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	{{~~Star~~ ~~Trek~~ character~~\|if=\|Title~~ = ~~Deanna~~ ~~Troi~~		{{short description\|Fictional character from Star Trek}}
			{{Use American English\|date=April 2023}}
	\|bgcolor = #ccccff
			{{Use mdy dates\|date=April 2023}}
	\|Image = Sirtis_as_Troi2.jpg
			{{Infobox character
	\|Caption = Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi
	\|~~Species~~ = ~~]/]~~		\| name = Deanna Troi
	\|~~Gender~~ = ]		\| series = ]
			\| image = DeannaTroi.jpg
	\|Hair color = Brown
			\| caption = ] as Deanna Troi
	\|Eye color = Black
			\| first = {{Plainlist\|
	\|Measurments = 38D-26-34
			* "]" (1987) <br> ('']'')
	\|Planet = ]
			}}
	\|Affiliation = ]
			\| last =
	\|Posting = ] ship's counselor<br />] ship's counselor<br />]
			\| creator = ] <br> ]
	\|Position = ]
			\| portrayer = ]
	\|Rank = ]<BR>]
			\| species = ] (maternal)<br /> Human (paternal)
	\|Portrayed = ]
			\| affiliation = ]<br />]
			\| family = Ian Andrew (father, deceased)<br>] (mother)<br>Kestra Troi (sister, deceased)<br>Unnamed half-brother
			\| children = Ian Troi, II (deceased)<br>Thaddeus Troi-Riker (deceased)<br>Kestra Troi-Riker
			\| lbl23 = Posting
			\| data23 = USS ''Titan'' ('']'', '']'') <br />]<br />('']'', '']'', '']'', '']'')<br />]<br />(Seasons 1–7, '']'')
			\| lbl24 = Position
			\| data24 = Diplomatic Officer<br />(USS ''Titan'')<br />Counselor<br />(USS ''Enterprise''-E,<br />USS ''Enterprise''-D)
			\| lbl31 = ]
			\| data31 = ]<br />(Season 7, films)<br />]<br />(Seasons 1–7)
			\| lbl32 = Partner
			\| spouse = ]
	}}		}}

			'''Deanna Troi''' is a main character in the ] television series '']'' and ], portrayed by English actress ]. Troi is half-human, half-], and has the ] ability to ]. She serves as the ship's counselor on ]. Throughout most of the series, she holds the rank of lieutenant commander. In the seventh season, Troi takes the bridge officer's examination and is promoted to the rank of commander, but continues as counselor.
	Commander '''Deanna Troi''' is a ] in the ] universe, played by the actress ] in the series '']'' (''TNG''), '']'', '']'' (the latter two only in guest appearances), and in several Star Trek films.

			Troi appears in all four ''Next Generation'' theatrical films, and also made guest appearances on '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''.
	==Biography==
	{{spoiler}}
	According to her personnel file seen in the episode "]", Deanna Troi was born on ], ]. She was born near Lake El-Nar {{fact}}, ] to parents ] Ambassador ] and the late ] Lt. Ian Andrew Troi (whose name is given in the "Conundrum" file as "Alex Troi"). Troi had a sister named Kestra whom she never knew. Kestra died in a drowning accident while Deanna was a baby ("Dark Page" '']''). Unlike her mother, who was a saucy, carefree spirit, Deanna was quiet and reserved and often embarrassed by her mother's jaunty behavior.

			Her romantic interests, family and personal life are plot elements in many ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episodes.
	Being brought up on Betazed, Deanna had little access to ] ], but her father used to read ] stories to her every night and from that, she fostered a lifelong interest in the genre. According to her personel file, she attended ] from 2355 to 2359.

			==Depiction==
	As a child, Troi was 'genetically bonded' to a human boy called Wyatt Miller, which meant that they would marry once they were old enough. However, the day before it was due to take place, the ] was called off ("]", '']'').
			Deanna Troi was born on March 29, 2336, near Lake El-Nar, ].<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/character/1112460.html \|title=StarTrek.com: Deanna Troi \|access-date=December 27, 2006 \|archive-date=December 6, 2009 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206173710/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/character/1112460.html \|url-status=dead }}</ref> Troi's parents are Betazoid Ambassador ] (portrayed by ]) and deceased human Starfleet officer Lt. Ian Andrew Troi (portrayed by ]). An older sister, Kestra, died in a drowning accident during Troi's infancy. Although Deanna Troi has little exposure to Earth culture, she attended ] from 2355 to 2359, as well as the University of Betazed, and earned an advanced degree in ]. As part of betazoid aristocratic culture, Deanna has her mother' lastname Troi, instead her father' lastname Andrew.

