Star Trek’s 3 Efrosians In Movies & Discovery Explained

Summary Efrosians in Star Trek were originally seen in movies, but a new named character is introduced in Discovery season 5.

The design of Efrosians was created by artist Thomas Blackshear and translated into prosthetics by makeup artist Brian Wade.

The Efrosians have limited appearances on screen, with only 3 Efrosians appearing in Star Trek, including the Federation President.

The Efrosians in Star Trek appear twice, and only briefly, in the Star Trek movies, before a named Efrosian character debuts in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. The Efrosians are a Star Trek alien species characterized by long, flowing white or platinum blonde hair, piercing light eyes, and V-shaped cranial ridges. The first two appearances of Efrosians imply that every member of the species may be blind, but without a larger sample size, it's hard to tell if that's a universal trait among all Efrosians, or simply coincidence. It's possible -- and far more likely -- that Efrosian sight simply differs from that of other sentient species in Star Trek.

Several people had a hand in the creation of the Efrosians in Star Trek. The name "Efrosian" comes from Star Trek IV unit production manager Mel Efros, who anecdotally wasn't aware that bus punk and associate producer Kirk Thatcher had decided to honor Efros as the namesake of a new alien species. Artist Thomas Blackshear, whose work appears on the Star Trek collectors' plates in the Hamilton Collection, sketched the initial design for the Efrosians, which was translated into facial prosthetics by makeup artist Brian Wade. Later Efrosian characters appear in Star Trek novels, but only 3 Efrosians canonically appear on-screen in Star Trek.

Related A Classic Star Trek Movie Alien Returns In Discovery Season 5 Episode 8 Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduces Hy'Rell, a new character who is from the same alien species seen in the movies Star Trek IV and Star Trek VI.

USS Saratoga’s Helmsman In Star Trek IV Is Efrosian

Nick Ramus' Efrosian Starfleet Officer Encounters The Whale Probe

The unnamed helmsman of the USS Saratoga in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, played by Nick Ramus, is the first Efrosian to appear in Star Trek. Star Trek IV opens with the USS Saratoga's encounter with the alien probe that will later prompt the USS Enterprise's journey back through time. The Saratoga crew consists of unnamed characters, from the uncredited human navigator to Madge Sinclair's captain, who also happens to be the first female captain in Star Trek. Everyone attempts to determine the nature of the alien vessel, and the Saratoga's helmsman contributes by establishing communication with Starfleet Command, in addition to operating the helm controls.

In the absence of official Star Trek material referring to the Saratoga helm officer as an Efrosian, the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home called Ramus' character a Deltan. Later Star Trek novels rectified the error by naming the Efrosian planet of origin Efros Delta.

The design of Ramus' nameless Efrosian stands out among the Saratoga's primarily human bridge crew. Light from the consoles reflects off the Efrosian's white hair in the dim lighting of the bridge. His eyes are also completely white, and seem to shine in the darkness. The helmsman of the Saratoga is clearly a new Star Trek alien, but the name of the helm officer's species is never stated as Efrosian in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and only appears in the captions of publicity photos. For a while, it seems as though Nick Ramus' Efrosian character may be a one-off alien design, never to be seen again in Star Trek.

The Federation President In Star Trek VI Is Efrosian

Kurtwood Smith's Efrosian President Attends The Khitomer Conference

Star Trek's next Efrosian character is the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the first of 4 Star Trek characters played by Kurtwood Smith. The Efrosian Federation President is responsible for initiating peace talks with Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner), and releasing Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) to the Klingons after Kirk and McCoy are framed for Gorkon's assassination. The Efrosian Federation President represents the United Federation of Planets at the Khitomer Conference during the negotiations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and narrowly avoids his own assassination, thanks to the crews of the USS Enterprise-A and the USS Excelsior.

Kurtwood Smith also appears in Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episodes 8 & 9 "Year of Hell", as Annorax, leader of the Krenim Imperium; in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 3 "Things Past" as Cardassian security officer Thrax; and in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1, episode 8 "Veritas" as Imperium Magistrate Clar.

Kurtwood Smith's Efrosian Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is never named, just like Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home's Efrosian on the USS Saratoga, but anonymity isn't all the two Efrosians in the Star Trek movies have in common. After being created for Nick Ramus' helmsman in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the same Efrosian makeup appliances were reused for Kurtwood Smith to play the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The Federation President has bright blue eyes, however, instead of the pure white lenses that were used for the USS Saratoga helmsman.

Archivist Hy’Rell In Star Trek: Discovery Is Efrosian

Elena Juatco Plays Hy'Rell, Librarian Of The Eternal Gallery And Archive

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The most recent addition to the list of Efrosians in Star Trek, Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco) represents the constantly moving Eternal Gallery and Archive and appears in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths". Because of its current location in the Badlands, the Archive doesn't get many visitors, so Hy'Rell is eager to introduce the Archive with a bubbly prepared speech and excited to help Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) find the next clue to the Progenitors' technology. Archive librarians aren't supposed to take sides, but Hy'Rell is sympathetic to the plight of the USS Discovery crew and assists in evading the Breen.

Star Trek: Discovery's Hy'Rell is the first Efrosian with a name and female identity, in addition to being the first Efrosian on a Star Trek television show after their origin in the Star Trek films. Curiously, Hy'Rell doesn't seem to exhibit the limited eyesight of the 23rd century Efrosians, but retains the bright blue eyes that originated in the President's design. The relative rarity of Efrosians in Star Trek means there's not much information about Efrosian culture or people as a whole, so hopefully, Star Trek: Discovery's Hy'Rell won't also be the last Efrosian in Star Trek.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country are available to stream on Max.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming on Paramount+.