10 Times Star Trek: The Next Generation Went "Dark & Gritty"

Skin of Evil is an early episode in the TNG run. The premise is that Troi and another crew member have crashed, in a shuttle, on an uncharted planet. When the Enterprise comes to retrieve them and treat their injuries they run into a problem.

The planet only has one resident. He is an evil, oil-slick-come-to-life named Armus. And, Armus is a true sadist. He’s probably the most purely evil character in Star Trek history. Armus’s only motivation is to torment the crew and make them suffer. He’s not content to only torture them physically though.

Armus toys with the crew. He plays mind games with them and is mentally abusive towards them. He even kills one of the show’s regulars, Tasha Yar.

Throughout the episode, Armus acts like a petulant child. Some would argue this takes away from the character’s menace. But, Armus’s arrogant and brooding behavior is representative of how real evil often manifests in the world.

Armus is a brat with power. How many of those do you know?