The Top 100 episodes in Star Trek franchise history according to metrics

The Top 100 Star Trek episodes.

We’ve scoured the internet, found dozens and dozens of lists, looked at critic reviews and fan scores, and came up with the quintessential Top 100 Star Trek episodes in the history of the franchise.

But why?

With it being the 100th birthday of Gene Roddenberry, we wanted to pay tribute the only way we could think of, by amassing the 100 most acclaimed episodes of the franchise that he made possible.

How did we do it?

We took some of the best lists, from some of the most respected sites, looked at critics’ scores and fan scores, combined them all into the conversation, assigned them a number value, and totaled them all up. Resulting in a list that is a beautiful mix of critic scores and fan demand.

We also had very little personal input on any episode. The only influence we had on the list was deciding on which episode got what spot in a tie. We didn’t want any ties on the list and each episode got its own spot; save for feature-length ones. We exhausted the math, and if after all that there was still a tie, then then we made the final decision.

Now, some fans will be mad that there are no episodes of Discovery, Picard, or Lower Decks on this list. Simply put, the newer episodes just aren’t catering to fans as the older ones did. That’s not to say they’re not good, but they’re not tracking as well as others for one reason or another. They were not deliberately left off the list.

There are 788 episodes as of August 19 that have aired, meaning there are a lot of good episodes that didn’t crack the Top 100.

For those wondering, one source we used is IMDB, and they have the highest-rated Picard episode No. 118, with that episode being Nepenthe. Discovery’s highest-rated is Such Sweet Sorrow, Part II at No. 146. Their list hasn’t been updated since 2020, so there are no Lower Decks yet, though No Small Parts is the highest rated with 8.9 stars.

Just missed the cut;

Carbon Creek (ENT)

Zero Hour (ENT)

Dear Doctor (ENT)

Soldiers of the Empire (DS9)

Phage (VOY)

Shore Leave (TNG)

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #100-91

100. Azati Prime (ENT ) – 58.1 points

Season 3, Episode 18

An episode of Enterprise features the crew going on a “suicide mission” to destroy a Xindi weapon, but the episode ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, with the crew left in dire straights.

99. All of Our Yesterday’s (TOS) – 61 points

Season 3, Episode 23

James Kirk, Spock, and Bones McCoy land on a planet and ends up going back in time where Spock falls in love with a cavewoman.

98. Caretaker (VOY) – 62 points

Season 1, Episode 1

The starship Voyager and a Maquis raider get hurdled through space, forcing the two crews to merge and travel back to the Alpha Quadrant; a task that will take 75 years to finish.

97. Hard Time (DS9) – 64 points

Season 4, Episode 19

After Miles O’Brien is convicted of a crime, he is forced to live through 20 years of memories in an instant, leaving a residual effect that plagues him throughout the episode.

96. Tacking into the Wind (DS9) – 64.1 points

Season 7, Episode 22

The sixth part of the nine-part final arc sees Gowran attacking the Dominion on one front, while Kira and the Cardassians try to steal a Breen weapon on another front.

95. Message in a Bottle (VOY) – 66 points

Season 4, Episode 14

Thanks to Seve of Nine, The Doctor is sent to the Alpha Quadrant where he’s tasked with the toughest mission of all; dealing with Andy Dick.

94. Obsession (TOS) – 67 points

Season 2, Episode 18

James Kirk is face to face with a “vampiric cloud” from his past, the same cloud that killed many of Kirk’s former crewmates.

93. Dark Frontier (VOY) – 67.1 points

Season 5, Episode 15/16

The first feature-length episode on the list, Dark Frontier aired both parts on the same night and served as the quintessential back story for Seven of Nine.

92. The Menagerie Part I (TOS) – (68 points)

Season 1, Episode 15

The first part of a two-parter, Menageries Part I features Spock attempting to help his former Captain, Christopher Pike, after he sustained horrific injuries, with used footage from the original pilot.

91. Time’s Arrow (TNG) – 68.1 points

Season 5, Episode 26

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise finds Data’s head on Earth, discovering it to be several hundred years older than the present-day Data, all this on the same day our favorite android gets sucked back in time due to an alien attack.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #90-81

90. Unification I (TNG) – 71 points

Season 5, Episode 7

Leonard Nimoy is back in the first part of a two-parter. Captain Picard and Data travel to Romulus to determine whether or not Ambassador Spock has defected to the Romulan Empire.

