This is a list of minor characters from the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Characters are ordered alphabetically by family name, and only characters who played a significant recurring role in the series are listed.

Jack Crusher

Lieutenant Commander Jack R. Crusher, a character in the Star Trek fictional universe, is the husband to Beverly Crusher and the father of Wesley Crusher. Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, the character is played by actor Doug Wert.

Jack Crusher was the second officer (third in command) aboard the USS Stargazer, Jean-Luc Picard's first command. He was killed while on a mission, which Picard blamed himself for and was troubled by it until he met Beverly Crusher when she first reported on the USS Enterprise. Crusher assured Picard she had signed on the Enterprise-D voluntarily and not due to Picard's influence.

The exact circumstances of Jack's death have never been made clear in official Trek canon. In author Michael Jan Friedman's Trek novel Reunion, Jack and another officer, Stargazer security chief Pug Joseph, are attempting to repair a damaged warp nacelle which explodes. Picard arrives on the scene and must choose which officer to save. Pug is closer and therefore more likely to survive, so Picard chooses him. This incident would later form the basis of a test administered to Wesley during Starfleet Academy prep exams, where Wesley is given a hypothetical situation involving two wounded men, only one of which Wesley can save. This was done because Picard's earlier choice resulted indirectly in Jack's death, and Academy instructors wondered whether Wesley could make a similar choice.

Jack Crusher once made a holographic recording of himself, where he explained his life and recent happenings to his son Wesley shortly after his birth. Jack originally intended this to be the first in a series of messages, one every couple of years, but due to a twist of fate, this was the only recording he ever got a chance to make. By the time Wesley first got to view the recording, Jack was already dead.

While he is mentioned in several episodes throughout the series, Lieutenant Commander Crusher appears in the following Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes:

• "Violations", episode # 512
• "Journey's End", episode # 720
• "Family", episode # 402

External links

• Startrek.com biography

Guinan

Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, is a recurring character on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also appears in the TNG films Star Trek Generations and Star Trek Nemesis.

The character first appears in the second-season opening episode "The Child", and she appears several times over the course of the next 4 seasons; she makes no appearances in the 7th.

Casting

According to Whoopi Goldberg, she approached the producers of TNG with her desire to be on the show, due to her childhood admiration of Uhura, a character from the original Star Trek, played by actress Nichelle Nichols.^[1] At first they did not think a suitable role for such a highly rated actress could be created, until Goldberg said that she didn't care how big or small the role was. It was from this they decided to give her the role of a bartender.

Overview

Guinan is originally from El-Auria. Her people, sometimes called "listeners", had been scattered throughout the galaxy after the Borg invaded their homeworld. The subsequent diaspora and reintegration of her people, and even their traditional clothing (interpreted as African) that Guinan still wears are interpreted as a reference to questions about race and colonization.^[2]

As a refugee aboard the El-Aurian vessel Lakul, she is rescued from the Nexus by the USS Enterprise-B.

Her species is long-lived, and she is somewhere between 500 and 700 years old at the time she joins the Enterprise-D. "Time's Arrow, Part I" reveals that she visited Earth in 1891, and "Rascals" establishes that her father was 700 years old during that episode.

Her wise counsel proves to be of great value to the crew at times. However, the full nature of her close relationship with Picard is never revealed, although she does indicate that Picard stood by her at a time when she was in serious trouble. Also she reveals that one of the first things she sees in men are their heads, having a fondness for bald men.

She keeps a Type-III phaser rifle (standard issue for starbases only) behind the bar in 10-forward, as seen in the TNG Episode "Night Terrors".

Guinan reveals in Star Trek Nemesis that she has been married 23 times. She states in "Evolution" that she has many children, including a son who went through a phase when "he wouldn't listen to anybody"?something unusual "in a species of listeners".

In "Yesterday's Enterprise," which involves a disruption of the timeline, Guinan is able to sense the disruption, even though everyone else believes it to be the natural course of events.

In "Q Who?", Q retorts, after hearing her called "Guinan" in the Enterprise-D's Ten-Forward lounge, "'Guinan'?is that your name now?" He claims that Guinan "is not what she appears to be." As well, when Q reaches out his hand towards Guinan and offers to Picard her extradition from the Enterprise, Guinan holds her two hands up at Q in a threatening manner, perhaps suggesting she may have some hidden powers she has not displayed openly.

