Several Star Trek: Voyager characters earned promotions after returning to the Alpha Quadrant, including 5 Captains and 1 Admiral. The USS Voyager’s journey through the Delta Quadrant was a trial by fire for Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), and the rest of Voyager’s crew that required quick thinking and selfless acts of valor, but only two Voyager characters were promoted on-screen. Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) was promoted to Lt. Commander in Voyager season 4, episode 5, “Revulsion”, and Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) was reinstated as Lieutenant Junior Grade in Voyager season 6, episode 26, “Unimatrix Zero, Part 1”, after two years demoted to Ensign.

The USS Voyager’s unprecedented journey prevented normal career advancement for Starfleet officers, with limited resources, no contact with Starfleet Command, and little chance that new crew members would join Voyager’s crew to replace officers promoted to new positions. To that end, Star Trek: Voyager characters may have been fast-tracked for promotion by Starfleet Command, to make up for the time lost to the Delta Quadrant. It’s possible that some characters may have even been promoted by two full ranks after returning to the Alpha Quadrant if they elected to remain with Starfleet, to stave off any delays in reaching Captain.

6 The Doctor (Robert Picardo)

AKA Star Trek: Voyager’s Emergency Command Hologram

As the USS Voyager’s Chief Medical Officer, the Doctor advanced far beyond his initial programming to become a self-actualized individual with aspirations that included command. In Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 4, “Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy”, the Doctor proposes changes to his program that would allow Voyager’s EMH to take command of the USS Voyager in the event that Captain Janeway and other command-level officers are incapacitated. Janeway has her reservations, because the risks of introducing command and tactical subroutines to the Doctor’s program outweigh the need for the Doctor as a Chief Medical Officer, but the Doctor is able to prove himself when Hierarchy aliens believe the Doctor is Voyager’s commanding officer.

The Doctor truly takes command of the USS Voyager in Star Trek:Voyager season 7, episodes 16 & 17, “Workforce”, when Commander Chakotay, Ensign Harry Kim, and Neelix are on an away mission; and the rest of Voyager’s senior staff, including Janeway, are incapacitated due to Quarren memory wipes. A second encounter with the Hierarchy in Voyager season 7, episode 24, “Renaissance Man”, requires the Doctor to take up the post of Voyager’s captain once again.

5 Captain Harry Kim (Garrett Wang)

The Captain Who Could’ve Been in Star Trek: Picard

Despite being known as Star Trek:Voyager‘s eternal Ensign, it’s not that far a stretch to believe that Harry Kim could be a Starfleet Captain by the 25th century. Captain Harry Kim was supposed to be in Star Trek:Picard season 3, according to actor Garrett Wang, but budget constraints limited the number of Star Trek alumni that showrunner Terry Matalas could include in Picard‘s final season. Wang also explained that Harry Kim “belongs” to Voyager‘s spiritual sequel series, Star Trek: Prodigy, so Kim’s 3-episode arc was scrubbed from Picard.

There’s evidence in alternate timelines and non-canonical Star Trek works to back up Harry Kim’s promotion beyond Ensign. In the alternate future timeline from Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episodes 25 & 26, “Endgame”, Captain Harry Kim attends the USS Voyager crew reunion after a 4-year mission commanding the USS Rhode Island. The video game Star Trek Online also features Captain Kim of the USS Rhode Island in the early 25th century, and in The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway by Una McCormack, Harry Kim rises through Starfleet ranks quickly after returning to the Alpha Quadrant, eventually earning the rank of Captain.

4 Captain Tuvok (Tim Russ)

A “Secure” Starfleet Career in Star Trek: Picard

Tuvok’s Starfleet career is long and illustrious, so it’s no surprise that the USS Voyager’s former security chief attains the rank of Captain before the 25th century. Tuvok is first seen as a Captain in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 7, “Dominion”, when Commander Seven of Nine contacts Captain Tuvok for information, and poses a series of questions to test whether Tuvok is who he says he is or a Changeling infiltrator. The sheer possibility that Tuvok might be replaced by a Changeling proves that Tuvok is an important officer at Starfleet Command, and impersonating Captain Tuvok would give the Changelings a tactical advantage.

