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Summary
Star Trekfans may only colligate the term redshirt with the unluckiest officers of the Starship Enterprise , but the word also has a real - world meaning that has nothing to do withStar Trek . The term redshirt became consort withStar Trekthanks to the tendency ofStar Trek : The Original Seriesto kill off unnamed security officers . These unfortunate someone were always wearing violent Starfleet uniforms , and numerous redshirts were killed in 1960sStar Trek . While everyTrekshow sinceStar Trek : The Next Generationhas done away with the redshirt trope , the term had already made its way into the dada refinement lexicon .
As the USS Enterprise ’s security measures officers were often the first single to face any dangers , it makes sense that more of them would be killed in the product line of duty . The term redshirt became aStar Trektropebecause these officers were often belt down unceremoniously and then pronto forget about . Once it became a pattern , these redshirts were doomed from the start , and numerous movies , television appearance , and other forms of media have reference or joke aboutStar Trek’sredshirt trope . However , the term redshirt has another real - world meaning familiar to college sports fans .
Star Trek is infamously recognise for kill off officers wearing red , but Star Trek : The Next Generation actually put an end to this trope in 1987 .
Redshirt’s Meaning In Star Trek & The Real World
The term ‘redshirt’ was coined before Star Trek
InStar Trek : The Original Series , a redshirt was one of the normally unidentified violent - shirt - don security measures officers who was down during a mission . These Starfleet officers would often be phallus of a landing place party , and their deaths would serve to raise the stakes for the rest of the crew . Over the course ofTOS , 55 crew members were killed , 24 of whom were wearing blood-red shirts , and sothe full term amount to denote to disposable characters who were killed off soon after being introduced . The 1999 filmGalaxy Questpokes fun atStar Trek ’s trope , as does the novelRedshirtsby John Scalzi and the video gameRedshirt .
The first lie with exercise of the term redshirts in gaze to college jock was in 1955 , eleven years beforeStar Trekpremiered in 1966 .
According to the Merriam - Webster Dictionary , a redshirt is"a college athlete who is kept out of varsity competition for a year in rules of order to go eligibility . “In other wrangle , a redshirt starter can pass their first academic year practice with the team and trifle in a game or two , before taking on a larger role in subsequent years . This allows the participant to have five years of eligibility and continue to play on the squad as a 5th - year senior . Also according to Merriam - Webster , the term redshirt was come from the red Garden State often worn by these players during scrimmages against the even player .
Killing off a minor role in Deep Space Nine time of year 1 fixed Star Trek ’s redshirt problem and ensured that death would have significance on DS9 .
Star Trek’s Redshirt Trope Ended After The Original Series
Star Trek : The Next Generationchanged the colors of Starfleet uniforms . Red go from security measure to command , and command gold became operations . This switch brought an ending to the redshirt figure inStar Trek , although the term retained its significance in popular culture . FromTNGon , officers on the command path have been wearing red , making it one of the safest colors for a Starfleet officer to wear . Star Trekwas never going to pour down off Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) or Captain Benjamin Sisko ( Avery Brooks ) , after all .
With thedeaths ofStar Trekcharacterslike David Marcus ( Merritt Butrick ) inStar Trek III : The Seach for Spockand Lt . Tasha Yar ( Denise Crosby ) inStar Trek : The Next Generationseason 1 , death began to have more of an shock and genuine upshot for the other persona . Star Trek : Deep Space Ninetook this even further with its darker tone and Dominion War storyline . EvenStar Trekshows set beforeTOShave mostly done away with the trope . Shows likeStar Trek : DiscoveryandStar Trek : Strange New Worldsrarely do by characters as disposable , and which characters live or die has nothing to do with the color of their uniforms . Still , the trope persists , even thoughStar Trekcharacters wearing red have n’t in reality been more likely to kick the bucket since 1987 .
Star Trek : The Original Series and Star Trek : The Next Generation are available to stream on Paramount+ .
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Set in the 23rd hundred , this iconic science fable series follows the spaceship USS Enterprise and its crew as they embark on explorative mission across the coltsfoot . The series examines themes of diplomacy , ethics , and the unsung , often foreground diverse cultures and futuristic technologies .
Star Trek : The Next Generation follows Captain Jean - Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations , seeking out new worlds and civilisation .
Set in the 23rd century, this iconic science fiction series follows the starship USS Enterprise and its crew as they embark on exploratory missions across the galaxy. The series examines themes of diplomacy, ethics, and the unknown, often highlighting diverse cultures and futuristic technologies.
Star Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
