Hated Villain Is Star Trek: Voyager’s Most Relatable Character

Before we can offer up our defense of Voyager’s most hated character, we need to review a bit about Seska’s history. She is introduced to us as one of the Maquis led by Chakotay, and like the rest of his crew that gets zapped into the Delta Quadrant, she joins the Voyager as part of her crew. However, she repeatedly makes it clear to Chakotay that she would prefer the Maquis simply take over the ship and do things their own way instead of Starfleet’s way.

Seska’s general dislike of Starfleet principles is shown again and again in the early days of the show. She goes behind Janeway’s back to try to secure technology from the Sikarians that can get the ship back to the Alpha Quadrant quicker, and she completely ignores the Prime Directive to start secretly working with the Kazon, an aggressive local race.

She eventually gets busted for being both a traitor and a secret Cardassian, and she formally joins the Kazon, having Culluh’s baby (one she falsely claimed was Chakotay’s) and eventually getting killed by an exploding console (one of the most Star Trek deaths her character could possibly have). 

Now, why do we think that Seska is the most relatable character? For one thing, she represented something the show should have had more of: resentful Maquis who were grating under Starfleet values. It never really made any sense that a bunch of people whose only common culture was hating Starfleet would just become happy-go-lucky Starfleet officers at the drop of a hat. Anger and resentment would be quite natural in that situation, and it’s downright shocking that Seska was one of the only Maquis who felt that way.

On that note, most of Seska’s early villainy was rooted in her desire to get back to the Alpha Quadrant, and she wasn’t afraid to violate the Prime Directive to do so. In the early days of the show, this was a plot point to make her a clear bad guy, but consider this: the series finale has Voyager finally making it home because future Janeway ignores the Prime Directive and alters history. Frankly, if we’re supposed to celebrate Janeway for ignoring the Prime Directive to save the crew, it’s weird that we’re meant to hate Seska for doing the same thing.

Speaking of the Prime Directive, the reason that Seska began working with the Kazon in the first place is because she didn’t think it was a big deal to provide them with replicator technology, even though this could disrupt the balance of power in the Delta Quadrant.

We don’t think this is a big deal for two reasons: first, the Kazon were dumb as bricks and mostly wanted replicator tech because they couldn’t figure out how to make things like water. These guys were literally so dumb the Borg didn’t want to assimilate them and immediately got killed trying to use the replicator, so their threat is pretty minimal.

Second, it’s insanely naive to think that the mere presence of Voyager doesn’t disrupt power in the quadrant. Janeway talks a big game about the Prime Directive, but every alliance she forges and every alien world she visits changes the destinies of countless people in the Delta Quadrant. Frankly, Seska was right: Janeway chose an empty ideal over working with the Kazon, an alliance that could have given them early allies and avoided much pain and suffering.

Now, we’re not saying Seska is perfect…the manipulation of Chakotay by claiming she had his baby was downright scummy and pretty unforgivable. But scratch beneath the Bajoran skin and you’ll discover more than a secret Cardassian…you’ll discover a desperate young woman who would do anything to get back home.

Honestly, more of the Voyager crew should have been like this from the beginning, and we can easily relate to Seska, someone who always kept it real in the face of hypocritical Federation philosophy.