Every Star Trek Series RANKED

#13: “Star Trek: Short Treks” (2018-20)

These mini, 10- to 20-minute episodes aren’t bad, but they were never meant to be a fully developed series on their own. In fact, producer Alex Kurtzman created “Short Treks” specifically to buy time and keep fans happy between seasons of “Discovery.” The episodes are pretty fun and entertaining, and they give us a bit more character development for some of the Discovery crew. We also get to see where tribbles come from, which is a nice piece of Trek lore. “Short Treks” was well received by critics and was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy, but there’s just not enough to it to get emotionally invested. The same is true for the YouTube series “Scouts,” which is aimed at really young kids.

#12: “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” (2026-27)

Let us be clear: We are not on the “Starfleet Academy” hate train. The problem is that this show was looking for an audience that didn’t really exist. It’s a YA version of “Star Trek,” with the young cast and all the teen drama that goes with it. The average Trekkie, meanwhile, has two kids and a mortgage. Many fans just didn’t find these storylines particularly appealing. It didn’t help that the show got review bombed online. Complaining about wokeness in “Star Trek” is a bit like getting mad that water is wet. Obviously “Star Trek” needs to appeal to younger audiences to stay relevant long-term, but it’s better off sticking to what it does best.

#11: “Star Trek: The Animated Series” (1973-74)

If you’re not a hardcore Trekker, you might not have even known this Saturday morning cartoon existed. Like “Academy” and “Short Treks,” it’s not low on the list because it’s bad. It gave us the Caitians, after all. And the animated format enabled Gene Roddenberry to create species and worlds that never would have been possible on “The Original Series’” budget. But with just 22 half-hour episodes, there’s not a lot to sink your teeth into. “The Animated Series” is certainly more mature than the average cartoon, and it actually won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series. But it’s not able to get into the more complex, thought-provoking storylines “Trek” is known for.

#10: “Star Trek: Prodigy” (2021-22; 2024)

This show had so much potential. It was yet another attempt to capture the youth market, and it might have actually succeeded. The animation is gorgeous, critics and fans loved it, and the tie-in to “Voyager” hit us right in the nostalgia. If it had been renewed for more seasons, it would undoubtedly be higher on our list. Unfortunately, “Prodigy” became a victim of streaming services’ constant need to cut costs. Although the showrunners had hoped it could run for seven seasons, and Paramount+ had originally guaranteed at least two, it canceled the show after just one season, along with a bunch of other originals. Netflix picked up that promised second season of “Prodigy,” then dropped it, leaving fans wondering what might have been.

#9: “Star Trek: Discovery” (2017-24)

Even the biggest fans of this series have to admit that it was a little uneven. More than 12 years had passed since “Enterprise” went off the air, so when “Discovery” premiered, most Trekkies were just thrilled to have a new series to enjoy. But a lot of them found the first season hard to get into. There didn’t seem to be a lot of trek in this “Star Trek” – season one was focused almost entirely on the Klingon war. “Discovery” seemed to find its footing with season two, which introduced a time travel plot that had us on the edges of our seats. The show wasn’t afraid to boldly go where previous “Trek” had never gone before. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t.

#8: “Star Trek: Picard” (2020; 2022-23)

Trekkies don’t agree on much, but most of them agree on this: Seasons one and two of “Picard” kind of sucked, and season three was amazing. It was a strange premise for a “Trek” show to begin with. Some series are more character-driven than others, but they usually revolve around a whole crew’s struggles, not a single man’s. And no fan wants to watch an entire season that takes place in the 21st century. If they did, they wouldn’t be watching “Star Trek.” But that third season was magical. It was like another season of “Next Generation,” a gift most fans hadn’t dared to hope for.

#7: “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-05)

This show had some big shoes to fill, premiering directly on the heels of “Voyager” and not long after “DS9.” There’s a lot to love about “Enterprise,” and it holds a special place in many fans’ hearts. It has some standout episodes, like “Carbon Creek,” which follows Vulcans on Earth a century before First Contact supposedly occurred. “Similitude” puts fan-favorite Trip Trucker’s life in jeopardy while asking some extremely difficult moral questions. Many fans were devastated when “Enterprise” was cut short after just four seasons, but the show had plenty of flaws. Some felt that the Xindi plotline was a weak attempt to recapture the success of “Deep Space Nine.” And there’s that unforgivable series finale. We won’t spoil it – if you know, you know.

