Every Star Trek Series, Ranked Worst To Best

Abstract

• Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence launched an everlasting franchise with 58 years of historical past and over 900 hours of content material.
• Star Trek has a number of generations of followers drawn to its optimistic imaginative and prescient of the longer term and endearing characters.
• The 11 Star Trek collection are ranked from worst to greatest, with every collection providing one thing totally different to followers.

Which Star Trek collection is the most effective one in every of all? Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek is one of popular culture’s most enduring franchises and has been a staple of tv and popular culture since 1966. In reality, each decade from the Nineteen Sixties onward has had at the very least one new Star Trek collection on the air, and the franchise has loved two golden ages: the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s beneath government producer Rick Berman when 4 Star Trek TV exhibits ran from 1987-2005, and the fashionable Star Trek on Paramount+ period beneath government producer Alex Kurtzman, which has delivered 5 new Star Trek TV exhibits, with extra on the best way.

Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence spawned an epic franchise that has lasted for 58 years, encompassing over 900 hours and 46 seasons of tv (and counting), in addition to 13 Star Trek films. Star Trek has a number of generations of followers who have been delivered to the franchise by totally different collection or movies. Each Star Trek collection is somebody’s favourite and every fan needs various things from Star Trek, however, at its core, audiences are drawn to its optimistic imaginative and prescient of the longer term and Star Trek‘s multitude of endearing characters. Rating the 11 very totally different Star Trek collection is a frightening problem, to make certain. A number of the newer Star Trek collection are nonetheless ongoing, and these rankings might fluctuate in time, however listed here are the 11 Star Trek collection to this point ranked worst to greatest.

11 Star Trek: The Animated Sequence

2 seasons from 1973-1974 on NBC

Star Trek: The Animated Sequence aired on NBC for two seasons spanning 22 half-hour episodes from 1973 to 1974. Government produced by Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana, The Animated Sequence was, on the time, thought-about to be the fourth season of Star Trek and gained an Emmy in 1975 for Excellent Leisure – Kids’s Sequence. It featured the voices of the unique Star Trek actors aside from Walter Koenig, who later grew to become the primary actor to write down an episode of the animated collection. Koenig’s Pavel Chekov was changed by two new alien characters, Lieutenant Ares (voiced by James Doohan) and Lieutenant M’Ress (voiced by Majel Barrett).

Star Trek: The Animated Sequence
‘ canonical standing was questionable for a few years, however it has been steadily referenced and rendered canon in more moderen Star Trek exhibits.

Star Trek: The Animated Sequence featured a number of sequels to standard Star Trek episodes reminiscent of “Extra Tribbles, Extra Troubles”, which adopted up the occasions of “The Hassle With Tribbles”, and “Yesteryear”, through which Spock used the Guardian of Perpetually from “Metropolis on the Fringe of Perpetually” to journey again to his personal previous. Star Trek: The Animated Sequence additionally launched know-how like a holodeck on the USS Enterprise, which was referred to as the “rec room” and was just like the holodeck in Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology. It was additionally in The Animated Sequence that James T. Kirk’s center title was revealed as “Tiberius”. Star Trek: The Animated Sequence is comparatively little seen, with primitive animation by at this time’s requirements, however it holds a particular place for longtime followers.

In 2023, a collection of comedic shorts referred to as
Star Trek: very Brief Treks
, was a tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Sequence

10 Star Trek: Enterprise

4 seasons from 2001-2005 on UPN

Star Trek: Enterprise (initially titled merely Enterprise for its first two seasons) aired for 4 seasons from 2001-2005 on UPN. The prequel collection was set within the twenty second century and chronicled the voyages of the primary Starship Enterprise, the NX-01, commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). Enterprise‘s major solid reshuffled the basic Star Trek ensemble, with Archer supported by a feminine Vulcan First Officer, T’Pol (Jolene Blalock), and his greatest good friend and Chief Engineer Journey Tucker (Connor Trinneer). Enterprise additionally broke Star Trek custom with its opening credit set to the pop track “The place My Coronary heart Will Take Me,” carried out by Russell Watson.

Enterprise
is extra appreciated at this time than when aired, however different exhibits have merely completed stronger
Star Trek
total.

