5 Most Important Star Trek Deaths, Ranked

As cliché as it sounds, death is a fact of life, and that’s especially true for Star Trek. The long-running franchise has seen countless deaths over the decades of television series and movies. Some of the deaths are so routine that it has become something of a joke: specifically, those “redshirts” who always meet such a fate and are basically disposable. But then, some deaths in Star Trek are more emotional and stick with fans long after they’ve said goodbye to the character. In some cases, those deaths have a lasting impact on the larger franchise.

From beloved characters whose sudden deaths shocked viewers, to one of the most heartbreaking losses in television history, to the death of an iconic character in one of the franchise’s best movies, these are the most important deaths in Star Trek.

5) Tasha Yar (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Tasha Yar was one of the most complex and interesting characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Enterprise-D’s security chief had overcome some truly awful things in her life to get to Starfleet, which made her sudden and senseless death in the episode “Skin of Evil” all the more devastating for fans.

Yar was the first main character to die on The Next Generation; the character was killed randomly by a sentient mass of black tar that called itself “Armus.” Armus, who says that they feel nothing but hate and negativity, blasts Yar with a beam of energy when she tries to walk around it. No rhyme, no reason.

It was a shocking turn, one that underscored just how dangerous space exploration really is and made real the consequences the whole crew faced simply by doing their job. Yar’s death had a lasting impact, not just on viewers but also on the crew of the Enterprise-D, particularly Captain Picard.

4) Tuvix (Star Trek: Voyager)

The second season of Star Trek: Voyager has what might be one of Star Trek’s most controversial deaths. In the episode “Tuvix”, a transporter accident accidentally fuses the Voyager’s chef, Neelix, and its security chief, Lt. Tuvok, together into a new being that calls itself Tuvix. While Tuvix is fine as this new being, and retains the knowledge of both of the beings that comprise them, Captain Janeway decides to put Tuvix back into the transporter to separate them back into Tuvok and Neelix. It’s an act that will restore the two crew members, but “Tuvix” will have to die.

While Tuvix’s death doesn’t have a huge impact from the perspective of the greater Star Trek franchise, the episode and Tuvix’s fate prompted a lot of discussion about the ethical and moral implications of Janeway’s decision. The no-win scenario the characters find themselves in makes the whole situation particularly complex, as there is no villain or no obvious right or wrong. The episode hasn’t exactly aged well, but the moral dilemma it presents continues to resonate with fans.

3) Edith Keeler (Star Trek)

One of the most tragic deaths in Star Trek doesn’t even take place on the Enterprise or even in space. In “The City on the Edge of Forever”, a drugged and deranged Dr. McCoy ends up going through a time portal and messing up the past, causing the Enterprise to vanish. Captain Kirk and Spock follow and end up on Earth in 1930, which leads to Kirk meeting the pacifist Edith Keeler, who is also a social activist trying to fight the rise of fascism. Kirk falls in love with her, but there’s a problem: if she doesn’t die in a car crash like she’s supposed to, the Nazis will use an atomic bomb to win World War II and conquer the world.  Kirk is forced to let his love die to save history.

A heartbreaking moment and a deeply tragic death, “The City on the Edge of Forever” is regularly cited as one of the best episodes in the entire Star Trek franchise. It’s also a death that reminds viewers that war and conflict impact more than just those actively involved in the fight. In this case, the coming war took a life, metaphorically, before the war even began. It also poses questions about destiny and how much we can really change.

2) Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Jadzia Dax was one of Deep Space Nine’s most popular characters, which made her death particularly impactful, and echoed Tasha Yar’s demise. In the episode “Tears of the Prophets”, the already evil Gul Dukat has been possessed by a Pah Wraith, entities that take possession of people’s bodies and just want to cause destruction. With Dukat under its control, the wraith goes to a Bajoran temple trying to get a magical Orb. Dax is exiting just as he arrives, and the possessed Dukat blasts her in the chest, killing her.

Dax’s death had a major impact on the crew. She had only recently married Worf, and they were starting to talk about starting a family. For fans, it was equally as devastating and was another instance of a beloved female Star Trek character dying violently and needlessly, though it also reminded viewers of the harsh realities of space exploration.

1) Spock (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

While this Star Trek death is one that happens in the movies rather than on one of the television series, there really is no death in Star Trek that is more impactful and important than that of Spock.

During a battle between the Enterprise and a ship controlled by Kirk’s rival, Khan, the Enterprise is damaged and cannot get out of range of an impending explosion. Someone would have to go into the dangerous, highly irradiated chamber to make the required repairs to allow them to jump to warp and escape. The problem is, whoever does it is going to die. It’s Spock who steps up and takes on the task, sealing his own fate.

Spock’s death is gut-wrenching. Before he dies, he urges Kirk not to grieve for him and insists that his sacrifice is logical. It was also the death of a beloved character, which was hard for fans as well. In terms of the impact on Star Trek, however, it forces Kirk to deal with death and grief, and it also shaped future installments, as the follow-up film, The Search for Spock, chronicles his resurrection.

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