Star Trek wasn't the first time science fiction had been put on TV but it's one of the best. The original series was groundbreaking in so many ways; it was allegorical and cerebral at times but still full of camp and action. It's become a sci-fi powerhouse, with seven spin-off shows and ten motion pictures, and counting.
One of the things fans love the most about Star Trek is the ship designs. The show started a revolution in ship design, one that would establish an aesthetic that fans can still see. Some of those designs are amazing, but others not so much. What are the best Star Trek ship designs? Which are the worst?
10 Best: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
Nothing beats a classic, and the original Enterprise is definitely a classic. It changed the way people looked at science fiction starships. Back then, it was all rockets and saucers and while the Enterprise had design elements reminiscent of both of those, it combined them all.
It presented something that was both familiar and wildly different. Looking back, there are a few design elements that aren't great — the thin booms connecting everything for one — but the ship started a revolution and is still one of the coolest sci-fi starships ever.
9 Worst: Romulan Bird Of Prey
Introduced during the original series of Star Trek, the Romulan Bird of Prey came from the fan-favorite episode "Balance Of Terror". Equipped with a cloaking device and powerful plasma torpedoes, it played a deadly game of cat and mouse with the Enterprise.
The problem with the design is that it's bland. The only thing that really stands out about it is the painted bird on the bottom and that looks kind of ridiculous nowadays, sort of like a space Trans Am. Great episode, bad ship design.
8 Best: Jem'Hadar Fighter
Debuting in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Jem'Hadar Fighter was the main ship of the Dominion, the alien empire that would become the show's big bad. Built-up to be nearly invincible, Jem'Hadar fighters were quick and powerful, armed with weapons that made mock of Starfleet vessels' shielding.
It also looked great. There was something insectile about the design, which fit the way it would be used in the fleet battles later in the series where it would swarm its targets. The purple coloring was different than just about anything seen before and made it stand out.
7 Worst: Borg Cube
The Borg Cube fits the aesthetic of the Borg perfectly. Every face of the Cube is full of weapons and tractor beams, allowing it to assault enemy vessels coming in at any vector. The ships are fantastically durable. Everything about them screams utilitarian, setting the Borg apart from what fans were used to from a Star Trek ship.
The problem comes in that for the viewer, there's nothing very interesting about the design itself. It's a giant cube and it looks like it's made up of scaffolding. While it says a lot about the Borg (which is honestly very cool), there's not much to look at.
6 Best: U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205
The Defiant was designed for one purpose: battle. Created to be the first vessel of a new class meant to combat the Borg, the vessel was overpowered, packed down with weapons, and extremely durable. Brought to Deep Space Nine to help combat the Dominion threat, the Defiant is also a very distinct ship.
It eschews a lot of the design aesthetics that fans became used to from Star Trek ships. The design was solid; it looks like it could take a lot of hits and keep going. The way the warp nacelles jut out of the ship like broad shoulders, giving the ship a muscular feel. It's a great-looking ship that fans fell in love with.
5 Worst: D-7 Romulan/Klingon Battle Cruiser
The D-7 was introduced in the original Star Trek series and was used by both the Romulans and the Klingons. It was definitely a unique design, unlike anything fans had seen before, but that doesn't mean it's a good design. The problem comes from the long boom that connects the bow to the aft section of the ship.
It looks remarkably flimsy and all but cries out to get targeted. It's a strange design choice for a ship that is designed to fight. One can excuse Starfleet vessels having these design elements because they aren't made for fighting but seeing as the Romulans and Klingons both used this class for battle, it makes no sense.
4 Best: Klingon Bird Of Prey
The Klingon Bird Of Prey is one of the best ship designs not just in Star Trek but in all of sci-fi. First off, it looks like a bird of prey, down to the armor plating on the wings looking like feathers. Its green coloring makes it stand out. It just looks tough- even the connecting boom looks like it can take hits.
The Bird Of Prey is a utilitarian design that looks great; it's meant to race in, blow stuff up, and get out. It's one of those rare sci-fi ship designs that is just perfect.
3 Worst: The Breen Warship
The Breen were introduced in Deep Space Nine. They all looked sort of like tall versions of Leia disguised as a bounty hunter in Return Of The Jedi. They joined up with the Dominion towards the end of the war between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant allies and their ships were something else.
There's something very slapdash about the ship's design. It's certainly interesting but not in a good way; it looks like someone welded a bunch of disparate sections together.
2 Best: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D
The Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Enterprise-D, is a Galaxy-class starship. It was the flagship of Starfleet and the most technologically advanced ship in the fleet. It was the Enterprise of a whole new generation (hence the show's name) and it is still the most beautiful ship in sci-fi.
It incorporated design elements from the original Enterprise but was curvier. The hull flowed and the ship's smooth lines played a huge part in just how good the ship looked. There will never be anything like it again.
1 Worst: Romulan Warbird
The Romulans just can't catch a break when it comes to ship designs. The D'deridex-class Warbird is a big ship that looks intimidating at first. The bow resembles a massive bird's head, one that has a taste for flesh and the green hull has a sickly, evil feel to it.
However, it's kind of a nonsensical design. The bow is the only part of the ship that looks like it could take a hit. The ventral and dorsal sections look thin and flimsy and the placing of the warp engines makes them perfect targets. It definitely looks like something called a Warbird, but it doesn't look good.