Since Star Trek first blasted its way onto television screens in the 1960s, the characters have gotten by through determination, intelligence and a little bit of luck. They end up in bad situations, but usually manage to escape because they are unwilling to give up, or because they know how to outsmart an opponent.
But some Star Trek characters have been far unluckier than others during their space adventures. These characters don't just get to explore new galaxies and seek out new civilizations. They more often than not end up in life-threatening peril, especially the red shirts. These particular Star Trek characters simply cannot catch a break.
7 Lt. Sam Kirk (Strange New Worlds)
Introduced on Strange New Worlds, Lt. Sam Kirk is the brother of James T. Kirk. Just by virtue of his bloodline, he is likely to be unlucky because he will be forgotten when compared to his brother. Sam serves aboard the Enterprise under Captain Pike as a xeno-anthropologist, and has been injured on away missions.
On top of his struggles with his job, Sam butts heads with his brother over their father's expectations. Sam eventually finds love, gets married, and leaves Starfleet. Unfortunately, he and his wife are killed by flying parasites in a final stroke of bad luck.
6 Lt. Singh (Strange New Worlds)
Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh serves on as Security Chief on board the Enterprise under Captain Pike in Strange New Worlds. She is the descendent of Khan Noonien-Singh, the antagonist in the beloved film Wrath of Khan. Because of her ancestry, she faced her share of prejudice, which led to a tragic and violent childhood. The Gorn attacked the colony ship where she grew up, the SS Puget Sound, leaving her as the only survivor.
Even after joining Starfleet, La'an Noonien-Singh faced further discrimination due to her name and ancestry. While she would become an important part of Captain Pike's crew, she would again be taken captive by the Gorn in the season two finale.
5 Captain Shaw (Picard)
Captain Liam Shaw is a Starfleet officer who has seen firsthand the damage the Borg can cause. He is one of the few survivors of the Battle of Wolf 359, one of the Federation's most devastating battles with the Borg. While surviving the battle may be considered lucky, Shaw appeared to develop survivor's guilt.
After becoming an accomplished Starfleet captain and taking command of the Titan, Shaw becomes an unwitting accomplice when Picard and William Riker hijack the ship to go help Beverly Crusher. Shaw dies at the hand of the Borg protecting his ship and crew, who had not already been assimilated.
4 Icheb (Voyager, Picard)
Icheb was introduced on Voyager as a child whose purpose was to destroy the Borg. His parents had him genetically engineered and intentionally assimilated to try to stop the alien threat. Icheb eventually tried to return to his parents, who once again attempted to have him assimilated to destroy the Borg.
After Voyager rescued Icheb, he would join the ship's crew and become a Starfleet officer. Even though his life was looking up, Picard revealed Icheb would be kidnapped by the Borg and was harvested for parts. He would later die in Seven of Nine's arms.
3 Ensign Harry Kim (Voyager)
Did any member of the Voyager crew have an unluckier time than Harry Kim? Whenever the crew went on away missions, Harry was the most likely to end up in sickbay with an injury or an alien illness. He was also taken prisoner several times, and even died on more than one occasion.
In addition to several near-fatal (or fully fatal) accidents, Harry Kim was also unlucky in love. He pursued several romantic relationships, but the women usually did not return his affections. This even included a holodeck character. Plus, he spent all seven years on board Voyager as an Ensign, never receiving a field promotion despite his honorable service.
2 Lt. Tasha Yar (The Next Generation)
Only appearing for part of the first season of The Next Generation, Lt. Tasha Yar's entire life was unlucky. Her parents were killed when she was young, leaving her to look after her sister in a dangerous failed Federation colony. After escaping and joining Starfleet, she served as Security Chief on board the Enterprise before being killed on an away mission.
An alternate version of Tasha Yar would return in later seasons. This version would be involved in endless war with the Klingons, and would return to the past with the injured Enterprise to help restore the timeline. Yar would then survive a Romulan attack, and would become a consort to a powerful politician. She gave birth to a daughter, but when Tasha tried to escape Romulus, the daughter turned her over to security and Tasha was executed.
1 Chief Miles O'Brien (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine)
There is no better poster child for unlucky Star Trek characters than Miles O'Brien. He was the everyman character, first on the starship Enterprise and then on the space station, Deep Space Nine. He seemed relatable with his wife and child, but he also faced more hardships than seemingly any other character.
Miles O'Brien was tortured and imprisoned, injured, and infected by viruses. He even died and was replaced by a future version of himself. Miles O'Brien was always there to suffer, but he was recognized as "the most important person in Starfleet history" in Lower Decks.