Star Trekhas introduced seven amazing series-leading captains in its nearly 60-year history. While mostStar Trekshowsfeature ensemble casts rather than focusing on one singular character,Star Trek’svarious captainsoften take center stage. When Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) set out to explore strange new worlds inStar Trek: The Original Series,he laid the groundwork for every starship captain who would follow him. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) ofStar Trek: The Next Generationwas a very different kind of captain from Kirk, but he became just as beloved.
Following Picard, Captains Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) faced very different challenges from their predecessors, but they both rose to the occasion. OnStar Trek: Enterprise,Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) was retconned as the firstCaptain of the Enterprise, helping to found the United Federation of Planets. With its premiere in 2017,Star Trek: Discoveryushered the franchise into the streaming era,introducing Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham. Finally, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) has become a Starfleet captain for the modern age as the lead ofStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
7Captain Jonathan Archer
Played By Scott Bakula On Star Trek: Enterprise
Captain Jonathan Archercommanded the Enterprise NX-01, the first starship launched by Earth prior to the founding of the United Federation of Planets. As Starfleet’s first captain to venture into the unknown on a warp-5-capable starship,Archer often had to make decisions on the flywithout any precedent to look back on. Archer made numerous First Contacts with some ofStar Trek’smost famous species, including the Klingons and the Andorians.
Archer Breaking Star Trek Rules Is What Made Scott Bakula’s Enterprise Captain Great
Captain Jonathan Archer set the mold for future Starfleet Captains with his actions, and mistakes, in Star Trek: Enterprise’s premiere.
Captain Archer could be stubborn to a fault, and he made his fair share of mistakes, sometimes compromising his morals when he saw no other options.Star Trek: Enterprisesometimes felt like it wasn’t quite sure what kind of show it wanted to be andArcher’s sometimes made decisions from emotion instead of logic. He often ignored the advice of the more experienced Subcommander T’Pol (Jolene Blalock), but Archer was also more relatable and down-to-earth than some ofStar Trek’slarger-than-life heroes.
6Captain Michael Burnham
Played By Sonequa Martin-Green On Star Trek: Discovery
By theend ofStar Trek: Discovery’sfinal season, Captain Michael Burnham had truly come into her own as a character, but her journey had its fair share of ups and downs. Sonequa Martin-Green never failed to deliver a strong performance, andBurnham had an incredibly compelling story arcthroughoutDiscovery’sfive seasons. However, Burnham’s connections with Spock (Ethan Peck) and his family somewhat limited the character inDiscovery’searliest storylines. Burnham had her moments early inStar Trek: Discovery,but she flourished after the USS Discovery traveled to the 32nd century.
Burnham has come farther than any otherStar Trekcaptain, in more ways than one.
Burnham was a different kind ofStar Trekcaptain, and she sometimes made rash decisions, but she helped save the galaxy several times over.Michael’s ability to connect with those around her served her welland her deep relationships withStar Trek:Discovery’sother charactersbecame one of the best parts of the show. From committing mutiny aboard the USS Shenzhou in the 23rd century to helping rebuild the 32nd-century Federation, Burnham has come farther than any otherStar Trekcaptain, in more ways than one.
5Captain Christopher Pike
Played By Anson Mount On Star Trek: Discovery & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Anson Mount’s take on Captain Christopher Pike inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2 was so well-received thatParamount greenlit a series centering on Pike’s USS Enterprise.In its two seasons so far,Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas become one ofTrek’smost popular current shows and incorporates both new characters and updated versions of classic characters. With so many amazing characters, however,Strange New Worldsoften shifts its focus away from Captain Pike. Anson Mount’sPike is an excellent example of a modern romantic leading manwho is unequivocally a hero.
Jeffrey Hunter portrayed Captain Pike inStar Trek’soriginal pilot, “The Cage,” and Anson Mount has reinvented the character for the better.
Even afterPike learns about the tragic futurethat awaits him,he continues to lead missions of exploration with hope and wonder.Captain Pike has a more collaborative command style than otherStar Trekcaptains, as he often defers to his crew for ideas. Still, he can take charge when he needs to and will always put his crew’s safety above his own. Pike has only appeared in three seasons ofStar Trekso far, but Anson Mount has already ensured that he will take his place amongStar Trek’sgreatest captains.
4Captain Benjamin Sisko
Played By Avery Brooks On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
As commander of the Deep Space Nine space station, Captain Sisko’s job looked significantly different from that ofStar Trek’scaptains. Sisko was an accomplished Starfleet officer, but he sometimes had to turn a blind eye or find ways to around Starfleet’s more illogical orders. A vibrant space station that hosted aliens from all over the galaxy,DS9 was a far different beast from a starship.Sisko took his job as station commander very seriously, as he tried to balance the wishes of Starfleet with the needs of the Bajorans and others on the station.