			Deanna Troi serves as the ship's ] aboard the Starfleet starships ] and ] under the command of ] ]. In '']'', Troi leaves the ''Enterprise'' with her new husband ], who has just been promoted to captain of the USS ''Titan''.
	Troi graduated from the University of Betazed with a degree in ].

			Troi's empathic abilities prove key to main shows, and other popular areas are her relationships and sexuality. In "]", she gives birth to an alien child.
	Troi was ship's counselor on the ] and also subsequently on the ].

			The Betazoid race has ] abilities. Due to her half-human heritage, Troi has only partial telepathic abilities, and as a result, is more of an ] with ]. In ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', Troi has expanded her empathic abilities, as she is able to connect to another psychic and follow that empathic bond to its source. In this instance, her ability enables ''Enterprise''-E to target and hit the ] vessel ''Scimitar'', despite the fact that it is cloaked. She is also able to communicate telepathically with her mother and other telepathic Betazoids or races with sufficient aptitude. Several species are resistant to the telepathy and empathy of Betazoids, such as the ], the ] and the Ulians.<ref>The inability of Betazoids to read the Ferengi (as they can deliberately keep their minds closed), the Breen and the Ulians was established in the episodes "]", "]" and "]", respectively.</ref>
	Troi, though lacking the full Betazoid range of mental abilities because of her half-human heritage, is an ] ] which often comes in use when dealing with hostile aliens. One notable exception to this is her inability to read the ] during TNG episode "]" (Ferengi minds cannot be read by the telepathic abilities of Betazoids or ]s).

			Early in the series, Troi finds herself working with a former lover, the newly assigned ] to USS ''Enterprise'', ] William Riker. In season one, she meets a potential spouse in "]". In later episodes, Troi has romantic involvements with several others, including a brief relationship with ] Starfleet officer ] ]. A major exploration of their relationship begins with "]", in which Worf encounters parallel universes where they are married with children. Another episode that explores a Troi-Worf relationship is "]". However, in both cases, they are not revealed to be dating aboard the "real" ship, although both episodes are oriented towards exploring this concept. In "]", the beginnings of a real-world relationship are briefly explored, though this is abruptly dropped as Worf explores other love interests in '']'', and Troi's romantic relationship with Riker is rekindled through the ''Next Generation'' films.
	In 2364, she joined as a lieutenant commander on the ''Enterprise''-D and in 2370 was promoted to ] ("]", TNG).

			As a main cast member, Troi appears in nearly every ''TNG'' episode, though particular episodes, starting with "The Child", feature her as the primary protagonist. Her name is included in the show title "]", which is oriented towards an adventure her mother and she have (besides ] and ], this is one of the few cases where a character's name is in the episode title). Other episodes principally about Troi include: "]", "]", "]" and "]". The Season 7 episode "]" deals with Troi's attempts to pass the bridge officer's exam; she succeeds after several attempts and is promoted to Commander.
	In 2365, Deanna had a son, named Ian Andrew after her father, as a result of an impregnation by an ] being seeking to learn more about ]s by living a human existence. The child aged rapidly and died after several days ("]", TNG).

			She is addressed in various ways by fellow officers. Captain Picard calls her "Counselor", but when he is concerned about her, or in emergencies, he calls her "Deanna". Picard also refers to her as "Commander" in the pilot episode, "]", which is consistent with her uniform's rank pips. Riker addresses her as "Lieutenant" a single time in the pilot episode; her service rank is not referred to again for several seasons. ] (one of her most noted female friends) usually calls her "Troi". Data very rarely calls her by her first name, usually calling her "Counselor Troi". Depending on the situation, Commander Riker calls her "Deanna" or "]", which means "beloved" in the Betazoid language.
	In 2372, following the crash-landing of the ''Enterprise''-D ('']''), she was transferred to the ''Enterprise''-E.

