Summary

  • Ensign D'Vana Tendi has defied stereotypes as the first Orion Starfleet Officer, proving her competence and changing perceptions of Orions.
  • Tendi's intelligence and optimism have helped her and her Lower Decker friends navigate strange and dangerous situations.
  • Tendi's character in Star Trek: Lower Decks has made a significant impact, showing Orions in a different light and paving the way for future representation.

One of the popular breakout characters of Star Trek: Lower Decks is Orion Ensign D'Vana Tendi, played by comedic actress Noël Wells. Ensign Tendi serves as a Science Officer aboard the USS Cerritos, alongside her fellow Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). Tendi's intelligence and willingness to learn have helped her and her Lower Decker friends get out of several of the wacky and dangerous situations they find themselves in. In her time aboard the Cerritos, Tendi has proven to be a competent officer, who faces every challenge with enthusiasm and optimism.

As an Orion, Ensign Tendi sometimes faces prejudice from other Starfleet Officers, and she has fought to defy the stereotypes often associated with Orions. Tendi is the first Orion Starfleet Officer seen in Sta Trek's Prime Timeline, and she has gone a long way to change the way people view Orions, both within the Star Trek universe and among fans. As of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, Tendi holds the rank of Ensign, but she seems to be a prime candidate for promotion in Lower Decks season 4. Regardless of her rank, D'Vana Tendi has become a welcome addition to the Star Trek universe, and her journey continues to be a fascinating one to watch.

Who Is D’Vana Tendi In Star Trek: Lower Decks?

Star Trek Lower Decks Tendi Orion

Before ing Starfleet, Ensign D'Vana Tendi was an Orion pirate known as the Mistress of the Winter Constellations. Several of her family were of the criminal organization known as the Orion Syndicate. After Tendi chose to attend Starfleet Academy, she sought to dispel the stereotype that all Orions are bloodthirsty pirates and thieves. After graduating from the Academy, Tendi was assigned to the USS Cerritos, where she befriended Ensigns Rutherford, Boimler, and Mariner. Tendi started in the Medical Division under Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman), but she has since become a Science Officer, who genuinely loves being in Starfleet and is always eager to learn and experience new things.

Noël Wells has been acting since 2009, including a one-season stint on Saturday Night Live and appearances on several other comedy shows. She appeared as Rachel Silva in eight episodes of Aziz Ansari's Masters of None and starred in the 2017 film Mr. Roosevelt, which she also wrote and directed. Wells has done a lot of voice work on shows like Gentlemen Lobsters, Wander Over Yonder, and American Dad!. In addition to voicing Tendi on Star Trek: Lower Decks, Noël also voices Kelsey Pokoly (and many other characters) on the Cartoon Network show Craig of the Creek. Wells is also a musician and photographer.

How Tendi Changed Orions In Star Trek

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Lower Decks Those Old Scientists Tendi Boimler

D’Vana Tendi has almost singlehandedly changed the perception of the Orions in Star Trek. This is most evidenced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' crossover with Lower Decks, despite the fact that Tendi only briefly appears as her animated self in the episode. In the crossover, Ensigns Boimler and Mariner inadvertently find themselves in the 23rd century on the USS Enterprise of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). When Pike and his crew encounter an Orion ship, they first assume them to be pirates or thieves. Ensign Boimler points out that by his time in the 24th century, it is considered offensive to assume this about Orions, and he cites Tendi as an example of a different kind of Orion.

Before Ensign Tendi, Orions had only appeared on Star Trek as minor or secondary characters. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Orion slave women were seen as objects of sexual desire, and not much was revealed about the Orion species as a whole. One of the most prominent Orions to appear on-screen was Osyraa (Janet Kidder) in the far future of Star Trek: Discovery, but, as the leader of the Emerald Chain, she fell into the stereotype of Orions as pirates. With her bubbly personality and enthusiasm in Star Trek: Lower Decks, D'Vana Tendi has gone a long way to change the perception of Orions in the Star Trek universe.