Do we like Chiana?
A character from Farscape (1999–2003)
Our score: 7 out of 10. Impulsive, light-fingered and a handful, but she's loyal and sharp, and she comes through for her crewmates when it counts. We'd back her, and we'd keep an eye on our wallets.
Chiana is a Nebari, a grey-skinned people whose society runs on strict conformity. Its government 'cleanses' anyone who thinks for themselves. She's a street-smart, restless free spirit who would sooner steal and scam than follow orders. Farscape follows an astronaut flung across the galaxy who ends up among a crew of fugitives aboard a living ship called Moya. Chiana arrives partway through the first season, after she escapes Nebari custody and lands on board.
She was written as a one-episode guest. Fans loved her so much that she became a regular. In the show she can be hyperactive and teenage-petulant, and she often does the wrong thing on impulse. She is also very good at reading people and situations, and she's a skilled burglar who can talk her way out of almost anything. Early on, for example, she goes with Crichton to a hostile base to get the medical samples that Aeryn needs to survive.
Why a 7? Her whole story is about holding on to her own mind in a world that wants to erase it, and that's easy to root for. She loses points for being reckless, selfish at times, and a bad influence on the group. She makes up for it with her courage and her loyalty to the people who take her in. She's not a hero who follows orders, but she's one you'd want on your ship.