star trek data character

Brent Spiner

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 607

• Contact info
• 3 wins & 8 nominations

• Dr. Brakish Okun

• Bob Wheeler

• Commander Data
• Adam Soong ...
• 14 episodes

• The Joker (voice)
• 19 episodes

• Ned Vanderhoff

• Dr. Emry (uncredited)

• Edward Nigma
• Riddler (voice)

• 17 episodes

• The Architect

• Puck (voice, uncredited)

• The Sandman

Personal details

• Brent Mintz
• 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
• February 2 , 1949
• Houston, Texas, USA
• Loree McBride ? - present (1 child)
• Parents Sylvia Schwartz
• Other works In 1997-98, he starred as John Adams in a revival of the Broadway musical, "1776".
• 7 Interviews
• 15 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia He is one of two actors, the other being Patrick Stewart Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) regular to share scenes with all three original Star Trek (1966) series cast members who appeared on that series: DeForest Kelley , Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan .
• Quotes [on his action figure of Lt. Commander Data] At first, I was reluctant. But then I figured, if it's good enough for Alec Guinness , then it's good enough for me.
• Trademark Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
• Star Trek: Insurrection ( 1998 ) $5,000,000
• How old is Brent Spiner?
• When was Brent Spiner born?
• Where was Brent Spiner born?

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

Heroes Wiki

-Welcome to the Hero/Protagonist wiki! If you can help us with this wiki please sign up and help us! Thanks! -M-NUva

• Artificial Intelligence
• Movie Heroes
• Lawful Good
• Comic Book Heroes
• Book Heroes
• Virtually Resourceful
• Comic Relief
• Adventurers
• Cosmic Protection
• Status Dependent on Version
• Pragmatists

Data (Star Trek)

• View history

Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner . Data is a sentient android who serves as the second officer and chief operations officer aboard the star ship USS Enterprise.

Though Data's strive for humanity and desire for human emotion is a significant plot point (and source for humor) throughout the series, he continually shows a nuanced sense of wisdom, sensitivity, and curiosity.

Data's positronic brain allows him impressive computational capabilities. Data experienced ongoing difficulties during the early years of his life with understanding various aspects of human behavior and was unable to feel emotion or understand certain human idiosyncrasies, inspiring him to strive for his own humanity. Data had a vast array of interests and hobbies - including painting, playing Sherlock Holmes on the holodeck, Shakespeare, music, and games of chance like poker.

In addition to his impressive computational abilities, Data was very strong due to his design. He was easily able to perform physical tasks that even individuals Worf and Riker would be unable to perform.

• 1.1 Countdown
• 1.2 The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard
• 3 Navigation

History [ ]

Data was designed and built by Doctors Noonien and Juliana Soong. He was the fifth android that the pair constructed. The first two prototypes died soon after creation due to unstable positronic matrices. The third android, named B4 was also believed to be a failure and deactivated, this third android eventually disappeared. The fourth android - named Lore - had a stable matrix but a warped, cruel personality. He was deactivated and dismantled, Soong intended to repair him.

Soong decided he wanted to try making one more android, convinced that he had found the answer that would allow the creation of a stable android that did not have an unstable matrix or personality. At first Juliana was opposed to this, fearing that Noonien would unintentionally create a second Lore or the new android would die from another cascade failure, but Noonien was able to talk her into trying one more time.

The couple then created Data. Data was programmed slightly differently, with a personality that did not include the complex emotions that had caused Lore to become mentally unstable. According to Juliana she and Noonien debated about whether Data should be male or female, Noonien solved that debate by building Data's head in his own image and walking into the lab with the head.

Soon Data was activated for the first time. Data was very much like an infant at first, struggling with motor control and sensory input. His personality required adjustment as Data was downright rude. The Soongs were also forced to write a modesty subroutine in order to convince Data to leave his clothes on - Data did not want to wear clothes as he was not affected by the elements, but colonists objected to an anatomically correct android running around naked.

The Soongs then wiped Data's memory and then programmed him with the memories and journals of various colonists.

Soon after Data's creation the Crystalline Entity attacked. Noonien and Juliana fled. At Juliana's insistence Data was left behind as she feared Data would become another Lore. Data was recovered by Starfleet when they responded to the distress call, and reactivated. His life was considered to have begun at that point.

The first few years after activation were difficult for Data as he achieved sentience, the evolution of his positronic brain was hard for him to handle. He briefly considered a form of suicide - shutting down and having his neural net wiped. He later decided to see his difficulties as challenges to be overcame.

Data applied to Starfleet Academy and was accepted in 2341. He graduated in 2345 and was commissioned as an Ensign in Starfleet. Assigned to the USS Trieste , he was promoted to Lieutenant four years later, and to Lieutenant Commander in 2360. Data was recruited for a mission by Captain Jean-Luc Picard , who encouraged him to be more assertive and to go above and beyond in his duties.

Upon the completion of the Enterprise-D in 2364 Data was assigned to the flagship as second officer and operations manager.

In 2371 Data installed an "emotion chip", that his father had created into his positronic net. This allowed him to experience basic emotions for the first time in his life. However an overload caused the chip to fuse in to his brain. Data encountered significant difficulties in integrating his newfound emotions into his program. A couple years later Data developed the ability to deactivate the chip at will if he felt emotions were interfering with his duties, and eventually was able to remove the chip if needed.

Data died in 2379, sacrificing himself to save the crew of the Enterprise-E from Picard's clone Shinzon of Remus. As he had backed up the contents of his matrix into his recently discovered brother B4 before his death, thus Data is "reborn" through his brother.

Countdown [ ]

Data was later resurrected in B-4's body, which allowed the memories and personality to take control of his brother's body. Realizing how important Data was to the Federation B-4 deleted himself so that Data could live again. Working with LaForge and the Daystrom Institute Data had his new body's brain upgraded and re-created the emotion chip.

Afterwards Data returned to active duty within Starfleet, becoming the commanding officer of the Enterprise-E after Picard's retirement from Starfleet.

The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard [ ]

Following the death of his physical body in 2379 Picard was meeting with B-4 in his ready room when Q decided to pay them a visit. Q then resurrected Data inside B-4's body, and Data returned to duty soon afterwards.

Following the death of his physical body in 2379 the Daystrom Institute attempted to recover Data's memories from B4's brain. However since his brother's brain was considerably less advanced than his had been, the efforts to retrieve Data largely failed and the Institute felt that much of Data's memories and personality were lost. B-4 was later disassembled and held in storage at the Institute, and was still there in 2399.

However Dr. Bruce Maddox was able to recover a positronic neuron from B-4 that contained Data's memories, and used them to construct a re-creation of Data inside a computer simulation. Data lived within the simulation until 2399, when he was able to talk to Picard one last time and request that his former Captain shut down the simulation, allowing Data to finally die.

However, Data, along with B-4 and Lore, were uploaded into a new body, the Daystrom Android M-5-10, but during when Vadic and her rouge Changelings were carrying out their part in the endgame of the Borg Queen, Lore took control to help them, but Data later reasserted control through using the same move he used when playing poker with the rest of the Enterprise command crew: his bluffing, merging with Lore, leaving Data the dominant mind in control of their shared body, and turned the tables on Vadic and her forces, telling them he was the USS Titan -A's "friendly positronic, pissed-off, security system" as he ensured their takeover of the Titan failed, and Vadic ended up being ejected from the bridge, freezing to death in the vacuum of space before shattering on the Shrike before it too was destroyed by the Titan . With the original command crew of the USS Enterprise -D and USS Enterprise -E reunited, they soon discovered Vadic's alliance with the Borg Queen, and how some of Picard's leftover Borg DNA in his deceased body from his time as Locutus has been uploaded into the Starfleet mainframe and transporter system, meaning that Starfleet, and many of their younger members under the age of 25, were now sleeper agents of the Borg Queen, and why Vadic and her forces were after Jack.

They immediately return to Earth and Sector 001 to warn Fleet Admiral Elizabeth Shelby aboard the USS Enterprise -F about the Borg threat as she is celebrating Frontier Day and activating the new Fleet Formation protocol, but though Shelby is immediately alarmed by the mention of the very threat she witnessed the aftermath of firsthand years ago after the Battle of Wolf 359, and the Borg's second attempt to attack and assimilate Earth in the Battle of Sector 001, it is too late to prevent it. The moment Jack surrenders to the Borg Queen and is assimilated as Vox, voice of the Borg Collective and successor to Locutus, the Queen's endgame is triggered, and many young Starfleet crew members are assimilated into loyal Borg Drones. Data is forced to restrain Geordi when his own daughters Sidney and Alandra are among the assimilated, reminding him he'll be no help to them if anything happens to him and they need a plan. Realizing Data's right, Geordi calms down, and with the help of Seven and Raffi, they escape alongside Picard, Riker, Beverly, Troi, and Worf to flee to the Fleet Museum as Shelby and many unassimilated senior Starfleet personnel are killed by their own younger crew members before the fleet turns its aim on Spacedock, knowing that taking out the fortified space station will take down Earth's planetary shield and leave it vulnerable to an orbital bombardment.

