Many Star Trek characters have complicated relationships with their siblings. Although Star Trek: The Original Series didn’t delve too deeply into its characters’ family dynamics, subsequent Star Trek series explored more complex relationships. Although some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation featured its main characters’ siblings, they usually only appeared for one or two episodes. However, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine the stationary setting allowed for more serialized stories, giving the show more time to develop its characters and their families.
In the era of streaming television, modern Star Trek shows are more serialized and focus more on character development than previous ones Walk shows did. Show how Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduced some great sibling duos with complex, nuanced relationships. While some Star Trek brothers are close to each other, others have a more tense dynamic. Still, most of these brothers clearly care about each other in their own way, even if they don’t always know how to show it.
8
Sidney and Alandra La Forge
Star Trek: Picard Season 3
In Star Trek: Picard In the triumphant third season, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D reunited for one final mission to save the galaxy. With the return of Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) came the introduction of his two daughters, Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and Alandra (Mica Burton). Although both girls joined Starfleet like their father, Sidney became a pilot, while Alandra studied engineering. Sidney’s career and headstrong personality caused some tension between her and her father, while Alandra remained close to Geordi.
As an ensign, Sidney got a position as helmsman of the USS Titan-A under the command of Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). When Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sought out his former chief engineer, Geordi was reluctant to join the dangerous mission and he wanted Sidney to stay out of it too. Sidney, however, argues with her father, pointing out that she is not Alandra. While the relationship between the two sisters seems good, they clearly have very different relationships with their father.
7
D’Vana and D’Erika Tendi
Star Trek: Lower Decks
With the introduction of D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), Star Trek: Lower Decks single-handedly redefined the Orions as a species. Despite her Orion pirate skills, D’Vana is a ray of sunshine and continues to be one of the more optimistic members of the Cerritos crew. In Lower decks Season 4, Episode 4, ‘Something Borrowed, Something Green’, D’Vana has to return to Orion for her sister, D’Erika’s (Ariel Winter) wedding, revealing more about the Tendi family dynamic. As D’Vana searches for her sister, D’Erika ambushes her, confronting her about abandoning the family to join Starfleet.
Since that first appearance, D’Erika has appeared in three more episodes of Lower decks. She and D’Vana have such a relatable sibling dynamic – they obviously love each other, but they still have their fair share of arguments. After D’Vana left Orion to join Starfleet, D’Erika became the Tendi family’s top assassin. D’Erika worries that she won’t live up to her older sister’s impressive legacy, and D’Vana may be a little too protective of her younger sister. D’Erika manipulates her sister into returning to Orion for a time, and the two sisters team up as pirates, leading to some conflict over how they should command their crew.
6
Soji and Dahj
Star Trek: Picard
Identical Android twins Soji and Dahj (Isa Briones) were created by Bruce Maddox (John Ales) and Altan Soong (Brent Spiner) using a single positronic neuron from Data (Brent Spiner). Despite being raised as young adults, both Soji and Dahj believed they were fully human and had memories of their childhood. With these fabricated memories and imaginary parents, Soji and Dahj have a complex family tree. Dahj was killed in Star Trek: Picard series premiere after seeking out Admiral Jean-Luc Picard for answers about who she was.
After Dahj’s death Picard went in search of his sister Soji and save her from the Romulan Zhat Vash assassins who killed Dahj. It’s unclear how much time Soji and Dahj actually spent together, considering all of their childhood memories were fake. This makes the dynamics of their relationship particularly difficult to determine, although the photos Soji keeps indicate that they at least believed themselves to be close. They were not seen interacting in Picard, and it is likely that most if not all of their relationship was built on programmed fabricated memories.
5
Worf, Nikolai and Kurn
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Having been raised by humans, Worf grew up with a human foster brother named Nikolai (Paul Sorvino). The two had a contentious relationship growing up, as Nikolai’s rebellious breaking of the rules angered Worf, who valued honor above all else. Yet, Worf and Nikolai never considered each other anything less than brothers, despite one being Klingon and the other human. Both brothers also respected and cared for each other despite their differences.
Worf also had a Klingon biological brother, although they were separated as children and were not reunited until Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3. Kurn (Tony Todd) participated in the Starfleet Officer Exchange Program and visited the Enterprise to observe Worf. before informing him that the Klingon High Council had dishonored his father, Mogh. Before revealing his true identity, Kurn tested Worf, eventually leading the Klingon security officer to confront him. Kurn shared Worf’s sense of honor and both brothers became important players in Klingon politics over time. TNG and DS9.
4
James and Sam Kirk
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Although Sam Kirk technically made his first appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series, he was already dead when bystanders found him. Dan Jeannotte literally brought new life to the character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as the older brother of Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk. As a xenoanthropologist on the USS Enterprise, Sam feels overshadowed by his ambitious younger brother, Starfleet’s youngest first officer.
Both brothers appear to have a complicated relationship with their father; James strove to live up to his father’s standard of success, while Sam thought his father’s ideas were old-fashioned. Despite the jealousy that Sam sometimes feels towards his brother, the two get along well. Sam ultimately decides to resign from Starfleet and work as a civilian research biologist on a planet called Deneva, where he and his wife will be tragically killed by flying parasites.
3
Spock and Michael Burnham (and Sybok)
Star Trek: Discovery
Originally a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery introduced Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as Spock’s (Ethan Peck) adopted sister. When Michael’s parents were killed in a Klingon attack, Ambassador Sarek (James Frain) and his human wife Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner) adopted the young girl and raised her on Vulcan. Michael and Spock grew up as brothers and both faced bullying from other Vulcan children for different reasons.
Although Michael and Spock cared deeply for each other a feud formed between the two after Michael hurled a particularly hurtful insult at her brother. Believing that her presence put his adoptive family in danger, Michael ran away from home and thought that if Spock hated her, he would miss her less. Michael and Spock eventually reconciled in Discovery Season 2, before Michael travels more than 900 years into the future on the USS Discovery. As Burnham and her team work to help rebuild the 32nd century Federation, Michael remembers Spock fondly and is incredibly proud of his accomplishments.
2
Data and knowledge
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard
At the beginning of Star Trek: The Next GenerationLieutenant Commander Data believes he is the only android of his kind. He soon discovers that his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), is actually created several androids and prototypes based on the same model. In TNG Season 1, Episode 13, “Datalore”, the Enterprise-D finds and awakens one of these earlier models on the planet where Data was originally found.
Upon meeting Lore (Brent Spiner), Data is pleased to know he is not alone in the universe. Data wants nothing more than to connect with his brother, but Lore unfortunately has other plans. Over the course of his four appearances on TNG, Lore manipulates and impersonates data, proving that you are far away “less perfect” than your brother. Lore returns briefly in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, and his personality finally merges with Data’s in a newly updated version of the android.
1
Quark and Rom
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
As the Ferengi bartender in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Quark (Armin Shimerman) can be difficult to love, especially given his treatment of his brother, Rom (Max Grodénchik). Rom worked at Quark’s bar and Quark always treated him like a servant, calling him an idiot and blaming him for everything that went wrong. Although Rom initially tolerated Quark’s treatment of him, he later began to stand up to his brother, eventually leaving the bar and joining DS9’s maintenance crew.
Despite all your conflicts, Quark and Rom cared about each other. Rom, who cared little about profits, was an unconventional Ferengi, and Quark didn’t always understand him, but he still cared for his younger brother. Rom eventually became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, while Quark expanded his reach into a successful franchise that spanned the entire Alpha Quadrant. Quark and Rom may have had a messy relationship, but they will always be some of the Star Trek more interesting brothers.