Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Thy'lek Shran

Despite their position as one of the four founding races of the Federation, alongside Humans, Vulcans and Tellarites, it took a long time for Andorians to have significant representation in Star Trek.

With only six appearances leading up to Enterprise, including one purely holographic one, the writing team were determined to take this previously silly looking race and turn them into believable players on the intergalactic stage. Owing to advancements in makeup and prosthetics, as well as servo mechanics to make their antennae functional, a respectable appearance was designed, but it would take a memorable performance to match which would truly establish the race.

Sure enough, the gamble paid off. With a cast of Andorian characters lead by Jeffrey Combs' fantastically wily Commander Shran, the race was leant enough legitimacy to recur with such varied characters as Ryn in Discovery, Tysess in Prodigy, and Jennifer in Lower Decks, as well as the Aenar Hemmer in Strange New Worlds.

Of all the myriad Andorians who have graced our screens, it is probably Shran who stands out the most, with Ryn actor Noah Averbach-Katz citing Combs' performance as 'inventing' the Andorians.

Still no word on some deep and meaningful Tellarites though.