Star Trek: Starfleet Academy unveiled a new alien race in the series premiere.
Starfleet Academy has arrived with a bevy of new characters. Among them is Darem Reymi who looks human but is actually part of a newly introduced race called the Khionian. At the blue carpet premiere for the series, actor George Hawkins talked about how it felt to be the first actor to play a member of this race on screen. The actor said (via Etalk):
”It feels amazing. It really does. Like, firstly, I don’t have any homework to do. I just get to turn up and give what I think my character, uh, would think, love, hate. It's really an honest opinion and that’s a such a lovely thing to establish a species through my own instincts. It’s such a blessing. It's such a blessing.”
The introduction of the Khionian makes sense for the series. Academy is set in the 32nd century so it’s logical that the Federation would have expanded to contact new alien worlds and have them join up.
The character is described as always competitive and wanting to prove himself, which sets up some drama against his fellow cadets. Darem comes from wealth, and in the Starfleet Academy official trailer, the character gave fans an inkling of what his family life was like when he said, "My family: you're either the center of the universe, or you're worth nothing." No pressure, right?
It will be fascinating to learn more about the Khionian species through Darem’s eyes and what kind of a people he hails from to add another great species to the Trek universe. Share your thoughts with us on George Hawkins' character via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+.