For over five decades, fans of science fiction have had the adventures of mankind's far future in the form of Star Trek to look forward to. From the early journies of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise and their five-year mission to the current run of shows that includes Discovery and Lower Decks, Gene Roddenberry's dream of a unified mankind traveling the cosmos has continued to thrive.
While there have been 13 Star Trek movies, the franchise is best known for its TV shows, which currently number nine series, with two more on the way. Not every show is equally loved, and not every season of every series is equally appreciated. Across the 34 seasons that have been released to date, 10 have truly stood out as the best in the minds of the fans and IMDb.
10 Enterprise Season 4 Overcomes A Bad Finale - 7.96
During the four years that Star Trek: Enterprise aired, it went through a lot of growing pains. The first prequel series in the franchise, Enterprise was met with trepidation by fans and took some time to find its footing. By the fourth and final season, Captain Archer and his crew had finally found a dedicated fanbase, but it wasn't enough to keep the show alive.
Still, over the years, more fans have come to appreciate the final season of Enterprise, even as they curse the series finale, which with an IMDb score of 5.3 drags the season average down, but not enough to keep it from being the most loved of all Star Trek seasons.
9 Enterprise Season 3 Turned Things Around - 7.83
It was in the third season where Star Trek: Enterprise really figured out how to stand out from the crowd. This season moved the show from the traditional episode-of-the-week format into something closer to today's serialized storytelling structure.
In the third season of Enterprise, the crew found itself traveling lightyears from home and searching for a collection of alien races known as the Xindi. The Xindi launched an attack on Earth, destroying Florida and killing millions. Enterprise's Season 3 didn't just up the tension, it also took time to explore the main characters in a way the first two seasons failed to.
8 The Original Series Started Things Off Right - 7.82
It's hard to imagine a time before Star Trek, but it wasn't until September 8, 1966, that the world was introduced to what has become one of the most successful science fiction stories of all time. While it took two pilots before Star Trek went to series, the show quickly found a fanbase in the first season, thanks to classic episodes like "The Naked Time," "Balance of Terror," and "Space Seed."
The first season not only introduced viewers to Captain Kirk, Mister Spock, and the rest of the crew, but it also introduced them to an idea rarely shown in science fiction; a future where mankind has moved past its failings and has united in the pursuit of a better tomorrow.
7 The Next Generation Hit Its High In Season 6 - 7.75
While Star Trek: The Next Generation is a beloved series today, when it first began to air in 1987, many fans of the original series weren't happy. Behind-the-scenes stories about Gene Roddenberry's vision for the early seasons and how it caused issues with the other writers are well documented, but by the show's sixth season, those problems were all but forgotten.
The Next Generation had already found its groove by season six, but episodes like the two-part "Chain Of Command," "Tapestry," and the season finale "Descent" make this penultimate season of the series really stand out.
6 Deep Space Nine Hit Its Stride In Season 4 - 7.69
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine broke the format created by the Original Series and Next Generation. Instead of being based around a crew on a starship, DS9 was about the crew of a space station and a leader who wasn't sure the Federation was the right place for him.
By its fourth season, DS9 cemented itself as the darker Star Trek show; a series dealing with genocide, war crimes, and racism. And while DS9 was looked at as the black sheep of the Star Trek family for many years, it has found a renewed and dedicated fanbase thanks to Netflix.
5 Deep Space Nine Finished Strong With Season 7 - 7.66
The final season of Deep Space Nine is a rollercoaster for fans, as the show goes deep into areas that are normally ignored by Star Trek, most notably religion. As the seasons-long Dominion War comes to a close, Captain Sisko and the crew of DS9 find themselves facing some horrible truths about their own actions and the long-term effects war can have on people.
Unlike Next Generation, DS9 did not end in a way that set up possible movies; it ended with a definitive finale that left many viewers in tears, making the show a rarity in television—one that stuck the landing.
4 Voyager Got It Right With Season 4 - 7.65
While Star Trek: Voyager became the premier Star Trek show after Next Generation ended—even though DS9 was still on at the time—it has in some ways gotten lost in the shuffle over the years. That isn't because Voyager was of lesser quality than the other shows, but more because it has been kept so separated from everything else.
Still, that hasn't stopped the show's fourth season from being a fan favorite. While Voyager may not get the attention that Next Generation always has or DS9 has started to get, the die-hard fans still hold it close to their hearts.
3 Next Generation Had A Good Season 5 - 7.64
There are a number of amazing moments in the fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, from the Klingon Civil War to the crew of the Enterprise-D working alongside Mister Spock to try and bring about a Vulcan-Romulan reunification. However, it is "The Inner Light" that really makes this season special.
Considered one of the best episodes of any Star Trek series, "The Inner Light" is a touching and wonderful episode that sees Picard living a life very much unlike the one he knew, and facing a gut-wrenching tragedy that still carries with it a little bit of the hopeful future that has made Star Trek stand the test of time.
2 Deep Space Nine Rules The Top 10 With Season 5 - 7.64
The only series to have three seasons being this well-received on IMDb, Deep Space Nine's fifth season has a number of memorable episodes like "In Purgatory's Shadow," "Children Of Time," and "Call To Arms" to raise it above other seasons of other shows, but it is "Trials And Tribble-ations" that puts this season of DS9 over the top.
A sequel to the classic Original Series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles," "Trials And Tribble-ations" sees a number of the DS9 crew travel back in time and find themselves mixed up with the crew of the classic Enterprise. Most notably, this episode is the first time any Star Trek show or movie referenced how the appearance of the Klingons had changed over the years.
1 Picard Breaks Through With Its First Season - 7.62
While the new Star Trek shows that have been created for Paramount Plus have had some trouble connecting with fans of the previous shows, that all seems to be clearing up now. While the first season of Lower Decks doesn't crack the top 10, it came pretty close but was beat out by Picard.
With one season done and a second on the way, Picard not only picks up on elements from The Next Generation, but from the Kelvin Timeline films with the destruction of Romulus. Fans were happy to see Captain Picard return in a new story and are eager to see where the next few years will take him and his new crew.