			In several episodes, Troi falls victim to aliens. In an episode of season four ("]"), the ''Enterprise''’s crew loses a day's memory. As events unfold, Troi is taken over by an entity to communicate with the crew. She temporarily gains "superhuman" strength and effortlessly tosses Worf across the bridge, breaking his wrist. In the season-five episode, "Violations", the ''Enterprise'' encounters an alien species who are telepathic and specialise in being able to bring back lost memories. One of the aliens mentally assaults Deanna and also tries to physically assault her in her quarters. She is saved by Worf and one of his security teams. In the film, ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', she is mentally violated by Shinzon's viceroy, who is also telepathic. This occurs in her quarters when she is with her new husband, Commander Riker; it also occurs in the ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' bonus deleted scenes, where she is attacked in the turbolift. She eventually is able to turn the tables on the viceroy using the same connection.
	In 2379, after an on-again/off-again relationship which solidified in '']'', Deanna Troi married then-] ] and transferred to the ] with her husband when he assumed command of the vessel ('']'').

			Troi is an avid connoisseur of chocolate, a fact that is significant in multiple episodes, including one in which she tells Commander Riker how to properly enjoy eating it. In the episode "]", Beverly Crusher briefly describes Troi to Captain Picard to jog his memory and mentions that she "loves chocolate". She is known for ordering chocolate-flavored desserts in ], and her love for desserts is a common point of dialogue in many shows. She talks about this with a visiting-alien ambassador in "]", who takes up her love for desserts as in their culture they do not have this type of food.
	===Biography notes===
	According to the novel '']'', Troi became interested in ] as a career after a romantic involvement with ]. However, ] novels are generally not considered ].

			Dream-themed episodes include "]", where Troi appears as cake in Data's dream and in "Night Terrors", her dreams help save the ship. The dreams a suitor thinks he is having about her in "Haven" become a major plot point in that episode.
	In an alternate future created by ] in TNG's final episode, "]", Troi dies of unknown (but apparently tragic) causes in 2377, an event that causes a rift to develop between ] (with whom she was briefly romantically linked near the end of the series) and Riker. ] prevents these events from happening by revealing the future to his crew.

			==Development and casting==
	==Criticism of the character==
			]
	Commander Troi was considered by some to be one of the less popular characters on the series, partly because of a perceived worthlessness of her character's position in the show and partly because in many episodes her dialogue accomplished little but to state what was already obvious (such as the famous "I sense <emotion>, Captain," after that emotion had already been adequately demonstrated by dialogue or special effects). However, later in the show, there were some attempts to broaden her characterization, including training for a promotion to full commander. She also proved successful in undercover work on several occasions. ], one of the producers of TNG and executive producer of '']'', identified Counselor Troi as one of the show's most embarrassing features, noting that having a psychotherapist as a member of the command-level crew was a very obvious relic of the ] ] culture.
			] at first read for the role that would become ] in 1986. She had, in total, five readings, all with ] and other executives. Roddenberry took a liking to her almost immediately.<ref>{{cite book\|first=Adam\|last=Schrager\|chapter=Marina Sirtis: From Hoi Polloi to Counsellor Troi\|title=The Finest Crew in the Fleet: The Next Generation's Cast On Screen and Off\|publisher=Wolf Valley Books\|location=New York City\|date=1997\|isbn=978-1888149036\|page=147\|quote=She landed a guest role on the series ''Hunter''. Other small television roles followed, but no steady work came her way during her short stay. Just before she was to return home – broke, credit cards "maxed out", and depressed – Sirtis auditioned for the role of the chief security officer aboard the USS ''Enterprise'', Lieutenant Macha Hernandez (later changed to Natasha Yar).}}</ref> ], who eventually won the role of Tasha, auditioned for the role of Deanna Troi. Sirtis was said to have had a more "exotic" feel about her.<ref>As stated in the DVD extras found on a bonus ''Star Trek'' TNG DVD</ref>

			She was just about to return home, in debt and jobless, when she received the phone call alerting her that she had the role of Deanna Troi. She stated that if it had been an hour later, she would have missed that call and been on her way to England. Sirtis' ] was expiring that day, and if ], she could have run into legal trouble.
	Another debatable aspect of the character was her costuming; although a ] officer, she dressed in ] clothes, often form-fitting ]s and during one season an exotic-looking dress. It has even been quoted by Sirtis herself that her role was to make the show ].{{fact}} She switched to a standard ] in the sixth season of TNG when Troi was ordered to don a regulation uniform by temporary ''Enterprise'' captain ] (during a period when Picard was on an undercover assignment). The producers decided that Troi looked good in a regular uniform, so the new look was kept. Her character became more likeable when she became more of an officer and less of a therapist. In ''Star Trek: Insurrection'', there is a scene where Troi is sitting in the command chair in charge of the ''Enterprise''. Troi finally was written not as a psychologist, but as a Starfleet officer first.

