Warning! Warning! Spoilers for Star Trek #31 ahead!
Harry Kim fans' hearts can’t take much more of this; theStar Trekfranchise has once moreconfirmed that death is preferable to promotion for the belovedVoyagercharacter,as the latest issue of IDW’sTrekcomic series features Kim being killed offat the hands ofKahless, the complicated clone Klingon Emperor-turned-genocidal-warlord-turned-possible-hero.
Star Trek#31, written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, with art by Davide Tinto, features a tragic moment that many readers believe is a darkly tongue-in-cheek nod to the longrunning joke about Harry Kim’s seemingly-unending time as an ensign.
While it is likely that Harry’s death won’t be permanent, the scene still opened old wounds for manyTrekaficionados, who have been calling for the character to be given a more prominent story arc, and, if nothing else, a higher rank, for literally decades now.
Star Trek Kills Off Harry Kim, Again, Proving The Franchise Will Do Anything To Avoid Promoting Him
Star Trek#31; Written By Collin Kelly And Jackson Lanzing; Art By Davide Tinto; Available Now From IDW Publishing
Harry Kim’s death scene inStar Trek#31 even lampshades, or directly calls out, his constant denial when it comes to a promotion from Starfleet;in his brief skirmish with Kahless, Kim mentions that a victory against the legendary Klingon warrior will finally ensure his ascent up the ranks, only for him to promptly be dispatched. This is actually moment of levity in the issue, albeit a grim one, but it ultimately provides yet one more concrete example of the fact that Harry Kim, as Rodney Dangerfield would put it, “gets no respect.”
The longer Harry goes without being given a legitimate upgrade, in rank, or in terms of story, the more he will be reduced, as a character, to his status as aTrekfranchise punchline.
Of course, this comes in the midst of the topsy-turvy reordering of the entireStar TrekUniverse aspart of the “Lore War” storyline, and in this instance, and this is a “corrupted” version of Harry, yet while most readers will agree this death is temporary, it still speaks to the larger rut the character has been stuck in for decades. Unfortunately, the longer Harry goes without being given a legitimate upgrade, in rank, or in terms of story, the more he will be reduced, as a character, to his status as aTrekfranchise punchline.
Star Trek’s Current Era Is Ending; Could The Future Finally Be Harry Kim’s Time To Shine?
Star Trek#32; Available August 03, 2025 From IDW Publishing
Fans ofStar Trek Voyagerknow well that Harry Kim proved his worth as a Starfleet officer repeatedly over the years, yet over the course of the show’s seven-season run, it became a noted curiosity that he was never rewarded with a promotion. Decades later, this is still a running gag inTrek, to the point where theLower Decksanimated series depictedthe “danger” of promoting Harry Kim. IDW’sStar Trekcomics, meanwhile, have dabbled with astronger version of Harry’s character, but ultimately, as the series wraps up, its writers couldn’t resist getting in on the joke either.
Star Trek#32 will be the conclusion toCollin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing’s impressiveTrekcomics run, and so fans can be confident that Harry Kim won’t play a major role in the climax of the “Lore War” arc, having been done away with inTrek#31. The character’s devoted fans must now turn their hopes toward the upcoming relaunch of the series, and the slate of newStar Trektitles coming later this year,to find out if the franchise finally puts some respect on Harry Kim’s name, and some extra pips on his collar.
Star Trek#31is available now from IDW Publishing.
Star Trek
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
