The 10 Best Star Trek Episodes of All Time

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Star Trek first appeared in 1965 with the pilot episode of The Original Series, which then ran for three seasons until 1969. Although NBC cancelled the show, the franchise lived on. It continued in 1973 with Star Trek: The Animated Series, and in 1979, the first Star Trek movie was released. After several films, Star Trek returned to television with Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it’s been going strong ever since. In 2026, Star Trek launched its 13th series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and fans can expect even more from this beloved sci-fi universe in the years to come.

As Star Trek approaches its 1,000th episode, we’re highlighting the ten best episodes from the entire series.

10) “Chain of Command”

The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Chain of Command,” from its sixth season, is a tense and disturbing story where Captain Picard is captured and brutally interrogated by the Cardassian Gul Madred (played by David Warner). The episode is particularly harrowing because Picard is subjected to torture and nearly broken before he manages to escape.

The arrival of the new captain, Jellico (Ronny Cox), and his unwillingness to cooperate with Picard immediately creates conflict on the Enterprise. The episode features a particularly clever test of Picard’s will: Madred attempts to break him by insisting he acknowledge five lights when only four exist. The intense psychological torture is so effective that Picard nearly convinces himself he sees a fifth light, pushing him to the brink of denying reality and giving in to Madred’s control. This scenario perfectly captures the essence of what makes Star Trek so compelling.

9) “Those Old Scientists”

Many of Star Trek’s most memorable episodes come from three of its shows, but a standout episode recently aired on the still-running series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Though the second-season episode, “Those Old Scientists,” is relatively new, it’s widely considered to be excellent. What makes this episode particularly unique is that it features a crossover with another Star Trek story.

“Those Old Scientists” is a special episode in a couple of ways: it combines the worlds of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with the animated series Lower Decks, and Jonathan Frakes (who plays Riker) directed it. The episode features Lower Decks characters Boimler and Mariner traveling back in time to when Pike was captain. Ultimately, it’s a heartwarming look at the enduring impact Star Trek has had on its fans, and it works brilliantly.

8) “The Visitor”

The Deep Space Nine episode “The Visitor” is widely considered one of the most heartbreaking in Star Trek history. This fourth-season installment truly showcases the heart of DS9 through a story told with flashbacks between Captain Sisko and his son, Jake. The episode features a poignant twist: it’s set in the future, with an elderly Jake and Sisko briefly appearing to him across time.

This episode is full of powerful scenes, like when Sisko encourages Jake to embrace life and not worry about him. But the real emotional impact comes from the fact that Jake is ultimately unable to fully live his own life. He makes the ultimate sacrifice, giving himself up to save his father and fix the timeline, which is a truly devastating moment.

7) “Scorpion”

The Star Trek episode “Scorpion,” from Star Trek: Voyager, is often underrated but stands out as a highlight of the entire franchise. It successfully reintroduced the Borg, reminding viewers why they’re such iconic villains. Importantly, this episode also introduced Seven of Nine, who quickly became a fan-favorite character and a memorable addition to Star Trek’s history.

This two-part episode was a turning point for Star Trek: Voyager. The crew teamed up with the Borg to fight a new enemy, Species-8472, and it fundamentally changed the show. Anyone who dismisses this episode is missing out, as it’s where Voyager truly hit its stride and became one of the best installments in the entire Star Trek franchise.

6) “In The Pale Moonlight”

“In The Pale Moonlight” is a standout episode from the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It explores a difficult moral dilemma for Captain Sisko: how far is he willing to go to persuade the Romulans to ally with the Federation and Klingons in the Dominion War? The episode is renowned for its nuanced look at the conflict between personal ethics and achieving a necessary outcome, making it one of the most compelling moral stories in Star Trek history.

Sisko understands that winning the war requires him to compromise his own values, and these actions deeply affect him. He makes difficult choices, like fabricating evidence and freeing a dangerous criminal. The episode powerfully conveys its moral complexities through Sisko’s direct addresses to the audience, where he reflects on his decisions and whether they were justified. It’s a brilliantly told story.

5) “The Best of Both Worlds”

Considered one of the greatest episodes in Star Trek history, “The Best of Both Worlds” was a two-part story from Star Trek: The Next Generation, concluding Season 3 and beginning Season 4. The first half was incredibly suspenseful, ending with a massive cliffhanger: Captain Picard was captured and turned into one of the Borg.

While the second part isn’t quite as strong as the first, this story is still amazing and actually lays the groundwork for the Star Trek: First Contact movie. With fantastic performances and a particularly gripping scene where Picard is compromised, “The Best of Both Worlds” is rightfully considered one of the most celebrated episodes in Star Trek history.

4) “By Inferno’s Light”

Many fans consider the Deep Space Nine episode “By Inferno’s Light” to be the most overlooked gem in Star Trek history. As the second part of a story that begins with “In Puragatory’s Shadow” (episode 15 of Season 5), it offers a compelling look inside a Dominion prison camp. It’s also widely considered the best episode featuring Worf throughout the entire Star Trek franchise. Like many of the show’s most memorable installments, it explores the difficult choices and moral dilemmas faced by those striving to do what’s right.

“By Inferno’s Light” stands out because it really showcases the best of Star Trek – a thrilling, fun adventure with a lot of suspense. The episode clearly draws inspiration from the horrors of Nazi prison camps, and both Harak and Worf face intense challenges in their attempt to escape. It’s a truly epic science fiction story, and a standout even among other Star Trek episodes.

3) “Yesterday’s Enterprise”

“Yesterday’s Enterprise” is a highly-regarded episode from the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, often considered one of the show’s strongest. In the episode, the starship Enterprise-C unexpectedly returns after being presumed lost for two decades. Its arrival, however, drastically alters the timeline, leading to a prolonged and devastating war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation.

Guinan first noticed something was off and successfully persuaded Picard that the timeline had been altered and needed fixing. Tasha Yar’s death is still considered one of the most powerfully moving moments in the entire series, and a truly selfless sacrifice within the world of Star Trek. Ultimately, Star Trek excels as intelligent science fiction, and this particular story represents the show’s finest exploration of time travel.

2) “The Inner Light”

“The Inner Light” is widely considered the greatest episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and perhaps the best in the entire Star Trek franchise. The story centers around Picard receiving a signal that immerses him in the life of a man on a world facing destruction. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Picard experiences decades of life – marriage, raising a family, and watching his grandchildren grow – all within approximately 25 minutes, making it the most emotionally impactful event in his character’s journey.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode featuring Captain Picard explores what his life would have been like if he’d prioritized family and love over his career. The story shows him a possible life he could have had, but tragically, he discovers it’s a glimpse into a future that never came to pass – a world lost a thousand years ago. Many fans consider it one of the most powerful and memorable episodes in Star Trek history.

1) “The City on the Edge of Forever”

Many fans consider “The Inner Light” to be the greatest Star Trek episode ever made. However, a lot of viewers believe the show peaked with the original cast in The Original Series, and the first season episode, “The City on the Edge of Forever,” consistently stands out as a franchise highlight.

This episode features a time-travel mishap: Bones accidentally alters history on an alien world, erasing the Enterprise from existence. Kirk and Spock must journey back in time to fix things. They find themselves in New York City during the Great Depression and discover Bones saved a woman whose pacifist beliefs led the U.S. to avoid war, ultimately allowing the Nazis to win World War II. Kirk is then faced with a tough choice: is one life worth the terrible future it created, presenting Star Trek with its most challenging moral dilemma.

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2026-03-22 02:43