Triva

Guinan was named after Texas Guinan, an imfamous 1920's actress and 300 Club, a speakeasy, owner.

External links

• Startrek.com biography

Kurn

Kurn, played by Tony Todd, is Worf's brother in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Officer exchange

Kurn is introduced in the episode "Sins of the Father", where, as part of an officer exchange program, he is posted to the Enterprise (in exchange for Riker's earlier placement on a Klingon ship, depicted in "A Matter of Honor"). Kurn specifically requested the Enterprise, and was assigned on a temporary basis as a first officer. Kurn did this so that he could observe Worf closely. Eventually, he revealed that he was Worf's younger brother.

He told Worf it was decided that he did not need to go to Khitomer. Worf had always thought that his entire family had died there. The Starfleet officer who rescued Worf had been told by the Klingon government that he had no living relatives. But Kurn was taken in by his father's closest friend, Lorgh, and raised as his son. At the age of ascension, Kurn was informed of his true bloodlines.

Kurn also informed Worf that the council had judged Mogh and his family to be traitors, that Mogh had betrayed Khitomer to the Romulans. The Enterprise went to Qo'nos so that Worf could challenge the accusation. Duras, the son of Mogh's greatest rival Ja'rod, led the prosecution of Worf. Duras tried to have Kurn assassinated, but Kurn was rescued by the Enterprise personnel, and made a full recovery. The Enterprise crew soon discovered that it was truly Ja'rod who collaborated with the Romulans. But K'mpec refused to clear Mogh, and was prepared to execute Worf. Worf agreed to accept discommendation on the condition that Kurn's true bloodlines be kept secret, and that he be allowed to continue to serve.

Gowron's ascension

Worf met with Kurn again right before the Klingon Civil War, in the two-part episode "Redemption". By this time, Kurn was a captain, and had his own vessel. When the two brothers saved Gowron's life, Gowron returned to Worf his honor and that of his family. Both brothers served with distinction in the war.

After the Klingon Civil War, Kurn became a member of the Klingon High Council. He served in this position until the breakdown in relations between the Klingons and the Federation following the Klingon invasion of Cardassian space. When Worf refused to join Gowron, Gowron cast him out of Klingon society. When that happened, Kurn was forced from his seat on the council. Kurn became concerned over the future of the family since he had no male heirs, which made Worf's son Alexander the next leader of the house. Kurn was worried that Alexander would not be ready to lead the house when the time came.

Deep Space Nine

Kurn next appears in the Deep Space Nine episode "Sons of Mogh".

After being forced from the council, Kurn found that he had lost the will to live. Kurn then went to Deep Space Nine, to ask his brother to kill him in order to restore his honor. Worf tried to fulfill Kurn's request, but was stopped by Jadzia Dax and Odo. Captain Sisko was furious over this, and forbade Worf from taking Kurn's life. Worf was then forced to try to get Kurn to regain his will to live. Odo agreed to make Kurn a member of the station security force. Kurn soon discovered a visitor was smuggling illegal items, the smuggler raised his gun at Kurn. In a twist of suicide by cop, despite having the ability to easily disarm the criminal, Kurn did nothing, and allowed himself to be shot. Because a man with a death wish was a danger to himself and everyone else, Odo dismissed him from the security force. At about the same time, the Klingons were discovered attempting to mine the Bajoran system. Worf recruited Kurn to go onto a Klingon ship docked at the station, and they were able to uncover information about the mining program.

Realizing that his brother would never recover from his losses, Worf allowed Dr. Julian Bashir to erase most of Kurn's memory. The procedure was a success, Kurn remembered nothing of his past life when he woke up. Worf contacted an old family friend, Noggra, who agreed to take Kurn in as his son. Noggra told Kurn that he had suffered an accident that erased most of his memory, and that his name is Rodek.

A subsequent non-canon novel series (I.K.S. Gorkon) shows Kurn, in his new identity, continuing to serve the Klingon Empire on a ship named for Chancellor Gorkon.

