The Unluckiest Star Trek Characters of All Time: 10 Shocking Tales

Summary

Star Trek characters often face bad luck, such as redshirts who often die to highlight danger for main characters like Captain Kirk.

Lieutenant Sam Kirk tragically perishes alongside his wife due to an encounter with airborne parasites on the planet Deneva.

Captain Kathryn Janeway's initial tenure as the captain of the USS Voyager turns out to be ill-fated, leaving her stranded in the Delta Quadrant for a duration of seven years.

Star Trek characters often rely on their intelligence and Starfleet training when venturing into the unknown. However, some face an additional challenge: bad luck. While many Starfleet officers can navigate their way out of any predicament, others are not as fortunate. For instance, Lt. Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), the Chief Engineer on Star Trek: The Original Series, was renowned for finding solutions to engineering problems on the USS Enterprise. Similarly, Quark (Armin Shimerman), the Ferengi bartender on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, frequently managed to evade difficult situations despite his numerous transgressions.

While some characters have relatively smooth experiences, others demonstrate that exploring unfamiliar worlds and encountering new lifeforms is not always as glamorous as it seems. Certain Star Trek characters consistently find themselves victim to kidnappings or contamination by alien viruses, never catching a break. While fate may offer protection to "fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise," it certainly did not extend its blessings to these ten unfortunate Star Trek characters.

10 Redshirts - Star Trek: The Original Series

The trope of unnamed crewmen in red shirts dying in large numbers became widely popularized thanks to Star Trek: The Original Series. Out of the 55 crew members who perished throughout the series, almost half of them happened to be wearing red uniforms. While this is predominantly due to the fact that security officers, who usually wore red, were the ones most likely to face threats, many of these unfortunate redshirts remained anonymous and their deaths went largely unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Their untimely demise often served to emphasize the genuine danger faced by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the more prominent members of the Enterprise crew.

9 Lieutenant Sam Kirk - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Lieutenant George Samuel Kirk, also known as Sam, has the unfortunate distinction of being overshadowed by his more famous brother James T. Kirk. Sam serves as a xenoanthropologist aboard the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. Despite his impressive position, Sam constantly feels the pressure of living up to their father's expectations. Eventually, he decides to marry and leaves Starfleet. Tragically, both Sam and his wife meet their demise at the hands of flying parasites on the planet Deneva.

8 Captain Kathryn Janeway - Star Trek: Voyager

7 Lieutenant Tasha Yar - Star Trek: The Next Generation

Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) had a tumultuous start to her career as the captain of the USS Voyager. Her initial mission was to locate the missing Maquis ship, the Val Jean, but this endeavor led to an unexpected turn of events. Both Voyager and the Val Jean were catapulted to the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant, a staggering distance of 70,000 light years away from Earth. Undeterred, Janeway and her crew spent the subsequent seven years exploring the uncharted territory of the Delta Quadrant in search of a way back home.

Following the tragic loss of her parents, Lieutenant Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) assumed the responsibility of caring for herself and her sister in a perilous failed Federation colony. At the tender age of fifteen, she managed to elude the dangers surrounding her and later pursued her education at Starfleet Academy. Upon receiving the invitation of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Yar joined the esteemed crew of the USS Enterprise, where she served as the Security Chief. Unfortunately, Yar's life was cut short when she encountered a malevolent entity resembling an oil spill known as Armus, resulting in her untimely demise during the first year of the Enterprise's mission. Regrettably, Yar's death ultimately proved futile, mirroring the unfortunate circumstances of her alternate self in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" from season 3.

6 Icheb - Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Picard

On Star Trek: Voyager, Icheb (Manu Intiraymi) had the unfortunate circumstance of being created by his parents solely to serve as a weapon against the Borg. As a young child, he was sent to be assimilated by the Borg, resulting in the loss of most of his childhood to the Collective. Unaware of his parents' actions, Icheb eventually reunited with them, only to have them attempt to assimilate him again in order to finish their original plan. Luckily, Voyager rescued Icheb, and he went on to become a significant member of the ship's crew. Eventually, he became a Starfleet officer but was unfortunately abducted and used for Borg parts before ultimately meeting his end in the presence of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in Star Trek: Picard season 1.

5 Lieutenant Commander Worf - Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Raised on the Khitomer colony, Worf (portrayed by Michael Dorn) experienced the merciless assault launched by Romulan forces. The tragic event claimed the lives of numerous colonists, cruelly including Worf's own parents. Subsequently, he found solace in the embrace of human parents, growing up as the sole Klingon amidst a humble farming community before eventually relocating to Earth. As one of the rare Klingons serving in Starfleet, Worf confronted discrimination and encountered difficulties when attempting to reconcile his Klingon heritage with the responsibilities of a Starfleet officer. Furthermore, Worf suffered the devastating loss of two beloved partners who were ruthlessly murdered, including his wife and the love of his life, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax (played by Terry Farrell).

4 Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

As the descendant of the notorious dictator Khan Noonien-Singh, Enterprise Security Chief Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh has endured her fair share of discrimination. In addition to the unfortunate burden of carrying the last name Noonien-Singh, La'an has also endured a tragic and tumultuous childhood. During her early years, the colony ship known as the SS Puget Sound, on which she resided, was mercilessly attacked by the savage Gorn species, leaving La'an as the sole survivor. Adding to her misfortune, La'an finds herself once again in the clutches of the Gorn, as depicted in the captivating season 2 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

3 Captain Liam Shaw - Star Trek: Picard

Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) survived the Battle of Wolf 359, but calling him lucky would be far from accurate. Despite his survival from the Federation's cataclysmic confrontation with the Borg, Shaw went on to become a highly skilled Starfleet captain, eventually assuming command of the USS Titan. Regrettably, Shaw finds himself involuntarily entangled in Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Captain William Riker's efforts as they seize control of his vessel to embark on a mission to rescue Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Tragically, in the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Shaw meets his demise at the hands of the Borg, forced to witness the severe devastation and loss suffered by his ship and crew.

2 Ensign Harry Kim - Star Trek: Voyager

Not only was Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) an Ensign for the entire seven-year duration of Star Trek: Voyager, but he also had an incredibly unfortunate streak when it came to away missions. Kim found himself in sickbay due to injuries or alien illnesses more frequently than almost any other crew member. He was captured multiple times and, astonishingly, even experienced multiple deaths throughout the course of the series. Unluckily for Kim, his romantic relationships also followed this pattern, often involving unrequited affections, including one instance with a holodeck character.

1 Chief Miles O'Brien - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) within the Star Trek fandom is notorious for his constant misfortunes and numerous hardships. His relatable nature as an ordinary family man sets him apart from the more alien characters in the Star Trek universe. This is likely why the writers of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine specifically subjected him to a series of challenges. Throughout the show, O'Brien endures torture, imprisonment, injuries, viral infections, and even encounters a future version of himself. However, in the future depicted in Star Trek: Lower Decks, he receives a grand golden statue and earns the title of "the most significant person in Starfleet history."