89. The Void (VOY) – 71.1 points

Season 7, Episode 15

The U.S.S. Voyager is stuck in a no man’s land of sorts of space, where there are no stars to be seen and only stranded ships raiding one another to survive.

88. Behind the Lines (DS9)  – 74 points

Season 6, Episode 4

Kira finds out the Dominion is attempting to take down the Federation minefield but the Female Changeling is already attempting to sway Odo to join the ranks.

87. Sons and Daughters (DS9) – 74.1 points

Season 6, Episode 3

The son of Worf enlists with the Klingons to take on the Dominion, while the daughter of Dukat returns to Deep Space Nine as a ploy for Dukat to get closer to Kira.

86. Elementary, Dear Data (TNG) – 74.2 points)

Season 2, Episode 3

After being confronted by Dr. Katherine Pulaski, Data, and Geordi La Forge enter a Sherlock Holmes holodeck story where Moriarty becomes sentient and becomes an issue for the ship.

85. Past Tense Part II (DS9) – 75 points

Season 3, Episode 12

Part two of a story that sees Benjamin Sisko and his crew getting stuck in the past, only to find out they must ensure the Bell Riots of 2024 go off to preserve the timeline.

84. Past Tense Part I (DS9) – 75.5 points

Season 3, Episode 11

Benjamin Sisko, Jadzia Dax, and Julian Bashir find themselves in 2024 for the first part of a two-parter, right before the Bell Riots of 2024.

83. The Naked Time (TOS) – 76 points

Season 1, Episode 6

A contagious disease causes the crew of the Enterprise to act erratically, including a fencing Sulu.

82. Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (DS9) – 76.1 points

Season 7, Episode 16

Section 31 tries to use Julian Bashir to help keep the Romulans on their side during the Dominion War as he takes a trip to Romulus for a medical conference.

81. By Inferno’s Light (DS9) – 77 points

Season 5, Episode 15

Dukat betrays Deep Space Nine and casts off his daughter as the Dominion invasion of the Alpha Quadrant begins in earnest.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #80-71

80. Necessary Evil (DS9) – 80 points

Season 2, Episode 8

Someone has had enough of Quarks’ nonsense, attempting to murder him. That one act re-opens a five-year-old cold case.

79. Emissary (DS9) – 81 points

Season 1, Episode 1

Ben Sisko takes over command of Deep Space Nine and is tasked with helping re-establish the Bajoran government following the Cardassian withdrawal.

78. The Die is Cast (DS9) – 81.1 points

Season 3, Episode 21

After surviving a bombing attempt and the destruction of his ship, Garak and Odo go missing investigating the assassination attempt.

77. Broken Bow (ENT) – 83 points

Season 1, Episode 1

Captain Jonathan Archer takes the U.S.S. Enterprise out on its maiden voyage to return an injured Klingon to his homeworld.

76. Sacrifice of Angels (DS9) – 84 points

Season 6, Episode 6

A battle between the Federation and the Dominion begins in an attempt to prevent the Dominion from destroying the Wormhole midfield.

75. Improbable Cause (DS9) – 85 points

Season 3, Episode 20

Odo has to investigate an assassination attempt on Garak, which destroyed Garak’s tailor shop in the process.

74. Endgame (VOY) – 87 points

Season 7, Episodes 25/26

The feature-length Voyager finale sees Admiral Janeway travel back in time to help her past self and her crew gets back home faster than she previously did.

73. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (TOS) – 89 points

Season 3, Episode 15

Two not-so-dissimilar aliens are engaged in a 50,000-year conflict, unable to see the follies of their ways.

72. Redemption Part 1 (TNG) – 89.1 points

Season 4, Episode 26

Worf and his brother fight to regain their father’s honor, while Picard tries to prevent a Klingon civil war…

71. Redemption Part 2 (TNG) – 90 points

Season 5, Episode 1

…Picard has to deal with the Klingon Civil War.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #70-61

70. Our Man Bashir (DS9) – 90.1 points

Season 4, Episode 10

Julian Bashir and Garak navigate his secret agent holosuite program that ends up seeing the DS9 crew get trapped in the characters.

