Highlights
- Tasha Yar, Reginald Barclay, and Geordi La Forge portrayed selfless characters on
Star Trek: The Next Generation
. - Tasha’s death in duty, Barclay’s helpfulness despite mockery, and La Forge’s friendliness exemplified selflessness.
- Data, Guinan, and Jean Luc-Picard also displayed selfless qualities and dedication to their crew and mission.
The term “selfless” means the opposite of an egotistical or selfish person. What kind of attitude or actions make a person “selfless” might be a matter of opinion, but there are a few characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation that would fit the description.
There are a lot of different reasons these are the most selfless characters to work on the Enterprise-D. Working in space can be exciting, but it’s dangerous, and there are brave Starfleet officers and enlisted people putting their lives on the line every solar day.
6 Tasha Yar
Died In The Line Of Duty
- Played By: Denise Crosby
Tasha Yar was a popular character who represented a new and more postmodern way of looking at Starfleet. Her backstory included a childhood dodging criminals and mercenaries on a Federation colony with a rocky development history, a change from the previous show in which human colonies on alien planets were depicted as mostly safe and prosperous.
Tasha Yar died in the line of duty, which many would agree is an example of a selfless act. She was killed instantly by a psychokinetic blast in the 23rd episode of the first season, “Skin Of Evil,” a sudden and rather contrived death, which might be why she returned on an alternate timeline in the third season.
5 Reginald Barclay
Sincere And Helpful Even When Being Mocked
- Played By: Dwight Schultz
Many recognize Reginald Barclay as one of television’s first neurodivergent characters, and considering his simple honesty, straightforward manner, and social awkwardness, they might be correct. This recurring character appeared when the crew of the Enterprise needed someone to think outside the box, and Barclay never let them down when they needed help, even when they were making fun of him.
When the character of Barclay was created, he was used as comic relief and was frequently the subject of snide jokes on the part of those who should have known better. Certain others, like the ship’s Chief Engineer, seemed to recognize this kind of intelligence and was more understanding with Barclay.
4 Geordi La Forge
The Friendliest and Smartest Engineer On The Ship
- Played By: LeVar Burton
Was there anyone on the ship who wasn’t friends with Geordi LaForge? It wasn’t just his friendly demeanor that made him popular, but also his tireless work behind the scenes in Engineering to keep the ship running.
LaForge wasn’t just responsible for the inner workings of the ship, he also had a unique task in the form of resident android Data. In the absence of the doctor who built the android, Noonien Soong, the task fell on LaForge to keep Data up and running or repair him if he malfunctioned. Eventually, he and Data became friends, so it wasn’t so much part of his job as a selfless act for a friend and shipmate.
3 Data
Selflessness Goes Beyond Programming
- Played By: Brett Spiner
Data is one of the most interesting characters in the Star Trek universe because he symbolizes the ideal relationship between humans and machines, as opposed to the Borg which seems to represent the other and much less benevolent extreme. Was his selflessness really him, however, or was it the way he’d been programmed?
Data was built and designed to be docile and generous partly because of the cruel and self-interested Lore, who had turned malevolent very quickly when he came to understand his mental and physical superiority to organic life forms. Given his close friendship with both Geordi LaForge and his cat Spot, along with his willingness to give his life so Picard could live at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis.
2 Guinan
Gentle Wisdom And Admired By All
- Played By: Whoopi Goldberg
Guinan’s backstory was a tragic one. She was an El-Aurian and a refugee from a planet that was destroyed by the Borg and rescued by the Federation. Until this was revealed in the film Star Trek: Generations, most viewers only knew her as the bartender in Ten Forward.
Goldberg had been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and the character was her idea. Guinan rarely had a major role in the plot, with her appearances contingent on Goldberg’s availability, and she often acted as a theme or expository character that others could come to for advice or information.
1 Jean Luc-Picard
A Selfless Captain And Gentle Father-Figure
- Played By: Patrick Stewart
Jean-Luc Picard was a model captain in a lot of ways, but a big part of why he was so great is how dedicated he was to the Enterprise. That not only refers to the ship itself but also the crew of almost a thousand and their families, along with the many residents and workers that called the ship home.
Despite a few brushes with close friendship or even love, Picard never grew close to any of his shipmates, always remaining distant for the sake of his work. He was so selfless that he sacrificed his personal life to serve the ship, and in one of the best endings of any TV show in history, the finale of Star Trek: The Last Generation gives him a chance to finally enjoy a card game with his closest friends and colleagues.