Summary
- Persis Khambatta, as Lt. Ilia, was the first Deltan character in Star Trek history.
- Lt. Ilia met a tragic end in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, disappearing while attempting to merge with the alien entity V'Ger.
- Persis Khambatta's legacy as Lt. Ilia inspired future Star Trek characters like Counselor Troi in The Next Generation.
Indian actress and model Persis Khambatta portrayed Lieutenant Ilia, Star Trek's first-ever Deltan, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Born in Bombay, Khambatta won the beauty pageant title of Femina Miss India in 1965. Persis' big break in Hollywood was when she was cast as Lt. Ilia in Star Trek: Phase II, the sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series meant as the flagship show of Paramount's planned TV network. Instead, Star Trek: Phase II was repurposed into 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with Persis Khambatta joining the reunited Star Trek original cast.
In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Lt. Ilia was the navigator of the USS Enterprise. Persis Khambatta's Deltan was the first major new female character introduced in Star Trek since The Original Series ended. Deltans were a sexually liberated species, and Ilia took an oath of celibacy to join Starfleet. IIia also had a previous relationship with Captain Will Decker (Stephen Collins), who was replaced by Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) as Captain of the Enterprise on their fateful mission to intercept the massive starship called V'Ger.
What Happened to Persis Khambatta's Lt. Ilia, Star Trek’s First Deltan?
Ilia was a casualty of Star Trek: The Motion Picture
When the Starship Enterprise made First Contact with V'Ger, the alien vessel scan of the bridge disintegrated Lt. Ilia. However, V'Ger built an artificial probe with the exact physical characteristics of Ilia, but lacking the Deltan's memories or personality. Still, Captain Decker treated the synthetic Ilia as the real thing as she attempted to learn about humans at the behest of V'Ger. When Admiral Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Decker, and Ilia boarded V'Ger, Will and Ilia chose to merge with V'Ger to ascend into a higher life form. Decker and Ilia vanished and were never seen again after Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Persis Khambatta passed away in 1998 at the age of 49.
Persis Khambatta starred in films in India before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and she appeared in Nighthawks and Megaforce after her memorable Star Trek role. Khambatta also made television appearances on MacGyver, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Sadly, Persis Khambatta passed away in 1998 at the age of 49. A lifelong chain smoker, Khambatta was rushed to the hospital after complaining of chest pains, and she died of a massive heart attack on August 18, 1998.
Persis Khambatta's Deltan Has A Unique Star Trek Legacy
Lt. Ilia inspired TNG's Counselor Troi
It would be decades until another Deltan was seen after Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but Persis Khambatta's Lt. Ilia spawned a unique legacy. When creating Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry returned to the concept of past lovers, with Lt. Ilia and Captain Decker inspiring Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Aspects of the Deltans as a sexually liberated species were also transferred to Troi's empathic Betazoid race.
The popular Riker and Troi eventually married, finding more success as a couple than Decker and Ilia did.
The strikingly bald Deltans have finally begun to make their Star Trek comeback over 40 years after Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Deltans were seen in Star Trek: Picard season 2's premiere, with Soji (Isa Briones) and Dr. Agnes Jurati (Allison Pill) meeting 25th century members of Ilia's race on the planet Raritan IV. Star Trek: Section 31, the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+, also features a 24th-century Deltan played by Humberly Gonzalez. Persis Khambatta proved unforgettable as Lt. Ilia and Star Trek is finally breathing new life into the Deltans.