At the Fleet Museum, Data and the others are stunned to see that Geordi had recovered and been repairing the USS Enterprise -D for some time, replacing its destroyed stardrive section with that of its sister ship, USS Syracuse , but the saucer section still bears the scars from what happened at Veridian III. On the bridge, Data is nostalgic as he goes over to his old chair at the helm, before making sure from Geordi that the older Enterprise is not part of the Fleet Formation that the Enterprise -F and the current Starfleet were now linked to as part of the Borg Collective, and Geordi assures him it is safe from the Borg infection.

After the command crew all agree with Picard that they are his family and are with him to the end, and it was time to save the rest of their family as well in Jack, Sidney, and Alandra, Data mans the helm again as the Enterprise -D whirs to life, leaves the museum, and with Picard having Data lay in the course at maximum warp, the moment Data reports the course laid in and she's ready, Picard commands "Engage!" and the Enterprise -D, using the warp nacelles of her sister Syracuse , zips away from the museum to return to the Sol System.

As they approach, they receive a distress signal from UFP President Anton Chekov, requesting any ships hearing his message to avoid Earth at all costs as Spacedock is struggling to hold off the assimilated Starfleet as those assimilated on the space station try to break in to where he is as his aides urge him to evacuate in an escape pod. After the connection is lost, it is not long before Data detects a Borg signature coming from Jupiter. Redirecting course there, they find the Borg Queen's massive Super-Cube hiding in plain sight within the gases of Jupiter's Big Red Spot. Data remains behind as Picard, Riker, and Worf beam down to locate the beacon controlling Starfleet and find Jack. Once Riker and Worf send the schematics of the Cube to Data and Geordi, they find that the Queen was smart enough to place it in the heart of the Cube, where it would be impossible to reach. However, trusting his gut instinct, Data convinces Geordi, Troi, and Beverly to let him pilot the Enterprise -D in to find it and thanks to his positronic brain, he is able to easily navigate the Enterprise through the Cube and to the beacon, all the while with a smile on his face at the excitement of what he's pulling off.

When they find it, Data and Geordi realize that the beacon is tied to the whole Cube. If they destroy it, the whole Cube goes with it. This puts them in a prisoner's dilemma, but in the end, knowing any hesitation would spell doom for Earth and the Federation, after some indecision, with Riker and Worf's go-ahead, Geordi has Beverly destroy the beacon, setting off a chain reaction to destroy the whole Cube. They immediately set out to find Picard, Riker, and Worf, but Data has trouble finding them on his scanners. Luckily, Troi's telepathic bond with Riker allows her to help steer the Enterprise right to them, and they, along with Jack, are beamed to safety as the Enterprise escapes while the Borg Queen screams in fury as she is engulfed in flames and the Cube is destroyed, severing her control over Starfleet just as the surviving ships prepare to launch their orbital bombardment of Earth after subjugating Spacedock, freeing all of the younger crewmembers from their assimilation, but leaving them haunted by the atrocities they committed while under Borg control, with Sidney LaForge herself breaking down in guilt-ridden tears as Seven comforts her and assures her it is over.

As Data joins Geordi and Worf as everyone regroups on the bridge, he joins Geordi when Seven and Raffi contact the Enterprise to show that Geordi's daughters are alright, safe, alive, and grateful to their father for saving them from becoming Borg Drones forever. Shortly thereafter, Data and Geordi notice Worf having fallen asleep when they hear his snoring, much to their amusement.

A year later, Data joins the rest of the Enterprise command crew for one last toast and game of poker at Guinan's Ten Forward in Los Angeles, though when he tries to finish a lewd joke he once tried before, they quickly shoot it down as soon as he starts saying it.

• The late Kevin Peter Hall , Mark Lindsay Chapman , Eric Menyuk and Kelvin Han Yee were all considered for the role of Data before Spiner was cast. Menyuk was a finalist for the role, and was given the recurring guest role of The Traveler as a consolation prize.
• Data, along with Picard, Riker, and LaForge are the only four in the TNG main cast to wear the Voyager -style uniform in Star Trek: Generations .

Navigation [ ]

• 1 Mariko Toda
• 2 King Baldwin IV
• 3 Yoshi Toranaga

Star Trek: Picard: how Data died, and his appearance in Picard explained

The death of Data explained, and what his appearances in Picard mean

If you've been watching Star Trek : Picard, you may have a few questions about Data, the android who appears in Picard's dreams – and who may very well be the 'father' of new characters Dahj and Soji. Data was an important character in The Next Generation, which this new series is a direct continuation of, and he led an interesting life. So here's everything you need to know about Lieutenant Commander Data, including how he ultimately died in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis.

• How to watch Star Trek: Picard
• When is Star Trek: Picard episode 2 released?
• Our Star Trek: Picard episode 1 recap

Who is Data?

Data was an android designed by Dr. Noonian Soong, a brilliant cyberneticist. Other androids exist in the greater Star Trek universe, but Data's positronic brain gave him a greater depth and nuance of personality – to the point where the Federation considered him sentient, with the same rights as any biological being. 

Data was unable to feel emotion, however, and struggled to understand the many idiosyncrasies of the human race. But he was still capable of loyalty, wisdom, friendship and sensitivity, which earned him many friends when he served aboard the Federation starship Enterprise.

How did Data join Starfleet?

A mysterious alien life-form known as the Crystalline Entity destroyed a colony on the planet Omicron Theta, and Data's deactivated body was discovered among the debris by the USS Tripoli. He was revived by the Federation, and was accepted into Starfleet Academy when it became apparent that he had achieved a level of sentience never before seen in a synthetic being. 

Data graduated, despite the social challenges of being the only android in the academy, and served as an ensign aboard the USS Trieste, before being assigned to the Enterprise-D in 2364 – which is where we meet him in The Next Generation.

How did Data die in Star Trek: Nemesis?

Nemesis was the last of the Next Generation movies. Released in 2002, it starred Tom Hardy as Shinzon, a clone of Picard who stages a violent coup and becomes leader of the Romulan Empire. At the end of the movie, Data sacrifices his own life to save Picard's, destroying Shinzon's ship in the process. Before he died, Data downloaded his memories into a prototype Soong-type android, B-4. But this model's positronic brain was not as advanced as Data's, meaning he had none of his brother's individuality or personality: just raw memories.

How can Data be in Star Trek: Picard?

Brent Spiner reprises his role as Data in Star Trek: Picard, only in dreams so far. Picard is still haunted by the loss of his friend, and the heroic sacrifice he made to save his life. So whenever you see Data in the new series, it's Picard experiencing a vision; an echo of the past. But who knows what the rest of the series has in store? Perhaps we'll see a return of the old Data at some point in this story – although that might cheapen his sacrifice in Star Trek: Nemesis somewhat.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.

Is Data still alive in Star Trek: Picard? 

Alas, the Data we knew from The Next Generation is gone forever. But a major plot point in season one of Picard is his memories – the ones he downloaded to B-4 – being used to create two 'daughters', Dahj and Soji. These android twins were designed by Dr. Bruce Maddox, a cyberneticist, using a process called fractal neuronic cloning. So while Lieutenant Commander Data of the USS Enterprise, lover of cats and Sherlock Holmes, is no more, his spirit lives on in them.

Star Trek: Picard is released every Thursday on CBS All Access in the US, and every Friday on Amazon Prime internationally. 

• More of a Star Wars fan? Here's what we know about The Mandalorian season 2
• Everything we know about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

How to watch NBA Play-In Tournament 2024: live stream basketball online

How to watch Masters 2024: live stream Augusta golf online from anywhere, day 4

Copilot is everywhere in Windows 11 and it’s about to get harder to ignore – but is Microsoft in danger of wearing out the AI assistant’s welcome?