			For Sirtis, ''Star Trek'' was her first big break. Prior to Deanna Troi, her acting career was going nowhere: "What they told us about ''The Next Generation'' when we first started was that we were guaranteed 26 episodes. So that was the longest job I've ever had."
	Troi's ] was also a changeable feature of the character. Originally, Sirtis—who in real life speaks with an ] accent—created an exotic-sounding, almost ] accent for the character, which she has described as being based on the accent of an ]i friend. Her efforts at creating a sound for citizens of Betazed were for naught when actors using ] accents began playing other Betazoids. Over the course of the series, Troi's accent was gradually toned down to the point that, by the TNG theatrical films, it was a regular mid-Atlantic accent.

			Series creator ] initially intended Troi to be "eye candy" - beautiful, sexy, and not very bright.<ref name="sirtis">{{cite web\|first=Kieron\|last=Moore\|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-deanna-troi-next-generation-facts-trivia/\|title=Star Trek: 15 Things You Never Knew About Deanna Troi\|website=]\|date=July 24, 2017\|accessdate=April 6, 2021\|archive-date=April 24, 2022\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424215523/https://screenrant.com/star-trek-deanna-troi-next-generation-facts-trivia/\|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also conceptualised her as ], before his wife told him this was a bad idea.<ref name=engel>{{cite book\|last=Engel\|first=Joel\|title=Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek\|url=https://archive.org/details/generoddenberrym00enge\|url-access=registration\|date=1994\|publisher=]\|location=New York City\|isbn= 978-0786860043}}</ref> Prior to filming, Sirtis was told to lose {{convert\|5\|lb\|kg\|abbr=on}}, but thought to herself that she had to drop even more, and was often wearing plunging necklines and form-fitting dresses. After six years, the producers decided to drop the "sexy and brainless" Troi and make her a stronger character, represented by changing her outfit to a standard crew uniform: <blockquote>I was thrilled when I got my regulation Starfleet uniform... it covered up my cleavage and I got all my brains back, because when you have cleavage, you can't have brains in Hollywood... I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled.{{r\|sirtis}}</blockquote>
	==Other appearances==
	Besides being a regular in TNG and its movies, Troi appeared in three episodes of '']'' toward the end of its run and in the final episode of '']''.

			==Reception==
	==Key episodes and milestones==
			One reviewer compared her to ] from the original ''Star Trek'' television series.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.agonybooth.com/deanna-troi-whats-so-bad-therapist-on-the-bridge-star-trek-tng-26212 \|title=What's so bad about a therapist on the bridge? \|last=Birkner \|first=Steven \|date=August 5, 2015 \|website=The Agony Booth \|access-date=October 29, 2017}}</ref> In 2018, ] ranked Counselor Troi as the 25th-best ] character of ''Star Trek'', in 2018; they note her role as an empath aboard ''Enterprise'' 1701-D.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-starfleet-members-ranked/\|title=Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked\|date=October 27, 2018\|website=CBR\|language=en-US\|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref> In 2017, '']'' ranked Troi as the 9th-best character on ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/star-trek-the-next-generation-characters-ranked-1201882388/\|title='Star Trek: The Next Generation': Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski\|last=Miller\|first=Liz Shannon\|date=September 30, 2017\|website=]\|language=en\|access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref>
	Episodes in which Troi's character is expanded or takes a key role:

	* "]" - character introduction
			In 2016, Troi was ranked as the 24th-most important character of Starfleet within the ''Star Trek'' universe by ].<ref>{{Cite magazine\|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/09/star-treks-100-crew-members-ranked/\|title=Star Trek's 100 Most Important Crew Members, Ranked\|last=McMillan\|first=Graeme\|date=September 5, 2016\|magazine=]\|access-date=March 20, 2019\|issn=1059-1028}}</ref>
	* "]" - meets her betrothed

