10 Star Trek Characters More Important Than You Realised

Love him or loathe him – he hasn’t always been the most genial of characters, although he has mellowed somewhat as a family man – Commander Paul Stamets has made more of a mark on the Star Trek Universe than most. You probably know him as the astromycologist (space mushroom guy) and co-creator of the spore drive, first assigned to oversee and field-test an experimental version of the latter aboard the USS Discovery. The character also takes his name from the real-life mycologist and entrepreneur Paul Stamets.

What you may not realise, however, is just how important Stamets is to both the 23rd and 32nd centuries. His invention, as well as the fact that he eventually becomes uniquely integral to the physical function of the spore drive (when they finally stop torturing the poor tardigrade they were using as a mycelial satnav), is key to the Klingon war, the investigation of the red lights, and a handy way around the dilithium shortage caused by The Burn. Given the vast distances the spore drive enables a ship to travel in a matter of seconds (tens of thousands of lightyears), it is one of the most powerful pieces of technology Starfleet and the Federation have ever known.

Stamets also deserves a mention, along with his husband Doctor Hugh Culber, as the first openly gay male characters in a Star Trek series. Stamets would also be the first to refer to himself as such. The pair also play a supportive and parental role in the lives of the first recurring transgender and non-binary characters Gray Tal and Adira Tal.