Copyright Paramount CBS – Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar in Star Trek The Next Generation
07 – Tasha Yar
A female Chief of Security and Tactical Officer with a dark past and the ability to hold her own in any fight, Tasha’s death may have been for nothing, but its impact would last.
Growing up on a planet where robbery, gang rape, and acts of violence were the everyday normal turned Tasha into a driven officer with a strong sense of right and wrong who was tough enough to take on any challenge.
Unfortunately, she met Armus, a puddle who killed her to see if it would amuse him to do so. Her death was due to actress Denise Crosby’s wish to leave the series as she was reportedly afraid that the bulk of the episodes would focus on the three most senior officers and her character wouldn’t grow in the way she wanted, had she known how much of an ensemble series Star Trek: The Next Generation would become I’m sure she would have done it differently.
The impact of her death would change the series as a whole, moving Worf from an uncomfortable looking ops officer to Chief of Security really brought his character into its own, turning him into one of the most lasting character in franchise history, I’m not sure I could say that had he remained at the front of the bridge looking out of place next to Geordi, or Data.
Her death would also be long remembered by Data, with whom she had established a physical relationship, and be featured as a part of one of the best episodes of the series, Yesterday’s Enterprise in which she learned that she didn’t belong as a part of the crew and ultimately went back in time with the crew of the Enterprise C, where she was captured by Romulans and gave birth to the villainous Commander Sela.
A pretty strong impact for a character who didn’t make it out of the first season.