Star Trek: The Darkest Secret of Saavik's Origin Was Never Revealed in The Movies

Star Trek never revealed on-screen the darkest secrets of Saavik’s origin. Lieutenant Saavik was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as the protégé of Spock. Saavik made a huge impression on fans, but the character was abruptly written out of the franchise, leaving a number of loose ends. Star Trek: Untold Voyages #2, by Marvel in 1998, addresses one of the biggest: Saavik’s troubled childhood.

“Worlds Collide,” appearing in Star Trek: Untold Voyages #2, was written by Glenn Greenberg and drawn by Michael Collins. Set during Kirk’s second five-year mission, post-Star Trek: The Motion Picture, fans meet Saavik as a teenager. She looks up to Spock, who was supervising her studies. Fans then learn the truth: Saavik is half-Vulcan/half-Romulan. Saavik was the product of a Romulan eugenics program that bred Vulcans with their distant genetic cousins. The issue does not elaborate any further, but there is no need to: Saavik’s life has been hell to this point, and she did not have a good beginning.

Saavik Is Star Trek's "Vulcan of Mystery"

Saavik Was Given a Backstory Behind the Scenes, But Her Exit Left it Up in the Air

When Paramount Pictures greenlit a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the studio decided to make some changes. Creator Gene Roddenberry was kicked upstairs to a “consultant” position, and primary creative duties were handed over to Harve Bennett. Bennett and his collaborators hatched a revolutionary idea: begin phasing out the established Enterprise crew members, replacing them with younger characters. While this plan did not come to fruition as he would have liked, Bennett nevertheless introduced new characters to the mythos, such as Doctor David Marcus, the illegitimate son of Captain Kirk, Scotty’s nephew Peter Preston, as well as Saavik.

Saavik made her debut in The Wrath of Khan’s opening scenes, and immediately won fans over. Played in that film by Kirstie Alley and in Search for Spock and The Voyage Home by Robin Curtis, Saavik was, viewers presumed, a Vulcan. It was also clear Spock had taken a vested interest in Saavik’s career, acting as a mentor and guide to the Vulcan way of life. Saavik was an intriguing character, providing a fascinating counterpart to Spock. Spock was more assured and confident, whereas Saavik seemed, at times, unsure of herself.

Saavik was intended to appear in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and she was going to betray Starfleet. However, this never came to pass, and instead the character of Valeris was created.

Saavik’s half-Romulan/half-Vulcan heritage goes a long way to explaining some of her character’s quirks. Saavik was unsure of herself, a level of insecurity not characteristic of Vulcans. Having Romulan blood explains why Saavik was this way. The teenage Saavik fans meet in Star Trek: Untold Voyages #2 is struggling to control her violent Romulan impulses. She looks up to Spock as he was the one who saved Saavik and brought her to Vulcan. Her admiration of Spock leads her to embrace the path of logic, and it will eventually lead her to Starfleet.

 

Saavik Needs to Stage a True Star Trek Comeback

Saavik Overcame Adversity to Become A Starfleet Great

Saavik’s dark origins are a stark contrast to her adult years. Despite her initial insecurities, Saavik became more confident. Kirstie Alley played a less-experienced Saavik, but the events of The Wrath of Khan forged a stronger and more confident officer. When Robin Curtis assumed the role in Search for Spock, she portrayed a more thoughtful Saavik. Saavik deserved better, both on-screen and in-universe. Her childhood was rough and tumble, and her teenage years, as seen in this issue, were turbulent as well. Yet she rose above it all, and became a Star Trek legend.

Despite the character’s popularity, Saavik disappeared after The Voyage Home, and would not appear in the franchise again until 2024’s short film 765874–Unification. Saavik’s departure from the franchise left many questions, namely her background. Saavik’s birth and childhood were never discussed on-screen, but the producers and writers of The Wrath of Khan did have an origin for her, but for whatever reason it never made it to the screen: that Saavik was, in fact, half-Romulan as well. How this came to be was a mystery, and Saavik’s exit seemingly left it a mystery.

Saavik's Origin Was Dark, Especially for Star Trek

Saavik's Romulan Side Explains Her Idiosyncracies

Yet Glenn Greenberg and Michael Collins lean into this premise in Star Trek: Untold Voyages #2 and gave fans a dark answer to the question about Saavik’s younger days. They confirm that Saavik was a Vulcan/Romulan hybrid, and the result of genetic engineering. This is dark enough, but the story also reveals that the program’s Vulcan participants were unwilling, and prisoners of the Romulans. The Romulans abandoned the project and the children. The fates of the captive Vulcans were never revealed, and it can be implied their endings were not good.