Patrick Stewart's Greatest Captain Picard Quote Is Still a Defining Star Trek Moment

Every Star Trek fan has an opinion on the franchise's greatest captain. Some prefer the swagger of James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Others admire Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) for his conviction, or Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) for her resilience. But ultimately, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) usually wins those debates because he embodied the very best of Starfleet: intelligence, diplomacy, curiosity, and compassion. To celebrate the life of Sir Patrick Stewart, Polygon is republishing this tribute to his seminal performance as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation .