Enterprise 20th: Ranking every major character from Star Trek: Enterprise

4. Thy’lek Shran

Yup, you knew he was coming. Thy’lek Shran is an Andorian Imperial Guard and one of the main points of emphasis in the Andorian and Vulcan clashes. He’s usually leading the charge, and his distrust of anyone outside of his fellow soldiers is obvious from the get-go. Yet, he takes a liking to Jonathan Archer, who he feels is honest and honorable.

This of course leads to the two having a bond of sorts, with Shran constantly taking little jabs at Archer by calling him “Pink-Skin“. Sharn’s dry wit and sense of nobility made the character into must-see television for fans of the franchise. The character’s appearances increased greatly as the series went on, going from three episodes in the first two seasons, to five in just season four alone.

A move that was done due to the popularity of the character.

He was so well-liked among the fanbase that a rumor claimed there were plans in place to further expand his role for season five had there been one. With talks going from him being a series regular, to a potential permanent fixture on the show. Of course, that never happened and fans wept openly over the decision to cancel the series.

Part of the appeal of Shran wasn’t just the Andorian attitude, but the man who brought it to life; Jeffrey Combs. Combs, counting all the versions of Weyoun, has played or will play 18 different characters in the history of Star Trek to date.

That’s not counting the voice acting credits for video games, either. He appeared in three of the four golden era series, with credits on Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. He’ll return to the franchise once again in Lower Decks.

Combs’ portrayal of Shran was a big reason why fans were so eager to see the character. It’s hard to say that anyone would’ve captured the essence of Shran as well as Combs did.