10 Star Trek Characters Who Don't Deserve The Hate

8. Michael Burnham

star trek discovery michael burnham in the brig
CBS Media Ventures

The hatred toward Michael Burnham started before Star Trek: Discovery had even aired. The reasons why ranged from the announcement that she was Spock's adopted sister, to the fact that some believed a female person of colour couldn't lead a Star Trek series. 

Nonsense, in other words.

We are not here to argue that Discovery didn't have its issues in the early days, suffering from a lack of clear direction and overreliance on high-emotional beats, but Burnham is a character who, while being at the centre of much of the criticism, has risen above it. 

Few mutineers could ever hope to captain a starship, yet she has more than earned the position. She has served alongside her crew through two centuries, countless battles, and cake eternal - while still remaining very much grounded. She is a fun character to follow, even if that same fun is jarring to those of us accustomed to Star Trek featuring conference rooms and Planet Hell. 

As Discovery heads into its fifth and final season, Burnham has, in our opinion, earned her spot as one of the best commanders in the franchise, having faced much higher barriers both on-screen and off than any other characters in Star Trek history. 

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"