This article lists characters from Star Trek in their various canonical incarnations. This includes fictional major characters and fictional minor characters created for Star Trek, fictional characters not originally created for Star Trek, and real-life persons appearing in a fictional manner, such as holodeck recreations.
Klingon officer serving aboard the IKS Pagh in 2365. He escorted William Riker to see Captain Kargan, but kept looking askance at the commander because he'd never seen a human before. Later, in the mess hall, he also admitted that he never knew humans had a sense of humor. Regarding his family, his mother was still living, but his father was killed in battle at Tranome Sar.
Romulan officer and scientist who successfully "conditioned" Geordi La Forge to kill Klingon governor Vagh of Krios, although the assassination failed. Taibak served aboard Commander Sela's Warbird in late 2367, and his "brainwashing" efforts were part of a larger Romulan plot to disrupt the alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
A Soong-type android created in the image of Noonien Soong's dying wife, Juliana Soong; at Juliana's death, Noonien transferred his wife's consciousness into the android who awoke believing she was Juliana Soong; later left Noonien, married Pran Tainer and took up residence on planet Atrea IV
Subcommander of the Romulan fleet that brackets the Enterprise when she "strays" into Romulan space. After Captain Kirk steals the cloaking device and beams back aboard the Enterprise, Tal sets off in pursuit. When his Commander orders him to destroy the Federation starship, he attempts to comply, but fails because Mr. Scott managed to successfully install the cloaking device and render the Enterprise "invisible."
Bajoran sensor analyst on Voyager, assigned to Astrometrics. Despite her evident insecurity, she later demonstrated bravery, refusing to abandon Janeway in danger. ("Good Shepherd")
Romulan agent who posed as a Vulcan major for many years, working with the radical Administrator V'Las of the Vulcan High Command to force reunification between their two peoples. A "very long time" before 2154, Talok served under T'Pol in the Tomed mission. In 2154, V'Las ordered Talok to eradicate the remaining Syrrannites. Talok tracked down Jonathan Archer in Vulcan's Forge and attempted to take the Kir'Shara, but Archer escaped. After V'Las was removed and the Vulcan High Command disbanded, Talok's position was compromised and he was forced to leave Vulcan.[1]
Imaginary friend from the childhood of the enigmatic female El-Aurian bartender Guinan, who ran Ten Forward, the lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D. The Tarcassian razor beast was a winged, furry animal noted for its spiny wings, and its loping way of locomotion. When Guinan was troubled, she'd talk to it, and she enjoyed imagining that she was curling up on its warm belly.
Romulan subcommander of the IRW Haakona. She spotted and chased the USS Yamato NCC-71807 throughout the Romulan Neutral Zone before finally witnessing its destruction due to systems failures. When confronted almost immediately by the Enterprise-D, she denies any involvement in the Yamato's destruction and orders Captain Jean-Luc Picard to leave the Neutral Zone. Later, at Iconia, her "excuse" for having followed the Enterprise-D was to claim the planet for the Romulan Star Empire, but when Commander William Riker points out that neither side can claim anything in the Neutral Zone, she again orders the starship to leave, or else she'll destroy it and the Away Team on Iconia. In truth, Taris is deeply frustrated; earlier, the Haakona tapped into the Yamato's log as it was being transmitted to the Enterprise-D, and has now become crippled by Iconian "malware." When Picard steps onto her ship from the Iconian portal, she blames him for sabotage, but seems satisfied that he'll die when her ship autodestructs. Picard, however, is beamed back to the Enterprise-D, and Riker shares the "memory wipe" solution that Geordi La Forge developed with Taris.[2]
Vulcanensign and junior engineer aboard the Enterprise-D. His ideas for improving warp drive operation rankle La Forge at first, but La Forge later sees the merit in Taurik's suggestions and invites him to help test them.
Romulan commander who, in 2364, made the first "official" contact with the Federation after more than 53 years of Romulan isolation. He was primarily charged with discovering why several Romulan outposts along the Neutral Zone had disappeared, but the re-emergence was also orchestrated to show off the Romulans' massive new D'Deridex class "warbird" starships. Tebok ominously proclaimed "we are back" to Captain Picard.
Temarek was an Acamarian Gatherer and a member of Clan Lornak. During treaty negotiations in 2366, he discovered the corpse of Volnoth, who was killed by Sovereign Marouk's servant Yuta because of ancient clan rivalries.
