Kurt Bendera was a well-liked former Maquis whose death in a Kazon attack pushed Voyager's crew to rethink their approach to the Kazon.
Kurt Bendera was an ex-Maquis serving aboard Voyager and a close friend of Chakotay. In his eulogy, Chakotay recalled how Bendera had once saved him from a group of angry miners.
In Alliances, Bendera was killed in yet another Kazon attack on the ship. His death fueled calls from the Maquis crew for Voyager to operate more like a Maquis ship, and led Chakotay to suggest forming an alliance with one or more Kazon sects. The attempt ended in betrayal by both Culluh and the Trabe, teaching Janeway to rely on her own principles.