20 Star Trek Women You Should Know

Kirstie Alley portrayed Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Image via Paramount Pictures)

16. Saavik (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

Unlike the other characters featured in this list, Lieutenant Saavik exists almost entirely in the realm of the Star Trek films. She first appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, perhaps the most widely acclaimed Star Trek film produced to date. In it, she was an ambitious Vulcan Starfleet cadet with little experience.

However, various Star Trek novels and comic books would flesh out her backstory. There, she was born on an abandoned Romulan colony, half Vulcan and half Romulan. The Romulans were previously great enemies of humans, though by the time of The Next Generation (which would eventually run simultaneously with some of the Star Trek films featuring the original series cast) the Romulans had a tenuous alliance with the Federation.

Now, for the extra nerdy amongst you, I’m aware that this background is dubiously canonical. It was included in the original script for Wrath of Khan but was edited out prior to the film’s release. At any rate, I think it’s certainly a more interesting backstory and worth including here.

Saavik enjoyed an especially close mentorship with Spock, who (in some kind of, sort-of, not really canonical sources) encouraged her Starfleet career. She is certainly integral in bringing back Spock after his apparent death in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, defending a newly reborn Spock from Klingons as well as a quickly self-destructing planet.

Creators toyed with different fates for Saavik, none of which were realized on film. Some writers concocted a story in which Saavik becomes pregnant with Spock’s child and remains behind on Vulcan. Others wanted her to reappear in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, where she would essentially betray Spock by attempting to kill a bunch of Klingons. Honestly, it’s probably best she was left out of both plots.