Number One on 'Star Trek: Discovery' Is Sasha From 'Walking Dead'

The much-discussed main character on Star Trek:Discovery has finally been revealed, and though she doesn’t have much experience dealing with Klingons, she does know a thing or two about battling zombies.

Sonequa Martin-Green — who plays Sasha on The Walking Dead — has been confirmed as the lead actor of Star Trek: Discovery. Her role has been described as being the “Lt. Commander” aboard the USS Discovery, which means Martin-Green is most certainly the lead character of the new series, and will be called the familiar moniker “Number One.” Former showrunner Bryan Fuller had previously emphasized the need for the new Star Trek to not tell its story from the perspective of a Captain, and instead, focus on character of a different rank and status.

Though this isn’t the first time a Star Trek series has cast an African American in the lead of a TV series (Avery Brooks played Ben Sisko on Deep Space Nine) it is the first time woman of color has been in the lead role. Following the casting of Michelle Yeoh as the Captain, Discovery is shaping up to be the most racially diverse Star Trek ever, which is saying something, considering the franchise is often lauded for its groundbreaking casting.

The identity of Sonequa Martin-Green’s character is still unclear. Obviously, she is not the same canonical character as Majel Barrett’s Number One from “The Cage,” so it’s still possible that the character will be given a proper name and that she’s only known as “Number One,” because she is the first officer of the Discovery.