2. Spock
Strange New Worlds welcomes Spock at a time in his life when the balance between Vulcan discipline and human feeling is still changing, and that choice pays handsomely. The show doesn't just make the stoic science officer from The Original Series. Instead, it lets him deal with love, hate, and expectations in ways that feel daring but are full of drama.
His changing relationship with T'Pring, his problematic relationship with Chapel, and his struggles with anger in high-stakes confrontations all lead to the more controlled Spock fans subsequently know, rather than going against him.
The key to this success is that the show never forgets that Spock is destined to become a foundational Trek archetype. Even at his most uncertainty, his curiosity, loyalty, and capacity for self-sacrifice remain intact.
Strange New Worlds thus uses short term emotional volatility as a staging ground for long term character formation, letting viewers watch the legend take shape instead of arriving fully formed. Among legacy characters, that makes Spock the most daring reinterpretation that still fundamentally works.