Star Trek: Ranking The Captains Worst To Best

1. Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Ship: Enterprise

The age-old (well franchise-old) question of which Enterprise captain is the best was always going to be a difficult one, but Picard shades it based on his navigation of some of the more difficult trials and tribulations he went through. His tenure as captain of the Enterprise was very much one of tribulations rather than Tribbles.

Picard might be more by-the-book than Kirk, but he's also the guy who rewrote the book and it's not like he didn't have his rebellious moments in the interest of the greater good. Picard was also way more of an advocate for the rights of the individual and an open approach to other species. His response is not always war.

He's also a complex figure, partly thanks to his time as part of the Borg collective, because he has a blindspot for that species (which should be a big part of his spin-off Picard series) that sits at odds with his approach elsewhere. That complexity means nuance, vulnerability and intrigue, but it never fully compromises his actions.

What do you think of this ranking? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.