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Who Is the Real First Orion in Starfleet? Shocking Revelation Revealed

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In the Starfleet crew, the initial Orion character might not be who you anticipate. The animated comedy, “Star Trek: Lower Decks” by Mike McMahan, introduced us to Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), an Orion science officer who chose a different path from the one her family planned for her in Starfleet. Notably, green-skinned Orions were among the earliest alien species created for “Star Trek: The Original Series”, but the cast of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” is the first in any “Star Trek” series to include an Orion character as a regular series character.

It’s understandable that it might have taken some time for any Orion characters to enlist in Starfleet, given their history as slave traders and the Orion Syndicate’s criminal reputation in the earlier Star Trek series. By the time of Star Trek: Lower Decks, set in the 2380s, the Orions are generally viewed as pirates and criminals, making Tendi a notable exception among her species serving in Starfleet, much like Lt. Commander Worf or Lt. Nog from previous series.

The First Orion In Starfleet Was Gaila In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Kelvin Timeline

Gaila Beat Tendi To Starfleet By 122 Years

In the initial installment of J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin Universe ‘Star Trek’ series, released in 2009, features an Orion Starfleet trainee named Gaila (portrayed by Rachel Nichols). This event takes place in the year 2258, a full 122 years prior to Tendi’s arrival on the USS Cerritos as depicted in ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’. Initially, we encounter Gaila sharing a dormitory with James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) when his Starfleet Academy roommate, Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña), unexpectedly returns early. Later on, Gaila is among the crowd during Kirk’s Kobayashi Maru hearing and is also one of the cadets swiftly dispatched to answer Vulcan’s distress call.

In the limited screen time she has, Gaila doesn’t get much chance to be fully fleshed out as a character. Moreover, her role as Kirk’s companion reinforces the stereotype that Orions are overly sexualized. Notably, it’s not the first time we see Gaila with another man, in this case, Uhura. However, despite the shallow portrayal, Gaila remains significant as she is the initial Orion encountered by Starfleet, at least within the Kelvin Timeline.

Lt. D’Vana Tendi Is The First Orion In Starfleet In Star Trek’s Prime Timeline

Lower Decks’ Tendi Challenges Stereotypes About Orions

In the main Star Trek timeline, Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi from Star Trek: Lower Decks remains the first Orion to serve in Starfleet. Despite this unique position, Tendi often underplays her Orion heritage due to the unfavorable stereotypes that come with it. During season 1, episode 9 of Lower Decks, “Crisis Point”, Beckett Mariner (played by Tawny Newsome) assigns Tendi a role as an aggressive, scantily-clad Orion pirate in a holodeck program. In defense, Tendi criticizes Mariner for reinforcing stereotypes, reminding her that “Not all Orions have been pirates for more than five years!

It’s enjoyable to observe that Tendi, an Orion character in Star Trek, isn’t stereotyped as a seductive figure like some other Orions we’ve seen. Instead, Tendi is more interested in science and making new friends, which is quite different from D’Vana, who is the Tendi family’s top assassin and is also known as the Mistress of the Winter Constellations. Despite their shared Orion heritage, Tendi’s character is distinctly different from Gaila from the 2009 Star Trek movie, as Tendi’s personality is more bubbly, while Gaila was depicted differently.

How Tendi & Star Trek: Lower Decks Redefined The Orions

Star Trek: Lower Decks Showed The Orion Homeworld For The First Time

In the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, the character D’Vana Tendi provided a unique perspective on the Orion society, refreshing and improving our understanding of the Orions. The portrayal of Orion women as sex-crazed slaves in the original Star Trek series was problematic, while Star Trek: Enterprise’s attempt to rehabilitate Orion women, presenting them as a matriarchal society controlling men with their pheromones, wasn’t much more acceptable. However, all previous depictions of the Orions were revised in a positive light through Star Trek’s first visit to the Orion homeworld in season 4, episode 4 of Lower Decks, titled “Something Borrowed, Something Green”.

In the series “Tendi” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks”, the Orion society is subtly shrouded in a layer of questionable morality, yet it’s clear that Orions, like other species in “Star Trek”, aren’t one-dimensional. Characters such as Tendi’s sister D’Erika (Ariel Winter) and the rest of the Tendi family lean towards criminal activities, but Tendi bravely chose a different path – Starfleet. Her character development in “Star Trek: Lower Decks” involves integrating her past as an Orion assassin with her current role in Starfleet, thus opening up possibilities for more Orions to consider joining Starfleet in the future, breaking free from the stereotypes of their society.

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2025-05-31 00:37

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