Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) became one ofStar Trek: The Next Generation’smost beloved characters, but the android had a fascinating life before the show even began. As the operations officer on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data helped save the galaxy numerous times. WithoutData’s enhanced android abilitiesand resistance to pathogens and mind manipulation, the Enterprise would have been destroyed several times over. Data was the only android of his kind serving in Starfleet, and he wanted nothing more than to be human.
Throughout its seven seasons,TNGrevealed many interesting facts about Data’s history. However, none of his life before the Enterprise-D has ever been shown on screen. Data was created by cyberneticistDr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), and he and his wife, Juliana (Fionnula Flanagan), came to see the android as their child.Data spent his earliest days living among the colonists of Omicron Theta,as Dr. Soong perfected the android’s programming. Dr. Soong and his wife fled Omicron Theta when a mysterious Crystalline Entity attacked the planet, and the deactivated Data was left behind.
Data’s Starfleet Career Before Star Trek: The Next Generation Began Is Fascinating
Data Was A Great Starfleet Officer Even Before The Enterprise
The Federation starship USS Tripoli found Data on Omicron Theta on June 08, 2025. After being reactivated, Data’s programming quickly advanced, until he achieved sentience. When Data created a daughter inTNGseason 3, episode 16, “The Offspring,” he reminisced about his own “childhood,” saying that he had no one to guide him as his neural net was developing. Because he had been rescued by Starfleet,Data chose to attend Starfleet Academy beginning in 2341. He achieved excellent marks and graduated with honors, although he did struggle some socially.
Data’s Complete Star Trek Timeline, Explained
Brent Spiner’s Lt. Commander Data has had one of Star Trek’s most fascinating character journeys, from Star Trek: TNG through Star Trek: Picard.
Soon after graduating from the Academy, Ensign Data was assigned to the USS Trieste and spent the next several years advancing through the ranks. By his second year on the Enterprise,Data had already achieved several of Starfleet’s highest awards,although the particular events that led to these honors have not been explored on screen. Data had an impressive and unique Starfleet career before he joined thecrew of the Enterprise-D, and his life only continued to get more interesting as it progressed.
Why Star Trek Probably Won’t Show Data’s Life Before The Next Generation
Anything Is Possible, But A Data Prequel Story Would Be Difficult To Pull Off
While it would be fascinating to see Data’s life beforeStar Trek: The Next Generation,it seems unlikely thatStar Trekwill show these events on screen. Brent Spiner has continued to age since 1987, so he could not play a younger version of Data. With shows likeStar Trek: Strange New Worlds,Star Trekhas a good track record when it comes to recasting iconic characters.That said, while it’s possible Data could be recast with a younger actor, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Spiner portraying the beloved android (although the same was also said about Spock).
AlthoughStar Trek: The Next Generationtold mostly self-contained stories in each episode, Data’s journey to discover his humanity became one ofthe show’s most compelling and endearing ongoing storylines.
Star Trek: Lower Deckshas already brought back an alternate universeversion of Data (voiced by Spiner), so an animated show or film could be a possibility to explore Data’s story. It’s also possible thatStar Trek: Section 31,which is set inStar Trek’s"lost era," could reference Data or Dr. Noonien Soong somehow. Even ifStar Treknever actually shows Data’s life beforeStar Trek: The Next Generation,future projects could still reveal more about one of the franchise’s most fascinating characters.
