The original Star Trek series brought us a male-dominated universe in which Captain James T. Kirk and the beloved Spock got most of the public's attention. But when we look at the stars at night and think about all of our favorite Star Trek characters, it's impossible not to consider female heroes like Uhura or Janice Rand.

As women are starting to rightfully pave their way in the world of sci-fi, we have decided to pay a tribute to all the female characters of Star Trek who have helped to turn the franchise into one of the most popular entertainment ventures of all-time. Because without these ladies, Star Trek wouldn't even be half as fun!

Kathryn Janeway (Played By Jane Mulgrew)

The most notable female character to ever grace the Star Trek universe was the one and only Kathryn Janeway. The central character in the Star Trek: Voyager TV series, Janeway was a USS Voyager captain who later became a Starfleet admiral. Born in the city of Bloomington, Indiana, she was the daughter of the Vice-Admiral Janeway and an intrepid academy graduate who got a chance to pilot her first spacecraft in the year 2371.

A favorite amongst the fans, Janeway has a pristine reputation as a Star Trek captain. She was listed as a direct inspiration to real-life female politicians, she was ranked best in a list of Star Trek captains developed by Vulture.com, and she was considered by Screen Rant to be the 4th smartest character in the whole series.

Kate Mulgrew - Today

When one is given the chance to play a role as iconic as Kathryn Janeway, it's easy to succumb to the temptation of feeding off that role for the rest of your professional life. But Kate Mulgrew, who is now a 64-year-old accomplished TV star, was not going to let her career be shadowed by one notable character.

She did reprise her role as Kathryn Janeway in the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis, but she's shown to be a versatile and hardworking actress over the years. After appearing in shows such as NTSF:SD:SUV and Warehouse 13, Kate landed the role of Galina 'Red' Reznikov and became one of the main stars of the highly-successful series Orange Is the New Black.

Seven of Nine (Played By Jeri Ryan)

Introduced to the audiences in Star Trek: Voyager, Seven of Nine is a former Borg drone who goes by the catchy full name of Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. Luckily, crew members can call her "Seven". She was a good friend of Captain Kathryn Janeway and reappeared for the 2020 series Star Trek: Picard.

In Star Trek: Voyager, most of the action follows Seven's romantic endeavors. Limited by her Borg emotional restrictions, she tries her best to find love aboard the USS Voyager, eventually catching the eye of First Officer Chakotay.

Jeri Ryan - Today

After getting her big break with the 1997 TV series Dark Skies, Jeri Ryan landed the role of Seven of Nine. From then on, it was just going up for the actress, who started appearing regularly on the big screen. Her most notable movie roles include Dracula 2000, Down with Love, and Mortal Kombat: Rebirth.

In 2020, the Star Trek universe got back into Ryan's life, and she was given a chance to portray Seven once again, this time in Star Trek: Picard. She was also given a recurring role in the 2020 remake of MacGyver, appearing as Gwendolyn Hayes, MacGyver's aunt.

Nyota Uhura (Played By Zoe Saldana)

Nyota Uhura is one of the original Star Trek characters and she counts with multiple appearances in the franchise throughout the years. Born in a country known as the United States of Africa, she paved her way to becoming the USS Enterprise's lieutenant. A talented singer, she was often joined by the Vulcan lyre of Spock in her performances.

Uhura and Spock made a remarkable performing pair in the original series, but not all fans were happy about their romantic involvement in the 2009 Star Trek film. Still, Uhura is deemed as one of sci-fi's most popular female characters.

Zoe Saldana - Today

Replacing the uncanny Nichelle Nichols in the tough role of Uhura was arguably one of Zoe Saldana's boldest career moves. But it proved to be a very wise decision. In 2009, she was not only given a chance to appear in the Star Trek movie, but she also starred in Avatar, one of the highest-grossing movies of all-time.

Saldana is certainly no stranger to incredibly successful blockbusters. Most of her recent roles are box-office record-makers. After being given a place in the Star Trek and Avatar franchises, she went on to portray Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy and the billion-dollar Marvel hit Avengers: Endgame.

Beverly Crusher (Played By Gates McFadden)

From Star Trek: The Next Generation to Star Trek: Nemesis, Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher was always there to heal the sick and wounded. Born in the city of Luna, she grew up as a socially-awkward and self-conscious redheaded teenager, but she counted with the support of her beloved grandmother, Felisa Howard.

Although Beverly is considered to be one of the most likable female characters in the series, many fans have claimed that her potential was never fully realized by the writers of the franchise. Still, she was voted the 20th most important Starfleet character of the entire Star Trek universe in a 2016 Wired magazine poll.

Gates McFadden - Today

Now 71 years-old, Gates McFadden continues to be a Star Trek enthusiast and ambassador, and she's visited countless Comic-cons and sci-fi gatherings over the years. Her character Beverly appears in numerous Star Trek movies, series, and video games, so the role has kept her very busy.

Outside of the Star Trek franchise, McFadden has most notably appeared in the TV series Marker and in the 1990 movie The Hunt for Red October. Her latest acting spells happened in 2017, back when she was given a starring role in the TV movie A Neighbour's Deception and landed a quick appearance in an NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service episode.

Natasha Yar (Played By Denise Crosby)

Natasha "Tasha" Yar was introduced in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and lasted for only a season. Spoiler alert: she was unable to survive past the series' 23rd episode... However, she was brought back to life in a later episode, which explored the events of an alternative timeline.

A controversial character amongst the fans, Tasha is often seen as misrepresented. The scene of her death was included in a list of tasteless sci-fi deaths, and speculation that she might've been a lesbian was blandly cut short by the show's writers.

Denise Crosby - Today

Denise Crosby's roles in the Star Trek franchise were significant for her career, but she's been doing a lot more than just giving life to Tasha Yar over the past six decades! With 100 acting credits in her filmography, Crosby is a versatile and hardworking actress who has done it all, from video game voice acting to horror flicks.

Most recently responsible for portraying Faye Richardson in Suits, Crosby's "golden age" in the movies happened during the late '80s and early '90s. Back then, she made into popular productions such as Deep Impact, Miracle Mile, Dolly Dearest, and the original 1989 Pet Sematary movie adaptation.