Star Trek: 10 Most Underrated Characters

Possessing empathy and compassion in spades, Deanna Troi was a patient counselor for the crew of the Enterprise-D. Although she experienced her fair share of personal tribulations, Troi was always willing to help those in need of her assistance.

Sadly, Troi was often depicted as an overly emotional woman who couldn't control her feelings - or her sweet tooth. Despite her half-Betazoid status, much of the writing for her character felt plagued by misogyny. Those early outfits sure didn't help, now did they?

How many times did we need to hear Troi cry out, "pain!" when asked if she sensed anything? She was an empath, we got the idea.

Thankfully, by The Next Generation's later seasons, Troi had overcome these problems, establishing herself as a capable bridge officer and eventually earning the rank of commander.

The fifth season standout "Disaster" gave Troi the opportunity to flex her leadership muscles while taking command of the Enterprise during a shipwide, er, um, disaster. She showed considerable grace under pressure, especially when dealing with some of Ensign Ro's more uppity suggestions. Somebody get Troi another chocolate mousse. She earned it.