Star Trek TV Shows Ranked Worst to Best 

Agree. “In the pale moonlight”, “yeah Demar what kind of people would do that”, Odo/Quark, Garak. A perfect blend of humor and darkness-a formula modern writers need to learn.

TOS is such an important part of popular culture. Kirk and Spock are iconic genre-transcending characters. I keep going back to it to enjoy the uncynical freshness and goodness of it. It'll always be my number one sci fi show.

I can't believe you highlighted the exceptional supporting characters of DS9 and didn't even mention Morn.

The character arc of Nog is the example of great writing, the kind of writing that Harry Kim in Voyager never got.

Deep Space Nine will always be my favourite for a Plain, Simple Reason..... Garak....

been rewatching DS9 over the pandemic -- some pretty epic writing and acting almost finished with S6 - bring on Ezri!

Of all the Star Trek series, Deep Space 9 was the one that I never watched. Because of your rankings and recommendation, I've just watch the pilot of DS9. I'll be watching all of the series and it's entirety. Thanks for what you do.

Deep Space Nine ended up being the best written. I admit that I called it a Soap Opera in Space when it first came out! I wish I gave it a chance back then. TNG is the one I rewatch the most though.

I love that DS9 finally gets the appreciation & love, that I thought it deserved since it was broadcasted. I watched it when it originally aired & loved it since then 🖖

I think of Quark and Odo is the one if not the best(for me) example of the 'Best of Enemies' Relationship they are on opposite sides (most of the time) but each respects the other greatly(not that they would ever be caught saying that of course) and Garak stole every damn scene he was in and it was sublime

Deep space nine is pure Ron D Moore character writing magic. I’m happy Voyager took a different direction and Moore had to part ways with trek, so he could do BSG.

Dukat is the greatest villain in entertainment, not just Star Trek.

Hot Take: DS9 and B5's rivalry made both shows better. Hence Competition is good

I definitely think DS9 had the best first episode. It wasn't nearly as cringey as TNG or VOY. TOS had a pretty good first episode, counting both pilots.

I really enjoyed this video! Completely disagreed with most of it, but hey, how boring would the world be if we all agreed?

TAS was the first Star Trek I ever saw, when I was eight. It wasn't until years later that I saw my first live action Trek, and even later when I actually got to watch TOS in it's entirety. TAS, for all it's flaws, fired my imagination and stoked my affection for the franchise.

As a big sci fi fan but quite a casual star trek dude I've really enjoyed these retrospective videos. Although I've seen most of what trek has to offer a lot of it has been out of sequence and disjointed. This whole series has made me want to go back and watch everything in order properly so thank you ❤

This tangentially related to the video. Out Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks. I think Lower Decks has the most potential. I say this because with animation Lower Decks is only limited by the imagination of the design team. Also Lower Decks is much more of ensemble show so the show runners have more to work with. While Picard or Discovery live or die with their main characters.

I liked Enterprise. Still do. I like the slightly lower tech, more character development approach.

In my opinion, your ranking is spot on. I've been around to see the premier of every Star Trek series and have always, always considered DS9 to be the best of the sequels. Indeed one of the best two scifi shows produced in America (B5 being the other). Have been dismayed it hasn't received the amount of love and attention as TNG. Also interesting is VOY; it's true, the show goes down easy. While I've never considered it bold or challenging, with some of the blandest characters in ST history (Kim, Chakotay, Paris, Kes) I've found it easier to watch repeatedly than the much better TNG (which is a little too utopian and neatly wrapped). VOY seems, in structure and feel, to be a contemporization of 60s or 70s television; like watching old episodes of Bonanza, Twilight Zone, and the like.

Wow, this is EXACTLY the way I'd rank them all.

TOS is my favorite by far. It has the best premise, solid costumes, great matte painting backgrounds, fun plots, and that classic 60s feel.

DS9 and some of the best character development arcs in all the Star Trek Universe!

I find it really funny how they move in the animated series. They don't walk, they don't run, they do a wired middle thing. They even do it on the cover 😂

I wholeheartedly agree DS9 was always my favorite I love that it was dark I love that it took chances it seemed more real than the prime directive addled other shows. The relationship of Worf and Dax was amazing the bromance with Chief O'Brien and the doctor amazing. The introduction of section 31. I could go on and on and on for paragraphs of how special this show is

Oh man I love enterprise lol. That placement hurts just a little, but DS9 is by and far the best trek for me too.

