10 Sci-Fi TV Show Protagonists That We'll Remember Forever
When it comes to legendary protagonists, sci-fi TV shows tend to have some of the most memorable. Sci-fi as a genre is incredibly influential. Whether it's TV or movies, sci-fi pushes the limits of what is possible, delivers imaginative advancements, and explores worlds and stories across the vastness of time and space. And in order to stand out in these epic tales, they need to have strong lead characters.
Fortunately, there are a lot of inspiring heroic figures in sci-fi TV, and they have made a big impression on audiences. From captains of spacecraft, to strangely powerful beings, and people trapped inside a dystopian office, sci-fi protagonists have a lot to unpack. And long after the credits roll, and the show wraps, these protagonists will remain in our hearts and minds forever.
10 Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Going back to one of the earliest sci-fi protagonists who helped take this genre from obscurity and make it popular, Captain Jean-Luc Picard took the reins of the incredible sci-fi franchise, Star Trek, after Captain Kirk. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation really felt like a completely different show thanks to the incredible new cast, led by the brilliant Patrick Stewart.
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Picard is an icon, and while there are still debates about whether Kirk or Picard were the better captain, Picard has evidently had more staying power, with a recent revival series starring the aging hero. Picard led with exactness, bravery, and strength, but he also embraced change, and he evolved a lot over his time on TNG.
9 Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds
Firefly
Firefly is a phenomenon in the sci-fi space that only got one season of a show made. However, despite the series being canceled in such a short span of time, the story lived on in comics, a movie, and countless fans' heads. And while the entire cast is fantastic, Captain Malcolm Reynolds had a certain charisma and charm that makes him unforgettable.
This is very much a result of the performance of Nathan Fillion, who is chronically underappreciated despite being a major figure in several popular TV shows and films. Fillion made Mal into a character who connected with audiences in almost no time at all. And now, more than 20 years after the show came off the air, he remains a legend.
8 Eleven
Stranger Things
Much more recently, Stranger Things took the world by storm in 2016 when a group of misfit kids found themselves at the center of a terrifying science experiment that opened a portal between our world and the Upside Down. But despite the terrible monsters lurking in the shadows, and the breakdown between worlds, the kids can rely on Eleven, a powerful young girl who appears to have some strange connection to the dark alternate reality.
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Eleven has grown a lot over the course of the show, and Millie Bobby Brown, the actress behind the character, has grown along with her. As her story has unfolded, and the mystery becomes a little less foggy, Eleven continues to endear herself to the audience in incredible ways that set her apart from other sci-fi protagonists. Her innocence, strength, and ability to persevere make her a legend in sci-fi.
7 Mark S.
Severance
While there could be some degree of a recency bias when it comes to the 2021 show Severance, it's hard to imagine that this show, which has quickly become one of the most popular sci-fi series on TV, will ever be forgotten. While the subjects in the show, known as Innie's, may be unable to remember things that happen outside of their work, the show has left its mark, and continues to deliver compelling, extraordinary stories, with Mark S. right at the center of it all.
Mark S. is the Innie and counterpart to Mark Scout. And while the two share a body, they are largely independent characters. Mark S. is essentially a few years old, and trapped in an office that fills his entire life. However, despite the limitations imposed on him, Mark makes a life for himself, and he finds joy. But his real arc begins when Mark S. begins to rebel and proves that he is no pushover.
6 Daisy Johnson
Agents of SHIELD
Another character who proves to be a real badass, Daisy Johnson, is the hero of Agents of SHIELD. Daisy started out in the show as almost a supporting character. A hacker who was living out of a van and getting into trouble. However, in the world of superheros and spies, Daisy came into her own, becoming both herself. Before long, Daisy was leading teams of other spies and heroes, and defining her purpose.
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Daisy didn't have an easy path to becoming a legend, but she worked hard, she pushed herself, and she overcame incredible challenges. The result was that she became one of the most iconic and inspiring figures in sci-fi. And while Chloe Bennet absolutely deserves to be recognized for playing the part and landing a part in the official MCU, Daisy will never be forgotten, whether she appears in the MCU or not.
5 Hughie Campbell
The Boys
From one unconventional agent working for a secret government agency to another, Hughie Campbell is a part of the off the books anti-supe taskforce, The Boys. At the start of the show, Hughie is a quivering mess who has frustrations towards heroes, but he doesn't actually have the means or the backbone to stand up and make a change. But when Billy Butcher approaches him to join his team, things quickly start to change.
Jack Quaid delivers a spectacular performance throughout, and the character growth is extraordinary throughout. Hughie's ability to stand up to supes, confidently place himself in risky situations, and still come out on top makes him a top-tier sci-fi protagonist. However, his heart, and his ability to also see the good in some supes helps to place him above his colleagues as the true protagonist of The Boys.
4 Lucy MacLean
Fallout
When a series is adapted from a video game, it comes with a built-in fanbase. People had already grown to love the dystopian sci-fi game Fallout, but it wasn't until Prime Video adapted the series and created a story around Ella Purnell's Lucy MacLean that people fell in love with that character. Arguably, standing out as a main protagonist in a series with such a strong following and making it your own is an immense challenge, but Purnell rose to it and exceeded it.
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Despite starting out as a naive vault dweller, in a relatively short amount of time, Lucy manages to adapt to the world above, and become a formidable wastelander. She holds her own, she discovers hard truths, and she is intent on making real changes. For all of these reasons and more, Lucy MacLean stands out as an incredible sci-fi hero.
3 The Doctor
Doctor Who
The longest running sci-fi show on TV, Doctor Who began in 1963. And ever since that time, the show has focused on one character, who has adopted many new faces through the years. The Doctor, a Time Lord from Gallifrey, and the TARDIS that grants him access to all time and space. The Doctor may be a mystery, whose real name continues to elude audiences, but despite that, he is an unforgettable legend.
The Doctor is also distinctly different. He is no human, and there are choices he makes that further define his alien nature. However, as he travels through the universe with a companion by his side, he continues to adore and admire the simple things that make humans who they are. Through his eyes, we are legends, and in turn, he becomes an endless inspiration to reach towards our potential.
2 The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian
Star Wars is a huge sci-fi franchise that began in 1977. And since that time, the galaxy far, far away has continued to develop, grow, and expand ever further. In 2019, The Mandalorian provided insights to a lesser-seen part of the Star Wars universe with its focus on a deadly bounty hunter on the planet Mandalore. And in no time at all, this futuristic sci-fi show began to incorporate elements of old westerns in the most satisfying way.
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That was largely down to the protagonist, who may conceal his face, his name, and his mission, but despite the mystery, there is something incredibly charming about the Mandalorian. Eventually, we learn his name, see his face, and find out about his compassion for a sweet young alien, and it all continues to make him a compelling sci-fi star.
1 Peter Petrelli
Heroes
Finally, while Heroes may be a show that has begun to fade from memory as new superhero shows have taken their place and exceeded their reputation, there is one hero in the show who stands out and remains firmly rooted in the minds of anyone who watches the series. Peter Petrelli, formerly a nurse with dreams of flying, became the central hero of the show thanks to his unique gifts.
Peter could absorb others' powers and mimic them, leading him to have the ability to fly, teleport, be invincible, and so much more. But despite being an overpowered army knife of other gifts, his depth of compassion made him distinctly different to another power collector, Sylar. The show was outstanding, and it provided yet another sci-fi protagonist that will go down in the history books for the genre.
