A Single Line In Star Trek Generations Made Janeway An Admiral Before Captain Picard

In Star Trek Generations, James Kirk's sage advice that keeps Jean-Luc Picard a Captain longer is, "Don't let them promote you." By the time Picard meets Kirk in the timeless Nexus, Picard has already been a starship captain for decades, with no plans to retire. Kirk insists on Picard remaining a Captain because Kirk's personal experience as a Starfleet Admiral was more frustrating than prestigious. Admiral Kirk kept finding ways to skirt regulations and regain command, including stealing the Enterprise. Kirk's demotion to Captain at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was more reward than punishment.

"Let me tell you something. Don't [retire]. Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you, don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there, you can make a difference."

• Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek Generations

Jean-Luc Picard remained a Captain for the better part of a decade, so it's reasonable to assume that Picard took Kirk's advice. Picard captained the USS Enterprise-E through the 2370s, and accepted a promotion to Admiral in 2381. Admiral Picard found ways he could still "make a difference," like funding the Independent Archaeologists' Guild, and spearheading Starfleet's efforts to evacuate Romulus before 2387's Romulan Supernova. Picard only faced the challenges that Kirk cautioned against later, in Star Trek: Picard. Like Kirk before him, Admiral Picard was only able to command a starship temporarily, and with a reasonable excuse.

Admiral Janeway Proves Kirk's Advice Is Wrong in Star Trek: Prodigy

Admiral Janeway Is In Command Of The USS Dauntless And The USS Voyager-A

In Star Trek: Prodigy, Admiral Kathryn Janeway proves that Kirk's Star Trek Generations advice about refusing promotions is wrong. Admiral Janeway's command of the USS Dauntless and USS Voyager-A show that being an Admiral doesn't keep a Starfleet officer off the bridge of a starship, as Kirk feared. Instead of doling out missions like in Star Trek: Nemesis, Admiral Janeway leads a mission to locate the missing Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Janeway's example as a leader redefines the job of Starfleet Admiral as one that can, in fact, actively make a difference from a command chair.

Becoming an Admiral means something different to each Star Trek captain, based on their temperaments and experiences. Janeway spent years in the Delta Quadrant making unilateral decisions as Starfleet's only authority, without an Admiral watching. Accepting a promotion before Jean-Luc Picard does, despite fewer years of experience, means that Admiral Janeway doesn't have to change her leadership style in the Alpha Quadrant. Picard, having inherited Kirk's legacy, has reason to consider Kirk's belief that a promotion means the end of one's starship days, so he takes the advice from Star Trek Generations and remains the Enterprise's Captain for another decade.