Why Troi’s Original Star Trek Look Would’ve Been A Mistake

The producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation considered giving Deanna Troi three breasts, a move that would have ultimately been a mistake for both the character and the show. Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987 and ran for 7 seasons. It was the 2nd show in the Star Trek franchise and featured Jean-Luc Picard as captain of the USS Enterprise-D, with a crew that included such memorable characters as Commander William Riker, Lieutenant Commander Data, and Counselor Deanna Troi.

Deanna Troi was the half-human, half-Betazoid ship’s counselor. Betazoids are a telepathic species, and Troi’s Betazoid heritage gave her strong empathic abilities, allowing her to sense the emotions of anyone she was in close proximity with. This allowed her an advantage in her job and also meant that she was a valuable asset during first contact situations. Despite her alien heritage, Troi looked human, and her accent was the only indication of her being half-Betazoid. However, in the initial planning for TNG, the creative team was prepared to make Troi more visibly alien in a bizarre way.

In early brainstorming for Troi’s character design, the producers wanted her to have three breasts. While the reasoning behind this idea has never been made clear, it could have something to do with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s ideas of how he wanted Troi to look. Actress Marina Sirtis was cast in the role of Troi partially because Roddenberry was interested in having the character look “exotic” and “otherworldly,” and felt Sirtis’s looks fit that description. If Roddenberry was pushing for Troi to look more alien, the idea of having her have three breasts certainly fits the bill. Of course, playing up Troi’s sex appeal was likely also a factor, and was certainly something she fell victim to over the course of TNG. As one of the only characters who didn’t wear the traditional Starfleet uniform for the majority of the show, many of Troi’s outfits often highlighted her figure and chest in a way that would certainly have served to show off an attribute like three breasts.

Whatever the reason, the idea was quickly shot down by veteran Star Trek producer and writer D.C. Fontana. Fontana was a writer and script editor on Star Trek: The Original Series and was brought back by Roddenberry to serve as part of the initial production team for The Next Generation. Fontana objected to the idea of Troi having three breasts, stating later that she felt as though “women have enough trouble with two.” In addition to this, Fontana thought that the challenge of how to design an appropriate prosthetic for a three-breasted look wasn’t worth the effort. Evidently, after considering her arguments, her fellow producers agreed, since the idea never managed to get past the brainstorming stages.

While the idea of Troi having three breasts might seem potentially interesting to some fans, Fontana’s decision to step in and shut it down proved to be the right choice. Not only would the prosthetic have been challenging to design but the look would have encouraged the objectification of Troi, which ultimately would have ultimately hurt her character. Allowing Troi to look completely human also allowed her to develop into a well-rounded and most importantly well-respected character, something that would have been infinitely more difficult if viewers were constantly distracted by her chest. In the end, the idea of Troi having three breasts is nothing more than a comical footnote in Star Trek: The Next Generation history, and will luckily stay that way.

About The Author

Dana Hanson
(110 Articles Published)

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Dana Hanson is a trainer and freelance writer for Screen Rant, covering stories about Star Trek for the Movie/TV feature writing team. She attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, graduating in 2019 with a degree in Media Arts production and a concentration in Writing for TV and film. She has previous experience working with an online and print publication as a freelance editor and has been passionate about both writing and Star Trek for years. She currently lives in Pennsylvania.

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