Star Trek: Every Captain Ranked Worst To Best (2023)

3. Johnathan Archer

Star Trek Captains Ranked 2023 Liam Shaw Todd Stashwick
CBS Media Ventures / Paramount Pictures

So much can be said about Archer's career as captain of the NX-01 Enterprise.

He pioneered many of Starfleet's core values, including the prime directive. He facilitated contact with the Klingon Empire, worked to unify the Andorians, Vulcans, Tellarites, and Humans, which eventually created the United Federation Of Planets, and fought in multiple wars. He was the first Human to officially confirm the existence of time travel, and met several players in The Temporal Cold War. When Earth was attacked by the Xindi, Archer led the Enterprise to the Delphic Expanse to find their weapon and prevent them from launching another attack. Eventually, the weapon was launched at Earth (against the council's wishes) and Archer and Sato were forced to destroy it.

Archer was a trailblazer. He explored the final frontier before it was cool, with an undeniable faith of the heart that made him one of the most impressive officers in Starfleet history.

Contributor

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.