Video: Star Trek: Prodigy’s Kate Mulgrew explains the Kobayashi Maru

Star Trek: Prodigy star Kate Mulgrew explains the point of the Kobayashi Maru.

Ever since Kate Mulgrew joined Star Trek: Prodigy as the hologram-Kathryn Janeway, the show felt like it was going to bridge both the old Trek series with the Nu Trek series. Making Prodigy more of a love letter to the franchise, while also pushing forward with new characters and stories. so far it’s done that and has really shown its best self in the episode “Kobayashi” where Holo-Janeway gives Dal, Prodigy’s self-proclaimed captain, the ability to take the Kobayashi Maru test.

The Kobayashi Maru, for those new to the franchise, is a no-win scenario given to judge how potential captains best handle a situation that may in fact result in their death. While that’s the typical statement, there have been slight variants on what it’s supposed to test throughout the franchise. In Wrath of Khan, Kirk described it as a way to test one’s character when faced with a no-win scenario. In 2009’s Star Trek, Spock cited that the test itself was for the test-takers to experience fear.

In a new video for Paramount’s YouTube channel, Mulgrew ‘taught‘ that the lesson from the “Kobayashi Maru” is to put the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the few.

With so many purposes, what is truly the point of the Kobayashi Maru?

The point of the test seems to change from movie to movie, to episode to episode, with each offering up a different reason for the test’s existence. So of all the different “points” which one is the real one?

Easy enough to answer; they’re all the point. The test is less about proving a specific point, and more about revealing what you think you need to see from the test. It’s more of a Rorshach test than it is an actual gradable quiz.

There is no one point for the test, and there is no one right answer to the test. The test is designed to reveal one’s character, to push someone to feel fear, to put the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the few, and whatever else you may need it to do.

That’s the beauty of the Kobayashi Maru. It is exactly what you need it to be.