Star Trek: Q's 12 Best Moments From Across The Franchise

Of all the familiar faces to resurface time and time again across the "Star Trek" franchise, one of the most welcome is Q. Played by John de Lancie, the character hails from the omnipotent Q Continuum, who can bend the rules of reality to their whim in an instant. Initially something of a villain for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Q transforms into more of a trickster pestering various "Star Trek" mainstays. De Lancie reprises his role as Q with no trouble at all in "Star Trek: Picard," once again putting Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his friends through the cosmic wringer.

For all the galactic gags, there is a surprising depth and level of nuance to Q as he observes and plays around with humanity. And with de Lancie appearing as Q in no less than five "Star Trek" series, there are plenty of fan-favorite moments to go around. Here are Q's 12 best moments across the entire "Star Trek" franchise.

Q is a character whose franchise roots go as far back as Picard and the rest of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" cast. Appearing as the principal antagonist in the two-part series premiere, "Encounter at Farpoint," Q interrupts the Enterprise crew as they first take their assigned posts on the ship. Whisking away Picard and a handful of officers to a mock trial, Q appears before them as humanity's judge, jury, and potential executioner. Introducing himself, Q announces that he will determine if humanity deserves to exist, with Picard appointed as the species' representative.

Something that gets lost relatively quickly across Q's subsequent appearances is that he started out as an adversary, not an ally. Demonstrating his considerable reality-shaping powers from the outset, Q establishes himself as an omnipotent threat if he's not satisfied with his forced trial. Knowing what Q becomes soon thereafter, seeing him appear so menacing and relishing in being able to lord himself above Picard is something of a shock now. "The Next Generation" Season 1 is arguably the show's weakest, but Q provides the series with a heck of an opening episode.

While always considering humanity beneath him, Q offers the species a tacit chance at survival in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Season 2 episode "Q Who." Whisking away the Enterprise across the cosmos, Q introduces Starfleet to the Borg Collective far sooner than they were projected to meet. Though this exposure helps Starfleet better prepare for the Borg threat, several Enterprise crewmen are lost in the resulting skirmish. Reeling from the loss of life and barely escaping from the Borg, Picard is privately admonished by Q after helping the Enterprise to safety.

Q dresses down Picard and reminds him that exploration always comes with the possibility of extreme risks. After Q leaves, even Picard concedes that the omnipotent annoyance helped humanity with the inevitably uncertain battle ahead. Of all the characters to vehemently defend Starfleet's frontier spirit, Q doesn't seem likely to top that list, and yet, he does in a stirring monologue. "Q Who" changes the tenor of "The Next Generation" and debuts perhaps its most memorable enemy, with Q leaving his indelible mark on the franchise in only his third appearance.

As all-powerful as Q often presents himself, he still answers to the unseen Q Continuum, a collective of similarly powered beings. For all his shenanigans and interfering with the lives of mortals, the Continuum strips Q of his abilities in the third season episode "Deja Q." Powerless and naked, Q is begrudgingly taken in by the Enterprise as he copes with his newfound mortality. And as Q experiences everyday sensations like hunger and pain for the first time, he develops an (admittedly shallow) appreciation towards humanity.

De Lancie finds fresh ground to explore with Q in "Deja Q," no longer the sneering, extraterrestrial bully with a soft spot for Picard. Seeing Q forced to interact with Data (Brent Spiner) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) as equals fleshes out the character like never before. Q is normally someone fully in control of a given situation and now, he has to confront an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. By the end of "Deja Q," the cosmic demigod regards the Enterprise crew as genuine friends, even after his omnipotence is restored.

Q impresses the Continuum in "Deja Q" when he lures vengeful aliens hunting him away from the Enterprise in a shuttlecraft. This selfless act leads the Continuum to fully reinstate Q's powers just in time to save the day, also restoring Q's signature smugness. Returning to the Enterprise bridge, Q takes the time to annoy Picard with an impromptu celebration by summoning a mariachi band. For Data, with whom he formed the strongest bond while mortal, Q allows the normally emotionless android to experience joyfully riotous laughter for the first time.

Q's loss of omnipotence may be temporary, but the ordeal leaves him a changed man and closer to the Enterprise crew. The spectacle on the bridge shows two very different sides to Q that endure for the remainder of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." On the one hand, Q will always be something of a nuisance to Picard, with varying levels of ostracization. On the other, Q's parting gift to Data reveals how much he grew during his brief flirtation with mortality and how much he truly cares for the crew.

Picard undergoes a "Christmas Carol"-style adventure in the sixth season episode "Tapestry," as Q offers him a glimpse at a road not traveled. In his youth as a Starfleet cadet, a cocky Picard instigates a barroom brawl that nearly kills him, teaching him the nature of consequences. In a near-death experience, Q shows Picard how radically different his life would be if he avoids the prior fight altogether. Revived, Picard gains a deeper understanding of himself and overcomes that past trauma as he recovers.

"Tapestry" is a late-game character study episode for Picard, with Q playing the de facto role of the Ghost of Christmas Past. One of the more amusing aspects of "Tapestry" is that Picard remains unsure whether Q is actually involved or if he's just a near-death hallucination. Still, Q's presence, imaginary or not, plays right into his usual wheelhouse and underscores his unlikely friendship with Picard. Rather than constantly grandstanding, Q coaches Picard through his past, giving him another pep talk and helping Picard connect the dots of his own life.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" has arguably one of the best series finales of all time, split into two parts as "All Good Things..." The episode not only pays off years of storytelling and character development but comes full circle with its series premiere. Just as "The Next Generation" opens with Q challenging Picard to prove humanity's worth, it closes with Q presenting Picard with the same ultimatum. Picard receives another cosmic puzzle to solve, this time involving an anomaly affecting three different timelines simultaneously.