Captain Tuvok makes an in-person appearance with Commander Seven of Nine on the USS Titan-A in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 10, “The Last Generation”, ostensibly to address Seven’s reckless actions over the course of the season. Recognizing her errors, Seven tenders her resignation from Starfleet, but Captain Tuvok refuses to accept Commander Seven of Nine’s resignation, and prefers to act in accordance with Seven’s recent officer review, in which Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) recommends promoting Seven of Nine to Captain.

3 Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)

From Borg Drone to Captain of the Enterprise-G in Star Trek: Picard

Seven of Nine’s journey to the rank of Captain is far more fraught than that of others from Star Trek: Voyager, but that’s what makes Seven’s captaincy all the more rewarding. After the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant, Seven applied to join Starfleet, but even Kathryn Janeway’s endorsement couldn’t bypass the ex-Borg prejudice on the admissions board. Failing that path, but still determined to help people, Seven of Nine joins the Fenris Rangers, a vigilante organization operating near the Romulan Neutral Zone. As a Ranger, Seven of Nine crosses paths with Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and joins the civilian crew of La Sirena for 2 years.

With Admiral Picard’s blessing bolstering Seven of Nine’s reputation, Seven earns a Starfleet commission at the rank of Commander. This is commensurate with Seven’s demonstrated skills and the field experience Seven of Nine gained serving on the USS Voyager, as a Fenris Ranger, and on La Sirena. After serving as First Officer of the USS Titan-A, Seven of Nine attempts to resign from Starfleet, but Captain Tuvok insists that Seven accept her promotion to become Captain Seven of Nine, commander of the USS Enterprise-G.

2 Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran)

Lost in Time After a Delta Quadrant Return in Star Trek: Prodigy

Captain Chakotay is an integral part of the plot of Star Trek: Prodigy, even though Chakotay is only seen in flashbacks during Prodigy season 1. The USS Protostar falls into the hands of Dal R’El (Brett Gray) and his unlikely adolescent associates after being trapped in the mines of Tars Lamora for decades, without a crew of its own. Clues pointing towards the Protostar’s true mission are revealed slowly, with records made by the Protostar’s computer indicating that Chakotay was in command of the Protostar when it vanished.

Captain Chakotay intended to take the USS Protostar on a mission to fix Voyager’s mistakes in the Delta Quadrant, but in an echo of the fateful accident that saw Voyager pulled to the Delta Quadrant in the first place, the USS Protostar was pulled through time to the Vau N’Akat homeworld, Solum, in the 25th century. Although Chakotay’s plan to save Starfleet from the Vau N’Akat ensures the Protostar arrives back in the present, Captain Chakotay remains trapped in the future, in an alternate timeline.

1 Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew)

The Heart and Guide of Star Trek: Prodigy

Because of Kathryn Janeway’s unfailing leadership in guiding the USS Voyager back home, Captain Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral not long after Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant, as evidenced by a Star Trek: Nemesis cameo that saw Vice Admiral Janeway speaking with Captain Picard from Starfleet Command. Shortly thereafter, Janeway aids in developing the USS Protostar’s mission to return to the Delta Quadrant, which includes the creation of a training hologram in Janeway’s likeness built into the Protostar’s computer.

Although Admiral Janeway stays at Starfleet Command after attending the Protostar launch, losing the Protostar prompts Janeway to spearhead the search for Chakotay. Commanding the USS Dauntless in Star Trek: Prodigy, Admiral Janeway tracks the USS Protostar, finding not Captain Chakotay, as Janeway had hoped, but a ragtag group of adolescent refugees fleeing the Delta Quadrant. Hologram Janeway had endeavored to show the USS Protostar’s new crew a better life by training them as would-be Starfleet Cadets, so Admiral Janeway picks up where her holographic counterpart had left off, and takes the new recruits under her wing for the next stage of the mission to rescue Captain Chakotay.

Many crew members serving on the USS Voyager were worthy candidates for promotion after their return. The pressure of being 70,000 light years from the Alpha Quadrant and facing unknown threats with little to no support from Starfleet honed the skills of Voyager’s crew, making them more decisive, creative, and willing to improvise when the situation called for it. Countless first contact missions with new alien races contributed to Voyager establishing a reputation for Starfleet on the other side of the galaxy. With all the unprecedented adventures in the Delta Quadrant on Star Trek: Voyager, it’s no surprise that several Starfleet Captains and one Admiral came from the USS Voyager.