One of the best things about Star Trek: The Original Series was the incredible cast of characters, and Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the world to all new characters who would soon become just as beloved. TNG followed the adventures of the USS Enterprise-D and its crew under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), carrying on that original mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life. Though the first season of TNG left something to be desired, the show improved drastically over the course of its second and third seasons and would be praised by both critics and audiences.
The crew of the USS Enterprise-D would become one of the most beloved Star Trek crews of all time, and Star Trek: The Next Generation would produce some truly outstanding episodes of sci-fi television. With its incredibly compelling cast, TNG became a worthy successor to TOS and led to the continued popularity of the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek would never have become such a beloved franchise without its great characters and the actors who play them, and Star Trek: The Next Generation added some amazing crew members to the Star Trek roster.
12 Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
With a more serious command style than Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Picard leaned into the intellectual side of Star Trek. Picard was a skilled diplomat who preferred to explore every avenue of conversation and compromise before resorting to violence. He may have kept himself emotionally removed from his crew, but he cared about every life and would never leave anyone behind. He loved Shakespeare and Earl Grey tea, and could deliver an inspiring speech or a dressing down better than anyone. Patrick Stewart's commanding performance and great TNG speeches ensured Picard would quickly become one of the most respected and beloved Star Trek Captains.
11 Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
As First Officer, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) led many of the away missions and took over the ship when Captain Picard was incapacitated. Since Captain Picard was a more stoic leader, Riker was meant to act as the "replacement" for Captain Kirk, the adventurous ladies' man who cared deeply about his friends. He had several romances throughout the series, but ultimately ended up with the ship's Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Will really came into his own over the course of the series, and would refuse multiple opportunities for promotion to remain on board the Enterprise.
10 Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
The lovable android Data (Brent Spiner) became a quick fan favorite thanks to his child-like wonder and endearing personality. Created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonian Soong (also played by Brent Spiner), Data had a positronic brain which allowed him to process calculations faster than any computer. Throughout the series, Data longed to be human, and he tried to explore his humanity in different ways, from playing musical instruments and painting to performing Shakespeare's plays. Many of TNG's best episodes focused on Data and his presence on the show allowed TNG to explore what it means to be human in interesting ways.
9 LeVar Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Though Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) began TNG in the command division, he soon transferred to operations and became the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise. Blind since birth, Geordi's visor allowed him to see various types of light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Not only was La Forge a great engineer, but once he discovered a problem, he would not rest until he solved it. Throughout the series, Geordi developed a friendship with Data and Data would often come to Geordi with questions about humanity. Though Geordi could be awkward and even creepy when it came to romantic encounters, he was a good friend, a brilliant engineer, and a loyal crew member.
8 Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
As one of the few Klingons in Starfleet, Worf (Michael Dorn) sometimes struggled to reconcile his Klingon heritage with his duties as a Starfleet officer. Like most Klingons, Worf placed a high value on honor and loyalty and became an invaluable member of the Enterprise crew. It became a bit of a trope to have the alien of the week overpower Worf to show how strong and dangerous they were. Unfortunately, this mostly just made Worf look weaker than he actually was. The character would truly come into his own when Worf made the switch from TNG to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine after TNG ended in 1994.
7 Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
In her role as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) proved to be a smart, capable, and compassionate doctor. Though Dr. Crusher left the Enterprise in TNG season 2 to become head of Starfleet Medical, she returned at the beginning of season 3 and remained throughout the rest of the series. Beverly's empathy sometimes caused her to bend or break Starfleet rules, including the Prime Directive. Her late husband had been close friends with Captain Picard, and Beverly and Picard later developed feelings for one another.
6 Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
The half-human half-Betazoid Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) served as the ship's Counselor and used her Betazoid senses to read people's emotions. Troi's ability to sense deceit made her a valuable member of the Enterprise crew, though her telepathic abilities sometimes made her more susceptible to alien influence. Although she had a few romances throughout the series, her most well-known relationship was with Commander Riker, whom she would eventually marry in Star Trek: Nemesis. Though Troi was not always given the best material to work with, she grew into a compelling character whose caring nature set her apart.
5 Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
As the youngest of TNG's main characters, Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher sometimes struggled to fit in on the Enterprise. The son of Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Wesley had a brilliant mind and eventually became an acting Ensign on the ship. Despite his earlier desire to attend Starfleet Academy, Wesley eventually decided to become a Traveler and explore space and time. The writers seemed unsure about what to do with Wesley as a character some of the time, and he often got saddled with mediocre storylines. Still, Wesley and Wil Wheaton would go on to become important figures in the Star Trek franchise.
4 Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar
Though Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) was only around for the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, she left a lasting impression on both the characters and the fans. As the Security Chief of the Enterprise, Tasha was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and was not afraid to confront dangerous situations head-on. Although Tasha Yar was killed on an away mission in season 1's "Skin of Evil," Denise Crosby would return as alternate versions of the character, as well as the half-Romulan daughter of an alternate universe Tasha Yar.
3 Majel Barrett Roddenberry as Lwaxana Troi
The mother of Deanna Troi, Lwaxana (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) made several appearances over the course of the series, much to Captain Picard's chagrin. Lawaxana acted as an Ambassador for her home planet of Betazed and had a larger-than-life personality that sometimes embarrassed her daughter, Deanna. Lwaxana appeared in several episodes of TNG and would go on to appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well. Though she generally came across as vibrant and happy, her life was not without tragedy. Her first daughter, Kestra, passed away soon after Deanna was born and her second husband, Deanna's father, passed away when Deanna was young.
2 Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan
As the bartender in the Enterprise's lounge, Ten Forward, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) would often provide a listening ear to the officers on the ship. As an El-Aurian, Guinan had a very long life span and was unusually perceptive. Guinan had a distinct dislike for Q (John de Lancie), and a hatred of the Borg, as they had destroyed most of her people. Guinan was close friends with Picard and only joined the Enterprise crew at his request. She developed friendships with many members of the Enterprise crew as they often came to her for advice and help with their problems.
1 John de Lancie as Q
Introduced in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," the omnipotent being known as Q (John de Lancie) took an interest in Captain Picard and his Enterprise crew. In his first appearance, he put all of humanity on trial with Captain Picard and his crew as representatives of the entire human race. Q popped up on the Enterprise on several more occasions, becoming a bit of a thorn in Captain Picard's side. Most notably, in season 2's "Q Who," Q tossed the Enterprise into the far reaches of space where they encountered the Borg for the first time, far earlier in their timeline than they were meant to. Q would go on to appear in other Star Trek series, but he always had a particular fondness for Captain Picard and the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation.