What species is Commander Chin-Riley in Star Trek Strange New Worlds? Here’s everything you need to know about the first officer of the Enterprise and why she was taken into custody.
One of the most famous Star Trek The Next Generation episodes, The Drumhead, focussed on a half-Romulan Starfleet officer who had hidden his true identity in order to join the organization. Now, history is repeating itself because the new Star Trek series Strange New Worlds is returning to that plot point, albeit with a twist.
At the end of Strange New Worlds season 1, Commander Chin-Riley was taken away by Captain Batel as it was discovered that she wasn’t actually human, as she had stated she was when she applied to join Starfleet. But if she isn’t human, what species is Number One in Strange New Worlds?
What species is Number One in Star Trek Strange New Worlds?
Commander Una Chin-Riley is an Illyrian. Illyrians are a humanoid species which vary widely in appearance, with some looking exactly like humans, because they believe in altering their genetics to suit the planet they’re inhabiting.
Because of their cultural dedication to genetic engineering, Illyrians are banned from joining Starfleet due to the organization’s restrictions on genetic augmentations after the Eugenics Wars. This is why Una was taken into custody at the end of season 1, after the truth behind her identity was mysteriously revealed.
The resolution of Una’s situation (and whether she gets removed from the Enterprise permanently or manages to come back aboard) will no doubt be addressed and resolved soon, as Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 episode 1 showed Pike venturing across the galaxy to find her the best legal advice.
That’s it on Number One’s species, and why she’s been arrested. For more on Star Trek, check out our ranking of the Star Trek captains and find out which would survive a zombie apocalypse. Or, read our full Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 review.