Star Trek Picard: Every Major Character Ranked

16. Data - Special Mention

Data is being ranked separately from the other characters as he is not so much a character himself in this series as he is the catalyst for all of the events that follow. How does one rank that against the others on this list?

Brent Spiner returns to the role that defined him, delivering in the beginning simple and fun cameos as Data. Seeing him play cards in Ten Forward and then painting in France were both fun, touching scenes to share with Picard. His name is on everyone's lips throughout the season and he becomes as much of a driving force as anything else that we have seen in the franchise.

His scenes in Et in Arcadia Ego Pt. 2 however are absolutely phenomenal. The scene in Picard's study where Data pleasantly asks for death delivers on his journey in a profound, moving way. Life, that very life he has always sought, is precious because it is finite. Picard may have been given a new lease but Data has not - and that's fine.

The death of Data in Nemesis, going out in a blaze of glory, drew the ire of many fans, surprising the producers and Spiner himself. Using this as a jumping off point for Picard was a way to both address these concerns and retire the story of the Next Generation. Data is a superb character, played to perfection. He is the spark that ignites this series - he is most certainly not at the bottom of this list. He is the beginning of it.