Sometimes, it’s hard to believe theStar Trekfranchise has been around for almost sixty years. Stepping back to review its numerous series, both live-action and animated, as well as the many films that have expanded the universe over the years, it’s no wonder the characters and their world feels timeless. Across the franchise, fans have been introduced to only a handful of the most outstanding Starfleet Captains and their crews, but the impact they made during their tenure continues to resonate with viewers long after their series finales.
Star Trekis certainly a franchise that focuses on the crew of a ship in its entirety. Captains Kirk and Pike were interesting enough on their own, but characters like Spock, McCoy, Uhura and so many others truly made them both shine. Captain Picard would have been a strong captain no matter who served under him, but with William T. Riker, Data, and Geordi, Picard had a formidable team that accomplished more than a lot of other ships in their time. Captain Janeway’s time in the Delta Quadrant would have been insufferable without Chakotay, Seven of Nine, Harry Kim, and Tuvok.
Each impressive crew only served to enhance their captain’s leadership qualities, but the fact of the matter is: Starfleet Captains aren’t made. They are born. Every one of them had the drive, intelligence, skill, and personality to keep their massive crew in line, all while traveling light years from home through the stars and making friends (and sometimes enemies) along the way.
From the Discovery to the Enterprise, the stars have been made brighter by the captains who traveled them. Their deeds and accomplishments hold them head and shoulders above the rest, high enough to earn them an entire series dedicated to their adventures. But exactly what were some of those deeds, and how do they contribute to the mark these epic captains leave on history?
10Captain Gabriel Lorca
Captain of the Buran, the real Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) found himself swapped with his Mirror Universe self, which was the face fans saw during his time on the Discovery. According to the lore, Prime Lorca is still alive somewhere in the Mirror Universe, which means there’s potential for him to find his way home someday. The captain Michael Burnham served under after she was imprisoned was the Mirror Universe’s Lorca, and what made him stand out was his sinister plan.
Lorca fled his universe after leading a coup against Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who accused him of killing her daughter. That daughter just so happened to be the Mirror Universe’s Michael Burnham, so with a plan in hand, Lorca schemed a way to reunite mother with daughter and potentially clear his name. Sadly, that didn’t work out for him. Georgiou stabbed him to death for betraying her, which was kind of a shame because Lorca was a brilliant strategist and tactician.
9Captain William T. Riker
To say Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) learned everything he knew about being a captain from Picard would be false. Sure, he did study under the best as his First Officer, but Riker and Picard didn’t always approach obstacles from the same point. That was what made their working relationship and their friendship so powerful. When he finally got his own ship, the U.S.S. Titan, Riker formulated a plan to retrieve his former captain, Picard, from the Borg, even though this meant resuming his position as First Officer under Picard’s command.
Riker was made temporary Captain of the Enterprise-D on more than one occasion while Picard was incapacitated or unavailable. He was also put temporarily in command of the U.S.S. Excalibur, as part of a fleet led by the Enterprise to reveal a Romulan plot. While Riker spent more time serving as Picard’s First Officer than he did as a captain, his deeds while in command were more than just admirable.
8Captain Saru
Riker and Saru (Doug Jones) have a lot in common. Both served as First Officer before assuming the Captaincy, and both were forced to stand against their own captains when they were compromised. A Kelpian, Saru served under Captain Philippa Georgiou on the U.S.S. Shenzhou before serving under Captain Gabriel Lorca on the U.S.S. Discovery after Georgiou’s death. When Lorca’s Mirror Universe identity was exposed, Saru took command of the Discovery, as he believed at that time Michael Burnham was not ready.
After escaping the Mirror Universe, Saru led a mission to make peace with the Klingons. The mission’s success earned him The Medal of Honor, and he became the first Kelpian to ever receive such an honor. After taking a sabbatical from the Discovery to serve on his home planet, he returned to serve as Captain Michael Burnham’s First Officer. In Burnham’s efforts to defeat the drones, Saru once more took command of the Discovery, which he led into the 32nd Century.
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7Captain Michael Burnham
It was a long road to captain forSonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham. After serving on the U.S.S. Shenzhou for seven years as Captain Georgiou’s First Officer, Burnham defied orders and led a mutiny, which resulted in Georgiou’s death. Michael was stripped of rank and sentenced to prison. Luck was on her side, however, when Captain Lorca brought her aboard the U.S.S Discovery by Captain Lorca, who fought to have her serve on his ship.
