10 Star Trek Characters With The Most Extreme Development

8. Captain Christopher Pike

star trek strange new worlds pike and pike's horse
CBS Media Ventures

The first on-screen captain of the USS Enterprise, Christopher Pike was an enigmatic man for many years. The Cage was a mere curio for decades, with Sean Kenney taking over the role for the infamous beeping wheelchair scenes. Pike wouldn't truly see more development until Star Trek 09, now played by Bruce Greenwood.

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This was a captain that meant business. Though he is injured by Nero in the course of the film, he is still more than capable, by the story's close, of passing command of the Enterprise to Kirk. This is revoked in Into Darkness, when a serious disappointed Pike informs Kirk that the ship has been taken from him. Mere minutes later, Pike is killed.

This again seemed like the end of the road for the character - that is, until the second season of Star Trek: Discovery. Anson Mount stepped off that transporter pad in Brother, beginning a journey that would see Pike depicted as a capable commander, a damaged human being, an able chef, an expert negotiator, and a skilled horseback rider.

Pike's story is still ongoing, with nearly ten years of material left to cover before he ends up in that damned chair. He began life as a man who couldn't get used to a woman on the bridge. As it stands, he is now one of the most inspiring characters in all of Star Trek. Not a bad journey for the man - or the quiff.

Contributor
Contributor

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"