime version) was quickly back on her feet and back on the bridge. Proper preparation prevents piss poor photon torpedo launches, people!! Or, perhaps, Burnham's Vulcan side wasn't quite as practised after all.

Burnham's life was particularly difficult from the start. At only ten years old, both her parents (or so she thought) were killed whilst she was hiding in the same room. Then, to add insult to Klingon injury, Burnham had to grow up on Vulcan, which wasn't exactly a safe-haven for humans at that point in its history. Logic extremists were trying to blow up anything that didn't fit within their strictest of definitions, and the Vulcans more generally were still pretty prejudiced about who they let into their Expeditionary Group. Sarek lied to Burnham about that, and Spock joined Starfleet anyway!

If you'd gone through the same, you'd probably nerve pinch your captain at the first opportunity! At her court-martial, Burnham pleaded guilty on all charges, was stripped of rank, and sentenced to imprisonment for life. She was then plucked out of prison by Captain Lorca, but it turned out he was the evil version who just needed her as part of his plan to return to the Mirror Universe.

Burnham went on to help end the Klingon war, and after that, to save the entire galaxy from Control. No time for rest, her redemption story traversed the centuries, leaving most of her family behind in the 23rd to move to the 32nd. There, she was demoted, then promoted to Captain of the Discovery-A ("let's fly") and saved the galaxy again… twice! That's quite enough redeeming for anyone!