Star Trek is all about human exploration, aliens, and the future. And, while fans adore all the different species and cultures they meet, one of the most fascinating people are ones born without a defined culture: androids. Often created by advanced humanoids to make their lives easier, these beings struggle with their identity, purpose, and more. After all, most of their creators don't consider them to be quite as "real" as any of the other organic beings around them.
While Star Trek has seen many androids in its day, some are better—and more compelling—than others. For example, despite changing the course of android history forever in the galaxy, Picard's F-8 didn't really have much going for him except his tragic hijacking and an unfortunate name. Here are the ten best Star Trek androids, ranked.
Automated Personnel Unit 3947
While in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager ran into a synthetic species with no real proper name. However, they did abduct B'Elanna Torres to help them with some engineering problems.
These androids weren't the most humanoid looking folk, but they were the kind that grew intelligent beyond their programming and came to understand their existence. Unfortunately for their creators, that turned into the androids rising up against them and hunting them to extinction. Happens when you use a whole species as cannon fodder. Safe to say, B'Elanna's encounter with these androids did not end well. It was a cautionary tale of treating other sentient life with respect.
B-4
Dr. Soong's first android prototype, B-4 wasn't nearly as sophisticated as his later brothers like Lore or Data. However, he was a valuable touchstone in the future of his kind. After all, he housed the first positronic brain and became the inspiration for all future Soongien-type androids. B-4 also saved the memories and life of Data, his younger counterpart.
Where other humans had to copy other species' work to try to make androids, Soong made one all on his own. B-4 would bring in a new era for synthetics—even if he never was allowed to see it himself.
Dahj
Even though fans only knew Dahj a short time, she was a fantastic android. She was the initial proof that androids had moved beyond the limitations of Data, acting and seeming as human as anyone else. Where Soji generally seemed a little more analytical and serious than those around her, Dahj acted like a very average girl, having drinks with her boyfriend and enjoying a vibrant, sensitive human life. Until the Romulans came for her, that is.
While Dahj couldn't save herself, she proved that the galaxy was capable of having its own race of full-functional, autonomous, human-like synthetics. She deserved better than the slaughter she got.
Ruk
As the first official android on Star Trek screens, Ruk was a relic of a civilization long-lost, only leaving their synthetic creations behind. While Ruk didn't have much of a personality, Dr. Korby couldn't have made his androids without Ruk's sophisticated template. Now, while everyone loves Dr. Korby's madness and watching Kirk teach robot Andrea to love, none of that was possible without Ruk.
After being one of the sole survivors or a great conflict, the dude definitely deserves better than how Korby treated him. Sure, he wasn't safe for the rest of the galaxy, but he deserved a better life than to be used and discarded, after surviving so much hardship. RIP, Ruk.
Lore
The brother of Data, Lore was the antithesis of all of Data's acceptance. He was a much more sensitive android who understandably hated being treated like an outsider, being rejected, and all of the bad things that Data was luckily capable of ignoring. Lore proved that androids can also inhabit all the darker parts of humanity, as well. Jealousy, pettiness, cruelty, lust for power, the works. He was vindictive in taking the emotion chip from Dr. Soong, and he was selfish in using the lost and confused ex-B's, as his own little minions.
While he never was a kind android, he proved how much influence a creator/parent has, and how Soong's treatment turned him into something worse. His complexities make him an important android, albeit not a good one.
Lal
Data's first child held a special place in his positronic heart, his first attempt at creating life on his own. She was given so much more freedom to explore and grow, and, unfortunately, her brain just wasn't prepared to handle it.
However, Data did do something remarkable: he improved on his own creator's progress by making an android who could do things he couldn't, like feel emotions in a deep, complex way, or use contractions. Also, she looked so human in comparison to Data. Lal was the first step to the Soongien-type androids of Picard, and, though losing her hurt Data and she lived for such a short time, she changed the future of synthetic kind.
Juliana Tainer
The most life-like android that Noonien Soong ever made was of his own wife, Juliana. Unfortunately, in an accident, Juliana lost her life. Unable to bear being without her, Soon created an android with her personality that would never know it wasn't human. It acted, felt, and passed completely for a human, with pretend blood and everything.
Their son, Data, eventually found out her secret, but she was such a perfect replica that Data didn't change her life by telling her the secret. Instead, Juliana remained "human" for the rest of her life, or at least until someone else found out.
Ilia
Where the TOS series could be cheesy and messy at times, the TOS movies were where Kirk and co. really shined their brightest. In one of their adventures, they faced off against V'Ger. The malignant probe ended her life and then used her body to create an android that he could use to communicate with the Enterprise crew. However, despite her similarities to the original Ilia, the android had a suppressed personality and worked for the probe.
Ilia was proof that there were many ways to create complex androids, and not all of those creators would be well-intentioned humans. Despite her transformation, though, the left-over memories meant Ilia still felt and loved to some capacity, which is how Will Decker chose to stay with her and V'Ger forever.
Soji
One of Data's many "children" created by Maddox and Alton Soong, Soji became the turning point for her people. While many of them were reclusive and afraid of people, for justified reasons, Soji became their reason to change their minds. After all, she spent her entire life among them, never knowing her true identity, unlike many of the others. She is the most human android ever to exist. She looked, felt, and presented exactly like one. The only difference was what lay deep underneath her skin.
Though her journey was a difficult one, and she even turned her back on humanity at one point, her ultimate decision to save them instead of dooming them made a brighter future for synthetics forever.
Data
Hands down, the best android was and always will be Data. He always balanced respecting who he was and working his hardest to be something more. He made friends, experienced love, explored science, art, history, and so much more. He let his curiosity and kindness lead him, making him a heroic and ever-growing being.
While others made their synthetic nature their curse, Data fully accepted it with open arms. Since his creation, Data has been an inspiration to many people, especially those who sometimes feel like they're trapped on the outside of humanity. Because he proved, no matter how inhuman you seem, that striving to be human is all you'll ever need. After Picard's finale, this character will be sorely missed.