Do we like them?

Do we like Data?

A character from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Our score: 10 out of 10. Yes, absolutely. He's loyal, curious, brave and endlessly kind. He's also the crew's best problem-solver, and he never stops trying to be better.

Lieutenant Commander Data is the Enterprise's second officer, and he's an android. He was built by the reclusive scientist Dr. Noonien Soong. He is stronger, faster and far more knowledgeable than any human aboard. He also has no emotions, at least at the start, and he doesn't fully grasp human habits like jokes, idioms and small talk. The show follows the crew as they explore space. Data is the one who watches humanity from the outside.

His quest is what makes him special. Data studies art, plays the violin, tries out comedy, takes up acting and keeps a pet cat. He does all of it sincerely, and often hilariously badly at first. He's also fiercely loyal to Captain Picard and to his friends, especially Geordi La Forge. Several of his best episodes ask whether a machine like him counts as a person with rights, and he handles those questions with grace.

We give him a 10 because his flaws are mostly innocent ones, like being too literal or too naive. His heart is never in doubt. He stays calm under pressure, he sticks to his principles, and he keeps trying to grow. He's also the one who stays steady when other characters give in to temper or fear. If you had to pick someone to stand beside in a crisis, he'd be near the top of the list.

His story pays off in the films. He is offered the chance to feel emotions through an experimental chip, and it brings both joy and trouble. His evil android brother Lore tests his loyalties more than once. In the last film, Star Trek: Nemesis, Data gives his life to save his captain and crew, which shows how far he has come in understanding what it means to be human.