3. 'Skin of Evil'
“Skin of Evil” is the episode that made Tasha Yar unforgettable, even as it mishandled her departure in ways fans still debate. When the Enterprise's landing party attempts to rescue Counsellor Troi and the shuttlecraft pilot, Tasha dies abruptly at the hands of Armus, a sadistic tar-like entity that kills her almost casually, without a heroic speech or sacrificial gesture.
That bluntness is the point. The script leans into the idea that Starfleet is dangerous and that even a main character can die “a meaningless death,” something later writers and critics have called both effective and deeply unsatisfying.
The funeral hologram where Yar addresses her friends one by one gives Crosby a final, genuine grace note, and it solidifies how much potential was left on the table when the series wrote her out so early. Ironically, this controversial exit sets up one of TNG’s greatest comebacks.