10 Best Star Trek Characters Only In One Episode

Now known as much for his dad joke memes as for his singular appearance on TNG, Captain Edward Jellico is perhaps the most memorable one shot character of any Star Trek franchise.

But it isn't just the memes that make this guy stand out. It's that he does something that had never been done before and has rarely been done since. He is an outsider who takes full command of the hero ship and becomes its new official captain. He is the captain of the Enterprise-D as much as Picard ever was.

The two-part episode, "Chain of Command" is inherently relatable. Most people have been in this situation where the old super-cool boss goes and the new guy shows up who changes all the rules and is really hard to warm to. And while the "four lights" plotline tends to get the most attention, the stuff happening on Enterprise is also classic.

The command style of the character stands in stark contrast to Picard and in many ways points out the shortcomings of the old command style. Troi does need to wear a real uniform, Riker does sometimes need to be put in his place, four shifts probably is more efficient and diplomacy isn't always the appropriate answer to a threat.

In spite of being prickly and not always likable Edward Jellico is a really good captain. He saved Picard's butt without risking his mission and he did it by being a hard as nails, aggressive SOB. He's the anti-Picard and he works and that's why fans love him.