Kes (Star Trek)

Kes is a fictional character played by Jennifer Lien on the American science fiction television show Star Trek: Voyager. She is a part of a telepathic alien species known as the Ocampa who have latent psychic abilities and a life span of only nine years. Joining the starship USS Voyager's crew in the pilot episode "Caretaker", she opens a hydroponics garden and works as the medical assistant to a hologram known as the Doctor. Her storylines focus on encouraging the Doctor to develop his humanity and dealing with her Talaxian boyfriend Neelix's jealousy. She also seeks to expand upon her mental capabilities, leaving in the fourth season after her powers threaten to destroy the ship. She reappears in a season six episode and features in Star Trek: Voyager novels and short stories.

Voyager's creators Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor designed Kes to be a rapidly-aging character who would provide audiences with a different perspective on time. Although Kes is portrayed as fragile and innocent, she is also shown as having a hidden strength and maturity. Voyager's producers reluctantly fired Lien after her personal issues affected her reliability on set. At the time, this was not openly discussed and various other reasons were attributed to her departure; these ranged from Lien voluntarily leaving to pursue other roles to her being removed to make room for Jeri Ryan's introduction as Seven of Nine.

Lien's performance received positive reviews, although her removal from the series had a more mixed response. Some reviewers praised this casting change, finding Kes boring and without a clear purpose, while others were disappointed. Reaction to her return in the season six episode "Fury" was negative, and some critics named it one of the worst moments in the Star Trek franchise. Academics have analyzed Kes based on her representation of femininity, particularly in the context of the 1990s, as well as the development of her mental abilities.