Uncredited human male who worked in Ten Forward in 2365. He served a drink to a Vulcan science officer while Thadiun Okona was beamed aboard (The Outrageous Okona), served drinks to several people in Ten Forward when Data had a conversation with Kareen Brianon in the bar (The Schizoid Man), served a variety of Klingon food to Commander Riker, who was assigned to serve as first officer on the Klingon Bird-of-Prey IKS Pagh (A Matter Of Honor) and was also working in Ten Forward when Riker tried to show Wesley Crusher how to flirt by "playing" with Guinan and when Riker had a date with a female crewmember (The Dauphin; Pen Pals).
Captain of the starship Reliant. Controlled by Khan Noonien Singh via a Ceti eel, forcing him to nearly kill Admiral Kirk. Rather than murder a fellow Starfleet officer, he committed suicide. Terrell is also featured in the Star Trek Vanguard book series, along with Dr. Carol Marcus. Together they begin work on the foundations of Project Genesis.
Romulan subcommander and first officer aboard Commander Tebok's Warbird. With Tebok's permission, he agrees that the Romulans and the Federation should share information regarding the mysterious disappearances of outposts on both sides of the Neutral Zone.
An Orion agent posing as a member of the Andorian delegation to the 2267 "Babel" conference. His mission is to create mutual suspicion among the Federation ambassadors aboard the Enterprise. To that end, he kills Tellarite ambassador Gav and tries to frame Vulcan ambassador Sarek for the crime. Later, he attacks Captain Kirk before being caught and revealed as an Orion. To prevent himself from revealing any further information, he commits suicide by taking poison.
Scientist from the planet Kaelon II. Had a romantic relationship with Lwaxana Troi, but was forced to commit ritual suicide (known as Resolution) at the age 60 to comply with his culture's directives.
T'Kar was a male Klingon alive during the mid to late-24th century. In his adult life, he served as a mercenary and, along with Yeto, was one of two Klingons employed by the Trill Verad to steal the Dax symbiont in the 2370s.
A Vulcan, and T'Pol's second foremother (the Vulcan equivalent of "great-grandmother") who was part of an expedition to Earth in the 1950s, and credited as selling the patent to velcro, 1955, although taking place after the launch of Sputnik, 1957, to further the education of a young boy
Starfleet vice admiral at Starfleet Security in 2371. After Enabran Tain launched a joint Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar attack on the Founders' homeworld, Toddman ordered Commander Benjamin Sisko to evacuate StarbaseDeep Space Nine of all nonessential personnel and put the USS Defiant NX-74205 on standby alert. He believed that when the Jem'Hadar inevitably counterattacked, they wouldn't be too particular about their targets. Toddman denied Sisko permission to take the Defiant into the Gamma Quadrant and look for Odo; Sisko's top priority was to guard Bajor. Later, after learning that Sisko went anyway, Toddman decided to forgo any courts-martial, but, with tongue in cheek, promised to either prosecute or promote Sisko if he pulled a stunt like that again.[3]
Romulan commander of the IRW Khazara. She received the Sotarek Citation for prevailing in a surprise battle with the Klingons. She had no love for the Tal Shiar, particularly because they dragged her father (possibly Commander Konsab) out of his home in the middle of the night, merely for speaking his mind.[4]
Klingon officer aboard Commander Kruge's Bird-of-Prey. He and his boarding party are killed when the Enterprise's self-destruct sequence destroys the Federation starship. He may have been Kruge's first officer, as he assumed the command chair when Kruge was on the surface of Genesis.
Vulcan who led the Syrranite rebellion against the Vulcan High Command, later presided over the Koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony in which Spock is forced to fight Captain Kirk after Spock was rejected by his bride-to-be, T'Pring. She is also the only person ever to turn down a seat on the Federation Council. The English pop group T'Pau was named after the character,[5] as was a fictional Vulcan vessel.
Starfleet commodore assigned to the Earth Observation Outpost on Cestus III. According to Kirk, he "sets a good table." Travers was killed when the Gorn attacked and destroyed the outpost because it infringed on their territory.
Near-omnipotent being who toyed with the crew of the Enterprise. He proved to be an immature representative of his discorporate species, and very much a "spoiled brat." Bartell LaRue and Barbara Babcock provided the voices of his "parents" in the installment.
