Favorite Star Trek Captain?

[wraith1701]

I was wondering; who is your favorite Starfleet captain?  Here's a little poll to see which Captain rules supreme among the Treks In Sci-Fi forum members.

     


Please take a moment to explain your vote- what factors led you to select your particular choice?

[billybob476]

Sisko by far. Archer a second. I find they are the most "human" Captains. I always found Janeway to be too much of a scientist and she lacked warmth and approachability. Picard is the preeminent diplomat, much too perfect in my mind.

Sisko makes mistakes, gets demotivated, stressed out, has a family, friends, relationships. Throughout DS9 he really developed as a character, most of the other Captains were comfortable in their positions, Sisko, like most of us, had to grow into his position.

[Bryancd]

Kirk. As a kid, he was the one I wanted to be, the one I dressed up as, the one and only. :)

[Jen]

Captain Picard, then Archer. I think begin a preeminent diplomat was an important quality for the captain of a starship sent out to explore new worlds—personally I thought it worked.  :)

I liked Archer because he was a good blend of Kirk and Picard and his character seemed more approachable than Jean-Luc's.
I liked the way that Janeway handled the Borg, but other than that I never really warmed up to her...I guess it was because I haven't enjoyed Voyager, though I have tried.

[jedijeff]

For me, it would be Archer, as he seems like the one I could best serve under. He has a good mix of command presence and coming off as genuine. I could see myself going on a risky mission, because I get the sense that he would not ask someone to do something, he would not be willing to do himself. Captain Kirk and Captain Sisko would come in behind that, not sure who I would choose second. Picard and Janeway seem a bit to unapproachable to me. I feel if it was regular mission with Janeway, and not the situation that Voyager was in, that she could be very unapproachable.

[billybob476]

As a follow up to my previous comments, Sisko may be my favourite character, but kirk has the best hair.

[Ktrek]

Although I grew up with Captain Kirk and he holds a special place in my heart I voted for Picard. Picard has a presence that comes off as very captainlike. I really enjoy Sisko for most of the same reasons that Billy mentions. Archer just seemed too indecisive and weak for me. Kate Mulgrew as a captain just seemed too forced for me. I enjoy VOY but she was my least favorite character on the show.

Anyway, Picard got my vote.

Kevin

[X]

After little thought, I would have to pick Ben Sisko. There are a lot of reason why I like the other Captains and why I like Sisko, and there are a few reasons that I like Sisko that make him stand out.

To me, Sisko harkens to the old school Kirk days where a Captain didn't get the chance to talk themselves out of a problem. The enemies were real and sometimes they needed to be dealt with on a more direct level.

The times that I really loved Picard were the times when he was taking from Sisko's play book.

When I was in basic training, there was a sign there that said the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. As peaceful as the Federation can be, there needs to be those that are willing to fight the good fight. People willing to refresh the tree of liberty.

If I had to serve with someone, I would serve under Sisko. His crew were more family like than any other. Sure Picard had his family, but he was more like the father that was always occupied with work to the point where he never spent time with the family beyond required functions.

Sisko was the Dad that would take you to the ball game and even play with you. He wore the hat of leader while also wearing the one of friend.

When Worf chose to save his wife over someone they needed in the Federation, Sisko punished him as a leader then told him as one husband to another that he would have made the same choice.

When I see the crew of DS9 I see the Magnificant Seven or even Ocean's 11. I see people that are willing to die for their Captain not just because they believe he would do the same for them, but because they have no doubts that he would do the same for them.

This is a man that is willing to storm an enemy planet to recover one of his people. A man willing to indulge in the emotions that make him human. He married a convicted prisoner because he loved her.

Picard always set wrong with me in that he never went after Crusher even though he loved her. I thought it might have been because of their positions, but that proved untrue when he started dating that science woman and playing music with her while in the Jeffries tubes.

To me Picard was more about the job than about the people and I loved that Kirk, Sisko, and Archer were all about their people.

I also picked Sisko because he grew more than any of the others in his time on screen. He was also the most down to earth of the Captains even when he was the center of a religious movement.

