Many Star Trek characters have complicated relationships with their siblings. Although Star Trek: The Original Series did not dive too deeply into the family dynamics of its characters, subsequent Star Trek series have explored more complex relationships. While a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the siblings of their main characters, they generally only popped up for an episode or two. However, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's stationary setting allowed for more serialized storylines, giving the show more time to spend developing its characters and their families.
In the era of streaming television, modern Star Trek shows are more heavily serialized and focus more on character development than previous Trek shows did. Shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have introduced some great sibling duos with nuanced and complex relationships. While some Star Trek siblings are close with one another, others have a more strained dynamic. Still, most of these siblings clearly care about one another in their own way, even if they do not always know how to show it.
8 Sidney & Alandra La Forge
Star Trek: Picard Season 3
In Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D reunited for one final galaxy-saving mission. With the return of Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) came the introduction of his two daughters, Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and Alandra (Mica Burton). Although both girls joined Starfleet like their father, Sidney became a pilot, while Alandra pursued engineering. Sidney's career path and her stubborn personality caused some tension between her and her father, while Alandra remained close with Geordi.
As an ensign, Sidney landed a position as the helmsman on the USS Titan-A under the command of Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). When Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sought out his former Chief Engineer, Geordi was reluctant to join the dangerous mission and he wanted Sidney to sit it out as well. Sidney, however, argues with her father, pointing out that she is not Alandra. Although the relationship between the two sisters seems fine, they clearly have very different relationships with their father.
7 D'Vana & D'Erika Tendi
Star Trek: Lower Decks
With the introduction of D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), Star Trek: Lower Decks has single-handedly redefined the Orions as a species. Despite her badass Orion pirate skills, D'Vana is a ray of sunshine and remains one of the most upbeat members of the Cerritos crew. In Lower Decks season 4, episode 4, "Something Borrowed, Something Green," D'Vana has to return to Orion for the wedding of her sister, D'Erika (Ariel Winter), revealing more about the Tendi family dynamics. As D'Vana searches for her sister, D'Erika ambushes her, confronting her about abandoning the family to join Starfleet.
Since that first appearance, D'Erika has appeared in three more episodes of Lower Decks.She and D'Vana have such a relatable sibling dynamic — they obviously love one another but still have their fair share of arguments. After D'Vana left Orion to join Starfleet, D'Erika became the Tendi family's prime assassin. D'Erika worries she will not live up to her older sister's impressive legacy, and D'Vana can be a bit too protective of her younger sister. D'Erika manipulates her sister into returning to Orion for a time, and the two sisters team up as pirates, leading to some conflicts about how they should run their crew.
6 Soji & Dahj
Star Trek: Picard
Android identical twins Soji and Dahj (Isa Briones) were created by Bruce Maddox (John Ales) and Altan Soong (Brent Spiner) using a single positronic neuron from Data (Brent Spiner). Despite having been created as young adults, both Soji and Dahj believed themselves to be fully human and had memories of their childhood. With these manufactured memories and imagined parents, Soji and Dahj have a complex family tree. Dahj was killed in Star Trek: Picard's series premiere after seeking out Admiral Jean-Luc Picard for answers about who she was.
Maddox had created the twins to learn the truth of the synth attack on Mars, so he sent Dahj to work at the Daystrom Institute, while Soji was sent to the Borg Reclamation Project.
After Dahj's death, Picard set out to find her sister, Soji, and save her from the Romulan Zhat Vash assassins who had killed Dahj. It's unclear how much time Soji and Dahj actually spent together, considering all of their childhood memories were fake. This makes their relationship dynamic particularly difficult to determine, although the photos Soji keeps indicate that they at least believed themselves to be close. They were not seen interacting in Picard, and it's likely most, if not all, of their relationship was built on programmed fabricated memories.
5 Worf, Nikolai, & Kurn
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Having been raised by humans, Worf grew up with a human foster brother named Nikolai (Paul Sorvino). The two had a contentious relationship growing up, as Nikolai's rebellious rule-breaking angered Worf, who prized honor above all else. Still, Worf and Nikolai never considered themselves to be anything less than brothers, despite one being Klingon and the other human. Both brothers also clearly respected and cared for one another despite their differences.
