Given that the debate is eternal and the two captains have an equal fan following, let’s see what’s so special aboutboth of them.

The Pop culture multiverse is incomplete without its fair share of face-offs. Because there are always two kinds of people and they would always favour one over another. Nobody admires two contenders equally; there is always a favourite. For example, the classic debate about the superiority of Beatles and Elvis divided the fans around the world. Similarly, we have had discussions over Batman vs Superman, American Office vs British Office, Coke vs Pepsi, Arnold Schwarzenegger vs Sylvester Stallone, George RR Martin vs JRR. Tolkien, and so on. In a similar vein, there has been a great divide between the supremacy of the two greatest Star Trek Captains, Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the Original Series and the Next-generation respectively.

James T. Kirk: The young and adrenalin driven man becomes a Starship captain at a mere age of 32. He is flamboyant, flirtatious and adventurous. He seemingly enjoys becoming a witness to the constant bantering between Spock and Bones. You would also find him giving Scotty a heart attack while increasing the warp speed at the maximum and playing with the Ship’s capabilities. William Shatner played Kirk to perfection from the very start from 1966, and became a darling of the fans. His portrayal of Kirk knows how to love, rebel and also stand up for his team. Over the years, Kirk is promoted as admiral, and he becomes a more sublime version of himself when he offers advice to the younger cadets.

Jean-Luc Picard: Patrick Steward plays Captain Picard who has served in the Starfleet for 40 years before commanding an enterprise ship to explore new worlds. Naturally, he is a thinking man’s captain and has a reputation before becoming a captain. Being level headed and matured in his outlook, Picard comes across as a reliable choice for fans. His Shakespearean wisdom and a way of dealing with problems are sensible, which is why many people prefer him over Kirk.

Star-Trek creator Gene Roddenberry admitted that Picard was born out of his experience and Kirk was a reflection of his youth. So there will always be the intergalactic warabout who wins as a Captain. There is nothing judgmental about your choice as long as you could defend it with your wits.

A quote by Uma Thurman from a deleted scene in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction roughly sums up the need to have an entire debate about the topic. She says “When it comes to important subjects, there are only two ways a person can answer… Somewhere, you have to make a choice. And that choice tells me who you are.”