Sci-fi TV shows are often packed with memorable characters, but some stand out far more than others. There is almost a century’s worth of programming within the genre, with tropes so varied in their prominence and interpretation that no two sci-fi shows are exactly alike. Some efforts are fused with secondary genres, such as comedy, whereas others are more pure examples of what sci-fi is largely known to be, and this influences the kind of characters involved in the story.
There are sci-fi TV shows that changed the genre forever, and others that thrive largely on the work put in by their predecessors. For example, Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville borrows pretty much everything from Star Trek, and while it’s a great show, the characters don’t feel quite as original or as engaging. Inversely, there are often fantastic characters to be found in canceled sci-fi TV shows, which makes the lack of closure to their story all the more difficult to take.
20
Detective Josephus Miller
From: The Expanse
The Expanse is a fairly grounded space opera, with only select sci-fi tropes making the cut. It embraces space travel and aliens, the latter only to a degree, but the show otherwise feels as though its primary genre tag is little more than a vehicle for the story being told. Thomas Jane’s Josephus Miller is a perfect encapsulation of The Expanse‘s balanced approach to storytelling, as he initially plays a fairly regular detective whose biggest case ultimately involves unveiling the game-changing protomolecule. Plus, his presence adds a much-needed spin to the show’s neo-noir edge.
19
Harry Vanderspeigle
From: Resident Alien
Resident Alien blends comedy and drama unlike any other sci-fi show I’ve ever seen, and Alan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigle is the lightning rod for it all. Although more typically associated with hilarious moments that highlight Harry’s struggles when adapting to life on Earth, Tudyk’s character is also known to drop incredibly poignant sentiments via his narration duties. In short, Harry Vanderspeigle will often make you laugh now, only to make you cry later – and you’ll thank him for it.
18
Olivia Dunham
From: Fringe
Anna Torv’s Olivia Dunham was the face of Fringe for all five seasons of the show. Fringe is very much one of the projects I mentioned earlier, in that it quite obviously draws quite a lot of inspiration from previous shows like The X-Files, but also manages to put its own stamp on the story. Olivia is just one of many compelling characters in Fringe, but the fact that she essentially fronted the show made her arc easier to acknowledge with all of its brilliant nuances.
17
Takeshi Kovacs
From: Altered Carbon
The main character of this two-season Netflix cyberpunk show isn’t a role that’s played by just one actor. Instead, it’s shared between Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Mackie, and Will Yun Lee. Kovacs is the audience’s eyes into the fascinating world of Altered Carbon, where people’s consciousnesses are constantly backed up, making it possible to insert them into new bodies. Every version of Takeshi Kovacs is capable of brutal acts of violence, but Kinnaman and Mackie’s iterations are far more open to growth.
16
Malcolm Reynolds
From: Firefly
Firefly was canceled after just one season, although 2005’s Serenity movie allowed for a more satisfying ending for the show’s main characters, with Nathan Fillion’s Captain Malcom “Mal” Reynolds easily topping that list. The enduring popularity of Fillion’s Firefly character is a testament to just how well written Mal Reynolds was. He has served as the blueprint for many of his successors in the sci-fi shows that followed, and it remains a huge shame we didn’t get to see more of him.
15
Professor Farnsworth
From: Futurama
Futurama isn’t short of wacky characters who stick out for a variety of reasons, and although Philip J. Fry (Billy West) is arguably the show’s main protagonist, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth (also Billy West) is a much better cross-section of what makes the show tick. Farnsworth is very often the mind behind the Planet Express Crew’s more high-concept adventures, and it always seems like he’s there to offer some humorously misguided wisdom along the way.
14
Dana Scully
From: The X-Files
While almost inseparable from David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) probably just about deserves a place on this list more than her partner. In a way, Mulder gets a spot by association because it was their brilliant dynamic that allowed them both to shine so brightly. However, Scully’s grounded and often-doubtful approach to her job was a great way for audiences to engage with the show’s high-concept and sometimes terrifying storylines.
13
Q
From: Star Trek (The Next Generation, Primarily)
John de Lancie has become a sci-fi icon for playing his most famous character just a handful of times. Most known for playing Q among Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s cast, de Lancie managed to make an impact so big in just eight episodes that he secured himself borderline emeritus status within the franchise. He reprised the role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
While other members of the Q continuum have appeared in Star Trek, none have managed to dethrone de Lancie’s character as the most memorable and charismatic member of his omnipotent race.
Q’s godlike abilities are perfectly at odds with his jokester personality, often resulting in some pretty dark turns for whoever runs into him. While other members of the Q continuum have appeared in Star Trek, none have managed to dethrone de Lancie’s character as the most memorable and charismatic member of his omnipotent race. It’s also tricky to tell on quite a few occasions whether he should be considered a friend, foe, or something in between.
12
Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace
From: Battlestar Galactica
Perhaps best known to modern sci-fi audiences as The Mandalorian‘s Bo Katan, Katee Sackhoff’s most prominent role within the genre remains Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace from Battlestar Galactica. Kara’s rebellious attitude had been known to serve the Colonial Fleet well, despite her allies’ frustrations when it came to this particular character trait. She fell somewhere adjacent to Battlestar‘s version of Han Solo, although she exists in a universe that is perhaps more hard sci-fi than Star Wars. Either way, she has been a difficult character to supplant among the most legendary in the genre.
11
Din Djarin
From: The Mandalorian
Even though Pedro Pascal’s role in The Mandalorian‘s is known to be the title character, he has been known to simply be the voice behind Din Djarin, with body doubles often subbing in to physically portray the masked character. Regardless, this doesn’t change the fact that the character made immediate waves when The Mandalorian debuted in 2019. For a figure whose face is so rarely seen, Din Djarin is shockingly easy to root for, and watching his transition from cold bounty hunter to Grogu’s loving father figure is one of the best arcs in sci-fi TV history.