Native of the planet Teplan in the Gamma Quadrant who "aided" those on his planet infected with a terminal, painful, and slow-acting disease known as the Teplan Blight by administering them toxic herbs, which killed the patients without pain
The ship's Counselor aboard the Enterprise-D and -E; she also served on the USS Titan. Half-Betazoid, half-Human, wife of William Riker, mother of Thaddeus and Kestra Troi.
"Son" of Deanna Troi, (named after her father) fathered by an alien light-entity. After a very short gestation period, 'The Child' grew from infant to an eight-year-old within a day. After posing a threat to the Enterprise-D due to emitting Eichner-radiation, the alien had to abort its experiment and the child subsequently died.
The first daughter of Lwaxana Troi (and therefore older sister of Deanna Troi), who tragically died as a child. Not to be confused with Deanna and William Riker's daughter, who appears in Star Trek: Picardseason one.
Haven (TNG) recurring thereafter, The Forsaken (DS9) recurring thereafter
Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Five Holy Rings of Betazed; mother of Deanna and Kestra Troi and wife to Ian Andrew Troi. Constantly on manhunt, she became somewhat of an annoying menace to Captain Picard when she was on board the Enterprise-D, as well as later on to Odo on DS9.
Female Vulcan Master who was to have officiated the ceremony recognizing Spock's attainment of the Kolinahr. However, when he stopped her from giving him a symbolic necklace of his achievement, T'Sai mind-melded with him and discovered that he was preoccupied by a "consciousness" calling to him from deep space. She immediately ended the ceremony and pronounced that Spock had not achieved Kolinahr after all.[7]
Female Vulcan who took the Starfleet Academy entrance exam on Relva VII in 2364, along with Wesley Crusher and Oliana Mirren. All three of them lost out to Mordock, who subsequently became the first Benzite in Starfleet.
The Vulcan tactical officer and second officer (and briefly acting captain) aboard USS Voyager. Becomes commander by 2381 and captain by 2401, and is subjected to a Changeling impersonation before he is rescued after the events of Frontier Day. Member of the Terran Resistance in the Mirror Universe in DS9.
The alias used by a "Douwd," a member of a discorporate race of near-omnipotent "immortal beings of disguises and false surroundings" called the Douwds. Repentant for the genocide he committed against another race, known as the Husnock, through psychic powers in blind revenge for the death of Rishon Uxbridge, his human wife.
The human wife of Kevin Uxbridge, whom the Husnock killed; her Douwd husband Kevin Uxbridge avenged her death by destroying the entire Husnock species in blind revenge over his grief.
Klingon governor of Krios in late 2367. He accused Starfleet of supplying weapons to Kriosian rebels, who sought to gain their planet's independence from the Klingon Empire. However, Data and Geordi La Forge discovered that the weapons actually had been constructed and distributed by the Romulans. While Vagh was aboard the Enterprise-D to witness the crew's investigation into the matter, he was nearly killed by La Forge, who had been "conditioned" by the Romulans to shoot him.
Starfleetlieutenant and Enterprise-A helmsman who was complicit in the assassination of Klingon chancellor Gorkon. Kim Cattrall chose the Eris element of the character's name, for the Greek goddess of strife, which was Vulcanised by the addition of the "Val" at the behest of director Nicholas Meyer.[8]
An elegant Klingon agent who stole a copy of Admiral Kirk's summary of the Genesis Project. She booked passage on the Merchantman to rendezvous with a Bird-of-Prey commanded by Kruge, to whom she presented the information. When Kruge found out that she had watched the summary herself, he destroyed the Merchantman. Valkris and Kruge may have been lovers, as her final endearment to him was, "Success, my lord, and my love."
Romulan officer aboard Mirok's ship who conspires with him to destroy the Enterprise-D. They decide to send a muon feedback wave along the Enterprise's power transfer beam. The muon particles would collect inside the starship's Dilithium core and explode when the Enterprise engaged warp speed.
An antiquarian, with a habit of pursuing artifacts with unethical zeal as a profiteer, who falls in love with Picard. She first appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Captain's Holiday", in which Jean-Luc Picard vacationed on Risa. Vash had discovered the Tox Uthat, an artifact thieves were determined to take from her; with Picard's help, the thieves were thwarted. During this adventure, she and Picard fell in love. They met up again in the episode "Qpid", in which Vash became annoyed on finding that none of Picard's senior staff had even heard of her, despite his explanation that he is "a very private man." Q abducted her and the Enterprise senior staff, casting them into a Robin Hood scenario, with Picard playing Robin Hood and Vash as Maid Marian. The result was Vash leaving with Q to the Gamma Quadrant, to scour archaeological sites there. Vash reappeared in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Q-Less" two years later, in which episode she mistook for an artifact an "egg", which subsequently hatched as a lifeform at the end of the episode.
