With its third season now concluded, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has earned acclaim for blending the adventurous spirit of The Original Series with modern storytelling. While Discovery brought us the epic Klingon War and delved further into some of the historical canon that took place in the Star Trek Universe before the events of TOS, SNW, as a more character-focused prequel, has begun to bridge the gap between the Discovery era and TOS, bringing us the missing ‘Pike’ era of the Enterprise. While the fresh takes on characters and often more light-hearted storytelling haven’t been to everyone’s tastes, SNW has certainly provided some fantastic fan service moments while slowly but surely reassembling the OG Enterprise crew fans know and love. We’ve already seen Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and of course Kirk make their way onto the show. But as the series heads into its final two seasons, several key TOS characters are still missing from Pike’s Enterprise.
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Strange New Worlds has rightly been careful about how it reintroduces TOS characters, balancing the pure ‘nostalgia points’ that come from bringing back a familiar face, with fresh storytelling. Ensuring that beloved figures are brought back to the Enterprise for good reason, with new light cast on their character, preserves both continuity and the show’s unique identity. With two seasons left, there’s still plenty of TOS regulars we could see make an appearance of SNW. As we await the fourth season, it remains to be seen whether SNW will bring any of them aboard before handing the Enterprise over to Kirk.
Here’s every major Star Trek: The Original Series character who hasn’t yet returned in Strange New Worlds — and how their appearance could make a mark.
7) Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Perhaps the most glaring omission from Strange New Worlds so far is Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. The Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer and Kirk’s trusted confidant has yet to appear, which seems odd given the apparently long-standing friendship between the pair by the time we get to TOS days. Medicine and the Sick Bay staff already play a big role in Pike’s era, thanks to Dr. M’Benga joining the main cast (who actually only appeared in two episodes of TOS), so it seems odd that one of Star Trek’s most famous medical professionals, who was such an integral part of TOS, wouldn’t hop along for the ride. In fact, showrunners have hinted that he may very well appear in the upcoming series.
DeForest Kelley’s original performance made McCoy one of the most distinctive figures in Trek; his moments of surprising tenderness under the gruff exterior made him a fan favorite. If Spock represents Kirk’s logical side, then Bones embodies his more human conscience — the fiery, passionate voice who always reminded his captain what was at stake. Bones’s sarcastic humor would enable him to fit in very well with the SNW crew. We imagine he’d get on like a house on fire with Ortegas, for example. Whether he was grumbling about the difficulties of keeping his Captain alive or trading barbs with Spock on the bridge, McCoy helped shape the heart of Star Trek.
6) Pavel Chekov
Fans hoping to see Pavel Chekov aboard Pike’s Enterprise, unfortunately might be out of luck. The showrunners have confirmed that Chekov won’t appear in SNW because he would simply be too young during this era — likely still at school or training at the Academy. Introduced in Season 2 of TOS and played by Walter Koenig, Chekov was created to appeal to younger audiences.
Extremely intelligent and brimming with energy, Chekov is a bit of a prodigy, even referred to as the ‘Russian Whiz kid’ in J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin timeline films. With his upbeat attitude, quick wit, and memorable Russian accent, he became one of the franchise’s most beloved characters despite only appearing in the second season and not having as much time to develop as a character. While Chekov was often played as comic relief, he was also depicted as a gifted navigator, and his role was fleshed out in later films. Though SNW unfortunately won’t add him to its canon, Chekov’s importance to Star Trek ensures he remains an essential part of the Enterprise legacy.
5) Hikaru Sulu
Helmsman Hikaru Sulu also hasn’t yet made an appearance on the bridge yet despite canon placing him in Starfleet by this point in the timeline, though he’d still be a relatively young officer during the events of SNW. Played by the talented George Takei in TOS, Sulu may have been relatively quiet compared to his friend Chekov, but he was very much the guy who got things done around the Enterprise, often showing quick thinking in times of crisis.
