10 Star Trek Characters Who Didn't Deserve Their Fate

1. Any TOS Redshirt

Star Trek Redshirts
Paramount

This one is simply a no-brainer. Imagine signing up to Starfleet with the hope to explore the galaxy, but also being keenly aware of the need to protect your fellow officers. Why, a career in security may seem like the exact right choice! Years of training in the likes of physical and weaponary combat, along with ship operations, and conflict resolution.

After graduating from the Academy, this bright-eyed and bushy-tailed officer would then take their posting aboard the Enterprise, or ships of the like, ready for action.

And that ticking clock, so familiar at this point, would begin its countdown. The fastest way to earn a death sentence in Star Trek was to wear red and join an away mission. It was almost a given that poor old Ensign Ricky was going to bite the dust within seconds of arrival - to the point where including redshirts at all seemed a cruel move on Kirk's part.

It wasn't confined to security officers in red, either. Members of the engineering department would also don the scarlet tunic, which was as good as wearing a target. Let us never forget poor Yeoman Thompson, who went into space to explore, and ended up being turned into a hunk of salt and crushed.

Watch Next


 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"