Summary
- Kes's telepathic powers grew and evolved throughout her time on Star Trek: Voyager, from communicating telepathically to sensing minds and emotions and even manipulating matter with her mind.
- The true scope of Kes's powers was never defined, leading to confusion and inconsistencies in the show. This was likely due to the creative team not knowing how to handle the character and Jennifer Lien's departure from the show.
- Kes's return in season 7 showcased her most advanced powers yet, but only in one episode, leaving viewers with more questions than answers about her abilities.
Throughout her run on Star Trek: Voyager, one of Kes's (Jennifer Lien) biggest storylines was the development of her telepathic powers. Kes came from a race called the Ocampa, a reclusive species who the crew of the USS Voyager met in the show's pilot episode, "Caretaker." Once powerful telepaths, the Ocampa had become complacent and lost most of their abilities after they became dependent on an alien protector called the Caretaker. However, the Ocampa still had the ability to communicate telepathically, and many were aware that they were not using the full extent of their powers, including Kes.
Once Kes left her people and joined Voyager's crew for their journey home, it didn't take long for her abilities to begin manifesting and growing. The first indication of what Kes could do came in Voyager season 1, episode 4, "Time and Again," and from there, her powers began to manifest more and more strongly during her time on the show. The true scope and range of these powers were never truly defined, but that didn't stop them from being a huge part of Kes's storyline during Voyager season 1-3.
