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{{short description|Stock character; an expendable character who dies soon after being introduced}}
{{Other uses|Redshirt (disambiguation){{!}}Redshirt}} {{Other uses|Redshirt (disambiguation)}}
⚫ ].]]
⚫ {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
A "'''redshirt'''" is a ] in fiction who dies soon after being introduced. The term originates from the original '']'' (1966–69) television series in which the redshirted security personnel frequently die during episodes.<ref>{{cite book | authorlink=Robert W. Bly|first=Robert W.|last=Bly|year=1996|title=Why You Should Never Beam Down in a Red Shirt: And 749 More Answers to Questions About Star Trek| isbn = 0-06-273384-2}}</ref> Redshirt deaths are often used to dramatize the potential peril that the main characters face.
⚫ ] (right) and ] (left) discover dead redshirts in the '']'' episode "]" (1967).]]
In fiction, "'''redshirt'''" is an informal term for a ] who is killed off shortly after being introduced. The term often implies that said character was introduced for the sole purpose of being killed off while adding little else to the story, and is sometimes used pejoratively to point out a redshirt's lack of good ] or the obviousness of their incoming demise. Redshirt deaths are often used to emphasize the potential peril faced by more important characters.


The term originates from the ] (1966–69), in which red-uniformed security officers and engineers often suffered deaths in the episode in which they first appeared, in contrast to most of the show's main characters wearing other colors.<ref>{{cite book | author-link=Robert W. Bly|first=Robert W.|last=Bly|year=1996|title=Why You Should Never Beam Down in a Red Shirt: And 749 More Answers to Questions About Star Trek|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers | url=https://archive.org/details/whyyoushouldneve0000blyr_o0i5| url-access=registration| isbn = 0-06-273384-2}}</ref>
⚫ ==''Star Trek''==
In many episodes of ''Star Trek'' red-uniformed security officers and engineers who accompany the main characters on landing parties often suffer quick deaths.<ref name="itzkoff">{{cite news|url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/arts/television/14itzk.html?pagewanted=print|title= On 'Lost,' the Castaway Who Stands Out Without Even Trying|last=Itzkoff|first=David|date=14 May 2006|work= The New York Times | accessdate =14 February 2011}}</ref> Analysis of the original ''Star Trek'' episodes shows that of the 59 crew members killed in the series, 43 (73%) were wearing red shirts.<ref name=sitelogic>{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Matt|title=Analytics According to Captain Kirk|url=http://www.sitelogicmarketing.com/blog/02-analytics-according-to-captain-kirk|publisher=SiteLogic Online Marketing Consultants|accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> In the ] ''Star Trek'' novel '']'', a crew member says, "You don't want to wear a red shirt on landing-party duty".<ref>{{cite book | publisher= Pocket Books| year= 1985| isbn= 0-671-52488-7| title= ]| first=Della Van| last= Hise}}</ref> The '']'' book ''Legends of the Ferengi'' says Starfleet security personnel "rarely survive beyond the second act break".<ref>{{cite book | last =Behr|first=Ira Steven|authorlink=Ira Steven Behr|author2=Robert Hewitt Wolfe |title=Legends of the Ferengi |isbn=0-671-00728-9}}</ref> The ] of the franchise features a character named Olson (portrayed by ]) who dies early on during a mission; he happens to wear a red uniform as an homage to the original series.<ref>{{Citation | contribution = To Boldly Go | type = featurette | title = Star Trek | format = DVD release}}.</ref>


