The Real Reason Denise Crosby Left Star Trek: The Next Generation

Denise Crosby's hard-as-nails Lieutenant Tasha Yar was introduced as one of the main characters of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In a move that shocked audiences, however, the chief of security didn't last long aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Season 1, Episode 23 — "Skin of Evil" — marked the character's final episode on "Star Trek: TNG," as Crosby unexpectedly departed the show.

Crosby didn't get fired or find herself forced out, however. Departing the show was her own decision, as she had grown to find the role too restrictive and opted to exit the series.

"I wanted to leave the show," she told StarTrek.com. "Although it was Gene's idea to have the character die. He thought it would be so shocking. I wanted to leave as I was struggling with not being able to do much with the character. I had all these ideas and couldn't do them. I was just stage dressing. I chose to leave instead of just being satisfied with that."

Of course, as "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fans know, neither Denise Crosby nor Tasha Yar were quite done with the franchise, despite the character's death. Instead, things played out in a way that gave Crosby the juicier "Star Trek" role she originally wanted and gave fans more of Yar — after a fashion, at least.

Yar's death comes when the crew encounters Armus (Mart McChesney and Ron Gans), a dangerous alien entity that resembles a tar-covered humanoid. Armus causes Tasha Yar's death by unceremoniously and unexpectedly zapping her with energy, which sends her flying through the air. She never wakes up and dies soon after the landing crew returns aboard the Enterprise. However, Crosby later made brief returns to the series as an alternate-timeline version of Yar, as well as that character's villainous half-Romulan daughter, Sela.

As her later guest star stints with the show suggest, Crosby holds no ill will against "Star Trek: TNG," despite her request to be written off the series. Nor has she second-guessed her choice to step away from her job as part of the main cast. "I never regretted my decision," she told StarTrek.com, noting that the episode where she appears as the alternate-timeline Yar is particularly dear to her. "It's ironic my favorite episode was 'Yesterday's Enterprise'. I had to die and leave the show in order to do [that]. There is some irony in that."