1987: Star Trek fans were presented with a new series, a new captain and a new dilemma. Who was the better captain? William Shatners presentation of the Iowa-born James Tiberius Kirk compared to Patrick Stewarts French Jean-Luc Picard gave us two completely opposite captains. One, reckless, and ready to rush in where angels feared to tread versus another, who was a more intellectual and cerebral personality, given to careful planning and methodical in nature. But there was more to differentiate between these two captains than just this general description of their natures. After the completion of Star Trek: TNG, other captains from other series appeared who seemed to complicate the issue even further but actually gave us new ways to appreciate the two first captains. The standard benchmark has always been the original captain: James Tiberius Kirk; and the most common comparison has always been the captain with the longest televised run-time: Jean-Luc Picard. However, the key here is to decide what is the definitive and relevant criteria. We'll discount Picard's advanced 24th century technological superiority compared to Kirk's 23rd century technology. We'll also eliminate Kirk's obvious romantic advantages along with a perfectly full head of hair. Those would be too easy. So, in order to definitively decide, let's take a look at criteria germane to both captains that will allow us to settle the argument once and for all, who is the better captain Kirk or Picard?