There's a reason that the Star Trek IP remains popular, despite any bumps in the franchise road that include bad movies, angry fans, and unimpressed critics. Some of the most iconic and beloved characters in television and movie history have been introduced to audiences via a Star Trek property.
A few of these characters have gone on to carry their own spinoff shows, with Picard as one of the most recent examples. Star Trek: The Next Generation only survived two cringe-worthy first seasons thanks to the compelling figure of Jean Luc Picard at the helm, but there were other characters on the show that were just as interesting. These characters could easily carry spinnoff shows of their own.
7 Guinan
This might just be too easy. Guinan could be one of the most popular and beloved characters in TNG, and technically she's not even a crew member. She played a supporting role in the movie Star Trek: Generations and has also appeared in Picard.
The possibilities for a series featuring Guinan could go in a myriad of different directions. It could focus on her early life and the traditions of her people, the mysterious and deeply intuitive El-Aurians, or her rocky dealings with the Q Continuum. Even a retelling of a season of TNG from her point of view could be interesting.
6 Deanna Troi
Would anyone even know she was a Betazoid if it wasn't for the lore? It's barely referenced in the show, which is disappointing, and it's something that could be a central point of a series about Counselor Troi. Early episodes of TNG explored some of the past relationships she had with Riker on Betazed, but there was never any in-depth story.
There's also the ongoing drama between Deanna and her mother Lwaxana, played by long-time Trek alumni Majel Barrett, who appeared in TOS as Nurse Chapel and the original XO in the pilot. Considering Troi's interesting background and what must have been a riveting time training her psychic and empathic abilities, along with her popularity among fans, there's very little material that's been dedicated to her alone.
5 Geordi La Forge
Geordi La Forge has so many connections throughout the Star Trek universe that he might have enough visibility for his own series already. Beyond the screen time, his engineering talents have made their mark on human history, and he worked with legendary engineer Montgomery Scott from The Original Series.
La Forge has a long and illustrious career outside of his work on the USS Enterprise, which included becoming Chief Engineer and Data's first human friend. He would go on to administer the Fleet Museum and appear in Deep Space Nine,Picard, and one episode of Voyager.
4 Worf
Worf isn't just one of the most popular characters in The Next Generation. His story goes all the way back to the days of the movies starring the cast of The Original Series, when he was the defense lawyer for Kirk and McCoy versus the Klingon Empire in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
The story of Worf could be his memoir, told with the rise and fall of the Klingon Empire in the background and all the historic events that took place along the way. A series about his time as the only Klingon in the Starfleet Academy could be a movie or series.
3 Q
It doesn't have to be about the Q from TNG, although it could be. He's known for his supporting roles in other shows including Picard and Voyager, and since the Q Continuum are beings with god-like powers, any of them can do almost anything.
These abilities are the reason why characters like Q are regulated to supporting roles, but there are ways to make th plot. There was a TNG episode that featured a plotline in which Q loses his powers, for example, and another where he mimics characters from old TOS episodes. There's a lot that a clever writer could do with a show that focuses on Q.
2 William Riker
If one-half of TNG's power couple is on this list, the other can also join in, and they some of the most exciting people in the Enterprise. Jonathan Frakes brought another dimension to William Riker, a character that seemed to have a distinguished career that the audience didn't hear enough about.
Riker's career started years before he set foot on the USS Enterprise, and his rise through the ranks of Starfleet command must be a compelling saga. He worked with Geordi La Forge on the USS Hood, and was one of the officers involved in the Pegasus Incident when his commanding officer got caught testing an illegal cloaking device.
1 Natasha Yar
The sudden passing of Tasha Yar is one of the most infamous in the Star Trek universe. She had a unique backstory that introduced a new idea to the Star Trek universe: that not everywhere the Federation planted their flag was an idealistic paradise.
It was a darker idea that would develop in the gritty politics of shows like Deep Space Nine and the survivalist themes of Voyager. A closer look at what happened to the failed colony on Turkana IV would be a memorable story, along with how Yar managed to survive in such a harsh environment.