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They boldly go where no man has gone before, and they do it like bosses.

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startrekcaptains

Starfleet captains are the best in the space business. Picking the best one? Nearly impossible. They are all born leaders. They all posses their own decision-making style. Each captain is smart, brave and inspirational. And -- omitting any non-canon Star Trek captains (sorry, Capt. John Harriman) -- who is the perfect balance of these attributes? Here the best Star Trek captains, ranked from good to greatest.

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10. Jonathan Archer

As (chronologically) the first Star Trek captain, Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) set the stage for all the other captains to come. Unfortunately for Archer, viewers didn't meet him until after many more memorable captains had come and gone. He gets major points for going boldly before anyone else, but his character was lacking, morphing from courageous explorer to questionable leader in the span of four seasons.

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9. Hikaru Sulu

All of his time as helmsman (and interim captain when Spock and Kirk were out) gave Sulu (George Takei) lots of time to learn how a ship really works. Though we're given major hints in shows and films that Sulu becomes captain of the Excelsior, most of his time in the chair came in non-canon installments, which won't be examined here. Still, we can assume that his leadership style was measured and passionate.

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8. Christopher Pike

The precursor to Captain Kirk was badly injured in the line of duty. In our hearts, Pike earns Starfleet's equivalent of the Purple Heart, but because viewers haven't spent much time with him as captain, it's tough to place him high on this list. It's possible that Pike's ability to see the magic in Jim Kirk before anyone else is his greatest gift.

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7. Christopher Pike

In Star Trek: Discovery, fans learn much more about Captain Pike (played by Anson Mount). Pike becomes a hero when we find out he saw his own future and still chose his tragic fate in order to complete his mission and save the galaxy. That's a brave, selfless captain.

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6. William T. Riker

When Picard goes missing, Riker (Jonathan Frakes) takes over as captain of the Enterprise. It's a brief stint, but leading a mission to rescue perhaps the greatest Star Trek captain of all time cannot go unrewarded.

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5. Spock

The two captains he served under, Kirk and Pike, gave Spock (Leonard Nimoy, and later Zachary Quinto) some great leadership examples. This experience -- mixed with his calm, no-nonsense style -- made Spock a grade-A captain, determined to make sure his team continued to live long and prosper.

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Spock, continued

As captain of the Enterprise, Spock paid the ultimate sacrifice. A captain giving his life for his shipmates? Fascinating. He was so beloved as captain that an entire Star Trek film was based on recovering his body.

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4. Benjamin Sisko

The Deep Space Nine crew is arguably the best in the Star Trek canon, save for the original series. That's a good thing, because Sisko (Avery Brooks) had his hands full with raising a son on his own, plus, you know, commanding a space station.

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Benjamin Sisko, continued

It has been said that a great leader hires people who are smarter than he is, and this is the case with Sisko. He is a good leader, but only because he built a team of people with diversified skill sets.

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3. Kathryn Janeway

Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) leads a bickering group of showboats, stowaways and smartypants. And she holds her own through it all, even when her ship is stranded 70 years from a base. If that sounds too easy, she also dealt with incessant Borg attacks. So there's that.

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Kathryn Janeway, continued

Janeway is the consummate badass of all captains, leading her crew without support from Starfleet. Oh, and shouldn't it be mentioned that she's the only major female captain in the Star Trek franchise?

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2. James T. Kirk

Sure, he gets points for being the original Star Trek captain. But there's so much more to Captain Kirk (William Shatner, and later Chris Pine) than timing.

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James T. Kirk, continued

Captain Kirk's middle name is Tiberius, but it could just as easily be "bravery." He beamed into dangerous situations with nothing more than a phaser and his good looks (the latter coming in handy more often than the former), and he never hesitated to risk his own life to protect his crew. But his brash behavior got his team into trouble maybe one too many times, resulting in him falling just short of the top Star Trek captain spot. Dammit, Jim.

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1. Jean-Luc Picard

Is it because of his accent? Is it because of Patrick Stewart's undeniable swag -- err, acting ability? It could be one or a combination of things, but one thing is for sure: Picard is the best Star Trek captain we've met so far.

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Jean-Luc Picard, continued

Yes, Kirk was the first captain we ever met. And his brash decision-making technique is gutsy and admirable, but only because Spock and McCoy made sure everything turned out rosey in the end. Picard took the time to make the right decisions. He challenged and encouraged his shipmates. He was hot as hell (Stewart still is), which definitely doesn't hurt. And that makes him the No. 1, Starfleet-and-Trekkie-approved Star Trek captain.

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