While less sinister than the series premiere, "All Good Things..." brings Q back to his interstellar authoritarian roots. Picard and Q may share a burgeoning friendship, but the fate of the human race still precariously hangs in the balance. Q is not only genuinely happy that Picard solves the riddle but quietly admits to even helping him figure it out. The dynamic between the two men grew considerably across the series, and "All Good Things..." feels like the perfect culmination of their journey together.

Q only makes one appearance in all of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and he does it early, in the first season episode "Q-Less." When Picard's former lover, Vash (Jennifer Hetrick), visits DS9, she is pursued by Q, who is infatuated with her (to her visible chagrin). With power coincidentally failing around the station upon Vash and Q's arrival, the crew naturally suspects Q is responsible. This leads Q and Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to have their own showdown for the station's fate.

Q learns the hard way that Sisko and the DS9 crew are a far different lot than his usual playmates on the Enterprise. Provoking Sisko into a mock boxing match, Q is surprised when Sisko lays him out with a single punch, not expecting his usual tomfoolery to be met with violence. "Deep Space Nine" delves into tonally darker areas following its inaugural season, and Q's frivolities have no place in the resulting story. That said, Q's lone visit to the station signals how different "Deep Space Nine" and its characters would be from the rest of the franchise.

After harassing Sisko, Q proves to be much more prolific on "Star Trek: Voyager," appearing in three different episodes across the series. His "Voyager" debut is in the second season episode "Death Wish," providing de Lancie with much more mature material to work with. When a fellow Q taking on the name Quinn (Gerrit Graham) grows weary of immortality, he seeks asylum on Voyager. Dispatched by the Continuum to bring Quinn back in line, Q is shocked that Quinn argues for the right to commit suicide.

"Death Wish" plays out like a courtroom drama, with Q presenting evidence to Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), arguing Quinn should be remanded into his custody. Bringing in everything from character witnesses to delivering well-articulated monologues, de Lancie really shines as Q here. While Q still relies on some mischief to make his case — including a cheeky cameo from Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker — the right to death undercuts the comedy. After numerous depictions as a prankster, it is refreshing to see de Lancie dig into a more serious side to Q.

The most cold-blooded moment in de Lancie's performances as Q comes at the end of "Death Wish," with Q fulfilling Quinn's desire to die. With Quinn granted mortality after successfully pleading his case, Q goes one step further by fatally poisoning him. After confessing to the murder, Q admits that the entire ordeal with Quinn gave him a wider perspective on his own existence. More intriguingly, Quinn's death inspires a sense of rebellion in Q against the Continuum's authority.

It's a shame that the divided Continuum subplot is resolved as quickly as it ultimately is, with Q ending the conflict in his next appearance on "Voyager." For all his bluster about wiping out humanity, Q killing one of his fellow beings from the Continuum is as lethal as he gets. In a way, this is an inevitability; Quinn was always going to be a memorable "Voyager" one-off character. However, moving forward, until "Picard," Q is right back as the merry prankster, which feels like a step back in his development. As beloved as the mischievous Q is, there is something interesting about him diving into moral ambiguity, and de Lancie balances that perfectly in "Death Wish."

De Lancie makes one last appearance in the final season of "Voyager," joined by his son Keegan de Lancie, appropriately playing Q's son, Q Junior. Introducing Junior to the Voyager crew, Q strips his son's powers and leaves him on the starship until he can learn to behave properly. With Q vanishing off, it falls on Janeway to teach the rambunctious teenager how to play nice with others. Satisfied with Junior's progress, Q advances Voyager's journey several years with a snap of his fingers as a belated thank you.

Paired with his son, Q is out of his element as a parent; all of reality is at risk if Junior isn't careful with his omnipotence. Q is frustrated and challenged like never before, and it's clear that he doesn't like that at all. Q never forms as close a bond with Janeway as he does Picard, but Janeway also helps Q in a way Jean-Luc never could, which Q certainly notices and repays. This final visit to Voyager solidifies Q and Janeway's dynamic while providing a new dimension to Q through parenting.

Q comes roaring into "Star Trek: Picard" Season 2 angry at Jean-Luc and ready to teach him one last lesson. Q threatens to alter the timeline by tampering with a critical spaceflight in the 21st century, prompting Picard and friends to reunite and stop him. In reality, Q is dying and uses the last remnants of his power to help Picard overcome unresolved childhood trauma involving his mother. When this becomes evident, the two men share a tearful goodbye in the "Picard" Season 2 finale, aptly titled "Farewell."

While Q regards Picard with vocal — if somewhat mocking — affection throughout "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Farewell" showcases how much he cares for him. And though long annoyed by Q's antics, Picard finally acknowledges him as a friend in the season finale, with the two men sharing a poignant embrace. Despite knowing each other for decades, it's only at the end that Picard and Q bring their companionship to the forefront in a bittersweet moment for both.

Though Q presumably dies at the end of "Star Trek: Picard" Season 2, he makes a cheeky return in the final scene of the third season. After Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) follows in his parents' footsteps and enlists in Starfleet, Q approaches Jack privately in his new quarters. Pointing out that he doesn't exist linearly, Q offers Jack the same challenge he gave Picard decades ago to prove humanity's worth.

Q's death in the preceding season finale feels definitive for the immortal character, so seeing Q back and ready to play is a fun coda. After the more antagonistic turn, Q resurfacing feels more like he's back to his old tricks, in a nice return to form. The final season of "Picard" turns "Star Trek" more explicitly generational than ever, and Q's fledgling dynamic with Jack hints at interesting directions for the story to take. Hopefully, plans for a "Picard" follow-up will come to pass because de Lancie keeps his fan-favorite cred every time Q shows up.