| Michael Burnham | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek character | |
 Sonequa Martin-Green as xeno-anthropologist Michael Burnham. | |
| First appearance | "The Vulcan Hello" (2017) (Discovery) |
| Created by | |
| Portrayed by | Sonequa Martin-Green Arista Arhin (young) |
| Voiced by | Kyrie Mcalpin (Short Treks; young) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | xeno-anthropologist First Officer (2250s–2256) Science specialist (2256) Captain (mirror universe) Science officer (2257–3189) Captain (3189–3200) Admiral (3200 onward) |
| Family |
|
| Significant others |
|
| Children | Leto (son) |
| Planet | Earth and Vulcan(Ni'Var) |
| Affiliation | United Federation of Planets Starfleet USS Shenzhou USS Discovery ISS Shenzhou |
| Born | 2226 |
| Age | (As of 3200) 43 (physiological)/978 (chronological) |
Michael Burnham is the protagonist of Star Trek: Discovery, portrayed by American actress Sonequa Martin-Green.[1] She originally appears as the First Officer of USS Shenzhou under Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) until she commits mutiny, for which she is stripped of rank and sent to prison for life. Burnham is later recruited by Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) on USS Discovery as a science specialist after serving only six months of her sentence, with Lorca viewing Burnham as an asset in the war against the Klingons. She serves as the series lead. The character is introduced as a xeno-anthropologist helping the Earth-based Starfleet understand and engage with new cultures in outer space.
Bryan Fuller conceived the character based on the cultural impact of Nichelle Nichols' portrayal of Uhura, as well as that of Mae Jemison and Ruby Bridges. She is also revealed as the adoptive sister to Spock (Ethan Peck). Burnham is an orphan, after her parents are killed by Klingons, until she is taken in by Sarek (James Frain). Controversy arose among fans from the decision to connect her history to Spock's family, with fans debating whether this is consistent with established continuity.[2] Development of the character was largely praised by critics leading up to the debut for having a black woman lead for the first time in Star Trek history, and reviews of Martin-Green's performance have been positive.