You can skip 5 of the 26 titles in the Star Trek franchise and still follow the main story: Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: Section 31, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy. The essentials (21 titles) take about 685 hours instead of 735 hours.
- Skippable
- 5
- Essentials
- 21
- Time saved
- 51 hours
Safe to skip
- Star Trek: The Animated Series1973 · Series · 8h 48m · optionalAn animated continuation of the original crew; optional.
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier1989 · Film · 1h 46m · optionalThe weakest original-crew film; optional.
- Star Trek: Section 312025 · Film · 1h 36m · optionalA streaming spy film; optional.
- Star Trek: Lower Decks2020 · Series · 22h 26m · optionalAn animated comedy after Nemesis; optional.
- Star Trek: Prodigy2021 · Series · 15h 56m · optionalAn animated series for younger viewers; optional.
Why each one is optional
What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.
No. 01 · 1973 · Series · 8h 48m · optional
Star Trek: The Animated Series
The animated adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the crew of the Starship Enterprise.
Why it matters: An animated continuation of the original crew; optional.
- Starring
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley
- Creator
- Gene Roddenberry
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%
- Episodes
- 22 across 2 seasons
No. 02 · 1989 · Film · 1h 46m · optional
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
A renegade Vulcan with a startling secret hijacks the U.S.S. Enterprise in order to find a mythical planet.
Why it matters: The weakest original-crew film; optional.
- Starring
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley
- Director
- William Shatner
- Box office
- $63 million on a $33 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 22%
No. 03 · 2020 · Series · 22h 26m · optional
Star Trek: Lower Decks
The lives of the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
Why it matters: An animated comedy after Nemesis; optional.
- Starring
- Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, and Noël Wells
- Creator
- Mike McMahan
- Scores
- IMDb 7.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
- Episodes
- 50 across 5 seasons
No. 04 · 2021 · Series · 15h 56m · optional
Star Trek: Prodigy
A motley crew of young rebellious aliens commandeer an old Starfleet ship and must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search for a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered, but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.
Why it matters: An animated series for younger viewers; optional.
- Starring
- Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, and Jason Mantzoukas
- Creator
- Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 97%
- Episodes
- 39 across 2 seasons
No. 05 · 2025 · Film · 1h 36m · optional
Star Trek: Section 31
Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
Why it matters: A streaming spy film; optional.
- Starring
- Michelle Yeoh, Omari Hardwick, and Sam Richardson
- Director
- Olatunde Osunsanmi
- Scores
- IMDb 3.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 24%
The essentials, in release order
- Star Trek: The Original Series1966 · Series · 66h 22mKirk, Spock and McCoy: the 1966 original.
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture1979 · Film · 2h 11mThe original crew's first film.
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan1982 · Film · 1h 53mKhan returns from a Season 1 episode; often called the best Star Trek film.
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock1984 · Film · 1h 45mPicks up right after The Wrath of Khan.
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home1986 · Film · 1h 58mCompletes the Khan trilogy, with whales and 1986 San Francisco.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation1987 · Series · 135h 45mPicard's Enterprise, a century after Kirk; the most popular entry point.
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country1991 · Film · 1h 50mThe original crew's farewell.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine1993 · Series · 131h 58mSet on a space station, with the franchise's longest war arc.
- Star Trek Generations1994 · Film · 1h 58mKirk and Picard meet; passes the torch to the Next Generation crew.
- Star Trek: Voyager1995 · Series · 129h 57mA ship stranded across the galaxy; runs alongside Deep Space Nine.
- Star Trek: First Contact1996 · Film · 1h 51mThe Borg; the best Next Generation film.
- Star Trek: Insurrection1998 · Film · 1h 43mA lighter Next Generation film.
- Star Trek: Enterprise2001 · Series · 70h 39mThe earliest era: Earth's first deep-space starship, a century before Kirk.
- Star Trek: Nemesis2002 · Film · 1h 56mThe Next Generation crew's last film; leads into Picard.
- Star Trek2009 · Film · 2h 7mJ.J. Abrams' reboot creates the separate Kelvin timeline.
- Star Trek Into Darkness2013 · Film · 2h 12mThe Kelvin crew meets their Khan.
- Star Trek Beyond2016 · Film · 2h 2mThe Kelvin trilogy's last film so far.
- Star Trek: Discovery2017 · Series · 55hStarts ten years before Kirk, then jumps 900 years into the future.
- Star Trek: Picard2020 · Series · 25h 13mPicard 20 years after Nemesis; best after The Next Generation.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds2022 · Series · 35h 53mCaptain Pike's Enterprise; an easy, episodic place to start.
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy2026 · Series · 10h 21mCadets in the 32nd century, after Discovery.
Common questions
Do I need to watch every Star Trek title?
No. You can skip 5 of the 26 titles in the Star Trek franchise and still follow the main story: Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: Section 31, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy. The essentials (21 titles) take about 685 hours instead of 735 hours.
How long are the Star Trek essentials?
About 685 hours for 21 titles, in release order starting with Star Trek: The Original Series.
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