Summary
Several classicStar TrekCaptains have risen to the rank of Admiral in the Prime Universe, while others have only achieved the title in an alternate universe.SinceStar Trek: The Original Seriesbegan in 1966, the franchise has introduced multiple alternate futures and realities.With time travel and other science fiction concepts, someStar Trekepisodes offer a glimpse into possible futures that end up being erased. The J.J. Abrams’Star Trekfilms brought another alternate universe to life, known as the Kelvin Timeline, where some characters had achieved different ranks than their Prime Universe counterparts.
Two ofStar Trek’smost famous captains, James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), both achieved the rank of Admiral onscreen but later fell back into their old roles as Captains.Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) became a Vice Admiral soon after the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant,but the finale ofStar Trek: Voyageroffered a glimpse at an alternate universe Admiral Janeway. Captains Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) only became Admirals in an alternate universe, as didStar Trek: The Next Generation’sCommander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes).
The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained
Star Trek’s timeline spans a thousand years of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, with alternate realities and time travel galore.
5Admiral William T. Riker In Star Trek: The Next Generation “All Good Things…”
After the events of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Riker should become an Admiral in the Prime Universe, too.
TheStar Trek: The Next Generationseries finale, “All Good Things…,” beautifully wraps up the series in a way that brings the story full circle while also looking to the future.As Captain Picard jumps between three different timelines, he must figure out a way to stop a dangerous anomaly from destroying the universe(with a little help from John de Lancie’s Q). One of the timelines Picard’s mind jumps to is an alternate future where he has retired to his family’s vineyard in France. In this possible future, Commander Riker has been promoted to Admiral and is stationed at Starbase 247.
After Riker rejects Picard’s first request for help, believing him to be affected by his Irumodic Syndrome, Jean-Luc reaches out to his ex-wife, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden).When Dr. Crusher’s ship, the USS Pasteur, is attacked and destroyed by Klingons, Riker arrives with the USS Enterprise-D to save the day.Picard eventually convinces his former crew members to help him, and the future Enterprise travels into the anomaly along with the Enterprises of the past and present. The anomaly is then sealed, saving the galaxy, and the possible future is erased, forgotten by everyone except Picard.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Cast
Star Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
4Admiral Kathryn Janeway In Star Trek: Voyager “Endgame”
Kathryn Janeway becomes an accomplished Admiral in every universe.
Star Trek: Voyager’sseries finale, “Endgame,” also features an Admiral from an alternate future, asAdmiral Janeway of 2404 travels back in time to help the USS Voyager return home.In Admiral Janeway’s timeline, Voyager remained in the Delta Quadrant for 23 years, and numerous lives were lost, including Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). When Admiral Janeway orders Voyager to the location of a Borg transwarp hub, she works with her past self, Captain Janeway, to devise a way to both destroy the hub and return Voyager home 16 years earlier.
Admiral Janeway ultimately allows herself to be assimilated by the Borg, where she unleashes a pathogen that devastates the Borg Queen and her collective.The Admiral’s sacrifice allows Captain Janeway and her crew to travel through the transwarp corridor, which eventually brings them back to the Alpha Quadrant.Soon after the USS Voyager’s return to Earth,Captain Janeway is promoted to Vice Admiraland given a position at Starfleet Command.
As seen inStar Trek: Prodigy,Vice Admiral Janeway later commanded the USS Dauntless on a mission to find the USS Protostar and Captain Chakotay.
Star Trek: Voyager
The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they’ve never faced before.
3Admiral Jonathan Archer in Star Trek (2009)
According to the Kelvin Timeline, Jonathan Archer lived a long life as an Admiral.
AlthoughStar Trek: Enterprise’sCaptain Jonathan Archerhas never officially made an on-screen appearance as an Admiral, he was mentioned in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009). After Spock (Zachary Quinto) maroons James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) on Delta Vega for insubordination,Kirk encounters the elderly Prime Universe version of Spock (Leonard Nimoy).Kirk and Prime Spock then head to a nearby Starfleet outpost on the planet, where they meet Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg). Spock is fascinated to encounter the Kelvin Universe version of the Enterprise Chief Engineer, and he asks Scotty about his"theory of transwarp beaming."
10 J.J. Abrams Star Trek Movie Positives You Only Notice On Rewatch
J.J Abrams rebooted Star Trek in 2009 with a new USS Enterprise crew & the creation of the Kelvin Timeline, ushering in a new era of modern Star Trek.
Scotty replies that he got into a debate with his instructor at Starfleet Academy about the possibility of beaming a lifeform from one planet to another.Scotty says he tested his theory on"Admiral Archer’s prized beagle,“but that he doesn’t know where the dog ended up.He blames this accident for his posting on such a remote planet. In 2258, Archer would have been around 145, which is not impossible inStar Trek’sfar future. It’s unlikely the prized beagle could be Porthos fromStar Trek: Enterprise,but it could be one of the beagle’s descendants.
Star Trek(2009) writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci confirmed that the Archer referenced is, indeed, Jonathan Archer fromStar Trek: Enterprise.
Star Trek
J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
2Admiral Christopher Pike In Star Trek Into Darkness
The Kelvin Universe Pike avoided one tragic fate only to suffer another.
InStar Trek’sKelvin timeline,Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood)served as an instructor at Starfleet Academy, and he was the one who convinced James Kirk to join Starfleet.Pike became the first Captain of the USS Enterprise when it was launched in 2258,but he later surrendered himself to Nero (Eric Bana) and transferred command to Spock. After the events ofStar Trek(2009), Pike is promoted to Rear Admiral and Kirk takes over command of the Enterprise.
InStar Trek Into Darkness,Admiral Pike relieves Captain Kirk of his command after Kirk breaks the Prime Directive on Nibiru. Pike takes over command of the Enterprise again, appointing Kirk as his First Officer.When a summit is called to discuss a bombing in London, Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks the gathered officers, killing Admiral Pike.Kirk then retakes command of the Enterprise and sets out to avenge his friend and former Captain.
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness follows Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise as they return home to find their organization under threat from a force within. Kirk leads a mission to apprehend a formidable adversary, navigating personal and professional challenges during this pivotal confrontation.
1Admiral Christopher Pike In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “A Quality Of Mercy”
Pike comes face to face with himself and seemingly seals his own fate.
In theStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 1 finale, Captain Christopher Pike encounters an older version of himself from the future.Pike had been reflecting on his tragic destiny and decided to write letters to the cadets who will be killed in the training accident that cripples him.Admiral Pike informs his former self that there will be dire consequences if he alters the future, and he sends Captain Pike to a pivotal moment in history. “A Quality of Mercy” then throws Captain Pike into an encounter with the Romulans that was originally depicted in theStar Trek: The Original Seriesepisode “Balance of Terror.”
Pike handles the conflict with the Romulans differently than Captain Kirk did, which results in a Romulan/Federation War and causes Spock to suffer a debilitating injury.Admiral Pike then appears and tells the Captain that Spock suffers a tragedy every time Pike tries to avoid his own tragic fate.Captain Pike returns to his own timeline, where he decides not to inform the cadets of the training accident, thus erasing the future of Admiral Pike. With “A Quality of Mercy,” Captain Pike’sStar Trekfate now seems sealed, meaning he will never make it to the position of Admiral in the Prime Universe.
