The Star Trek franchise and fandom have become ingrained in popular culture, and they are responsible for a number of recognizable internet memes. Star Trek: The Original Series began well before the invention of the internet, but the show quickly grew in popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s. By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spinoffs, internet usage was becoming more widespread, and the shows began to develop an online following. Internet chat rooms and message boards gave Trekkies an avenue to discuss their love of Trek and connect with other fans.
In the mid-2000s, memes began popping up all over the internet, some with photos of random animals or people, others with recognizable fictional characters. Since then, countless Star Trek memes have found their way to the internet, spanning the entire Star Trek timeline. Still, some memes became more popular than others, growing bigger than the Star Trek fandom and taking on a life of their own.
10Lt. Geordi La Forge & Hull Problems
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Two images of Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) on Star Trek: The Next Generation have become popular as a meme used to compare two things. While this meme has been used to reference Star Trek content (as seen in the examples above), it has also been used to describe everything from political commentary to someone's taste in music.
The most popular memed images of Geordi come from TNG season 6, episode 9, "The Quality of Life," as he gestures during a poker game.
9"I Am Not A Merry Man" & Other Worf Memes
Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
After his introduction on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Michael Dorn's Lt. Worf became one of the most popular and prolific Star Trek characters. For most of TNG's run, he served as the Security Chief on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Despite his stoic Klingon attitude, Worf could be surprisingly funny and delivered some great one-liners throughout his Star Trek career.
In TNG season 4, episode 20, "Qpid," the god-like Q (John de Lancie) sends Picard and his crew on an adventure as Robin Hood and his merry men. Upon learning of their predicament and seeing his outfit, Worf declares that he is "not a merry man," an iconic quote that has since become a meme. Worf has also appeared in numerous other memes, including ones that point out his superiority to Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) and others that highlight his luscious Klingon locks.
8"Sobbing Mathmatically" & Other Spock Memes
Star Trek: The Original Series
Not long after Star Trek: The Original Series began airing, Leonard Nimoy's Spock became arguably even more popular than Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Spock's popularity is reflected on the internet today in the sheer number of memes featuring the ever-logical Vulcan. From a probably fake "sobbing mathematically" caption to gangster Spock to sassy Spock, you could probably find a Spock meme for almost anything.
Spock's "sobbing mathematically" moment comes from "The Naked Time," and gangster Spock appears in "A Piece of the Action."
Despite Spock's strict adherence to logic, Leonard Nimoy often allowed Spock's emotions to peek through his icy Vulcan exterior. Nimoy's brilliantly subtle performance led to plenty of iconic expressions, quotes, and moments that make for perfect internet memes. Some episodes even featured a possessed or otherwise altered Spock, which allowed Nimoy to be even more expressive.
7Klingon Chancellor Gowron
Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Gowron appeared in four episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and eight of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and was a sometimes-ally, sometimes-enemy of Lt. Worf.
Likely the most recognizable aliens to come out of Star Trek, the Klingons and their language are extremely popular among Trekkies but have also become a part of popular culture in general. As one of the most distinct-looking Klingons, it's no surprise that Gowron has his own subcategory of Star Trek meme. There are even Gowron memes about Gowron memes.
6"Make It So" & Other Captain Picard Memes
Star Trek: The Next Generation
With his consistently powerful performances, Patrick Stewart helped make Star Trek: The Next Generation one of the best science fiction shows of all time. Throughout TNG's seven seasons, Picard used certain phrases, such as "Make it so" and "Tea, Earl Grey, hot," that came to be associated with the character. Not only have some of these quotes made it beyond the Star Trek side of the internet, but they have also been turned into countless memes.
As Captain Picard was usually a very serious character, some of the most popular Picard memes come from behind-the-scenes bloopers. After TNG's first season, the show's cast became like a family and reportedly had quite a bit of fun on set, much to the frustration of some directors. A scene in TNG season 3's "Ménage à Troi" has also led to several memes, as Picard extols his (fake) love for Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) with a mash-up of Shakespeare quotes.
5Commander Riker Facepalm
Star Trek: The Next Generation
One particularly well-known Star Trek: The Next Generation meme comes from season 3, episode 14, "A Matter of Perspective," in which Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is accused of a murder he didn't commit. As Riker watches a holodeck recreation of the incident that looks particularly damning for him, he covers his face with his hand. Captain Picard made this particular move famous, but he and Riker both get to be a part of this meme.
The screenshots from "A Matter of Perspective" are generally paired with a corny joke or a pun, making it look as though Riker is reacting to Picard's sense of humor. This meme has countless variations across the internet, many of which are genuinely funny, partly because they often feature absurd topics that have little to do with Star Trek.
4Smartphones & Insufficient Data
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) became one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most popular characters throughout the show's seven seasons, and the lovable android has popped up in his fair share of memes. One of the most common memes comes from a dream sequence in TNG season 7, episode 6, "Phantasms," in which Data experiences bizarre nightmares.
In one of these dreams, a ringing comes from inside of Data, and Captain Picard opens his chest to reveal a corded phone. These memes make great use of puns involving the words android and data, and also highlight the ways Star Trek has often predicted the future. Many other memes have had fun with the words data and android, including the ones that depict partial photos of Data with the words "insufficient Data."
3Redshirts
Star Trek: The Original Series
Numerous memes have poked fun of this trope, and the term redshirt has even come to refer to an often-nameless character who dies to illustrate the danger to the main characters. These memes are fairly straightforward, but they're fun, nevertheless, because they represent an in-joke for Star Trek fans that transcends the franchise.
2Captain Janeway & Her Love Of Coffee
Star Trek: Voyager
While Captain Picard had a love for Earl Grey tea, Star Trek: Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) preferred coffee. Not long after the USS Voyager gets stuck in the Delta Quadrant, the replicators aboard the ship are shut down to conserve power. This cuts Janeway off from her regular coffee supply, and she cannot stomach Neelix's (Ethan Phillips) questionable alternative.
In Star Trek: Voyager season 1, episode 6, "The Cloud," the ship encounters a nebula that appears to contain omicron particles, which could be used to supplement their energy supply. Unfortunately for Janeway, the nebula turns out to be a living creature that does not appreciate Voyager poking around, and the captain doesn't gets her coffee. After Voyager solves its energy problems, however, Janeway regularly drinks coffee on the show, leading to the many memes about her love of the perfect brew.
1Captain Picard Facepalm
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek's most famous meme comes from Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his iconic exasperated facepalm. Although Picard (and other characters) did variations of a facepalm throughout TNG, the most often used image comes from the season 3 episode, "Deja Q." When a newly mortal Q arrives on the Enterprise, he claims that Picard is "the closest thing [he has] to a friend."
Q's antics prompt Jean-Luc to cover his face with his hand, in a move that now adorns magnets, t-shirts, and even has its own officially licensed bust.