Lore

Lore is a fictional character in the Star Trek Franchise, played by Brent Spiner

Lore is a prototype android and the so-called brother of Data in the television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and B-4 in feature length film, Star Trek Nemesis.

The episode "Datalore" introduces the character, who returns in "Brothers" and both parts of "Descent".

According to both androids' creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, in "Brothers", the androids are "virtually identical." Due to his self-serving actions, Lore is portrayed as an "evil twin brother". The judgment of the motivations of his actions is up to the viewer, as he was an android following his programming algorithms.

Overview

Lore was built on Omicron Theta before Data by Dr. Noonien Soong. Soong states in "Brothers" that he deactivated and disassembled Lore after the android caused strife with the Omicron Theta colonists, and that he planned to repair Lore's faults after completing Data. Before Dr. Soong could deactivate Lore, the android contacted the Crystalline Entity, which destroyed the colony.

In "Datalore" while on a trip back to Data's home planet, Data discovers Lore, and Dr. Beverly Crusher leads a team that reassembles him. Upon activation, Lore appears inquisitive and harmless, but streaks of arrogance and ambition soon begin to show through. Lore deactivates Data and again contacts the Crystalline Entity, offering the creature the crew of the USS Enterprise as sustenance with himself as the beacon. Even though Lore then disguises himself as Data, the crew soon realize the difference between their comrade and the fake Data. The real Data is then reactivated and transports Lore into space before the Crystalline Entity can attack, saving the ship.

In "Brothers", Soong summons Data to Terlina III in order to give him an emotion chip. The same signal summons Lore, who had been rescued by a group of Pakleds after being transported into space in "Datalore". Lore incapacitates and impersonates Data in order to receive the emotion chip. Lore then throws Soong across the room and departs. Soong indicated that the chip had been designed for Data and not for Lore, so he did not know what effect it would have on Lore. Soong dies shortly thereafter.

In "Descent, Part II", Lore reveals that he encountered a group of Borg struggling with individuality following the Enterprise crew's actions with Hugh. Lore became their leader, and pursued research into making the cybernetic Borg entirely artificial life forms. Lore uses Soong's emotion chip to control Data until Geordi La Forge, Jean-Luc Picard and Deanna Troi manage to reactivate Data's ethical programming. Data shoots Lore at the end of "Descent, Part II" and deactivates him. His final words to Data are "I love you... brother."

Filming

Brent Spiner played Lore (and also Soong), except in some instances where a shooting double was necessary. In one scene in "Datalore", Lore puts down a glass of wine that Data then picks up. This was achieved by the use of a moving split screen.

Alyssa Ogawa

Alyssa Ogawa, played by Patti Yasutake, is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe. The character appears in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the film Star Trek Generations as a nurse aboard the USS Enterprise-D and in Star Trek: First Contact as a nurse aboard the USS Enterprise-E.

She joins the USS Enterprise-D in 2367 as an ensign in the medical department. In 2370, upon recommendation of Dr. Beverly Crusher, she is promoted to lieutenant junior grade (TNG: "Lower Decks"). She marries Lieutenant Andrew Powell in that year. Shortly after she reveals she is pregnant, Ogawa reports to the senior staff when an injury incapacitates Crusher (TNG: "Genesis"). She was still pregnant by the series finale (TNG: "All Good Things..."), and her baby's birth was never shown or referred to on television; while said finale depicted her losing her unborn baby due to the effects of an "anti-time" anomaly, this was part of an alternate timeline that Captain Jean-Luc Picard ultimately prevented from coming to pass.

According to the non-canon Star Trek: Titan book series, Ogawa works in Titan's sickbay. She has a young son, but Powell was killed during the events of Star Trek Generations.

Appearances

Ogawa appears in seasons 4-7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the films Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.

References

See Also

• List of Star Trek characters: A-F
• List of Star Trek characters: G-M
• List of Star Trek characters: N-S
• List of Star Trek characters: T-Z
• List of minor recurring characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• List of minor recurring characters in Star Trek: Enterprise
• List of minor recurring characters in Star Trek: The Original Series
• List of minor recurring characters in Star Trek: Voyager
• List of Star Trek episodes