In 2017, CBR ranked Vash the 11th "fiercest" female character of the Star Trek universe.[9]
Klingon officer serving aboard the IKS Pagh in 2365. She said that Commander William Riker wasn't very attractive, but that she would "have him". She and Zegov were inquisitive and wanted to know how Riker would "endure" them ... sexually. Before leaving the mess hall, she told Riker that she might be back for him.
Romulan subcommander who was to replace Senator Kimara Cretak at a weekly Deep Space Nine meeting while she attended a conference on Romulus in 2375. Shortly afterward, Velal was promoted to general. After all Federation and Romulan ships were rendered powerless by a Breen energy dissipation weapon, Velal was genuinely dismayed to learn that only the Klingons stood between the alliance and total defeat at the hands of the Dominion. Near the end of the war, when the Dominion pulled all its forces back to Cardassian space, Velal's instinct was to merely "contain them within their perimeter" instead of attacking. He changed his mind when Vice Admiral William Ross, Captain Benjamin Sisko and General Martok decide on the latter.[10]
A sentient being that evolved from Voyager 6, a fictitious space probe (inspired by the real life Voyager program) from the 20th century that vanished into a black hole and was given life by a race of living machines. The story of V'Ger and its return to Earth to seek "the creator" forms the plot for the first feature film in the Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. V'Ger's story is also expanded upon in the novelization, and various novels, most notably William Shatner's The Return. Some novels, comics, and videogames have strongly implied that V'Ger was the progenitor of the Borg, or was encountered by the Borg culture's direct ancestors. The Gene Roddenberry-authored novelization of the movie consistently named "V'Ger" with the spelling "Vejur" throughout the novelization's text,[11] to preserve the surprise ending.
Bok, a Ferengi, altered Vigo's DNA to make him appear to be the son of Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Bok used Vigo as bait as part of a plan to avenge his son's death at the hand of Picard.
Sole survivor of Earth science expedition that crashed on planet Talos IV, "repaired" by Talosians and prepared to be "Eve" when a suitable "Adam" could be found.
Klingon first officer aboard Captain Klaa's Bird-of-Prey. She's extremely muscular with severely short hair and a no-nonsense attitude. She speaks English, as she demonstrates when responding to the Enterprise-A's hail and pretending to be Starfleet Command.
Vulcan ambassador who negotiated the first territorial accords between Vulcan and Andoria in 2097. She also met a young T'Pol at the Ka'Tann conference. In 2152, she infiltrated the government of Mazar to expose corrupt officials and had to be extracted by Enterprise NX-01.
Vulcan administrator of the Vulcan High Command. Addressed as "excellency." Until he was removed as leader in 2154, he pursued a radical agenda that was contrary to the true teachings of Surak. He militarized the Vulcan fleet and suppressed the practice of mind melds. He was secretly working with a Romulan agent, Talok, to force the reunification of their peoples. When V'Las tried to start a war with the AndorianImperial Guard, one of his ministers, Kuvak, shot (stunned) him, thus stopping the conflict and disbanding the Vulcan High Command.
Volnoth was an Acamarian Gatherer and a member of Clan Lornak. During negotiations with the Gatherer's leader Chorgan in 2366, he was killed by Sovereign Marouk's servant Yuta because of ancient clan rivalries.
Starfleet ensign and Vulcan engineer aboard the Starship Voyager. He bears a striking resemblance to Ensign Taurik, another Vulcan engineer who served on the Enterprise-D.
A key member of the Romulan Senate from 2360 to 2374, Vice-Chairman of the Tal Shiar, secretary of the War Plans Council, and one of Proconsul Neral's most trusted advisors. Ardently pro-Dominion, Vreenak was key in negotiating the non-aggression pact between the Romulan Star Empire and the Dominion in late 2373. However, his death caused the Romulans to join the Dominion War on the side of the Federation-Klingon alliance.
