Summary

• Star Trek: Voyager's Neelix and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Kira Nerys had surprising similarities in their backgrounds and experiences.
• Both characters were part of resistance movements and experienced trauma due to their respective wars.
• Kira was a more popular character than Neelix, as DS9 did a better job of establishing and developing her character.

Star Trek: Voyager's Neelix (Ethan Phillps) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) were very different on the surface but actually had some surprising things in common. Kira served as the Bajoran liaison officer on the Deep Space 9 space station under the command of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). A Colonel in the Bajoran Militia and a survivor of the brutal Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, Kira's tough exterior belied her kindness and fierce loyalty to her friends and fellow crew members.
In contrast, Neelix was the USS Voyager's Talaxian cook and morale officer while the ship was lost in the Delta Quadrant. After volunteering to help guide Voyager through the unfamiliar region of space, Neelix became a valued member of the crew, although he left the ship a few episodes before its return to Earth in Voyager's series finale, "Endgame". Unlike Kira, Neelix was a gregarious character with an over-the-top personality, which meant he was often used as the show's comedic relief. On the surface, Neelix and Kira's respective jobs, interests, and personalities didn't align much with each other.

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