As soon as the collection was retitled Star Trek: Enterprise in season 3, the present’s episodic format grew to become extra serialized to fight falling rankings, though Enterprise was canceled in season 4. Enterprise was additionally a extra sexualized Star Trek collection, which banked closely on Jolene Blalock’s intercourse attraction as T’Pol and Tucker entered a romantic relationship. Whereas a lot of Enterprise‘s tales felt like retreads that have been completed higher by the prior collection, there have been many brilliant spots, like its daring Mirror Universe episodes. Enterprise is extra appreciated at this time than when aired, however different exhibits have merely completed stronger Star Trek total.

Star Trek: Enterprise
‘s collection finale, “These Are The Voyages,,,”, stays controversial and extensively disliked nearly 2 a long time later.

9 Star Trek: Voyager

7 seasons from 1995-2001 on UPN

Star Trek: Voyager aired for 7 seasons because the flagship collection of UPN, and broke new floor as the primary Star Trek collection with a feminine lead, Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway. The idea of Voyager blended Star Trek with Misplaced in Area; Janeway’s starship, the USS Voyager, was misplaced within the unexplored Delta Quadrant, which allowed the collection to introduce new aliens just like the Kazon, the Hirogen, and Species 8472. Finally, the Borg grew to become the first villains of the collection, and Seven of 9 (Jeri Ryan), a Borg returned to her humanity, grew to become a preferred member of the USS Voyager’s crew.

A number of episodes within the latter half of
Star Trek: Voyager’
s run centered round Seven of 9, whose skintight catsuit uniform introduced a brand new type of intercourse attraction and mainstream consideration to
Star Trek
.

Star Trek: Voyager‘s legacy opened a gateway to quite a few new followers, particularly women and girls who grew to become enamored with the Star Trek franchise because of Janeway, Seven, and the sturdy feminine characters in its ensemble. Voyager suffered from being the third Star Trek collection government produced by Rick Berman that by no means fairly lived as much as its lofty expectations because the inheritors of Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology‘s torch (or garnered TNG‘s rankings and recognition). Voyager notably had a dozen 2-part episodes that have been basically Star Trek films, and plenty of elements of the collection are being continued in Star Trek: Prodigy.

8 Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence

3 seasons from 1966-1969 on NBC

Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence is the present that began all of it. Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek stars the long-lasting William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, and DeForrest Kelley as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Star Trek: TOS was a TV collection very a lot of its period, however Roddenberry insisted on a multiracial USS Enterprise crew to point out how far humanity has come sooner or later, and he fought the community for the alien Spock to be a lead character. Star Trek:The Authentic Sequence additionally employed notable science fiction novelists to write down episodes; the widely acknowledged series-best episode, “The Metropolis on the Fringe of Perpetually”, was written by the late Harlan Ellison.

Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence
continues to face the check of time and is the inspirational basis that the whole franchise was constructed upon.

Whereas its visible results are primitive by fashionable TV requirements, and Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence produced a number of episodes laden with points, particularly when its price range was decreased in season 3 as a result of low rankings, Star Trek: TOS‘s greatest episodes are nonetheless hailed as among the many most interesting of the whole franchise. Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence continues to face the check of time and is the inspirational basis that the whole franchise was constructed upon, however a lot of TOS‘ greatest elements have been constructed upon and surpassed by the Star Trek collection that got here after it.

7 Star Trek: Prodigy

2 seasons from 2021 on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy‘s mission is to carry the values of Star Trek to a brand new and youthful viewers, and it does so thrillingly and spectacularly. Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Star Trek: Prodigy is the primary CGI-animated, all-ages Star Trek collection. Prodigy season 1 centered on a ragtag group of alien teenagers who commandeer Starfleet’s USS Protostar to make their technique to the United Federation of Planets. Guided by a Hologram of Captain Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager, Prodigy’s solid of younger heroes led by Dal R’El (Brett Grey) and Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), quickly come beneath the tutelage of the true Admiral Kathryn Janeway.

Star Trek: Prodigy
was canceled by Paramount+ however a devoted fan marketing campaign helped carry season 1 and the upcoming season 2 to Netflix.

What Star Trek: Prodigy achieved in its lone streamed season to date is exceptional. Introducing endearing new characters, Prodigy additionally lovingly calls again to the historical past of the Star Trek franchise, with a particular emphasis on persevering with the place Star Trek: Voyager left off. Whereas Prodigy is mind-bendingly expansive in its scope, with time journey and alternate future timelines central to its major story, Star Trek: Prodigy by no means loses sight of its younger heroes and their coming of age as they embrace the most effective of what Starfleet is all about.

