WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 4, episode 7, “A Few Badgeys More.”
Although Gene Roddenberry insisted on there being no interpersonal conflict in Star Trek, the franchise has a rich collection of arch-rivals across both movies and TV shows. The return of Badgey (Jack McBrayer) in Star Trek: Lower Decks marked the final confrontation between the psychotic hologram and his rival Lt. JG Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and reminds viewers of some other notable Star Trek rivalries. Despite Roddenberry’s reservations about conflict, a strong rivalry has been at the core of some of Star Trek‘s best stories for almost six decades. So much so that the franchise is constantly seeking to recreate the iconic rivalry between Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalban), with mixed results.
Star Trek Into Darkness‘ remake of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was a strong example for why a good rivalry is rooted in the actors as much as the characters. Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch are great actors, but they couldn’t match the unique partnership of Shatner and Montalban. Another misfiring Star Trek rivalry was the clash between Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy) in the derided Star Trek: Nemesis. However, for every disappointing character clash, there’s a long list of compelling antagonistic relationships between Star Trek heroes and villains.
10 Commander Riker & Commander Shelby
Not every Star Trek rivalry is between heroes and villains, some of them are professional rivalries like that of Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Commander Elizabeth Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy). Shelby only appeared once in Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the classic two-parter “The Best of Both Worlds” in which she arrived aboard the USS Enterprise-D with her eye on Riker’s job. When Picard was assimilated by the Borg, she became Riker’s Number One, but the two still clashed with each other, and didn’t leave on good terms. Decades later, in Star Trek: Picard season 3 it was revealed that Riker still disliked Shelby, especially because of her embracing of “Borg-like” technology.
9 Captain Archer & Shran
The begrudging friendship between Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and Thy’lek Shran (Jeffrey Combs) in Star Trek: Enterprise often played like a rivalry. After Archer handed over information to the Andorian about a Vulcan listening post, Shran was in the Captain’s debt. This defined Archer and Shran’s relationship during four seasons of Enterprise as they kept doing each other favors. The compelling mixture of hostility and mutual respect between Archer and Shran made them a winning Star Trek rivalry. Brilliantly, this complicated friendship between Human and Andorian led to the formation of the United Federation of Planets.
8 Worf & The House Of Duras
Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) had a blood feud with the entire House of Duras throughout both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Duras family were responsible for framing Worf’s father Mogh for collaborating with the Romulan Star Empire, bringing shame to the family. Worse still, Duras (Patrick Massett) was responsible for the death of Worf’s lover K’Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson), an act which forced Worf to kill the Klingon in battle. After Duras’ death, his sisters Lursa (Barbara March), B’Etor (Gwynyth Walsh), and his son Toral (J.D. Cullum) continued to make Worf’s life difficult throughout TNG and DS9.
7 Rutherford & Badgey
Dr. Sigmund Freud pioneered a whole field of psychiatry based on the idea of the son wanting to kill the father, and Badgey and Rutherford’s rivalry embodied this theory. Created as a holographic tutor by Rutherford, Badgey turned psychotic following a holodeck malfunction. Apparently killed by Rutherford, Badgey swore revenge against his father and creator and sought out several means to kill him. Finally, after uploading himself to the subspace relays, he realized the pointlessness of his quest to kill his father and ascended to a higher plain. Given how many other Star Trek rivalries have ended in death, it was a happy ending for both Rutherford and Badgey.
6 Dr. Bashir & Luther Sloan
Doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) made it his mission to bring down shadowy intelligence organization Section 31 in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s final seasons. At the core of Section 31 was its commander, Luther Sloan (William Sadler) who repeatedly tried to recruit Bashir into the organization. Bashir and Sloan clashed with each other throughout DS9 seasons 6 and 7, with the Section 31 commander knowing how to use Bashir’s sense of morality for Sloan’s own ends. Ultimately, the rivalry between Bashir and Sloan forced DS9‘s doctor to throw away his promise to “do no harm” by capturing and torturing the Section 31 commander for information on the organization and the morphogenic virus.
5 Data & Lore
A rare Star Trek rivalry performed by one actor, Data and Lore (Brent Spiner) were android brothers both created by Noonien Soong (also Spiner). Lore’s emotional instability made him an unpredictable foe for the crew of the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, his real fight was with Data, and the two androids regularly clashed with each other, right up until their final confrontation in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Where Data hoped to become human, Lore saw himself as a higher being, and sought to subjugate or destroy organic life, even joining forces with the Borg to do so in TNG season 7.
4 Quark & Brunt
Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) was really the best friend of Quark (Armin Shimerman) rather than his arch-enemy. The dubious honor of being Quark’s nemesis fell to Liquidator Brunt (Jeffrey Combs), who was a thorn in the side of Quark and his business interests. The feuding Ferengis had various run-ins during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from a disagreement about a deal to buy Quark’s remains to a plot by Brunt to become the new Grand Nagus. Ultimately, Quark’s Ferengi family came out on top in every clash with Brunt, leaving the conniving Ferengi to be escorted off Deep Space Nine by Ensign Nog (Aron Eisenberg) during the ascension of Grand Nagus Rom (Max Grodénchik), never to be seen again.
3 Picard & Q
As with Archer and Shran, the rivalry between Jean-Luc Picard and the omnipotent trickster Q (John de Lancie) was rooted in mutual respect and even friendship. Q’s tests of Picard throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation actually made Jean-Luc a better man. In “Tapestry”, Q allowed Jean-Luc to realize the importance of his youthful arrogance, and then in the TNG finale, the cosmic god allowed Picard to realize the value of the friendships with his crew. Although Q and Picard were always slightly antagonistic to each other, there was a deep love there, which finally came to the fore in the Star Trek: Picard season 2 finale.
2 Sisko & Gul Dukat
The rivalry between Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) took on theological importance as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine entered its final season. As the Federation commander of the former Cardassian station, Sisko often had to deal with his predecessor Dukat. The two men’s relationship in the early days was often borne out of necessity, but Sisko was always aware that Dukat was likely scheming behind his back. It was only when Dukat sold his people out to the Dominion and sought an apocalyptic revenge against Bajor that their feud came to a head, sealing both men’s mortal bodies in the Bajoran Fire Caves.
1 Kirk & Khan
Star Trek: The Original Series‘ Khan Noonien-Singh and Captain Kirk are the rivalry that set the tone for every subsequent relationship in the franchise. Khan’s thirst for vengeance against Kirk in Wrath of Khan was rooted in the death of his wife, but also the genetically enhanced superman’s bruised ego. Kirk was an ordinary man that managed to bring one of the Eugenics Wars’ supermen and his army to their knees. Khan could not let that stand, and launched an elaborate plot to avenge himself against his nemesis. It was a rivalry that would change the game for Star Trek, creating a great many heroes and villains for decades to come.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.
