Star Trek Picard: Every Season One Death Ranked
1. Data
Considering the somewhat cynical criticisms of the look of Data back when the trailer was released and the difficulties in Brent Spiner transforming into the character at his age, it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise that Data would ultimately be killed off. Again.
Data is actually not that big a presence in Picard despite hanging over the entire plot like a ghost but the revelation that his backup files were still out there floating in oblivion meant wrapping up his story was the right thing to do.
After all, Picard is, fundamentally, a story about Picard processing the past - not only his tenure in Starfleet, but the organisation's failures, the pollution of his legacy and the death of Data specifically - and not being able to let things go. Even we as fans were unable to let Data go, knowing that there was a possibility of his return and giving Data the choice to kill himself was as satisfying as it was heartbreaking.
He went on his own terms, having captured as much of being human as he'd ever be able to and we can mourn him properly. Assuming Lore doesn't pop up in season 2...