Most Popular

• 2 Haven’t activated Windows 10 or 11 yet? Your Microsoft Edge settings may soon be blocked off entirely
• 3 I really hope Google doesn't promise 7 years of Android for the Pixel 8a
• 4 NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, April 17 (game #45)
• 5 I’ve seen Sony’s impressive new mini-LED TV backlight tech in action, and OLED TVs should be worried
• 2 Bosses are becoming increasingly scared of AI because it might actually adversely affect their jobs too
• 3 Rog Mjolnir is a portable power station that looks like Thor's famous hammer
• 4 Scientists at KAIST have come up with an ultra-low-power phase change memory device that could replace NAND and DRAM
• 5 The latest macOS Ventura update has left owners of old Macs stranded in a sea of problems, raising a chorus of complaints

• April 21, 2024 | Interview: Sonequa Martin-Green On Facing Her Past On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ And Her Hopes For The Future
• April 19, 2024 | Exclusive First Look At Artwork From ‘Star Trek: Celebrations’ – IDW’s One Shot Comic For Pride Month
• April 19, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Faces The Strange On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
• April 18, 2024 | Lost Original USS Enterprise Model From ‘Star Trek’ Returned To Gene Roddenberry’s Son
• April 18, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets The Timing Right In “Face The Strange”

Interview: Brent Spiner On How Data’s Evolution In ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Fits Gene Roddenberry’s Original Plan

| February 20, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 23 comments so far

This year at the  Saturn Awards , the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was honored with a lifetime achievement award. Brent Spiner attended the event with his other co-stars, also celebrating their Saturn-winning return in Star Trek: Picard . TrekMovie had a quick moment to speak with the actor about Data’s return in Picard and if he’s interested in playing the character again. There’s also an update on Spiner reviving another character from his past.

Gene Roddenberry was also honored with this same Saturn lifetime achievement award. You knew Gene, and he created the character of Data. What do you think he would think of how Data evolved through TNG, into the movies, and now in Picard ?

I think he would think it all went according to plan. Because one thing he said to me from the very beginning when I first met him, he said, “What I want is for Data is for him to get more and more and more and more human as time goes on, and by the end be almost human, but still not.” And that’s kind of where we are, I think.

Brent Spiner as Data and LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge in “Surrender” (Paramount+)

So for the Data from the end of Picard , you don’t see him as a new different character but as an evolution of Data?

He really is an evolution. I think what’s interesting about it is that for years and years and years, I was trying to become Data. And now in the latest iteration, Data has sort of become more like me.

What of Lore did you try to keep in your performance in those last episodes as Data? What of your bad side did you try to hold on to?

Actually of the two characters—Data and Lore—I’m much more like Lore. I mean, Lore was easy to play because I am evil. So they said, “Yeah, just let yourself go, be yourself.” So, okay!

If there was a chance to do more with the character… everyone else seems to be on board, are you also on board if Legacy ever happens?

I really don’t even want to weigh in on it. It’s hypothetical at the moment. I’d be happy to another ER if they want to do it [laughs]. I just like to work. Certainly, if they came to me and I wasn’t doing something else, I’d love to do it.

Spiner returning to Night Court

While Brent Spiner’s return to Star Trek is still up in the air, he will be reprising another character from his past. TV Line has reported that Spiner will appear in the newly revived NBC sitcom Night Court . Before his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Spiner had a recurring role in the original Night Court , appearing in six episodes as the hard luck case Bob Wheeler , who often found himself in front of Judge Stone. According to TV Line, Spiner will be reunited with Annie O’Donnell, who played Bob’s wife, June Wheeler. The episode will feature the Wheelers’ daughter, played by Kate Micucci.

Brent Spiner and Annie O’Donnell in the original Night Court (NBC)

More red carpet interviews from the Saturn Awards

TrekMovie spoke to more Star Trek presenters, nominees, and winners at the Saturn Awards, so come back for more interviews and updates.

Check out our earlier Saturn Awards interviews:

• Doug Jones on Discovery
• Tawny Newsome on Lower Decks and Starfleet Academy
• Terry Matalas on Picard season 3 and hopes for Legacy
• Jeri Ryan on Seven’s arc from Voyager to Legacy
• Michelle Hurd and Todd Stashwick on  Picard  memes and  Legacy  dreams
• Paul Wesley on Strange New Worlds season 3 and beyond
• Wil Wheaton on playing Wesley in Lower Decks , and Ready Room update
• Nicolas Cage’s desire to be in Star Trek
• Danai Gurira’s almost casting for Star Trek 4
• Zach Galligan on appearing in  Voyager and auditioning for Trip in Enterprise

You can hear audio from these interviews and more in the latest All Access Star Trek podcast .

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

Related Articles

Discovery , Interview

Interview: Sonequa Martin-Green On Facing Her Past On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ And Her Hopes For The Future

Interview: Wilson Cruz On How “Jinaal” Sets Up The Rest Of The Season For Culber On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Collectibles , Star Trek: Picard , TOS

Star Trek Coffees Launching In May With Several Blends

Discovery , TNG

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunner Explains Why They Reopened A TNG Mystery To Start Season 5

I was happy with the direction of the character over all. It was great to see Brent back in the make up.

Fun fact: Annie O’Donnell also did Star Trek. She was a mute Bajorin in “Progress”

coming to say the same thing!

She was also the bed and breakfast keeper w/ all the cats in Parks and Recreation

Absolutely adore and love both Spiner and Data, easily one of my favorite characters. A big reason I didn’t like Nemesis much was because they killed off his character.

I was very grateful to see him return in Picard and loved him in both seasons. If they make Legacy I would love for him to return in that as well. If not they ended his character beautifully in Picard.

Yes! Bob Wheeler returns! I’ve been waiting.

I just spent the last weekend in LA where I got to hang out with Brent at an auction, called Studio Auctions, where they sold a phaser from 2009 and a Horta egg from Greg Jein’s collection. I am now the proud (if somewhat broke) owner of the egg. Brent was so funny as always, and told me he was looking forward to the upcoming Trek cruise. I also got to hang with Lee Majors, the Six Million Dollar Man. Altogether it was a really interesting experience seeing the behind the scenes production of a major auction. They sold the hoverboard from Back to the Future II for $150k, and an R2D2 from Obi Wan for half a million. I’d say they had a good day, and so did I – I got to hang out with one of my favorite actors!

Yea, Lee Majors is the man.

That sounds like a pretty fantastic weekend – cheers!

We’ve had a Data overload. He needs unplugging for good.

After John Laroquette dressing up as Maltz, this just ones up it. The New Night Court is shaping up to be the same Trek loving show Big Bang was!

my hot take is that Big Bang Theory sucks. It’s not a love letter to nerds, it was created by jocks to make fun of nerds. And that nerds don’t see that it’s actually condescending and patronizing is it’s best joke. It’s a collection of nerd memes “hey bro, google stuff nerds like: Star Trek, Stephen Hawking”.

The one funny joke I ever heard in it was the incorrect math calculation that was published. That was a good bit.

“ my hot take is that Big Bang Theory sucks.”

Is…this hot?

I’ve heard the argument that its the show for nerds that pretends to be your friend.

It can also be argued that it takes shots at antisocial pockets of fandom rather than fandom itself, which it allows its characters to grow out of as the series progresses.

I don’t have a strong opinion either way. I’m not really a sitcom guy.

I get that OP and I see why you would think that. But counterpoint, Leonard, the “geek” got the “cheerleader” so to speak. So did Howard.

Once more female characters appeared as regulars in TBBT then it stopped seeming to be at the expense of ‘nerds’

The Hoops and Sharks they had to jump through to get that old man to play Data again. It would have been much more realistic to get a new actor to play Data, but that’s what happens when hacks use nostalgia as a shortcut and a crutch.

In that case, realism doesn’t sound very satisfying.

Reality never does.

Can’t argue with that.

I liked the way he was written in for season 3, it seems plausible, imo (taking into consideration the franchise we’re in), and I think Spiner did a great job with the material. As to a Legacy show, if we ever do see one, if he came back in the same incarnation I would have no issue with it. That said, if this is the last time we see Data, I think the character has come full-circle. It was a fine send-off. Honestly, what I’d really like to see more of is Dorn’s zen-Worf – loved how he played that.

The handling of the Data character was my favorite of the series. Matalas took Roddenberry’s direction and really brought Data as close he can possibly be to humanity without being fully human. I love the combining of Lore and Data in their minds. It reminds me of TOS episode The Enemy Within when there was a good side / bad side to Kirk, he then had to combine both to be fully human. The little touches to Data’s growth was neat, like when he put his hand on a grieving Picard’s shoulder to show empathy and support. I really liked the therapy session with Troi at the end, Data is not only almost fully human, but a neurotic one at that! Great way to end the character’s story.

But, like others had said, I think this should be the end of the TNG characters. This is the end of Data’s journey, so it seems right to just stop.

First Splinter did it better.

I hope we will see the upgraded Data again!!!!