Worf also had a biological Klingon brother, although they were separated as young children and did not reunite until Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3. Kurn (Tony Todd) participated in Starfleet's Officer Exchange Program and visited the Enterprise to observe Worf before informing him that the Klingon High Council had dishonored their father, Mogh. Before revealing his true identity, Kurn tested Worf, eventually leading the Klingon security officer to confront him. Kurn shared Worf's sense of honor and both brothers became major players in Klingon politics throughout TNG and DS9.
4 James & Sam Kirk
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Although Sam Kirk technically made his first appearance on Star Trek: The Original Series, he was already dead by the time viewers encountered him. Dan Jeannotte has literally brought new life to the character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as the older brother of Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk. As a xenoanthropologist on the USS Enterprise, Sam feels outshined by his ambitious younger brother, the youngest first officer in Starfleet.
Both brothers seem to have a complicated relationship with their father; James strove to live up to their father's standard of success, while Sam felt their father's ideas were old-fashioned. Despite the jealousy Sam sometimes feels towards his brother, the two get along well enough. Sam eventually decides to resign from Starfleet and work as a civilian research biologist on a planet called Deneva, where he and his wife will tragically be killed by flying parasites.
3 Spock & Michael Burnham (& Sybok)
Star Trek: Discovery
Originally a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery introduced Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as the foster sister of Spock (Ethan Peck). When Michael's parents were killed in a Klingon attack, Ambassador Sarek (James Frain) and his human wife Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner) adopted the young girl and raised her on Vulcan. Michael and Spock grew up as siblings and both faced bullying from the other Vulcan children for different reasons.
As revealed in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Spock also has a half-brother named Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill). Although Sybok and Spock were raised together, Sybok later rejected Vulcan logic and was eventually institutionalized.
Although Michael and Spock cared deeply about one another, a rift formed between the two after Michael hurled a particularly hurtful insult at her brother. Believing her presence endangered her foster family, Michael ran away from home and thought that if Spock hated her, he would miss her less. Michael and Spock eventually reconciled in Discovery season 2, before Michael traveled over 900 years into the future with the USS Discovery. As Burnham and her crew work to help rebuild the Federation of the 32nd century, Michael remembers Spock fondly and is incredibly proud of his accomplishments.
2 Data & Lore
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard
At the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lt. Commander Data believes himself to be the only android of his kind. He soon learns that his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), actually created multiple androids and prototypes based on the same model. In TNG season 1, episode 13, "Datalore," the Enterprise-D finds and awakens one of these earlier models on the planet where Data was originally found.
Upon meeting Lore (Brent Spiner), Data is pleased to learn that he is not alone in the universe. Data wants nothing more than to connect with his brother, but Lore unfortunately has other plans. Throughout his four appearances on TNG, Lore manipulates and impersonates Data, proving himself to be far "less perfect" than his brother. Lore briefly returns in Star Trek: Picard season 3, and his personality ultimately merges with Data's in a newly upgraded version of the android.
1 Quark & Rom
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
As the Ferengi bartender on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Quark (Armin Shimerman) could be hard to love, especially due to his treatment of his brother, Rom (Max Grodénchik). Rom worked at Quark's bar, and Quark always treated him like a servant, calling him an idiot and blaming him for everything that went wrong. Although Rom initially put up with Quark's treatment of him, he later began standing up to his brother, eventually leaving the bar and joining the maintenance crew of DS9.
Despite all of their conflicts, Quark and Rom cared about one another. Rom, who cared little for profits, was an unconventional Ferengi, and Quark didn't always understand him, but he still looked out for his younger brother. Rom eventually became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, while Quark expanded his bar into a successful franchise that spanned across the Alpha Quadrant. Quark and Rom may have had a confusing relationship, but they will always be some of Star Trek's most interesting siblings.
