Deanna Troi

Lore & Background

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, like her mother, is a Daughter of the Fifth House. 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 the 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; 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 of the 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 she and her mother 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.

Fellow officers address her in various ways. 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. In the pilot episode, Riker addresses her as 'Lieutenant' only once; he does not refer to her service rank again for several seasons.

Doctor Crusher (one of her most noted female friends) usually calls her 'Troi.' Data rarely uses her first name, preferring to call 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. An entity takes over Troi to communicate with the crew as events unfold. 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 specialize 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. Worf and one of his security teams save her. In the film Star Trek: Nemesis, Shinzon's telepathic viceroy violates her mental integrity. This violation 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.

Eventually, she uses the same connection to flip the tables on the viceroy. 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 frequently mentioned in the series.

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.

Reader's Guide

Her primary role is to provide psychological support to the crew while assisting senior officers with their intuitive insights into diplomatic situations. Troi's skills extend beyond empathy; she is a proficient pilot, a skilled diplomat, and a capable combat officer.