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Sep 23, 2022

Data and His Artistic Pursuits

Exploring the sentient android's many interests.

StarTrek.com

The characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation engage in artistic endeavors in many of the show’s 179 episodes.

Commander William Riker plays jazz music, while Captain Jean-Luc Picard has his interests in Shakespeare and Ressikan music. Dr. Beverly Crusher directs plays and Worf enjoys Klingon opera. This constant attention to art and creativity in the narratives of The Next Generation represents the Star Trek theme that in the future, humanity will improve itself. "We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity," reveals Picard in Star Trek: First Contact . The fictional characters of TNG are what writer Henry Miller called “truly alive.”

Ironic, then, that the most artistically active character from TNG is an android. Data is a robotic version of Pinocchio, wishing to obtain the human emotions he was denied by design. Data realizes that the quest, in comparison to the boon, is more meaningful, and he wishes to learn about the human experience despite his lack of emotions. He will not be human physically, but art provides him an appreciation for humanity. Indeed, art and creativity are Data’s textbooks of understanding. “You are here to learn about the human condition and there's no better way than embracing Shakespeare,” Picard teaches as he coaches Data in a play as King Henry (“The Defector”).

Data engages in numerous art forms — poetry (“Schisms”), painting (“Birthright”), acting (“The Defector” and “Emergence”), violin (“Sarek”), oboe (“In Theory”), and singing ( Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis ).

Data is sometimes successful at his art, and, at other times, the crew reacts with trepidation and incredulousness at his poems or painting. With poetry, such as Data’s “Ode to Spot” written for his cat, it is understandable that the crew is often uncertain how to react to the android’s art:

“O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you displayconnote a fairly well-developed cognitive arrayAnd though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehendI nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend" — Data ("Schisms")

The reason why Data's art is successful sometimes and other times — not quite so — may be found in the ideas of poet Sir Stephen Spender who believed that the necessary traits of artists are concentration, memory, inspiration, faith and song.

Data obviously has very little problem with concentration being an android. In “A Matter of Time,” he explains his ability to listen to 150 different musical compositions at the same time, yet reveals that “in order to analyze the aesthetics, I try to limit myself to ten or less.” His memory is no slouch either, sharing with Commander Riker, “I remember every fact I am exposed to, sir.” Data also possesses the inspiration to be a good artist. He is inspired by his fellow crew, from Captain Picard who challenges him to learn about humanity through acting in Shakespeare’s plays, to Dr. Beverly Crusher who offers advice on the arts. He expresses delights in everyday experiences, from growing a beard (“The Schizoid Man”) to learning about Sherlock Holmes (“Elementary, Dear Data”).

If Data has a problem, it may be that he is short sometimes on faith and song, at least in the sense that Spender defines the terms. Confidence in one’s artistry is what Spender means by faith and confidence in one’s own unique voice is the song. The most common criticism of Data’s art by his fellow crew is that he should stop imitating the works of others, and start expressing his own experiences.

For example, in "The Defector," after Picard credits Data with a fine performance of King Henry, the android reveals he has been studying the performances of famous thespians, to which Picard chides him, “You must discover it through your own performance, not by imitating." When recommending ways to improve his poetry, Geordi advises, “Next time, don't worry so much about rhyme and meter. Some of the world's greatest poets didn't pay attention to rules.” Spender and Geordi might suggest that Data needs to listen to his own proverbial voice.

It is when Data imitates — when he does not show confidence in his own art (voice) and own voice (song) — that his art doesn't quite reach the levels he hopes. The paintings and poems aren’t really failures, though, because artistic endeavors are never really failures. Indeed, it is Data’s desire to try to be an artist that is most important. Data is inspired to learn about humanity through art. And when Data looks at his artistic expressions and endeavors, he too can claim, as Spender does, “What failures there are!”

This article was originally published on August 28, 2016.

Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on the history of Star Trek, and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They have written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Star Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine. Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Star Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio and in the documentary The Force Among Us. They recently researched all known paperwork from the making of the classic episode "Space Seed" and are excited to be sharing some previously unreported information about Khan's first adventure with fellow fans.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Get Updates By Email

Star Trek: Who Created Data And What Happened To Him?

In the long history of "Star Trek," few characters are as beloved by fans as the android Data (Brent Spiner). A cybernetic being powered by a positronic brain, Data served as second officer on Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) U.S.S. Enterprise, the setting of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." But while fans got to spend time with Data over the many episodes of TV and movies in which he appeared, far less is known about his reclusive creator, Doctor Noonian Soong (also Brent Spiner).

Indeed, the story of Data's creation by Soong is documented in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and additional information has been included in other movies and series, most recently "Star Trek: Picard." We've learned that the cyberneticist came from a long line of geniuses who worked to create new life forms using science, not all of whom were pure of heart. Indeed, Soong himself was driven by an obsession that lasted until his final moments. Though he was declared a madman and considered a disgrace by Federation scientists, he continued his work in secret. Eventually, he was destroyed by his own creations.

The mad cyberneticist Noonian Soong made Data and his evil twin Lore

Doctor Noonian Soong came from a long lineage of mad cybernetics experts, and they were engaged in some questionable experiments long before Data was assembled. Soong's ancestor, Adam Soong (Brent Spiner once again) went so far as to create a series of clones. All of them died with the exception of one, Kore, and he spun the fiction that he was her father in the traditional sense of the word. That history was depicted in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Picard." Adam may even have been connected to the creation of the villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), but that's a story for another time. Later, in the "Star Trek" timeline's 22nd century, Adam's descendant, Arik Soong, picked up the torch of genetic and cybernetic experimentation. The character was featured in multiple episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise."

This lineage eventually culminated with Data's progenitor, Noonian Soong, who worked in secret alongside his wife, Juliana O'Donnell (Fionnula Flanagan) to perfect his research and create the fan-favorite android. But Data was actually the fifth such android Soong built. The first three were far less capable and much closer to mindless robots. His breakthrough came with the fourth attempt, Data's evil brother Lore . Ultimately, it was Soong's fifth android, Data, whom the scientist considered to be the apex of his work. Unlike Lore, who had emotions but lacked a sense of ethics and therefore was a loose cannon, Data was not given the emotional programming, allowing him to function within certain ethical parameters.

Data's brother Lore killed their creator

Ultimately, it was Noonian Soong's own work that killed him. His fourth android, Lore, was much like Data but without the sense of ethics that kept him from being corrupted. Over time, Lore developed a deep resentment for his father figure, believing that Soong was playing favorites and preferred Data. Lore's paranoia was further confirmed when he learned that Soong was secretly developing an emotion chip for Data. The actual reason for this was that Soong mistakenly believed that Lore was disassembled and functionally dead, so he had no reason to work on Lore's own upgrades.

When Soong sent out a signal summoning Data to Terlina III, where he had secretly been furthering his cybernetic experiments, it also drew Lore's attention, and the two brothers converged on the planet in the Season 4 "The Next Generation" episode "Brothers." After Soong reveals in the episode that he'd created an emotion chip for Data, Lore's jealousy grows. He deactivates Data, then impersonates him in order to receive the emotion chip for himself. But since the chip wasn't meant for him, Lore becomes unstable and attacks the already sickly Soong.

In Soong's final moments, he compares Lore to the biblical Esau, Jacob's evil sibling who impersonated his brother to receive a false inheritance from their blind father, Isaac. But as Data, rescued by William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), comes to the aid of his dying creator, he finally refers to Soong as "father."

The Vibe That Is Data Positively Trek

Positively Trek 269: The Vibe That Is Data Part 2: Data in Nemesis, Picard, and Beyond… Warning: This episode contains spoilers for all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard, as well as minor spoilers for the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth and final season. Data is one of the most enduring and beloved characters in the Star Trek universe. When the character was killed off in the film Star Trek Nemesis, many Trek fans believed that he would one day be back. Now, thanks to Star Trek: Picard, they have been proven right when Data was raised from the dead not once, but twice! In this episode of Positively Trek, hosts Barry and Dan continue their two-part discussion of Data. We talk about his death in Nemesis, what that death means in the larger context of pop culture, his first resurrection in season one of Star Trek: Picard, his (extremely) extended family, and finally his most recent incarnation in Picard’s third season! Show page: http://www.positivelytrek.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/positively-trek/id1501468628 Twitter: http://twitter.com/positivelytrek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositivelyTrek Help support the podcast! Go to https://www.patreon.com/positivelytrek to help out! Sunshine (version 2) by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4438-sunshine-version-2- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chance License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc. Positively Trek is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise. Chapters Opening (00:00:00) Data’s First Death - Nemesis (00:04:14) Barry’s Rant Corner - Lower Decks (00:11:49) Data’s First Resurrection - Picard Season 1 (00:20:24) Patreon Shout Out (00:31:30) Data’s Very Extended Family (00:31:59) Data’s Second Resurrection - Picard Season 3 (00:47:08) Closing (00:59:37)    Hosts Dan Gunther Barry DeFord Production Dan Gunther (Editor and Producer) Barry DeFord (Producer) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

• Episode Website
• More Episodes
• 2022 Positively Trek Podcasts

Star Trek: Data's Best Quotes

Data is one of the best characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and his quotes showcase that despite being an android, he's extremely human.