	* "]" - becomes pregnant
			In 2017, '']'' ranked Troi the 12th-most attractive person in the ''Star Trek'' universe.<ref>{{Cite web\|first=Sarah\|last=Sanderson\|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-most-attractive-characters/\|title=Star Trek: 20 Most Attractive Characters\|date=December 15, 2017\|website=]\|language=en-US\|access-date=July 12, 2019\|archive-date=April 16, 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416012852/https://screenrant.com/star-trek-most-attractive-characters/\|url-status=dead}}</ref>
	* "]" - loses her empathic abilities for a brief time

	* "]" - assumes command of the ''Enterprise'' after a disaster
			In 2018, ] ranked Troi the 25th-best member of Starfleet.<ref>{{Cite web\|first=Chris\|last=Snellgrove\|url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-starfleet-members-ranked/\|title=Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked\|date=October 27, 2018\|website=]\|language=en-US\|access-date=July 19, 2019}}</ref>
	* "]" - promoted to commander

	* "]" - abducted and coerced to pose as a Romulan
			In 2019, Troi was ranked the sixth-sexiest ''Star Trek'' character by ].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/definitively-ranking-the-top-12-sexiest-star-trek-characters\|title=Definitively ranking the top 12 sexiest Star Trek characters\|last=Fleenor\|first=S. E.\|date=January 31, 2019\|website=]\|language=en\|access-date=July 12, 2019\|archive-date=January 22, 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122051431/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/definitively-ranking-the-top-12-sexiest-star-trek-characters\|url-status=dead}}</ref>
	* "]" - marries Riker

			In 2020, '']'' recommended the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episodes "]", "]" and "]" as having some of the best moments for this character.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/next-generation-characters-star-trek-picard\|title=A guide to Star Trek: Picard's Next Generation characters\|last=Honorof\|first=Marshall\|website=]\|language=en\|date=February 8, 2020\|access-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>

			In 2020, ] was very positive about her performance in the ''Star Trek: Picard'' episode "Nepenthe", explaining that "It features Deanna Troi at her very best, with Marina Sirtis at the height of her powers."<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Silliman\|first=Brian\|date=March 30, 2020\|title=Star Trek: Picard finally gave Deanna Troi the love she's always deserved\|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/star-trek-picard-deanna-troi-episode-marina-sirtis\|access-date=May 20, 2021\|website=SYFY WIRE\|language=en}}</ref>

			==Franchise appearances==
			Besides being a regular in ''The Next Generation'' and its films, Deanna Troi appears in three episodes of '']'' ("]", "]", and "]") together with ], and in ] of '']'', "These Are the Voyages...", with William Riker.

			Troi appears in the '']'' season 1 episode "Nepenthe", set twenty years after ''Nemesis'' where she is married to Riker and they have two children, Thad (deceased) and Kestra. When Jean-Luc Picard and his android companion Soji visit the Rikers' home, Deanna and her husband welcome them with open arms. Deanna and Will are both retired from Starfleet, although Will is described as being on "active reserve".

			Deanna appears in a recurring capacity in the first half of season 3, which include flashbacks to her motherhood. She is later revealed to have been abducted by the antagonists of the season, and is reunited with Riker, who had fallen into an existential crisis after Thad's death and needed to temporarily separate from her to get outside help from Picard. They discuss their marital issues in their detainment, realizing their relationship had turned into one of toxic codependency and longing for adventure. Worf rescues the couple, and they are reunited with the ''Enterprise'' crew aboard a new incarnation of the USS ''Titan''.

			Troi appears in the first-season finale of the animated '']'', set a year after the events of ''Nemesis''.

			==See also==
			* ]

			==References==
			{{reflist\|30em}}

	==External links==		==External links==
	* {{memoryalpha}}

			{{Commons category}}
	{{Star Trek regulars}}
			{{Memory Alpha}}

			{{Star Trek: The Next Generation}}
			{{Star Trek: Picard}}
			{{Star Trek recurring characters}}
			{{Authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 22:09, 9 December 2024

Fictional character from Star Trek

Fictional character

Deanna Troi
Star Trek character
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
First appearance	"Encounter at Farpoint" (1987) (The Next Generation)
Created by	Gene Roddenberry D. C. Fontana
Portrayed by	Marina Sirtis
In-universe information
Species	Betazoid (maternal) Human (paternal)
Affiliation	United Federation of Planets Starfleet
Family	Ian Andrew (father, deceased) Lwaxana Troi (mother) Kestra Troi (sister, deceased) Unnamed half-brother
Spouse	William Riker
Children	Ian Troi, II (deceased) Thaddeus Troi-Riker (deceased) Kestra Troi-Riker
Posting	USS Titan (NEM, LDS) USS Enterprise-E (FCT, INS, VOY, NEM) USS Enterprise-D (Seasons 1–7, GEN)
Position	Diplomatic Officer (USS Titan) Counselor (USS Enterprise-E, USS Enterprise-D)
Rank	Commander (Season 7, films) Lieutenant Commander (Seasons 1–7)

Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by English actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid, and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counselor on USS Enterprise-D. Throughout most of the series, she holds the rank of lieutenant commander. In the seventh season, Troi takes the bridge officer's examination and is promoted to the rank of commander, but continues as counselor.

Troi appears in all four Next Generation theatrical films, and also made guest appearances on Voyager, Enterprise, Picard and Lower Decks.

Her romantic interests, family and personal life are plot elements in many Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes.

Depiction

Deanna Troi was born on March 29, 2336, near Lake El-Nar, Betazed. Troi's parents are Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi (portrayed by Majel Barrett) and deceased human Starfleet officer Lt. Ian Andrew Troi (portrayed by Amick Byram). An older sister, Kestra, died in a drowning accident during Troi's infancy. Although Deanna Troi has little exposure to Earth culture, she attended Starfleet Academy from 2355 to 2359, as well as the University of Betazed, and earned an advanced degree in psychology. As part of betazoid aristocratic culture, Deanna has her mother' lastname Troi, instead her father' lastname Andrew.

Deanna Troi serves as the ship's counselor aboard the Starfleet starships USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) and Enterprise-E under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. In Star Trek: Nemesis, Troi leaves the Enterprise with her new husband William Riker, who has just been promoted to captain of the USS Titan.

Troi's empathic abilities prove key to main shows, and other popular areas are her relationships and sexuality. In "The Child", she gives birth to an alien child.

The Betazoid race has telepathic abilities. Due to her half-human heritage, Troi has only partial telepathic abilities, and as a result, is more of an empath with clairsentience. In Star Trek: Nemesis, Troi has expanded her empathic abilities, as she is able to connect to another psychic and follow that empathic bond to its source. In this instance, her ability enables Enterprise-E to target and hit the Romulan vessel Scimitar, despite the fact that it is cloaked. She is also able to communicate telepathically with her mother and other telepathic Betazoids or races with sufficient aptitude. Several species are resistant to the telepathy and empathy of Betazoids, such as the Ferengi, the Breen and the Ulians.

Early in the series, Troi finds herself working with a former lover, the newly assigned first officer to USS Enterprise, Commander William Riker. In season one, she meets a potential spouse in "Haven". In later episodes, Troi has romantic involvements with several others, including a brief relationship with Klingon Starfleet officer Lieutenant Worf. A major exploration of their relationship begins with "Parallels", in which Worf encounters parallel universes where they are married with children. Another episode that explores a Troi-Worf relationship is "Eye of the Beholder". However, in both cases, they are not revealed to be dating aboard the "real" ship, although both episodes are oriented towards exploring this concept. In "All Good Things...", the beginnings of a real-world relationship are briefly explored, though this is abruptly dropped as Worf explores other love interests in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Troi's romantic relationship with Riker is rekindled through the Next Generation films.

As a main cast member, Troi appears in nearly every TNG episode, though particular episodes, starting with "The Child", feature her as the primary protagonist. Her name is included in the show title "Ménage à Troi", which is oriented towards an adventure her mother and she have (besides Data and Q, this is one of the few cases where a character's name is in the episode title). Other episodes principally about Troi include: "Face of the Enemy", "Man of the People", "Violations" and "Night Terrors". The Season 7 episode "Thine Own Self" deals with Troi's attempts to pass the bridge officer's exam; she succeeds after several attempts and is promoted to Commander.

She is addressed in various ways by fellow officers. Captain Picard calls her "Counselor", but when he is concerned about her, or in emergencies, he calls her "Deanna". Picard also refers to her as "Commander" in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", which is consistent with her uniform's rank pips. Riker addresses her as "Lieutenant" a single time in the pilot episode; her service rank is not referred to again for several seasons. Doctor Crusher (one of her most noted female friends) usually calls her "Troi". Data very rarely calls her by her first name, usually calling her "Counselor Troi". Depending on the situation, Commander Riker calls her "Deanna" or "Imzadi", which means "beloved" in the Betazoid language.