Your family sounds awesome, my entire childhood was never getting to watch my geeky shows because I was outvoted by my younger 3 sisters

DS9 has been my favourite star trek ever since I first watched it and I'm super glad it's getting more recognition now than it did back then. I'm a sucker for well written characters and long running storylines and DS9 did it better than any of the others.

The only real problem with Next Gen was too many stories of the 1st season were just rehashed stories from the original series. Then some of the episodes of season 2 were reworked unused scripts for the failed Phase 2 project. But once it found its feet, found its own way it was great TV. But DS9 is in a class of its own, it is just sublime SciFi TV.

I've been bingeing your content recently, so thanks fella!

I think this is a solid ranking. For me, it's not about quantity of episodes, but overall quality, so I'd rank TOS over TNG. I've done my own rankings and I think 66% (52 of 78) of TOS episodes are must-watches vs 59% (105 of 178) of TNG. The TOS characters are iconic and the writers told groundbreaking stories that laid the roadmap for all the iterations of Trek that would follow. I think it's fair to wait on judging the newer series, but I would have been interested in knowing your current evaluation based on what we've gotten so far from Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks. This is my current ranking. (I haven't watched The Animated Series yet.) 1. Deep Space Nine 2. The Original Series 3. The Next Generation 4. Lower Decks 5. Discovery 6. Voyager 7. Picard 8. Enterprise

TOS is just memorable, it's incredible how you can remenber what happens in the episode just by the title

I must admit, I was half looking forward to having a respectful argument with you about your rankings. Alas, my plans were foiled when I found that I agreed with your rankings 100%... 👍

I am completely okay with your ranking. My personal ranking would flip Voyager and TOS, but that's more to do with personal taste and familiarity than any disagreement about quality. Just discovered your channel and have been doing mini-binges. Love your content, and appreciate the work you obviously do in research and production. Well done!

Your ranking of DS9 warms my heart. It's still - to me - one of the best Sci-fi shows ever made. Possibly with the exception of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica or whatever the Expanse turns out to be. I would have maybe graded Enterprise a little higher, but otherwise I have no objections. Good stuff.

My favorites 1.enterprise/voyager 2.original series 3.deep space nine I liked deep space nine but i thought it needed more standalone episodes to break it up because i tend to loose interest if its a story episode one after another.

Before watching the video, my guesses are: 1. DS9 2. TNG 3. TOS 4. VOY 5. ENT 6. Animated Series At least that's my ranking ;) *EDIT:* WOW, I can't believe I got 100% the same as Rowan! You have great taste sir!

Voyager so often struck me as "Gilligan's Island in Space," with Harry Kim as Gilligan, Seven of Nine as Ginger, and Tuvok and the Doctor competing to be the Professor. That being said, "Blink of an Eye" is one of the best hours of television.

My own ranking: 1. DS9 2. TNG 3. TOS 4. VOY 5. ENT 6. TAS We’re I to add the new shows, it would be the same up to ENT, but after that it would be 6. DIS s2 7. TAS 8. LD 9. PIC 10. Rest of DIS

Great. Spot on. Love your insight into trek

I feel the exploration of the politics of the early federation members in season 4 of ENT was the best part of that show, and would of had a DS9 feel if given the chance the writers initially wanted for the series.

Recently started watching Star Trek with TNG and I have to say I love it. After watching this I'll probably watch the original and Deep Space Nine in the future. Great content.

I feel TNG is the core of the franchise. It's the central point where everything leads to and evolves from. It represents the soul of Star Trek. And it's interesting that it usurped TOS. I do agree that DS9 is the best, although there was a lot of meh in the first two seasons. From season 3, it effectively had a 5 season story arc, which is unique in Star Trek. I feel that DS9 gives us a real feel for the size, diversity and strength of the Federation. I just finished Enterprise and I quite like it. I especially like how it gives us a glimpse into the early exploration and the formation of what would become the Federation. I'm a bit cold on Voyager because it feels detached from the other ST shows. As said, being away from Starfleet and the Federation makes it unique. But it also loses the connection with what I see most represents ST.

In VOY, we saw the a portion of the Federation when cut off from the rest of it. In TNG, we saw the Federation at it's absolute height. We witnessed the life of it's paragons. In DS9, we saw the Federation at it's lowest point. What you are in the Dark.

