Kelley McMorris illustration: Ladies of Kirk: Leonore Karidian

Leonore Karidian

Episode 13: The Conscience of the King

Charming, young and stylish, Leonore is the daughter of legendary theater actor Anton Karidian. Together they tour through the galaxy performing Shakespeare plays. At first Kirk romanced Leonore as a way to gain more information about her mysterious father. But he quickly falls for Leonore’s charms - preventing him from seeing her real character. Knowing he can't resist a damsel in distress, Leonore is perhaps the first woman to use Kirk’s favorite distraction-by-seduction trick against him.

Leonore has her strengths and weaknesses as a character. On one hand, the story is really about her, not about Kirk or Anton. Leonore has her own plans and secrets, which she follows brutally and systematically. On the other hand, you don't really know any of this until the end of the episode. She spends most of her screen time seeming to be nothing more than another Blonde Kirk Plaything. (By the way, her character is supposed to be 19 years old!)

Let's talk about Leonore's costumes. Star Trek characters rarely have costume changes. Star Trek was a show perpetually short on cash and on time, which is why they frequently re-used props, costumes and sets. But Leonore has a whopping six costume changes!

(image source)

When I started this project, I made a rule that if a character had multiple costume changes, I would depict her in the most interesting and Star Trek-y one. But all of Leonore's costumes are pretty interesting. I chose to draw her in her green chiffon gown, because I felt like it was the most typically Star Trek, with its groovy pattern, ridiculous feathered trim, pink satin lining and sparkling leggings. I'm not sure if I made the right decision, though. Her strapless chinchilla tube was a close runner-up.