• Data's desire to be human showcases his innermost human traits and emotions.
• Data's struggles with grief and saying goodbye demonstrate his capacity for deep emotional connections.
• Data's love for his cat Spot reveals his endearing and humorous personality despite being emotionless.

One of the best characters in all of Star Trek , Data is an android who desires nothing more than to be human, with all the emotions that come with it, good and bad. Featuring first in Star Trek : The Next Generation , Data had an important role across the 7 seasons of one of the best Star Trek series, and later, in four films and a wonderful conclusion in Star Trek : Picard. Across these decades within one of the most famous sci-fi series of all time, Data has made strong impressions with his character.

6 Weirdest Star Trek Easter Eggs

Despite being an android, Data is anything but cold and calculating . Unusually, it is Data that exhibits the most human of traits, despite not being human at all. Across his time in Star Trek , Data has provided audiences with some wonderful quotes, whether they are humorous or a keen look into the mechanisms and wonder of his mind.

5 “I Would Gladly Risk Feeling Bad At Times, if It Also Meant That I Could Taste My Dessert.”

Star trek: the next generation – season 5, episode 11 “hero worship”.

After Data helps to rescue an orphan named Timothy, the boy decides that the best way to repress and avoid his feelings and his pain is to mimic Data. This is a cause for concern for the Enterprise crew, who understand what Timothy is going through. Whilst it’s an interesting outlook on grief, especially in children, it’s an even greater look at how Data deals with it.

Data tries to sympathize with Timothy without lecturing, and he showcases to Timothy that the boy should not want to be Data, as although he has an interesting personality, the simple fact of the matter is that he cannot feel, good or bad. Data helps to explain how the simple pleasures in life, like tasting a sweet dessert, are worth the negatives, like grief, because at least feelings are the most human as they can be.

4 “I Do Not Know How To Say Goodbye.”

Star trek: the next generation – season 5, episode 24 “the next phase”.

When Geordi La Forge and Ensign Ro are involved in a transporter malfunction, the crew of the Enterprise believes that they are dead. As such, many prominent members of the Enterprise are grieving colleagues and friends. One member in particular who is affected by these deaths is Data, the android supposedly without feeling, who seems to feel all too much with the knowledge that Geordi, his best friend, is dead.

Star Trek: 6 Characters That Just Disappeared

It's a heartbreaking quote, and all too human. Not knowing how to say goodbye when someone just isn’t there anymore is a harsh reality many must face with the passage of time. To see an android like Data, seemingly immortal and collected in such a confused state over his friend’s end, is devastating.

3 “You Must Talk To Him; Tell Him He Is A Pretty Cat, And A Good Cat.”

Star trek: the next generation – season 7, episode 6 “phantasms”.

Data begins to experience waking nightmares on board the Enterprise, and whilst he is concerned for the safety of the crew, he is most concerned about the safety of his cat, Spot. Spot is one of the most adoring members of Star Trek : The Next Generation for being a cute cat, and one that Data is extremely fond of, which is why he expresses such concern for his cat’s safety and leaves Spot under the care of Worf .

Star Trek: 6 Best Planets To Live On

The fact that Data and Worf are the most emotionless and strongest members of the Enterprise, and here they are looking after a cat, is hilarious and adorable. Data’s fascination and love for his cat is entertaining, especially with all the requests he has for Worf, who shows utter disdain for even being near the cat.

2 “Mortality Gives Meaning To Human Life, Captain.”

Star trek: picard – season 1, episode 10 “et in arcadia ego, part 2”.

After Data’s tragic death, life goes on. Yet, in Star Trek : Picard , Jean Luc, and Data had one last reunion during Season 1, in which Data expressed his desire to be allowed to die. There was nothing inherently wrong with Data, and it wasn’t out of sadness to die, but his desire for the human condition. In Data’s own words, “mortality gives meaning to human life.”

This is a rather touching quote, as Data is accepting that to be human, is to be mortal. Death is a part of life, and if Data wants to be a part of life and not a machine, then to die is the most natural course of action and one that sees him finally at peace.

1 "0.68 Seconds Sir. For An Android, That Is Nearly An Eternity."

Star trek: first contact.

When enticed by the Borg Queen to be human, Data is tempted by her offer, which would involve betraying the people he is most loyal to. When Picard asks Data how long Data was tempted by this offer, he simply replies with a calculated and exact “0.68 seconds.” Whilst seemingly nothing to human life, and a humorous quote in itself, it highlights the sheer capabilities of Data, who specifies that this time is an eternity for an android.

The human mind couldn’t possibly comprehend the calculations and theories that would have been circulating through Data’s mind as he contemplates this decision from the Borg Queen . If barely a second is an eternity, then what is a century to an immortal?

MORE: Star Trek: Best Mirror Universe Episodes

Enterprise Lab Group

Boldly going where no one has gone before.

Phone: 480-444-5555

Fax: NCC-1701D

Second Officer

• [email protected]
• 4592-34-54233-52345
• Deck 34, Room 55

Data  ( /ˈdeɪtə/   DAY-tə ) is a character in the fictional  Star Trek  franchise. He appears in the  television series   Star Trek: The Next Generation  ( TNG ) and the feature films  Star Trek Generations  (1994),  Star Trek: First Contact  (1996),  Star Trek: Insurrection  (1998), and  Star Trek: Nemesis  (2002). [1]  Data is portrayed by actor  Brent Spiner .

Data was found by Starfleet in 2338 as the sole survivor on Omicron Theta in the rubble of a colony left after an attack from the  Crystalline Entity . He was a synthetic life form with  artificial intelligence  and designed and built by  Doctor Noonien Soong  in his own likeness (likewise portrayed by Spiner). Data is a  self-aware ,  sapient ,  sentient  and anatomically fully functional  android  who serves as the  second officer  and chief operations officer aboard the  Federation   starship   USS  Enterprise -D  and later the  USS  Enterprise -E .

His  positronic brain  allows him impressive computational capabilities. He experienced ongoing difficulties during the early years of his life with understanding various aspects of  human behavior [2]  and was unable to feel  emotion  or understand certain human  idiosyncrasies , inspiring him to strive for his own humanity. This goal eventually led to the addition of an “emotion chip” created by Soong, to Data’s positronic net. [3]  Although Data’s endeavor to increase his humanity and desire for human emotional experience is a significant plot point (and source of humor) throughout the series, he consistently shows a nuanced sense of wisdom, sensitivity, and curiosity, garnering respect from his peers and colleagues.

• View history

Lore was a Soong-type android constructed by Doctor Noonien Soong and Juliana Soong at the Omicron Theta colony . Built in Dr. Soong's own image, Lore was the fourth android they constructed and embodied the first successful example of a fully functional positronic brain . An earlier model Soong-type android protype, B-4 , also had a positronic brain, but of a less sophisticated type, resulting in a simple-minded personality. ( TNG : " Inheritance ", " Datalore ", " Brothers "; Star Trek Nemesis )

Lore's head, removed from his body

Lore was extremely advanced and sentient , possessing megastrength , speed and intelligence when compared to a Human . Lore's emotional programming was also very advanced. However, he began displaying signs of emotional instability and malevolence, leading Lore to see himself as superior to Humans. Lore frightened the other colonists , who demanded that Soong deactivate him. Lore later claimed that they saw him as "too perfect", and were envious. ( TNG : " Brothers ", " Silicon Avatar ", " Inheritance ")

Eventually, Soong capitulated, but not before Lore had secretly contacted the Crystalline Entity in a bid for revenge, offering it the planet 's life to ensure his own survival. After deactivating and dismantling Lore, Soong set about constructing Lore's brother , Data , an android without destabilizing emotions. ( TNG : " Datalore ", " Brothers ", " Silicon Avatar ", " The Offspring ")

Lore's positronic net differed from Data's: it had a Type-"L" phase discriminator compared to Data's Type-"R". ( TNG : " Time's Arrow ")

