Ranking every lead character from the Nu Trek era of Star Trek characters
By Chad Porto
#3 Dal R'El
The de facto captain of the USS Protostary, Dal R'El has a great look. A far better design than those of the Lower Decks crew, which is something Dal outright benefits from. His purple skin and stylish hair make him a very recognizable character from the show. Not the most recognizable, mind you, but up there. Plus the Starfleet uniforms he wears are fantastic. The trainee design, with the two shades of blue, stands out, but the ones we see Admiral Kathryne Janeway wear are even sharper, combining gold and new looks to make a sleek appearance. Not to mention, the Emergency Command Hologram Janeway is sporting the classic look.
As far as performances go, the writing on Prodigy is top-notch, and Dal's actor, Brett Gray, does a tremendous job bringing a softness to a character that screams bravado. Dal is put through the emotional ringer in season one and Gray really stands out due to the writing.
Sadly, his personality is pretty mid-tier. He's the cocky leader, with an emotional core. While that works for the show, it's hard to say that it's pretty unique for the genre or the franchise as a whole.
His dynamics with the crew improved as the season went on, especially with the Hologram Janeway and Gwyndala. He'll likely be far more interesting in season two and we can't wait to see him then.
Lastly, however, we have the effect he has on the show, which isn't much. We don't see a lot of people talking about him being the star of the show. Gwyndala gets a lot of love, played by Ella Purnell, which we're sure is a major reason why. Rok Tahk is also a very like character, as is Zero. That said, Kate Mulrgew's return to the franchise is why Star Trek fans flocked to the show.
Design - 4
Performance - 4
Personality - 3
Dynamics - 3
Show Affect - 2
Overall: 16