69. Galileo Seven (TOS) – 97 points

Season 1, Episode 13

Seven members of the Galileo shuttlecraft have to fend off the Taureans after becoming stranded on their planet.

68. It’s Only a Paper Moon (DS9) – 100 points

Season 7, Episode 10

Wounded from a battle, Nog seeks comfort in a Holosuite program featuring 1962 Las Vegas and Vic Fontaine.

67. Enemy Within (TOS) – 104 points

Season 1, Episode 4

James Kirk is split into two people after a transporter accident, and the crew of the Enterprise has to find a way to unite them.

66. Brothers (TNG) – 106 points

Season 4, Episode 3

Data is summoned by his creator and discovers his brother Lore is there, resulting in a very unwanted family reunion.

65. Purgatory’s Shadow (DS9) – 109 points

Season 5, Episode 14

Worf and Garak attempt to investigate an internment camp and find out that one of their own has been there for some time.

64. The Pegasus (TNG) – 110 points

Season 7, Episode 12

William Riker is forced to confront events from his past after coming face to face with a former commanding officer.

63. Timeless (VOY) – 116 points

Season 5, Episode 6

After the death of the Voyager crew 15 years earlier, Harry Kim and Chakotay attempt to change history, all while being pursued by a Next Generation alum.

62. A Piece of the Action (TOS) 117 points

Season 2, Episode 20

The crew of the Enterprise returns to a planet that has adapted its entire culture after the 1920s gangster lifestyle.

61. Ship in a Bottle (TNG) – 118 points

Season 6, Episode 12

The Holodeck version of Moriarty is once again causing problems for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #60-51

60.  Yesteryear (TaS) – 119 points

Season 1, Episode 2

Spock has to prevent his own death by traveling back in time in the loan Animated Series adventure to make the list.

59. The Enterprise Incident (TOS) – 119.1 points

Season 3, Episode 4

James Kirk makes the not-so-brilliant decision to enter Romulan Space.

58. Favor the Bold (DS9) – 120 points

Season 6, Episode Five

Benjamin Sisko attempts to convince Starfleet to retake Deep Space Nine from the Dominion.

57. Little Green Men (DS9) – 123 points

Season 4, Episode 8

Rom, Quark, and Nog go back in time and accidentally end up causing the historic Roswell Incident.

56. Drumhead (TNG) – 124 points

Season 4, Episode 21

Captain Picard ends up in the crosshairs of an overzealous Starfleet admiral who’s conducting an investigation to find a conspiracy.

55. A Time to Stand (DS9) – 126 points

Season 6, Episode 1

Captain Ben Sisko and company attempt to cut off the Jem’Hadar food supply in a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the Dominion War.

54. Family (TNG) -130 points

Season 4, Episode 2

Captain Jean-Luc Picard returns home to his family to help deal with his assimilation to the Borg, while Worf has a parallel experience with his own family.

53. Twilight (ENT) – 132 points

Season 3, Episode 8

Jonathan Archer wakes up one day, 12 years in the future, and finds out the human race is nearly extinct thanks in part to the Xindi conflict.

52. Corbomite Maneuver (TOS) – 141 points

Season 1, Episode 2

The U.S.S. Enterprise discovers Balok, the commander of a First Federation starship, but all is not what it seems.

51. Relics (TNG) – 143 points

Season 6, Episode 4

While exploring a Dyson sphere, the crew of the Enterprise discovers Montgomery “Scotty” Scott suspended in a transporter.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #50-41

50. Equinox Part II (VOY) – 147 points

Season 6, Episode 1

Captain Janeway wages a personal war with the only other Federation ship in the Delta Quadrant, in the conclusion to the Equinox storyline.

49. The Siege of AR-558 (DS9) – 149 points

Season 7, Episode 8

Sisko, Bashir, Dax, Nog, and Quark take part in a battle against the Jem’Hadar that will leave lasting effects.

48. Where No Man Has Gone Before (TNG) – 150 points

Season 1, Episode 6

The Enterprise ends up on the edge of the known universe and has to rely on the kindness of an alien stranger to get home.

47. Cause and Effect (TNG) – 152 points

Season 5, Episode 18

The U.S.S. Enterprise gets caught in a temporal loop just before the ship explodes, killing everyone, and forcing the crew to live out their deaths over and over.

