Michael Burnham

"Sometimes, down is up. Sometimes, up is down. Sometimes, when you're lost, you're found."

- Michael Burnham

Michael Burnham was the central protagonist of Star Trek: Discovery.

She was portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green.

As a young girl she had been orphaned after a Klingon raid on the facility where her parents were working. She was taken in by Sarek and his wife Amanda Grayson and raised by them. Burnham grew up to be the only person to graduate from a Vulcan learning center and from the Vulcan Science Academy.

In 2249, at Sarek's behest she was commissioned as an officer on board the USS Shenzhou, under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou. Eventually promoted to first officer, by 2256 Georgiou thought she was ready to be given her own command.

However during a confrontation with the Klingons, Burnham was so convinced that they had to fire on the Klingons she attempted mutiny against Georgiou. Pleading guilty when court martialed, she was stripped of her rank and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Six months later, during a transfer to another prison she was taken on board the USS Discovery after the shuttle required rescue. Captain Gabriel Locra decided to offer her a position on Discovery to help them develop a new FTL drive, which would help in the war against the Klingons.