In several episodes, Troi falls victim to aliens. In an episode of season four ("Clues"), the Enterprise’s crew loses a day's memory. As events unfold, Troi is taken over by an entity to communicate with the crew. She temporarily gains "superhuman" strength and effortlessly tosses Worf across the bridge, breaking his wrist. In the season-five episode, "Violations", the Enterprise encounters an alien species who are telepathic and specialise in being able to bring back lost memories. One of the aliens mentally assaults Deanna and also tries to physically assault her in her quarters. She is saved by Worf and one of his security teams. In the film, Star Trek: Nemesis, she is mentally violated by Shinzon's viceroy, who is also telepathic. This occurs in her quarters when she is with her new husband, Commander Riker; it also occurs in the Star Trek: Nemesis bonus deleted scenes, where she is attacked in the turbolift. She eventually is able to turn the tables on the viceroy using the same connection.

Troi is an avid connoisseur of chocolate, a fact that is significant in multiple episodes, including one in which she tells Commander Riker how to properly enjoy eating it. In the episode "Remember Me", Beverly Crusher briefly describes Troi to Captain Picard to jog his memory and mentions that she "loves chocolate". She is known for ordering chocolate-flavored desserts in Ten-Forward, and her love for desserts is a common point of dialogue in many shows. She talks about this with a visiting-alien ambassador in "Liaisons", who takes up her love for desserts as in their culture they do not have this type of food.

Dream-themed episodes include "Phantasms", where Troi appears as cake in Data's dream and in "Night Terrors", her dreams help save the ship. The dreams a suitor thinks he is having about her in "Haven" become a major plot point in that episode.

Development and casting

Marina Sirtis at first read for the role that would become Tasha Yar in 1986. She had, in total, five readings, all with Gene Roddenberry and other executives. Roddenberry took a liking to her almost immediately. Denise Crosby, who eventually won the role of Tasha, auditioned for the role of Deanna Troi. Sirtis was said to have had a more "exotic" feel about her.

She was just about to return home, in debt and jobless, when she received the phone call alerting her that she had the role of Deanna Troi. She stated that if it had been an hour later, she would have missed that call and been on her way to England. Sirtis' US visa was expiring that day, and if she had stayed any longer, she could have run into legal trouble.

For Sirtis, Star Trek was her first big break. Prior to Deanna Troi, her acting career was going nowhere: "What they told us about The Next Generation when we first started was that we were guaranteed 26 episodes. So that was the longest job I've ever had."

Series creator Gene Roddenberry initially intended Troi to be "eye candy" - beautiful, sexy, and not very bright. He also conceptualised her as having four breasts, before his wife told him this was a bad idea. Prior to filming, Sirtis was told to lose 5 lb (2.3 kg), but thought to herself that she had to drop even more, and was often wearing plunging necklines and form-fitting dresses. After six years, the producers decided to drop the "sexy and brainless" Troi and make her a stronger character, represented by changing her outfit to a standard crew uniform:

I was thrilled when I got my regulation Starfleet uniform... it covered up my cleavage and I got all my brains back, because when you have cleavage, you can't have brains in Hollywood... I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled.

Reception

One reviewer compared her to Leonard McCoy from the original Star Trek television series. In 2018, CBR ranked Counselor Troi as the 25th-best Starfleet character of Star Trek, in 2018; they note her role as an empath aboard Enterprise 1701-D. In 2017, IndieWire ranked Troi as the 9th-best character on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In 2016, Troi was ranked as the 24th-most important character of Starfleet within the Star Trek universe by Wired.

In 2017, Screen Rant ranked Troi the 12th-most attractive person in the Star Trek universe.

In 2018, CBR ranked Troi the 25th-best member of Starfleet.

In 2019, Troi was ranked the sixth-sexiest Star Trek character by SyFy.

In 2020, Tom's Guide recommended the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Ménage à Troi", "Face of the Enemy" and "Thine Own Self" as having some of the best moments for this character.

In 2020, SyFy Wire was very positive about her performance in the Star Trek: Picard episode "Nepenthe", explaining that "It features Deanna Troi at her very best, with Marina Sirtis at the height of her powers."