In the end, I picked Ben because there really wasn't another choice for me. I would be happy to serve under the others, but I'd be more willing to die under Sisko's command because I know he would do something to make my death count.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Picard.  He's been my favorite captain forever.  Especially because I love TNG the most.  Sisko would have to be the second favorite.  Least favorite.....a very close tie with Archer and Janeway.  But, BUT, I haven't seen those series enough to make that judgement.  So that doesn't count.

King

[billybob476]

I guess the contrast between Picard and Sisko is also a question of the positions ion which they are placed.

Picard is the captain of the flagship of the fleet. He is expected to act as an exmaple to the rest of the fleet and act as an ambassador and representative of the Federation.

Initially, Sisko was given command of a broken, forgettable, backwater station tasked to help a minor world recover itself from a tragedy. He is expected to be compassionate, but in the end he really just needs to get the job done.

[Rico]

Think we have had this discussion before.  Kirk for me - as most of you know.  Nothing against the others, but he is my favorite to watch in action.

[billybob476]

Yeah but it's a fun conversation to have every once in awhile. Until I finished re-watching DS9, I would have gone Picard. Now I have a newfound respect for Sisko and for Avery Brooks' acting talent.

[wraith1701]

Picard has a leadership style that I admire, but I had to go with Sisko.   

X did a great job explaining a lot of why I voted for him.  First of all, Sisko is the Captain with the most dynamic character arc-- the strong yet somewhat bitter and cynical guy we are introduced to in Emissary is a pale shadow of the inspiring leader we say farewell to at the end of What You Leave Behind.  The only other Captain who comes close to demonstrating this kind of character growth is Archer (my second choice). 

I can only add one thing to what Just X so eloquently summed up.  Not only is Sisko a dynamic, admirable character; he is a dynamic, admirable character who happens to be black.  I know that American society has made an incredible amount of progress over the last 50 years, and that we have made huge leaps forward in our social evolution.  Unfortunately, whether we choose to admit it or not, there are still pockets of ignorance and intolerance scattered throughout our country. 

I admire both Avery Brooks and the writers of Deep Space Nine for creating such a positive character; a hero who is so compelling, his appeal transcends race.  I find it inspiring that so many fans are able to see past Sisko's skin color and just see the character for what he is- a heroic yet human leader with all of the strengths and failings that go along with being human. 

It gives me hope that the Utopian future envisioned by Gene may someday be a reality.

[Jen]

Good points X and Wraith.  I wish they could have done the same for Janeway's character as they did with Sisko's.  I guess that's one major reason why I can't watch Voyager. Janeway was a one-dimensional, dead-end character. There were a few good episodes where she seemed to shine, but when compared to the other series she got the short end of the stick when it came to writing. Why couldn't she have been as dynamic as Picard? She came off stiff and craggy.

Picard has a leadership style that I admire, but I had to go with Sisko.  

X did a great job explaining a lot of why I voted for him.  First of all, Sisko is the Captain with the most dynamic character arc-- the strong yet somewhat bitter and cynical guy we are introduced to in Emissary is a pale shadow of the inspiring leader we say farewell to at the end of What You Leave Behind.  The only other Captain who comes close to demonstrating this kind of character growth is Archer (my second choice). 

I can only add one thing to what Just X so eloquently summed up.  Not only is Sisko a dynamic, admirable character; he is a dynamic, admirable character who happens to be black.  I know that American society has made an incredible amount of progress over the last 50 years, and that we have made huge leaps forward in our social evolution.  Unfortunately, whether we choose to admit it or not, there are still pockets of ignorance and intolerance scattered throughout our country. 

I admire both Avery Brooks and the writers of Deep Space Nine for creating such a positive character; a hero who is so compelling, his appeal transcends race.  I find it inspiring that so many fans are able to see past Sisko's skin color and just see the character for what he is- a heroic yet human leader with all of the strengths and failings that go along with being human. 

It gives me hope that the Utopian future envisioned by Gene may someday be a reality.

[Geekyfanboy]

Wow so many Janeway Haters!!!!  :(

I really enjoyed Voyager and Janeway as her Captain.

But I also loved Picard and Sisko