Star Trek: DS9’s Sisko Is More Like Kirk Than Picard Or Janeway
Star Trek’s Picard and Janeway had a grudging admiration for Captain Kirk, but DS9’s Sisko greatly admired the legendary Enterprise captain.
Captain Sisko commanded from the front lines duringStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Dominion War, and the strategic position of DS9 meant Sisko had to make a lot of tough calls.Sisko was one ofStar Trek’smore serious captains,making him a perfect fit for the darker tone ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. Between his duties as the commander of DS9 and his role as the Bajoran Emissary of the Prophets, Sisko did not get a lot of free time, but he enjoyed cooking and baseball. Sisko also had an understandable soft spot for his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton), and the two had one ofStar Trek’sbest parent/child dynamics.
3Captain James T. Kirk
Played By William Shatner In Star Trek: The Original Series
As the first Captain of the USS Enterprise viewers met on screen,Captain James T. Kirkhelped introduce the world to theStar Trekuniverse. With his vitality and charm,Kirk became one of the most iconic and beloved characters in all of science fiction.He was a strong captain who never turned down an adventure and was willing to make bold moves when necessary. With Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) at his side, Kirk often felt like an unstoppable force, and he and his crew saved the galaxy several times over.
10 Star Trek Captains' Best Episode
Star Trek offers many significant and transformative moments for its accomplished starship Captains. Here are 10 Captains' best episodes.
Some aspects of Kirk’s character, like his tendency to romance alien women, may be somewhat outdated by today’s standards, but he nevertheless remains compelling.William Shatner brought a uniquely arresting energy to Kirkthat always made him fun to watch. Kirk has become such an iconic figure thatStar Trekhas brought him back more than once, with Chris Pine in J.J. Abrams’Star Trekfilms and Paul Wesley inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.Both actors have done an admirable job of bringing thelarger-than-life character of Kirkto life for modern audiences.
2Captain Kathryn Janeway
Played By Kate Mulgrew In Star Trek: Voyager And Star Trek: Prodigy
InStar Trek: Voyager,Captain Janeway became the first female captain to lead aStar Trekshow, as the commander of the USS Voyager. On Voyager’s first mission,Janeway and her crew wound up stranded in the distant Delta Quadrant,70,000 light-years from Earth. With a crew comprised ofStarfleet officers and former Maquis members, Janeway then spent the next seven years leading Voyager through the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Without Starfleet to lean on, Janeway faced many difficult decisions and had an entire ship full of people relying on her.
Captain Janeway’s Depression On Star Trek: Voyager Was Important To Kate Mulgrew
Captain Janeway dealt with severe depression in one episode of Star Trek: Voyager season 5, a storyline that was important to actor Kate Mulgrew.
Captain Janeway was undoubtedly a hero, but she was also a realistic character who sometimes struggled with loneliness and depression. Janeway always strove to do what was best for her crew, andKate Mulgrew embued Janeway with genuine heart and strength.Janeway could be single-minded, but she cared deeply about her crew and did her best to uphold the rules of Starfleet. Captain Janeway achieved a lot of firsts throughout her time onVoyagerand, as seen inStar Trek: Prodigy,Kathryn went on to becomeone of Starfleet’s most impressive Admirals.
1Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Played By Patrick Stewart In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard
As the first mainStar Trekcaptain to follow Captain Kirk, Patrick Stewart’s Picard had big shoes to fill and he more than rose to the task. Picard was a more contemplative captain than Kirk and would rather read a book and enjoy of cup of Earl grey tea than gallivant with alien women. Still,Picard had his fair share of adventures as captain of the USS Enterprise-D,and Patrick Stewart never failed to deliver an incredible performance. With his nuanced and compelling portrayal, Patrick Stewart was a big part of whyCaptain Picard worked so well as a character.
Captain Picard truly exemplifies the ideals of a Starfleet captain.
As one of Starfleet’s most accomplished captains, Picard initiated numerous first contacts and helped save the entire galaxy more than once. Picard could command a room and deliver one hell of a speech, but he could also face down a deadly enemy without flinching. He cared deeply for his crew, listened to their ideas, and always fought to do the right thing. Captain Picard truly exemplifies the ideals of a Starfleet captain, and he remains one ofStar Trek’sfinest characters, as well as the best captain the franchise has to offer.