"'I'm leaving off nutrek" Everyone liked that

They're all true. Especially the lies - Garak

I continue to find your appealing speaking style remarkable. 👍

I totally agree! I'm rewatching TNG now, and I hop back and forth from it to other shows in my streaming queue, but when I'm rewatching DS9, that is the ONLY show I'm watching. DS9's story is so rewarding to watch from start to finish! TNG (my early years) and Voyager (my teenage years) have a heavy dose of nostalgia and comfort for me.

Like almost everyone else I think I'd rank TAS higher, probably just under TOS, but otherwise I think my list would be identical to this one. I think every long-time fan of Star Trek who enjoys the TNG era ends up loving DS9 above all else. It's just so rich in character and lore, it gives us everything we want.

Cool Video. I recently rewatched TNG out of nostalgia, as it was the series my Dad and I watched every day after school and during supper. DS9 like you said was only viewed in bits and pieces at first, but I'm in a sci-fi trekkie kinda mood lately. I'm about to start season 2, thanks for sharing your list and thoughts.

I’m just astounded that your list is the exact same as mine. Looking forward to your characters ranked video where Luxwana is number 1 :P

Thanks for the ranking. I would generally agree with the list although I would swap DS9 and next Gen. I would actually agree with your analysis but the serialized nature of DS9 is a turnaround slight downer. I had the most fun watching it originally. It might be better critically but as a busy man who loves the old shows bur I may be able to watch two or three episodes a week. I don't wa nt to have to think about what happened; before. I want to go to something familiar and rewatch a show. I can do this with Next Generation Deep space 9 ended largely removed every thing. All the arcs came to a satisfactory conclusion. I respect your opinion I'm a casual viewer.. I also tend to watch sci-fi for the ideas and honestly the soap opera like elements tend at times to be slight turn off as well.

DS9 is the only series I've seen that ACTUALLY corresponds to the "space western" formula.

I would put TOS ahead of TNG for one simple reason: Sharper characters. Imagine a Kirk/Spock/McCoy/Scotty conversation...and remove all the character slugs. You would know by their language, attitude and cadence exactly who was saying what. Now try that same exercise with Picard/Ricker/Crusher/Data/LaForge. Much of the dialogue would be interchangeable. It's really easy for an impressionist to "do" Spock. Or McCoy. Or Scotty. And especially Kirk. (Due to Shatner's hammy performance technique.) But who can "do" Beverly Crusher? Or LaForge? Or Riker? Or even Data. Except for Patrick Stewart's "Engage," TNG offered no "catch-phrases" comparable to Spock's "Illogical" and "Fascinating," Scotty's "Aye, Capt'n" and "I'm givin' her all she's got!" or McCoy's, "Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a (fill in the blank)." That's great TV writing!

There are so many DS9 episodes where I cried because of how sad it was. And yet there are those where I cried because of how they depicted family, friendship and unity; 'Body Parts' is one such episode, as the crew and residents start bringing in everything he needs to continue running the bar...that's unexpectedly touching.

I'm always baffled that DS9 get so much praise. All though it does get better, I strugle with believing the acting from Sisko and some of the other main characters in the first couple of seasons.

Love it! Ok, dumb question. I have the prior gen utopia with dragon cable. I’m still cool?

My list: 8. The Animated Series 7. Picard 6. Enterprise 5. Discovery 4. The Original Series 3. TNG 2. Voyager 1. Deep Space 9 TNG, Voyager and Deep Space 9 are very close, ask me a month from now and the order might be different. Not including Lower Decks as I have not watched and don't know enough about it. I haven't watched TAS either, but I know enough about it to rank it and to know that I don't want to watch it. Also, even though the order is like this, I like every single one of these shows, except TAS.

I mostly agree with this list. The one exception is that I prefer Voyager over TOS. I realize it's controversial for a trekkie to say they don't like TOS, it just doesn't much appeal to me personally. The two main reasons I'd cite are that it's very much a product of the 60's and the franchise hadn't really figured itself out yet.

As far as the Animated Series, I agree that it is better than many people realize, yet, you have to put something at the bottom. So, sure, I’m basically okay with your order.

Could you also do a Star Wars movies ranking? (episodes I through IX) Or are you not into Star Wars? I like both 😉 PS: For me TNG and VOY share the number one spot!

