Every Version Of Star Trek's Christopher Pike, Ranked

While most audiences know James T. Kirk as the captain of the USS Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" series, he's actually the second man to lead the legendary starship on-screen. Before the series premiered on TV, an unaired pilot episode had a different captain — Christopher Pike — on the bridge of the Enterprise. These days, Pike (Anson Mount) is the star of the franchise's current flagship series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," leading Mr. Spock, Number One, Uhura, and the rest of the Enterprise crew on daring missions around the galaxy.

There have been four different versions of Captain Pike over the six decades of "Star Trek," all played by different actors, with Mount being just the latest one to appear on screen. Not too shabby for a character that, for more than 40 years, had only officially appeared in a single two-part episode, 1966's "The Menagerie," which repurposed old footage from the unaired pilot. With several amazing actors having played the character, it's fair to wonder how they rate next to one another, so we've put together a ranked list, from good to best, of every version of Captain Christopher Pike from "Star Trek."

Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) was the first commanding officer to lead a "Star Trek" episode, but that pilot, "The Cage" — filmed in 1964 — didn't air on television for more than 20 years. The first version of Captain Pike that audiences saw was in one of the best episodes of the series, the two-part "The Menagerie," where he was played by Sean Kenney. That episode also featured Hunter's version of Pike, but it's Kenney's we see first: a man confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak, the result of a devastating accident in which he saved the lives of several young Starfleet cadets.

This version of Pike never speaks; he communicates through a series of beeps and is portrayed as a tragic figure, a once-powerful man who has become a shell of his former self. His former first officer, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), shows his unwavering loyalty by defying Starfleet orders to bring Pike to a planet where he can live out the remainder of his life in the illusion of a healthy, able body.

Much of "The Menagerie" flashes back to the events of the unaired pilot episode, and the wheelchair-bound Pike does little more than sit stoically while Spock is on trial for mutiny. That's really the only reason this version of Pike sits at the bottom of our list. Still, the events of "The Menagerie" help make Pike's journey in "Strange New Worlds" all the more compelling, as we — and he, thanks to time travel — are well aware of his ultimate fate.

When it was announced that JJ Abrams would reboot "Star Trek," set in an alternate timeline, many may have wondered just how different it might be from the classic series. Would the Enterprise even have a saucer and two nacelles? When the movie arrived in 2009, there was surely a sigh of relief from fans, as the iconic Enterprise was there in all its glory, crewed by Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and the rest. But Abrams also made the surprising choice to include Captain Pike as the man who recruits a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) into Starfleet.

Played by Bruce Greenwood (who was once considered for a role in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), this version of Captain Pike marked the first time audiences got to see the character on the big screen. A highly respected leader, Pike is a stern, no-nonsense commander, but also possesses a humble and friendly nature that belies his grit and tenacity. He leads the Enterprise into battle, and like in the original "Star Trek" series, is seriously injured and eventually confined to a wheelchair. He returns in "Star Trek Into Darkness" as Admiral Pike after James Kirk is promoted to captain of the Enterprise, but is killed in dramatic fashion when a vengeful Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks Starfleet headquarters.

Ironically, prior to "Strange New Worlds," Greenwood's alternate universe Pike had the most screentime of any version of the character. Greenwood himself delivers a strong performance, and the film made Pike a more well-known character, helping to set the stage for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" years later.

In 1964, when "Star Trek" went before cameras for the first time, it was Jeffrey Hunter who was chosen to play the first on-screen captain of the USS Enterprise. A big screen movie star, Hunter commanded the Enterprise with the right mix of authoritative gravitas and personable warmth required for the man who leads the Federation flagship. Conceived by series creator Gene Roddenberry, Pike is described in the show's initial pitch (via TrekMovie) as "a colorfully complex personality ... capable of action and decision which can verge on the heroic — and at the same time lives a continual battle with self-doubt and the loneliness of command."

Inspired by the fictional Captain Horatio Hornblower, Jeffrey Hunter's version of Captain Pike is fiercely protective of his crew. But he's also something of an enigmatic figure to them, and is seen in "The Cage" closing himself off to those under his command, instead preferring to project a powerful image of an unflappable, confident leader who always knows the right course of action in any situation. 

Unfortunately, after filming "The Cage," NBC wanted Roddenberry to retool the series. Hunter, apparently on the advice of his wife, decided he could not commit to filming a second pilot, so William Shatner was brought in to replace him as James Kirk. Had we gotten to see more of Jeffrey Hunter, it's entirely possible he might have won the top spot as the best Captain Pike, but the actor — who died in 1969 — remains today a fan favorite.

Debuting in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery" was Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise, seen for the first time in a TV series since "The Menagerie": a cool, collected, veteran officer, a respected leader, and among the most decorated captains in the fleet. When he got his own spin-off show, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," we got to see why he's considered one of Starfleet's best.

Set years after the events of "The Cage," Anson Mount's version of Pike has relaxed somewhat since his more stolid days as a detached leader who kept a distance from his crew. Confident, even swaggering at times, this new version of Pike is a man of action, but also a man who only resorts to that action as a last resort — he'd much prefer to talk out the issues and use diplomacy to settle conflicts. Nevertheless, when bold decisions are required, Pike is ready and always willing to work together with his crew rather than simply order them around.

Of course, the fact that fans have gotten to see more than 30 episodes of Anson Mount as Captain Pike is a big reason he's the best of the bunch. For the first time, we experience the full Captain Pike — from his daring away missions to his tense moments in command of a crisis, to his quieter moments in his quarters with friends, and even his romantic life. But the most remarkable thing about Anson Mount's Captain Pike is that a fan predicted his casting more than a decade before his debut on "Star Trek: Discovery."