The Star Trek franchise has delved into animation five times during its sixty-year legacy. From Saturday-morning sequels to companion shorts, the animated series have received varying degrees of success and appreciation. The following list attempts to rank these Star Trek animated series based on a few criteria.
The shows will be ranked based on rewatchability, adherence to Star Trek’s brand of optimistic sci-fi, and writing. While shorter shows are not penalized, it really depends on how well they do in the time given. Here are all five animated shows from the franchise, ranked from worst to best.
5. Very Short Treks
Very Short Treks was announced for release to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series. A play on the other animated shorts show, Short Treks, the series had 5 episodes with 2-5-minute runtimes. Characters from multiple shows like TNG, TOS, and Strange New Worlds came in for cameos, although the show is not canon.
That is why Very Short Treks ranks at the end. It is not just about the quality of the animation (which is in the style of the original animated series and does not feel very current), but also its short runtime only allowing limited potential. Its non-canon status is also a huge reason.
4. Short Treks
Short Treks is a mixed bag of animated and live-action shorts bridging Discovery-era storylines, exploring standalone characters like Craft or filling gaps between seasons. The animated entries show genuine ambition and visual charm, but the anthology format means uneven quality and little cohesion.
Some shorts land emotionally; others feel like extended trailers. It ranks above Very Short Treks because individual entries reach for real pathos and craft, but its scattered nature and lack of a unifying vision prevent it from climbing higher on this list.
3. Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series aired in 1973, continuing the Enterprise’s five-year mission, which was cut short in TOS. Gene Roddenberry’s vision got a new avenue, and a lot of the alien landscapes got a new creative outlet. It got the franchise’s first Emmy win, and some parts of it, like Spock’s backstory, were folded into canon.
It ranks in the middle because, while it is a historically significant milestone for the franchise, its quality is dated, and the storytelling is not up to the mark of other animated shows we have seen from the franchise.
2. Star Trek: Prodigy
Prodigy follows a crew of alien teenagers who steal an abandoned Starfleet ship and stumble into the franchise’s ideals from total outsider status. Ostensibly aimed at younger viewers, it delivers genuinely moving character arcs, gorgeous animation, and surprisingly deep connections to Voyager’s legacy.
It ranks second because it captures Trek’s core message of found family and self-improvement better than almost anything else on this list, executed with cinematic ambition rarely seen in kids’ programming. Its only knock is a slower first stretch before the emotional stakes truly kick in.
1. Star Trek: Lower Decks
Unlike other shows in the franchise, Lower Decks is a workplace comedy and follows the support staff on the USS Cerritos. The show is charming, hilarious, and truly captures the spirit of Star Trek like no other modern show. It’s consistently funny while still delivering earnest, well-constructed arcs about ambition, friendship, and duty.
It ranks at the top for precisely this quality. Its humor never undercuts its affection for the franchise, and its willingness to crossover with live-action Trek cements its canon weight.
| Rank | Star Trek Animated Show | Rotten Tomatoes – Tomatometer | Popcornmeter (as of July 23, 2026) |
| 1 | Lower Decks | 93% | 71% |
| 2 | Prodigy | 97% | 87% |
| 3 | The Animated Series | 94% | 78% |
| 4 | Short Treks | 43% |
| 5 | Very Short Treks | – |
Which Star Trek animated show do you like the best? Comment below.
All Star Trek shows are available to watch on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Prodigy is currently streaming on Netflix.