46. Parallels (TNG) – 156 points

Season 7, Episode 11

Worf is the only person who notices that things aren’t quite right onboard the U.S.S Enterprise after returning from a competition.

45. Living Witness (VOY) – 160 points

Season 4, Episode 23

The Doctor is the only surviving witness to alleged crimes the crew of the Voyager committed hundreds of years before.

44. Paradise Lost (DS9) – 162.87 points

Season 4, Episode 12

Ben Sisko and Odo discover that Admiral Leyton is attempting to take over the Earth following more strict security measures.

43. Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy (VOY) – 162.88 points

Season 6, Episode 4

Aliens discover The Doctor’s holodeck program that features him as a captain and believes it to be real, forcing The Doctor to take the chair.

42. Journey to Babel (TOS) – 164 points

Season 2, Episode 15

Spock’s ill father is the prime suspect in the murder of an alien dignitary, all while the Enterprise travels to a diplomatic conference.

41. Homefront (DS9) – 165 points

Season 4, Episode 11

A terrorist bombing reveals that the Changelings have invaded Earth, forcing Benjamin Sisko back to Starfleet headquarters.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #40-31

40. Chain of Command Part I (TNG) – 166 points

Season 6, Episode 10

Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Worf are sent on a secret mission that leaves the Enterprise in the hands of someone completely unprepared.

39. The Offspring (TNG) – 172 points

Season 3, Episode 16

Data builds himself a daughter but Starfleet is unsure about how to handle her growing abilities.

38. Rocks and Shoals (DS9) – 173 points

Season 6, Episode 2

Captain Sisko and his crew end up marooned on a planet that has a group of like-wise marooned Jem’ Hadar, who are on their last batch of ketracel-white

37. Equionix Part I (VOY) – 178 points

Season 5, Episode 26

After five years in the Delta Quadrant, the U.S.S. Voyager finds another Starfleet vessel called the Equinix, but they end up being genocidal jerks.

36. The Devil in the Dark (TOS) – 182 points

Season 1, Episode 26

A monster is destroying mining equipment on Janus VI but for a good reason.

35. Blink of an Eye (VOY) – 192 points)

Season 6, Episode 12

A planet that perceives time differently tries to understand the presence of the U.S.S. Voyager.

34. In a Mirror Darkly Part 2 (ENT) – 195 points

Season 4, Episode 19

T’Pol has had enough of the Mirror-Universe’s Terran Empire and tries to speak out against it.

33. In a Mirror Darkly Part 1 ( ENT) – 195.1 points

Season 4, Episode 18

Mirror-Universe Jonathan Archer mutinies against his captain and attempts to steal a futuristic ship.

32. The Way of the Warrior (DS9) – 198 points

Season 4, Episode 1

Seeking help with the Klingons, The Federation sends Worf to Deep Space Nine in order to find out what the Klingons are really up to.

31. Lower Decks (TNG) – 202 points

Season 7, Episode 15

Shifting gears from the usual format, a group of Junior officers tries to figure out what is going on at the Cardassian border.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #30-21

30. Scorpion Part II (VOY) – 207 points

Season 4, Episode 1

Captain Kathryn Janeway forges an alliance with the Borg to combat Species 8472 while meeting a future crew member.

29. I, Borg (TNG) – 210.85 points

Season 5, Episode 23

Captain Picard and Guinan are forced to face their own issues after the crew takes in a Borg who has disconnected from The Collective.

28. What You Leave Behind (DS9) – 210.86 points

Season 7, Episode 25/26

In this feature-length episode, every conflict comes to a conclusion in the series finale of Deep Space Nine.

27. Arena (TOS) – 215 points

Season 1, Episode 19

James Kirk battles a Goran Captain in hand-to-hand combat.

26. Amok Time (TOS) – 219 points

Season 2, Episode 5

While suffering through his first infliction of the pon farr, Spock and Kirk come to blows.

25. Scorpion Part I (VOY) – 221 points

Season 3, Episode 26

The crew of the U.S.S. Voyager comes face to face with a brand new threat that even the Borg fear; Species 8472.

24. Q, Who? (TNG) – 227 points

Season 2, Episode 16

Jean-Luc Picard has to face the harsh truth that the Federation is not ready for what’s to come after coming face to face with the Borg for the first time ever.