Soong placed Lore's components into storage, intending to eventually correct Lore's behavioral problems. Lore later harbored resentment towards his creator for abandoning him. Yet, when he met his father again on Terlina III and learned that Soong was dying, he was sincerely upset and, for a brief moment, he displayed a genuine concern for his father. Nevertheless, Lore's malevolent streak soon prevailed. ( TNG : " Brothers ")

Data with Lore in 2364

Following Lore's communiques, the Crystalline Entity attacked Omicron Theta in 2338 and destroyed all life on the planet. Both Lore and Data were left behind, but Data was subsequently discovered by the crew of the USS Tripoli . Lore remained in Soong's laboratory until 2364 , when the USS Enterprise -D arrived at the planet. The ship's chief engineer , Lieutenant Commander Argyle , and chief medical officer , Dr. Beverly Crusher , were successful in reactivating the android. ( TNG : " Datalore ")

Although initially presenting himself as willing to please and serve Humans, sharing some information about his ' childhood ' in the colony with his ' brother ', Lore swiftly returned to his previous ways. Deactivating Data, Lore stole his uniform and masqueraded as him. Lore summoned the Crystalline Entity once again, intending to feed the crew of the Enterprise -D to it. His treachery was discovered due to the differences between him and Data (such as Lore's use of contractions ), and he was transported into open space . ( TNG : " Datalore ", " Silicon Avatar ")

Lore drifted in space for nearly two years , until he was rescued by a passing Pakled trade ship . Lore subsequently responded to the homing signal intended by Soong to draw Data to Soong's new laboratory on Terlina III . After Soong had reactivated Lore, Lore expressed frustration at his father's 'dismissal' of him in favor of working on Data, but was apparently as close to upset as he could come when he learned that Soong was dying , protesting that his father seemed fine despite his obvious age .

Emotions installed

However, his grief for his father was overshadowed by his anger when he learned that Soong had summoned Data to him with the intention of giving Data an emotion chip that would allow him to feel Human emotions (as Data's emotionless "childhood" had given him a greater understanding of right and wrong). Lore became sore and resented his father's 'favoritism' of Data, despite Soong's protests that he had never designed a chip for Lore simply because he assumed that Lore had remained deactivated. Despite Soong's attempt to placate Lore, Lore nevertheless tricked Soong by posing as his brother and stealing the chip for himself. Because the chip was not designed for him, it caused Lore to become even more unstable and he mortally wounded Soong before departing the planet once again. ( TNG : " Brothers ")

In 2369 , Lore discovered a group of Borg that had been disconnected from the Collective after integrating Hugh 's sense of individuality into the hive. Lore styled himself their leader and gave his Borg individual names, coercing them into becoming his fanatical followers. He began cruel experiments on them, attempting to replace their organic brains with positronic components. Meanwhile, Lore influenced their behavior, which made their attacks more violent – they ceased to assimilate individuals, and instead began murdering them.

Lore leading the Borg

Lore directed his Borg followers to launch attacks on targets in Federation space , in order to lure the Enterprise -D – and thus Data – in an elaborate attempt to use the emotion chip to manipulate Data to his side. Lore had modified the chip so that it could remotely instill anger and hatred in Data. Confused with his new emotions, and with his ethical subroutines deactivated, Data betrayed the crew of the Enterprise -D and joined Lore at his base . ( TNG : " Descent ")

While in Borg captivity, Geordi La Forge was able to instruct Captain Jean-Luc Picard as to modifying a Borg interlink transceiver in order to reset Data's ethical program with a kedion pulse , restoring his sense of right and wrong. Data would still experience negative emotions; however, he could at least choose whether or not to act upon them.

Permanently deactivated

Upon realizing Lore's malign nature, Data fired upon and deactivated Lore, whose last words were " I… love you… brother. " Lore was subsequently dismantled – and the emotion chip, though damaged, was removed and returned to its rightful owner. ( TNG : " Descent, Part II ") Two years later , Data finally had the chip installed. ( Star Trek Generations )

Following the lifting of the ban on synthetics, Altan began construction on a new golem to serve as a 'totality', combining the memory data of B-4, Lal, and Soong himself with the personalities of Data and Lore into a singular being. He gave the new golem an older appearance, based on an aged Soong, hoping to reflect the wisdom of age. Unfortunately, Soong died before he could complete this golem, and Starfleet seized his work, storing it at Daystrom Station . The integration appeared to have failed, and Data and Lore were at odds with each other inside the golem, each trying to seize control. ( PIC : " The Bounty ", " Dominion ") Following the android's activation, Lore would interrupt Data, taking control over the android. While placed into a cognitive-function-only mode, Lore interjected in Data's attempts to explain the situation to Picard, in order to insult him. Lore seized control of the android while plugged in to the USS Titan -A 's computer. Lore locked Geordi La Forge out of Engineering and lowered the ship's force fields, taunting La Forge for trying to appeal to Data's memories of friendship. La Forge was able to successfully appeal to Data, who took control of the android from Lore. ( PIC : " Dominion ") La Forge lifted the partition separating Data and Lore in an attempt to get Data to take full control over the android so he could help retake the Titan , but Lore began swiftly overpowering and deleting Data's personality. As he was deleted, Data handed over his own memories to Lore, including those of playing poker with his friends aboard the Enterprise -D, and, finally, his memories of Spot , stating that he was handing over the memories because while Data had everything, Lore had nothing. Upon taking those last memories, Lore completed the process of deleting Data from the android but Lore began to experience the effects of deletion himself, and Data's personality returned. Data had deduced that Lore would not be able to resist taking his memories as trophies. He had taken the things that had made Data who he was, and as such, the two personalities became "one" and Lore merged into Data. The brothers said goodbye to one another as Lore's personality was finally overwritten with that of Data. Data later tells La Forge that he's Data, but he's also Lore, B-4 and everything else that Dr. Soong programed into the android. ( PIC : " Surrender ")

A Lore head taken from a bottle of Data bubble bath

Years after Lore's deactivation at the Borg compound, bottles of bubble bath that bore the likeness of Lore were in circulation, and by 2381 , were sometimes being surreptitiously used to represent the limited edition Commander Data bottles. They were differentiated from the Data bottles by having a furrowed brow and a smirk. ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

Lore's personality in Daystrom Android M-5-10

Memorable Quotes [ ]

" The troublesome little man-child. Are you prepared for the kind of death you've earned, little man? "

" Now, show me your warrior fierceness. "

" I am not less perfect than Lore. "

" Often-Wrong's got a broken heart; 
can't even tell his boys apart. "


" Where's Data? You didn't fill Data with substandard parts, did you, old man? No. That honor was bestowed upon me. You owe me, old man. Not him. Me. "

" Data. "
 " That's not Data. " 
" What? "
 " You should listen to her, captain. She's way ahead of you. "
 " Lore! "

" They had lost their sense of purpose. Well, I gave them their purpose… and they gave me mine. "


" The reign of biological life-forms is coming to an end. You, Picard, and those like you, are obsolete! "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Datalore " (Season 1)
• " Brothers " (Season 4)
• " Descent " (Season 6)
• " Descent, Part II " (Season 7)
• LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers " (likeness on bubble bath bottle) (Season 2)

Background information [ ]

Lore was played by Brent Spiner in all of his four appearances but only received credit for his second appearance. Ken Gildin , Brian Tomlinson , Dana Vitatoe , and Guy Vardaman served as photo doubles for Spiner in these episodes while Brian J. Williams was the stunt double in the episodes " Datalore " and " Descent, Part II ".

Lore was originally planned to be a female android, to provide a love interest for Data. Her job would have been to go out and repair dangerous situations. It was Brent Spiner who suggested the old " evil twin " concept be used instead. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 46)) The female android concept was later used in the third season episode " The Offspring ", although this interpretation had the new android as Data's " child " rather than a potential love interest.

The Pakled costume worn by Spiner as Lore in " Brothers " was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for US$2,155.00. [1] Other items which were sold off on eBay include the special effects thumb from "Brothers". [2] Dana Vitatoe's costume from "Brothers", [3] Spiner and Williams' costume from " Descent " and "Descent, Part II", [4] [5] and the utility jumpsuit from "Datalore". [6]

External links [ ]

• Lore at StarTrek.com
• Lore at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Star Trek: Best Book-Only Characters

• The Star Trek novels introduce unique characters like Akaar and Treir, adding depth to the expansive Starfleet universe.
• Characters like Nick Keller and Elias Vaughn bring new perspectives to the post- DS9 era, facing challenging galactic events.
• Mackenzie Calhoun leads the USS Excalibur in a new hero ship series, showcasing tactical genius in the New Frontier books.

