Summary
Star Trek: Voyager’s creative team originally wanted Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) to have a human name. First introduced in the premier episode ofVoyagerseason 4, Seven rapidly rose to become one of the most popular members ofVoyager’s cast of charactersduring the show’s run. This was partially thanks to Jeri Ryan’s stellar portrayal of Seven, andpartially thanks to the character’s unique backstory as a former Borg dronewho was assimilated at such a young age that the Borg were all she remembered.
TheStar Trektimelinehad explored other drones who had been separated from the Collective before Seven came along, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) or Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco). However,most of these characters were adults when the Borg assimilated them, and their previous memories and personalities reasserted themselveseasily once they were rescued from the Borg. Seven was a singular case in that she actually felt more comfortable with the Borg aspects of her life, including her name.
Every Voyager Character Who Has Returned In Star Trek (& How)
Star Trek: Voyager’s beloved characters have returned in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and especially Star Trek: Prodigy.
Although they had planned to give her a permanent human name,Star Trek: Voyager’s creative team instead chose to keep Seven’s Borg designation. In an interview as part of the DVD extras forVoyager’s 4th season, executive producer Brannon Braga detailed how thewriters had originally wanted to have Seven start going by her human name immediately, but eventually scrapped that plan in favor of having the character remainSeven of Nine during her introduction. Braga asserted that this was done to set Seven apart, but her Borg designation also makes sense narratively. Read Braga’s full quote below:
“We struggled for a long time. Initially, we gave her a Human name. She was gonna be named Pera, or Annika, or something. We wrote the first couple of scripts with a Human name. And it wasn’t until a little later that we thought, ‘She shouldn’t have a Human name. She should be set apart, in some way.'”
While “Seven of Nine” was undoubtedly Seven’s true name,Voyagerstill established that her human name before she was assimilated was Annika Hansen. Doing this allowedVoyagerto explore the dichotomy between Seven’s old and new lives, and lend credence to the fact that she was no longer the little girl she had been when she became Borg. While Seven having both a human name and Borg designation was needed for continuity,her choosing a third option like Seven instead of either her full human name or full Borg designationbeautifully illustrated her character growth throughoutVoyager’s last four seasons.
Seven’s Borg Vs. Human Names Became Important In Star Trek: Picard Season 3
Picard season 3 reignited the issue of Seven’s human name
However, Seven renouncing her human name didn’t mean it didn’t still come into play in her story. While “Annika Hansen” was only occasionally referred to onVoyager, Seven’s human name returned in season 3 ofStar Trek: Picardin Seven’s initial rivalry with her superior,Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). For his own reasons,Shaw initially refused to call Seven by her chosen name, instead insisting on calling her “Commander Hansen"even when other crew members used “Seven” out of respect for her choices.
Picardseason 3’s reminder of Seven’s name served to underscore her Borg versus human heritage more strongly and was a great conflict between her and Shaw throughout the season. The issue provided deeper insight into both characters, but alsounderscored the reasons Seven chose to keep going by her Borg name in the first place, and reaffirmed that keeping that name onStar Trek: Voyagerwas the right decision. Ultimately, the unique importance of Seven’s two names truly did set her apart from otherStar Trekcharacters, just likeVoyager’s creative team was hoping.
Star Trek: Voyager
Cast
The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they’ve never faced before.
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Picard follows retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, twenty years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis. The series delves into Picard’s life post-Starfleet, as he navigates a new chapter filled with unresolved past events and new challenges.
