Sylvia Tilly & Jett Reno’s Ages In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Explained

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In Season 1, Episode 8 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – titled “The Life of the Stars” – Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) jokingly refers to herself and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) as “the women that time forgot.” The episode, written by Gaia Violo & Jane Maggs and directed by Andi Armaganian, features Tilly traveling to San Francisco to use theatrical techniques to help Starfleet Academy cadets process their trauma.

The series Star Trek: Discovery featured characters like Tilly and Reno, both originating from the 23rd century, alongside Captain Michael Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) aboard the USS Discovery. Tilly began as a bright, new Starfleet Academy cadet and was promoted to Ensign by the end of the first season. Commander Reno, an engineer, became part of the Discovery crew at the start of season three.

In the eighth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Captain Nahla Ake (played by Holly Hunter) shared drinks with Tilly and Reno. As a 422-year-old who is half-Lanthanite, Nahla experiences time differently and is essentially immortal. She encouraged Tilly to do everything she could to support the struggling cadets, reminding her that she hadn’t been long ago in their position. However, given Nahla’s unique relationship with time, the question arises: how long has it really been?

How Old Tilly Is In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

The third season of Star Trek: Discovery jumped forward to the 32nd century, which created some interesting questions about time and how the characters age. For example, Sylvia Tilly is either 32 or 962 years old, depending on your perspective, as seen in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Tilly was born on Earth in 2233. When Star Trek: Discovery started in 2256, Sylvia was a 23-year-old Starfleet cadet. Tilly quickly earned the rank of Ensign a year later, and by the time the USS Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, she was 25 years old. Upon arriving in 3189, Tilly’s age instantly became 956 years old.

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery was set in the year 3191, with Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly now teaching at the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. Tilly was 27 years old during this season. The series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy picks up four years later, in 3195, but when Tilly arrives in San Francisco, it’s the spring semester of 3196, making her 32 years old.

Tilly remembers her days as a Starfleet Academy cadet as if they were recent, but it’s been almost a thousand years since she first joined the USS Discovery. That’s where she met Michael Burnham, who would later become known as Starfleet’s first mutineer and her roommate.

How Old Jett Reno Is In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Jett Reno was 42 years old when she first joined the USS Discovery at the beginning of Star Trek: Discovery‘s second season. By the time Star Trek: Starfleet Academy starts in 3195, she’s 49 – or, remarkably, 980 years old.

Reno, born in 2215, had a diverse life traveling the galaxy before joining Starfleet as an engineer. Jett served on the USS Hiawatha during the Klingon War of 2256-2257 and later transferred to the USS Discovery after being rescued by Captain Christopher Pike and Commander Michael Burnham.

In 2258, when the USS Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, Commander Reno was 43 years old. Jett aged dramatically, becoming 974 years old upon the ship’s arrival in 3189. Six years later, the series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy begins, and Reno would be 50, or 981 years old, as shown in the eighth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which is set in the spring of 3196.

Sylvia Tilly and Jett Reno jokingly refer to themselves as relics of the past, but as instructors at Starfleet Academy, they offer cadets valuable insights gained from their lives in Starfleet across two different centuries.

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2026-02-27 15:18