Just like the universe itself, the Star Trek franchise is huge and far-reaching, encompassing several television shows, and numerous video games, movies, and books. While many of Star Trek 's most iconic characters appear in various series and films, there are many other great characters who only feature in alternative media sources. For instance, the final frontier has spawned some memorable video game-based characters .

Star Trek: 8 Most Powerful Federation Starships, Ranked

Yet perhaps the richest source of characters is the now questionably canon series of books that take place following The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine . From fresh takes on classic species like the Andorians and Orions, to some of Starfleet's finest officers, the Star Trek novels are a treasure trove of notable figures.

Leonard James Akaar

First appearence: star trek mission gamma book one: twilight.

• Author: David R. George III
• Publication Date: September 2002

Leonard James Akaar is unique among novel-only characters in that he does, in fact, make a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance on televised Trek . "Friday's Child," an episode of The Original Series , ends with his birth; however, the Capellan royal would not be seriously fleshed out until 2002's Mission Gamma: Twilight . By the time of the Deep Space 9 novels, Akaar had risen through the ranks of Starfleet to become an influential admiral with the ear of the Federation president.

Akaar's strategic mindset and steely resolve proved essential in preserving the Federation through some of its darkest periods, including the Borg invasion depicted in the Star Trek: Destiny series. The Starfleet legend may have been born in The Original Series , but the Star Trek novels were where he made his name.

First Appearence: Star Trek: Demons of Air and Darkness

• Author: Keith R. A. DeCandido
• Publication Date: September 2001

Star Trek features many inspirational female characters, from Kira Nerys to Katherine Janeway. However, few are as resourceful or as motivated as Treir , an Orion Dabo girl who transformed Quark's Bar into a highly successful business during the post- DS9 novels. Following her escape from Orion servitude, Treir earned her place as Quark's right-hand woman by implementing a series of radical reforms, including hiring a Dabo boy to attract more customers.

Star Trek: The Fates Of Every Live-Action TV Show's Main Character

Treir may not play a significant role in the canon-shattering events depicted in the Deep Space 9 novels, but this ruthless businesswoman helped to make Star Trek 's prose universe feel like a living, breathing place. If anyone is capable of giving Quark a run for his latinum, it's her.

Nick Keller

First appearence: star trek new earth: challenger.

• Author: Diane Carey
• Publication Date: August 2000

New Earth , a series of six novels that take place between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan , was intended to act as a backdoor pilot for a new narrative focusing on Commander Nick Keller . In the final novel, Keller takes command of a makeshift starship in order to defend the human colony of Belle Terre from alien attack. Keller was conflicted between overthrowing his inept captain and preserving the lives of his comrades, and it's a great shame that a full series based on the space cowboy's adventures never emerged.

Interestingly, author Diane Carey based Keller's appearance on Scott Bakula, who would go on to play Captain Jonathan Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise . Keller, however, would make only two more appearances in the Star Trek universe, with both being part of the multi-series Gateways crossover event.

Elias Vaughn

First appearence: star trek: avatar (book one).

• Author: S. D. Perry
• Publication Date: July 2001

Elias Vaughn was a Starfleet officer and intelligence operative who joined Deep Space 9's command staff following the end of the Dominion War . Despite only holding the rank of commander, Vaughn's expertise proved a boon to the Federation outpost, and he played a role in several key events, including the USS Defiant 's post-war exploration of the Gamma Quadrant (depicted in the Mission Gamma sub-series).

Star Trek: 8 Impressive Things Kirk Did Before Joining The USS Enterprise

Vaughn was haunted by the death of his wife, Ruriko, and his troubled relationship with his estranged daughter, Prynn. This relationship was complicated by the fact that Prynn was also assigned to Deep Space 9. However, father and daughter were eventually able to reconcile–but not without some bumps along the way.

Christine Vale

First appearence: star trek: the belly of the beast.

• Author: Dean Wesley Smith

While William Riker's USS Titan has made notable appearances in Star Trek: Lower Decks , the starship's adventures were originally chronicled in a series of spin-off novels. These books featured Christine Vale , a former detective turned Starfleet officer, as Riker's second-in-command. Vale was initially unwilling to take the post, as she disliked the idea of Riker working so closely with his wife, Deanna Troi.

Luckily, Vale took the post, which allowed her to act as a counterweight to any of Riker's Troi-related biases. During her time aboard the USS Titan , she helped to explore the Beta Quadrant and fend off a Borg invasion. Indeed, her record was so good that, following Riker's promotion to admiral, she took command of the Luna -class starship.

Thirishar ch'Thane

From their initial appearance in 1967's "Journey to Babel" and 2001's "The Andorian Incident," references to Star Trek 's Andorians were true and far between. One important detail was disclosed in The Next Generation , however: Andorians have four sexes , with all four required for successful reproduction.

The character of Thirishar ch'Thane (or "Shar") was a response to this premise. Shar served as Deep Space Nine's science officer following the end of the Dominion War, but was torn between his commitments to Starfleet and to his mating group, who wished him to return to Andor. This dilemma was further complicated by a dangerous decline in Andorian fertility, which threatened to cause the Andorians' extinction in the long term. Shar was eventually able to use his scientific knowledge to help solve the Andorian fertility crisis.

The Jem'Hadar are one of Star Trek 's most iconic creations , a powerful race of warriors motivated by their addiction to the chemical ketracel-white. During the Dominion War of 2373–2375, the Jem'Hadar were central to the Dominion assaults which nearly overwhelmed the Federation Alliance.

8 Best Starfleet Ships During The Dominion War

After the war's conclusion, Taran'atar , a Jem'Hadar without a ketracel-white dependency, was sent to Deep Space Nine as a cultural observer. Taran'atar's struggle to adjust to the Alpha Quadrant during peacetime makes for fascinating reading, as does seeing the fearsome warrior growing closer to his former enemies. Taran'atar's story takes some strange twists and turns, but he remains a fascinating character.

Mackenzie Calhoun

First appearence: star trek new frontier: house of cards.

• Author: Peter David
• Publication Date: July 1997

In 1997, Pocket Books published the first of Peter David's New Frontier books. While these novels included several characters from TV Trek (mostly notably Commander Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds" ), they focused on a new hero ship, the USS Excalibur , and a new captain: Mackenzie Calhoun . Calhoun, an alien warrior modeled after Mel Gibson, was depicted as a tactical genius capable of beating Starfleet's toughest challenges–including the infamous Kobayashi Maru test.

Calhoun soon became a fan-favorite, with his New Frontier series including over 20 volumes. The Xenanian captain was even popular enough to be made into an action figure, the only example of this honor being bestowed on a character originating from any of Star Trek 's novels.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek Beyond

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Creation Year 1966

Screen Rant

10 background characters star trek fans love.

Star Trek fans have a soft spot for some of the unsung featured background players and lesser-known characters in Star Trek shows.

• Background characters in Star Trek add depth to the universe, making it feel lived-in and real.
• Beloved regular faces like Lt. M'Ress, Nurse Ogawa, and Mr. Mot enhance Star Trek shows.
• From Lt. Linus to Dr. Migleemo, each background character brings their own unique charm to the series.

There's something about beloved Star Trek background characters that really helps its universe feel lived-in and real. While the primary action is taking place, it's up to the background actors to make the sets look like genuine places where people are going about their business. These are the folks at the bridge stations who aren't in the opening credits. They're the assistants to the main characters. They're the beloved regular faces spotted among the crowds in establishing shots, and the names floating around duty rosters and civilian gossip that remind viewers that there's more to Star Trek than the captains and chief engineers.

There are so many background characters from all of the Star Trek shows who are beloved by fans, of course. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Promenade is full of colorful background characters without names or personal histories, like the singing Klingon chef (Ron Taylor). Star Trek: Voyager features recurring background characters, since being stuck in the Delta Quadrant means no new Starfleet officers can join the crew. Star Trek: The Next Generation features background characters who sometimes level up to become proper guest stars , and in one famous case, a series regular: the "most important person in Starfleet" and original lower-decker, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney). Here are 10 background characters Star Trek fans love.

20 Best New Star Trek Characters Of The Last 20 Years

10 lt. m'ress (majel barrett), star trek: the animated series.

Lt. M'Ress is a Caitian officer with a seat on the USS Enterprise bridge, created for Star Trek: The Animated Series when Star Trek 's jump to animation meant that the aliens in Star Trek were no longer restrained by what the makeup department could physically create. As the first Caitian in Star Trek , M'Ress sets the standard for the feline alien species , later echoed by Star Trek 's other animated Caitian, Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

Like many background characters, M'Ress' cool character design is a top reason for her appeal, but M'Ress earns her spot on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise by being a capable officer. M'Ress' duties as relief communications officer include communication within the Enterprise as well as to outside vehicles, along with scientific duties as situations arise, similar to the duties of primary communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).