6 Star Trek: Decrease Decks

5 seasons from 2020 ongoing on Paramount+

Star Trek: Decrease Decks dares to be blisteringly humorous, however it’s additionally a genuinely heartfelt love letter to all of Star Trek. Created by Mike McMahan, Star Trek: Decrease Decks is impressed by the Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology episode “Decrease Decks,” and even revealed a direct hyperlink to its namesake because of the backstory of Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome). Mariner and her Decrease Decker pals, Lt. Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Lt. D’Vana Tendi (Noel Wells), and Lt. Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), embody the most effective elements of Starfleet whereas poking countless enjoyable at Star Trek’s quite a few tropes.

Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid introduced Ensigns Mariner and Boimler to live-action in an acclaimed crossover episode with
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds
.

The fiercely clever, rat-tat-tat humor of Star Trek: Decrease Decks belies how wealthy and complicated the crew of the USS Cerritos are, and the collection even efficiently added a fifth Decrease Decker, the Vulcan Lt. T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz), in season 4. As well as, Decrease Decks has deepened Star Trek lore by persevering with to discover the post-Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology Twenty fourth century, together with the present’s groundbreaking depiction of Orion tradition. Star Trek: Decrease Decks runs the gamut of being humorous, heartfelt, provocative, and ribald, however it’s pure Star Trek to the core.

5 Star Trek: Picard

3 seasons from 2020-2023 on Paramount+

Star Trek: Picard is a little bit of a three-headed beast that tells the post-Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology story of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Starting as marginalized and embittered, Picard quickly returns to his greatest future of saving the galaxy, at first with a brand new motley crew together with Seven of 9 from Star Trek: Voyager, the artificial Soji (Isa Briones), and the troubled Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). Star Trek: Picard season 2 delved into Jean-Luc’s childhood trauma and introduced Picard and pals to the twenty first century whereas reintroducing Q (John de Lancie) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) in a convoluted time journey story.

In the end, Star Trek: Picard is a wildly uneven collection buoyed by a spectacular season 3 that also featured memorable moments, daring concepts, and career-best performances.

Nonetheless, Star Trek: Picard season 3 was a revelation and one of many strongest runs of Star Trek in a long time. Below the steerage of showrunner Terry Matalas, Picard season 3 reunited the solid of Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology and delivered what followers wished: a resonant and wildly entertaining celebration of Star Trek’s previous, current, and future. In the end, Star Trek: Picard is a wildly uneven collection buoyed by a spectacular season 3 that also featured memorable moments, daring concepts, and career-best performances from TNG icons like Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and Michael Dorn.

Sadly,
Star Trek: Picard
‘s proposed continuation spinoff, dubbed
Star Trek: Legacy
, just isn’t in improvement at Paramount+.

4 Star Trek: Discovery

5 seasons from 2017-2024 on Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery launched in 2017 because the flagship collection of the CBS All Entry streaming service, which grew to become Paramount+. Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Discovery was controversial as a result of its eye-popping, characteristic film-quality visible results and Twenty third-century setting diverging from Star Trek’s established canon. Discovery’s redesign of the Klingons was additionally extensively disliked. Discovery additionally centered on its revolutionary lead character, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Inexperienced), the primary African-American lady to headline a Star Trek collection. Star Trek: Discovery‘s first 3 seasons was Michael’s journey to the Captain’s chair.

Star Trek: Discovery
season 2 reintroduced Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Quantity One (Rebecca Romijn), who acquired their very own spinoff,
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.

Whereas the collection stays divisive, Star Trek: Discovery’s success ushered within the new fashionable Star Trek period. Discovery‘s delicate reboot in season 3 switched its setting to the thirty second century, permitting Discovery to chart Star Trek‘s farthest future. Star Trek: Discovery‘s thrilling, breakneck tales and complicated character relationships, together with the present’s pioneering LGBTQ+ characters, undoubtedly revitalized the franchise for the fashionable streaming period. Bowing out in season 5, Star Trek: Discovery will doubtless be extra appreciated sooner or later than it presently is within the current.

Star Trek: Discovery
additionally had two seasons of
Star Trek: Brief Treks
spinoffs that adopted up elements of the collection in addition to launched the premise of
Star Trek: Picard
season 1.

3 Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds

3 seasons from 2022 ongoing on Paramount+

Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds is the exemplar of what modern-day Star Trek may be. A by-product of Star Trek: Discovery, Unusual New Worlds is ready within the Twenty third century and chronicles the five-year mission of the USS Enterprise beneath Captain Christopher Pike. Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers reinvented the Star Trek wheel by delivering what Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence can be like if it have been produced within the current day, and the result’s a wide ranging prequel collection with vividly realized characters that could be a rapturous invigoration of the episodic format and new frontier spirit of basic Star Trek.

