Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s executive producers tease new insights about Star Trek‘s most mysterious new alien species. Certified Fresh at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 is nearing its finale, with the final two episodes streaming on March 5th and March 12th on Paramount+.

Along with humans, Klingons, and Betazoids, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s main cast includes three brand-new aliens. Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks) is a Kasqian, a race of holograms. Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) is a Khionian, a fish-like species. Finally, Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard) is a Dar-Sha, a race with stylish grooved eyebrows that we still know next to nothing about.

TrekMovie spoke to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy executive producers Noga Landau, who is co-showrunner with Alex Kurtzman, and Gaia Violo, who is the series creator, and raised the subject of the mysterious Dar-Sha. Starfleet Academy’s EPs offer a little more information on Genesis Lythe and her people. Read the quote below:

You know how we did the Dar-sha — when we decided that they were nomadic, our amazing prosthetics department was like, “So, what do you want them to look like?” And we were like, “We want them to look like gorgeous aliens that woke up at Burning Man.” [laughs] And that was the design for the Dar-Sha.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s premiere revealed that Genesis Lythe was the daughter of a Starfleet Admiral and grew up on starships, with Earth becoming the first planet she visits. Starfleet Academy‘s EPs confirm that the Dar-Sha are “nomadic.” Casting Bella Shepard to be the first Dar-Sha, who look like “gorgeous aliens that woke up at Burning Man,” is fascinating.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 dropped the first bit of info about what makes the Dar-Sha special when Commander Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) reminded Genesis, “You use your eyes with the precision of a hengra.” Sure enough, Genesis’s enhanced vision was the key to stopping the Furies by spotting their cloaked ship.

ScreenRant interviewed Bella Shepard, who said the only downside of playing a Dar-Sha was not seeing others of her kind (so far), and the lack of info about her culture, in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1. Read Bella’s quote below:

I think the only downside would be that I don’t get to see any others of my fellow species at the moment. Karim got to see other Klingons in season one, and George got to see other Khionians in season one. And right up until now, we haven’t been able to see any other Dar-Sha. So it’s kind of lonely. I guess that’s the downside, and also not having really a map or a layout of their culture or where to go. But it’s fun because I get to just work from the ground up.

Genesis, who wants to be a Starfleet Captain, has proven to be bright and driven, but also nursing deep-seated insecurities. Perhaps Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1’s last two episodes will reveal more about Genesis and the Dar-Sha. If not, there’s still Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2, which could introduce more Dar-Sha, possibly including Genesis’ “Dadmiral” father.

Release Date

January 15, 2026

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau

Directors

Douglas Aarniokoski

Writers

Alex Taub, Tawny Newsome, Kirsten Beyer, Jane Maggs, Kiley Rossetter

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