Franchise appearances

Besides being a regular in The Next Generation and its films, Deanna Troi appears in three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager ("Pathfinder", "Life Line", and "Inside Man") together with Reginald Barclay, and in the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages...", with William Riker.

Troi appears in the Star Trek: Picard season 1 episode "Nepenthe", set twenty years after Nemesis where she is married to Riker and they have two children, Thad (deceased) and Kestra. When Jean-Luc Picard and his android companion Soji visit the Rikers' home, Deanna and her husband welcome them with open arms. Deanna and Will are both retired from Starfleet, although Will is described as being on "active reserve".

Deanna appears in a recurring capacity in the first half of season 3, which include flashbacks to her motherhood. She is later revealed to have been abducted by the antagonists of the season, and is reunited with Riker, who had fallen into an existential crisis after Thad's death and needed to temporarily separate from her to get outside help from Picard. They discuss their marital issues in their detainment, realizing their relationship had turned into one of toxic codependency and longing for adventure. Worf rescues the couple, and they are reunited with the Enterprise crew aboard a new incarnation of the USS Titan.

Troi appears in the first-season finale of the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks, set a year after the events of Nemesis.

References

"StarTrek.com: Deanna Troi". Archived from the original on December 6, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2006.
The inability of Betazoids to read the Ferengi (as they can deliberately keep their minds closed), the Breen and the Ulians was established in the episodes "Ménage à Troi", "The Loss" and "Violations", respectively.
Schrager, Adam (1997). "Marina Sirtis: From Hoi Polloi to Counsellor Troi". The Finest Crew in the Fleet: The Next Generation's Cast On Screen and Off. New York City: Wolf Valley Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-1888149036. She landed a guest role on the series Hunter. Other small television roles followed, but no steady work came her way during her short stay. Just before she was to return home – broke, credit cards "maxed out", and depressed – Sirtis auditioned for the role of the chief security officer aboard the USS Enterprise, Lieutenant Macha Hernandez (later changed to Natasha Yar).
As stated in the DVD extras found on a bonus Star Trek TNG DVD
^ Moore, Kieron (July 24, 2017). "Star Trek: 15 Things You Never Knew About Deanna Troi". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
Engel, Joel (1994). Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. New York City: Hyperion Books. ISBN 978-0786860043.
Birkner, Steven (August 5, 2015). "What's so bad about a therapist on the bridge?". The Agony Booth. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
"Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked". CBR. October 27, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
Miller, Liz Shannon (September 30, 2017). "'Star Trek: The Next Generation': Ranking the Crew, From Picard to Pulaski". IndieWire. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
McMillan, Graeme (September 5, 2016). "Star Trek's 100 Most Important Crew Members, Ranked". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
Sanderson, Sarah (December 15, 2017). "Star Trek: 20 Most Attractive Characters". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
Snellgrove, Chris (October 27, 2018). "Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
Fleenor, S. E. (January 31, 2019). "Definitively ranking the top 12 sexiest Star Trek characters". SYFY Wire. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
Honorof, Marshall (February 8, 2020). "A guide to Star Trek: Picard's Next Generation characters". Tom's Guide. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
Silliman, Brian (March 30, 2020). "Star Trek: Picard finally gave Deanna Troi the love she's always deserved". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved May 20, 2021.

External links

Deanna Troi at Memory Alpha

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation
Characters	Beverly Crusher Wesley Crusher Data Geordi La Forge Guinan Miles O'Brien Keiko O'Brien Jean-Luc Picard Katherine Pulaski Q William Riker Ro Laren Deanna Troi Worf Tasha Yar
Episodes	Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Films	Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis
Video games	The Next Generation (1993) The Next Generation (1994) Generations: Beyond the Nexus A World for All Seasons A Final Unity Generations Klingon Honor Guard Birth of the Federation Hidden Evil
Related articles	Awards Cast Novels Pinball Role-playing Game USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) "These Are the Voyages..." Technical Manual Countdown Picard

v t e Star Trek: Picard
Episodes	Season 1 Season 2 Season 3
Characters	Beverly Crusher Data Guinan Geordi La Forge Jean-Luc Picard Q William Riker Seven of Nine Deanna Troi Worf
Other	The Ready Room Short Treks The Next Generation Voyager Deep Space Nine

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Cardassians: Damar Dukat Elim Garak Mila Enabran Tain
Ferengi: Brunt Ishka Nog Rom Zek
The Dominion: Female Changeling Weyoun

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