Summary
- Star Trek's animated series have expanded the franchise's universe and storytelling possibilities, offering unique takes and appealing to different target demographics.
- Animation allows for creative and imaginative scenarios that would be difficult or impossible to achieve in live-action, adding something new and exciting to Star Trek.
- While the animated shows have their own charm and contributions, some episodes of Star Trek: very Short Treks fall short with humor that clashes with the inclusive ethos of the franchise.
Star Trek first explores the animated frontier in 1973 with Star Trek: The Animated Series and four other animated series now follow in its wake. Animation returned to Star Trek with "Ephraim and Dot" and "The Girl Who Made the Stars", entries in the Star Trek: Short Treks anthology. Star Trek experienced a few other firsts through its animated series, with Mike McMahan's Star Trek: Lower Decks as its first comedy series, and Star Trek: Prodigy, created by Kevin and Dan Hageman in a joint venture with Nickelodeon, as the first Star Trek targeted to younger audiences. The latest entry, Star Trek: very Short Treks, is a non-canonical sketch series intended to honor the legacy of Star Trek animation.
Each of these animated Star Trek shows has something to offer, with different takes on the Star Trek universe and unique approaches to storytelling aimed at varying target demographics. All of them take full advantage of being animated, by including characters or situations that would be difficult, expensive, or even impossible to pull off in live-action. Some recreate live-action characters as animated counterparts or brush up against familiar settings, but all of them contribute something new to Star Trek, from Star Trek: The Animated Series' Caitians returning in Star Trek: Lower Decks, to the brave crew and novel technology of Star Trek: Prodigy's USS Protostar.
