As I have said previously Star Trek is more about ideas than action. It’s why J.J. Abrams always said he never got Star Trek because it was “too cerebral” for him. Well for those like Abrams who have difficulty comprehending in-depth storytelling there have been plenty of eye candy moments in Star Trek’s 50 years.
Here is my countdown of the top 5 bad guy ships. Please note that to set some criteria for this countdown I have selected ships that have at some point either been captained by an antagonist or have fired on our heroes at some point. Enjoy…
5. Tholian Web Spinner
With its low budget the original series often had to contend with glowing objects on the viewscreen as the bad guy’s ship. However on occasion we did get to see another ship with its metallic hull and in a few episodes we got some real classics. The Tholian Web Spinner is unique in that not only does it fall in to the category of being one of these few exceptions but it also a rather creative way of capturing or destroying enemies with its energy web which made for one of the most thrilling episodes of the series and lead to Star Trek: Enterprise’s brilliant homage in it’s final season.
4. USS Reliant
Slow to one-half impulse power…Lets be friends
– Khan
The most unsettling enemy is often the one with a familiar face and that’s something Khan knew all too well when he hijacked the USS Reliant and incorporated it in to his plan for revenge on Kirk. The Reliant, while presumably not as sophisticated an exploration vessel as the Enterprise, was comparably armed and this lead to one of most tactically rich battle sequences in Trek history. It was a true battle between commanders rather than the Enterprise facing a weaker opponent has had been the case many times previously.
3. Reman Warbird Scimitar
Love or hate Star Trek: Nemesis you have to admit the Scimitar was an imposing and impressive warship. It’s angled design gave it both a stealthy and powerful look and while most large ships in Star Trek are quite clumsy this beast was very nimble. Whereas the fight between Kirk and Khan in Star Trek II was one of slow but gripping space tactics the fight between the Scimitar and the Enterprise E was fast and spectacular and with it’s ability to fire through the cloak and its awesome array of weapons Picard was right in saying…
She’s a predator.
2. Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship
All bad guy ships need their ‘edge’ over our heroes. For the Krenim that edge came in the ability to rewrite history and erase beings/ships/planets form history altogether. The “Year of Hell” episodes of Star Trek: Voyager were among the best of the series with a gripping storyline about battling against the odds and leading the charge was this behemoth. Janeway’s final sacrifice by ramming the Krenim ship remains one of the best scenes in Star Trek.
1. Borg Cube
Even after 25 years since its first appearance the rather simple looking Borg Cube remains one of the most imposing ships in Star Trek history. People often forget that rarely do the Borg employ weapons like torpedoes and disruptors. This ship wears down its enemies with tractor beams and cutting beams so it can capture the crew and assimilate them in to the hive. A dampening field renders energy weapons ineffective and even if our heroes can damage it this ship can repair itself in a few hours. Ingenuity on the part of Starfleet is what defeats the Borg rather than weapons alone. But their imposing nature made their destruction at the hands of Species 8472 all the more spectacular.
Thanks for reading…
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