10 Greatest Star Trek Time Travel Episodes, Ranked

The Star Trek franchise is massive, and it especially features a high number of time-travel episodes that always make an impact. From well-conceived crossovers to epic action shots, Gene Roddenberry's iconic science-fiction endeavor seems to have it all. Over six decades, the retroactively titled 

Star Trek: The Original Series has rapidly expanded, with the franchise now including 12 television shows, 13 movies, a plethora of books, more comics, an audio drama, and even some stage productions.

Time-travel is not easy to pull off, yet it's a topic that Star Trek continues to nail. Between exploring cohesive stories and utilizing supporting characters, traveling to the past is something that fans of the series are well-versed in. These ten 

Star Trek episodes that revolve around time-travel stand out among the rest of the franchise, let alone their respective series.

"Time's Arrow" Is an Exciting Two-Part Adventure

"Time's Arrow" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 5, Episode 26; Season 6, Episode 1) primarily takes place in San Francisco, California, circa 1893. When the Enterprise-D crew is made aware of potential alien interference, Data (Brent Spiner) is inadvertently pulled into a time portal with them. Data subsequently has to find his way around the late 19th century.

In the second part of "Time's Arrow," Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the others arrive in San Francisco to locate Data. Between a cholera outbreak and the inclusion of famous author Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens (Jerry Hardin), the 

Enterprise crew tries to determine the aliens' intent.

"Time's Arrow" is one of the best episodes from Star Trek: The Next Generation overall, with the time-traveling storyline particularly impressive. The inclusion of Clemens makes the episode all the more fondly remembered, as does the guest appearance of Jack London (Michael Aron). There's plenty of action throughout the episode, and the showcases of 19th-century San Francisco are fascinating.

"Little Green Men" Is One of Star Trek's Funniest Episodes

"Little Green Men" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 4, Episode 9) revolves around Quark (Armin Shimerman) and his brother, Rom (Max Grodenchik). While attempting to escort Nog (Aron Eisenberg) to Starfleet Academy, Quark, Rom, and Nog accidentally time-travel to 1947. The trio lands in Roswell, New Mexico, and is immediately identified as Martians by the U.S. Military. Against the backdrop of the real Roswell UFO incident, in which the U.S. supposedly captured an alien spaceship, Quark tries to negotiate with the unsuspecting Americans.

"Little Green Men" is an iconic Deep Space Nine episode because of how it focuses on Quark, Rom, and Nog and their completely accidental misadventures. The trio is hilarious together and individually as they attempt to interact with humans, leaving a lasting impression. By embracing conspiracy theories, the episode is more lighthearted than most other 

Star Trek episodes, offering a refreshing take.

"Timeless" Gives Harry Kim a Chance to Shine

"Timeless" (Star Trek: Voyager, Season 5, Episode 6) revolves around Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Chakotay (Robert Beltran), the only survivors of a disastrous attempt to bring 

Voyager home. After 15 years, Kim and Chakotay finally recover the ship's remains and try to travel back in time to prevent the accident.

With this being a flagrant disregard for the Temporal Prime Directive, Captain Georgi La Forge (LeVar Burton) on the USS

 Challenger tries to stop them. Despite La Forge's warnings to stand down, Kim, with help from the Doctor (Robert Picardo), sends several signals to the past version of Voyager.

"Timeless" is a fantastic episode of 

Voyager across the board, written incredibly well. Kim's desperation and courage are palatable, giving the supporting Star Trek character a chance to shine. The special effects are solid, the stakes are high, and overall, Burton's direction makes quite an impact, especially as a starring character.

"Past Tense" Is a Two-Part Exploration of Social Issues

"Past Tense" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 3, Episodes 11 and 12) centers on Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), who accidentally travel back in time. Landing in San Francisco in 2024, Benjamin and Dax arrive the day before the city's Bell riots and end up on the streets, trying to avoid getting caught up in the conflict. As Benjamin ultimately becomes the face of the Bell riots, the rest of the 

Defiant crew tries to contact their co-workers and bring them home.

"Past Tense" is another great episode from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, with the time-travel component being more of an added plus than the main attraction. The examination of social, political, economic, and racial aspects across the two-part story is something new for 

Star Trek as a whole. The timeless themes are all-encompassing; Benjamin's involvement stands out, and the narrative is fully fleshed out.

