10 Star Trek Characters With The Most Extreme Development
9. Phillipa Georgiou
This is perhaps a controversial inclusion, as Emperor Philipa Georgiou found her development relatively late in the day. For this entry, we are of course not considering Captain Philipa Georgiou - they are different characters after all - yet having one as the counterpoint for the other provides an interesting contrast.
Captain Georgiou was an archetypal good Starfleet officer, though this doesn't save her life in The Battle Of The Binary Stars. Emperor Georgiou is as different from her as night is to day, despite having obvious affection for Burnham, and later, Saru.
Once transported to the Prime Universe, Georgiou quickly establishes herself in Section 31, before helping the crew of the Discovery battle Control. She travels with them to the 32nd Century - and, for a moment, her development grinds to a halt. Once there, her journey really doesn't have many directions to go. So, the Guardian of Forever appears to set her right.
It is here that her arc is best depicted. She travels both back in time, and to her own universe, only then truly showing that she is not the bloodthirsty Emperor she once was. Her journey may have been marked by a slow, slow change in attitude, but only here, standing once again among her peers, does the audience see the subtle changes come to full light.
As of writing, Section 31 is still on the books, so we may yet see more of this character.