I'm not gonna lie, a part of my soul dissolved when The Animated series was ranked at the bottom. But I understand and respect why you would put it at the bottom, I just have huge nostalgia ties because I watched the fuck out of that show when I was a kid.

I think Enterprise’s biggest problem is that Archer was angry all the time. I never liked him as a captain.

Great list! I challenge you to rank each Star Trek series season all together. I would rank Season 4 of Enterprise VERY high. 👍🏾

I had the same view as you about Enterprise. When I rewatched it, the series moved up to me. Voyager's problem is that they didn't have a plan to get the ship home. It would drive me nuts when Janeway would go, "Yeah, lets go explore Planet X 'cause 'reasons'." You are trying to get home. So other than those two series swapping slots, I agree with your list and such. Sisko is the best captain!

i have a hard time ranking Trek series, because each one has great qualities to it. like you said, i don't particularly dislike any of them, but i understand your ranking. ST Animated Series, i see why it's at the bottom of your list, but yeah, i like it a lot. it's fun and has some great stories to it. what can i say? i like the retro kid feel to it. Enterprise: like it a lot. Season one was a mixed bag, but it took me too long to get into, because i believed the negativity behind it. because it was so berated, it could never live down to the bad comments. so i was pleasantly surprised. Voyager - i've only seen the first three seasons. it had great concept and elements, and great stories. Janeway is great, and i liked Tuvok. still gotta see 7 of 9, and the Doctor is great too. but i see what you mean when it was played safe. i'm cool with it. gotta see the rest of it. TOS - Thank you for liking it! it often gets berated, because they can't get into the old style of it. but the stories and the characters are just stellar! TNG - It took me a while to get into it, because season 1 was terrible, but by the end, it lived up to the hype. the storytelling eventually went on to be great, and the characters grew on me. Gateway Trek? nice term. DS9 - Yeah it is awesome :D

I am a casual fan, being a TOS lovers and dipping my tow into the other series. You give good logic for your decisions!

DS9 is arguably the most divisive of all the Treks even to this day. I unfortunately am one of the detractors. Strangely I started liking the show from the get go but over time grew to hate all the characters. The problem was they had flaws but the series didn't seem to properly address those flaws. It was the episode "For the Uniform" that really pissed me off when Sisco tried to commit genocide to capture Eddington and the episode plays it off like it was nothing. You can't get the main character to do something like that and have the audience still respect him as a hero. I couldn't bring myself to finish the series after that.

I'm glad to see that I am not the only one whose first proper start Trek experience from start to finish was Voyager

I disagreed with your movie rankings (especially Star Trek IV), but this was exactly the ranking I have of the shows, and for the same reasons.

Absolutely nailed this one - DS9 is not only the best Trek but one of if not the best SciFi that's ever graced TV.

I like the original series best because there's such a strong sense that Roddenberry had these ideas churning around in his head for many years. You can tell he was bursting to give them expression. For me, TOS best expresses Roddenberry's enthusiasm and the sense of wonder that so many of us feel about space.

No one will complain if your DS9 retrospective is 3+ hours.

Voyager will always be my favorite. The 2 parter episodes I think made this show though.

Totally agree. DS9 was by far the best. And like you said, every time i re-watch it, i have to start from the beginning. It was the only Star Trek series i actually missed when it went off.

My two slips of latinum: 1. DS9 2. TNG 3. TOS 4. ENT 5. VOY 6. TAS

I think The Animated Series makes sense at the bottom, even though it’s pretty good, it’s severely limited by the animation of the time, it’s actually one of the few things I’d like to see get a remaster.

What do you guys think about DS9? I know many (or some??) dont like the darker tone but i think its much more realistic with the best character arcs and maybe the best overall cast. I think its so great due to the darker theme. My pers. fav ST show by far(i like Babylon 5 a bit more to be honest but both are milestones in SciFi).

I don't think I want to know what the device is that The Doctor is holding on the Voyager poster

For once I completely agree with your list! Good job!

I agree Voyager had so much potential to be where DS9 is in the list. There's some great episodes & some of my favourites in all Trek. It always bugged me that there was some brilliant story telling opportunities missed.

Great video. I agree 100%. And thanks for leaving out New Trek. Not a fan of those myself, and I doubt they will ever come close to the 90s Trek I grew up with. But we all have to admit that even TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT all needed a couple of seasons to find their own identity.

