Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation Data Ode to Spot Portrait T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Star Trek
Data
Data occupies the position Spock held in the original series — the outsider examining humanity — but the series does something more interesting with him, because his exclusion is legal rather than cultural. The Next Generation's best episode is a courtroom drama about whether he is Starfleet property, and the argument turns on a question nobody in the room can answer: what test would prove he is a person, and would any of them pass it.
- First appearance
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Paramount
- Created by
- Gene Roddenberry, D. C. Fontana
- Also known as
- Lieutenant Commander Data
- Universe
- Star Trek
- Appears in
- television, film, books, games
Who is Data?
Data occupies the position Spock held in the original series — the outsider examining humanity — but the series does something more interesting with him, because his exclusion is legal rather than cultural. The Next Generation's best episode is a courtroom drama about whether he is Starfleet property, and the argument turns on a question nobody in the room can answer: what test would prove he is a person, and would any of them pass it. That is a genuinely serious piece of writing for a syndicated science-fiction show in 1989. His stated goal is to become more human, and the series is careful that this is his own choice rather than something demanded of him. Brent Spiner played him with a flat affect that makes the rare moments of apparent feeling land hard.
Data: the details
- First appearance
- Star Trek: The Next Generation, September 1987
- Created by
- Gene Roddenberry, with the character developed substantially by D. C. Fontana
- The courtroom episode
- The Measure of a Man argues whether he is Starfleet property, and no one can define a test for personhood he would fail and humans would pass
- Legal rather than cultural exclusion
- Unlike Spock, his outsider status is a question of law
- Becoming human is his choice
- The series is careful that the goal is his own rather than demanded of him
- Positronic brain
- A term borrowed directly from Isaac Asimov's robot stories
- No contractions
- He is written as unable to use them, a small consistent tic Spiner maintained for seven seasons
Why Data endures
The centre of the most serious argument about artificial personhood that mainstream television attempted in the 1980s, and the character through which The Next Generation established it was doing something different from the original series.
What Data looks like on a shirt
Signature motif: Pale gold skin and yellow eyes; the Starfleet delta in operations gold
The Starfleet delta again does the identifying work, and the gold operations variant distinguishes him from Spock's science blue and Kirk's command gold. Positronic and circuitry motifs are the character-specific alternative.
The Starfleet delta in operations gold distinguishes him from Spock's science blue and Kirk's command gold. Circuitry and positronic motifs are the character-specific alternative. Gold and black.
Data T-shirts
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Star Trek: The Next Generation Data Parameters T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Star Trek: The Next Generation Data Cat Portrait T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Star Trek: The Next Generation Data Heartthrob T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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A&E Designs
A&E Designs Star Trek Data Poker FACE Adult Black T-Shirt Tee Shirt, Small
$24.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Star Trek
Star Trek Starfleet Academy Delta Crest T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Popfunk
Popfunk Star Trek Starfleet Academy Seal with Arch Unisex T-Shirt, Navy, XL
$17.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Buying from outside the United States? Prices shown are amazon.com in US dollars. Links redirect international readers to their local Amazon, where pricing, sizing and availability are shown in local terms.
Price and availability are taken from Amazon at the time shown and can change. The price on Amazon at the time of purchase applies.
Sizes: kids to adult
Data shirts are produced across the full US size range. These links run a live Amazon search filtered to each band, so they show what is genuinely in stock rather than a cached list.
| Band | Ages | US sizes | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler | 2–4 years | 2T, 3T, 4T | Search toddler sizes |
| Kids | 4–7 years | XS (4/5), S (6/7) | Search kids sizes |
| Youth | 8–14 years | M (8), L (10/12), XL (14/16) | Search youth sizes |
| Adult | 15+ | S–3XL | Search adult sizes |
US sizing shown. Cut and measurement vary between brands — see the size guide before ordering, especially for youth sizes. Base search: Star Trek Data t-shirt.
Who has played Data
| Performer | Production | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Spiner | Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1987 | Live action |
More sci-fi & fantasy
All sci-fi & fantasy →Data T-shirts: common questions
Who created Data?
Data was created by Gene Roddenberry and D. C. Fontana, first appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987 (Paramount).
What does a Data T-shirt usually look like?
Pale gold skin and yellow eyes; the Starfleet delta in operations gold. The Starfleet delta in operations gold distinguishes him from Spock's science blue and Kirk's command gold. Circuitry and positronic motifs are the character-specific alternative. Gold and black.
Are Data T-shirts made for children?
Yes — Data appears on our kids pages, and shirts are commonly made from US toddler 2T up through youth XL.
Who has played Data?
Data has been played on screen by Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987).
How much does a Data T-shirt cost?
Data shirts we currently track start from around $17.99 on amazon.com. Every price on this page is dated, because they move.
This profile was compiled from published reference material about Data — first appearance, creator credits and production history — and is a secondary source rather than a substitute for the original publication. Where a detail could not be corroborated it has been left out. We do not physically test garments; see how we work for what that means and what it does not.
Reference. This profile was compiled from published sources. For the character's full publication history see Wikipedia (Wikidata Q22983). Our method and limitations are stated in full.
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