While there is no shortage of legacy characters in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, there are many more famous faces from Star Trek: The Original Series who could potentially appear in the prequel. Strange New Worlds launched a new five-year mission of the USS Enterprise commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Joining Pike are Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) years before they would all serve on the Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

Strange New Worlds is a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, but in many ways, it's what Star Trek could have been if the original pilot, "The Cage," had been picked up by NBC. Star Trek's first voyage of the Starship Enterprise was led by Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), Number One (Majel Barrett), and Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Strange New Worlds' producers and cast joked that their show is the longest (56 years) pilot-to-series pick-up in TV history. Strange New Worlds season 1 takes place in 2259, approximately 7 years before Pike turns the Enterprise over to Kirk. But so many more TOS characters are canonically active during Strange New Worlds' timeframe, and here's who else could potentially appear in future episodes.

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10 Dr. Leonard McCoy

Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) is destined to replace Dr. M'Benga as the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise under Captain Kirk. Canonically, there's only a sampling of info about McCoy before TOS begins. Bones went to medical school in the 2240s, where he met Emony Dax, a past host of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Trills, Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer). In 2251, McCoy saved lives on Dramia II, and Bones was a Life Sciences Officer stationed on Capella IV before he joined the Enterprise in 2266.

There's a 15-year gap in McCoy's canonical history that Strange New Worlds could potentially fill in some details of. It's possible the young Bones is serving on the USS Farragut alongside Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and McCoy could also appear in Strange New Worlds season 2. The prequel series could also deliver the Prime Universe origin of how Kirk and Bones became such good friends.

9 Montgomery Scott

James Doohan as Scotty in Star Trek

The "Miracle Worker" of Captain Kirk's Enterprise has yet to physically appear in Strange New Worlds. Scotty's voice (Matt Wolf) was heard in the alternate future of Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale, but the flesh-and-blood Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) has yet to join the Starship Enterprise as Chief Engineer. Canonically, Scotty served on 10 ships, including various freighters and starships, before he was assigned to the Enterprise, but there are few details about where he is during Pike's current five-year mission. However, with a new Chief Engineer, Lt. Pelia (Carol Kane), joining Strange New Worlds season 2, it seems like it'll be a while before Scotty beams aboard the prequel.

8 Hikaru Sulu

George Takei Sulu Star Trek

Mr. Sulu (George Takei) is destined to be the helmsman of Captain Kirk's Enterprise, a role he will fulfill for over two decades before Sulu becomes Captain of the USS Excelsior. But aside from attending Starfleet Academy to become a pilot, there's no canonical info on where Sulu is before he joins Kirk's five-year mission. Sulu should be in his early 20s during Strange New Worlds, and he could appear at some point in the series, perhaps to challenge the Enterprise's current hotshot helmsman, Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia).

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7 Pavel Chekov

Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov

Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) was the youngest member of Kirk's crew, coming aboard the Enterprise as an Ensign in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2. As such, there's a slim chance Chekov could appear in Strange New Worlds since he's only in his mid-teens during Pike's tenure as Captain of the Enterprise. Still, it's not out of the realm of possibility that a young Pavel Chekov could show his face at some point in Strange New Worlds.

6 Janice Rand

Star Trek Janice Rand

Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) is the future Yeoman to Captain Kirk aboard the Starship Enterprise, although Rand would only appear in a handful of Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 episodes. There's nothing canonically known about Rand before she joins the Enterprise, and if she is in her mid-20s in TOS season 1, then Janice would be in her late teens during Strange New Worlds. But it's possible the younger Rand could appear at some point in the prequel series.

5 Harry Mudd

Harry Mudd

Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Rainn Wilson) is just begging to be called back into mischief in Strange New Worlds. Mudd was reintroduced into canon in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, where he appeared in two episodes, as well as a Short Trek. Since then, Harry Mudd has been MIA, although he is destined to return to plague Captain Kirk twice more in Star Trek: The Original Series, where he is played by Roger C. Carmel. An entrepreneur and scoundrel, Harry Mudd seems tailor-made for a guest appearance in Strange New Worlds, but it remains to be seen if it will happen.

4 Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell in Star Trek TOS

In Star Trek: The Original Series second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Lt. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) was an old friend of Captain Kirk's who served on the Enterprise. Mitchell is destined to be altered by the Enterprise passing through the Galactic Barrier, which will unlock latent psychic abilities that will turn Mitchell into a superpowered menace. But in Strange New Worlds' era, Gary Mitchell and Kirk should still be thick as thieves. It's possible Gary is serving with Lt. Kirk aboard the USS Farragut so that he could appear in Strange New Worlds season 2.

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3 Matt Decker

Captain Matt Decker Star Trek Original Series

In Star Trek: The Original Series' "The Doomsday Machine," Commodore Matt Decker (William Windom) went mad after his starship, the USS Constellation, was destroyed by a robot planet-killer. But in Strange New Worlds' era, Captain Matt Decker is still in command of the Constellation, as his promotion to Commodore isn't until 2263. Star Trek: Discovery season 1 even listed Matt Decker among the most decorated Captains in Starfleet. It's quite feasible the younger Matt Decker could appear in Strange New Worlds. Matt's son, Will Decker (Stephen Collins), is also in Starfleet and will serve as First Officer on the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

2 Dr. Richard Daystrom

Star Trek Richard Daystrom

Dr. Richard Daystrom (William Marshall) is certainly present during Strange New Worlds' timeframe. Daystrom is the genius inventor of the computronic and duotronic computer systems used by Starfleet ships like the Enterprise. In Strange New Worlds' era, Daystrom should be attempting to develop the M-5, his artificially intelligent "ultimate computer," and he's almost a decade away from his mental breakdown in Star Trek: The Original Series. The younger Daystrom could very well appear in Strange New Worlds as he develops his ultimately doomed M-5 computer.

1 Khan Noonien Singh

Khan

In Strange New Worlds' era, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) and his genetically engineered followers are floating through space in suspended animation aboard the S.S. Botany Bay. Khan's descendant, La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), is Security Chief aboard Captan Pike's Enterprise, and the 20th-century superman has been referenced on the show. While it's not out of the realm of possibility that Strange New Worlds could awaken Khan early, there would have to be an ironclad reason to break canon. It would be best for Star Trek if Strange New Worlds left Khan alone until Kirk encounters him in Star Trek: The Original Series.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.