"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" Marks the First Instance of Time Travel

"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 19) revolves around Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew, who are sent back in time to the 1960s. Landing on Earth, Captain Kirk chooses to blow up an Air Force jet, but saves the life of its pilot, John Christopher (Roger Perry). Taking Christopher on the 

Enterprise, the crew tries to figure out how to return Christopher to Earth and restore the timeline without any far-reaching consequences.

"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" continues to stand the test of time after almost six decades, a true testament to 

Star Trek's popularity. Despite the time-travel aspect being a tad inaccurate when compared to other similar episodes, this episode from The Original Series is well-crafted, generally lighthearted, and easily memorable. Kirk's interactions with humans in the '60s, especially Christopher, are fondly remembered and well-acted.

"Relativity" Features a Satisfying Plot Twist

"Relativity" (Star Trek: Voyager, Season 5, Episode 23) primarily revolves around Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), who is pulled out of time by Captain Braxton (Bruce McGill) to help save 

Voyager from future destruction. After a disastrous meeting with Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Seven is sent back in time again, with additional complications. As Seven tries to locate the bomb that is set to disintegrate Voyager, the person who planted the bomb and their motivations slowly begin to unravel.

"Relativity" moves quickly and features an action-packed plot, which is equally intriguing and entertaining to watch unfold. Seven's recruitment lets the supporting 

Star Trek character stand out and have a moment, while the reveal of Voyager's eventual destruction is shocking on first watch. The plot twist comes at a good moment and is only easy to spot on a rewatch, making it have a strong pay-off.

"Those Old Scientists" Is a Successful Star Trek Crossover

"Those Old Scientists" (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2, Episode 7) is a crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks

, an animated series. In the Strange New Worlds episode, Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimier (Jack Quaid) from Lower Decks are unexpectedly sent back in time; the duo land on the 

Enterprise, captained by Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). The Enterprise crew subsequently attempts to return Mariner and Boimier home to the future, without messing up the timeline.

"Those Old Scientists" is the best 

Star Trek episode by far, especially with its clever use of time-travel to bring Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds together. Having the real actors reprise their animated characters is a genius move, and the episode also features a solid amount of seriousness and humor. The story works well and makes sense within the franchise's confines, with the strong writing standing out fantastically.

"Trials and Tribble-ations" Is More Than Just Fan Service

"Trials and Tribble-ations" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 5, Episode 6) is a direct collaboration with "The Trouble with Tribbles" (

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2, Episode 15) ahead of the former series' 30th anniversary.

In the Deep Space Nine episode, Benjamin and his crew go back in time to the events of The Original Series. The USS Defiant attempts to prevent Kirk's assassination, and while they do their best not to alter time more than necessary, that becomes easier said than done.

"Trials and Tribble-ations" is an excellent Star Trek episode that expertly utilizes time-travel to combine two popular series. The episode's storyline and how all the different characters interact are intriguing, there is a fair amount of humor, and the special effects used to place the Deep Space Nine actors into The Original Series are seamless. The episode is a classic homage to the original Star Trek series, but it stands on its own quite well.

"The Visitor" Is a Perfectly Written Emotional Roller Coaster

"The Visitor" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 4, Episode 2) revolves around time travel, albeit under different circumstances. In the episode, Benjamin Sisko becomes lost in subspace after an accident, which leaves him suspended outside of time. Benjamin's son, Jake Sisko (Tony Todd), continues to live his life, but never stops trying to bring Benjamin home permanently. Benjamin makes several brief appearances as Jake's life unfolds, urging his son to pave his own way in life instead of exclusively focusing on a rescue attempt.

"The Visitor" is a fantastic Star Trek episode across the board, although viewers should make sure to have a tissue handy. The relationship between Benjamin and Jake is downright beautiful to witness, especially since Jake makes it his life's mission to rescue his father. The concept of Benjamin being lost in space makes as much sense as possible; the episode's plot is gripping, and the pace is equally fantastic.

"The City on the Edge of Forever" Is a Classic Star Trek Episode

"The City on the Edge of Forever" (Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 28) centers on Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), who accidentally overdoses on a drug and time-travels while impaired. While McCoy finds himself in New York during the Great Depression, Captain Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) try to locate him and reverse any meddling caused by time traveling. Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) while in New York, though, which makes things harder.

"The City on the Edge of Forever" is one of the most recognized Star Trek episodes of all time, largely for its intricate time-travel plot and compelling story. Kirk and Edith's budding chemistry is believable, and the consequences that McCoy, Kirk, and Spock face from time-traveling are equally entertaining and emotional. Love and sacrifice are two of the biggest takeaway themes from the Star Trek episode, with a powerful payoff worth watching.