As I keep rewatching through them my list has become and I’ll put the new shows in: DS9 TNG Enterprise TOS Lower Decks Discovery Voyager Picard Animated Series

Oof - TAS at the bottom - you stabbed me in the heart with that one! I’m in a tiny category of Trekkies whose very first exposure to any Star Trek whatsoever was watching Filmation’s “Star Trek” (a.k.a. Star Trek: The Animated Series) when I was a little bouncing boy watching Saturday morning cartoons in the 1970’s - and I’ve been hooked on Star Trek ever since. I absolutely love TAS and can re-watch it countless times and never find it boring. But you put DS9 at the top, so you are “redeemed.” 😉 I’m a bit different (people tell me that quite a bit), but TNG and Voyager are actually the two series I rewatch the very least. I don’t hate them; they’re fine. To me, they were always just on my meh spectrum. Whereas if TOS, DS9, ENT, or TAS is on, I will re-watch whatever episode it is no matter how many times I’ve seen it-especially TOS. DS9 is the best, but The Original Series is my comfort food I will watch tirelessly. Nice video 👍

If they remade the original series with only the Shatner scenes there would be no noticable difference.

I’d definitely have to agree with your lists here. Although I have such a soft spot for Voyager - it had such great potential and I still really love watching it as I make up extra stuff ( Head canon I guess) to add to what’s on the screen 😁

Another great video. Normally I agree with you almost 100%, but this particular time I got to say I feel original the series should be in front of next generation.

Season's 1 and 2 of Enterprise is underrated. There aren't very many, if any, REALLY BAD episodes. And it still had some good ones.

Yours is a really good ranking. My own would be: TNG, DS9, VOY, TOS, ENT, ANI. I don't know if TOS and ENT might switch places in the future though, and perhaps TNG and DS9.

What was different about season 2-3 theme on enterprise...?

Your ranking is by far the most accurate I've seen in RU-vid. 👍

Huh. Our rankings are identical. Awesome!

TOS ≥ TNG > ENT ≥ DS9 > VOY Ranking DS9 that low is probably scandalous, but though I really like some aspects of the series, it has its issues. I'm not as enamored of most of the primary characters as in TOS or TNG (I think a lot of the characters in ENT were just plain miscast). I did enjoy the mini-arcs it had, but it never seemed to be able to fully commit to a big arc, nor properly shake the episodic roots of Star Trek. It didn't sell the politics the way Babylon 5 did, which made that show feel much more encompassing than just its primary location, and as a result, the space station setting of DS9 could seem a bit confining. And going back and rewatching DS9, I realized that I had been ranking it a bit too high on the basis of its ideas more than its actual execution. Meanwhile, I found ENT's 3rd season arc to be more compelling than any in DS9, feeling a lot more urgent and real. Maybe I'd rate DS9 more highly if Babylon 5 weren't around to show what a political space station show that really commits to its arcs looks like, but Babylon 5 does exist, and for as much as it can be cheesy and even cringy at times, overall, I think it easily bests DS9. Voyager is just a mess, and where DS9 couldn't fully commit to its arcs nor truly embrace its politics, Voyager completely botched its basic premise. There was so much it could've done with two rival factions, lost in an unfamiliar part of the galaxy, far from home, having to cooperate in order to just survive, but it almost immediately squandered all of its potential.

Who cut Linda Park’s face in half on the Enterprise poster?

I completely understand not adding current era Trek in this vid. My personal ranking is significantly different (and will piss SO many off). I'll preference it by saying I don't hate my lowest ranked(I at least watched all the series, as opposed to giving up on it like say, orrvile) the rest fall as they may 4. DS9 3. TOS/TAS 2. VGR/ENT 1. TNG

My ranking would be very similar, with two changes: 1. I regard TAS as Season 4 of TOS, so I wouldn't rank it separately. 2. I find the last two seasons of ENT strong enough to give it the edge over VOY.

I have always had a soft spot for Star Trek DS9 myself.

My list is the same. 100% agree about DS9, though I wish you'd mentioned Garak in supporting characters. He's probably the most important supporting character in all of Trek.

Nice seeing someone like DS9 as much as I do. People usually look at me crosseyed when I say how much I liked it.

Pretty safe list. I would say you ranking is the most popular.