Star Trek: 10 Hated Characters You Grew To Love

When we invest in any show, we want to see the characters grow and develop. While it would be absolutely bonkers to assume that anyone makes any knee-jerk reactions to what they see today [pause for laugh] it must be said - some characters in Star Trek's history got a proper kicking from the audience when they arrived.

Time has been good to many of them, while some others are still in that crap heap. Some received a reevaluation so quickly that one wonders if they even count as hated at all - yet, here they are, and discuss them we shall.

There is no such thing as universal acclaim in this or any galaxy, so there may be entries here that still leave folks scratching their heads. And that's just fine! What's life without a little disagreement?

Let's get the worst bit out of the way up front: the relationship with Kes never worked, it was creepy as all hell and Neelix's character growth was stymied from the jump because of it. Loathe as we are to champion a break-up, separating Neelix and Kes was the best possible outcome. So, with that said, we can evaluate Neelix on his own.

Much credit must be given to Ethan Philips for how beloved Neelix has become. The man embued this Talaxian chef with a charm that seeped through in every performance. Was Neelix the most developed character in Star Trek? Nope. Was he the most popular? Also nope.

But did we come to love him? You bet your combadge we did. Seeing him return in Holograms All The Way Down was a genuinely pleasant experience, animated or not. One hopes that should we seek out the Talaxians again in Star Trek's future, Neelix will be the man to show us the way.