Burnham was incredibly intelligent, but she was also impulsive and headstrong, which meant she wasn’t truly ready to become a captain. It wasn’t until she played a major role in instigating peace with the Klingons that she was pardoned and her rank was restored. After leading a mission into the 32nd Century to save her own timeline, she was finally promoted to Captain. At times, she is still more likely to follow her heart than the rules, sometimes that’s exactly what a Captain needs to do.
6Captain Christopher Pike
The first captain introduced to fans inStar Trek: TOS, was Christopher Pike, but after the pilot episode James T. Kirk took command of the Enterprise. It wasn’t untilDiscoverythatCaptain Pike (Anson Mount) was given the opportunity to shine. Taking command of the Discovery, Pike played a major role in Burnham’s plan to lead the Section 31 vessels into the future before resuming his captaincy aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.
InStrange New Worlds, Pike and his crew have been tasked with a five-year exploration mission, but he remains haunted by his glimpses of his devastating future. His relaxed nature with the crew is one of the reasons he’s such an outstanding captain. It’s obvious in his nature for self-sacrifice, he would do anything for the people he serves with. That is the mark of a truly outstanding captain.
5Captain Philippa Georgiou
Captain of the U.S.S. Shenzhou during the 23rd Century, Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) turned a life filled with overwhelming loss into something bright and positive. She took Michael Burnham under her wing, preparing her First Officer for her own captaincy. When her decision to use diplomacy with the Klingons met with Burnham’s criticism, the latter led a coup against her and killed a Klingon warrior.
This led to the Klingons attacking the Shenzhou, and Georgiou’s death after she and Burnham transported onto a Klingon ship to capture T’Kuvma. Before her death, she recognized her fault in trying to undo what the Vulcans had done to Michael over the years, and Burnham would carry the guilt with her for years to come.
4Captain Benjamin Sisko
Assigned to Deep Space Nine,Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks)had seen too much loss during his Starfleet career. After the death of his wife during a Borg attack led by Locutus, he wanted nothing more than to get as far away as possible, so he retired as a captain and took his son to their new life on the edge of the galaxy.
Serving as commander aboard the station, Sisko spent his time there trying to maintain the peace between the Bajorans and Cardassians, and not always successfully. His determination and resolve allowed him to reshape DS9 in such a way that it became a profitable and successful station on the edge of a wormhole.
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3Captain James T. Kirk
Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise had a formidable career. Portrayed over the years by William Shatner, Chris Pine andPaul Wesley, he’s had his hands in everything from exploration and diplomacy to time travel and the Borg. The pilot for the originalStar Trekmay have featured Captain Christopher Pike, but it was Shatner’s Kirk who made the series stand out.
Fans got to watch over the years as his character evolved, earning him a place in future history as one of the most brazen captains to ever travel the stars. While captains like Picard, Janeway and Sisko look back on Kirk in awe, his legacy will continue to shape the future for generations of Starfleet officers to come.
2Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Star Trek: The Next Generationcarried on much longer than its predecessor, in part because ofCaptain Jean-Luc Picard(Patrick Stewart). A much different kind of captain than Kirk, Picard brought a sense of culture and sophistication to the captain’s chair. He was as serious as he was daring, and during his tenure as captain he achieved volumes.
Picard was older, which not only lent to his experience, but commanded the respect of his crew. He had a staunch set of morals he followed, and unlike Kirk’s tendency to go in guns blazing, Picard was a master when it came to diplomacy. Generations of Starfleet officers will look to him, as well, as a man who always stood behind his convictions.
1Captain Kathryn Janeway
When the U.S.S. Voyager got stuck in the Delta Quadrant,Captain Janewaydidn’t panic–at least not outwardly. Instead, she put her nose to the grindstone and worked constantly to find a way to get her crew back home. She played the diplomat with new worlds and people, always looking to make peace and keep it, no matter where they ended up. Both intelligent and personable, she commanded the respect of her crew, and they would have done anything for her.
An adventurer and risk-taker, the thing that makes her truly stand out is that even when the future looked bleak, Janeway never surrendered. She fought tooth and nail to get Voyager and everyone aboard back to the Alpha Quadrant.
