4. Ensign O’Hierly

Episode: ‘Arena’ (Star Trek, Season One)

Actor: Jerry Ayres

Death by: Reptile.

Captain’s log: O’Hierly beams down alongside Kirk, Spock, Dr McCoy and several other expendable (though thoughtfully red shirt-free) security types. So guess who gets it in the neck?

Yes, the unfortunate ensign is quickly disintegrated by Gorn soldiers - large, humanoid lizard types with a lust for combat and armour that looks like they made it out of squashed bottle tops.

O'Hierly briefly looks like he's overdosed on Ready Brek but at least he got to appear in one of the series’ most famous episodes.

Sample from death note to family: “Dear Mrs O’Hierly. I must sadly inform you that your Starfleet-serving son has been wiped from existence by  the disintergrator cannon of a walking lizard.

Such hazards are common here among the stars, but he displayed a notable lack of tactical thinking by standing up in clear sight and shouting that he’s seen the enemy.

So, really, it was his fault all along. Yours, James T. Kirk, Captain.”