Red Shirt is a nickname for Starfleet's security personnel, named for the distinctive red shirts they wore in the original Star Trek series. Red Shirts are notable for their high casualty rate, as Red Shirts who accompany senior officers on missions frequently die. The name was retained even after security switched to yellow shirts in the post-TOS series.

Although their job description suggests that their role should be limited to providing security on starships, Red Shirts seem to be the only foot soldiers available to the Federation, performing the roles of army and marines in addition to shipboard security.

Casualty Count

Note: This counts only specific security guard deaths; not other crewmen.

TOS Era

21 Deaths from Television to Movies.

TNG Era

6 Deaths from Television to Movies.

DS9 Era

4+ Deaths in Television Series.

Voyager Era

1+ Deaths in Television Series.

Enterprise Era

3+ Deaths in Television Series.

Total Deaths

35+ Deaths

Red Shirt

Contents