Lieutenant Darien Wallace was born on Altair IV on stardate 22991.6 as the son of Dennis and Laurel Wallace. He was a Starfleet crew member who served aboard the USS Enterprise-D from 2364 to 2371. Wallace's personal information was displayed on a viewscreen to Counselor Deanna Troi in a psychic phenomenon in Eye of the Beholder. The character appeared in 66 episodes and Star Trek Generations, but was never credited.
Starfleet commodore commanding both the USS Lexington and a battlegroup of starships, later retired from the service to become governor of the planet Mantilles.
Starfleet colonel who proposes "Operation Retrieve" to rescue Kirk and McCoy from Qo'noS. Later, during the Khitomer Conference, West disguises himself as a Klingon and attempts to assassinate Chancellor Azetbur and/or the Federation President. Scotty, however, spots "Klingon West" in his sniper's nest and shoots him down. Klingon colonel Worf notices from the would-be assassin's shattered skull that the blood is not Klingon, whereupon West's mask is removed and his true identity revealed.[12]
Starfleetadmiral who relieves the Enterprise of any further responsibility regarding the asteroid ship Yonada. He says that Starfleet Command will take care of the problem, while the Enterprise must continue on her mission.[13]
Vorta male; cloned at least eight times. Confidant of the Founders, he's eventually the leading Vorta of all Dominion operations in the Alpha Quadrant.
Half-Ktarian, half-Human female; daughter of Greskrendtregk and Samantha Wildman; born aboard Voyager shortly before the entire ship and crew are duplicated. Dies on one ship, survives on the other. The surviving Naomi, carried by her version of Ensign Kim, crosses to the Naomi-less/Kim-less ship just before “their” version of Voyager is destroyed. She later almost dies while still a relative newborn due to complications of coping with the planet's environment that she and the Voyager crew were stranded on at the time but was saved by the leader of a native tribe using herbs and roots; grew up fast due to her father's genes. In "Shattered", per the title, an adult Naomi from 23 years in the future interacts with crew members from various other time frames.
The elder of two sons of Mogh; an officer aboard the Enterprise-D before joining space station Deep Space Nine and the starship Defiant; afterward, an aide to Klingon Chancellor Martok and an adopted member of his House. Federation Ambassador to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS in the late 2370s; later Captain of the Enterprise-E, then subcontractor agent for Starfleet Intelligence by 2401 and meditation teacher by 2402. Husband of K'Ehleyr (mother of his only child Alexander) and later of Jadzia Dax for a year.
Klingon colonel who, in 2293, acts as defense counsel for Kirk and McCoy during their trial for "assassinating" Chancellor Gorkon. Later, during the Khitomer Conference, after Scotty kills a Klingon sniper, Worf notes that the color of the victim's blood isn't Klingon at all. The would-be assassin is revealed to be Starfleet colonel West.[14]
Only daughter of Chief Representative Debin of the Atlec legation, who was believed to be impregnated by The Outrageous Okona in 2365, whereas the real father was Yanar's love interest Benzan, the son of the ruler of Straleb.
Security Chief of the Enterprise-D in 2364 under Captain Jean Luc Picard. In late 2364 she was killed by an alien entity known as Armus on the planet Vagra II while attempting to rescue the crew of a crashed shuttle. In an alternate timeline created with the USS Enterprise-C traveled forward in time, Tasha lived and continued to serve as Picard's security officer on the battleship Enterprise during the Klingon-Federation war. Learning of her fate in the original timeline from Guinan, Tasha opted to travel back in time with the Enterprise-C crew, believing that her death in battle with the Romulans would count for something. However, Tasha survived the attack and was captured by the Romulans and became the concubine to a Romulan officer and later gave birth to a daughter, Sela. Tasha was killed whilst attempting to escape Romulus with her daughter.
Captain of the freighter Xhosa who was sent to prison for a year for smuggling for the Maquis. Also the love interest (and eventually wife) of Captain Sisko, she becomes pregnant with his child before the end of the series.
In 2370, the two Klingons Yeto and T'Kar were hired by the Trill Verad, to steal the Dax symbiont from Jadzia Dax. They traveled to Deep Space 9 aboard the Ekina.
Ensign Youngblood was a Starfleet officer who served aboard the USS Enterprise-D from 2364 to 2366. He was just a background character, appearing in a total of 40 episodes, but the actor was credited just once (as "Ten Forward Crew" in "The Offsping").
