Welcome aboard, curious explorers! For everyone who has been planning to dive into the Star Trek universe but fails to understand where to begin, we’ve curated this article for you. We understand that navigating the franchise spanning centuries from Earth’s early warp experiments to the distant future of the 32nd century (which holds over a dozen series and films) can be daunting.
However, while it’s easy to get lost in space, here’s the deal: you can watch Star Trek in release order (the order in which the franchise came out in real life), or you can try chronological order (content arranged according to the internal timeline). So today, we’ll cover canon live-action, animated shows, and films from the 22nd century to the 32nd century as per chronological order, so you can boldly binge.
Star Trek chronological watch order by era
1. 22nd Century – Pre-Federation Era
- Star Trek: Enterprise (Seasons 1–4)—Set between the years 2151 and 2155, this prequel series follows Earth’s first deep-space explorations on the first human starship, the Enterprise NX-01, led by Captain Jonathan Archer.
2. 23rd Century – Original Series Era
- Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 1–2)—Set in the 23rd century, a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series, which happens in the 2260s, the series follows the USS Discovery crew’s adventures, focusing on the Klingon War and a Red Angel that leaves a trail of red signals.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Ongoing)—A spin-off from Discovery, this series follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise as they explore new worlds and carry out missions a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.
- Star Trek: The Original Series (Seasons 1–3)—Set between 2266 and 2269, this series follows Captain James T. Kirk and his crew as they embark on groundbreaking voyages across the galaxy.
- Star Trek: The Animated Series—Continuing the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, this animated series delves into new missions and challenges, as the team explores the galaxy and defends the United Federation of Planets.
- Star Trek: The Original Series Films (I–VI)—Released between 1979 and 1991, spanning from The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country, these films primarily follow the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew of the USS Enterprise.
3. 24th Century – The Next Generation Era
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (Seasons 1–7)—Set between the years 2364 and 2370, this entire show introduces Captain Jean-Luc Picard and follows the adventures of a new crew aboard the USS Enterprise-D, roughly a century after the events of the original series.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Seasons 1–7)—From 2369 through 2375, the series is set on a space station near the planet Bajor, where a crew led by Commander Benjamin Sisko navigates political intrigue, war, and cultural conflicts through a stable wormhole towards the Gamma Quadrant.
- Star Trek: Voyager (Seasons 1–7)—Set in the years 2371-2378, the show marks a seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant. It follows the crew of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager as they travel back to Earth after being stranded.
- The Next Generation Films (Generations to Nemesis)—From Star Trek: Generations to Nemesis, these four films continue the story of the USS Enterprise-D and its crew, as they face various interstellar threats to the Federation and their own personal challenges.
- Star Trek: Lower Deck (Season 1–5)—Specifically set in the late 24th century, in 2380, a few years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, this animated show focuses on the support crew that’s been serving the least important Starfleet ship, USS Cerritos. Despite its lack of importance, the ship’s crew often faces waves of anomalies and challenges.
4. 25th Century – Picard Era
- Star Trek: Prodigy (Season 1-2)—Primarily taking place between 2383 and 2385, this animated series focuses on a group of young aliens who, after discovering a derelict Starfleet ship, learn about the Federation and embark on a journey to explore the galaxy and ultimately join Starfleet.
- Star Trek: Picard (Seasons 1–3)—Taking place from 2399 to 2402, the show pushed the Star Trek timeline into the first years of the 25th century. It follows retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard’s journey of navigating challenges and rediscoveries in his life while confronting his past.
5. 31st/32nd Century – Distant Future
- Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 3–5)—Surprisingly, after the first two seasons being set in the 23rd century, we’re transported to the 32nd century in Seasons 3-5. The show follows the crew of the USS Discovery coming across a fragmented Federation in ruins due to The Burn. The show then follows the crew rebuilding the Federation while battling a destructive space anomaly, only to finally venture on a galactic quest to find an ancient power.
Alternate Timeline – Kelvin Universe
- Star Trek (2009)—A reimagining of the original series‘ characters, this 2009 movie introduces a new timeline where the familiar characters encounter different destinies, as their journey takes them to collide with Nero, who is a threat to all humanity.
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)—The USS Enterprise crew is called back home, where they witness a major crisis caused by an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk takes his USS Enterprise crew on a manhunt to a war-zone world, to look for a weapon of mass destruction.
- Star Trek Beyond (2016)—Halfway into its five-year mission, the USS Enterprise is destroyed by an unstoppable wave of unknown aliens, leaving the crew to be stranded on an unknown and hostile planet. There, the crew finds themselves fighting against a ruthless enemy who hates the Federation. Now, only a rebellious alien warrior can help bring peace and help the crew leave the planet.
Should you watch in release order or chronological order?
Release order offers the experience as audiences originally encountered it, reflecting the franchise’s evolution. Whereas, chronological order provides a narrative based on an internal timeline, ideal for understanding the universe’s progression. So you can watch the films and shows in whichever way pleases you. There’s no hard-hitting rule.
Are the Kelvin Universe films essential?
While not part of the main continuity, the Kelvin Universe films starring Chris Pine, Zoe Saldaña, and more offer a fresh take on classic characters and are enjoyable as standalone stories. So, whether audiences wish to watch them or skip them is completely based on their preference.
What about Star Trek: Short Treks?
Diehard Star Trek fans will be aware of this. Short Treks are basically brief episodes that expand on characters and events from the main series. Although they are not mandatory to watch, they do enrich the overall narrative and are recommended for dedicated fans.
Final thoughts and conclusion
Star Trek‘s expansive universe continues to grow and offer stories that keep fans hooked to the screen and viewers entertained. So, whether you’re a newcomer to this universe or a seasoned fan, this chronological guide will help you explore the films and shows better. As the universe continues to give birth to new projects, revisit this guide to navigate the ever-evolving Star Trek saga.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire