Unforgettable Star Trek Deaths: The Shocking Demise of These 8 Characters in One Series Premiere!

Summary

Star Trek series premieres often feature violence and character deaths to set the tone of the show, as seen in "The Original Series" and "Deep Space Nine."

Noteworthy character deaths in series debuts comprise Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in "The Original Series" and Captain Philippa Georgiou in "Discovery."

The commencement of "Picard" witnesses the brutal killing of Dahj Asha, propelling Admiral Jean-Luc Picard on a quest to rescue her twin and safeguard the galaxy in the 25th century.

Star Trek series premieres not only introduce new characters, starships, and the show's premise, but they also often include character deaths and leave a trail of bodies. The Original Series, which debuted in the mid-1960s, was a groundbreaking science fiction show that catered to the audience and network demands by combining heady sci-fi with action-adventure elements. Shootouts, fist fights, and the demise of characters were regular occurrences during Captain James T. Kirk's five-year mission on the Starship Enterprise.

Since its inception in 1966, Star Trek has expanded to include a total of 11 live-action and animated series, with the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy serving as the 12th installment. In addition, there have been 13 live-action theatrical feature films and a made-for-streaming movie called Star Trek: Section 31. These shows and movies typically feature an ensemble cast of beloved characters, with most of the series set on starships (except for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). The premieres of Star Trek series are often lavish affairs, often lasting two hours and resembling feature films, that reinforce the franchise's core themes of exploration, discovery, and peaceful coexistence. However, there are instances when these premieres are steeped in violence and war, resulting in casualties. Here, we highlight some notable deaths from Star Trek series premieres.

8 Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell - Star Trek: The Original Series "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) served as the USS Enterprise's helmsman and was a long-time friend of Captain James T. Kirk. As the Enterprise crossed the Galactic Barrier, Mitchell was exposed to peculiar energies that triggered his latent ESP abilities. Undergoing a rapid transformation, Mitchell acquired psionic powers such as telekinesis, telepathy, and matter manipulation. Faced with this dangerous threat to the ship, Kirk decided to exile Mitchell on Delta Vega. However, Mitchell rebelled and tragically took the life of crewmember Lt. Lee Kelso (Paul Carr). Kirk engaged in a relentless battle, ultimately defeating Mitchell by entombing him beneath massive piles of rock.

7 Dr. Elizabeth Dehner - Star Trek: The Original Series "Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, played by Sally Kellerman, was a psychiatrist on board the USS Enterprise. Just like Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Dr. Dehner was also affected by the mysterious energies of the Galactic Barrier. As a result, she developed psychic abilities similar to Mitchell's. These powers became evident when Captain Kirk attempted to strand Gary on Delta Vega. Ultimately, Dr. Dehner sacrificed her own life to enable Kirk to eliminate Mitchell. In his captain's log, Kirk acknowledged the deaths of both Mitchell and Dr. Dehner as acts of duty.

6 Nancy The Salt Vampire & Victims - Star Trek: The Original Series "The Man Trap"

5 Jennifer Sisko - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "Emissary"

Where No Man Has Gone Before, the second pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series, was aired on NBC after "The Man Trap" due to delays in completing its visual effects. However, many fans still consider "The Man Trap" as the true series premiere. In this episode, a salt vampire named Nancy Crater, portrayed by Jeanne Bal, disguised herself as a woman and murdered several individuals by extracting the salt from their bodies. The victims included Enterprise crewmen Darnell, Green, and Sturgeon, as well as Nancy's husband, Professor Robert Crater, played by Alfred Ryder. Dr. Leonard McCoy, portrayed by DeForest Kelley, ultimately manages to defeat and kill the salt vampire.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine commences with a flashback to the Battle of Wolf 359 in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It portrays the demise of Jennifer Sisko (Felicia M. Bell), Lt. Commander Benjamin Sisko's (Avery Brooks) wife. Benjamin and Jennifer were stationed on the USS Saratoga alongside their young son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton). However, Benjamin could only rescue Jake from the Borg assault. Even three years later, Sisko still grieved for Jennifer when he assumed the role of Station Commander of Deep Space Nine. Her demise profoundly influenced both Benjamin and Jake during DS9's initial seasons. Nevertheless, they both acknowledged her loss and progressed with their lives.

4 Suliban - Star Trek: Enterprise "Broken Bow"

The initial episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled Enterprise, showcased the 22nd century crew of the first Starship Enterprise, the NX-01, helmed by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). However, the commencement of Enterprise was marked by extraterrestrial fatalities upon their arrival on Earth. Two Suliban operatives pursued a Klingon courier named Klaang (Tiny Lister, Jr.), who crash-landed in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Klaang thwarted his pursuers by detonating a grain silo, resulting in their demise. Nonetheless, the Klingon sustained severe injuries when confronted by a farmer. The primary mission of Captain Archer's NX-01 Enterprise then becomes the transportation of Klaang back to the Klingon homeworld.

3 Admiral Brett Anderson & USS Europa - Star Trek: Discovery "Battle At The Binary Stars"

The two-part series premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, titled "The Vulcan Hello" and "Battle at the Binary Stars," unfolded in a tragic and bloody manner as the resurgent Klingons initiated a war against the United Federation of Planets. Guided by Commander Michael Burnham's belief that an attack from the Klingons was imminent, Fleet Admiral Brett Anderson (Terry Serpico) led the USS Europa to the Binary Star system. Burnham's premonition was tragically proven correct when a Klingon Cleave Ship forcefully collided with the Europa, resulting in the destruction of the starship and the loss of all lives aboard, including Admiral Anderson's.

2 Captain Philippa Georgiou - Star Trek: Discovery "Battle At The Binary Stars"

1 Dahj Asha - Star Trek: Picard "Remembrance"

Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) of the USS Shenzhou was tragically killed in the series premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. She served as Michael Burnham's commanding officer and mentor, but due to Burnham's mutiny in an attempt to prevent a war with the Klingons, Georgiou met her demise at the hands of T'Kuvma (Chris Obi), the Klingon leader. While Burnham managed to escape, Georgiou's body remained on the Klingon ship as the USS Shenzhou was destroyed. Although mourned, a version of Captain Georgiou from the Mirror Universe, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, became a central character in the first three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.

The first episode of Star Trek: Picard, titled "Remembrance," concluded with the brutal slaying of Dahj Asha (Isa Briones) by operatives of the Romulan Zhat Vash. Initially seen as a distressed young woman seeking assistance from retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), it was later revealed that Dahj was an artificial being, a synthetic twin android created using a positronic neuron salvaged from the late Commander Data (Brent Spiner). Picard's mission then shifted to rescuing Dahj's identical twin, Dr. Soji Asha, from the clutches of the Romulans. Eventually, Jean-Luc stumbled upon an entire community of synthetic beings on the planet Coppelius, linked to Data's technology. Tragically, Dahj's sacrifice served as the catalyst for Picard's return to his galaxy-saving endeavors at the beginning of the 25th century in the Star Trek universe.