10 best Star Trek characters (and the worst one that everyone loves to hate)

The one we love to hate: Neelix

As for the most hated and arguably the worst character in Star Trek… Meet Neelix.

Ah, Neelix. Let’s chat about our Talaxian friend from Star Trek: Voyager. There are die-hard Trekkies out there who’d claim that he’s brought a certain, let’s say, flavor to the series. But, for many of us, Neelix is something we could have done without – or at least feel he could have been written better. How did someone with such enthusiasm, who just cannot read the room (or the spaceship) to save his life, end up as a central figure aboard the Voyager?

Neelix was supposed to be the ship’s guide through the Delta Quadrant, but more often than not, his information was either painfully outdated or completely wrong. Yet, somehow, Captain Janeway continued to trust him with the wellbeing of her crew, encouraging him to become the self-appointed “ship’s morale officer”. More often than not, he did the opposite with his unique ability to be the nails on a chalkboard of space. Let’s not even talk about his kitchen adventures.

Despite these… minor details, one could argue that Neelix’s heart was theoretically in the right place. But his constant overstepping of boundaries, especially when it came to Kes, and tendency to put himself into situations where he wasn’t useful or even wanted made us all groan in annoyance.

For a series that gave us things and characters to hold on to for life, Neelix often felt like an oddly misplaced jester in Voyager. Still, love him or hate him, he’s made his mark in Star Trek universe.

Who is your favorite Star Trek character? Were there any you didn’t enjoy as much? Let us know!