#6: “Star Trek: Lower Decks” (2020-24)

If you think “Star Trek” meets “Rick and Morty” sounds awesome, then this is the series for you. It was the franchise’s first straight comedy, and it focused on the less glamorous side of living and working on a starship. Like many shows, not just “Star Trek,” the first season got off to a rocky start. Critics found it entertaining enough, but complained that it didn’t take many risks with its stories. The second season, however, was a banger. Showrunner Mike McMahan’s love for “Trek” is obvious, and his attention to the lore is far more than just fan service. “Lower Decks” is funny, light-hearted “Star Trek” with plenty of adventure.

#5: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (2022-)

For Trekkies who were exhausted by the constant universe-ending stakes of “Discovery,” “Strange New Worlds” was a breath of fresh air. It felt like a return to classic “Trek,” with its episodic storylines and strong themes of exploration and progress. The casting of the leads is pitch-perfect – as is Captain Pike’s hair. The series also brings in some extremely likeable new characters, such as Carol Kane’s Pelia. And who would have guessed that Stefan from “The Vampire Diaries” would be such a great James Kirk? The show has the occasional silly episode, like “The Elysian Kingdom,” but even this feels more like an homage to “The Original Series” than a real weakness.

#4: “Star Trek: Voyager” (1995-2001)

This series took “Trek” into the 21st century and took Starfleet into the Delta Quadrant for the first time. It’s not a flawless show. Nobody really liked the Kazon as the main villain, and don’t get us started on Kes and her weird turn to the dark side. But the series was packed with fantastically developed characters and brilliant episodes. Janeway ranks among the all-time great captains, and Chakotay is one of the most beloved first officers. Tuvok introduced us to our first emotionally stable, well-adjusted Vulcan main character. Even Harry Kim grows on you after a while. Some later-season episodes are consistently listed alongside the best in all of “Trek,” like season six’s “Blink of an Eye.”

#3: “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-99)

Many of you probably think this series should be in the top spot. It’s arguably the most complex and ambitious, and it’s one of the best at critiquing modern problems like poverty and racism – the thing “Trek” is known for. It also gave us some of the IP’s most iconic characters: Sisko, Odo, Kira Nerys, Quark, and, of course, Garak. The show’s honest and brutal look at war is incredibly powerful, with episodes like “In the Pale Moonlight” standing out among “Star Trek’s” finest. Our only complaint is that “Deep Space Nine” takes place on a space station – “station” being the operative word. Where are the strange new worlds, the new life and new civilizations? We can’t rank it higher without those.

#2: “Star Trek” (1966-69)

Without this series and its brilliant creator Gene Roddenberry, the franchise wouldn’t exist. That alone makes it one of the greatest in all of “Trek.” Despite the fact that it’s now 60 years old, many of the episodes hold up surprisingly well, exploring themes that are still relevant today. "The City on the Edge of Forever" is as good as “Trek” gets. Not to mention that a cast so diverse was unheard of at the time. We can hardly sing “The Original Series’” praises enough. However, It’s a product of the 1960s, and some elements haven’t aged well, from white actors playing stereotypical Native Americans to Lieutenant Uhura’s absurdly short skirts. If you want to introduce someone to “Star Trek,” don’t start with this series.

#1: “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-94)

If you’re a Trekkie of a certain age, that opening theme is a staple of your youth. And if you love “Trek” because it’s the best franchise in history to use sci-fi storylines to explore, comment on, and critique real-world issues, then you love “TNG.” This time around, Roddenberry had a budget and more creative control. The series introduced new species and tackled new ideas, like the definition of gender in season five’s “The Outcast.” Season two’s “The Measure of a Man” asks how we determine personhood and who deserves rights, and it’s arguably where the series really took off. Does it have its flaws? Sure, but we’re having a hard time thinking of any right now.

Do you agree with our ranking? Argue about it in the comments.