Star Trek: 10 Worst Things William T. Riker Has Ever Done

During the events of Encounter At Farpoint, Riker impressed Q so much that the latter offered him all the powers of a god. That, in all honesty, is more of a positive thing than a negative - Riker really was quite cool, so we agree with Q here. 

It is, unfortunately, what happens afterwards that lands this point here. Riker could generally be trusted to show good judgement (perhaps don't look too closely at some of the entries on this list - everyone has bad days) but it is what he chooses not to do that raises the red flag.

As his realisation of his new powers grows, so does his arrogance. Hide And Q is not the best episode to showcase Riker's range, but it offers a new take on an old saying - absolute power corrupts absolutely. Picard, perhaps hearing this phrase repeatedly in his mind, orders Riker not to use these powers - and Riker obeys, until after the nick of time.

Knowing that Riker could have saved a young girl's life, but rigidly decided to obey orders, only to later offer his friends gifts instead is a very odd moment in his character growth. On the one hand, he obeyed orders. On the other, the powers of the Q are timeless - once he had decided that enough was enough, it would have been a simple matter to change that young girl's destiny. 

To be clear - he is not responsible for her death, though he is charged with having the power to change it, and choosing not to.