Unusual New Worlds lends a cool issue to Star Trek that the franchise has by no means fairly loved earlier than.

Unusual New Worlds’ solid is flawless from high to backside, and their abilities are pushed to the boundaries by the collection’ daring tendency towards “large swings.” Unusual New Worlds takes dangers that manner off splendidly, reminiscent of a comedic crossover with Star Trek: Decrease Decks and Star Trek‘s first-ever musical which can be each crowd-pleasing and boundary-pushing. Unusual New Worlds imbues decades-old icons like Captain Pike, Quantity One, Spock, James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and Scotty (Martin Quinn) with the flower of youth. Better of all, Unusual New Worlds lends a cool issue to Star Trek that the franchise has by no means fairly loved earlier than.

2 Star Trek: Deep Area 9

7 seasons from 1993-1999 in syndication

Star Trek: Deep Area 9 was a revolutionary Star Trek collection that actually took the franchise in daring new instructions. DS9 was the primary Star Trek collection not set on a starship, however quite an area station. Deep Area 9 starred Avery Brooks as Commander (promoted to Captain in season 3) Benjamin Sisko, the primary African-American lead of a Star Trek collection. Sisko was additionally a father elevating his teenage son Jake (Cirroc Lofton) aboard the station. DS9 emphasised its eclectic ensemble solid, together with Quark (Armin Shimmerman) and his prolonged Ferengi household, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) the Changeling Safety Chief, and Garak (Andrew Robinson), a Cardassian spy dwelling aboard the station.

Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology
‘s Worf (Michael Dorn) joined
DS9
in season 4, which helped increase the spinoff’s reputation amongst
Star Trek
followers.

Due to showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Star Trek: Deep Area 9 was the primary serialized Star Trek collection, and it unflinchingly tackled heavy themes like love, loss of life, faith, the Cardassian occupation of Bajor by the collection villain Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), and the Dominion Conflict. Amongst Deep Area 9’s biggest episodes are “Far Past the Stars”, the place Sisko dreamed of himself as a Fifties sci-fi author, and “Within the Pale Moonlight”, the place Sisko manipulated the Romulans into coming into the Dominion Conflict. Unquestionably, the dangers Star Trek: Deep Area 9 took enriched Star Trek and made it a deeper, extra fascinating universe than ever earlier than.

1 Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology

7 seasons from 1987-1994 in syndication

Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology is, all advised, the best instance of Star Trek that defines what the franchise is and may be. TNG was set within the Twenty fourth century and starred Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commander of the USS Enterprise-D. Like Star Trek:The Authentic Sequence, TNG was an episodic collection (with the occasional two-part episode), however it was wildly extra profitable throughout its run, usually rating because the primary syndicated program. Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology‘s solid is iconic and beloved, whereas actors from Star Trek: The Authentic Sequence additionally appeared on the present together with DeForrest Kelley’s Bones McCoy, James Doohan’s Scotty, and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock.

Whereas it had a creatively rocky begin in its first two seasons, Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology quickly discovered its inventive footing and featured a number of the biggest episodes of Star Trek ever, such because the Borg two-parter “The Better of Each Worlds”, the Picard-centric “The Inside Gentle”, the time loop thriller “Trigger and Impact”, and TNG‘s collection finale “All Good Issues”. Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology compellingly expanded the Star Trek universe and solid the immensely standard Twenty fourth-century period, delving into complicated Klingon politics and historical past, introducing the Ferengi, Cardassians, Bajorians, and, after all, the Borg, who’re maybe the franchise’s biggest villains. At its greatest, Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology encompasses all the pieces followers love most about Star Trek.

• Star Trek: Picard

  After starring in Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology for seven seasons and varied different Star Trek initiatives, Patrick Stewart is again as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who resides on his household winery as he struggles to deal with the loss of life of Knowledge and the destruction of Romulus. However earlier than too lengthy, Picard is pulled again into the motion. The collection additionally brings again fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, reminiscent of Seven of 9 (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

• Star Trek: Prodigy

  Star Trek: Prodigy is the primary TV collection within the Star Trek franchise marketed towards kids, and one of many few animated collection within the franchise. The story follows a gaggle of younger aliens who discover a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to flee from the Tars Lamora jail colony the place they’re all held captive. Working along with the assistance of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the brand new crew of the USS Protostar should discover their manner again to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the lethal risk that’s pursuing them.