Star Trek: Strange New Worlds introduced many new and returning characters, and one of the most surprising - and best - new additions was Chief Engineer Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak). A blind Andorian, Hemmer's icy exterior eventually melted away to reveal a kind and considerate engineer who was willing to sacrifice himself to save his crew. A self-described genius, Hemmer's personality, empathy, and sense of humor made him well-loved by his shipmates. Over the course of his time on the USS Enterprise, Hemmer made a big impact, not only on the characters around him, but also on the fans.
As a rare subspecies of Andorians known as the Aenar, Hemmer gave fans a look into an alien species rarely featured on Star Trek. His nature as a pacifist also made his decision to Starfleet even more interesting. Hemmer was close with many of his crewmates, but he became a mentor to Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and helped her make the decision to stay in Starfleet. Hemmer was not only a brilliant engineer but also went out of his way to help when his friends were in need. Though Hemmer only made appearances in six episodes, he became a breakout favorite character who fascinated fans and inspired his crew.
5 Hemmer Was an Aenar, A Species Rarely Seen on Star Trek
First introduced in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode, "The Aenar," the Aenar are a subspecies of the Andorians. Born blind, they live in ice caves and have strong telepathic abilities and superior senses. The Aenar were considered to be a myth by most Andorians until they were discovered living in a remote part of Andoria. Even after they were discovered, they stayed to themselves and remained secretive. The Aenar are pacifists who believe they will only die after they have achieved their life's purpose. Hemmer was the only known Aenar in Starfleet. Star Trek often excels when it dives into the backstory and culture of a new alien species, and Hemmer's abilities and beliefs as an Aenar were fascinating to learn about.
4 Hemmer Was a Pacifist Who ed Starfleet Anyway
Another quality that made Hemmer unique was his identification as a pacifist. While Starfleet is not technically a military organization, Starfleet officers are sometimes required to engage in combat. As an engineer, Hemmer would not necessarily be expected to engage in battle, but ing Starfleet still seems like an odd choice for a pacifist. In the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Memento Mori," Cadet Uhura questioned why Hemmer ed Starfleet if he was a pacifist. In answer, Hemmer replied: "I will not fight for Starfleet, but I will defend its ideals. Pacifism is not ivity. It’s the active protection of all living things in the natural universe." Hemmer was able to hold onto his pacifist convictions, while still remaining an exemplary Starfleet officer.
3 Hemmer Helped Dr. M'Benga and His Daughter
Though Hemmer may have appeared a bit gruff when people first met him, he clearly had a heart of gold. In the episode "The Elysian Kingdom," the Enterprise and its crew were transformed into the setting and characters of a fantastical fairytale. While most of the crew believed themselves to be characters in this fairytale, Hemmer remained himself because of his telepathic abilities. As Hemmer grew more frustrated by the other crew' insistence that they were characters from a storybook written by Benny Russell (Avery Brooks), he ran into Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), who also remained in his right mind.
As Hemmer and M'Benga soon discovered, the fairytale setting was created by an entity who pulled the story from the mind of M'Benga's young daughter. Hemmer offered to let the entity speak through him, even though it posed a risk to his life. After the entity left Hemmer's mind, he lost all memory of the incident, but his sacrifice allowed M'Benga to say goodbye to his daughter.
2 Hemmer Was a Mentor to Cadet Uhura
Throughout Strange New Worlds season 1, Hemmer takes a young Cadet Uhura under his wing and becomes a mentor to her. In the episode "Memento Mori," Hemmer's hand is broken when a Gorn ship fires at the Enterprise. Since he cannot use his injured hand, Hemmer must talk Uhura through the process of making repairs to the ship. Hemmer its that he is not particularly fond of teamwork, but this interaction does bring him and Uhura closer. Uhura begins to look at Hemmer as a father figure, as she lost her parents in a shuttle accident when she was young. Over the course of their time together, Hemmer teaches Uhura and helps her sort through her feelings about her future. At Hemmer's funeral, Uhura speaks fondly of him and chooses to remain in Starfleet in part to honor him.
1 Hemmer Sacrificed Himself to Save His Crew
Though Hemmer helped the Enterprise and its crew in many ways over the course of the season, his biggest act of sacrifice came in the episode "All Those Who Wander." In this episode, the Enterprise sets out to respond to a distress call from another Federation ship. When they arrive, they discover that the crew of that ship were attacked and killed by the Gorn. When Hemmer becomes infected by Gorn eggs, he realizes he must sacrifice himself to save his crew. With Hemmer's final words to Uhura, he tells her: "Make a home for yourself amongst others and you will find joy more often than sadness."
The crew mourned for Hemmer and Uhura lamented her lost mentor, but this episode also saw Uhura embrace her position on the Enterprise with this new family she'd found. Chief Engineer Hemmer's death allowed him to achieve his life's purpose, which was "to fix what is broken." At Hemmer's funeral, Uhura spoke fondly of her former mentor and agreed that he had fixed what was broken. Though Chief Engineer Hemmer did not appear in many episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds before his death, he secured his place in Star Trek history as an important and beloved character.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 premieres Thursday, June 15, on Paramount+.