Yuta was a member of the clan Tralesta; she was the last surviving member of that clan, and was one of five Tralestas to survive the clan's decimation by the Lornak clan nearly 100 years prior. In 2366, when Yuta was a servant to Sovereign Marouk, leader of the Acamarians, who was petitioned by Captain Picard for aid in dealing with "the Gatherers", Yuta accompanied Marouk, and tried to murder Chorgan, leader of the Gatherers and the last surviving member of the Lornaks.
One of the Hill People on the planet Neural. Kirk shows him how to fire a flintlock after first teaching Tyree. Later, Tyree orders Yutan to track down two of the Villagers who murdered his wife, Nona.
Humanoid species characterized by webbed hands. Information about them was included in the Federation database as early as the mid-23rd century. As a culture, Zaldans were easily infuriated by courtesy, as they viewed it as a form of phony social behavior designed to cover true feelings.
Klingon officer serving aboard the IKS Pagh in 2365. She and Vekma were inquisitive and wanted to know how Commander William Riker would "endure" them ... sexually. Zegov, however, never spoke. She merely eyed Riker from across the crowded mess hall.
Developer of the Emergency Medical Hologram. Began to create an LMH (Long-term Medical Hologram) based on Julian Bashir and unwittingly discovered Bashir's genetically-altered nature.
Charismatic Torothan leader of the rebellion against the ruling clan on Toroth. Having exhausted all peaceful avenues trying to reform the government, he had turned to terrorism. In 2152, he contacted Enterprise NX-01 in hopes that Captain Jonathan Archer would be willing to help in his cause. After Archer was trapped on Toroth, Zobral risked his life to rescue him, even though Archer refused to help in his revolt.
^Costuming Note: Talok wore a style of Romulan uniform that would be readopted by the Imperial Fleet more than two centuries later, in 2379, during Star Trek: Nemesis.
^Script Note: Riker, who receives Subcommander Taris' formal introduction, nevertheless abbreviates her rank to "commander" on a few occasions. Picard, who was never introduced to Taris, calls her "commander" by default.
^Costuming Note: Toddman was the only Starfleet admiral since TNG began to wear a tunic other than red. In his case, he wore gold.
^Costuming Note: Toreth's rank insignia consisted of one silver arrowhead and two silver concave crescents.
^Costuming Note: T'Rul wore an inverted gold arrowhead rank insignia in 2371. This is different from Subcommander N'Vek's insignia in 2369.
^Cast Note: Actress Edna Glover was credited simply as "Vulcan Master." The name "T'Sai" comes from the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which was written by Gene Roddenberry.
^Lou Anders (March 1996). "A Very Logical Gal". Star Trek Monthly. Titan Magazines.
^Costuming Note: Velal was outfitted in a TNG-style Romulan uniform, not the black-and-gray version adopted during DS9. His rank insignia was gold and consisted of the arrowhead and one concave crescent.
^Roddenberry, Gene (1979). Star Trek: The Motion Picture. New York City: Pocket Books. p. 179. ISBN0-671-83088-0. I am Captain James T. Kirk, commanding U.S.S. Enterprise," Kirk replied, feeling somewhat foolish saying this to what looked like his own navigator. Was Ilia really this incredibly sensuous? "I have been programmed to observe and record normal functions of the carbon-based units infesting U.S.S. Enterprise." "Programmed by whom?" asked Kirk. "It is important we communicate with them." The probe seemed puzzled. "If you require a designation, I was programmed by Vejur.
^Note: "Colonel" is an anomalous rank in the Starfleet hierarchy, never used before or since this movie. In the U.S. Armed Forces, "colonel" is an Army, Marine Corps and Air Force rank that is equivalent to a Navy "captain". Colonel West, however, did not wear a Starfleet captain's insignia, but rather an admiral's. Thus, the whole rank/costuming situation was a mess.
^Casting Note: Byron Morrow also played Admiral Komack in "Amok Time". In the interest of continuity, some Star Trek fans have suggested that, since "Westervliet" was never named in dialogue, it can be disregarded and "Komack" retconned in its place. However, "Westervliet" is identified in the script and in the ending credits, so, regardless of the oversight regarding the actor's two roles, canon demands that "Westervliet" should stand.
^Conjecture: Because Michael Dorn was cast in this role, it is generally assumed that Colonel Worf was the father of Mogh, who would later sire Starfleet lieutenant/lieutenant commander Worf and Klingon commander/captain Kurn in the 24th century.
