Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner)
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)
If we ignore the
Captain Pike
-shaped elephant in the room, Kirk was the first exposure many fans had to a Star Trek Captain. An adrenalin junkie who took to space exploration with all the swagger of a sailor on shore leave, Kirk endeared himself to audiences with a testosterone-fuelled approach to intergalactic diplomacy that typically ensured first contact came complete with a bout of fisticuffs and a romantic liaison with a green-tinged species of space siren. Fortunately he had the help of one of the best crews to ever grace the series and could rely on Spock's nerve pinching, Scotty's engine tweaking, Sulu's swordsmanship and an endless supply of red-shirted security officers to get him out of even the tightest of scrapes.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
Picard's sci-fi skipper is about as far removed from Kirk's original space cowboy as you can get. A master diplomat and expert tactician, he was the very model of a modern Starfleet captain, commanding a crew prepared to follow him to their deaths – and periodically did. He may not have had Kirk's panache, but Picard was an altogether more intelligent leader, thanks in no small part to Stewart's Shakespearian roots and stentorian delivery which added an air of gravitas to even the most absurd of intergalactic exploits.
Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
More of a glorified dock manager than a fully-fledged Starfleet captain, Sisko didn't enjoy the same advantages as his contemporaries because he was shackled to the space station from which this series took its name. Nevertheless in this altogether darker wing of the Star Trek universe he still had to contend with issues from single parenting to policing the holodeck suites of the station promenade, and all while facing off against the constant advances of the Dominion. He also shouted. A lot.
Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew)
Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
The first female captain to grace a Star Trek series, Janeway also faced one of the toughest challenges in the franchise's history. After being marooned in the Delta Quadrant, some 70,000 light years from home, Janeway had to navigate a 70-year return journey while dealing with a quarrelsome crew and the ever-present threat of the Borg. While the series itself failed to live up to expectations, Janeway remains perhaps the best example of a captain forced to lead under truly trying circumstances.
Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula)
Enterprise (2001–2005)
While Enterprise was the final Star Trek series, it was in fact the first in terms of timeline – making Captain Archer the first to truly go where no man had gone before. Unfortunately, he had to do so in the Skoda of Star Trek spaceships and spent much of his four series in charge fluctuating from wide-eyed explorer to morally questionable commanding officer.
So who do you think did it best?