The Shocking Trend That Began with Harry Kim's Untimely Demise in Star Trek: Voyager

Summary

Harry Kim's misfortune on Star Trek: Voyager led to his frequent deaths and resurrections, setting a morbid trend that lasted all seven seasons.

In Voyager, more than half of the main characters experienced death and resurrection, and interestingly, Harry didn't hold the highest death record. The crew's lack of preparedness for the constant threats in the uncharted Delta Quadrant, which formed the foundation of Voyager's premise, resulted in a higher number of character deaths.

Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) initiated a grim pattern on Star Trek: Voyager that endured throughout the show's entire seven-season run. Serving as the operations officer of the USS Voyager, Harry was the youngest and least experienced member of the ship's senior staff. Regrettably, he frequently found himself at a disadvantage. Despite numerous opportunities for advancement, Harry remained at the rank of Ensign and gained a reputation for being the one to fall victim to perilous situations, often resulting in severe injuries or even temporary death, as dictated by the plot.

Harry's string of misfortunes commenced in Voyager's pilot episode when he contracted a seemingly incurable illness. However, his initial demise and subsequent revival occurred in season 1, episode 8, titled "Emanations." During this particular episode, Harry was compelled to undergo a form of euthanasia, stepping in for an uncertain alien undergoing a procedure in order to escape a planet he had inadvertently been transported to. Although Voyager's Doctor (Robert Picardo) managed to revive Harry upon his return to the ship, this death would prove to be merely the first of many, not only for him but for the entire Voyager crew.

Harry Kim Kicked Off Star Trek: Voyager’s Many Character Deaths

During Voyager's seven-season run, more than half of the main characters experienced death and resurrection at least once. This pattern began with Harry's first death in season 1. Aside from Harry, characters like Captain Janeway, Chakotay, B'Elanna Torres, Seven of Nine, and Neelix also faced death and were miraculously brought back in multiple episodes. Interestingly, Janeway surpassed Harry in the number of on-screen deaths, having died upwards of 15 times.

These character deaths on Voyager generally fell into two categories. In the first scenario, a character would temporarily die before being revived through impressive medical or scientific methods. This occurred most notably with Harry, Chakotay, Neelix, and B'Elanna. The second scenario involved characters "dying" within alternate timelines, only for those events to be erased by the end of the episode. Seven and Janeway were the primary victims of this type of death. While there were occasionally other circumstances in which characters met their demise, these instances were relatively uncommon.

Why Voyager Had More Deaths Than Other Star Trek Shows

Due to its unique premise, Voyager experienced a higher number of main character deaths compared to other shows in the franchise. The crew encountered frequent losses due to their journey through the uncharted Delta Quadrant. Without backup from Starfleet and facing constant unknown threats, they often found themselves unprepared, resulting in injuries and fatalities. This was particularly evident among the main characters but even minor character deaths played a significant role in episodes such as "The Killing Game" or "Latent Image" in Star Trek: Voyager.