Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series

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Okay, let’s fire up the Filmation animation cels and talk about Star Trek: The Animated Series! This often-overlooked series is a fascinating piece of Star Trek history, continuing the adventures of the Enterprise crew after the original series ended. While limited by the animation technology of the time, TAS managed to tell some surprisingly sophisticated and imaginative stories. Here’s my take on the Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series:

Top 10 Episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series

1. “Yesteryear” (Season 1, Episode 2): This is widely considered the best episode of TAS, and it’s a genuinely touching and well-written story. Spock travels back in time to his own childhood on Vulcan, and we get a glimpse into his past and the challenges he faced growing up. The episode is a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the importance of family. It’s also notable for featuring the voice of Mark Lenard as Sarek.
2. “The Slaver Weapon” (Season 1, Episode 14): Written by Larry Niven, this episode is based on his Known Space series and introduces the cat-like Kzinti to the Star Trek universe. It’s a fun and action-packed adventure that features Spock, Uhura, and Sulu on a mission to retrieve a powerful ancient weapon. The episode is a great example of how TAS was able to incorporate elements from other science fiction works.
3. “More Tribbles, More Troubles” (Season 1, Episode 5): A sequel to the classic TOS episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” this episode features the return of the furry creatures and the intergalactic trader Cyrano Jones. While not as iconic as the original, it’s a fun and lighthearted episode that captures the spirit of the original TOS episode.
4. “The Lorelei Signal” (Season 1, Episode 4): This episode features a group of alien women who lure men to their planet with a hypnotic signal. It’s a notable episode for giving Uhura a chance to take command of the Enterpriseand for showcasing the female crew members’ competence and bravery.
5. “The Infinite Vulcan” (Season 1, Episode 7): This episode features a giant clone of Spock and explores the ethical implications of cloning. While the animation is a bit clunky, the story itself is quite thought-provoking and raises some interesting questions about identity and the nature of humanity. Also, who doesn’t want to see a giant Spock?
6. “The Jihad” (Season 1, Episode 16): This episode involves a multi-species team assembled to recover a stolen religious artifact. It’s a unique and interesting story that explores themes of faith, cooperation, and the importance of understanding different cultures. It’s a good example of TAS trying to tackle more complex themes.
7. “The Terratin Incident” (Season 1, Episode 11): The Enterprise crew is shrunk down to microscopic size and must navigate the dangers of a miniature world. It’s a fun and imaginative episode that makes good use of the animated format to create some visually interesting scenarios.
8. “The Ambergris Element” (Season 1, Episode 13): Kirk and Spock are transformed into water-breathers and must adapt to an underwater environment. It’s another episode that takes advantage of the animated format to explore a unique setting and tell a story that would have been difficult to do on the live-action series.
9. “Mudd’s Passion” (Season 1, Episode 10): Harry Mudd returns, this time peddling a love potion that causes all sorts of trouble on the Enterprise. While not as memorable as his appearances in TOS, it’s still a fun and silly episode that captures the lighter side of Star Trek.
10. “Beyond the Farthest Star” (Season 1, Episode 1): This is the first episode of TAS, and it features the Enterprise encountering a powerful and dangerous alien entity at the edge of the galaxy. It’s a solid introduction to the series and sets the tone for the more science fiction-oriented stories that TAS would explore.

Honorable Mentions: “The Eye of the Beholder,” “Albatross,” “The Pirates of Orion,” “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth.”

Star Trek: The Animated Series is a product of its time, and the animation is certainly dated by today’s standards. However, the series deserves recognition for its ambitious storytelling, its willingness to tackle complex themes, and its contribution to the Star Trek canon. It brought back the original cast to voice their roles, and it featured scripts by some of the same writers who worked on TOS, as well as other notable science fiction authors. If you can look past the limitations of the animation, TAS offers some genuinely entertaining and thought-provoking Star Trek stories, and further adventures of the Enterprise crew we all love.

Last update on 2025-12-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API