Star Trek: Every Starship Enterprise Ranked From WORST To BEST

3. NCC-1701-E

Star Trek First Contact Enterprise E
Paramount Pictures

The Enterprise-E, designed by John Eaves for Star Trek: First Contact, was a departure from the Galaxy-class before it. While her predecessor was designed and built for diplomacy, this was a ship that was far more militaristic. The arrival of the Borg may have justified its design, yet Starfleet was clearly going in a new direction.

The Battle of Sector 001 was an explosive way to highlight the stakes of the film, with the size of this Enterprise in full relief as it zoomed past the USS Defiant. Surrounded by an array of other Starfleet vessels, including several designed by Alex Jaeger specifically for this film, the Enterprise-E quickly became a firm fan favourite. 

It was remodelled slightly between films, appearing again in Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis. Though it spent years confined to the films, it finally made an appearance (in full) in Star Trek: Prodigy. Now, we must also say that it depends on the angle. The saucer section of the USS Sovereign seemed to have 'borrowed' the nacelles from the Enterprise-E in Supernova, Part 2!

It also appeared, in slightly better condition, in The New Next Generation, taking up a position alongside the USS Cerritos at Starbase 80. While those examples cover the exterior of the ship, the interior appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, popping up on a phone call from Troi to Barclay. 

This ship sits high on many 'Best Of' lists - and for good reason. It may be a bit of a departure from the utopian hope for Roddenberry's future, but it was undeniably cool. We can only hope that, by 2401, it was safely ensconsed in a big glass case, possibly as a museum, regardless of whether or not it was Worf's fault. 

Contributor
Contributor

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"