When boldly going where no one has gone before, the need for a great leader is always crucial. Thankfully, Star Trek has never lacked for a charismatic captain in any iteration of the series or movies. Even the much-maligned Captain Archer from Star Trek: Enterprise wasn’t a bad captain, the writing just let him, and viewers, down.
Much like the debate over the best Doctor or the best Batman, fans have argued over who is the best Star Trek captain for decades. As a self-professed Trekkie who has enjoyed all forms of the series, here is an examination of which captain we would most like to follow into the final frontier.
Captain Kathryn Janeway – Star Trek: Voyager
Besides, Enterprise, Voyager is the series that is toughest for many Trek fans to get into. While Enterprise was boring to most, Voyager could be just absurd (lizard babies, anyone?). The one constant that held that crew together, however, was Captain Janeway.
The standard strong female character may be a more recent archetype, but in the late 90s, it was Buffy Summers and Captain Janeway and that was about it. Unlike other captains in Trek lore, she offered amnesty to her enemies, held together a crew of very different ideologies, and her accolades made her the only Trek captain besides Kirk to rise to the position of admiral.
Captain James T. Kirk – Star Trek (Kelvin Timeline)
This feels like a cheat, but since it is a different version of the character, it is allowed. In the J.J. Abrams movie that split the Star Trek fandom when it created an alternate timeline instead of a full reboot, the one undeniable thing is this younger version of James T. Kirk maintains everything we loved about the chiseled veteran of the original series. This version of Kirk finally showed fans the whole story behind the Kobayashi Maru training exercise and how he bested the no-win scenario.
Captain Benjamin Sisko – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
This one was a surprise since it was a recent big binge on Netflix. The most wonderful thing about watching Deep Space Nine as an adult is seeing Captain Benjamin Sisko play mentor, leader, and father. Being a dad of two young children helped me relate with Sisko as a man as much as a captain; something that might not have been the same watching during the original broadcast years.
More than any other Starfleet captain, Sisko knew when it was time to show compassion and when it was time for some tough love and teaching a lesson. His leadership through the Dominion War is unmatched by any other captain in Star Trek history.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard – Star Trek: The Next Generation
When one stops to think about the pressure of coming after Captain Kirk, it’s admirable that Captain Picard places at the top of many of these lists. No captain went through greater growth during his run than Picard and his rapport with his crew was the greatest of them all. There is nothing he wouldn’t have done for his crew and no other captain was as intellectual as a problem solver. Never a hot head, Picard always found a way to win the day without rushing head-first into a fight.
Captain James T. Kirk – Star Trek
One day, perhaps, Captain Picard will take over this spot; but it isn’t this day. Most fans gravitate towards the captain they grew up watching to make the call, but not being born before the original series ended makes that point moot here. Every kid grew up wanting to be the captain of the ship with all the swagger that the ladies loved. Be it Han Solo or Captain Kirk, this formula inspired a generation to let their macho flag fly.
While not the calm diplomat Picard was nor the calm and collected leader in a war that Sisko became, Kirk always did what it takes, no matter how drastic or extreme things seemed on paper. As Doctor McCoy once said, Kirk would always turn death into a fighting chance to live. For now, that’s enough for him to keep his spot at the top of the Star Trek universe.
Honorable Mention: Captain Lorca – Star Trek: Discovery
It’s too early for him to make a list like this yet, but an honorable mention for Captain Lorca of Star Trek Discovery is in order. The series has only had nine episodes so far, but he is different than every other previous captain in a way that makes him intriguing. He’s not a boy scout, but he isn’t unlikable. He clearly has a mysterious and dark past that if explored correctly could see him knock off one of the captains above in due time.