==Influence== ==Origin==
{{Blockquote|…red-shirted security guards often got torn apart by a monster or dematerialized by a ]…|'']'' on redshirts, 2006<ref name="vinciguerra20061008">{{Cite news |last=Vinciguerra |first=Thomas |date=2006-10-08 |title=There Are No Small Parts, Only Long Memories |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/arts/television/08vinc.html |access-date=2022-06-20 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>}}
In other media, the term "redshirt" and images of characters wearing red shirts represent characters destined for suffering or death. The '']'' episode "]" (1998) appropriates its name from a ''Star Trek'' episode, and includes a direct ''Star Trek'' reference when one of the kids, wearing a red T-shirt, defies Mrs. Crabtree's instructions to remain on the bus and is immediately torn apart by a big scary monster lurking in the shadows.<ref>{{cite web|title="The City On The Edge Of Forever" (season 2, episode 7; originally aired 6/17/1998)|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/city-on-the-edge-of-forever,83323/|author=Phil Dyess-Nugent|date=12 October 2012|accessdate=24 February 2013}}</ref> '']'' (1999), a comedy about actors from a defunct science-fiction television series serving on a real starship, included an actor who is terrified that he's going to die on an away mission because his only appearance in the show was as an unnamed character who was killed early in the episode.<ref>{{cite web|title=Galaxy Quest (1999) Movie Review|url=http://www.beyondhollywood.com/galaxy-quest-1999-movie-review/|accessdate=14 February 2011|publisher=Beyond Hollywood|date=7 November 2002}}</ref> The only character injured in the '']'' episode "]" (2002) wears a red shirt; writer ] confirmed that this "redshirt" reference was intentional.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=]|issue=34|date=June 2002|quote=That was totally on purpose. It wasn’t just me - a group of us said, ‘Hey, a red shirt would be cool!’}}</ref> In the movie, "Spy Game" at the 23 minute mark, the target of a sniper assassination is referred to as a "red shirt". Early scripts for '']'' (], 2004–2010) describe the character of ] as a "red shirt".<ref name="itzkoff" /> The term is also used in the '']'' episode "Implosion".<ref>{{cite web|title=Warehouse 13: Implosion Review|url=http://www.mania.com/warehouse-13-implosion-review_article_117130.html|author=Vaux, R.|date=19 August 2009|accessdate=24 November 2011}}</ref> '']''{{'}}s review of '']'' describes characters who meet "grisly ends" in the film as "redshirts".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2012/06/prometheus_ridley_scott_s_alien_prequel_reviewed_.html|title=Prometheus|first=Dana|last=Stevens|publisher=]|work=]|accessdate=7 June 2012|date=7 June 2012}}</ref> ]'s ]-winning novel '']'' (2012) both spoofs and pays homage to the notion of disposable low-ranking crew members on a ''Star Trek''-style starship.


In ''Star Trek'', red-uniformed security officers and engineers who accompany the main characters on landing parties often suffer quick deaths.<ref name="itzkoff">{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/arts/television/14itzk.html?pagewanted=print|title= On 'Lost,' the Castaway Who Stands Out Without Even Trying|last=Itzkoff|first=David|date=14 May 2006|work= The New York Times | access-date =14 February 2011}}</ref>{{r|vinciguerra20061008}} The first instance of what now is an established ] can be seen in the 1966 episode "]"<ref>{{Cite web|title = Star Trek The Original Series Rewatch: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"|url = http://www.tor.com/2015/05/12/star-trek-the-original-series-rewatch-what-are-little-girls-made-of/|website = Tor.com|access-date = 2015-05-31|date = 12 May 2015|last = DeCandido|first = Keith|author-link = Keith DeCandido|publisher = Tor Books}}</ref>
The term was used in United States District Judge ]'s May 2013 judgment against ].<ref>http://www.popehat.com/2013/05/06/does-prenda-believe-in-no-win-scenarios-because-judge-wright-just-gave-them-one/#more-18627</ref><ref>http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PendaSanctionsOrder.pdf</ref>

Of the 55 crew members killed in the series, twenty-four were wearing red shirts, compared to fifteen who had unconfirmed shirt colors, nine in gold shirts, and seven in blue shirts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/surprise-star-trek-gold-shirts-more-deadly-than-red-shirts/|title=Surprise! 'Star Trek' gold shirts more deadly than red shirts|first=Amanda|last=Kooser|website=CNET}}</ref><ref>Official ''Star Trek'' website: https://www.startrek.com/article/did-redshirts-really-die-more-often-on-tos</ref>

The '']'' book ''Legends of the ]'' says Starfleet security personnel "rarely survive beyond the second act break".<ref>{{cite book | last =Behr|first=Ira Steven|author-link=Ira Steven Behr|author2=Robert Hewitt Wolfe |title=Legends of the Ferengi |isbn=0-671-00728-9|year=1997|publisher=Pocket Books }}</ref> A 1998 episode of ''Deep Space Nine'', "]," also references red as a sort of bad luck omen, in which the plot centers around a group of cadets calling themselves "Red Squad", almost all of whom die in the episode.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jermaine|first1=H|title=The Star Trek Red Shirt: A Mysterious In-Show Omen?|url=http://blog.allposters.com/star-trek-red-shirt/|website=Allposters.com Blog|publisher=Allposters|access-date=30 January 2015|date=30 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405210904/http://blog.allposters.com/star-trek-red-shirt/|archive-date=5 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 2009 ] of the franchise features a character named Olson (portrayed by ]) who dies early on during a mission; he wears a red uniform in homage to the trope from the original series.<ref>"To Boldly Go", Star Trek (DVD release) featurette</ref>

==Usage==
In other media, the term "redshirt" and images of characters wearing red shirts have come to represent disposable characters destined for suffering or death.<ref>Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling, edited by Monica Valentinelli, Jaym Gates</ref><ref>The Nowhere Bible: Utopia, Dystopia, Science Fiction, by Frauke Uhlenbruch, page 176</ref>

