10 Unlikely Characters Who'd Be Perfect For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
8. Arex
Another opportunity this show presents is one to expand on characters who have only appeared in animation. Lieutenant Arex is one of the alien officers who was added to the series to both take advantage of the new medium's opportunities for more wild character designs and to replace Chekov, who had to be cut because of the budget.
One of the things which makes this character ideal for appearing on Strange New Worlds is his unique backstory, cooked up by Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana for some promotional material but not explored on screen.
He is a rare example of an officer who never attended Starfleet Academy but instead earned his rank through a demonstration of heroism and skill. When all of the officers on his ship were killed by a Klingon cruiser he assumed command and single-handedly captured the ship. It's also worth noting that while he never attended Starfleet academy he taught there as a navigation instructor and even taught Chekov.
Earning a reputation as Starfleet's best navigator and having had such a long and interesting career, he is the perfect sort of character to be revisited in the live action series. Arex being a member of the crew would not only be a gift to TAS fans but have all of the potential for him to become a fan favorite of the new show.