This article spoils a very specific reveal in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's double-episode premiere
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's double-episode premiere is so dense with easter eggs that it can be tricky to spot them all at first glance. However, one moment in particular is sure to excite Trekkies who love a specific show from the franchise's classic era. I know it brought a huge smile to my face, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who lit up at the sight of an important name.
Because Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century, almost all pre-existing Star Trek characters are long gone by the time of the new Paramount+ show. While certain figures from Discovery can (and do) leap into its new spinoff, Starfleet Academy sticks largely to its new cast and titular setting. That said, it's never afraid to acknowledge the space opera's rich history. Some of these references are more substantial than others, but even some of the minor ones are loaded with meaning.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reveals Harry Kim finally got that promotion he deserved (& more)
Garrett Wang's Harry Kim held the rank of ensign throughout Star Trek: Voyager. Despite his constant hard work and the several occasions that saw him save the ship from destruction, Kate Mulgrew's Captain Kathryn Janeway never promoted him. This oversight is hotly debated among Voyager fans and has become something of a running joke. Star Trek: Lower Decks even humorously referenced it during its final season, having a multiversal variant of Lieutenant Kim serve as the episode's bad guy.
Thankfully, Starfleet Academy proves that Harry didn't become a monster after he was promoted to Lieutenant. In fact, he continued to serve and rise through the ranks. The new Star Trek show has a heartwarming reveal of Harry's name on the Starfleet Academy mural, preceded by the the rank of ADMIRAL. So, he presumably had a traditional path there, after serving as a first officer and then a captain of a Starfleet vessel. While none of this has been shown onscreen, it's just nice to know that he got there at all.
Explaining Harry Kim's lack of promotions in Star Trek: Voyager
Various members of Janeway's crew did move up (and down) the chain of command as Voyager progressed. It didn't happen often, but the fact that promotions and demotions took place proves that Janeway was open to the idea. That said, the number of rank pips on Harry's collar didn't change. The journey back to Earth took seven years and was filled with events that should arguably have resulted in Harry being promoted, but it just...never happened.
That said, Voyager's situation – being stranded in the Delta Quadrant – meant room for progression aboard the ship was pretty much non-existent. The most prominent promotion was Tim Russ' Tuvok being made a Lt. Commander in season 4, but this was more of a way to mark his devotion to Starfleet than anything else. His duties didn't change, nor did anything else of any real merit.
Harry was fresh out of Starfleet Academy when he was posted to the USS Voyager as the ship's Head of Operations. While seven years is certainly not a short time to wait for a first promotion, the delay is more understandable when Voyager's circumstances are considered. My theory is that Janeway wanted Harry's rise to Lieutenant to come with all the usual ceremony it would have in the Alpha Quadrant, rather than his life just carrying on as it always had. It was perhaps an overly protective approach, but an understandable one.
Harry's only other canon promotion before Starfleet Academy was scrubbed immediately
Star Trek: Voyager's two-part finale, "Endgame," brought the show to its dramatic conclusion in 2001 with a mind-bending time travel adventure. Admiral Janeway, wanting to travel back and save ALL of her crew, instead of just some of them, manages to do just that. Before she makes the jump, she has a brief interaction with the USS Rhode Island's commanding officer — Captain Harry Kim. This was, at the time, Star Trek's Prime Timeline, but Janeway altered events when she went back to help her past self.
So, it's still unclear what Harry's new rise through the ranks looks like since Admiral Janeway's intervention, but it's also very funny that his former captain is the one who sent him plummeting back to being an ensign. Regardless, it's certainly possible that he still took command of the USS Rhode Island at some point in the new version of his career. Maybe Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will confirm or deny that as it moves on.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is streaming now on Paramount+. A new episode arrives every Thursday until the season 1 finale on March 12, 2026.