The trope, and its particular usage in ''Star Trek'', has been parodied and ] in other media. Parodies include the 1999 comedy film '']'', about actors from a defunct science-fiction television series serving on a real starship, which includes an actor who is terrified that he's going to die because his only appearance in the show was as an unnamed character who was killed early in the episode.<ref>{{cite web|title=Galaxy Quest (1999) Movie Review|url=http://www.beyondhollywood.com/galaxy-quest-1999-movie-review/|access-date=14 February 2011|publisher=Beyond Hollywood|date=7 November 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003004148/http://www.beyondhollywood.com/galaxy-quest-1999-movie-review/|archive-date=3 October 2012}}</ref> The novel '']'' by ] satirizes the trope, as does the video game '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gog.com/game/redshirt|title=Redshirt on GOG.com|website=www.gog.com}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] {{nb10}}
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* '']''


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


== External links == ==External links==
*{{memoryalpha|Redshirt}} {{Memoryalpha|Redshirt}}
* {{Citation | url = http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Redshirt | publisher = TV Tropes | type = article | title = Redshirts}}.


{{Stock characters|state=collapsed}} {{Stock characters|state=collapsed}}
⚫ {{Star Trek}}
⚫ {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Redshirt (Character)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Redshirt (Character)}}
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]
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Latest revision as of 17:11, 4 September 2024

Stock character; an expendable character who dies soon after being introduced For other uses, see Redshirt (disambiguation).

Captain Kirk (right) and Mr. Spock (left) discover dead redshirts in the Star Trek episode "Obsession" (1967).

In fiction, "redshirt" is an informal term for a stock character who is killed off shortly after being introduced. The term often implies that said character was introduced for the sole purpose of being killed off while adding little else to the story, and is sometimes used pejoratively to point out a redshirt's lack of good characterization or the obviousness of their incoming demise. Redshirt deaths are often used to emphasize the potential peril faced by more important characters.

The term originates from the original Star Trek television series (1966–69), in which red-uniformed security officers and engineers often suffered deaths in the episode in which they first appeared, in contrast to most of the show's main characters wearing other colors.

Origin

…red-shirted security guards often got torn apart by a monster or dematerialized by a Klingon…

— The New York Times on redshirts, 2006

In Star Trek, red-uniformed security officers and engineers who accompany the main characters on landing parties often suffer quick deaths. The first instance of what now is an established trope can be seen in the 1966 episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

Of the 55 crew members killed in the series, twenty-four were wearing red shirts, compared to fifteen who had unconfirmed shirt colors, nine in gold shirts, and seven in blue shirts.

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine book Legends of the Ferengi says Starfleet security personnel "rarely survive beyond the second act break". A 1998 episode of Deep Space Nine, "Valiant," also references red as a sort of bad luck omen, in which the plot centers around a group of cadets calling themselves "Red Squad", almost all of whom die in the episode. The 2009 cinematic reboot of the franchise features a character named Olson (portrayed by Greg Ellis) who dies early on during a mission; he wears a red uniform in homage to the trope from the original series.

Usage

In other media, the term "redshirt" and images of characters wearing red shirts have come to represent disposable characters destined for suffering or death.

The trope, and its particular usage in Star Trek, has been parodied and deconstructed in other media. Parodies include the 1999 comedy film Galaxy Quest, about actors from a defunct science-fiction television series serving on a real starship, which includes an actor who is terrified that he's going to die because his only appearance in the show was as an unnamed character who was killed early in the episode. The novel Redshirts by John Scalzi satirizes the trope, as does the video game Redshirt.

See also

References

  1. Bly, Robert W. (1996). Why You Should Never Beam Down in a Red Shirt: And 749 More Answers to Questions About Star Trek. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-273384-2.
  2. ^ Vinciguerra, Thomas (8 October 2006). "There Are No Small Parts, Only Long Memories". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. Itzkoff, David (14 May 2006). "On 'Lost,' the Castaway Who Stands Out Without Even Trying". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  4. DeCandido, Keith (12 May 2015). "Star Trek The Original Series Rewatch: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"". Tor.com. Tor Books. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  5. Kooser, Amanda. "Surprise! 'Star Trek' gold shirts more deadly than red shirts". CNET.
  6. Official Star Trek website: https://www.startrek.com/article/did-redshirts-really-die-more-often-on-tos
  7. Behr, Ira Steven; Robert Hewitt Wolfe (1997). Legends of the Ferengi. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-00728-9.
  8. Jermaine, H (30 January 2015). "The Star Trek Red Shirt: A Mysterious In-Show Omen?". Allposters.com Blog. Allposters. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  9. "To Boldly Go", Star Trek (DVD release) featurette
  10. Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling, edited by Monica Valentinelli, Jaym Gates
  11. The Nowhere Bible: Utopia, Dystopia, Science Fiction, by Frauke Uhlenbruch, page 176
  12. "Galaxy Quest (1999) Movie Review". Beyond Hollywood. 7 November 2002. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  13. "Redshirt on GOG.com". www.gog.com.

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