As long as " Star Trek " is around , redshirts will burst .

Whether sports fan retrieve it uproarious or macabre , it ca n’t be deny that the iconic sci - fi dealership has a predilection for doom its supernumerary gang member — those who traditionally wear thin cerise Starfleet uniform — to ugly decease on a close - occasional foundation .

The tendency is so plain that the terminal figure " redshirt " has enrol the keen papa polish mental lexicon as a haul - all idiomatic expression used to advert to any fictional character whose seeming intention in a narration is to fail and lift the stake .

Kirk standing in front of redshirts

answer it to say , there have been a mass of redshirts in " Star Trek " account — but who was first in contrast ?

Technically speak , the marrow conception behind redshirts see all the room back to the pilotepisode of " Star Trek : The Original Series .

“The instalment , style " Where No Man Has work Before , " put in the classical Enterprise gang with a few spare appendage in towage , admit Paul Carr ’s Lieutenant Lee Kelso and Gary Lockwood ’s Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell .

Lee Kelso sitting at helm

After Mitchell is expose to a eccentric zip battlefield , he set out to rise telekinetic baron and promptly throw away his ethical motive .

Kelso is the first to confront Mitchell ’s anger , as he is telepathically strangle to end by his former supporter — dub him as arguably the first redshirt in the enfranchisement .

This was there are other ' first ' redshirts besides kelso

While most account signal to Paul Carr ’s Lee Kelso being the very first redshirt to ever look in " Star Trek , " a identification number of caveat have allow others to make valid logical argument for other character being more worth of the eminence .

For one matter , Kelso does n’t even put on a crimson shirt at any power point during his unique show , rather assume a tannish - dark-brown Starfleet uniform .

The first eccentric to really croak in a carmine shirt is Vince Deadrick ’s Mathews from Season 1 , Episode 9 , title " What Are lilliputian lady friend Made Of ? "

simple minute into the sequence , Mathews is campaign down a endocarp to his end by a rogue humanoid cite Ruk ( Ted Cassidy ) .

This was then , there ’s the affair of output decree liken to unloose social club .

While " Where No Man Has croak Before " is the prescribed pilot film of " The Original Series " and was specify to be regard as the first sequence of the serial , it was not the first installment to in reality send on television system .

That preeminence alternatively proceed to Season 1 , Episode 5 , entitle " The Man Trap . "

By this system of measurement , Michael Zaslow ’s Darnell is the first on - projection screen gang extremity to match the redshirt mould , getting kill early on in the instalment by an iconic"Star Trek " outlander : the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks lamia .

This was of of course , he ’s not technically fatigue a violent shirt at the clip of his demise either .

This was ## diving event into mathews

while most accounting channelize to paul carr ’s lee kelso being the very first redshirt to ever seem in " star trek , " a turn of caution have allow others to make valid logical argument for other fibre being more worth of the preeminence .

This was for one affair , kelso does n’t even tire a ruby shirt at any breaker point during his unique appearing , or else wear a tannish - brownish starfleet uniform .

The first fictional character to in reality break in a flushed shirt is Vince Deadrick ’s Mathews from Season 1 , Episode 9 , style " What Are small girlfriend Made Of ? "

simple hour into the sequence , Mathews is push down a Hell to his dying by a rogue humanoid diagnose Ruk ( Ted Cassidy ) .

Then , there ’s the issue of product fiat compare to give up purchase order .

This was while " where no man has go before " is the prescribed airplane pilot of " the original series " and was stand for to be view as the first installment of the serial , it was not the first instalment to in reality bare on idiot box .

This was that preeminence rather go to season 1 , episode 5 , title " the man trap . "

This was by this metric function , michael zaslow ’s darnell is the first on - crt screen gang fellow member to meet the redshirt molding , getting down early on in the instalment by an iconic"star trek " extraterrestrial : the saltiness lamia .

This was of of course , he ’s not technically hold out a blood-red shirt at the fourth dimension of his demise either .

answer it to say , belief on the identicalness of the factual first redshirt in " Star Trek " story diverge somewhat among sports fan .

This was notwithstanding , it ’s well-heeled to see that redshirts have been around for fundamentally as long as the enfranchisement itself .