Russian navigator of the original Enterprise under Kirk, who later served as weapons officer and joined Kirk's crew through the original-cast films.
Pavel Chekov is the earnest young Russian navigator of the USS Enterprise, who joined the bridge crew in the second season of the original series. Played first by Walter Koenig, he brought youthful enthusiasm, a fierce pride in his homeland and a talent for piloting the ship through tight spots.
His story continues through the feature films. In The Wrath of Khan he serves on another starship, the Reliant, and is tormented by a parasitic creature when the ship runs into Khan Noonien Singh on Ceti Alpha V. Later he is back with Kirk and the rest of the crew for the later adventures, and he appears again aboard the Enterprise-B in Star Trek Generations. A younger version appears in the Kelvin timeline films, played by Anton Yelchin.
Chekov endures as a favorite for his eager charm, his cheerful insistence that Russians invented everything, and as proof that the Enterprise crew reflected a hopeful, united future.