Star Trek Timeline Eras Ranked: From Worst To Best

Every Star Trek Era Ranked, Worst To Best Captain Pike dress uniform

By John Orquiola Published 24 minutes ago John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 4,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Star Trek: The Original Series kicked off an expansive timeline that spans a thousand years, and can be broken up into six distinct eras, including the alternate Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies.

Before 1987, the final frontier of Star Trek: The Original Series (then known simply as Star Trek) took place in the 23rd century, which was canonically confirmed by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Star Trek: The Next Generation massively expanded the universe, forging the 24th century.

Star Trek: Enterprise became Star Trek's first prequel, opening the door to new Star Trek series taking place all over the Prime timeline. Star Trek on Paramount+'s pushed forward into the distant future, doubled back into the saga's past, and explored Star Trek as a vast multiverse.

Star Trek's 14 movies all take place in the 23rd and 24th centuries, including the alternate Kelvin Timeline. To understand Star Trek's ever-growing universe, Trekkers must recognize Star Trek's six main eras, and here they are ranked, worst to best.

6 23rd Century, Kelvin Timeline

Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) reboot introduced an alternate reality 23rd century. When Nero (Eric Bana) time traveled from the 24th century and arrived in 2233, the destruction of the USS Kelvin and the death of Lt. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) created a splinter reality known as the Kelvin timeline.

One of the cinematic conceits of Star Trek's Kelvin timeline is that certain events and technology developed at a faster pace than in the Prime Timeline. This includes James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) soaring from a Starfleet Academy cadet to becoming Captain of the USS Enterprise at the age of 25.

What's known and has been seen of the alternate Kelvin timeline is entirely contained within three movies: Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond. The cancelation of the long-gestating Star Trek 4 means the end of J.J. Abrams' alternate 23rd century of Star Trek.

5 25th Century

Star Trek: Picard Seasons 2 & 3, Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek's 25th century has only just begun, but monumental events have already transpired in this new era. This includes the final defeat of the Borg and the rise of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as the Captain of the USS Enterprise-G at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 kicked off the 25th century with Q (John de Lancie) transforming reality into the authoritarian Confederation of Earth timeline. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the motley crew of La Sirena and the USS Stargazer restored Star Trek's Prime timeline.

Star Trek: Prodigy also introduced an alternate 25th century reality where the Vau N'Akat of the planet Solum tried to destroy Starfleet in the 24th century. The 25th century is arguably the era Star Trek fans most want the franchise to continue to explore as a continuation of everything the 24th century began.

4 22nd Century

Star Trek: Enterprise

T'Pol Captain Archer Malcolm Reed shuttlepod

Star Trek: Enterprise retconned Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the NX-01 as the first Starship Enterprise to explore the galaxy a century before Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Rougher and closer in spirit to the present day, Enterprise's 22nd century became a pivotal part of Star Trek canon.

Although Star Trek: Enterprise only ran for four seasons, Captain Archer's voyages made historic First Contacts and laid the foundation for the founding of the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan War. The 22nd century laid the groundwork for Earth to become a major player throughout the galaxy.

All that's known about the 22nd century is contained in Star Trek: Enterprise, and it's an era that's ripe for further exploration. Perhaps Scott Bakula's proposed comeback series, Star Trek: United, could continue fleshing out the 22nd century and how the Federation became a galactic power.

3 32nd Century

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 3-5, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Star Trek: Discovery began in the mid-23rd century, but the show's boldest move was to jump 930 years into the future. Arriving in the late 32nd century, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery pioneered what is now the farthest point of Star Trek's timeline.

The 32nd century is a tumultuous era reeling from The Burn, a devastating catastrophe that eliminated warp travel and shattered the United Federation of Planets. Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery solved the mystery of the Burn and allowed the Federation to begin rebuilding towards its former glory.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy picks up where Star Trek: Discovery left off, pushing forward towards the dawn of the 33rd century with an idealistic group of young cadets redefining what it means to be in Starfleet. Perhaps no era of Star Trek boasts as much potential.

2 23rd Century

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 & 2, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: The Original Series (& Movies), Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: Khan

60 years ago, Star Trek began in the 23rd century, and it remains an era the franchise is nostalgically attached to as the essence of everything Star Trek. A rough and tumble era of 'cowboy diplomacy,' the 23rd century is a time of exploration, sexy temptation, unprecedented dangers, and progress.

Expanded by Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the 23rd century is nonetheless defined by the historic voyages of Captain Kirk and the Starship Enterprise. Kirk's era spans 3 seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the first six Star Trek movies.

By the time Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ends, the 23rd century and icons like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) will have been thoroughly explored. Yet Star Trek's 23rd century will always be one of the franchise's most popular eras, and its iconography is what all of Star Trek that followed is built upon.

1 24th Century

Star Trek: Section 31, Star Trek: The Next Generation (& Movies), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Picard Season 1

Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the 24th century, which has become the grandest, most prolific, and arguably most beloved era of Star Trek. TNG and its spinoffs, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, massively expanded Star Trek's universe, introducing countless iconic characters, species, worlds, and concepts.

The 24th century is so vast and still rife with story potential that Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Picard season 1 continued to expand the era, detailing the tumultuous final two decades of the century when the mighty Federation faced some of its gravest challenges.

For a generation of fans, Star Trek is the 24th century.

For a generation of fans, Star Trek is the 24th century, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D eclipsed Captain Kirk. Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) were gateways to new audiences, as well.

The 24th century picked up where Star Trek: The Original Series left off, made the universe richer, deeper, more colorful, more popular, and guaranteed Star Trek's endurance as a forever franchise.

287 9.0/10

8/10

Star Trek: The Original Series

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Drama Action Adventure Sci-Fi Release Date 1966 - 1969-00-00 Network NBC Showrunner Gene Roddenberry Directors Marc Daniels, Joseph Pevney, Ralph Senensky, Vincent McEveety, Herb Wallerstein, Jud Taylor, Marvin J. Chomsky, David Alexander, Gerd Oswald, Herschel Daugherty, James Goldstone, Robert Butler, Anton Leader, Gene Nelson, Harvey Hart, Herbert Kenwith, James Komack, John Erman, John Newland, Joseph Sargent, Lawrence Dobkin, Leo Penn, Michael O'Herlihy, Murray Golden Writers D.C. Fontana, Jerome Bixby, Arthur Heinemann, David Gerrold, Jerry Sohl, Oliver Crawford, Robert Bloch, David P. Harmon, Don Ingalls, Paul Schneider, Shimon Wincelberg, Steven W. Carabatsos, Theodore Sturgeon, Jean Lisette Aroeste, Art Wallace, Adrian Spies, Barry Trivers, Don Mankiewicz, Edward J. Lakso, Fredric Brown, George Clayton Johnson, George F. Slavin, Gilbert Ralston, Harlan Ellison

William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Star Trek

7 Images

William Shatner in photo as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek

Leonard Nimoy as Spock and the Horta in Star Trek The Original Series

Dr McCoy and Nancy smiling together in Star Trek

Nichelle Nicholas as Uhura talking to Leonard Nimoy's Spock in Star Trek

Dr Mark Piper (Paul Fix) helps up Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek TOS Where No Man Has Gone Before

Star Trek Miri and Captain Kirk

Enterprise at Delta Vega in Star Trek TOSClose

Cast

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William Shatner James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy Spock

Franchise(s) Star Trek Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Creator(s) Gene Roddenberry Powered by

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Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek

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