Star Trek, that's more than 13 series and 13 films science fiction works spread across nearly 60 years. To keep track of everything without getting lost, here’s the complete timeline of the universe, from the 22nd to 32nd centuries, with a summary of each title so you know what you're getting into.
In what order should I watch all the Star Trek movies and TV shows?
To follow the story in order chronology of the universe (not the order in which they appear), here is the complete list:
- Star Trek : Enterprise
- Star Trek : Discovery (Seasons 1 and 2)
- Star Trek : Strange New Worlds
- Star Trek : The Original Series
- Star Trek : The Animated Series
- Star Trek : The Motion Picture
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Star Trek III: In Search of Spock
- Star Trek IV: Back to Earth
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
- Star Trek VI: Unknown Land
- Star Trek : The Next Generation
- Star Trek : Generations
- Star Trek : First Contact
- Star Trek : Deep Space Nine
- Star Trek : Insurrection
- Star Trek : Travel
- Star Trek : Nemesis
- Star Trek : Lower Decks
- Star Trek : Prodigy
- Star Trek : Picard
- Star Trek : Discovery (Seasons 3–5)
Two important points to keep in mind before you get started:
- The Seasons 3 through 5 of *Discovery* take place at the 32nd century, or after Picard. For a chronological order of 100 %, save them for last.
- The Kelvin Trilogy (Star Trek 2009, Into Darkness 2013 and Beyond (2016) takes place in a parallel universe. You can watch it separately, in the order it was released, without disrupting the main timeline.
Do you like epic sagas? The universes Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics and Alien also have their own viewing guides.
1. Star Trek: Enterprise
This series is the chronological starting point in the entire universe. It follows the adventures of the Captain Jonathan Archer to 22nd century, aboard the’Enterprise NX-01, the very first Earth-built spacecraft designed to explore the galaxy over long distances.
At that time, the distortion pedals had not yet reached speed 5. The missions therefore remained very limited, which gives the series the feel of true space pioneers.
2. Star Trek: Discovery
The series follows the adventures of Starfleet to discover new worlds and new forms of life. The seasons 1 and 2 take place toward 2256, or about ten years before *The Original Series*.
From the Season 3, the series takes a dramatic leap to the 32nd century, far surpassing all other series in the universe.
3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
This series follows the captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the’USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at the 23rd century, a decade before *The Original Series*.
She adopts a episodic narrative modern, while paying homage to the style of the 1960s. Each episode opens with a voice-over by Mount, a nod to the iconic openings of *The Original Series* and *The Next Generation*.
4. Star Trek: The Original Series
This is the series that started it all. It follows the adventures of the Captain James T. Kirk on board the’USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at the 23rd century, with a crew of 430 people.
The mission entrusted by Starfleet : a five-year mission to search for new forms of life, new civilizations, and to venture where no human has ever set foot.
5. Star Trek: The Animated Series
This animated series airs on Saturday mornings, four years after the original series ended. Its 22 episodes continue the voices of the original actors and directly continue Kirk's adventures. It is also the first Star Trek series to win a Emmy Award.
6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Directed by Robert Wise and released in 1979, this debut film marks the franchise's transition to the big screen. Heavily influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey In Kubrick's film, he sees the Federation appealing to the admiral James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) to hold a huge space object that is hurtling toward Earth.
Summary table of all Star Trek movies and TV series
To help you keep track, here's a summary table of all the Star Trek films and series. Some of them are actually included in the list of films available on Amazon.
All Star Trek Movies
This is the complete list of movies, in the order they were released, along with the director and the year.
| Film | Director | About | Year of release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Robert Wise | the first film, continuing the story from the original series. | 1979 |
| Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Nicholas Meyer | Often cited as the best of the series, driven by the rivalry between Kirk and Khan. | 1982 |
| Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | Leonard Nimoy | The direct sequel from the previous film, which focused on the return of Spock. | 1984 |
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | Leonard Nimoy | A time adventure which brings the crew back to Earth in the 1980s. | 1986 |
| Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | William Shatner | L'The Final Frontier, directed by the actor who plays Kirk himself. | 1989 |
| Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Nicholas Meyer | Unknown Land : THE last film with the entire original crew. | 1991 |
| Star Trek: Generations | David Carson | A cross among the crew of Picard and the Kirk. | 1994 |
| Star Trek: First Contact | Jonathan Frakes | One of the movies most popular, along with the Borgs as the main threat. | 1996 |
| Star Trek: Insurrection | Jonathan Frakes | A story centered on the’ethics and morality. | 1998 |
| Star Trek: Nemesis | Stuart Baird | the last film before the reboot directed by J.J. Abrams. | 2002 |
| Star Trek | J.J. Abrams | the reboot which launches the Kelvin timeline, a parallel universe. | 2009 |
| Star Trek Into Darkness | J.J. Abrams | The Second Part of the Universe Kelvin. | 2013 |
| Star Trek Beyond | Justin Lin | Released in 2016 for the 50 years of the franchise. | 2016 |
All the Star Trek series
Here is the list of series, ranked according to their position in the timeline of the universe.
| series | About | Years on the air |
|---|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise | the chronological starting point, with the captain Jonathan Archer and the early days of human space exploration. | 2001-2005 |
| Star Trek: Discovery | The seasons 1 and 2 take place a decade before the original series. The Seasons 3 through 5 jump to the 32nd century. | 2017-2024 |
| Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | The Captain Christopher Pike explores space a decade before Kirk. | 2022- |
| Star Trek: The Original Series | The series that launched the franchise, according to the captain Kirk on board the’USS Enterprise. | 1966-1969 |
| Star Trek: The Animated Series | A series animated which continues the story from the original series, the first to win a Emmy Award. | 1973-1974 |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | Carried by the captain Jean-Luc Picard, it offers a more modern take on exploration. | 1987-1994 |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | The story takes place on a space station, for a fresh perspective on the universe. | 1993-1999 |
| Star Trek: Voyager | L'USS Voyager tries to get back into Earth after being hurled thousands of light-years away. | 1995-2001 |
Looking for more ideas for your weekend? Check out Top 10 Netflix movies to watch.
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