10 Most Intense Star Trek Scenes

5. Zero's Sacrifice - Ascension Pt. 2

Star Trek Prodigy Ascension Zero
CBS Media Ventures

We've said it before, we'll say it again - if you've been sleeping on Star Trek: Prodigy, it's time to change that! The show that was decried as 'the kids' show' has offered scene after scene of intensity, while dialling the emotion up to eleven. One of the most powerful examples of this comes in the show's second season two-parter, Ascension.

Zero, now encased in a humanoid body, volunteers to battle Asencia's temporal weapon, embedded in Voyager-A's cargo bay. The radiation that it emits ages anyone affected by it rapidly, almost resulting in the death of Commander Tysess. Zero, via their Medusan physiology, is faced with a choice - allow this weapon to detonate, thus destroying the ship, or sacrifice their new body - and all of the sensation that comes with it - to save their friends.

They don't even hesitate.

For a show dubbed 'kid friendly' it doesn't hold back. The audience feels every inch that Zero has to travel, dragging themselves to the weapon's console, truly fearing the worst as they struggle to go on. The heart rates took a while to settle after this one.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"