The Enterprise is the most recognizable ship name in theStar Trekfranchise, as proven by the fact it took almost thirty years for an episode to be released that didn’t feature any version of the iconic vessel.The name “Enterprise” doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific shipwithin the franchise’s storied canon. There are over tenvessels named “Enterprise” in official lore, which goes some way to explaining why the title shows up so often throughout theStar Trektimeline. That said, it’s still surprising the saga took so long to move away from the famous line of ships.
Whenever there is an Enterprise in aStar Trekmovie or TV show, it’s almost always at the heart of the story. However, there are exceptions to this. For example,Star Trek: Picardseason 3’s endingintroduced the USS Enterprise-G to the franchise with CaptainSeven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)as the ship’s commanding officer, just as the show concluded. This revelation quietly set up themuch-desiredStar Trek: Legacy, but such a project has yet to receive the green light. Regardless, the franchise has arguably heard enough of the ship name, which could account forLegacy’s delay.
Deep Space Nine’s “Past Prologue” Was The First Episode With No Enterprise Whatsoever
Captain Picard kept the streak alive in Deep Space Nine’s debut
Star Trek: The Original Series' castgot the franchise started in 1966 aboard the USS Enterprise. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew embarked on countless adventures that all featured the famous vessel, and they continued to explore in thenow-canonStar Trek: The Animated Series. AfterTOSended, the TV branch of the franchise turned its attention to the USS Enterprise-D whenStar Trek: The Next Generationbegan in 1987.All seven seasons ofTNGadopted its predecessor’s Enterprise-heavy approach, soit took untilStar Trek: Deep Space Ninefor this streak to come to an end.
The USS Enterprise’s Star Trek Debut & The Franchise’s First Enterprise-Less Episode
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“Past Prologue”
July 25, 2025
The short crossover betweenStar Trek: The Next GenerationandStar Trek: Deep Space Ninemeant the latter began the year before the former ended. So, to aid in the transition between the shows,Stewart’s Picard made an appearance inDS9’s two-part pilot episode, along with his ship - the USS Enterprise-D. Therefore, it wasn’t untilStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 1’s “Past Prologue” that the franchise released an episode without an appearance from any Enterprise.
Star Trek’s Relationship With The Enterprise Is More Sporadic Today
The Enterprise only shows up when required in Star Trek’s modern age
“Past Prologue” marked a big turning point in the franchise, as it no longer became necessary to have an Enterprise in every episode. Of course, more episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationdid air after “Past Prologue,” but the streak had already been broken by then.Star Trek: Voyagercame next, which had a new ship to focus on, but thenStar Trek: Enterpriseretroactively installed the Enterprise NX-01 as the first Starfleet ship to canonically bear the name. In the saga’s modern era,the Enterprise has continued that inconsistent pattern of appearances.
Modern Star Trek Fixes A Problem That Killed The Franchise 20 Years Ago
There’s no questioning the overall success of the Star Trek franchise, but its modern era has perhaps unexpectedly pushed the saga onward.
Star Trekreturned withStar Trek: Discoveryin 2017, and Captain Pike (Anson Mount) brought the USS Enterprise back at the end of season 1 and remained as part of the story for season 2. Mount went on to be central inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, which brought the franchise back to its focus on ships named Enterprise. However, other projects likeStar Trek: Prodigy,Star Trek: Lower Decks, andStar Trek: Picardeither had no involvement or only passing dalliances with the most famously-named ships inStar Trek.
