Neelix

Neelix

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Species	Talaxian
Affiliation	Starfleet
Posting	Advisor, Cook, Morale Officer, and Ambassador USS Voyager
Portrayed by	Ethan Phillips
First appearance	"Caretaker, Part II" (Voy)

Neelix /ˈniːlᵻks/ is a character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Ethan Phillips. Neelix is an alien who has joined the crew of the "lost at sea" United Federation of Planets starship USS Voyager, appearing with mottled temple ridges and a blond "hair tube" on the top of his head.

Biography

The character of Neelix is from Rinax, a moon of the planet Talax, located in the Delta Quadrant of the show's fictional representation of the Milky Way galaxy. His entire family was killed in a conflict with the Haakonian race.

Neelix was introduced in "Caretaker", the pilot episode of the series, in which he is rescued from the violent Kazon, a species who will be recurring antagonists in the series. Through some subterfuge, he enlists the help of the Voyager crew to also rescue his partner Kes, a member of another alien species, the Ocampa. Previously a space trader, Neelix offers his services as a guide to the Delta Quadrant. Seeking further to make himself useful to the crew, he appoints himself "Chief Morale Officer" and becomes the ship's cook.

The captain of the ship, Kathryn Janeway, merely tolerates him at first, but later comes to respect and value Neelix as an important member of the crew. She eventually appoints him as unofficial ship's Ambassador. The character's relationship with Kes is later terminated by her, but the two characters are shown to remain good friends thereafter. During the course of the series, the ebullient Neelix develops an unlikely friendship with Tuvok, the ship's stoic Vulcan security chief.

Neelix exits the show in the final season episode "Homestead". The ship encounters a colony of exiled Talaxians, the last of his species that he is likely to see as the ship travels further from his home, and he chooses to stay with them. The character returns for a cameo in the series finale, "Endgame".

External links

• Neelix at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)