10 Star Trek Characters Who Don't Deserve The Hate

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.