Lt. M'Ress appeared in 2 episodes of the "anything but canon" animated web series Star Trek: very Short Treks, voiced by Cristina Milizia.

9 Lt. T'Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski)

Star trek: picard.

The starship action of Star Trek: Picard season 3 takes place primarily aboard the USS Titan-A, and as such, introduces a brand-new bridge crew of younger Starfleet officers, one of which is the Vulcan Lt. T'Veen. T'Veen stands out as both a woman and a Vulcan for her striking bald appearance , marking her look as both novel and unique. Actor Stephanie Czajkowski suggests that T'Veen may have some Deltan ancestry, but in reality, T'Veen's lack of locks comes from Czajkowski's own battles with cancer.

When Vadic (Amanda Plummer) commandeers the Titan in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 8, "Surrender" , T'Veen is one of the Titan bridge officers used as leverage against Vadic's request for Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). At this point in Picard , the Titan's crew are painted as candidates for a potential spinoff show, but Lt. T'Veen's shocking death at Vadic's hand sends the message that no one is safe.

8 Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff)

Star trek: the next generation, star trek: lower decks.

The original claim to fame for Ensign Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff) is being the eager young engineer who unfortunately spills hot chocolate on Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation , season 2, episode 16, "Q Who". Serving on the USS Enterprise-D with Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is Gomez's dream job, and the chocolate-covered Captain isn't going to earn her any high marks. La Forge recognizes Gomez's talent as an antimatter specialist, and helps Sonya focus, despite the gaffe.

Lycia Naff makes a triumphant return to Star Trek as Captain Sonya Gomez in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, "First First Contact", commanding the USS Archimedes with the same compassionate focus on problem-solving that La Forge had as Gomez's mentor. Captain Gomez's story is proof that Star Trek characters do learn from their earliest mistakes , and can come out on top in the end.

7 Mr. Mot (Ken Thorley)

Star trek: the next generation.

In an interesting twist, Mr. Mot is a barber working on the USS Enterprise-D, and happens to be a Bolian, a species that has no hair of their own. Nonetheless, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) says that the civilian Mot is the best barber in Starfleet . There's more to being a barber than just cutting hair, after all, and Mot's listening ears are available to anyone who comes to sit in his barbershop chair, as long as they don't mind receiving a little free advice on the side.

The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur.

After providing excellent service to the crew on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mot grew even more successful. The Bolian barber became an entrepreneur, which is evident by the presence of Mr. Mot's Hair Emporium as one of the many businesses in Stardust City, on the planet Freecloud, as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 5, "Stardust City Rag".

Bolians are named for Star Trek director Cliff Bole, who directed a total of 42 episodes between his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager .

10 Star Trek Characters Fans See Themselves In

6 groundskeeper boothby (ray walston), star trek: the next generation, star trek: voyager.

Mr. Boothby is a positive influence on generations of Starfleet officers at Starfleet Academy, but one would be wrong to assume that Boothby is an accomplished instructor working to shape young minds, because Boothby works at Starfleet Academy as the head groundskeeper. Groundskeeper Boothby's no-nonsense approach to the natural development of the Academy's flora also applies to how Boothby interacts with Starfleet cadets .

Boothby's influence on the USS Voyager crew was evident in Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episode 4, "In the Flesh", when a Species 8472 leader took on the guise of Boothby in a Starfleet Academy simulation, instead of a high-ranking Admiral.

Sometimes, Boothby's advice is harsh, as was the case with Jean-Luc Picard as a Starfleet Academy cadet. But in the end, Boothby always has an uncanny sensibility for knowing exactly how to cultivate the best forms of both botanical specimens and future Starfleet officers.

5 Lt. Kayshon (Carl Tart)

Star trek: lower decks.

Lt. Kayshon has the honor of being the first Tamarian in Starfleet , debuting in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 2, "Kayshon, His Eyes Open", as the USS Cerritos' new security officer. The Tamarians, first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 2, "Darmok", have a puzzling metaphorical language reliant on background knowledge of Tamarian culture. The Tamarian phrases from "Darmok" have been adopted by Star Trek fans as a fun way to signal our fandom to each other, so it makes sense that a Tamarian officer should show up on Star Trek: Lower Decks , itself a celebration of Star Trek 's own weird and wonderful moments.

Kayshon spends more time in the background after his first episode, still part of the USS Cerritos' security team. The years between "Picard and Dathon at El-Adred" and Kayshon's assignment to the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks mean the communication gap between Kayshon and the rest of the USS Cerritos' crew is much smaller than it might have been in the past. Kayshon communicates in Federation Standard, but still slips into Tamarian metaphor from time to time, which just adds new phrases to the Tamarian lexicon.

4 Dr. Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins)

In Dr. Migleemo, Star Trek: Lower Decks continues the tradition that was established with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on Star Trek: The Next Generation by having a counselor aboard the USS Cerritos . Strictly speaking, Migleemo is not the galaxy's best counselor , with a whole plateful of food metaphors that don't always land butter-side-up, but Migleemo's heart is always in the right place.

As a bird-like alien of an unspecified species, Dr. Migleemo's character design pays homage to Star Trek: The Animated Series , since a bird man in a tweed suit may not translate that well to live action, but works perfectly for animation.

Even though Migleemo is bad at his job, it's in a way that's not actively harmful, but makes you want to root for him, just like any other lower decker on the Cerritos. Sometimes Migleemo gets it right , after all, like counseling Ensign D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) in the senior science officer training program in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 3, "Mining the Mind's Mines".

3 Nurse Alyssa Ogawa (Patti Yasutake)

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) usually has assistants in the background of the USS Enterprise-D's sick bay, and one of these, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, is a regular background character starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4. Ogawa grows as a character over the course of TNG 's final four seasons , receiving a full name as of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 18, "Cause and Effect", and developing as a character through Ogawa's casual conversations with Dr. Crusher about Alyssa's dating history.

Nurse Ogawa gets more to do when Ogawa is one of the four USS Enterprise-D junior officers at the heart of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, "Lower Decks" , focusing on the friendship between often-overlooked characters. Ogawa's story focuses on Alyssa's relationship with Lieutenant Andrew Powell, and culminates in their off-screen engagement.

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa also appears in two Star Trek movies: Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact .

2 Lt. Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson)

Star trek: discovery.

With Lt. Linus, Star Trek: Discovery shows in a casual, but meaningful way what it looks like to actively include someone with unique needs . Arriving in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Lt. Linus is a Saurian science officer who never fails to provide a little levity just by being himself. By all accounts, Linus is well-liked among the USS Discovery's crew , with plenty of crew members referring to Linus and Saurian customs relatively favorably.

Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Starfleet easily makes accommodations available for Linus' differences in biology , granting personal time set aside for annual shedding, and providing heat lamps in Linus' quarters as needed. After Star Trek: Discovery 's time jump , Linus takes a little more time to understand the new 32nd-century technology, but he's never admonished for catching up to the learning curve. Instead, Lt. Linus is accepted as someone whose needs are a little different to most human officers'.

Every DS9 Alien In Star Trek: Discovery

1 morn (mark allen shepherd), star trek: deep space nine.

Morn is a fixture in Quark's Bar from the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the perennial barfly occupying the same seat at the end of the table. According to the other patrons at Quark's, Morn rarely shuts up, but the joke is, of course, that Morn is always cut off before delivering any speaking lines. Instead, the picture of who Morn really is slowly comes together through other people's comments and conversation about Morn, with the speculation about Morn's true identity finally coming to a head in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 12, "Who Mourns for Morn". Morn's apparent death is a blow to the community and all who knew him, but also reveals surprising facts about DS9 's Morn , like Morn's secret riches and tactical mind, confirming that there was more to the enigmatic Lurian than Morn's signature bar stool.

True to form, Morn is seated at Quark's Bar when the USS Cerritos visits Deep Space Nine in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 6, "Hear All, Trust Nothing".

Sometimes the Star Trek characters who aren't major players become some of the most beloved characters. When background characters on Star Trek attract the eyes of viewers with interesting character designs or memorable moments, they may wind up in expanded roles as their Star Trek shows go on. These featured background characters will get lines and names, and might even have a major part in an episode or two, but most live out their lives off-screen. From the bridge crew to the lower decks, from Starfleet officers to civilians, it's the unsung heroes in the background who keep Star Trek moving while the main action is taking place.

Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.