23. Call to Arms (DS9) – 230 points

Season 5, Episode 26

Captain Sisko and Gul Dukat engage in a game of chicken, with Sisko placing mines around the Bajoran Wormhole and Dukat launching a full-on assault on DS9.

22. Chain of Command Part 2 (TNG) – 232 points

Season 6, Episode 11

Captain Picard fails his mission and is captured by the Cardassians, leaving his fate in the hands of Captain Jellico.

21. Tapestry (TNG) – 235 points

Season 6, Episode 15

Q comes and plays the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present after Jean-Luc Picard is killed on an away mission.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #20-11

20. Darmok (TNG) – 237 points

Season 5, Episode 2

Despite not being able to communicate with one another, Captain Picard and an alien captain work together to hunt a creature they can’t see.

19. Year of Hell Part II (VOY) – 253 points

Season 4, Episode 9

Annorax faces off with Captain Janeway one last time as she risks her ship and crew to try and stop him.

18. Year of Hell Part I (VOY) – 259 points

Season 4, Episode 8

A Krenim alien disrupts time, causing the Voyager to be stuck in a year-long quest to simply survive.

17. Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9) – 260 points

Season 5, Episode 6

Captain Sisko and the main crew members of DS9 travel back in time and interact with James Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise.

16. Duet (DS9) – 263 points

Season 1, Episode 19

Major Kira is stuck in a cat-and-mouse game with a possible Cardassian war criminal.

15. The Doomsday Machine (TOS) – 279 points

Season 2, Episode 6

A machine that can destroy entire planets crosses paths with the Enterprise, but one crew member goes mad trying to get revenge on the machine.

14. Balance of Terror (TOS) – 289 points

Season 1, Episode 8

The Enterprise comes face to face with the dreaded Romulans, who may have just destroyed important outposts.

13. Space Seed (TOS) – 303 points

Season 1, Episode 24

James Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise come face to face with famed warlord Khan Noonien Singh.

12. The Measure of a Man (TNG) – 308 points

Season 2, Episode 9

Captain Jean-Luc Picard has to defend Data from Starfleet after Data’s ordered to resign his commission so he can be studied.

11. Trouble with Tribbles (TOS) – 333 points

Season 2, Episode 13

The Enterprise finds themselves dealing with Klingons and furry space creatures who multiply incredibly fast.

Star Trek Episode Rankings – #10-1

10. All Good Things (TNG) – 334 points

Season 7, Episode 25/26

The series finale of The Next Generation is a feature-length episode that sees Captain Jean-Luc Picard travel through time to prevent the extinction of the human race.

9. Far Beyond THe Stars (DS9) – 345.895 points

Season 6, Episode 13

Captain Ben Sisko suffers from hallucinations from the prophets, putting the crew of DS9 into 1950s America.

8. Mirror, Mirror (TOS) – 345.905 points

Season 2, Episode 10

Captain Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura find themselves in a parallel universe with evil counterparts of the Enterprise and its crew.

7. Yesterday’s Enterprise (TNG) – 360 points

Season 3, Episode 15

A temporal rift caused the Enterprise-C and Enterprise-D to come face to face causing serious changes to the timeline.

6. The Visitor (DS9) – 361.95 points

Season 4, Episode 3

Captain Ben Sisko ends up skipping through time, forcing his son Jake Sisko to live out his life waiting for the next moment his father will appear.

5. In the Pale Moonlight (DS9) 361.975 points

Season 6, Episode 19

Captain Ben Sisko attempts to get the Romulans into the Dominion War with the help of Garak, but Garak’s involvement forces Sisko to betray everything he believes to win a war.

4. The Inner Light (TNG) – 366 points

Season 5, Episode 25

Jean-Luc Picard lives an entire life on a foreign planet after an accident links his consciousness to that of a long-dead civilization.

3. Best of Both Worlds Part II (TNG) – 381 points

Season 4, Episode 1

Now with Jean-Luc Picard assimilated by the Borg, the crew of the Enterprise must decide how to handle their former leader.

2. Best of Both Worlds Part I (TNG) – 383

Season 3, Episode 26

The Borg has arrived in Federation space and captured Jean-Luc Picard, forcing the crew to make a drastic decision.

1. The City on the Edge of Forever (TOS) – 391 points

Season 1, Episode 28

Captain James Kirk and Spock have to go back in time to prevent an out-of-control Leonard McCoy from erasing the Federation from history.