Sulu is usually calm and courteous, but some of his best moments in TOS came when he broke out of his relatively reserved demeanor. Fans will never forget his fencing antics in “The Naked Time” or his chilling turn as a ruthless officer in the Mirror Universe episode “Mirror, Mirror.” We imagine Sulu could be a great addition to one of the more comedic episodes of SNW if he is ever introduced to the show. While SNW has spotlighted Ortegas at the helm, Sulu remains one of the big missing pieces of the TOS crew puzzle, and it could be a partnership for the ages if we ever got to see an Ortegas/ Sulu team up at the Helm.
4) Janice Rand
Fans of TOS will remember Yeoman Janice Rand serving as Captain Kirk’s assistant during the first season of TOS, but despite being one of the few prominent female characters aboard the Enterprise alongside Uhura and Chapel, she hasn’t yet been brought into Strange New Worlds. Played by Grace Lee Whitney in TOS and subsequent films, Rand seems an intelligent officer, but was something of a victim of the time, too often finding herself reduced to being a damsel-in-distress or a love interest for Kirk and then eventually written out of the show to free up Kirk to get up to his womanizing ways.
Despite her short run, Rand remains a memorable character, especially given her later appearances in the films where she was promoted to communications officer. Including Rand in SNW could allow the writers to give her more depth than the 1960s series allowed — a chance to reimagine her as a capable officer in her own right.
3) Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd
While not strictly speaking a major character in TOS, appearing in only two episodes, Harcourt Fenton Mudd, certainly made his mark, and became one of the series’ most memorable antagonists, so much so that he later appeared in Discovery. The Federation’s most infamous crook hasn’t shown up in Strange New Worlds — yet. But fans of the conniving conman will be pleased to know that the character was earmarked for a return, and Rainn Wilson, who portrayed him in Disco, has expressed interest in reprising the role.
The challenge is continuity. If Mudd crossed paths with Pike’s crew, it would be difficult to explain why Spock and Uhura don’t recognize him later in TOS. Still, Mudd’s roguish charm, penchant for schemes, and status as one of Trek’s most colorful recurring villains make him a strong candidate for a comeback. Fans certainly wouldn’t mind seeing more of his chaotic energy. The Strange New Worlds bosses seemingly want to see Mudd in the show and reportedly have even tried to get William Shatner to participate in a Mudd episode, so watch this space.
2) Sarek
Spock’s father, Sarek, hasn’t appeared in Strange New Worlds, though James Frain portrayed him admirably in Discovery. His continued absence from SNW would make sense, since canon dictates that during this time Spock and Sarek are estranged, having not spoken for 18 years by the time Kirk meets them in the TOS episode “Journey to Babel,” due to Sarek’s disappointment with Spock’s choice to join Starfleet instead of pursuing a career within the Vulcan Science Academy. Spock’s mother, Amanda, appearing without her husband in the episode “Charades” would seem to support this canon.
Still, Sarek is one of the most important figures in Spock’s life, representing both the pressures of Vulcan tradition and the challenges of family expectations. His inclusion in SNW could help bridge the gap between Discovery and TOS, while also exploring the roots of the fractured Spock-Sarek relationship. Amanda, having already appeared in the series, shows that family dynamics are very much on the table when it comes to potential storylines.
1) T’Pau
A highly respected Vulcan diplomat, judge, and philosopher and a leading figure in Vulcan history, T’Pau’s first on-screen appearance was in the classic TOS episode “Amok Time,” in which she officiated Spock’s wedding ceremony with T’Pring. Although she wasn’t seen again in TOS, T’Pau has been an important presence in Trek. Originally, T’Pol on Star Trek: Enterprise was actually intended to be a younger version of T’Pau. Though this wasn’t to be, a younger version of T’Pau did in fact appear in season 4 of Enterprise, where she was shown to be the leader of the Syrrannite movement, which sought to reform Vulcan society.
In Discovery, she was honored through the naming of a starship, a vessel called the NSS T’Pau was seen in a season 4 episode of the series. The name T’Pau has been used for other vessels in the franchise as well, including a Vulcan ship that appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Strange New Worlds might be the perfect place to develop this important long-standing figure in Vulcan history further and there would be ample reasons for Spock to end up on Vulcan seeking her council over something – perhaps a recent mind meld with one James Kirk say?
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is now streaming on Paramount+. Which TOS character would you most like to see appear in Strange New Worlds before it ends?
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