Star Trek Officially Introduces the Father of Tasha Yar's Daughter Sela

Summary Sela's backstory is convoluted and tragic, as she struggles with her Romulan heritage and complex family ties--which have made her a popular Star Trek villain.

General Revo's attempt to restore Sela's place in Romulan society is rejected, as she denies her Romulan bloodline.

Sela's journey in Star Trek: Defiant reveals her transformation from villain to potential anti-hero, with conflicts and revelations.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #13!

Star Trek has officially introduced the father of Sela, Tasha Yar’s half-Romulan daughter. In just a handful of episodes, Sela left a huge impression on fans, and she returned to the pages of IDW’s Star Trek: Defiant, briefly aligning herself with Worf and his crew. She eventually left them to pursue her own goals, and now, in Star Trek: Defiant #13, fans finally get to meet her mysterious father.

Star Trek: Defiant #13, part two of “Hell is Only a Word,” is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. After drugging Martok and extracting information from him, Sela had been working on something so vital she had to go tell Worf. Sela learns the Defiant is at Starbase 99, and sets course, blatantly violating the Neutral Zone.

She is intercepted by her father, General Revo, who tries to warn her against doing so.

Revo also tells her he is willing to stake his reputation to restore hers–but she refuses, and leaves him behind.

Sela's Struggles Against Herself and the Federation Make Her One of Star Trek's Best Villains

Sela May Be Turning Into An Anti-Hero

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Sela’s backstory is one of the most tragic, and convoluted, in Star Trek history. Her mother, Tasha Yar, was killed off in The Next Generation’s first season, but was resurrected (thanks to time travel) in the third season episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” Again, thanks to time travel, this version went back into the past, where she was captured by Romulans. One of her captors “took mercy” on her, offering her freedom in exchange for marrying him. Sela was the product of this union, but Tasha was killed trying to escape a few years later, leaving her with no human influences.

Sela first appeared, in the shadows, in "The Mind's Eye," a fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, before making her formal debut at the end of "Redemption Part One."

Without her mother, Sela grew up fully Romulan, and internalized their values and mores. Romulan society is built upon deception and violence, and Sela embodies these qualities. Her handful of on-screen appearances established she was ashamed of her human heritage as she spun her mother’s escape as folly. Her appearances in Star Trek: Defiant have fleshed Sela out further, showing her to be far more complex than fans thought. Sela has been slowly drifting to “anti-hero” status in Star Trek: Defiant, but not everyone is happy, including her father.

Related Tasha Yar's Daughter Is the Reason Spock's Vulcan/Romulan Reunification Worked, Star Trek Confirms Spock's attempts to reunite the Vulcans and the Romulans ultimately paid off, and some it can be attributed to Tasha Yar's daughter Sela.

By Denying Her Romulan Heritage, Sela Has Made Star Trek History

But Will Sela Be Able to Follow Through On Her Decision?

General Revo is a true, full-blooded Romulan, and it becomes clear from his interactions with Sela that she is having second thoughts about her Romulan identity. Sela once looked up to her father, but those times are now gone. In this issue, she rebukes her father, even after he promises to restore her place in Romulan society. In rejecting her father, Sela is also rejecting her Romulan heritage. While it remains to be seen if Sela will be successful in her journey in the Star Trek universe, it is clear she will be going without her father.

Star Trek: Defiant #13 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!